Chapter 6: The Ballad of the Great Wall (Part 2)

Many, many years later, Zhang Songling lay under his own grape trellises, enjoying the cool summer breeze at the same time, he always liked to take out all his medals and let the sun shine.

The sixth-class Baoding medal was placed in chronological order in the first position on the left side of the case. Together with several other medals he later received, which were awarded by the Chinese government for two successive periods, they brought him endless glory and almost led him into the abyss from which he will never recover. However, in the end, all these medals have only one meaning, and that is memory.

For a dying old man in his nineties, all memories, whether happy or sad, are precious. Either one of them reminds him of a journey he's traveled. can make him smile at the memory of the self that has become the past, proud or mocking!

When Sun Lianzhong pinned the Baoding Medal to his chest for the first time, Zhang Songling's mood was not as plain as when he was in his nineties. At that time, he was still young, and although he had already brushed shoulders with death twice, he could not yet see glory and wealth as dung. At that time, he believed in fame but took it immediately, at that time he believed that there were no scholars in Lingyan Pavilion, and at that time, he was as simple as a piece of ice, and fanatical as a fire.

Order of the Order of Baoding, 6th class, with the rank of lieutenant. It was enough to make a seventeen-year-old young man think of the death of a confidant. You know, a month and a half ago, he was still a rookie egg. And now, he has become a lieutenant and deputy company commander. The position and rank have steadily suppressed the veteran Hu Fengshou in the army. In terms of upgrade speed alone, it surpasses all the seniors in the secret service group. Including the regimental commander Lao Gou, who was promoted from lieutenant to colonel, but it was only three levels of company. And he was promoted from recruit to lieutenant, but he crossed eight steps from private to second lieutenant.

There was a feeling of dizziness from excitement, which quickly enveloped him, and became more and more intense, until the moment when the whole company of recruits and veterans stood together to be examined by him, it completely rose to the climax. Zhang Songling could not remember what he had said to the brothers to boost morale at that time, but he remembered that every word he said won a round of enthusiastic cheers. When the cheers ended, he suddenly realized that he had accidentally stolen the limelight from the company commander. And the company commander who was of the same rank as him, but was twice as old as him, was his old acquaintance, a grassroots officer who was transferred from the Independent Regiment of the 31st Division, Lieutenant Liao Wenhua.

But Zhang Songling didn't care much. The commander of the first battalion, Gong Ziqiang, is his old acquaintance, and the commander of the first battalion and the first company, Shi Liangcai, is his iron buddy. In addition, the old boss Gou Youde, the head of the special service group, supported him behind his back, and his position as the deputy company commander of the first battalion and the second company in the special service group shook off the main company commander Liao Wenhua who was transferred from outside. Even if the latter was unhappy in his heart, he could only hold back, and he would never dare to give him small shoes to wear.

And Liao Wenhua, the company commander of the first battalion and the second company, was indeed unwilling to provoke his deputy company commander. Because on the first day of being transferred to the special service group, the head of the regiment, Gou Youde, personally asked him to take more care of Zhang Songling's little brother. And a piece of news was revealed outside the words, that is, the reason why he was able to be transferred to the special service group where others begged grandpa and grandma to join the company commander was all thanks to the recommendation of deputy company commander Zhang Songling. Otherwise, Colonel Gou would not know that in the 31st Division, which has been defeated in battles recently, there is actually a lieutenant surnamed Liao who can be of great use.

Isn't this clearly telling Liao Wenhua that he, the company commander, wants to look at the face of the deputy company commander to do things? Bullies don't bring such bullies? Besides, who begged grandpa to sue grandma to join your spy group? Our Lao Liao didn't want to be in the 31st Division because he didn't want to lead the team to charge. Your spy group will kill two-thirds of your brothers in a battle, our old Liao begged grandpa to tell grandma to join the spy corps, isn't it the birthday boy who hangs himself and is tired of being crooked?

But no matter how angry he was in his heart, Liao Wenhua had to smile on the surface, full of energy. Because at present, the special service regiment is the brightest star in the 26th Route Army, that is, the first army of the reorganized Second Group Army. Countless commanders were staring from the sidelines, staring at the performance of everyone in the secret service. If he dared to say what was in his heart, I am afraid that he would have to be transferred to the 27th Division demolition team the next day, and take the lead in carrying grenade bundles to blow up the devil's tank.

Endure, endure for a while, the heart is wide and fat, take a step back and open the sky. Our old Liao Fubo can't find a head boy to be his godbrother, and he doesn't have a chubby face that everyone loves. Can't we let you go? No matter how big or small, whether it is a face-revealing thing or a shameful thing, let you, the deputy company commander, come. Do you work harder if you can! How dare our old Liao steal the limelight of the anti-Japanese heroes with the Baoding Medal on their chests?!

Daily training? No problem, let's take charge of Deputy Company Commander Zhang! There is no need to ask the company commander for instructions on everything. Deputy Company Commander Zhang was an elite soldier in the old spy regiment, and his exposure to training methods and training methods was much stronger than that of the 31st Division. Asking for ordnance supplies for the brethren? No problem, our Deputy Company Commander Zhang is responsible. Deputy Company Commander Zhang has a big face, and every time Lao Qian, who is in charge of military quartermasters, sees him, he is always a buddy, and his buddies are short and non-stop. As long as Deputy Company Commander Zhang comes forward, how many guns with medicine can't be taken out? Boost morale and tell the brothers the great truth of resisting Japan and saving the country? That's even more of a problem! Our deputy company commander Zhang is a talented man who graduated from a national high school in Shandong Province, and the cultural water in his stomach can drown you, talk about the truth of resisting Japan and saving the country, not a chicken eating grasshoppers, leisurely!

Obviously dumping his deputy company commander for such a stupid thing, the second company commander Liao Wenhua will definitely not do it. Not only will he not be able to do it, but he will also put on the face of a loyal elder and call his deputy company commander a brother. Create training opportunities for his deputy company commander Zhang Songling at any time, and put a burden on his deputy company commander's shoulders at any time to promote his rapid growth. But those methods of secretly playing with people, the second company commander Liao Huawen did not save the same. has been in the military for so many years, who hasn't learned some tricks, bad moves. Slapping the table and stools, scolding my mother in front of her, and even beating with your hands, that's a fool's job. Killing people with a soft knife and laughing is the real skill! And after that, you can still end up with both hands clean, and not a drop of blood will be stained!

As a result, Zhang Songling, the deputy commander of the second company, became the busiest person in the entire special service group except for the regiment leader. was so busy that he couldn't see the long stone Liangcai in a company, and discussed with Zhang Songling in private several times that he wanted to transfer him to his own company and continue to partner with him. Zhang Songling always responded with a smile: "I'm not tired, where is this." Lao Liao is also kind, otherwise I won't be able to learn anything if I don't get started. Brother Shi, don't tell the head of the group, if you tell the head of the group, I will break off my friendship with you! ”

"I don't know what to do, who is rare with you!" Shi Liangcai was so angry that he pouted, but after all, he didn't dare to fight the idea of pulling Zhang Songling to a company to help him manage the account books. The little fat man has a high heart and great ability, and his future is definitely not a small lieutenant. Pulling him to a company to take care of the account book may actually harm him. While there is no war now, let him learn how to be an officer, and maybe in a few days, he will be able to remove the sub-word on his head. Anyway, the second company commander Liao Wenhua's recent performance has been seen above, and the special service group can't tolerate this kind of guy who runs forward when he takes advantage of the bargain and runs backward when he fights!

Zhang Songling had actually noticed it a long time ago, and the company commander Liao Wenhua seemed to be tossing himself in a different way. But he thinks that this little thing is not worth letting Lao Gou settle it. I'm not a hairy child, and if I lose a fight, I have to find my parents to come out. With his own ability, he can let Liao Wenhua put aside his prejudices and be convinced.

Moreover, he also enjoys the feeling of being busy from morning to night, and his feet do not touch the ground. This made him feel that he was a little closer to fulfilling the wishes of Zhou Jue and Tian Fatzi. The recruits and veterans of the second company also like Zhang Songling, the deputy company commander who smiles all day long and never behaves properly. Especially when there is trouble and needs help, it is better to ask any officer in the company than to ask the deputy company commander. Often, other people push back things for a long time, but when they get to Deputy Company Commander Zhang, they can be done in a few minutes. And you don't have to stuff him with cigarettes, Deputy Company Commander Zhang doesn't smoke that stuff at all!

"That's right, Company Commander Zhang and Regiment Commander Gou are iron buddies, who dares to embarrass him!" Under the secret promotion of some well-intentioned people, Zhang Songling is the personal confidant of the head of the regiment, Gou Youde, the more he sits, the more he sits, the more he becomes more and more true.

However, this statement does not cause any actual harm to Zhang Songling at all. The 26th Route Army is the remnant of the Northwest Army, and in the Northwest Army, there has always been a tradition of giving priority to the promotion of cronies. The old commander Feng Yuxiang did this, the old battalion commander Sun Lianzhong also did this, and the head of the special service group, Lao Gou, continued to carry forward the tradition, it can't be regarded as a mistake! Besides, Company Commander Zhang is not without real skills, otherwise the sixth-class Baoding Medal would not be hung on his chest.

At the same time, another theory is also widely circulated among the secret service. That is, Company Commander Zhang of the Second Company is a high-achieving student of Shandong Provincial National No. 1 Middle School, and an out-and-out cultural person. If it weren't for the gun, at this moment, one foot would have already stepped into Peking University.

In recent years, there have been few examples of cultural people carrying guns, and the Northwest Army has always had a tradition of attaching importance to cultural people. If you don't believe that you count on your fingers, Han Fuqu, chairman of Shandong Province, is a cultural person, right? Song Zheyuan, the commander of the 29th Army, is a cultural person, right? Our old battalion commander Sun Lianzhong, who also read the Four Books and Five Classics, wrote poems and lyrics with a wave. By analogy, isn't it a matter of course that Company Commander Zhang rose quickly?

"Since Company Commander Zhang is so capable, how can he go to Peking University?" There are also people who dismiss the rumors and whisper to refute them in private.

"Stupid, isn't Peking University occupied by the Japanese!" Immediately there were countless mouths, loudly retorting.

"No wonder Company Commander Zhang mentioned the Japanese devils, and his eyes were on fire. It turned out to ruin his future! Thinking of Zhang Songling's enlistment time, the brothers quickly came to another conclusion. It couldn't be further from the truth, but it was much more convincing.

In these years, reading is still a sacred thing in the hearts of many people. Especially when you go to Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Central University to study, if you change to the former Qing Dynasty, you will be successful, and your future future will be limitless.

"No wonder our company commander Zhang writes so well, it turns out to be a talented master!" People have a very strange way of thinking, and often after identifying a thing, they will find countless circumstantial evidence for it. Zhang Songling's words have been seen by many brothers in the secret service group. Although he couldn't say anything about Yan Ti and Liu Ti, he also knew that if this writing was taken out, it would be enough to make those guys on the street who wrote letters for a living so ashamed that they directly accepted the stall.

After discovering this "secret", some platoon commanders and squad leaders, with the intention of being close to the commander, brought snacks and fruits, and begged Zhang Songling to help them write a letter home. Zhang Songling did not refuse to come, the letter was neatly written, and the fruits and snacks were resolutely refused.

When he was free, he would also write two letters home and send them to Lu County to the people at the Handan Post Office. For his father and brother, of course, he won't tell the truth, telling the two that he has gone to Lord Yama twice to take pictures. Instead, he made up a very easy story, saying that he met a regiment commander of the 26th Route Army on the way to join the army, and was appreciated by the regiment commander, and since then he has risen to the top. In just two or three months, he was promoted to lieutenant and company deputy. Anyway, my father and brother's understanding of the military is still at the stage of commenting on "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and no matter how bizarre the lies are, they are not afraid that they will see through them.

In order to reassure his father, Zhang Songling also asked a beautiful reporter from Nanjing to take a black and white single photo of himself at the cost of a Wang Ba box. In the photo, he is wearing a military uniform, with a Baoding medal on his chest, and two box cannons in his waist, looking handsome and dashing. just rinsed it out, and it made the female reporter's own eyes pop up stars. Since then, he has found an excuse to run to the barracks several times, and almost delayed the plane back to Nanjing.

Because of the fact that he wrote letters for the brothers, Zhang Songling's prestige in Erlian became higher and higher. Many brothers openly said that Company Commander Zhang was both civil and military, and his future would definitely be more than just a lieutenant. Lian Chang Liao Wenhua didn't expect that he made a small stumbling block several times, but he couldn't make Zhang Songling fall to the big heel, but instead achieved the latter's reputation. I felt more and more uncomfortable, I couldn't bear it anymore, and finally found an occasion that I thought was appropriate, put my arms around Zhang Songling's shoulders in a joking tone and said: "People say that Brother Zhang can be literate and martial, and knows everything. But I promise, there is a question that Brother Zhang will definitely not be able to answer! ”

"Impossible! What kind of problem can still stump our Company Commander Zhang?! "The brothers didn't know that Liao Wenhua had Xiao Jiujiu in his belly, and because he was playing, he was giggling and coaxing beside him.

"Say it, say it!"

"The company commander said quickly, let us also open our eyes!"

"Is that a problem? Hehe! Liao Wenhua looked around, pretending to be mysterious, "Brother Zhang, do you know that place where the woman is a hole or two holes?" ”

"Hahaha......." The veterans laughed loudly, looking at Zhang Songling, their faces full of urgency. The recruits froze for a moment, and then laughed too, laughing in unison, "Tell him, tell him." Company Commander Zhang, you tell him! Where the hell is that place for women, ......"

In a sound of good-natured laughter, Zhang Songling's face was so red that it almost dripped blood. He didn't even say a few words to the girls in his class when he was in high school, how could he know such a "profound" physiological problem?! "It should be one! Is it still two? With a hint of begging for mercy, he looked at the brothers pitifully, "I don't know, I don't know!" ”

"I just say, in this world, there is no one who knows?" finally succeeded in hitting Zhang Songling, the company commander Liao Wenhua was satisfied, patted the other party's shoulder again, picked his teeth with a straw stick, and staggered away.