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

Chapter 611 Good boy, you are worthy of being my soldier!!!

In our old Yanjing, it's time to "open the door and go out" after the beginning of spring.

We have been feeling depressed for a whole winter, and our bodies are all wrinkled. It's time to go outside to get some fresh air, stretch our arms and legs, and loosen up our muscles and bones.

From a distance, the Yanshan Mountains are beginning to turn green. Go to the Yongding River to see the ice melting. The sun is warm, the wind is soft, and the earth's air is beginning to rise.

The living things in the soil are beginning to wake up, the fish are floating to the surface, spitting bubbles, and the willow branches along the river are turning yellow - it's the season for "eating spring rolls" again!
When Liu Zhiye was a child, he heard his father Liu Jingzhai say that in the late Qing Dynasty, the Spring Market of old Yanjing was just outside their original home, Dongzhimen - the spring breeze comes from the east.

I remember when they lived in Dongzhimen, Liu Zhiye's family still had three small east wing rooms, where their family of five lived. Even these conditions were considered very good at that time.

Liu Zhiye remembers that there were two trees in their yard. To paraphrase Lu Xun, one was a cherry tree, and the other was also a cherry tree.

In spring, they bloom with pink and white flowers.

After blooming for a while, a rain comes, and a few winds come, the flowers gradually fall, and the leaves grow more luxuriantly.

Later, the people in the yard cut down the tree, and the place was empty for a while. Later, they planted two magnolia trees, but it was nothing like the original one.

Every spring, Liu Zhiye would take his younger brothers and sisters to Fayuan Temple to see the lilacs.

Sometimes I would also invite two or three classmates or my childhood sweethearts.

Fayuan Temple is located on Fayuan Temple Front Street in the south city and was built in the 19th year of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty.

There is a flower viewing season around April every spring. At that time, the lilac flowers in the yard are in bloom. The weather is good, neither too cold nor too hot. It is the best time to appreciate lilacs.

The old people in Yanjing like to do something appropriate to the season, such as going out to appreciate flowers or worshipping Buddha in ancient temples. These are very romantic things, and they have even been integrated into life itself and exist as a part of life.

In spring in Yanjing, delicious food is also a sight not to be missed.

During this season, the streets and alleys of Yanjing are filled with the aroma of various delicacies.

Those old Yanjing snacks, such as noodles with soybean paste, bean juice, and fried dough sticks, are all delicacies that cannot be missed in spring.

They not only carry the history and culture of Yanjing, but also allow people to feel the breath of spring while tasting them.

Of course, there is another activity not to be missed in Yanjing in spring, and that is flower viewing.

In all the major parks and scenic spots in Yanjing, you can see the magnificent sight of various flowers blooming.

The cherry blossoms in Yuyuantan, the Qionghua Island in Beihai Park, the Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace, and the Liujiazhuang...each one is a great place to enjoy flowers.

During this period of early spring, Liu Zhiye felt more relaxed than ever before. He often pondered: "I am also reborn, why am I the only one who is always busy and running around?"

After some self-analysis, he realized that all this was due to his unquenchable utilitarianism.

He often missed the simple mentality he had when he was reborn. At that time, he only wanted to live a leisurely and comfortable life, like a carefree salted fish.

Now, with a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, even a short rest makes him feel uneasy. Although outsiders envy the Liu family's prominent status, Liu Zhiye feels regretful. He regrets pushing the Liu family to its current height.

What makes him feel most helpless is that even family reunion during the Chinese New Year has become a luxury.

In the past, Liu Zhiye was away from home because of work.

Today, the children cannot be reunited because of their respective careers.

Especially since his son Liu Wu and son-in-law Zhong Xingguo are both soldiers like him, and as senior officers they have no choice.

A few days ago, Liu Wu called his mother Gan Ning and said he was coming back to visit relatives.

Hearing that Liu Wu, who had not been home for nearly two years, was going home soon, the Liu family, young and old, were very happy.

something unexpected may happen any time.

Just as Liu Wu was packing his luggage and preparing to set off, an emergency suddenly occurred in the army.

As the military chief, Liu Wu had to cancel his original plan and continue to stay at his post.

This sudden change once again made the family's long-awaited reunion time come to nothing.

A few days ago, Liu Wu, the military chief of the "Black Panther" special forces, was preparing to embark on his journey home after carefully arranging all matters for his return home to visit his relatives.

At this critical moment, squadron leader Liu Xiaotao hurried over and reported an emergency with a serious expression: one of his soldiers had encountered an accident while visiting his relatives.

Upon hearing the news, Liu Wu immediately put down his bag and anxiously asked Liu Xiaotao what was going on.

Liu Xiaotao replied: "Captain, I don't know the specific situation, but the local public security bureau called and said that a soldier in our squadron named Liang Jun was killed because he saved someone..."

"Let's go to the local hospital to visit Liang Jun first..." After such a big incident, Liu Wu immediately canceled his plan to go home and went to the hospital to visit the injured soldier first.

so, what happened?
It turned out that the soldier who was in trouble was named Liang Jun.

In 1975, Liang Jun was born into a military family.

Influenced by his father's military sentiments since childhood, he is full of infinite yearning and respect for military life.

This deep military complex quietly took root in his heart.

As time passed, two years ago, Liang Jun, who was only 18 years old, with infinite longing for the military camp, resolutely signed up for the army in his hometown and embarked on the military career he had always dreamed of.

At that moment, he felt extremely honored and proud.

When he first entered the military camp, Liang Jun showed extraordinary perseverance and fighting spirit.

He trained hard, constantly challenged himself, and strived for excellence in every detail.

Liang Jun's efforts were not in vain. In a short period of time, he stood out in various military skills competitions and won many medals.

His outstanding performance won unanimous praise and high appreciation from the military leaders.

"When you serve in the army, you must be the strongest soldier!" This is Liang Jun's firm belief and the source of his motivation to keep moving forward.

When it comes to the strongest soldiers in the Southwest Region, it must be the special forces of the "Black Panther Special Forces".

This unit is well-known for its rigorous training and outstanding combat record, and is a holy place in the hearts of countless soldiers.

Just last year, Liang Jun faced a major challenge in his military career - participating in the selection of new members of the "Black Panther Special Forces Brigade".

At this time, Liang Jun had just completed one year of military service, but he was fearless and faced the test with confidence.

He knows very well that this is not only a selection, but also an important step for him to achieve self-transcendence and become stronger.

God helps those who work hard, and his efforts were not in vain. Liang Jun was successfully selected into the "Black Panther Special Forces Brigade" and became a special forces soldier under the squadron leader Liu Xiaotao.

Just after the Chinese New Year and the beginning of spring, Liang Jun, who had been a special forces soldier for two years, called his parents to tell them that he was going home to visit. His parents were extremely happy.

And this time when Liang Jun returned home, he was accompanied by his girlfriend Sophie, whom he met in the army.

Seeing that Liang Qiangjun performed so well in the army and even had a girlfriend, his parents were even more delighted.

I bought a lot of delicious food to treat them.

However, after Liang Jun and his girlfriend Sophie stayed comfortably at home for a few days, it was time for him to return home.

Although the Liang army was reluctant to leave, their military orders were as firm as a mountain.

However, no one could have imagined that when his squadron leader Liu Xiaotao saw Liang Jun again, he was completely different from before.

Because Liang Jun took a bus when he returned to the army, and it was this bus that changed his destiny.

Everything was normal in the car between Liang Jun and Sophie at first. The two of them were talking and laughing, and Liang Jun even introduced her to the scenery of his hometown along the way.

But when the car reached a town not far from Liang Jun's hometown, it suddenly stopped.

The bus driver said, "Don't worry, the bus is just out of gas. I'll find a solution."

Then he asked the conductor to go to a nearby town to buy some gasoline.

After buying the gasoline, because there was no refueling equipment, the driver found a used tire and made its inner tube into a simple oil bag.

Afterwards, this "tiger" driver performed a "tiger" operation - he directed the oil in the simple oil bag (inner tube) directly into the carburetor, preparing for direct current fuel supply.

Seeing the driver's ignorant and fearless operation, Liang Jun was shocked and broke out in a cold sweat. This operation was extremely dangerous, so he immediately stopped the driver: "Master, your operation is too dangerous, stop it!" The driver saw that it was a young boy, so he shouted: "I am an experienced driver, don't I know this common sense? What do you care? Get out, get out, get out!"

Although the driver had a bad attitude, Liang Jun was not angry. Instead, he was full of worry. He stared closely at the driver's operation, fearing that there would be any problems.

The driver was also very angry and felt very unlucky, and now a soldier came to give him orders.

He held the gas and turned on the power, which immediately ignited the gasoline. The driver saw the burning gasoline and thought that the problem was serious.

The gasoline burned more and more fiercely, the fire grew, and there was thick smoke in the car, choking the passengers so that they couldn't open their eyes. Moreover, the fire in the car was still spreading. Liang Jun saw that the passengers were in a mess, and they all wanted to open the door and run out.

Only Liang Jun remembered the oil barrel at this time. He quickly picked up the oil barrel and ran away. At this time, he may have only one belief in his heart, that is to use his own life to minimize the danger and use his own life to save the lives of everyone in the car.

The fire had already burned Liang Jun's body. Although he felt extreme pain, he still ran with faith.

At this time, the passengers also woke up and rushed to put out the fire for Liang Jun.

But despite their best efforts, Liang Qiang was still burned beyond recognition.

Later, local fire police rushed to the scene and rushed Liang Jun, who was injured while rescuing others, to the hospital for emergency treatment.

Because Liang Jun was seriously injured, he almost lost his life.

It was the local government that learned of his condition and gave him special care. He was transferred to the best hospital and employed the best doctors, which saved his life.

After Liu Wu, Liu Xiaotao and others arrived at the hospital, they learned from the doctor that Liang Jun's face had been severely deformed and there was almost no good skin on his body.

85% of Liang Jun's skin had been burned off and he had to undergo multiple skin grafting surgeries.

Although Liang Jun needed so many surgeries and had to endure so much torture, he could never return to his former handsome appearance.

After Liang Jun finished the operation, he didn't dare to look at his own face.

He was in a terrible state and in a very bad mood. Fortunately, his lover Sophie was always with him, encouraging him and comforting him. He was able to overcome the difficulties step by step and become stronger.

But despite this, Liang Jun still said that he had no regrets and that he saved the lives of a whole car of people, which was worth it.

Faced with the fire at that time, he picked it up and ran away without hesitation. What a great feat it was. He knew that there was a possibility that he would say goodbye to his previous life from then on, and even his own life would be in danger, but he still did it. This is the trait of a soldier, always having the awareness of protecting the people.

This is also Liang Jun's self-cultivation since childhood. In critical moments, he thinks about others instead of himself.

"Good boy, you didn't bring shame to our 'Black Panther'. You are a good soldier and a hero!" Captain Liu Wu comforted Liang Jun.

Captain, I’m afraid I can’t stay in Black Panther any longer in this condition…” Liang Jun lowered his head, with a hint of loss and unwillingness in his voice.

"Don't let your imagination run wild! Your most important task now is to recover from your injuries. When you recover, you will still be a member of the Black Panther. I promise you that!" Liu Wu's tone was sonorous and powerful, and his eyes revealed an unquestionable firmness.

Liang Jun raised his head and a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes: "Really? Captain, you are not comforting me, are you?" His voice trembled slightly. Compared with the pain in his body, he cared more about whether he could continue to perform his duties in the "Black Panther" special forces.

"Xiao Liang, do you still not believe what the captain said? If he says you can stay, then you can definitely stay! Don't think too much, just take good care of your injuries." Liu Xiaotao at the side interrupted with a smile, his tone full of encouragement and trust, "You are the pride of our 'Black Panther'!"

A year later, Liang Jun returned from the military hospital to the "Black Panther Special Forces!"

During these months, he went through a painful treatment period that ordinary people could not imagine.

At that time, Liang Jun suffered severe burns all over his body after saving the lives of 27 passengers.

He was only 85 years old, but 60% of his body was burned, 3% of which were third-degree burns.

Simply put, 60% of his skin was completely damaged, and the only way to repair it was through surgical skin grafting or skin flap repair.

Liang Jun's hands truly demonstrated the severity of the injury.

The eight fingers on his hands have no joints and cannot be flexed and retracted like normal people. The transplanted skin cannot fit perfectly and will crack and bleed if the slightest force is applied.

According to Liang Jun's own recollection, he was extremely thirsty when the fire broke out, and he felt that he could exchange his life for a glass of water.

But when he tried to clench his fist and saw the bones and ligaments, he realized that he was seriously injured.

Why was he extremely thirsty? It was because the skin burns caused body fluids to seep out.

But this was only the beginning of the problem. Afterwards, his body no longer had the protection and control of his skin, and he felt extremely cold in the hospital.

The doctors tried their best to save his life and make him better.

They arranged more than 40 operations for him and transplanted more than 6000 pieces of skin before Liang Qiang finally recovered.

But this process was not easy at all, and Liang Jun was particularly impressed by one of the operations.

This was the tenth time he was pushed onto the operating table to clean out necrotic finger bones and tissues, and this was the first time he used local anesthesia.

But at that time, Liang Jun was particularly immune to anesthetics.

This time, he felt that he was completely awake. He could clearly feel the scalpel and hear all the sounds in the operating room.

Especially when the doctor uses the bone-cutting forceps to clean out the necrotic bones, it feels like breaking glass with pliers, and the sound is like hitting stone with a chisel.

This tremendous pain made Liang Qiang truly experience what it means to have "the heart connected to all ten fingers."

But this was just the beginning. After the doctor removed the finger bones and damaged tissue, he used seven 7-centimeter-long steel needles to string together his completely broken finger.

You have to understand that piercing fingers with bamboo sticks is considered an extremely cruel punishment, so how painful would it be to have fingers reconstructed with steel needles?

However, at this time, the doctor also had to perform a skin transplant at the same time, moving the skin from his chest to the injured part of his hand.

This kind of pain is simply unbearable, but in order to alleviate some of the pain, Liang Jun joked with the doctor, saying that Sister Jiang has never suffered such pain, right?
However, the piercing pain caused him to faint again...

Such operations were performed many times in succession, and finally the handsome young man who originally weighed 140 kilograms was turned into a first-class disabled soldier weighing only 90 kilograms.

After a long treatment, Liang Jun looked at himself in the mirror for the first time. "I have never seen such a scary person."

Liang Jun, who had just been discharged from the hospital, was extremely thin, just skin and bones, like a ghost.

What’s even more scary is that there are red burns here and white skin there on his body, and some places are wrapped in gauze.

His face was destroyed by the flames, and his head was wrapped in gauze, so that no hair could be seen.

The eyebrows, beard, and nose tip were gone, and even the ears were almost gone. The skin on his face was severely distorted, with grafted skin and various scars everywhere.

The eyeball was bulging outward due to eyelid ulceration, and the flesh was turned outward, making it look like a demon that had returned from hell.

Compared with Liang Jun's previous handsome face, this image is like heaven and earth. However, Liang Jun still has a worrying matter to deal with.

Liang Qiangjun's lover Sophie, they were classmates in junior high school and high school.

But at that time, the two of them had no one in common.

When Liang Jun joined the army, he met Sophie at a class reunion, and the two became close.

Later, Liang Jun was in the army and they were separated and could only communicate through letters.

However, this did not prevent them from loving each other.

Liang Jun rescued a whole car of people, including his girlfriend Sophie.

During the days when Liang Jun's situation was most critical, Sophie hardly slept.

On the one hand, she had to comfort Liang Jun's parents and help deal with things that the elders couldn't handle, and on the other hand, she had to bear the pressure of her lover's possible death at any time.

However, after waiting for a long time, Liang Jun finally woke up, but he did not have a good attitude towards Sophie.

Not only did he not speak properly to Sophie, he also threw away the flowers that Sophie bought in front of the nurse.

A nurse recalled the situation at that time and said that Sophie was happy every time she came, but cried when she left.

You have to understand that this is Sophie's only vacation. After Liang Jun was transferred to the military hospital, she had to take the evening train and travel hundreds of kilometers to visit him.

Only his squadron leader Liu Xiaotao noticed why Liang Jun's attitude towards Sophie changed.

"Boy, don't you want to drag Sophie down?"

(End of this chapter)