In October, Guangdong was still hot, Chen Zikun left in a hurry, he didn't have a coil on his body, he simply took off his riding boots, tore off the collar and epaulettes of the military uniform and took it to the pawnshop for ten yuan, spent one dollar to buy a summer cloth clothes, spent five dimes to buy a pair of straw sandals, spent a dime to buy a hat, and the rest of the money was all bought dry food, and embarked on the long road to the north with him.

Guangzhou to Hengyang is a thousand miles away, if only two legs to walk for at least two months, but this is not difficult Chen Zikun, he came to the vicinity of Huangsha Station, spotted a northbound train, jumped up quickly, fell asleep in the mountain of goods, woke up, the train has arrived in Shaoguan.

The train was unloaded, coal and water were added, Chen Zikun waited for a long time and did not continue to drive, so he simply jumped off the train and walked around, but found that the railway line to the north of Shaoguan only had the foundation and no tracks, he was dumbfounded, and asked a worker, only to know that the Guangdong-Hanzhou Railway was not open at all, and the farthest north of Guangzhou was only to Shaoguan.

The rest of the journey was only on two legs, Chen Zikun found a pressurized water well in the train station, drank enough cold water, ate dry food, and continued on the road.

Along the way, full of devastation, traces left by the war abound, among the wild flowers on the roadside, full of bones, next to the burned farmhouse, new houses have been erected, northern Guangdong and southern Hunan, the scenery is beautiful, the journey is not boring, the dry food is eaten up, just help people do some farm work and eat a meal, there is no place to live at night, just sleep in the temple, sleep in the grave, this journey makes Chen Zikun full of the taste of the world, and his character is also much calmer.

A month later, Chen Zikun had completely changed his appearance, his originally fair face was tanned by the sun, his face was bearded, his hair was unkempt and greasy, full of fleas, his summer cloth clothes had long been turned into rags, his straw sandals were rotten, he simply walked barefoot, and with a dog-beating stick, he was a beggar.

In the evening of this day, he stayed overnight in the broken temple on the top of the mountain, it was already the late autumn season, the broken temple leaked everywhere, Chen Zikun took some hay and hid behind the Bodhisattva to sleep in a daze, in the early morning, but was woken up by the loud horn in the distance, got up and walked to the temple gate to see, in the military camp at the foot of the mountain in the distance, dense soldiers poured into the school field like a tide, and it became a neat queue in a moment.

The genius is bright, the early winter in Hunan is extremely wet and cold, Chen Zikun is trembling with his arms in his arms, but the soldiers on the colonel's field do not move at all, looking at the past like an Arhat who is beaten with iron.

Chen Zikun had seen the drill of the Guangxi Army Model Battalion, and he was already very shocked at that time, but compared with the army in front of him, it was absolutely insignificant, with the commander's command, thousands of bayonets made a shocking sound, a snow-bright knife forest, and then a password, thousands of bayonets stabbed suddenly, the sound of killing shook the sky, and the earth trembled slightly.

"To be a soldier is to be such a soldier." Chen Zikun, who was deeply shocked, muttered to himself.

After swallowing the last bit of dry food in the broken temple, Chen Zikun went down the mountain full of hope and went straight to the gate of the barracks, and the soldiers standing guard raised their rifles: "Ask for food, this is not where you came." ”

Chen Zikun said: "I don't want food, I want to join the army." ”

The sentry looked at him: "Our third division does not recruit soldiers. ”

Chen Zikun insisted: "Then I will also join the army!" ”

"You kid can't understand human speech or what?" The sentry was furious, and came over with a gun to drive people, and this person came out of the camp in a mule cart, and it was a bearded old soldier who drove the car, and there was a white-faced officer sitting in the car, and when he saw this scene, the officer shouted: "What is the trouble?" ”

The sentry saluted: "Zhao Junshi, this kid has to join the army." ”

The white-faced officer looked Chen Zikun up and down, and sighed: "It's not small, boy, why do you want to be a soldier?" ”

Chen Zikun said without hesitation: "In order to have a full meal." ”

This answer was something he had thought about a long time ago, the army is not a university, and talking about saving the country and saving the country will only be suspected, and besides, his identity is complicated, he has joined the Kuomintang and served as an officer in the Gui department, and it will be troublesome if he is found out.

Sure enough, his answer made Zhao Junxiu very satisfied, and he waved his hand and said, "Get in the car." ”

"Okay!" Chen Zikun jumped on the mule cart and squeaked the board, and the veteran pouted: "The kid is so heavy, how much do you have to eat in a meal." ”

Chan said: "I eat a lot and do a lot. ”

Zhao Junxiu said: "Quite good at talking, boy, what's your name?" ”

"Back to sir, my name is Chen Zikun."

"Don't call Chen Zikun in the future, just call Chen Big Man." Zhao Junjian changed Chen Zikun's name with a word.

The mule cart was to go into the city to buy grain, and Chen Zikun learned from their conversation that Zhao's quartermaster was named Zhao Yufeng, a native of Tai'an, Shandong, a second lieutenant adjutant of the quartermaster department of the Third Division, and a veteran named Wang Degui.

It didn't take much effort, the mule cart came to the door of a grain store in Hengyang City, Zhao Yufeng got out of the car, dusted off his military uniform and shouted: "Boss, buy rice!" ”

The boss hurriedly came out of the store, rubbed his hands and said: "Zhao Junjie, it's really unfortunate, the guys in the store have something to do at home, and no one carries food, or you always smoke a bag of cigarettes and rest, I'll go find someone." ”

Zhao Yufeng said: "No, I'll bring people." ”

Turning his face to Chen Zikun, he said, "Big man Chen, it's up to you." ”

Chan replied, "Good! When he came to the rice shop, he grabbed a bag of grain and threw it on his shoulder, as if he didn't feel like it was enjoyable, so he grabbed another bag and threw it on the other shoulder, walked to the front of the car easily, and put two bags of 100 catties of grain on the car.

Zhao Yufeng's mouth opened wide, the cigarette rolled off, and Wang Degui was dumbfounded, this kid really has two brute strength.

A cart full of 3,000 catties of grain was carried by Chen Zikun alone, and even the owner of the rice shop was full of praise, a good way to work.

Back in the barracks, Chen Zikun unloaded the grain into the warehouse again, sweating profusely, he simply took off his coat and carried a big bag bare, Wang Degui saw the injury on his body, gasped and said: "Boy, where did you get the injury?" ”

Chen Zikun said: "The bandits beat me." ”

Wang Degui smoked the cigarette pouch and pursed his lips.

Zhao Yufeng went to the quartermaster department to report the accounts, and when he returned to the warehouse, he saw that the grain had been neatly stacked, and he smiled and said, "Big Chen, you did a good job." ”

Chen Zikun said: "Sir, can you accept me." ”

Zhao Yufeng said: "Yes." He took a pair of shabby gray cloth trousers and a white cloth gown from the storehouse and gave him it.

Chen Zikun said: "This is not a military uniform? ”

Zhao Yufeng said vividly: "How can the soldiers of the Third Division be so good, I am now a civilian man who accepts you as a cook in the quartermaster department, as long as you work honestly and the rice is enough, what else do you want?" ”

Chen Zikun had no choice but to pick up the clothes and change them, his pants were three inches shorter, and his shirt barely covered his belly, Wang Degui knocked the cigarette pouch pot on the sole of his shoes, and said, "Let's go, find a place for you to sleep." ”

followed Wang Degui to the door of the barracks, Chen Zikun was just about to go in, Wang Degui grabbed him: "That's where the soldiers live, you are a people's husband, live here." ”

Chan looked in the direction he was pointing, and his jaw almost fell to the ground, which was the stable.

Damn, Lao Tzu came all the way to join the army, so let him sleep in the stable, Chen Zikun couldn't swallow this breath, but after thinking about it, everything is difficult at the beginning, why should he be an officer as soon as he comes, when he was in Peking University, the teacher often said a sentence, how can a house be swept if it is not swept to sweep the world, this truth is the same in the army, if even the people are not good, how can they be qualified to be soldiers.

Lao Tzu doesn't believe in this evil, the people are the people's husbands, and everything he says has to be mixed up with his personal appearance!

Chen Zikun turned his heart sideways and followed Wang Degui into the stable, Wang Degui said: "You just sleep here, and give you another job, give Ma Jia night grass at night, remember?" ”

"Remember, when will you start eating, Lao Wang?" Chen Zikun asked angrily.

Wang Degui glared: "Lao Wang, you also shouted?" If you want to call Mr. Wang, you know no. ”

Chen Zikun hurriedly said: "Got it, Mr. Wang." ”

Wang Degui was relieved: "Let's go, go to dinner with me." ”

The two came to the room, this was the first time Chen Zikun saw the army room, the big iron pot can simply take a bath, the shovel for stir-frying vegetables is not much smaller than the shovel, the firewood in the firewood room is piled higher than the sky, Wang Degui threw him an axe: "Go, chop firewood." ”

Chen Zikun said: "Didn't you mean eating? ”

Wang Degui glared again: "How can you cook without firewood, and if you don't have food, your turtle son drinks the wind." ”

Chen Zikun had no choice but to chop wood, and after chopping for a while, Wang Degui instructed him again: "Big man Chen, come and wash rice." ”

After a long time of busyness, the meal was finally prepared, and the soldiers who had finished the drill came down from the school field and entered the cafeteria in an orderly manner.

Listening to the sound of the soldiers chirping and eating, Chen Zikun's gluttony was about to slip out, but Wang Degui was still smoking leisurely, and waited until the soldiers finished eating, and then asked Chen Zikun to clean up the vegetable basin, brush the pots and dishes and sweep the floor, he was already so hungry that his heart was close to his back.

"Big man Chen, this is your meal." Wang Degui didn't know where to bring out a large bowl of rice, with a layer of yellow, orange and orange pots, as well as a plate of dried radish and a piece of bacon.

Chen Zikun's eyes lit up, he rushed over and chewed, the pot was extremely fragrant, and the dried radish also tasted a different flavor, just as he stretched out his hand to the bacon, he was knocked hard by Wang Degui.

"The bacon is for you to eat, you really eat it."

Chen Zikun wondered: "Isn't it just to eat when you eat?" ”

"Fart is for you to watch, not to eat."

Chen Zikun nodded ignorantly, looked at the bacon, the saliva was really secreted, and the appetite was very good, he ate a bite of rice and looked at the bacon, Wang Degui was angry again: "Look, you are not afraid of saltiness." ”

At night, Chen Zikun dragged his tired body to the stable to sleep, and when he was sleeping fragrantly, he suddenly hit his head, and when he opened his eyes, Wang Degui stood fiercely: "Let you add night grass to the horse, you forgot to go to Java for Lao Tzu!" ”

Chen Zikun hurriedly got up, rubbed his sleepy eyes and went to give Ma Jia Ye grass, and Lao Wang scolded and went away.

In the early morning, Chen Zikun was woken up again, only to find that he was wearing a shabby old sheepskin jacket.

Mother, the old king, Chen Zikun's heart is warm.