Chapter 201 The Passionate Years
"Comrade Gan Ning, I've heard of your name for a long time! Our battalion commander praised you a lot in his letter, saying that you are as beautiful as a fairy. Seeing you today, I find that you are indeed as beautiful as your reputation says. You are just like the Seven Fairies descending to earth." Old Ge did not hesitate to praise you and said directly.

After hearing this, Gan Ning covered her mouth and chuckled, with joy showing in her eyes and brows: "Hey! Don't listen to his nonsense, I'm just an ordinary person. Lao Ge, we are all family. You call me sister-in-law and I will just call you Lao Ge." Her words were concise and kind, which instantly brought her closer to Lao Ge and revealed her easy-going personality.

At the side, Liu Zhiye, with a smile on his face, patted Lao Ge on the shoulder and said, "Yes! Old buddy, forget about the military stuff. Now that we've all retired, it's so strange to call you battalion commander. Just call me Lao Liu, it's more intimate that way."

"Okay! I'll listen to you, Camp...No, Lao Liu! Hahaha..." Lao Ge responded heartily.

"That's right! Come, sit on the kang, let's have a good chat!" Liu Zhiye smiled cheerfully, patted the kang edge beside him, and motioned for Lao Ge to sit down. The two sat cross-legged and talked face to face, the atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable.

"Southerners are used to sleeping on the bed, while northerners prefer the kang." In this day and age, a man's greatest pursuit is to have a wife and children on a warm kang. Inviting you to sleep on the kang means sharing the warmth.

When a friend comes from afar, the host will always greet him warmly: "Come on, sit on the kang." "It's so much fun on the kang!
The explanation of "kang" in "Shuowen Jiezi" is: "gan also comes from fire". Therefore, the kang must be connected to the stove, generally serving as a passage for burning fire and exhausting smoke, connected to the chimney and the fire door.

There is also a fire door under the kang. The fire door is the entrance to the fire channel. It is seven or eight inches square. There are usually two on the left and right. Usually, the fire door board is used to support it. A handful of firewood is lit in the fire door, and you can fall asleep peacefully at night relying on the residual heat. In addition to heating with the fire door, using the cooking stove to exhaust smoke from the kang is also a common way to heat the kang.

The area next to the stove on the kang is also the hottest place, and is mostly reserved for the elderly and children. Young people with hot tempers often sleep at the end of the kang. As the old people often say: "The silly boy sleeps on a cold kang because he has a bad temper."

"After eating and drinking, I feel full and bloated. I lie on the warm kang and feel like an emperor."

On the warm kang, the three of them sat cross-legged, their conversations intertwined, one after another, talking about those passionate years.

"I was only 15 years old at that time..." Liu Zhiye began to recall the scenes when he first joined the army. Those scenes seemed to be replayed yesterday, and every scene was clear and within reach. He vividly presented that youthful and passionate past to Gan Ning.

At that time, he was only 15 years old, and was lured by Lao Liang's clever words and entered the military camp without knowing it. This move made his father very angry.

Even during the few times he went home to visit his family, his father still had a grudge against him and could not let it go. Recalling the days when he first joined the army, it seemed like it happened yesterday, and every detail was clear and vivid.

Old Ge's thoughts drifted back to the moment when he first met Liu Zhiye. He continued, "In 49, our troops had just entered the Great Wall. One day, a new recruit suddenly came to our class. I took a closer look. Although this guy looked quite sturdy, his face looked too immature no matter how you looked at it..."

Old Ge was the squad leader at the time, and he was known for his strictness. He was naturally very dissatisfied with the sudden arrival of such a childish kid who had not yet grown out of his childhood and had not received any military training.

In Lao Ge's opinion, this was simply dragging down the combat effectiveness of their class. He frowned, obviously feeling very troubled by the arrival of this little guy named Liu Zhiye.

At first, Lao Ge was very critical and disdainful of Liu Zhiye. However, Liu Zhiye was not discouraged. Instead, he quickly changed Lao Ge's opinion of him with his strength and wisdom.

In the first grenade throwing training, although Liu Zhiye's throwing posture did not meet the standard, he threw the grenade an astonishing distance of 89 meters with his amazing brute force. This achievement made Lao Ge and other comrades dumbfounded and amazed.

"Oh my god, this is a small cannon!"

It is not an exaggeration at all. Generally speaking, our soldiers passed the grenade throwing training if they could throw 30 meters, and were considered excellent if they could throw 50 meters. The military record in later generations was only 102 meters.

This is an impressive number, equivalent to a 600-gram grenade flying in the air for 6-7 seconds.

In another shooting training, Liu Zhiye tried rifle shooting for the first time. He held the Type 90 rifle with a firm and focused look. As the gunshots rang out, the bullets hit the target accurately one after another, and he scored an excellent score of rings in one fell swoop.

His comrades were amazed. They believed that Liu Zhiye was undoubtedly a natural shooting talent and a future ace shooter.

Liu Zhiye's outstanding performance in the training undoubtedly demonstrated his extraordinary strength and potential, and also made his comrades full of expectations for him in future battles. Soon, he faced his first test - a battle of siege. In this battle, the enemy cunningly built a solid concrete fortress in front of the position, like an iron wall and copper wall, densely covering their position.

As the main attacking force, Liu Zhiye's regiment faced a difficult task. They launched many attacks, but were blocked by the strong fortresses each time, and their comrades fell one after another, suffering heavy casualties.

The bombardment of 60.80 mortars was like tickling and had no effect on these fortresses.

Although the heavy artillery was extremely powerful, its hit rate was greatly reduced due to its long distance, and it was unable to deal a fatal blow to the enemy.

The time is short and the task is arduous. The superior's order is like an iron law and cannot be questioned. They are responsible for opening a passage to the south for the main force and must complete the task within the specified time and at all costs.

This is a race against time and a test of courage and determination.

They really didn't care about anything, just to win the final victory. Looking around, the comrades around were brave and fearless. They braved the enemy's crazy machine gun fire and charged forward one after another. One after another, they fell in a pool of blood and sacrificed their precious lives for victory.

Their bravery and determination seemed to have built an indestructible barrier, allowing them to advance towards victory and fall under the flames again and again.

Liu Zhiye's eyes turned completely red. The fear he had when he first went to the battlefield was gone. All that remained in his ears was the roar of guns and the tragic cries of his comrades.

He clenched his teeth, his voice revealing determination and urgency: "Captain, we can't go on like this! Our casualties are too heavy, we must first take down the fortress in front of us. Since we can't break through it from the outside, we will break it from the inside."

Old Ge slammed the bunker in front of him angrily and shouted: "If you have any idea, tell me quickly. There is no time to waste. When the charge sounds, everyone must rush up. We must take it down even if it means sacrificing our lives." His eyes were firm and resolute, as if he was ready to die.

"Sergeant! I am very accurate in throwing grenades. You provide cover for me. As long as I can rush within 50 meters, I will be absolutely sure to throw the grenade accurately into that shooting hole." His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, revealing an unstoppable determination.

Old Ge stared at the youngest soldier in the company, and he was full of hesitation. How could this child, who was not even 16 years old, bear the cruelty of the battlefield? This was his first time facing the smoke and fire of war, and Old Ge really couldn't bear to push him into the endless danger.

"Absolutely not! You are new to the battlefield and need experience. Let me go. I have been through many battles and have rich experience. What's more, I am also a first-class grenade thrower." Lao Ge rejected Liu Zhiye's request without hesitation and resolutely decided to go himself. His eyes were firm and his tone was decisive, showing the dignity and responsibility of a veteran.

"Squad leader!" He said in a firm and confident voice, "I throw very accurately and I am absolutely sure. You have to stay here to command the whole squad. Believe me!" Before he finished speaking, he took advantage of Lao Ge's moment of distraction, quickly grabbed a few grenades, and nimbly climbed out of the bunker.

His movements were vigorous and neat, without the slightest delay. Thanks to the agility he had acquired from freely roaming in mountain streams during his childhood, at this moment, he was like a nimble cheetah, and in just a few breaths, through continuous rolling and crawling, he quickly advanced more than ten meters.

Old Ge came to his senses in an instant and shouted anxiously: "Come back here!" Seeing that it was useless, he shouted again: "Quick! Machine gun cover!"

Upon hearing this, machine gunner Lao Meng did not hesitate to launch a violent round of shooting at the fortress in front of him, and bullets poured out like a torrential rain.

The comrades also reacted and fired into the air, hoping to bring Liu Zhiye even a little safety.

At this critical moment, Liu Zhiye decisively threw a grenade, which landed accurately in front of the fortress. As the explosion sounded, smoke filled the air, forming a chaotic cover.

He immediately seized the opportunity, stood up quickly, bent his waist, and rushed forward dozens of meters like a cheetah. His movements were swift and agile, showing extraordinary courage and determination.

(End of this chapter)