15 August 2004

Early in the morning, Longji Mountain near the Longtun tribe in northern Yunnan. The jungle was silent, the mountain fog did not melt, and a black figure appeared faintly. The fog soaked his eyebrows and stubble, staggering into tiny white beads on the tips of his hair. The figure in the black robe of a military general walked calmly and briskly, making him look like a wandering immortal in the mountains and forests.

A beautiful woman lying on his back closed her eyes, and the corners of her mouth outlined a graceful arc, I don't know what sweet things I dreamed of...

Pepper looked at the unclear forest ahead, stopped, and put down the already sober Shu Liang on his back. Shuliang raised his head, looked at this familiar scene, pulled up his long hair that was slightly messy on his sideburns, lifted the corners of his skirt, smiled lightly, and was as cheerful as a little girl who saw the beautiful scenery for the first time, and walked up along the uneven mountain road...

Pepper shook her sore arm and wiped the dew from her forehead. He took out his old pocket watch and looked at it, quickly walked forward to catch up, held Shuliang, who was not very steady, and looked at each other and chuckled...

From the top of Dragon's Back Mountain, the fog was churning in the distance, and the clouds on the horizon were dyed dark red. At first it was just a shallow line, but gradually it penetrated more clouds, widened, and then slowly rose. It changes color more and more, faster and faster, and gradually becomes as tender as egg yolk, until it breaks through the dense fog that tries to retain it with color...

The two snuggled up to the top of the mountain and were impressed by the rising sun in front of them. Speechless for a long time...

Pepper suddenly shook her body, turned her head and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with her shoulder. He pulled out a medal from his cuffs, knelt down to Shuliang, suppressed his trembling hands, and buckled him on his left chest—the Order of the Seventh Class.

"Grandpa said, if I live up to my oath, that is, for the great Chinese seed, for him. If I live up to my expectations and complete what I expected, it will be Dahua Jinxiu... This seventh-class Baoding Medal gives me success! ”

"Pepper was born in South Vietnam, and her biological father was killed by the rebel party. My mother gave up her life to protect me into China, and was wounded in 36 places... Desperate... Thanks to the care of the three elders, bury the mother of pepper... Pepper will not dare to die! ”

"However, the South Vietnamese thieves tried to be extravagant, and dared to commit crimes, and the three elders led me to protect Yunnan and killed 38 enemies! At this time, the rebels have found out where I live, and I will not die... That night, there were more than 70 people in the slaughtering village, Uncle Sanhe and his wife, Ah Xiu, and Aunt Awang..."

"The third elder was seriously injured on the way to protect me... Death, pepper is 11 years old! In order to become the last wish of the three elders, and also to comfort the soul of his parents in the sky for the thief, relieve the blood and sea of hatred in his heart, and turn over the ninety cities of thousands of miles to kill this thief! Tu Nai, that old thief was detained by the Dahua Military Intelligence Department at this time... I really don't have a chance... I... There's nothing you can do..."Pepper stretched out her arm pointing north, and slowly drooped down and landed in the rubble.

"I'm a man! Chinese! The descendants of three meritorious grandfathers! Son of a soldier! The continuation of the mother... Born as a human being, there is something to do and something not to do, the way to be called, not to be called the way, and the way is very good, the way is not passable, the way is not passable..."

Shuliang hugged him, listening to him like an angry little daughter-in-law, and muttered bitterly:

"Surya asked me... Ask me what nationality I am, why I kill people, and who I represent... These few words stopped me, and I was entangled, painful, and struggling. I haven't been looking for you for more than a year... I'm back to South Vietnam, and I'm in the middle of nowhere..."

"They tolerated me, made the best pastries, entertained me like a guest, and brought out the best food, such as Ruan Sange's snail soup noodles and couples' cakes; Mu Xiu's sister-in-law's sticky rice and basil rice; Uncle Li Ming's sticky rice cake and pond lice fish soup; Ba Lan's gourd gourd soup, passionflower; Hu Siqing's green mang, Javanese peach; Answer: Horse farmer's egg lucuma, goat's milk fruit; nightshade and sour papaya; The bitter fruit of the Dai family... I'm like a lost child, a lost dog who can't find a home..."

"I was lost in South Vietnam..."

"Until one day, I saw the terraces on TV... I miss you all of a sudden, I really can't stand it anymore, just... Run back, I still have you, I... How would you live without me... What if there is thunder, what if someone bullies you again..."

"I've been looking for you for a long time and can't find it, the old factory can't go back, Lu Dongzhi demolished it, she hates me! I followed her for a few months... I'm going crazy, and if I can't find you again, I'll... I will dismantle the Department of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Military Intelligence of Jiang Province! ”

"It's nice to be back, you can hear the familiar shouts of buying and selling everywhere... Much better than in South Vietnam..."

Shuliang hugged him tightly and cried with him. He admits defeat, and when he says this, it means that he has unloaded all the spirit in his heart. The stoic man in Shuliang's arms was stabbed in the heart and throbbed! It is only now that she finally understands why the man in front of her is so forbearing, why he is so cruel to Nanyue, why he is so obsessed with assassinating Nanyue officials, again and again...

Every autumn he would disappear from him for two months, and he would never stop for so many years. Every time I come back, I am scarred, looking at his haggard face, dragging his tired body back, the kind of loss and recovery, the heartache of almost collapse... That kind of steadfastness.

When he is healed, he will train, fighting, knives, guns, learning Soviet Russian, proficient in English, South Vietnam, North Turkish, Thai, Dahua and other local dialects... Didn't give up after so many years. She never dared to ask. I'm afraid that if I ask too much, there will be a little loosening in his heart, and the consequences will be terrible.

"I remember the first time you went out, you put the ring of the third grandfather on my hand, very serious, cautious, 'the thought sent by the third grandfather, keep it well!' ”

"Come back, give it back to you! It's always repeated every year..."

"The first time you taught me a name..."

"The first time you taught me to hunt..."

"The first time you taught me a foreign language..."

"The first time you taught me Morse code..."

... ...

"The first time you came back covered in blood, 'Hey, I'm so happy to see you...' fainted..."

"The first time I came to the bustling metropolis of Daning City, Jiang Province, I was dazzled, but in my heart there was no joy, this place did not belong to me... But, it's your arrangement..."

"The first time I lived without you, I was lonely in the abandoned factory of Nuoda, and I was really at a loss..."

"The first time I entered the medical school, I was sneering and sneering around me, and I held my head high and was very proud, because this is what I can do for you..."

... ...

"So many firsts, so many memories, so many years have passed so quickly, why can I remember everything about you clearly, as if it happened yesterday."

She knew that Pepper might have something to do, and she couldn't stop it or follow it. So she could only wait, quietly waiting for Pepper to return, so that he could see her smile, despite such suffering, living like years...

But as long as Shuliang thinks about it, he can put the ring on his hand on his finger again, that is the greatest happiness, the greatest feeling of being needed, and the steadfastness in his heart is incomparable.

She was glad that she had been by his side the whole time. She also knew that he cared for his dignity with all his heart, and he didn't dare to mention the special nature of her body. In recent years, he didn't dare to look her in the eye... She also always wanted to wear beautiful boots, but he just refused, it was at a loss in his heart.

"You're still back, it doesn't matter if you're back!"

"You won't let me wear boots, but I wear them anyway, only once, just for you..."

"This damn time, how did it go so fast, we're all long... It's so big..."

“... I don't even want to grow up..."

"I'm going to give it up... I can't pinch the flesh around your loin..."

"I'm all right... I haven't touched your face in years..."

"It's been a long time since I've shaved you, and I haven't cut your hair for a long time...

"It's been a long time since I've let you hug you..."

"Pepper... I want to dance for you..."

She hated, hated that she hadn't done more for him, hadn't made him a little lighter, and watched him feel tired from the bottom of her heart. Shu Liang stretched out his hands, stroked his cheeks that had been scarred by the battle against the wild boar herd, kissed away his bitter tears, and looked at his proud shoulders shrugged, admitting defeat, she was sad, her heart ached. What a proud man he is, he can't mourn more than die of heart...

The dense fog in the mountains has melted, and there is dead silence all around...

Shu Liang groped around on her body, took out a cigarette, she shook her head and said softly: "This is the only thing I want to try besides you..."

Pepper wanted to stop it, but he was sluggish and helped her ignite. The milky white smoke made her cough violently, and tears came out, but she didn't stop...

Pepper straightened up, wiped her face, tidied up her appearance, and stood up straight. He saluted the rising red sun with a standard old military salute and roared loudly:

"Respect! Defend the gate of Dahua and bury the martyrs of foreign countries!

Respect! A new army of heroic and resilient soldiers!

Respect! The Dahua River is beautiful!

Respect! The people of Dian are pure and kind!

Respect! Chaoyang book is cool! ”

His gaze swept over the mountains in the distance, his heart was sentimental, and the past fragments were scene by scene...

He turned around suddenly, clenched his hands into cups, bent down to face Shuliang, ignored the bloodshot overflowing from the corners of his mouth, and said in a deep voice:

"Boundy...

Lonely and easy to see, Peng Ning is uncertain, picking cinnamon and dipping, a cup of drunk.

Baise is boundless, deceiving Kesi, scooping a pot, and crossing with you. ”

Shu Liang licked the dark red overflowing from the corner of his mouth, slowly stood up, the light-colored deerskin boots under his feet were lightly tapped, raised his arms, and slowly turned in circles, the wind blew his clothes, as soft as a butterfly. She pointed to the surrounding scenery after the fog was opened, her face was full of spring breeze, her red lips were lightly opened, her teeth were slightly open, and she said softly: "Pepper...

The night tears are secretly sad, and the sadness of the past is sad, Ling carries the pearls and falls yellow, and the rain is in the corridor;

The shallow light singing voice flows, the wisps of sorrow and sorrow, the gentle face is dying, and the building is deserted. ”

After singing, she stopped, bent down to the pepper, covered her left hand with a wide sleeve robe, and faced the pepper with a cup in her left hand, and said in unison:

"No regrets in this life! Don't ask for the afterlife! ”

The wind rises, blowing their black robes, sad, solemn...

This pair of soul mates, smiling at the top of the mountain.

The snipers on the opposite hill didn't move...

Just encircled the top of the mountain, and the people from the Imperial Military Intelligence Department did not come any closer...

The soldiers surrounding the mountain looked at the morning sun with gloomy expressions...

In a high-end residence in Daning City, Jiang Yan raised his face and looked at the south, his eyes shining with water...

Nalan Hua sat at the desk, tears staining the manuscript...

The Great Dragon Swallow Clan sounded the horn of sorrow...

Lu Dongzhi arrived, looking at the indifferent smiles on their faces, huge sadness rose from the soles of her feet, her body trembled uncontrollably, she clenched her fists, her nails sank deep into her palms, bright red dripping out, and she was not covered by this thick land. She began to hate, all the things and people who had pushed them to this point, including herself.

In the Ministry of Military Intelligence, Jiang Rong leaned on Chen Qingshi's shoulder, looked at the feedback picture taken by the drone, and cried:

"Bluestone, are we wrong..."

"We only do what is right..."

Return is a kind of courage, it is an attitude. It is a choice to discard, a separation, and a way of expression. It is not only the result of persuasion of the mind, but also the result of expression after choice. The heart has no belonging, the whole place is barren, the heart has a way, and the four seas are home...