Source: People's Liberation Army Daily WeChat · China Military Bugle
Love between Mountains and Seas
■ Xiang Yong Chen Yubo
Here there are ravines, tall trees and dense forests, surrounded by the sea on three sides, with an area of less than 0.5 square kilometers. The locals named it "Dagushan" because of the terrain. For decades, the officers and soldiers of the Second Company of a certain brigade of the Army in the Northern Theater Command have called the mountains their home, taken pride in their dedication, and written legends one after another.
In March 1996, on the day when the new recruits were assigned to the company, a military truck carried Li Zhaowu and nine other recruits along the winding muddy mountain road to the station. When he was about to get off the bus, he saw the scene of several veterans carrying large buckets walking down the mountain. He could not forget it for a long time.
"There is no water on the mountain, so we have to go down the mountain to fetch water, and then rely on people to carry it up on poles. The road is slippery in winter and it is even harder to walk." The cadre who led the truck explained to the confused recruits.
When he walked into the dormitory, he saw yellowed walls, rusty iron frame beds, and wet beds... "Will my military life be as ups and downs as the sea?" Li Zhaowu opened the window and saw the sea for the first time. There was a flash of excitement and I began to look forward to life on Dagushan.
The reality is contrary to expectations. Life here is very dull. During the day, I would carry out professional training in the classroom and sit there all day long. Sometimes I would go to participate in agricultural and sideline production with the veterans. At night, if I was bored, I would lie by the window and look up at the sky and count the stars.
After turning off the lights one day, Li Zhaowu went to the squad leader Li Zehe and confided: "I am not afraid of hardship, but I can't find the meaning of being a soldier here."
After thinking for a long time, the squad leader took him to the complex building and walked into the "most mysterious" place here. engine room. I saw that the veterans in the room who were still engaged in agricultural and sideline production with him during the day had completely changed their appearance. They were all ready and their eyes were as bright as fire, as if they had been integrated into the data in front of them, completely uninterrupted by the outside world. Some kept their eyes fixed on the screen, observing subtle changes, some quickly recorded data in their logbooks, and some checked meticulously. The atmosphere was tense and serious. Li Zhaowu realized that this was the meaning of their staying at Dagushan.
Li Zehe asked with a smile: "Don't you think it's easier here now?" In just over ten minutes, Li Zhaowu, as a bystander, was so nervous that he was sweating profusely, and the veterans might have to stay in this state until dawn.
"From the first day we came here, we determined to be the first generation of Dagushan people. We endured loneliness, overcome all difficulties, and practiced our skills hard in exchange for this medal." After walking out of the computer room, the squad leader came with Li Zhaowu In front of the collective second-class merit medals, they spoke affectionately about the glory and hardship behind them.
In 2001, Li Zhaowu participated in the deeds report meeting of the former Shenyang Military Region as an advanced model. Strolling through the streets of the provincial capital, there are many tall buildings, busy traffic, and a group of children laughing and chasing each other in the square. He understood that the comrades took root on Dagushan to protect this peace and stability.
"This is my home! My roots are here!" In 2002, Li Zhaowu received a notice of promotion. On the day he reported to the military academy, Dagushan broke the peace of the past. The faces of his comrades were filled with pride and reluctance as they escorted him to the bottom of the mountain.
Li Zhaowu never thought that this separation would last ten years.
"We are the first unit in the regiment to be awarded the honorary title by our superiors!" In 2008, after receiving the good news of the title, Li Zhaowu, who worked at the regiment headquarters, immediately called Dagushan.
In 2012, when we went to Dagushan again, the officers and soldiers had already bid farewell to the dilapidated bungalows and moved into neat new buildings. Everything has changed, but the mountain is still the same mountain, the sea is still the same sea, and the love is still the same... A strong sense of belonging arose spontaneously, and Li Zhaowu silently recited in his heart, "When I come back this time, I will never leave again."
"The organization has already taken good care of me by agreeing to stay here. How can I have other ideas?" Li Zhaowu made a choice that surprised everyone: he gave up taking an administrative position in another unit, transferred to a technical cadre, and stayed in Dagu. Mountain, continue this inseparable love.
Jin Yongchang is the only comrade who once fought side by side, but he can still find the shadow of his old comrades in the young new comrades. Each of them is filled with the dedication, simplicity and tenacity that Dagushan people are proud of. the spirit of.
In March this year, Jin Yongchang will leave Dagushan, where he has lived for more than 20 years, due to work needs. A few nights before leaving, his comrades often saw him through the window writing furiously under a desk lamp. The light projected his concentrated figure on the wall behind him, and also onto the hearts of his comrades. That is Jin Yongchang's experience of cleaning and repairing all night, leaving it to future generations for reference and study.
"Old Li, I'm leaving. Come with me to take a good look at this mountain and this sea!" The moonlight spread across the sea, and the waves surged and lapped against the rocks. The two veterans looked at the stars and fishing lights in the distance, held their arms tightly together, and recited their favorite poem loudly together, "The solitary mountain is so beautiful, far away from the hustle and bustle, standing proudly between heaven and earth..."
(Original text published in "The People's Liberation Army" "Long March Supplement" of the Daily News on July 15, 2022, the content is slightly deleted; the cover image is from the Internet)
(produced by the People's Liberation Army Daily WeChat·China Bugle)
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