Political Commissar Yan and Regiment Commander Liu arrived on Time at 7 p.m. They didn’t drink, so they ordered a pot of biluochun, and they chatted freely while eating the restaurant’s special spicy dish.
Ye Jian, who was in a good mood, was a little depressed at this Time. Regiment Commander Liu had already chosen to change jobs. After all the work on hand was handed over, he would take off his uniform and leave.
Political Commissar Yan’s transfer order had already arrived a year ago. After the fifteenth of the first month, he would go to the Linchuan Military Region to take up his post.
This meal was actually a farewell meal, and Ye Jian was a little bit unaware of it.
“The three of us have known each other for ten years. I just transferred to Fujun Town, the one who received me was not the previous head, but Old Chen. At that Time, Old Chen also came to Fujun Town for only two years.” Regiment Commander Liu took a sip of the hot tea with a strong aroma, reminiscing the deep memories of the past on his tough face.
He sighed, “Time flies really fast. Ten years had passed in a blink. It is too fast, too fast. Thinking about it now, it seems like it was just yesterday. Old Chen, you were wearing a set of semi-new Chinese clothes. With two textbooks in your hands, dust in your hair, as you hurriedly appeared in front of me. And then you apologized, saying that you were in class and forgotten about the Time.”
“I wasn’t just feeling weird at the Time. I was expecting a soldier from the army to pick me up into the mountain. Why was it a teacher instead?”
Fujun Town Middle School was an oil depot transfer station for north-south fuel logistics support, and its importance was self-evident.
As an oil depot guard, Principal Chen naturally needed to immediately meet the newly appointed delegation leader. At that Time, a teacher asked for a leave of absence temporarily, so he took the class instead. When he arrived, Regiment Commander Liu had already arrived.
Recalling the past, their conversation was endless. Principal Chen sighed and said, “Yes, Old Yan arrived not long after picking you up. I still remember that you two had different opinions on military management at the Time. I was just a teacher, but I have to run into the mountains frequently just to make adjustments. After running here and there for almost half a year, the two of you finally stopped arguing.”
Old Uncle Gen was there too. He often advised them, once he even got angry persuading them.
That Time I was just teaching the recruits to adjust their guns. When I heard that you two were causing trouble again, the old uncle immediately carried an “81-1 rifle” and rushed in, put the gun on the table, and said angrily, “You two boys must fight until I get rid of one of you. Okay, fine, I will listen to you. Rock, paper, scissors, and we’ll determine who I should get rid of!”
The past memories were vivid, but the old uncle who taught them had passed away.
Regiment Commander Liu, who was a sturdy man from the Loess Plateau, wiped the wet corners of his eyes. He sighed and felt a deep sorrow. He forced a smile and took the words from Principal Chen, “I told Old Yan later, the first-level sergeant’s prowess is really different from ordinary people. He also plays rock, paper, scissors, treating us as three-year-old children.”
“Old Yan cooly replied, “In the old man’s opinion, aren’t you and me just three-year-olds?” I was amused when I heard it. Since then, I haven’t argued with Old Yan. Even if there is a dispute, I will solve it silently with the cadres behind my back.”
“I’m a northerner. I’m rough, and I speak my mind. Old Yan is a southerner. He is delicate and long-winded, I don’t want to talk about it, hahaha, at that Time, we hated each other, and we really wanted to fight each other in the military. Transfer him away, I said, because he’s always getting in my way.”
The corners of Political Commissar Yan’s eyes were also a little moist. He quietly raised his hand to wipe the corners of his eyes while sipping on his tea. Then he looked at Regiment Commander Liu with disgust, “Same here, and I was even thinking at the time, if I didn’t get rid of someone so rude like you, then my surname is not worthy of the Yan Family.”
