In 1978, I went to the commune with dozens of young men from the village to participate in the conscription medical examination. During that medical check-up, the encouragement of a kind female doctor became an opportunity for me to bond with the army.
I am Liu Aiguo (pseudonym), born in 1959, originally from a rural village in Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province. There are six siblings in the family, of which I am the second, with an older brother and an older sister.
When I was growing up, my family was very poor. Due to financial constraints, the youngest sister was eventually given up for adoption to a childless family in a neighboring village.
Growing up, our family barely enjoyed a hearty meal. The staple foods are mostly sweet potatoes, potatoes and turnips, and the memories of these foods still make me sick to my stomach.
At the end of 1977, there were rumors that a conscription was about to begin, and by January 1978, the official conscription notice arrived, and the entire countryside was boiling.
My eldest brother is two years older than me. According to the policy of the brigade at that time, in our case, my eldest brother and I were both eligible to sign up for the army (born in 1965), but only one could be selected. As a result, going home to discuss the decision became a family problem at that time.
I've always longed to go out and earn a living, after all, life in the countryside is too hard. Even though I finished junior high school, I didn't learn anything practical during those years. If I stayed in the countryside, I was destined to live a peasant life. With difficult family conditions, a large number of brothers and sisters, and financial constraints, the possibility of marrying a daughter-in-law is very slim if you stay in the countryside.
However, as the eldest son in the family, the eldest brother consulted his father first. Since he had not served in the military for many years, he heard that he was going to serve as a volunteer soldier in the frontier for at least six years, and the eldest brother felt a little hesitant. He was so nervous that he stammered a little, worried that even if he signed up, he might be eliminated.
So, the opportunity for conscription inadvertently shifted to me. At that time, I happened to be the right age, and my height (1.70 meters) also met the requirements, so I was full of confidence.
My family was very confident that I would be selected, and clearly told me that if I could become a soldier, I would only be able to leave one ancestral house in the family in the future, and I would be responsible for the marriage, and my parents would no longer assist me in handling the marriage. Of course, I gladly agreed.
On March 1, 1978, I walked for more than an hour with more than 20 other school-age youths in the village to reach the auditorium of our commune. Along the way, everyone was in a good mood, after all, in those days, being able to become a soldier was a glorious and promising career. Young people yearn for the outside world.
After arriving at the auditorium, it was found that more than ten brigades of people from the whole commune had gathered here, and the black pressure was overwhelming, and the preliminary estimate was that there were at least three or four hundred people. In the auditorium, the clerks of the commune were trying to maintain order and get everyone to line up. The clerk was an old man in his fifties, and although his shouts were almost hoarse, there was still a commotion below.
He tried to signal the secretaries of the various teams to help with the organization, but the secretaries also gathered in a circle and chatted happily with each other. After all, there has been no conscription for military service for so many years, and everyone is very surprised by this.
At this time, a staff member of the county armed forces department appeared on the stage and suppressed the scene. He was wearing a Type 71 military uniform, and his expression was grim, which made us unfamiliar young people stop whispering. It was the first time I had seen someone in a military uniform up close, and I felt like it was mighty! This strengthened my determination to join the army.
After a lot of tossing, everyone felt cold and hungry in the morning. Finally it was my turn to take the medical check-up. The first is the vision and color blindness tests, which I have no problem with. However, while measuring blood pressure, an accident occurred. The female doctor in charge of measuring my blood pressure told me that my blood pressure was a little high and asked if anyone in my family had high blood pressure.
I was a little confused because at that time, medical care in rural areas was quite limited, and no one knew any information about high blood pressure. I don't want to lose the opportunity to join the army because of this question. I boldly replied, "My blood pressure shouldn't be high, right?" No one in the family has ever had high blood pressure! (I didn't learn until a few years ago that my mother actually had high blood pressure, which had a lot to do with genetics).
As if to prove that I was right, I quickly crouched down and quickly stood up, repeating several times. Then he said to the female doctor, "I heard that people with high blood pressure squat down and feel dizzy when they get up, you see, I don't feel it at all." ”
The doctor was amused by my humor and said, "What you said has nothing to do with blood pressure, we still have to rely on the instrument." ”
I felt a little dull in my heart, could it be that because of this blood pressure problem, I can't even be a soldier? I begged the doctor and kept saying, "Trouble test again, trouble test again......”
Perhaps because of my pleading, this female doctor who is over 40 years old was moved by compassion. She looked outside and whispered to me, "Don't be nervous, the test will still be too high." Wait a minute, you go out and find some vinegar, drink it in one gulp, and come back to me in five minutes, and I'll test it for you. ”
As if grasping at the last straw, I hurried out of the commune. I ran not far from the commune and found the home of a distant relative, my aunt's house by generation.
I explained the situation to my mother-in-law in detail, and she poured me a small half bowl of vinegar without saying a word. My mother-in-law told me to listen to the doctor, and when it was not enough, I would go to her to borrow it. I held that bowl of vinegar and felt like I was holding a precious gem that represented all my expectations. He raised his head and drank the small half bowl of vinegar in one gulp.
When I entered the vinegar, my stomach instantly convulsed, and the acid was unbearable. Slowly, I walked back to the commune and waited for the female doctor.
Finally it was my turn to take the measurement again, I took a deep breath and the female doctor reminded me to take it easy and not be nervous. I held my breath and stiffened until she said "it's over" and I was like a deflated ball, finally relieved.
When I got home, I still felt a little nervous, always afraid that something might happen. However, five days later, on March 6, the good news finally came that I had successfully joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army and became a glorious soldier.
Looking back, I am still grateful to the unknown female doctor.
If it weren't for her compassion, I might never have been able to put on a military uniform and realize my dream of becoming a soldier. List of high-quality authors