Courtyard Houses: Starting with Li Yunlong's Comrades-in-Arms

Another two weeks have passed.

Liu Yuheng stood by the office window, looking at the ranks gathering on the playground below, without saying a word.

The first batch of 1,537 officers and soldiers who are about to be demobilized and discharged will leave the army today.

He looked at it for a while, then turned around, picked up the military cap from the table, put it on, straightened his collar, and walked out of the office. Old Li was already waiting in the corridor, holding a list in his hand, his expression complex, it was hard to tell whether he was relieved or reluctant. He saw Liu Yuheng come out, nodded, and the two walked downstairs side by side.

"The resettlement process is still too slow," Liu Yuheng said as he walked. "The first batch of names was submitted half a month ago, and we're only sending the people off today."

Old Li gave a wry smile and shook his head: "I inquired about it a few days ago, and this isn't just a problem for our army. Due to the impact of the war, the total military strength in the country reached over six million at the end of 51. In 52, there was a round of downsizing, with about two million laid off. But at that time, local township governments and engineering units were short of personnel, so the resettlement of those two million people went more smoothly than expected. This time it's different. After a little over a year, another million people are to be laid off, and there are many more things to coordinate in various places than last time."

He paused, then continued, "Especially for those officers, transferring to local administrative and factory departments isn't something that can be resolved with just an order. Staffing, positions, benefits, family resettlement—everything has to be coordinated. And the situations in different provinces and cities aren't exactly the same, so coordinating all of this takes time. I estimate it won't be until the end of the year before all of our veterans are resettled."

Liu Yuheng walked a few steps in silence, then slowly nodded: "The end of the year it is then. The Central Military Commission hasn't set a specific timeframe, as long as it's not too late. We'd rather it be a little later, but we still need to coordinate the resettlement of the soldiers with the provinces and cities. They've fought with us for so many years, shed so much blood, we can't let them shed their blood in the army and then go back to civilian life in tears."

Old Li glanced at him, his eyes showing a hint of approval. The two went downstairs, crossed the main road of the camp, and headed towards the parade ground.

The parade ground was already packed with people, a sea of ​​black, wearing faded old military uniforms, carrying packed bags, some clutching their discharge certificates, others with souvenirs issued by the army slung over their shoulders.

The stage was already set up: a table, two chairs, and a megaphone on the table. The first row below the stage held the company commanders and political instructors of each unit, the second row held representatives of the soldiers about to be discharged, and behind them were rows arranged in company order, stretching all the way to the edge of the parade ground.

In the distance, several grass-green military trucks were already parked there, their front facing the camp gate.

Liu Yuheng and Lao Li walked onto the platform. The troops below simultaneously stood at attention, their synchronized footsteps echoing across the empty playground before falling silent. More than a thousand pairs of eyes were fixed on the two men on the platform; no one spoke.

Liu Yuheng stood in front of the microphone, his gaze sweeping over the familiar faces below the stage, a feeling he couldn't quite describe welling up inside him.

He cleared his throat, and his voice, amplified through the loudspeaker, resounded across the entire playground: "Comrades."

The audience was silent.

"Starting today, you will be leaving the military one after another. I know you will be reluctant to leave this uniform, this barracks, and your comrades with whom you have spent so much time. I will also be reluctant to leave you."

"However, all good things must come to an end. The military has its rules, and the country has its needs. Over the years, you have shed sweat and blood, earned merits and suffered injuries. You have lived up to this uniform, to the country, and to yourselves. Now you are going back to your hometowns to start a new life."

"I'll just say one thing: you'll never lose your soldier's spirit after leaving the army. You are soldiers of the 45th Army, soldiers I, Liu Yuheng, trained. While in the army, you were good soldiers; now that you've returned to your hometowns to build the country, you will surely be good workers, good cadres, and good farmers. No matter where you go, no matter what job you do, never forget that you were once soldiers, and never forget the banner of the 45th Army."

"The 45th Army will always remember you. Wherever you go, the gates of this camp will always be open for you."

After Liu Yuheng finished speaking, he took a step back and saluted the audience.

More than a thousand soldiers below the stage simultaneously raised their right hands and returned a military salute.

After the ceremony, the companies began boarding the vehicles in order. One military truck after another carried the retiring veterans out of the camp gate and headed towards the train station.

Countless hands reached out from the car windows, waving. Some were laughing, some were crying, and some were shouting something, but the roar of the engine drowned out their words. The number of people on the parade ground dwindled until only a few companies that hadn't yet boarded the vehicles remained, waiting in place.

Liu Yuheng stepped down from the platform, and the deputy political commissar greeted him. He was holding a folder that listed the departure times and passenger numbers for each batch of trains.

"Commander, the tickets and vehicles are all arranged. The first batch of 467 soldiers will depart immediately, transported to the train station by military vehicles, and will take the afternoon train directly to their respective provincial capitals. The remaining soldiers will leave in batches over the next three days."

Liu Yuheng nodded, asked no further questions, and walked side by side with Lao Li toward the office building.

"Let's go for a walk around here for the next while," Liu Yuheng said.

Old Li turned his head and glanced at him: "Going to the army?"

"That's right." Liu Yuheng nodded. "Reduction of troops is the main task, but we can't abandon training just because of it. The 45th Army has lost so many men, but its combat effectiveness cannot be reduced. If it is, it would be our dereliction of duty. Those who need to run still need to run, and those who need to train still need to train. As the political commissar, you should also go down and check on the soldiers' morale. During the reduction of troops, the troops are prone to emotional problems."

Old Li hummed in agreement, without refuting: "I had the same thought. After the news of the troop reduction came down, it was indeed difficult to do ideological work in some companies, especially with those veterans who were about to be discharged. I'll go and take a walk around, talk to the political commissars of each division and regiment, and get a feel for the situation."

After walking for a while, Liu Yuheng spoke again: "There's one more thing."

"What?"

"Once the disarmament is over, it'll be time to award ranks. There's quite a bit of discussion about it, isn't there?"

Old Li gave a wry smile and shook his head: "It's more than just significant. Ever since the news came out at the end of last year, the lower-level cadres have been inquiring and discussing it. There are all sorts of rumors about who will be assigned what rank, who will get how many stars, and who might not get a spot. Some company-level cadres are even calculating in private which rank they can be promoted to, more concerned than when they're fighting a war. When the official list comes out, I estimate there will be a lot of discussion, and I, as the political commissar, will probably be busy for a while."

Liu Yuheng smiled, a hint of helplessness in his expression: "Then you'll have to work hard."

Old Li glanced at him: "What about you? Will you be able to make it in time for this conferment of ranks?"

Liu Yuheng walked a few steps in silence, then sighed: "It's hard to say. According to my previous plan, the demobilization should have been completed by May or June, and the transfers would have started then, so I probably wouldn't have made it in time. But now the resettlement process is slower than I expected, and it won't be completed until the end of the year. Add to that the transfer and handover time, and maybe I can make it in time for the autumn batch."

He paused, then added, "But it's hard to say; it depends on the organization's arrangements."

Old Li nodded without saying anything.

After walking a few more steps, Liu Yuheng suddenly turned his head, a smile playing on his lips: "You're almost guaranteed a star this time."

Old Li paused for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. His usually serious face showed a rare hint of relaxation and smugness: "Hey, it's still too early to tell, who knows what the final result will be?"

"You're a full-rank officer, with enough seniority and merits. It wouldn't be right not to give you a star," Liu Yuheng said confidently. "If you don't get one, I'll go to the Central Military Commission and bang on the table for you."

Old Li laughed even harder, and patted Liu Yuheng on the shoulder: "Alright, alright, stop bragging to me. You should worry about yourself first."

The two chatted and laughed as they walked into the office building.