In 88, I added a star to my epaulettes and became a company commander. That autumn, I returned to my long-lost hometown with glory and exhaustion. I remember that day, under the old elm tree at the entrance of the village, the old branch secretary and a group of fellow villagers were waiting for me, with a smile on their faces that was even brighter than mine.
"Little Lizi, I've grown into an adult, and I've become a company commander!" The old branch secretary came up and gave me a strong hug.
"Yes, company commander, the first company commander from our village!" The surrounding villagers were chattering.
I smiled, but my heart was a little heavy. Because I came back this time, not only to visit relatives, but also to have a difficult task - to recruit soldiers.
When the boys of the village heard that I was coming, they all gathered around, their eyes full of envy and anticipation. But I know very well that behind this glory is a lot of hardship and sacrifice.
In the evening, I held a conscription and mobilization meeting at the old branch secretary's house. At first, enthusiasm was high, but as I told about the rigors and hardships of the barracks, some people flinched.
"Company commander, is it really so hard to be a soldier?" A young offspring asked.
I looked him in the eye and said seriously, "Bitter, but that's a man's bitterness, it's the bitterness of growing up." You have to remember that the people in our village are hard to the bones. ”
At this moment, a voice came from outside the door: "Company commander, I'll sign up!" ”
It was the pillar who spoke, my childhood playmate, and his father was a martyr in our village. I looked at him with mixed feelings.
Over the next few days, I went from house to house to mobilize more young people to sign up. But things didn't go as smoothly as I imagined, and many parents were reluctant to give up their children.
Finally, the day of the conscription deadline came, and I set out with five young men on the way back to the army. Before leaving, the old branch secretary patted me on the shoulder and said, "Company commander, the children of our village will be handed over to you." ”
In the car, I was sitting side by side with the pillar, and he asked me, "Company commander, will we be real men?" ”
I looked out the window at the passing scenery and said firmly, "Yes, it will." ”
When I arrived at the troops, I began the arduous training with these five recruits. Some of them were left behind, some were crying, but no one gave up. I told them that they can only become true warriors if they are tempered.
One day, the troops received an order to go to the front. That night, I looked at the sleeping warriors and prayed silently in my heart that I would come back safely.
The fighting was extremely fierce, and our company was responsible for guarding an important position. Under the frantic attack of the enemy, we held out for seven days and seven nights. Pillar died heroically in a counterattack, and he defended the honor of the village with his life.
We won that battle, but at a terrible cost. When I returned to the village with the fighters, it was already the spring of the following year.
At the entrance of the village, under the old elm tree, the old branch secretary and the villagers were waiting for us. There was both grief and pride in their eyes. I stepped forward, handed over the suicide note from the pillar, and wept silently.
The old branch secretary took the suicide note, and his voice was choked: "The pillar, it's good." ”
That night, the village was brightly lit and we had a solemn funeral for the pillar. I stood at his grave and made a vow: "Pillar, your mission, we will continue to fulfill." ”
Since then, I have taken the warriors to guard this land, and with our youth and blood, we have written our own stories.
As the years passed, spring turned to autumn, and life in the village gradually returned to peace. The return of the warriors did not bring much hustle and bustle, but made the small village more quiet. The sacrifice of the pillar has become a pain in everyone's heart, but it is also the force that inspires us to move forward.
In the autumn harvest of that year, I helped with the soldiers, and the golden rice shone in the sun, like the bright smiles of the pillars. The villagers toiled silently, and everyone was holding back a lot of energy in their hearts to comfort the heroic spirits of the pillars with a good harvest.
One day, I met the mother of the pillar in the field, her back was more bent, but her eyes were full of determination. She handed me a letter that the pillar had left for me before she left home.
I took it with both hands, and the handwriting on the pillar on the envelope was still legible. I cautiously opened it, and it read: "Company commander, if I don't come back, help me take care of my mother and tell her that my trip is worth it." ”
Tears blurred my eyes, I looked up at the sky, held back tears and said, "Zhuzi, don't worry, we will take good care of my aunt." ”
Time is ticking, but the spirit of the pillar always inspires us. I began to organize soldiers to help build the village, build roads and bridges, and make our lives better.
One day, the old branch secretary came to me and said, "Company commander, the development of the village cannot always depend on you, we must also work hard ourselves." ”
I looked at him and said with a smile: "Zhishu, we are a family, working together." ”
That night, we sat around under the old elm tree and discussed the development plans for the village. Everyone's face is filled with the light of hope, which is a vision for the future and the best memorial to the pillar.
Winter came, and a heavy snowfall covered the entire village. Soldiers and villagers work together to clear the snow, and everyone's laughter echoes in the snow.
At this moment, a warrior suddenly discovered the small elm tree that the pillar had planted before his death, which still stood tall in the heavy snow, symbolizing the tenacity of life.
We gathered around the little elm tree and made a new wish: "Pillar, you see, our village will get better and better." ”
When spring comes, the little elm trees sprout new shoots, and changes in the village take place. The trees we planted grew up, the roads we built were opened, and the bridges we built became a link between the village and the outside world.
And I, still with the warriors guarding this land and guarding the dreams of the pillars. We know that as long as the faith in our hearts is not extinguished, the spirit of the pillar will be passed on forever.
In this land, we write promises with actions and protect our homes with our lives. The reincarnation of each season is the continuation of our story, and behind those silences is endless perseverance and love.
In the summer, the village's orchards have a bumper harvest. The apples hanging on the branches were like the blood of the warriors, red and tempting. The soldiers and the villagers picked together, and everyone's laughter was heard in the orchard.
On that day, I watched the busy figures of the soldiers, and a warm current welled up in my heart. The figure of the pillar seemed to flash in the crowd, and his determined eyes seemed to tell us: keep going, for the sake of the village, for the hometown.
In the evening, I walked up to Xiao Zhang, a busy warrior with a sweaty face but a look of satisfaction in his eyes.
"Xiao Zhang, are you tired?" I asked him.
He wiped his sweat and said with a smile: "Company commander, looking at these fruits, I feel that our hard work is worth it." ”
I patted him on the shoulder and said with emotion, "Yes, these fruits are like our dreams, and we need to take care of them with our hearts." ”
At this moment, the old branch secretary walked over, holding a basket of freshly picked apples in his hand, and his face was full of pride.
"Company commander, this is the apples that our village grows ourselves, you can bring some back to the soldiers to taste." The old branch secretary said, handing me the basket.
I took the basket, looked at the old branch secretary deeply, and said, "Thank you, branch secretary, we will continue to work hard to make the village better." ”
That night, the soldiers sat around the campfire and shared apples from the old branch secretary. Everyone was talking about the changes in the village, about the spirit of the pillars. The moonlight shone on us, the campfire reflected on our faces, and at that moment, I felt the warmth of home.
A few days later, I received an order from my superiors to go to the front line of border defense to carry out a mission. Before leaving, I found the old branch secretary and told him the news.
The old branch secretary was silent for a moment, and then said, "Company commander, you guys go, we will take care of the village." But you also have to promise me that you will come back safely. ”
I looked at the old branch secretary and said firmly: "Branch secretary, don't worry, we will." ”
On the front lines of border defense, we are facing even more serious challenges. Every patrol, every mission, we carry the spirit of the pillar and stick to the borders of the motherland.
Once, we encountered bad weather while on a mission. The wind howled, the rain poured down, and the warriors struggled to navigate the muddy roads. I looked at them, and my heart thought of the pillars, and of the expectant stares of the village.
"Come on, comrades! We can't afford to lose to this bad weather! "I shouted encouragement to the fighters.
Eventually, we successfully completed our mission and returned to the camp. That night, I lay in the tent, looked at the starry sky, and silently made a vow in my heart: Pillar, we will be proud of you and win glory for the village.
The years are like a song, we are sticking to the border line, and life in the village is constantly moving forward. The spirit of the pillar takes root in our hearts and inspires us to move forward.
In this vast land, we use our youth and blood to guard our homeland and write our own legend. Every sunrise and sunset is a witness to our story, and those who stick to it have become the most moving scenery on this land.
Winter is coming, the wind is cold, and the border line is even more cold. The soldiers, wrapped in thick cotton clothes, still stuck to their posts, their faces red from the cold, but their eyes burned with determination.
One night, I stood on the lookout at the outpost, looking out at the starry sky in the distance. The cold wind blew, and I tightened my coat, thinking of the distant village in my heart.
Suddenly, a soldier ran over, panting and said: "Company commander, there is an urgent mission, and the superiors have asked us to leave immediately." ”
I looked at him and said solemnly, "Got it, gather the team immediately." ”
The warriors quickly assembled, and we set out on our journey. In the cold wind, we walked through the snow, creaking under our feet. Exhaustion was written on everyone's face, but there was determination in their eyes.
The task was extremely daunting, and we marched for several days in the bitter cold before finally reaching our destination. After the mission was completed, we returned to the camp exhausted. On the way back, one of the fighters suddenly fainted and fell to the ground.
I rushed over and picked him up. His face was pale and his body was cold. My heart tightened, and I immediately organized the fighters to warm him.
"Company commander, I'm fine, I'm just a little tired." Warrior Xiao Wang said weakly.
I looked at him with a heart full of distress. I took off my coat, draped it over him, and said, "Little Wang, you are a good warrior, you must hold on." ”
Under the care of the warriors, Xiao Wang gradually regained consciousness. We continued on our way and finally made it back to camp before dark.
That night, I lay in my tent, looking at the starry sky, and silently prayed in my heart: may the soldiers survive this cold winter safely.
Spring is coming, the snow and ice are melting, and life on the border line is still hard. But we all have the flame of faith burning in our hearts, that is the spirit of the pillar, that is the expectation of the village.
One day, I received a letter from the village. In the letter, the old branch secretary told me that new progress has been made in the construction of the village, and the life of the villagers is getting better and better. He also said that Zhuzi's mother was in good health and that everyone in the village was proud of her.
I read the letter with relief. I know that the spirit of the pillars is deeply rooted in the village and inspires everyone.
Summer is coming, and the days on the border line are still tense. But our hearts are full of hope, because we know that everyone in the village is cheering us on and proud of us.
In this land, we use our youth and blood to guard our homeland and write our own legend. Every sunrise and sunset is a witness to our story, and those who stick to it have become the most moving scenery on this land.