Everyone realized that the topic at the dinner table was a little dull, and the chief knew better that this was probably the last few days of the old company commander's life in the world, and he didn't want to continue this topic.

The chief smiled and personally filled the old company chief with a cup of mellow seven-hundred-year-old wine: "Old company commander, let's go directly to the square after eating later, and wait to see the national flag raised." ”

This is the last wish of a veteran, and no one wants to let him close his eyes with regret.

As for the old company commander's other wish, to build the mountain road that would cross several mountains but would only benefit the eleven families in the village, including the chief, he was powerless to help him accomplish it.

This is not something that can be done by spending money, according to the description, the construction of this mountain road large modern machinery is basically useless, there is a section of two or three hundred meters long mountain road is completely carved out of the cliff, more than ten kilometers of the road even have to play two tunnels close to 100 meters long, this amount of work is too large.

The investment and return are completely disproportionate, and it is no wonder that the local government will look for another place to resettle these 11 families.

Maybe the chief can solve the problem with a casual phone call, but the chief can't pick up the phone.

It's not that the local government hasn't tried to find a way to resettle these 11 aboriginal families, so how did the chief make this phone call? What did he say?

The only thing the chief could do was to order Dr. Lin to take the critically ill old company commander to the capital for treatment in an almost kidnapping manner, accompany him to two good meals, and take him to the square to see the raising of the national flag.

It's a pity that Qin Long, the only one he has the greatest hope, is helpless about the old company commander's physical condition, and in the last few days of the old company commander, he can only do his best to fulfill the old company commander's wish.

However, the chief still thanked Qin Long, if Qin Long hadn't come over in time, I'm afraid the old company commander wouldn't have been able to fulfill this wish.

This meal took a long time, and the nanny and aunt even made a few dishes for a few people again, and similarly, there was a pot of fragrant and fat braised pork.

He learned from Dr. Lin that the old company commander sometimes only eats meat once a year, that is, during the Chinese New Year, and when his son comes back from family leave, his son will also bring some meat back from outside the mountain.

It's not that the old company commander has no money, it's just that his money has been used to dig this mountain road that has cost him all his life's work.

The old company commander said: Our descendants can no longer be poor, I want to build a road for them, a road to happiness

After midnight, the old company commander finally put down his chopsticks and wine glass, patted his belly with his hand and said with a smile: "Today is the most satisfying meal in these decades, chief, what time is the national flag raising in the square, we won't be unable to catch up, right?"

This meal was eaten for so long just to wait to go to the square to see the raising of the national flag.

The chief glanced at the time and said with a smile: "The time for raising the national flag in the square is based on the time of sunrise, and it should be early now." ”

Doctor Lin had already prepared, and replied with his chest held up: "Report to the chief, report to the old company commander, today's flag-raising time is 6:06 in the morning. ”

The chief looked at the old company commander, and the old company commander said with some embarrassment: "I can't sleep anyway, I want to go to the square and wait now, or the chief will arrange for someone to send me over." ”

Qin Long automatically asked: "I'll go." ”

The chief smiled and patted the old company commander's thigh: "Let's go together, I haven't been to the square to see the national flag raised for several years." ”

The old company commander nodded excitedly: "Then I'll go change my clothes first." ”

The square at midnight is not as lively as during the day, but there are still many people stranded in the square at this time.

The square under the light is more solemn, the monument under the light is more majestic, and the Tian* Gate under the light is more majestic.

The chief changed into a brand-new military uniform without epaulettes and flowers, and supported the old company commander wearing an old-fashioned naval military uniform and holding a bouquet of flowers to walk to the Monument to the People's Heroes.

Doctor Lin walked forward quickly to the soldiers of the National Flag Guard who were standing guard in front of the Monument to the People's Heroes, saluted, showed his ID, and whispered a few words to the soldiers of the National Flag Guard.

There was no need to guess, Qin Long also knew what Doctor Lin was talking about to the soldiers of the National Flag Guard.

The chief exhaled, helped the old company commander through the fence that had been opened, walked up to the pedestal of the Monument to the People's Heroes, and respectfully offered flowers in front of the Monument to the People's Heroes.

Stepping back, the chief and the old company commander stood side by side, raised their heads and saluted the monument to the people's heroes engraved with eight gold leaf characters inscribed with the words 'The People's Heroes Are Immortal'.

Qin Long, Doctor Lin, and President Mo stood side by side behind the chief and the old company commander, and also expressed their highest respect to the people's heroes with military salutes and bows.

However, there was a different flavor in the hearts of several people, the chief didn't say anything, the old company commander didn't say anything, and Qin Long didn't say anything.

Several people got down from the pedestal of the Monument to the People's Heroes and walked to the rebuilt three-story national flag pedestal, and the chief asked the old company commander in a low voice: "Old company commander, do you want to go to the Tianmen City Tower to watch the raising of the national flag?"

The chief didn't want the old company commander's last wish to leave a trace of regret, so he didn't hesitate to use his privileges again.

In fact, as early as a few years ago, the Tianmen Tower has been opened to the outside world, as long as you spend money to climb the Tianmen Tower, but this time is not the time to open to the outside world, to trouble the staff to make an exception to open to them.

The old company commander walked to the outermost fence of the national flag pedestal, smiled at the chief and said: "It's good here, don't break the rules, stand here and be closer to the people." ”

Originally planning to say hello to the soldiers on duty and order them to enter the outer fence, Doctor Lin, who heard the words of the old company commander, froze for a moment, and subconsciously looked at the chief.

The chief shook his head at him slightly, looked at the old company commander with a hot face, and said: "What the old company commander criticized is that some of our leading cadres have indeed detached themselves from the masses over the years, and I should review them. ”

The old company commander smiled: "Don't be surprised, chief, I don't mean to accuse anyone, it's really good to stand here, look at those people, they waited here early, isn't it just to see with their own eyes that our ancestors used blood to stain the red national flag like the rising sun?"

The chief smiled bitterly and looked around, there were indeed hundreds of people waiting in the square to see the national flag raised, and these people also cast curious glances at them when they saw the chief and the old company commander appear here in military uniforms, and some even raised their mobile phones and cameras to take pictures of them.

Two veterans waiting in the square to raise the national flag can be reminiscent of a lot.

But what is discordant is that a group of people who have not identified themselves have quietly arrived in the square at some point, quietly separating those ordinary people from the chief, and the scope of isolation is slowly expanding.

The old company commander seemed to have seen this, but he didn't say anything, just retracted his gaze, and kept staring at the lonely and proud flagpole with a still straight military posture, as if he was telling something to the national flag that had not yet been raised in his heart.

When the east turned white, the solemn national flag guards lined up in a neat formation, and in the dense flashing lights and the cheers of the people, they crossed the Jinshui Bridge and crossed the Anjie in a straight stride, and a red sun rose behind them.

The loud national anthem sounded, the bright five-star red flag was waving in the wind, accompanied by a round of red sun rising, the people in the square couldn't help but stand and salute the rising national flag, and sang the national anthem with the rhythm of the national anthem, and the soldiers all saluted the national flag without exception.

I don't know how many of the onlookers are veterans like the old company commander and Qin Long, although they are no longer wearing military uniforms now, they still look at the raised national flag and salute as they did in the past.

In the face of the increasingly powerful motherland and the five-star red flag standing in the forest of the world, everyone's heart is surging.

A round of red sun erupted and reflected on everyone's face.

The old company commander's eyes were blurred with tears, he put down his right hand, held the chief's hand tightly with both hands, and said in a choked voice: "Chief, thank you." ”

The old company commander shook Doctor Lin's hand: "Major Lin, thank you." ”

The old company commander shook Principal Mo's hand: "Principal Mo, thank you." ”

The old company commander held Qin Long's hand, but he only shook it vigorously, and then, the old company commander slowly leaned towards Qin Long weakly.

"Old Company Commander"