In a person's life, he has to go through many hardships, traumas and tribulations, and there are two general reasons: first, he cannot find a direction; The second is to choose the wrong one or cling to a sacred faith. The former, like a headless fly, lives in a muddle; The latter, on the other hand, has to pay a more or less price, even life.

Huang Xing's parents died a few years ago. There is an elder brother who has married his daughter-in-law five years ago, and he has divided it up for himself. At present, Huang Xing is the only one left, lonely and tenaciously waiting for the three thatched houses left by his parents, and a courtyard as dilapidated as his neighbor's.

The chicken pen of the past has become an idle product. The loess formed a small courtyard with a hard scab, leaving only traces of Huang Xing's practice of fists and feet. If it weren't for the old peach tree next to the courtyard gate, which was still trying to show its vitality of not accepting the old, the whole courtyard would not be able to find a little vitality.

On weekdays, in addition to practicing a few acres of thin land, Huang Xing and a few young students practice kung fu with knives and guns in his spare time, and his life is also relaxed.

This year's winter seems to have come a little early, and moth-like snowflakes have just begun to fall. Every year around the beginning of winter, the old peach tree has to bloom a few pink flowers, as if to show the owner that he will work harder in the coming year.

The fluttering snowflakes like butterflies carefully fell on the petite petals, and they impatiently dissolved into the heart of the flower, leaving only a drop of glittering water in the recess of the petals.

Huang Xing carefully pruned the branches of the old peach tree, cut off the protruding new branches and dry old branches, leaving only the key branches that might bear fruit in the coming year, focusing on the careful appearance, as if he was carefully dressing up the bride to be married.

The snowflakes that greeted the door suddenly rolled up, acting like a flock of white butterflies after being suddenly frightened. When the snowflakes opened, I saw two men breaking into the courtyard in a hurry.

Huang Xing, who was hidden behind the tree, was stunned for a moment, and then shouted in a lost voice: "Brother Qiangzi! Brother Junko! What is the wind blowing you two here? ”

One of them was tall and thin, and he turned his head to see Huang Xing. Happily rushed over, patted Huang Xing on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "It's the snow, let us come." ”

Huang Xing hurriedly put down the work in his hand and let the two of them into his slightly dark room.

The grass roof house is bright and dark, the furniture is very simple, and there is only a reed mat that does not know the age on the half-cut earthen kang. Huang Xing's face was full of joy, and his mouth shouted: "Hurry up and get on the kang!" Hurry up and get on the kang! ”

He was busy taking the wicker basket full of jujubes and bright red persimmons from the big red cabinet on the ground, and put it on the kang table and said, "Eat!" Eat! It was knotted on a tree in his own house. ”

Although, inside and outside the house is the same temperature. However, the earthen kang under the buttocks exudes a kind warmth. A gentle heat wave that slowly extends upwards from the waist. In the end, the whole body is contained in a comfortable warm ocean.

After the three of them sat down, Huang Xing said with a slight grievance and a certain grievance: "I said that I went to school in the provincial capital, and this trip is three years, and I don't even have any news, you are not here, it is not interesting for me to do anything."

Huang Xing muttered, like a child who had been absent from his father for a long time, and his wandering eyes showed the cowardice in his heart.

Qiangzi's real name is Zhang Zhiqiang, and he is the only son of Zhang Million, a wealthy family in the village. Shunzi's real name is Zhao Changshun, and he is also the son of a big family in the village, and they are all Huang Xingxiao's playmates. To be precise, it was Huang Xing who played with them.

Qiangzi grabbed a winter jujube, threw it in his mouth, smiled at Huang Xing with a strange expression, and said, "It's still the crisp and sweet jujube in our hometown." ”

Seeing Huang Xing anxiously looking at himself, his expectant and doubtful eyes were full of loyalty and trust.

Hadron spit out the jujube kernel in his mouth in the palm of his hand, and his deep eyes flashed with insight into everything. And when staring at Huang Xing, it seemed so soft. He reached out and patted Huang Xing's arm, and whispered, "Miss us?" ”

"Why don't you want to, I dreamed that in the past two years, I felt like I had lost my soul." Huang Xing said with his heart and lungs, jumped off the kang, and refilled the hay into the kang hole.

"Then do you dare to follow us and go out and break through?" Zhang Zhiqiang raised his voice and said.

A pair of deep and wise eyes shrouded Huang Xing like starlight.

"Why don't you dare? As long as you are willing to take me, let me do anything."

Huang Xing jumped on the kang with some excitement, his slightly red cheeks, and innocent eyes showed his honesty and sincerity.

Zhao Changshun usually doesn't like to talk, his sturdy body moved towards Huang Xing, reached out and patted him on the back, and smiled mysteriously at him.

Therefore, Zhang Zhiqiang told Huang Xing the story of Sun Zhongshan, Yuan Shikai and Chiang Kai-shek with incomparable enthusiasm and passionate language. At the end, he said: "We are going to join the New Army, crusade against Yuan Shikai, and establish a free and equal New China." ”

The excitement and enthusiasm made Zhang Zhiqiang's face slightly red, and although the open room was a little cold, there was a faint mist suspended above Zhang Zhiqiang's head.

At this time, Huang Xing seemed to be infected by the heat wave from Zhang Zhiqiang. The body is like a child waiting for breastfeeding, and I see my mother's * constantly changing postures. The swarthy face gradually turned purple.

Although he heard about these things for the first time, he was in the cloud for a while, and he couldn't fully understand the truth for a while. However, one thing is for sure. That is, the incomparable trust in Zhang Zhiqiang.

For Huang Xing, Zhang Zhiqiang is a noble person in his life. Zhang Zhiqiang is three years older than him, although he is the young master of a wealthy family, but he has never treated his child Huang Xing as a worker.

His family invited Mr. and set up a school in the ancestral hall, teaching the children and brothers and sisters of the Zhang family, but he had to drag Huang Xing to study together. At that time, Huang Xing still had to herd pigs, and he could only have one meal, and he couldn't listen to a lesson that he couldn't understand.

Despite this, with the help of Zhang Zhiqiang, he can be regarded as having a lot of literacy. His martial arts are also stained with Zhang Zhiqiang's light. Zhang Zhiqiang's family invited his master to teach martial arts, and he had to ask Huang Xing to accompany him to practice, and Huang Xing liked to dance with knives and guns since he was a child, and he was willing to work hard, and over time, Huang Xing's martial arts were above Zhang Zhiqiang.

The master also liked him very much, so he secretly poured all his skills to Huang Xing. And Zhang Zhiqiang's cleverness and assertiveness in the event of an accident, and his righteousness made Huang Xing admire him so much. Playing together or being naughty everywhere is Zhang Zhiqiang's idea, and most of the specific implementation is Huang Xing. Since childhood, the two have been embarrassed companions.

At this time, he saw Zhang Zhiqiang resting his mouth and drinking water, so he impatiently moved his body forward, blushed, and shouted: "Brother Qiang, I don't understand the big truth you said, I just listen to you, you let me do whatever I want, anyway, I will follow you in this life." ”

Zhang Zhiqiang put down the water glass, smiled at Huang Xing with satisfaction, reached out and slapped Huang Xing's back hard, and said loudly: "I didn't mistake you!" ”

At this time, Huang Xing was also so excited as if he was going to marry his daughter-in-law tomorrow, hurriedly rolled off the kang, and said while lifting his shoes: "Brother Qiang, Brother Shun, you two sit down first, I'll go get a bottle of wine, and our brother will be three hours on the hour." ”

Zhang Zhiqiang took out three silver dollars, twisted his body and stuffed them into Huang Xing's hand, Huang Xing was just about to excuse himself, but saw Zhang Zhiqiang glaring at him and said, "Don't you want me to be a brother?" ”

Huang Xing no longer pushed, this is his tacit understanding between the two dozens. He turned and took a sack from the wall, and ran out on tiptoe. Behind him, I heard Zhang Zhiqiang shouting: "Call Gazi on the way, and he will also go with us." ”

Huang Xing's mouth responded, and he ran towards the market like wind under his feet.

The four-hour playmates got together, and this meal was eaten and drunk until the bottle was tilted, and the wine talk and the dream talk were harmoniously intertwined, and then gradually died down.

The snowflakes outside the door are still drifting tirelessly. A cool breeze sneaked into the room filled with the smell of alcohol. Quietly brushed from Zhang Zhang's face with a strange expression. It was like trying to kiss away, and the patches of red that were about to ooze out of the cheeks.

Huang Xing entrusted the dilapidated courtyard and a few acres of thin land to his brother to take care of, which can be regarded as a resignation to his brother.

Huang Xing's brother is an honest farmer, and he is very timid when he is young, and he is afraid of breaking his head when the leaves fall off. Hearing that Huang Xing said that he was going outside, he shook his dark and slightly obese head lightly, and muttered: "It's not good to let go of a stable life, what's good outside." ”

When he was over, he shouted at Huang Xing's back: "If you don't mix, come back, I'll keep the rations for you." ”

Huang Xing and his enlistment were less than half a month ago, and they tragically embarked on the journey of the Northern Expedition. They have a hunting background since childhood, and they are not bad, and many recruits can't even put their guns, so they are driven to the battlefield. With Zhang Zhiqiang's shrewdness and Huang Xing's bravery, they repeatedly performed miraculous feats in front of the battle. In less than three years, Zhang Zhiqiang was promoted to captain and regimental commander, and Huang Xing was appointed as Zhang Zhiqiang's regiment, directly under the commander of the reconnaissance company. And Zhao Changshun and Gazi, like thousands of bloody children, left their bodies on the battlefield forever.

The Northern Expedition was victorious, and the Republic of China was established. It was said to be an exciting thing, but with Huang Xing's understanding of Zhang Zhiqiang, he knew that he was not happy at this time, but fell into deep worry. Moreover, the war did not end with the success of the Northern Expedition. Everywhere there was wolf smoke one after another, spreading like a plague, and years of civil war left the land barren and the people displaced. On the land of China, where Mars was already rising, he stepped into the iron hooves of Japanese devils.

Zhang Zhiqiang's troops, although they have been reorganized into the national army sequence. However, except for crusading against warlords and encircling and suppressing the Red Army, he never received an order to send troops to the northeast to resist Japan. After several months of correction in Wuhan, Huang Xing looked at Zhang Zhiqiang all day long, looking worried. He was in a hurry, scratching his ears and cheeks all day long, not sleeping, not sitting and not daring to ask more.

Huang Xing has always been loyal and obedient to Zhang Zhiqiang, and never asked why. He has unreserved trust in this brother who is not his own brother but is better than his own brother. He believes that everything that the eldest brother does is what should be done. He just needs to do what his eldest brother asks him to do. Just like a farmer, when he sows wheat seeds in the ground, he will naturally grow wheat seedlings, without doubt.

That afternoon, when Huang Xingzheng and several brothers in the company were thinking about where to go for a drink at night, the communicator called him into the regiment commander's office. When Zhang Zhiqiang saw him come in, he said with a slightly serious expression: "You get ready, you will go to Shanghai overnight today." ”

As he spoke, he took out a sealed letter from the desk drawer and handed it to Huang Xing. Huang Xing saw that the envelope was white and clean without writing a word, and was about to ask, but saw Zhang Zhiqiang take a step forward, put it close to his ear, and whispered: "Remember every word I say with your heart." ”

Then he whispered a series of street and house numbers. The recipient's surname is Wang.