1978: A Literary Giant Who Began His Military Service

Chapter 85 A little famous
A month after the novel was published.

It was already June. Wuhan in June was as hot as a sauna, and Zhou Xu was sweating profusely day after day.

However, the performing arts troupe didn't have air conditioning; a simple and frugal lifestyle was a fundamental requirement of the military...

Zhou Xu felt so hot that he couldn't stand it even staying in the dormitory. The heat in Wuhan without air conditioning is unbearable for most people. That's why it's called one of the three "furnaces" of China.

Moreover, Zhou Xu has lived in Lichuan, Enshi since birth.

You know Lichuan, right? It's called Liangcheng!

In the summer, you need to cover yourself with a small blanket to sleep at night, which is a great place for the elderly to retire... I'll have to pay for the cultural tourism promotion in my hometown in the future, after all, I have several thousand readers.

So staying in Wuhan, he was practically going crazy: "Wow, it's this hot in June, what will it be like in July and August?"

So he got up and went straight outside.

Chen Hai, standing outside, called out to Zhou Xu, "Zhou Xu!"

"what?"

"Want to go swimming?" Chen Yong continued.

"Swimming?" Zhou Xu's eyes lit up when he heard that.

In any rural area during the 1970s and 80s, if there was a river near the village, none of the young people there couldn't swim!

Not to mention, Zhou Xu was a notorious playboy in the village.
"Where are you going?"

Chen Hai said, "Of course we'll go to East Lake."

East Lake is known as the largest urban lake in China. It is bordered by the Wudong Railway to the east, Nanwang Mountain and Yujia Mountain to the south, Luojia Mountain and Shuiguohu Lake to the west, and Qingshan Mountain to the north.

Today is Sunday, so they can go to places near the military region: Mai Sui, He Jing, Zhang Nanfeng...

Not only the comrades from the art troupe, but also several comrades from the creative studio came out.

In those days, there weren't many ways to cool off in the summer, and swimming was one of them.

Every summer, the swimming pool at the Tingtao Scenic Area of ​​East Lake is packed with swimmers, and the East Lake Scenic Area Management Office has organized lifeguards to take turns on duty.

In addition, many people choose to swim directly in the waters of East Lake. At that time, residents around East Lake would go swimming in East Lake at dusk, and then go home for dinner.

However, in the late 1980s, with the acceleration of urban construction, dozens of large sewage outlets with a capacity of over 100 tons were successively built along the East Lake, and the water quality gradually deteriorated, with fewer and fewer people swimming in the lake...

Tsk! Enough said.
When we arrived at the shore of East Lake, a large number of people from the performing arts troupe had already gathered there.

"Old Political Commissar, you're here swimming too!" Zhou Xu greeted the political commissar.

The political commissar, who was in his forties or fifties but not overweight and quite robust, waved his hand and laughed as he soaked in the lake, "It's hot!"

Chen Hai quickly took off his clothes, leaving only his shorts, and Zhou Xu also quickly took off his clothes.

Putting aside other things, in the military and cultural troupes, unless they are leaders, the vast majority of people are in good physical condition. Men don't have abs, but they also don't have excess fat.

As for the women, regardless of their looks, they all wore swimsuits, revealing a sea of ​​white legs... some long, some short, some fleshy, some slender...

Bah, Zhou Xu only glanced at him normally. Shaking his head, he ran forward.

With a "plop!" he plunged into the water, then swung his legs and popped his head out of the water.

A man over there walked over to Chen Hai and asked, "Old Chen, who do you think has the best physique?"

"How about Mai Sui? Who could compare to her?"

"No, no, no, I think the new Zhang Fangfang is even better."

Several people looked in his direction and noticed a beautiful figure in the crowd, with a voluptuous chest and slender legs.

"Hiss~" Zhou Xu took a deep breath.

"Not bad right?"

"Pah! Vulgar." Zhou Xu smiled slightly.

"Hey! I'm not kidding you guys anymore! Which group are you from?"

“Zhang Fangfang is from the drama troupe, not our song and dance troupe,” Chen Hai said.

……

However, while the women are discussing women, the lesbians are also discussing lesbians.

"Who's that? Who's that?" Zhang Fangfang also pointed in that direction along with the group of people.

Mai Sui saw Zhou Xu's figure. Zhou Xu still had knife scars and gunshot wounds on his body... These were the unique marks of his time on the battlefield, adding a touch of charisma.

"That's Comrade Zhou Xu!"

"Zhou Xu?" Zhang Fangfang was taken aback.

The people around them were also stunned. Han Rong looked surprised and asked with a hint of disbelief, "Comrade Zhou Xu? Is he that writer?"

Led by Zhang Fangfang and Han Rong, this group of people were people who didn't know Zhou Xu before.

The reason why we don't know each other is quite simple!

The Victory Cultural Troupe, or more specifically, the military region-level cultural troupe, is collectively referred to as one troupe, but it is internally divided into the Victory Song and Dance Troupe, the Victory Drama Troupe, and so on.

Zhou Xu's songs were performed by the song and dance troupe, so he mostly hung out with the song and dance troupe and rarely came into contact with the drama troupe.

However, Zhang Fangfang and Han Rong are both members of the drama troupe, so it's normal that they don't know Zhou Xu.

He Jing nodded silently: "It's him."

"Is that the first-class combat hero? The legendary Comrade Zhou Xu from the creative studio?" "Yes, yes, yes! It's him! Who else could it be but him! He has so many titles; he's a celebrity in our regiment!" Mai Sui, a good friend of Zhou Xu, enthusiastically promoted him.

Zhang Fangfang and Han Rong then went to see Zhou Xu again. This time, they not only thought he was handsome, but he also had a touch of masculine charm.

The novel "Garland at the Foot of the Mountain" has been making headlines in recent days, with discussions about it both inside and outside the military.

Zhou Xu's previous work, "Changjin Lake," only reached the level of a provincial-level writer, but he didn't have much fame... However, "Wreath at the Foot of the Mountain" clearly made Zhou Xu famous.

"Garland at the Foot of the Mountain" was quite popular near military bases, especially in the Wuhan Military Region, thanks to the local author's influence within the region.

Many people began to admire Zhou Xu, this war hero, because it is rare to find someone who is both a great writer and has made meritorious contributions.

This instantly sparked a trend within the military, and this cultural trend is sweeping through the ranks, as evidenced by the subscription numbers. The Wuhan Military Region even ordered 10,000 copies!
The article "Wreaths at the Foot of the Mountain" made the "PLA Literature and Art" magazine popular and also once again sparked a group of people's attention to the Sino-Vietnamese War and its heroes.

Zhang Fangfang's eyes sparkled: "Seeing is believing! I told you Comrade Zhou Xu is just like Zhao Mengsheng in 'Wreath at the Foot of the Mountain'—a gentle, refined, handsome, and stylish person!"

"Come on! You're just daydreaming again! You're three or four years older than him, what do you want?" Han Rong snapped back.

"But I never expected that our cultural troupe could produce such a talented writer? And he's handsome too!" The comrades behind them continued to discuss.

"The key is being handsome, right?! Talent is secondary?"

"Pah, I don't like handsome guys, you know? My favorite people are writers, reading their novels is a real treat."

"Just be tough!"

A group of female soldiers were discussing it enthusiastically, and the male soldiers were also discussing it enthusiastically.

Zhou Xu floated in the lake, feeling as if his whole body was enveloped in coolness.

Zhang Nanfeng noticed the girls' conversation and went over to discuss it with Chen Hai, saying, "Why is everyone talking about Comrade Zhou Xu?"

"Huh?" Chen Hai asked.

Zhang Nanfeng and a few other boys chimed in, "I heard that several of the female members of the drama troupe are asking about Comrade Zhou Xu!"

"Zhou Xu is a writer! He's even been to the front lines, so it's normal for him to be popular!"

"I'm so envious! I wish I could write, then I'd have so many women fawning over me."

"First of all, you have to be good-looking!!"

The boys next to him were discussing Zhou Xu, and their reactions were generally a mix of envy and jealousy... In short, this kid seems to have some talent.

In later generations, Zhou Xu's current level of fame would be equivalent to having the 'right to choose a spouse independently'... It's just a pity that this is the military, and he can't be like Chen Hansheng.

Chen Hai swam towards Zhou Xu: "A competition?"

"What?"

Zhang Nanfeng said, "Let's see who swims to the willow tree on the other side first!"

Zhou Xu looked over and saw that it was about two hundred meters away, which was four hundred meters in total. He said that if someone's physical strength wasn't good, they might not be able to do it. "I'm not sure I can do it. I'm injured!"

"Comrade Zhou, let's just have some fun! Don't take it seriously!"

"Since we're already here!" However, it was clear that they had begun to show Zhou Xu respect.

Zhou Xu glanced at everyone, thinking they were all too childish. He wanted to show off his swimming skills, but he was bored. "How about I play with you guys?"

Now, more and more people are starting to shout it out, which is a significant change.

"Alright! Three, two, one!"

Splash! Another burst of water.

A woman soaking in the water on the shore muttered a few complaints: "I'm fed up with you guys, so boring! Stop playing in the water!"

"Look, Han Rong, who do you think is the fastest?"

Han Rong said, "Chen Hai, right? He has the best stamina."

I think it's Zhang Yibing!

"..."

After swimming a lap, Zhou Xu was not in first place, as he had a hidden injury on his leg, so he simply came in second. Chen Hai was ahead of him, and Zhang Yibing was behind him.

Han Rong said cheerfully, "I knew it!"

"Makes you look good!"

The political commissar stood up, glanced at the jubilant crowd, and delivered a speech from the stone platform:

"Comrades! Hold on! Tonight our troupe will be showing a movie in the dance hall! Everyone is welcome to come and watch! There's also something else. 'Wreath at the Foot of the Mountain' is a work written by Comrade Zhou Xu. The leaders of the Political Department and the higher-ups have highly praised it. Let's give Comrade Zhou Xu a round of applause!"

A group of people clapped and looked at Zhou Xu with envy.

In the evening, Zhou Xu left dressed. He had time to go out today, so he went outside and bought some ice cream. He came back with an ice cream in his mouth.

He bought a few dozen and distributed them to a group of friends he knew well in the dance troupe.

"Wow! Thank you, Comrade Zhou," a group of people said.

Today's movie is "The Gunshots of the Secret Service": a suspenseful war spy film starring Chen Rubin and Li Qimin. The film is tense and exciting, showing the heroic struggle of underground workers within the enemy's ranks.

This must be the first spy film in China, right?
Moreover, it was only released in June of this year, so a group of people watched it with exceptional seriousness. After all, they were tired of watching old movies like "Shangganling" and were envious of new movies!

Of course, Zhou Xu was also very serious.

(End of this chapter)