Tan Shuangxi and Zhang Laicai set out from Daya Village before dawn. It wasn't that he had something urgent to do. It was because the people in the village were too enthusiastic. If he didn't leave early, he would most likely be left with a meal and asked to talk.
Talking about "Records of the Northern Expedition". It's nice to have food, drink and stars holding the moon like this, but the two of them always felt that it was inappropriate. Although it is normal in the world to say that "relatives or remnants are sad, others have already sang", but in the village like this
Eating, drinking and having fun makes people feel somewhat heartless.
They discussed leaving early in the morning. After leaving Daya Village, the two went to the last house. After the incident, the sun was already heading west when they left the village. Tan Shuangxi didn't have a watch, so he roughly estimated that it was about three or four o'clock based on the height of the sun.
bell.
"Let's break up here." Tan Shuangxi said at an intersection, "Go find your sweetheart."
"I've already met my sweetheart, what are you going to do?" Zhang Laicai said with a smile, "I'm going home too, and the house has to be tidied up."
"I asked you, should you start a family? How can you be a bachelor looking for pornographic tickets like this?" Tan Shuangxi advised. Zhang Lai is an immigrant and has only one son in his family.
"You'd better think about yourself first." Zhang Laicai said with a smile, "You are several years older than me! What's the point of marrying a wife? I also have a son, and a dew couple can do it best. They can be happy with each other and have no worries.
.”
Tan Shuangxi knew that it was useless to talk, so the two broke up at a nearby station.
I was originally anxious to complete the task and go home as soon as possible. Now that the difficult tasks are completed one by one, I feel relieved and my desire to go home is not so strong.
When it comes to where to go, whether you go to Majiao or Bairen, there are bustling markets with all kinds of fresh and interesting things, as well as delicacies from all over the world brought by immigrants and elders from all over the world. He made a name for himself in the mainland
After two years of fighting, the "overseas deployment" allowance alone has accumulated more than two to three hundred yuan. Naturally, this money cannot be used and must be kept to start a family. So when he was resting in Guangzhou, the bank came to promote it.
I bought government bonds from the Central Reserve Bank.
He bought a lot of government bonds, leaving only a few dozen yuan for pocket money. This was enough for him to live comfortably. Tan Shuangxi thought for a while, it would not be easy to come back, so he might as well go to the most prosperous Bairen City for a walk.
Fan.
The decision was made, and the steps could not help but become brisk.
Bairen City is the transportation hub of the entire Lingao, with both highways and urban railways radiating out in all directions. Tan Shuangxi took the urban railway and arrived at Bairen City before dark.
In the dusk, Bairen City is full of lights, and every gas lamp has been lit. The more rare "electric lamp" has gradually been promoted among merchants. In the past, due to safety and cost considerations, few gas lamps were mostly used for public lighting.
Except for a few large shopping malls, night lighting relies entirely on kerosene lamps. This also suppresses commercial activities at night. Many shops close after dark.
The promotion of electric lights has greatly changed this situation, and most shops have extended their business hours. Although neon lights have not been widely spread because the preparation of chemical materials and inert gases is not yet mature, shop owners have long been naked.
The light bulbs are covered with lanterns of various materials and colors. At night, the electric lights illuminate the shops in the entire commercial street.
These days, due to the large-scale rest and recuperation of the troops heading north, a large number of soldiers on leave have poured in. The market has become more and more prosperous. The streets are full of Fubo army, navy and army officers and soldiers who are either drunk or carrying large and small bags. On the contrary, hanging
There are also more military policemen wearing chain tags.
As soon as Tan Shuangxi got out of the car, he was interrogated by the military police. After checking his ID, he took the trouble to ask him what he was doing here. Tan Shuangxi knew that he couldn't joke in front of these guys who had to leave a few days early after being discharged from the army, so he said honestly
I am here to "consume".
After leaving the station, he followed the bustling crowd to the main road of Bairen City.
Bairen City and Dongmen City outside the city are now integrated into one. In the past, it was heavily guarded, and only elders and a few naturalized citizens could enter and exit Bairen City. Now only a part of Bairen City remains intact, serving as a hub for certain agencies.
Residential quarters and residences of some elders. The rest have been demolished. In terms of municipal management, Bairen City no longer has special characteristics. Instead, it has become a "community" with specific house numbers in Bairen City, instead of being like another one in the past.
The country’s “green zone”.
Naturally, these "communities" are still heavily guarded. But to ordinary people, the past Bairen Town has become a legend.
Tan Shuangxi didn't know what was going on inside. To him, Bairenshi was "New York" in the minds of soldiers like them, a world of flowers and flowers. Although it was very close to Majiaobao, he had served in the army for many years, but here it was.
I have only been here less than ten times. I just remember that every time I come, it looks very different from before.
The earliest time they came was when the Fubo Army called the Lingao County Security Group. Tan Shuangxi had been in the army for less than two months and was sent to Dongmen City to "strengthen the security" - at that time, the whole county was in turmoil, saying that the court was about to
The senate is about to be annihilated, and people everywhere are in panic, and security incidents occur from time to time on the streets.
Tan Shuangxi was no exception. Although he responded to the call to join the army, his motivation had nothing to do with defending the Senate. He went purely for military pay and rations.
Chen Kefa was right. Before the Senate came, they had no place to sell their lives. After the Senate came, at least they had a place where they could work hard for food and clothing. Tan Shuangxi's village is very close to Ma Niao.
They had seen with their own eyes the good times the saltworks had enjoyed since it became attached to the Australians. Naturally, they had more trust in the Senate than in the new recruits from other villages.
That time I came to Bairen City, the Dongmen market was in a state of depression. More than 80% of the shops were closed. Some shops had even removed their money-making elements and signboards, leaving only empty shops. Most of the shops that were open were also open.
It is an Australian industry. Soldiers were sent to maintain order on the streets. Tan Shuangxi still remembers the long queue in front of Delong Rice Store, with the people standing next to each other, holding stacks of food in their hands.
Circulation coupons, eyes widened with fear, craning their necks to look at the shop door. Whenever someone comes out carrying a bulging grain bag or pushing a cart full of grain, the team will breathe a heartfelt sigh of relief.
, and then waited for the call inside with fear and nervousness.
Scenes like this can be seen in front of almost all shops that are still open. People are rushing to buy everything they can with the circulation coupons that they had carefully hidden under their pillows and in their waistbands not long ago. The original ones have disappeared.
The copper coins reappeared on the market.
The military pay that Tan Shuangxi and the others received were not currency notes, but free money. This somewhat stabilized their emotions: even if the Senate was defeated, the money they received would not turn into waste paper. But there were still people secretly
He advised them: "Hurry up, drop your guns, take off your clothes and run away! Don't go and work for the bandits, the imperial army will be here soon!"
This did frighten some people. On the second day after arriving in Bairen City, three people from his platoon became deserters. Only two days later, these people were captured.
What will happen if you run away from battle? I mentioned it when I was preaching combat discipline when I joined the army. As expected, these three men were hanged at the crossroads that day.
He still remembered that their entire company lined up at the main crossroads of Dongmen City, watching the three hapless men struggle to die amidst the sound of military drums. The weather was gloomy, and the faces of the people and soldiers were full of gloom.
. Even though they think the omnipotent elder still reveals a rare gloominess...
Of the three deserters who were executed, two were refugees. They had no relatives or friends in Lingao. They had been completely forgotten after their death. Tan Shuangxi did not remember their names at all. The other one was a Zaohu from Yanchang Village.
. He still remembers that before the invasion of the mainland and before the troops were preparing to leave for the mainland, he followed the recruiters to Yanchang Village and heard someone mention this name in the village office.
Today, this intersection is still there, and the scary gallows has disappeared. The original Delong Grain Store has been renovated, and is now the location of the Delong Bank Lingao Branch. Those shops that were originally closed with planks have been renovated in recent years.
Almost everything changed during the renovation.
The second time I came to Dongmen City was not long after the first time. The Chengmai War was a complete victory. As a member of the participating troops, Tan Shuangxi came to participate in the victory parade with pride. The team also lined up on this street, going to
Go to the stadium - just like this time, the people gathered on the street and cheered like a mountain and a tsunami. The troops wore torn blackened clothes. The people also looked poor. The shops on the street
It still looks shabby and depressed, but people's hearts are full of joy. Tan Shuangxi was originally just a "food and salary earner" who was prepared to run away "when the situation turned bad". At this time, he already had another idea: this
The world has changed! The Senate is going to dominate the world!
Later, he seemed to come to Dongmen City more often. He would always go to Dongmen City two or three times a year, especially during vacations. He would bring his parents and brothers here to "eat Australian meat."
Look at the "Australian scenery", and eat a few meals of various new dishes that my parents have never tasted in their lives, such as "Kaifeng cuisine", "Korean cuisine" and "hot pot"... Use the money he saved to buy them for everyone
He buys clothes and daily necessities. Although his parents always blame him for "spending money indiscriminately", he knows that they like it.
Yes, who doesn’t like delicious food, who doesn’t like to dress decently and warmly, and who doesn’t like those beautiful and useful daily necessities?
Being able to allow his parents and family to enjoy these things, he felt that his service as a soldier was worthwhile. To him, Dongmen City was not only a bustling market, but also a symbol of a prosperous life.
He and his family struggled out of the mire and held their heads high.