After some explanation, the leading officer of the Army Aviation Brigade finally left with confidence after checking the information with the headquarters, while Yesong and Doumiao followed Xiao Lei to their outpost to "sign in".

After resting at the outpost for two days, Ye Song and Dou Miao followed Xiao Lei and others on a patrol journey.

Before leaving, when arranging the backpack, Ye Song found that the supplies they stuffed into the backpack were a bit exaggerated, so he asked curiously.

"Veteran, what are you doing with so many supplies? It's almost 40 kilograms, right? ”

"It's not much at all, and I'm just running out of roads after such a patrol."

Xiao Lei, who was packing his backpack, explained with a smile when he heard it: "The patrol road we will take later is more than 100 kilometers long, and it will take 6 days and 5 nights to complete. Since there are no supply points on the way, we need to prepare in advance, although it is a little heavy at first, but it is good to get used to it. I advise you to also bring more dry food and clothing, because walking on mountain roads is the most physically demanding. ”

"More than 100 kilometers?"

"Yes, the patrol road we are going to take needs to cross more than 10 glaciers and climb 8 snow-capped mountains that do not melt all year round. You can see the "Blade Mountain" and "Tiger's Mouth" with steep terrain everywhere, and there are often poisonous insects and beasts. If it rains or snows, there will be mudslides and avalanches are frequent, so this patrol road is also called the 'road of life and death'. ”

Is it another road of life and death...... Night Pine said darkly.

"Are you all ready? Let's go! ”

Most of the young men in the patrol were twenty-three or four, and after hearing the order to set off, everyone was in high spirits and emotions, making people feel that they were going to rest and vacation instead of taking the "life and death road" of hardship and danger.

On the patrol road, Xiao Lei also incarnated as a "tour guide" like the Yang veteran in the "Lotus", explaining this "road of life and death" to Yesong and Doumiao.

"We have lofty mountains and valleys with an altitude of more than 6,000 meters, and mountains and valleys that slope down to 2,000 meters, and the largest vertical difference is as high as more than 2,500 meters. It is really because of this complex terrain that the changeable weather has made us patrol soldiers suffer. ”

Dou Miao sighed: "Wow, I didn't expect Xiao Lei, veteran, to be so knowledgeable, and you can go to the local science explainer if you blurt out academic terms." ”

Xiao Lei smiled awkwardly and said: "I'm just parroting, just now these words were explained to us by several college students when they came here for a geographical survey the year before last." I thought that since I was a soldier trained here, this was my position, my battlefield, and I should know about the mountains and rivers here, I asked them to write these words on paper. Every time I was on patrol, I would recite it several times, and I would naturally memorize it after reading too much. ”

Ye Song asked suspiciously: "How do I feel that you seem to like this place very much, doesn't Old Soldier Xiao feel bitter here?" ”

"Bitter, of course bitter! Not only is it very hard, but it is also very tiring, and sometimes even life is not guaranteed. But since I am a soldier, a soldier must love his job and love his job, and often shout bitter and tired, so what kind of system? Besides, although the road here is difficult to walk, and there are many poisonous insects and beasts, this is the land of our country! ”

Xiao Lei exclaimed: "Look at how beautiful the scenery here is, this is the splendid mountains and rivers of our country!" Not an inch of our country's land is redundant, and no one else wants to snatch away any of our country's natural wealth. We soldiers just want to protect this territory, and if someone illegally crosses the border, even if they capture a centipede, we will snatch it back with him even if we are desperate! ”

Ye Song and Dou Miao fell silent at the same time after hearing his impassioned words.

Xiao Lei unscrewed the lid of the kettle, poured a big mouthful of water, and pointed to the mountain road in the distance: "Those college students said that due to the influence of altitude, the vertical climate characteristics of a mountain and four seasons have been formed from the bottom of the valley to the top of the mountain. They also say that there is a mountain in Africa, what is it called...... 'donkey, horse, mule'? Yes, it is the representative mountain of this vertical climate. You see, we don't have to go all the way to Africa, we can see it in our own country. ”

Riding a donkey or a mule? What the hell is this? Ye Song and Dou Miao looked at each other blankly.

Wait a minute! Africa? Mountain?

Ye Song's face was full of black lines and said, "Old soldier Xiao, are you talking about Kilimanjaro?" ”

"Yes, yes, that's it, but we both mean the same thing."

Ye Song was speechless for a while, can this mean anything? I'm talking about a mountain, what are you talking about? Donkeys, horses, mules! Is this clearly a horse farm?

After walking for a long time, Dou Miao said with admiration: "Veteran, you are really strong enough, you often carry such heavy things to walk on mountain roads, and your military physical fitness can kill most of the old people in seconds." ”

Xiao Lei said with a smile: "There are three kinds of people who can't walk down this patrol road. Those with weak psychological quality, poor physical fitness, and no sense of hostility will not be able to walk down this road. We used to have a few dogs, and when the patrol first started, it followed the fighters, but when it was halfway through, it didn't leave. ”

Ye Song smacked his lips and said, "The dogs all stopped, but the people walked again and again. ”

A veteran said: "In our place, no one can fight to the end, and no one can go down without a group of comrades-in-arms who depend on each other for life and death." ”

Dou Miao joked: "You have walked this patrol road a lot back, haven't you?" You should be the 'Patrol King' here. ”

Xiao Lei shook his head and sighed: "'Patrol King' is the title of my old squad leader, he has traveled more than 76 times on this road, traveling more than 30,000 kilometers, and he has more scars on his body than the combined age of our entire team." He had relied on his vast experience. , 21 times to save comrades-in-arms in danger, even most of our patrol experience was carefully taught by him. ”

Dou Miao asked with admiration on her face, "What about others now?" Discharged? ”

Xiao Lei said sadly: "When we were patrolling three years ago, suddenly a rock rolled down the mountain, and after he pushed his comrades in front of him away, he was hit and fell under the bridge. When we got him up, he was still awake and told us with a smile that he was okay. But on the way back with him on his back, his comrades felt that the hands around his shoulders were getting weaker and weaker, and finally their arms hung down......"

Xiao Lei snorted with red eyes and said: "In fact, since the garrison, more than 10 officers and soldiers have died on this patrol road. The youngest is only 19 years old, and the oldest is only 25, all of whom have dedicated their lives to the country in their prime years! ”

Night Pine fell silent again, following the patrol across streams, over snowy mountains, on single-plank bridges, and in mourning at the Martyrs' Monument. The martyrs' cliffs that run through it are engraved with the fierce loyalty of the border guards, and also string together the life and death cycle of generations of officers and soldiers.

Six days and five nights passed inadvertently, and when he was about to finish this patrol road, Ye Song looked back at the distance. On this dangerous patrol road, every step embodies the deep affection of comrades-in-arms, every step is a contest between life and death, every step is a test of physical strength and will, and every step is a loyal protection of the sovereignty of the motherland.

Ye Song slowly raised his right hand and saluted their brilliant and tragic youth!