Era: Starting from the local police station

Jiang Zhenghua opened the large canvas bag he had brought back yesterday and rummaged through it.

Find two envelopes and a small cloth bag.

Carefully opening the small cloth bag, gazing at the wooden box inside, she sighed softly.

He then reached out and gently stroked it, as if afraid of hurting the contents if he used too much force.

He seemed to smell the strong smell of gunpowder again, and at the same time, some images involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

1952, winter.

In this foreign land, towering mountains stand tall, covered in snow, and thick ice forms on the rivers. A winding railway spans the high bridges and through the canyons, serving as a vital lifeline for transporting goods within the country.

On both sides of the bridge, tall defensive fortifications were erected, cold machine guns were set up, and behind them were soldiers shivering from the cold, all squinting their eyes to rest.

A hoarse voice whispered, "Xiao Jiang, try to keep your hands under your armpits warm, otherwise you won't be able to fire your gun in the upcoming battle."

The young Jiang Zhenghua nodded tremblingly: "Understood, Squad Leader Niu."

Squad Leader Niu whispered again, "Everyone, cheer up! For the sake of the new China, and for the sake of our comrades who are fighting desperately at the front, we must protect this lifeline and ensure that supplies from the rear can be safely transported to the front."

The crowd's eyes were resolute, and they responded in hushed tones.

Jiang Zhenghua suddenly asked, "Squad leader, when can we go to the front lines and fight those damn Americans head-on?"

Squad Leader Niu chuckled softly: "What's wrong? You're already getting impatient after just one day on duty?"

Jiang Zhenghua shook his head: "No, I just heard that these Americans are fierce, so I want to see for myself."

Squad Leader Niu laughed heartily: "You really are a fearless newborn calf. But to be honest, according to the soldiers who came back from the front lines, these bastards are actually quite afraid of dying. They were chased all over the mountain by our brave comrades..."

Before the words were finished, a sharp whistle came from afar, echoing throughout the canyon.

The seated people tensed up and immediately went to their respective posts as instructed.

Squad Leader Niu listened intently, then solemnly ordered, "Enemy planes are attacking, and small groups of troops have infiltrated the ground. Take cover from the air raids first, and after the first wave of bombing, immediately get up and protect the railway."

Following the instructions given by his squad leader, Jiang Zhenghua crouched down and hid in the trench.

Soon, bombers flew low overhead, and anti-aircraft guns roared from the cliff edge.

Black dots appeared in mid-air, followed by bursts of explosions, and then stones flew everywhere.

The class monitor kept repeating the call.

"Lie close to your body and don't move."

"No one is allowed to show their faces. This is the anti-aircraft artillery battalion's battle now; our turn comes later."

"Da da da—"

"Bang-"

The machine gun spewed flames wildly, and various gunshots rang out one after another. Flames burned and smoke filled the air not far away.

Jiang Zhenghua lay prone on the fortifications and pulled the trigger. Not far away, a tall American soldier's head exploded with a spurt of blood, which splattered on the ground, staining the white snow red, before he slowly collapsed.

Meanwhile, Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers kept falling to the ground on the position.

Squad Leader Niu suddenly shouted, "Oh no! Enemies have sneaked over there and are going to blow up the bridge!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhenghua immediately turned his gun around, aimed at the enemy who had placed the explosives and was ready to pull the trigger, and pulled the trigger.

Immediately, blood mist erupted from the enemy's body, and he stopped moving.

Squad Leader Niu's face lit up with joy, and he turned to look at Jiang Zhenghua: "Jiang, well done. I'll recommend you for commendation when we get back."

Suddenly, the roar of bombers filled the sky again, followed by the sharp sound of falling bombs overhead.

Squad Leader Niu shouted immediately, "Xiao Jiang, get out of the way!"

At the same time, he suddenly kicked off with both legs and pounced on Jiang Zhenghua.

Immediately, the ground around me shook, followed by the sound of an explosion and the sound of stones flying and falling.

Jiang's mother appeared beside Jiang Zhenghua at some point, and looking at her son's pained face, asked, "What's in here?"

"These are the medals I received in the military."

Jiang Zhenghua was startled awake, his expression calm, but he thought to himself, "This isn't just from the predecessor, it's also from Squad Leader Niu, Big Beard, Little Sichuan... and them."

Looking at the five neatly arranged boxes, a hint of heartache flashed in Jiang's eyes. She asked softly, "You...did you suffer a very serious injury?"

Jiang Zhenghua was taken aback, then forced a bright smile at his mother and said, "Mom, I'm fine, I'm not badly hurt."

Jiang's mother's eyes were slightly red, and she wanted to ask, "But..."

Jiang Zhenghua immediately turned around and shouted outside, "Qinghe, bring me your schoolbag, I need to use it."

He turned back to his mother and asked, "Mom, where are the things?"

"They're all here."

Distracted by this, Jiang's mother immediately composed herself and handed over the things she was holding.

"Second brother, what do you need a schoolbag for?"

Soon, Jiang Qinghe rummaged around for a while and quickly came back with a handbag made of fabric pieces of various colors.

Jiang Zhenghua took it and said, "I'll pack the things."

Jiang Qinghe curiously stepped forward and picked up a wooden box.

"What is this?"

As she spoke, she opened the box.

Jiang's mother also peeked over and saw a military medal with a metallic sheen lying inside. At the bottom of the box was a yellowed letter of introduction with a faint red seal visible.

Jiang Qinghe gently picked up the medal, carefully examined the "August 1st" military emblem on it, and gently stroked the raised patterns on the edge with her hand, her expression solemn.

She turned her head and looked at the letter of introduction, reading softly: "Second-class merit, 10th Division of the Volunteer Army Public Security Force, October 1952."

After looking at it, she carefully put the medal back in the box, pointed to the other four boxes, and asked in a low voice, "Brother, are these the remaining second-class merit and three third-class merits?"

Jiang Zhenghua put the envelope, household registration booklet, and other items into his satchel and nodded.

"Should we bring these too?"

Just as Jiang Qinghe was about to reach for the box, her mother slapped her hand away.

"No need. The certificate of merit is in the file and has already been sent to the personnel department of the municipal bureau through confidential channels."

"Zhenghua, I'll go buy a picture frame later and put these things in it."

"Second brother, should we put that 'Family of Glory' plaque together with the others?"

Upon hearing his third sister's question, Jiang Zhenghua was taken aback, then asked in surprise, "Shouldn't that thing be nailed to the door frame?"

"Ever since the neighborhood committee and the team delivered it for the first time, it was hanging on the door frame all day. The next day, your dad took it down, wrapped it in a cloth, and put it away."

"Second brother, Dad said that you worked so hard to get it, and he couldn't bear to hang it outside, afraid that the wind and sun would cause it to lose its original color. Later, he would only take it out to hang it for a while when performing rituals."

"That thing is meant to be hung outside for people to see. Don't put it in a frame, or people will laugh at you."

Jiang Zhenghua was both amused and touched.

"Then nail it to the door, and buy a frame for the medal and hang it on the wall."

"Mom, you decide what to do. I'm leaving."

Jiang Zhenghua glanced at the time and, seeing that it was almost time, picked up his handbag.

"Really, the clothes aren't washed?"

"Just the two pieces I changed out of this morning."

As if remembering something, Jiang Zhenghua pointed to the green quilt on the table in the corner: "The quilt cover hasn't been washed for a while."

"Then you go quickly. Qinghe and I will take it apart and wash it in a bit. Remember to bring the wine."

"OK."

Jiang Zhenghua responded and walked out, carrying the cloth bag on the table.