Illustration: Tang Jianping "Hello, welcome, welcome! Seeing Hu Honggen again, he still had a sunny and cheerful smile on his face.
In April last year, I came to the "Eighth Company on Nanjing Road" to cover the news, and it happened that Hu Honggen came to the company to visit the officers and men of the Eighth Company. At the time, I was impressed by this old man in an electric wheelchair.
During the Spring Festival, I came to the Eighth Company again, followed the soldiers to Hu Honggen's house to visit, and interviewed him about his 48-year deep relationship with the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Company.
Hu Honggen, 64, has spent decades in a wheelchair because of his polio status, but he is not alone. "There are officers and soldiers of the Eighth Company, and I feel that I have a group of relatives. Hu Honggen said to me with a smile.
After entering the room, the soldiers of the Eighth Company greeted Hu Honggen familiarly, and then began to organize their belongings and clean up. Wang Wei, the squad leader, washed a towel, wiped Hu Honggen's face and wet his hair, and then shaved and cut his hair.
Lao Hu has a very good personality, and everyone likes to chat with him. Wang Wei told me that since 1976, Hu Honggen has become a "member" of the Eighth Company. Hu Honggen, who had just entered the fifth grade of primary school at the time, met Chen Shikai, a soldier of the Eighth Company, who went to the school to preach on a voluntary basis. After school, the classmates were gone. Hu Honggen had difficulty moving, so he could only sit in the classroom and wait for his mother to pick him up. On that day, Chen Shikai carried Hu Honggen home.
From that day on, Balian became another "home" for Hu Honggen. Hu Honggen said that the soldiers often accompanied him for holidays and birthdays, helped him with haircuts, baths, cleaning, and accompanied him to the hospital when he was sick, "just like his relatives."
Once, Hu Honggen was hospitalized with a sudden gastroenteritis. Liang Tao, a soldier of the Eighth Company, offered to accompany him to the hospital. He has to take care of three meals a day during the day, and he has to always pay attention to Hu Honggen's condition at night, and even help him clean up his urine and urine, so that the days of accompanying him are a month. "Without the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Company, I really can't imagine what my life would be like. Hu Honggen said with emotion.
After the haircut, Wang Wei and several fighters worked together to pick up Hu Honggen and change his clothes. It turned out that the soldiers were going to take Hu Honggen to the company for the festival today. "Usually, Lao Hu would come to the company every few weeks to have a look. Corporal Wang Xiangyu told me.
Did he go alone? I asked, confused. From here to the Eighth Company station, it takes about 1 hour on the road.
Lao Hu is already familiar with the route, and the subway staff along the way also take good care of him. Wang Xiangyu explained. Along the way, everyone talked and laughed. When passing through the green park, Hu Honggen was full of childlike innocence, mischievously manipulating the wheelchair to compare the speed with the officers and soldiers. The hearty laughter of everyone attracted the attention of the passing crowd.
As soon as they arrived at the door of the company, many soldiers greeted Hu Honggen warmly. At the dinner party in the evening, the officers and soldiers sat around and ate hot pot. Hu Honggen's wheelchair was parked at the table, and Wang Xiangyu sat next to him feeding him meatballs.
The festival in the barracks is simple but also warm. From calling the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Company "Uncle of the People's Liberation Army" to now everyone calling him "Lao Hu", over the past few decades, the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Company and Hu Honggen have long become the closest family members. I suddenly thought of "Ode to the Eight Companies": "The army and the people are united as one, try to see who can be the enemy in the world." ”
Outside the window, the cold air hits people, and the stars are dotted. The cafeteria is extraordinarily warm and happy, "Happy New Year!" Good luck! "Blessings came and went.
Published on February 20, the 12th edition of the "People's Liberation Army Daily" author丨Han Xueyang**丨Jiefangjun Daily, Learning Corps (ID: xuexijuntuan).
Producer丨Ou Can, Hou Dawei, Editor丨Liu Jianwei, Yan Shan, Qian Zongyang, Editor丨Zhou Zhou, Li Chen.