Military memories: Four years of tempering to forge a strong, unforgettable love story.
I was born in 1956 in a rural family in Jining, Shandong Province, with three older brothers and two older sisters. In that era of advocating the power of many people, my arrival was purely unexpected. My mother had undergone surgery after giving birth to her fifth sister, but due to technical limitations, I became the "fish that slipped through the net".
Initially, my parents considered giving up on me, but my grandparents insisted on keeping me. They said they were willing to take on the responsibility of parenting if my parents didn't have time to take care of me. In this way, I became the youngest and cherished child in my family.
At that time, my three older brothers and one sister were already involved in the labor, so that our family had six strong laborers working together to make a living.
In such a family background, I was relatively privileged compared to my peers in the village, and I hardly experienced hunger. Since my older siblings had little education, the elders in my family had high hopes that I would be able to accumulate cultural knowledge through my studies, and eventually break out of the farming community and change the trajectory of my family's destiny.
I also lived up to my family's expectations, excelling in grades since elementary school and at the top of my class in junior high school and high school. In order to concentrate on my studies, I never interfere in the farm work and housework at home, and devote all my energy to the sea of books.
However, in 1966, the storm of the Cultural Revolution swept across the country, and the college entrance examination system was forced to be abolished. As a result, I was unable to take the college entrance examination, and I was unable to achieve a turning point in my fate through this route.
In the summer of 1974, I finished two years of high school, returned to the production team, and began to work to earn a share. At that time, my two older sisters were married, and my three older brothers had started their own families and lived separately from my parents.
Despite this, our family remains close. During the holidays, the three older brothers would return home to spend time with their parents. Although we are separated, our hearts are closely connected, and we can always be together in important moments.
However, after a few months, I felt more and more unbearable about the working life of the production team, and my heart was full of depression. I don't want to spend my life like this, just as a farmer. I long to get out of this land and see the outside world, especially to visit Tiananmen Square in Beijing and walk along the Great Wall.
Deep down, I had the idea of becoming a soldier. I have heard that it is possible to join the army and stay in the army, as long as you are successfully promoted, you will be able to get rid of the identity of a rural child and eat commercial food.
In December 1974, the Commune's conscription was carried out as scheduled. With full enthusiasm and expectation, I became the first young man to sign up for the recruitment at the house of the secretary of the brigade.
I remember that at that time, the number of young people of school age who participated in the recruitment of the whole commune was close to 200.
However, the commune had only 19 conscription places, and the fierce and brutal competition can be imagined.
After multiple screenings such as physical examination, political examination, and home visits, I was fortunate to pass and became one of the 19 lucky winners.
My parents were so excited that they even joked that it must have been the smoke coming from my family's ancestral grave for me to be selected.
To celebrate my upcoming military career, my three older brothers pooled some money and threw me a simple but warm celebration that my neighbors were invited to share.
On December 26, 1974, I boarded a troop truck with 18 other recruits and embarked on the journey to the provincial railway station, where I finally arrived at the army to begin service.
On that day, a total of 15 members of my family – my parents, my eldest brother's family of five, my second brother's family of four, and my fourth brother's family of four – came to the Commune's Armed Forces Department to see me off. The scene was spectacular, showing the unwavering support and expectations of my family for my military career.
At the time of parting, my parents affectionately told me that in the army, I should listen to the teachings of the squad and platoon leader, be not afraid of difficulties, work diligently, and not have conflicts with veterans. I nodded my head frequently, indicating that I would take their teachings to heart.
My three older brothers even took out ten yuan and stuffed it into me as a backup. At that time, ten yuan was undoubtedly a huge amount of money, and a strong laborer could only earn a few cents a day. I understand that my brothers have a hard time earning money, and they still have children to raise at home. This deep friendship and expectation makes me feel warm and determined.
I politely refused the 10 yuan and said to them: "In the army, food and clothing are guaranteed, and there is a monthly allowance, and I don't need this money at all." You should keep it for your nephews and nieces to buy some food and use. ”
However, the three elder brothers were adamant and unanimously demanded that I accept the money, believing that it was always good to have some money with them.
Seeing that I couldn't refuse, I had to hold the ten yuan tightly in my hand. In my four years of military service, I have never used this money, and whenever homesickness comes to my heart, I will take out the ten yuan to see, touch, and feel the warmth and expectation of my family.
On December 28, 1974, I finally stepped into the barracks of my dreams. When the troop truck slowly drove into the barracks, I silently vowed in my heart that I would definitely break through the world in the army and never disappoint the expectations and trust of my family.
With a high school degree and a good handwriting, I served as a deputy squad leader in my first year in the army. The following year, I was transferred to the company to take over the position of the demobilized clerk.
During my tenure as a clerk in the company, I not only had to deal with the day-to-day affairs of the company, but I also had an interesting and important task: to write letters to the soldiers.
At that time, most of the soldiers in the company had only a primary school education, and some had not even completed primary education. As a "top student" and clerk in the company, I naturally became the first choice for soldiers seeking family letters and love letters.
At the end of 1975, the squad leader of the sixth squad of the second platoon was faced with a thorny problem: his blind date was in a hurry to get married and considered marrying someone else. After learning the news, the sixth squad leader was very anxious.
So, he approached me and asked me to help him write a letter to save him from his blind date. Although I have never been in a relationship, I read a few romance books in high school, so I know a thing or two about emotional expression.
I also know a little about the emotional entanglements between men and women. Therefore, after fully communicating with the sixth class leader to understand the basic situation, I wrote a letter of redemption of more than 3,000 words on his behalf.
In order to ensure that the letter does not arouse the suspicion of the blind date, I deliberately wrote the font in a crooked and sloppy manner. In addition, I also suggested that the class leader of Class 6 attach some small gifts that the girls might like and send them back to her.
A few days later, the leader of the sixth class came to me with a spring breeze on his face and told me that his blind date partner was deeply touched after receiving the letter and decided not to leave me again. As a token of gratitude, he bought me a brand new notebook as a gift. To this day, this notebook is still treasured in my drawer and has become a testimony to our deep friendship.
After the Spring Festival in 1976, Chen Huosheng, a veteran of the third class of the first platoon, came to me, and his family was always suspicious of him. So, he wanted me to ghostwrite a letter to give her some comfort and relief.
Chen Huosheng revealed to me that his blind date in his hometown was a hard-working and capable girl who was very hard-working. Since Chen Huosheng enlisted in the army, this blind date has been taking the initiative to take on their family's farm work and housework, and pay silently. Chen Huosheng's family admired her and had long regarded her as Chen Huosheng's future wife.
However, Chen Huosheng's blind date partner has always been uneasy because of his outstanding appearance, worried that Chen Huosheng will dislike her after retiring from the army, have doubts about her, and even abandon her. After gaining an in-depth understanding of their acquaintance and relationship, I decided to start from the foundation of their relationship and sent seven sincere letters to Chen Huosheng to his blind date, hoping to comfort her heart and strengthen their relationship.
In the letter, I fully expressed Chen Huosheng's firm determination to marry her, and revealed that he had made public the news of their imminent marriage in the army to give her confidence. After Chen Huosheng's blind date received these letters, he gradually dispelled his doubts and worries about Chen Huosheng. In the end, Chen Huosheng also fulfilled his promise after retiring from the army and tied the knot with his blind date.
After these two incidents, I not only became an expert in letters in the company, but even the squad leaders and soldiers of other companies came to ask for my help and let me write love letters. Some cadres also came to me to give them advice on how to write love letters. At the time, they affectionately called me "the master of romance".
Therefore, during my four-year military career, I helped more than a dozen squad leaders and soldiers write love letters and fall in love with their blind dates.
In 1977, the national college entrance examination was resumed, and military schools began to re-enroll students, which significantly improved the standards for the promotion of soldiers in the army. Due to the very limited number of indicators for each unit to be promoted, usually only one or two, I was not able to get the opportunity to be promoted despite my excellent performance during my service.
At the end of 1978, I chose to retire from the army and return to my hometown. When I returned to the local area, I immediately signed up for the 1979 college entrance examination, hoping to achieve a new start in my life through this path.
During my four years in the army, I was so busy with daily training and tasks that much of my cultural knowledge had been forgotten. In order to prepare for the college entrance examination, I invested a lot of time and energy in revision. It's no exaggeration to say that I only slept five hours a day during that time and spent the rest of my time studying hard.
In the summer of 1979, the college entrance examination came as scheduled. I walked into the exam room with confidence, and with the tenacity and perseverance I had cultivated in the army and a solid foundation of knowledge, I successfully completed the exam. In the end, I was admitted to a college normal department with an excellent score of more than 20 points higher than the college cut-off.
After graduating from junior college, I returned to my hometown to work as a chemistry teacher at a junior high school. In my decades of education, I have served as a class teacher, grade head, director of teaching and learning, and deputy principal. Today, I am retired and enjoying a comfortable old age.
Looking back, it seems like it was just yesterday. However, looking at the gray hair on the temples in the mirror, I have to sigh at the ruthlessness of the years. But no matter what, I feel that my life has been full and meaningful.
Four years in the army is one of my most cherished memories in my life. During this time, I sweated on the track with my comrades, crawled forward on the training ground, and those experiences gave me a lot of valuable wealth.
I enlisted in the military in 1974 and was assigned to study at a military school because of my high school education. There, I met more than a dozen like-minded girls, and together we experienced many memorable training and learning activities.
Contributor: Zhang Wenfei (Disclaimer: This article is not my experience, compiled and distributed according to the oral account of the contributor, please read it rationally).