The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 532 Blind Date!!!

Later, Li Erniu returned to the military academy, but he was always thinking about Lin Cuicui.

During training, the squad leader scolded him for being absent-minded, and Li Erniu realized that he was in a daze again.

Only at this moment did Li Erniu realize that he was truly moved.

But this is all for later.

Speaking of Sun Xinchun, another member of the "Iron Triangle", his home is far away, but he can go back this year.

At first, Sun Xinchun planned to stay and accompany Liu Wu.

However, Liu Wu refused and said, "You have been in the army for so long and have not been able to go home. You should take this opportunity to go back and visit this year!"

Sun Xinchun thought about it and it made sense.

On the day of holiday, the students showed off their talents in all aspects.

In order to catch the train, some students took a "yellow-float" from Shishi, put their things on the bus and rushed to the train station;
Some students have better-off families, and their parents drove to the gate of the Command Academy early in the morning;
Some students said they would wait two days before leaving to travel around the provincial capital. In fact, their partner's school had not yet closed for the holiday, so they wanted to take advantage of the holiday to go home together to settle things.

In a word, people are eager to go home and leave in all kinds of ways.

Sun Xinchun left with his old classmate, Lao Kong, the "barber" of the Third District Team.

Two days before the holiday, a fellow villager from their county, Lao Ma, who had joined the army two years earlier than Sun Xinchun and Lao Kong, came.

Lao Ma had just transferred to the volunteer army and was driving for his superiors at the provincial military district's logistics base.

He came to play with Sun Xinchun and the others: "I'm on vacation. When are you going to have your vacation? I'm going to go home with you."

Lao Kong said, "We'll leave the day after tomorrow. Our district captain has already booked the train tickets."

The sister-in-law of the captain of the Sanmen District works at Shishi Railway Station. It is her sister-in-law who helps buy train tickets for the students, otherwise they would not be able to buy train tickets at all.

When Lao Ma heard that they were leaving the day after tomorrow, he said, "Okay, I'll buy a train ticket when I get back. What time? Which train?"

Lao Kong hurried back to the dormitory and took out the train ticket to show him.

Lao Ma said, "On the day of departure, you two just need to wait for me at school. I will ask my comrades to take us to the train station. If I can't buy a ticket, I will take you there."

On the day of leaving for home, his comrades took Lao Ma to the dormitory building of the Command Academy early in the morning.

Sun Xinchun asked them how they got in the gate, but the young soldier from the police communications squadron of the academy was not so easy to talk to.

Lao Ma joked, "Just lift the barrier and let him go. If he dares to stop the car and ask me to register, I will beat him up."

In fact, when the guard saw that it was the leader's car with a provincial military district license plate and entered the gate of the command academy, the guard thought the leader was sitting in it, so he didn't even ask and directly lifted the barrier to let it pass.

Sun Xinchun asked Lao Ma: "Have you bought the ticket?" Lao Ma said: "Don't mention it, I want to buy a carriage with you, but there is only standing room.

There was no other way, so I bought a sleeper berth and sat in a separate carriage from you two.

It doesn't matter, when we get on the train, I'll swap the seats opposite you two, and it will definitely be no problem to exchange the sleeper for another seat."

When they arrived at the train station, they saw that it was still early, so the three of them sat in the waiting room and chatted.

Sun Xinchun asked Lao Ma: "It's so difficult to become a volunteer soldier nowadays, how did you get one?"

Lao Ma said: "My leader's son and I were soldiers of the same year. We were in the same class in the recruit company and were assigned to the same company again. We have a very good relationship.

Two years later, after he was discharged from the army, he often came to visit me, and I also often went to his house.

His father asked me to learn how to drive and drive for him. He just became a volunteer soldier last year. Now that he is about to retire, he insisted on adopting me as his godson.

Sun Xinchun thought: "It's true that everyone has his own destiny!"

Take a closer look at Lao Ma. He is very handsome, about 1.80 meters tall, eloquent, smart and down-to-earth.

No wonder the leader likes it.

After they checked their tickets, entered the station and boarded the train, before the train started, Lao Ma ran to their carriage and asked the uncle across from them: "Uncle, where are you getting off?"

Coincidentally, it turned out that the uncle was from the same hometown as them and got off at the same station.

Lao Ma then told him that he wanted to exchange train tickets with him.

The uncle said, "Okay, not only the sleeper berth you bought, I'll give you the standing ticket too.

I tell you, I feel close to soldiers when I see them. My son is also a soldier in the Beihe Air Force.”

In this way, Sun Xinchun and the other three men in military uniforms sat together.

Along the way, they were in high spirits. It was the first time they had been home for such a long time since joining the army, and they were very excited.

As we chatted, we talked about the snacks from our hometown, such as braised pork with preserved vegetables, stewed noodles, spicy soup, etc.

The "barber" Lao Kong said, "When we get home, I'll have a bowl of spicy soup and a sesame cake first."

The joy is beyond words.

Lao Ma said, "I went back home last year. Now there are two factories in our county that specialize in producing canned willow catkins and canned sweet potato stalks. You two have definitely never eaten them."

Sun Xinchun asked curiously: "Are canned willow catkins made from willow buds?"

He had eaten willow buds and flowers in his hometown when he was a child. He plucked them, blanched them in boiling water, soaked them for a day, mixed them with salt and added a little sesame oil. They were delicious.

Then he asked, "Which part of the sweet potato stalk is the canned sweet potato made of? I have only eaten the sweet potato leaves."

Lao Ma said: "You don't know! It's the part between the sweet potato leaves and the sweet potato neck, and it can only be canned when it is at its tenderest."

The barber Lao Kong said, "I have to taste it when I get home."

Before we knew it, we had already traveled half the distance and everyone in the carriage had fallen asleep.

Some were leaning on their backs, some were lying on the small tables, and some were sitting on the ground leaning on their seats. In short, they were in all kinds of postures and looked listless.

The three of them were also a little sleepy, and chatted in low voices about this and that.

Suddenly, with a bang, the train stopped.

Everyone in the carriage was awake and asking, "What's going on?"

Because the green train they were riding only stopped at a station in a county town, but now it was parked in the wilderness, with no village or shop nearby.

Everyone leaned out the window to take a look and found that the train had stopped at a small station. How could it stop at this small station when it hasn’t even reached the destination yet?
Everyone sat back in their seats with questions.

At this time, the conductor came over and explained to everyone as he walked: "This time our train needs to give way to several express trains, and the train will also need to stop here for water, so it will take about three hours.

You can’t get out of the car without opening the door.”

When Lao Ma heard this, he realized that they had to stop for three hours. If they didn't stop for another half an hour, they would get off. If he got off here, it would only take him twenty minutes to get home.

Lao Ma persuaded me, Sun Xinchun, and the "barber" Lao Kong to jump out of the car window. He said, "Let's jump out of the car window. When we get home, I'll find a car to take you to the county town. It will take at most an hour."

All three of them were wearing military uniforms, and it looked bad for them to jump out of the car window.

The windows of green trains these days can be opened. While they were hesitating, someone had already opened the window and jumped out, because the window was facing the platform and was only one person tall.

The three of them also jumped down with their things. When they got down, they saw that many people had jumped down from each carriage.

When I got off the small station "Neihuangji", the gate of the station was locked.

Because it was a small station, everyone went around it and there was not a single car on the road, only a few small tricycles with sheds.

Sun Xinchun and two other people walked in front and got on a small tricycle and headed towards Lao Ma's house.

After walking for about twenty minutes, we arrived at Lao Ma's house.

When his father saw his son coming back with two comrades-in-arms from the same county, he refused to let him leave and insisted that he eat first.

He said, "We are already home, don't worry, let the boss take you to the county later."

Soon, a table full of dishes was prepared and a bottle of Taihang wine was opened.

Among them was a can of willow catkins, which made Sun Xinchun very hungry because it tasted so good.

After dinner, he sent Sun Xinchun and the others to the county bus station.

The "barber" Lao Kong said, "My eldest sister's home is on the edge of the county town. I will go there first and ask my eldest brother-in-law to take me home."

Because Sun Xinchun and the "barber" Lao Kong were in two different directions, his home was more than ten miles away from the county town.

Sun Xinchun took a van and prepared to go home.

As soon as he got in the car, the driver saw that he was wearing a military uniform and asked Sun Xinchun: "Brother, you are a soldier, right? Where did you serve? You are an officer, right?"

Sun Xinchun said: "I served in the army in Qindao, Beihe, and now I am studying at the Army Command College."

He became more alert when he heard that and asked, "Where are you serving in the army? In Qindao? My brother is also serving in the army in Qindao, his name is Yu Lijian."

When Sun Xinchun heard that the man's name was Yu Lijian, he realized that he was indeed his old comrade-in-arms. They had known each other since they were in the recruit company.

Sun Xinchun said, "When you go back, tell Yu Lijian that I'm back."

The driver quickly said, "Okay! Okay! Brother."

It took more than ten minutes to get home. The driver said he didn't want any money.

He also said to Sun Xinchun: "Brother, when you take a ride in the future, if you see a car like mine, it belongs to our company. Just mention my name and it will definitely work!" Sun Xinchun went home to see his family whom he hadn't seen for a long time, and the family was reunited.

Around ten o'clock the next day, driver brother Yu Lixin came over again and said, "Brother, my brother Lijian told me that I know the way and asked me to pick you up. The hotel has been booked, and all your comrades in the county are here, waiting for you."

Comrade Sun Xinchun is an impatient and righteous man.

When Sun Xinchun arrived at the county hotel, he saw that Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Ermaizi were all there. He greeted them one by one, and some even burst into tears before they even had a drink. They were really "comrades! Comrades! We are as close as brothers!"

Just like brewing liquor, the longer it is brewed, the stronger it becomes.

At Yu Lijian's suggestion and with the insistence of all his comrades, Sun Xinchun sat in the VIP seat.

The atmosphere was extremely lively as the cups were clinked and drinks were exchanged, three rounds of wine were served, and five kinds of dishes were prepared. The laughter, crying, and colloquialisms of the comrades were mixed together, creating an extremely lively atmosphere.

He drank so much that he staggered and fell down.

As there were still a few days left before the Chinese New Year, Sun Xinchun stayed at his eldest brother's house in the county for a few days.

"Sun Xinchun, stop!" The sister-in-law chased after him breathlessly, but Sun Xinchun ran forward without looking back.

This was the third day after Sun Xinchun returned home, and his sister-in-law was busy arranging a blind date for him.

Sun Xinchun is just 21 years old this year and has a stubborn temper.

From joining the army at the age of eighteen to later applying for military academy, he devoted his entire attention to the army.

In the military academy, Liu Wu and other good friends said that he was a "little soldier successor" and he would stay away from girls when he saw them.

My sister-in-law works as a worker in the county textile factory and knows a lot of young and beautiful girls.

She always pulled Sun Xinchun aside and said, "Xinchun, you should get married at your age. The girls in our textile workshop are all very pretty."

Sun Xinchun was furious when he heard this: "Sister-in-law, I just started military school. I'll start a career first and then start a family. Don't worry about me."

"What's the point of having a career? Look at the boy from the Li family. He's two years younger than you and he already has a girlfriend. Besides, if you don't find a girlfriend as a soldier, all the good girls will be picked up by others."

Sun Xinchun stood up and said, "Sister-in-law, I don't like what you said. Soldiers should think about serving the people first and put personal matters aside."

"Okay, okay, okay, you're just being stubborn." The eldest sister-in-law waved her hands, "Tomorrow, I've already made an appointment with the daughter of the old Zhang family, so don't give me the cold shoulder."

The next morning, Sun Xinchun left earlier than usual.

The eldest sister-in-law chased after him and shouted, "You little bastard, you can hide from the monk but not the temple!"

Sun Xinchun ran to the county's free market in one breath.

These days, reform and opening up had just begun, and the market was extremely lively.

The hawking sounds of small vendors could be heard one after another, some were selling big bowls of tea, some were selling wontons, and some were setting up stalls to sell used books.

Sun Xinchun stopped in front of a bookstall. The stall owner was an old man wearing reading glasses. Various old books were displayed on the stall.

Sun Xinchun saw "How the Steel Was Tempered" at first sight. He had read this book no less than ten times in the army, and it made him excited every time he read it.

"Comrade, how much is this book?" A clear voice sounded beside him.

When Sun Xinchun looked up, he saw a girl with two pigtails, wearing a blue flowered cotton jacket and holding a canvas schoolbag in her hands.

Girls these days all dress like this, but for some reason, she gives people a very different feeling.

"Paul Korchagin is a good comrade." Sun Xinchun blurted out, and regretted it immediately after he said it, thinking that he was too rash.

Unexpectedly, the girl was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "You like this book too? I admire his sentence 'The most precious thing in life is life' the most."

"Yes, 'This is how a person's life should be spent.'" Sun Xinchun continued.

"When he looks back on the past, he has no regrets about having wasted his years." She added the second half of the sentence.

They smiled at each other. She said her name was Wang Xiaomei and she was a student at a normal school. Sun Xinchun told her that she was a student at a military academy.

"You are a soldier?" Her eyes lit up. "My father was also a soldier, and later he was transferred to work as a repairman at a tractor station. He often said that being a soldier was the proudest thing in his life."

So they chatted all the way from the bookstall to the wonton stall.

Wang Xiaomei said that she admires soldiers the most because they have ideals and are responsible.

Sun Xinchun said that he joined the army not for fame or fortune, but to do something for the people.

"You're right." She nodded seriously. "I want to be a teacher because I want to train talents for the country. Aren't we advocating the 'four modernizations' now? We can't do without culture. Look at the countryside now, how many children are still waiting to go to school."

Hearing her say this, Sun Xinchun felt warm in his heart.

This girl is thinking far ahead.

Unlike those introduced by the sisters-in-law, who would ask about the salary and whether there would be a share of the house as soon as they opened their mouths.

As we were chatting, we suddenly heard someone shouting from behind: "Wang Xiaomei! Why are you here? I've been looking for you for a long time!"

Looking back, she saw a girl wearing glasses. Wang Xiaomei quickly said, "Li Aifang, why are you here?"

"Have you forgotten? Didn't we agree to go on a blind date today? Director Cheng's nephew works at the city's supply and marketing cooperative, and he has a stable job! He's been waiting for quite some time."

When Sun Xinchun heard this, his heart skipped a beat. Wang Xiaomei blushed and said, "I won't go."

"Oh, we've already made an appointment, it's so inappropriate of you to do this." The one called Li Aifang wanted to say something.

"I'm sorry, she has something to do today." Sun Xinchun rushed to say, "I'm from the military region, and I want to discuss some work with her."

When Li Aifang heard that it was from the military region, she didn't dare to say anything. But Wang Xiaomei looked at Sun Xinchun with bright eyes, as if she was trying to hold back a smile.

After Li Aifang left, Wang Xiaomei said embarrassedly: "I'm sorry, I made you laugh."

"It's nothing. I just ran away from a blind date." Sun Xinchun smiled innocently.

She blinked her eyes. "Really? Then we are destined to meet. Tell me, how can there be such a coincidence in this world?"

They chatted until the sun went down. She said she had to go home, and Sun Xinchun said he would take her home.

On the way, Sun Xinchun mustered up the courage to ask: "You don't want to go on a blind date, is it because you don't like that kind of thing?"

Wang Xiaomei walked a few steps with her head down before she said, "I think relationships should be natural. Just like us, we met because of our common ideals. How wonderful."

Sun Xinchun's heart warmed up, and he blurted out: "Then can we keep in touch often in the future?"

Wang Xiaomei raised her head and smiled with eyes curved: "Okay, but you have to promise me one thing."

"what's up?"

"Don't run away from blind dates anymore. It hurts my sister-in-law's heart."

Sun Xinchun scratched his head: "Then you have to promise me one thing."

"what?"

"Don't go on blind dates either."

Wang Xiaomei's face suddenly turned red. She ran a long distance away, then turned back and smiled at Sun Xinchun.

When I got home, my sister-in-law was picking vegetables in the yard. When she saw Sun Xinchun coming back, she said with a stern face, "You little bastard, you're finally back. You made the girl wait for an entire afternoon in vain."

Sun Xinchun smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, don't be angry. I want to tell you that I met a girl today."

"Okay, you're talking nonsense again." The sister-in-law glared at Sun Xinchun.

"Really! She likes to read How the Steel Was Tempered and wants to be a teacher to train talents for the country! She is much better than the ones you recommended to me."

The eldest sister-in-law put down the dish and said, "Boy, are you making up a story to deceive me?"

"Sister-in-law, I'm a soldier, how can I lie? Just wait, I'll bring her home in a few days and let you check it out."

The eldest sister-in-law looked at Sun Xinchun doubtfully: "You kid, don't try to fool me."

…………

This year Liu Zhiye was still busy and didn't go home until the night of the 30th.

On the morning of the 30th, Liu Zhiye and other military district leaders came to the barracks of a company of the military district's direct team to express their condolences.

Some officers and soldiers were seen hanging red lanterns and pasting Spring Festival couplets; some were pulling colored ribbons and installing "ten thousand-point stars", and were busy decorating the barracks.

In the canteen of a communications station, all male soldiers were busy washing and cutting vegetables.

Although they are only around 20 years old, they are very capable in doing housework.

It was learned that most of them came to help in the kitchen on their own initiative, wanting to express their love for the military camp and their deep friendship with their comrades in this way.

I miss soldiers even more during every festive season.

As the Spring Festival approaches, the leader of the Liu Zhiye Military Region also gave up the opportunity to reunite with his family, and went to the training grounds and remote outposts to visit and comfort the officers and soldiers and send them New Year's blessings.

In the military camp, the military district leaders delivered New Year's gifts and school supplies to the officers and soldiers one by one.

They also chatted with the new soldiers, learned about their training, study, and life in the army, as well as the material preparations, cultural and sports activities, and dietary arrangements during the Spring Festival.

Whenever he arrived at a squad, Liu Zhiye would carefully remind the leading officers: "Doing a good job in training is the basic work of the army's construction. In order to practice the ability to kill the enemy, the soldiers did not fear the severe cold and left their small families to come to the army, which is a big school and a big family;
They receive arduous military training and ideological and political education. As military leaders, we should help them solve their problems and provide them with good learning, training and living conditions. "

(End of this chapter)