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

Chapter 814 The Second Division and Liu Family Village Decades Later!!
The bustling street scenes of the day are gone, and in the quiet, windless night, there is a moment when everything seems to have stopped.

But soon, vehicles will drive by on the empty roads of the Liujiazhuang East Bank District, making a sound that is much louder than during the day.

When Zhou Xiaojun first started guarding the post, he also felt bored and confused by the unchanging routine.

His older brother, Zhou Dawei, who enlisted with him, often gave him some "excitement".

Back then, when Zhou Xiaojun was a new recruit, he was assigned to a guard company of the 2nd Guard Division of the Yanjing Garrison Command, while his older brother, Xiao Dawei, went to an army aviation brigade of a "top-tier group army".

Fortunately, both brothers were serving in the military in the Yanjing area, so they could reunite when they had time.

On one occasion, Zhou Xiaojun went to his brother Zhou Dawei's workplace during his vacation.

When his brother's comrades pulled Zhou Xiaojun to see the helicopter, his first reaction was to stubbornly refuse.

"I'm afraid I'll feel bad," Zhou Xiaojun told reporter Wang Lin.

Wang Lin understood Zhou Xiaojun's feelings somewhat; compared to his brother's unit, their guard company was simply too ordinary.

Now, Zhou Xiaojun has long since let go of the past.

He experienced the deepest tranquility while on guard duty at 4 a.m.

There is a bus stop a few dozen meters away from the entrance of the division headquarters compound where the company is stationed.

One morning at 4 a.m., the streets were as quiet as usual, so quiet that the air seemed to freeze.

Just then, a young girl was dragging her suitcase, preparing to take the night bus.

As she passed the division headquarters gate, she said to Zhou Xiaojun, the sentry on duty at the time, "Thank you. Because of you watching over me, I dare to walk at night."

At that moment, Zhou Xiaojun suddenly felt the steel gun in his hand become exceptionally warm.

He straightened his back, solemnly returned the military salute to the little girl, and watched her disappear into the morning mist.

This simple interaction made Zhou Xiaojun and the other sentries re-examine their seemingly ordinary jobs.

Later, Zhou Xiaojun began to pay attention to every passerby who passed by the sentry post.

The mailman who delivers the newspaper in the early morning will nod to him, the old man who takes a morning stroll always likes to chat with him for a few words, and even the students from the nearby school will curiously look at this upright figure when they pass by.

He gradually discovered that the tranquility of the city was hidden in these everyday details.

When his older brother Zhou Dawei came to visit again, Zhou Xiaojun took him to visit Liujiazhuang. When he saw how familiar he was with the village and his eyes sparkled with pride, he finally understood what "ordinary perseverance" meant.

The younger brother who once envied his older brother has now found his own glory.

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the ginkgo leaves in Liujiazhuang formed a golden carpet in front of the sentry post.

Zhou Xiaojun maintained his standard military posture, but a calm smile appeared on his lips.

He knew that in this quiet night, he was guarding not just a gate, but also the peaceful dreams of countless people.

This incident made Zhou Xiaojun suddenly understand the significance of sentries, and it also calmed his mind—behind ordinary life, there are also their silent guardians.

From 3 a.m. to 5 a.m., through the deepest darkness of the night, sentry Zhou Xiaojun and the city welcomed the dawn together.

The sanitation work in Liujiazhuang area is done very well; they start working before dawn.

Cleaners appeared on the road on tricycles, and the breakfast shops along the street gradually became busy.

To the right of the sentry post, a red sun is rising slowly.

The sound of horns continued to come from afar, and the number of pedestrians on the streets and overpasses gradually increased.

Before he knew it, it was almost time to change shifts, but Zhou Xiaojun still stood straight, his eyes fixed on the people rushing to work in front of him.

Bathed in the warm morning light, Zhou Xiaojun smiled and his body slowly relaxed.

The long night has passed, and a new day has begun.

"When you silently embark on that familiar path, a shadow walks alongside you..."

Walking on the road leading to the sentry post, Corporal Ma couldn't help but think of this lyric.

Since enlisting, Lao Ma has listened to this song, "Soldier's Heart," countless times.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, the comrades' homesickness grows stronger.

When Lao Ma was 18, he came to the headquarters of the 2nd Guard Division in Liujiazhuang to join the army.

For the first two years, Lao Ma wrote in his diary every day for more than 700 consecutive days without interruption.

In the thick notebook, many things were said to his parents.

Old Ma felt the Mid-Autumn Festival especially strongly during his first Mid-Autumn Festival after enlisting in the army.

Under the moonlight, he wrote in his diary: "Actually, every night I feel like it's Mid-Autumn Festival. Lying in bed, looking at the moon outside the window, I think of you all."

We learned a new song, "Let the moon carry my longing home."

Mom and Dad, I want to transform my longing for you into your health and happiness…

The song in the diary was actually "Soldier's Heart". From that day on, the lyrics and melody of this song would often linger in Lao Ma's mind.

With his family on his mind, Lao Ma devoted himself to training even more diligently.

When Lao Ma told Zhou Xiaojun about his experience in the army, he said that he joined the army carrying the "high hopes of his whole family".

Old Ma's maternal grandfather was a member of the underground Communist Party, and his paternal grandfather joined the Eighth Route Army.

Influenced by the older generation, Lao Ma wanted to become a soldier since he was a child.

"I've always longed for military life, but after coming here, I realized that we are surrounded by city people and the lights of countless homes in our daily lives."

Although the guard division was different from the field troops he had imagined, Lao Ma still studied and trained in the guard profession without complaint.

Soon, Lao Ma experienced his first growth.

Old Ma once wrote in his diary: "Dear Mom and Dad, I went on duty today and was the first new recruit to be on duty."

The sentry post I was assigned to was the most difficult one in the entire company.

Even though he has stood guard at his post for more than 900 days without fail, Lao Ma will never forget the pride he felt when he first stepped onto the post.

Old Ma's first vacation.

After returning home, Lao Ma did two things specifically.

One of them was wearing a military uniform and standing in front of his grandfather's and maternal grandfather's graves, giving them a solemn military salute.

The other thing was to bring my parents a newspaper.

In the company, besides standing guard and on duty, Lao Ma also took a liking to writing news articles.

Everyone says that life as a sentry is rather monotonous, so Lao Ma wanted to write down some interesting stories from the company for everyone to read.

Seeing their son's article published in the newspaper, Mr. Ma's parents felt that their son, whom they hadn't seen for three years, had grown up in an instant.

This Mid-Autumn Festival, Lao Ma, like his comrade Zhou Xiaojun, was unable to go home.

Even though he wasn't too far from his hometown, he didn't want his parents to come to Yanjing to see him.

“Parting is even more painful. When you miss home, look up at the night sky,” Lao Ma said.

At this time of family reunion, these sentries in the city feel an indescribable sorrow, but they also deeply understand the principle that "the loss of one family means the reunion of thousands."

This year marks the 15th year that Senior Sergeant Gao has served in the military.

Another location where Lao Gao was on duty was near the military family quarters.

Laughter, chatter, the fragrance of flowers and food wafting in the breeze, and faces that had gone from strangers to familiar faces came from the family compound...

A fresh and vibrant atmosphere of daily life washes over you. Serving in such an environment, it's hard for Lao Gao not to miss his family, his wife, and his daughter.

For the sentries guarding the city, their hearts must constantly contend with the outside world. Resilience is not a quality unique to border guards.

Sometimes, they would really want to cross the overpass, even if it was just to go to the "RT-Mart" supermarket on the other side of the street.

But burdened with a mission, they must endure long periods of solitude.

Standing on his post day after day, accustomed to his quiet life, Lao Gao never imagined that one day he would actually see himself on television.

Several years ago, at a large-scale performance at Liujiazhuang Gymnasium near the Spring Festival, Gao En and his comrades were responsible for security and support work.

That evening, the event was broadcast on the "News at 7 PM" program.

In front of the television, Lao Gao's family happened to catch a fleeting glimpse of him.

The daughter couldn't wait to call Lao Gao and tell him to watch the replay.

Hearing the child's cheerful voice, Lao Gao was very happy.

At that moment, Lao Gao experienced the pride and sense of value of being a soldier and a father.

Even a fleeting moment of footage illuminated the sentries guarding the night.

With their hearts filled with longing for their families far away, the officers and soldiers of the guard company shared the mooncakes they had made themselves on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Gazing at the same bright moon, the feeling of longing becomes sweet at this moment.

In 99, Lao Sun truly experienced the crisp autumn air of Yanjing.

In Lao Sun's view, the journey "from the monument to the flagpole" is something he will remember forever.

During his time as a recruit, Lao Sun was physically weak and hadn't practiced marching or carrying a rifle much.

Being selected for the honor guard for the 50th anniversary celebration was both an honor and a huge challenge for him.

“The training volume is very high every day, and almost none of my comrades are free from injuries.”

Recalling the hardships he endured during that period, Lao Sun had a lot to say: "During training, we had to keep slapping the ceremonial rifle until our hands were swollen, and we injured our ankles from marching so hard that we couldn't even take our boots off..."

During the repetitive and tedious training, Lao Sun remembered what the sentry post had taught him—perseverance.

As a sentry, this skill was ingrained in Old Sun's bones.

Every time Old Sun's legs trembled and he felt dizzy while standing on his post, he would focus his gaze on the ivy on the opposite wall.

Seeing the withered branches and leaves still growing towards the sun and climbing with all their might, he gritted his teeth and straightened his chest once again.

On the day of the parade, the world's attention was focused on People's Square.

Old Sun's family gathered around the television early in the morning, searching for the young figure standing in the tenth row of the national flag guard formation.

Unfortunately, they did not find Lao Sun within the limited time.

After completing the mission, Lao Sun made a phone call in a state of excitement and exhilaration.

Hearing the slight disappointment in his family's voices, Old Sun smiled with relief: "Being a member of this formation is already wonderful. Perhaps, everyone in there is me!"

In fact, in Lao Sun's mind, the most beautiful season in Yanjing, especially in the Liujiazhuang area, is spring, when everything is full of vitality and everything is coming back to life.

Standing at his post, seeing the smiles on everyone's faces, Lao Sun felt that he shared the same feelings as them.

When standing guard at the gate of the Second Division's residential area, the sentries often feel a sense of accomplishment from a greeting, a few words of feedback, or even a casual look of trust from the residents.

Sergeant Yu Yang has been on duty in the Second Division compound for many years. He said that the people of Liujiazhuang have a fine tradition of supporting the army.

The sentries often receive "Army Day greeting cards" made by children in the Liujiazhuang area, taste dumplings made by the residents during the Spring Festival, and receive a bottle of mineral water from passersby on hot summer days...

These heartwarming interactions made the sentries feel that they were not only guardians of the city, but also members of the city that were deeply loved by it.

It was another night, and Lao Ma stood on his post, gazing at the brightly lit office buildings in the distance.

He suddenly remembered what his squad leader had said in basic training: "We are not only protecting this land, but also the dreams of the people on this land."

A night breeze carried the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms, and Old Ma couldn't help but take a deep breath.

He knew that at this very moment, somewhere in the city, someone might be pointing at him and saying to the children, "Look, that's the People's Liberation Army uncle who protects us."

Zhou Xiaojun recently started a "Sentinel's Notes" column on the company's blackboard.

He recorded the touching moments he witnessed while on duty: the smiles of sanitation workers to the sentries in the early morning, the umbrellas handed to him by passersby on rainy days, and the elementary school student who always passed by the sentry post on time every day and always saluted the Young Pioneers.

As his comrades read these words, the corners of their mouths would unconsciously turn up in a smile.

Old Gao received a drawing from his daughter. The drawing showed her father in military uniform standing on a gleaming sentry post.

He put the painting above his bed, and every time he came back from his post and saw it, half of his fatigue would disappear.

In her letter, the wife said that what their daughter is most proud of now is telling her classmates, "My dad is a People's Liberation Army soldier who protects the capital."

Every year on the first weekend after the Mid-Autumn Festival, local residents of Liujiazhuang would spontaneously organize to visit the military camp to express their condolences and support.

An elderly teacher with gray hair led the children in a performance, and Mr. Wang, who runs a restaurant, delivered steaming hot dumplings.

Yu Yang noticed that an old lady was always secretly wiping away tears. Later, he learned that her son had also been a soldier here.

At these moments, Yu Yang and his comrades feel a deep sense of accomplishment and fulfillment as soldiers.

"This feeling is actually no different from what we experience when participating in various major missions," Yu Yang said.

Whether standing in the formation during the military parade or scattered at various "small points" while on guard duty, Lao Sun, Yu Yang, Zhou Xiaojun... they are all used to not being noticed.

The same is true for many sentries.

"In the vast night sky, I wish to be one of the stars."

They may seem insignificant, or perhaps not dazzling, but they stand guard at their posts, radiating their own light.

When countless lights come together, they become a tremendous force that protects peace.

The 2nd Guard Division of the Yanjing Garrison Command has been established for over 30 years and is the core combat force of the Yanjing Garrison Command. They are responsible for the important task of protecting...

The 2nd Guard Division has approximately 18,000 officers and soldiers, equipped with the most advanced light and heavy weapons and special defense equipment.

Unlike regular army field units, the 2nd Guards Division's training also emphasizes specialized skills such as urban counter-terrorism, VIP protection, and emergency response.

It is said that the individual combat capabilities and team coordination capabilities of the guard division's officers and soldiers are generally 15% higher than the average level of the army, thanks to their more than 320 days of high-intensity training each year.

What is least known about the 2nd Guard Division is its strict internal vetting system.

Every new recruit here undergoes rigorous testing, with background checks spanning three generations.

For those special positions that undertake core security tasks, the lineage can even be traced back five generations.

98.7% of the soldiers in the 2nd Guard Division come from rural areas, a proportion far higher than the average for the entire army.

The main reason for choosing rural youth is that they usually have more simple and honest ideas and stronger political reliability.

After decades of development, today's officers and soldiers of the 2nd Guard Division must master at least one foreign language and one special skill in addition to regular military training.

In the 2nd Guard Division, 53% of the officers and soldiers are proficient in English, and 67% are fluent in more than one foreign language.

In terms of special skills, 90% of officers and soldiers have mastered professional first aid skills, and 70% of officers and soldiers can skillfully operate at least three types of special vehicles.

These capabilities make the 2nd Guard Division not only a highly combat-effective unit, but also a comprehensive support force capable of handling various complex situations.

The 2nd Guard Division bears the important task of ensuring the stability of the capital. This unit has a glorious past and outstanding achievements, and can be called an elite force.

Their daily training and security duties are outstanding, making them a reliable force for safeguarding the security of Yanjing.

During regular training, the soldiers maintain a very intense and demanding training environment.

For example, in the combat training area, they were sweating profusely, and every punch and kick contained great force, with the goal of defeating their opponent with a single move in the decisive moment.

(End of this chapter)