War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1399: Tidal Wavers and Rocks in the Tide

When the white light faded and the surrounding vision returned to normal, Wei Ran found that he was standing in the lobby of the Spring City Railway Station.

After a quick glance at the surrounding environment, he had determined through the train time information that it was 1990:9 pm on September 2, 18, and he seemed to have just left the station.

He leaned to the side to make way for the passengers behind him, and then he had time to look at his outfit.

The upper body is a white hurdle vest paired with an unbuttoned denim jacket.

The lower body is a pair of obviously pirated gray Adidas three-stripe sweatpants paired with a pair of white Jai Alai sneakers. Around the waist is a nondescript hard cowhide armed belt that makes his butt hurt when he sees it. This belt also has the characteristics of the times. There is a BP machine hanging on it.

From this small detail alone, you can tell that your life seems to be pretty good.

However, compared to this outfit, which is still fashionable at this time, he is also carrying a bulging and extremely heavy 78-style backpack on his shoulders, and hanging around his neck is the Nikon with a big-eye lens in a metal book SP camera.

Moving to the corner again, he took off his backpack and opened it to take a look. What made him dumbfounded but showed a reassuring smile was that in this backpack except for the Zhujiang brand S201 camera placed on the top In addition to a set of Type 87 Army jungle camouflage, the rest of the space is filled with Baiyangdian specialties such as lotus root starch, preserved eggs, salted duck eggs and even smoked fish, as well as two and a half Hongta Mountains.

Taking out a pack of cigarettes and putting it into his pocket, Wei Ran tied his backpack back on and slung it over his shoulders, walking out with the flow of people.

"Wei Ran! Wei Ran!"

Far away, he heard someone calling him. Following the voice, I looked over and saw a short-cut middle-aged man wearing large five-leaf camouflage pants and high-waisted liberation shoes that covered the trouser legs. His upper body was wearing an khaki sweater that didn't match at all. He was looking towards her passionately. beckoning.

Next to him, there was a young man wearing a loose suit, with three-quarter hair, and holding a cane in his hand. He was also waving enthusiastically towards him.

"Knife squad leader?! Lu Yao?!" Wei Ran recognized the two men at a glance and ran over in three steps at a time.

"You're here, hurry up, give me the bag!"

Before Squad Leader Dao finished speaking, he had already involuntarily taken away the backpack Wei Ran was carrying and carried it in his hand.

"The squad leader has been talking about you for several days. He also said that if you don't come again, we will go to Baiyangdian to find you."

As Lu Yao spoke, he also noticed the camera around Wei Ran's neck, and asked with wide eyes in surprise, "I heard from Squad Leader Dao that you opened a photo studio in your hometown, and you use such a good camera?! This guy , the BP machine is used? Big boss?"

“Scavenged from foreign garbage”

Wei Ran made a random joke, and then heard Squad Leader Dao say, "If you have anything to say, we can talk when we go out. Come on, hurry up, wait for the servants to come out and squeeze in."

Hearing this, he also suppressed too many questions in his mind, and followed the two people out of the station while secretly sizing them up.

At this time, the knife squad leader looked about 40 years old, but his figure was in excellent shape. At least he did not look disabled or gain weight.

It’s Lu Yao

Wei Ran couldn't help but glance at the cane the other party was holding and the foot that seemed to be lame when walking.

One end of the cane is the folding butt of the Bayi gun, and in the middle is a purple bamboo stick that is quickly coated with pulp. At the end that touches the ground, there is the iconic bamboo muzzle device of the Bayi rifle.

However, just by looking at the reddish luster, you can tell that the end is probably a solid metal rod shaped out of copper.

Compared with this commemorative cane, he could not help but look at the other person's lame foot again.

Seemingly noticing Wei Ran's eyes, Lu Yao explained with a normal expression, "The ankle joint was affected by the injury that year. I've gotten used to it over the years. Apart from walking a little lame, it's not a problem at all. I usually When I have time, I play football with a few good buddies.

It's you, it's the first time we've met each other in so many years, what's wrong? Did you bring me my buddy's camera?

Don't blame me for being stingy, that was a love gift my wife gave me. This time I swore to bring the camera back to her, so I asked for leave. "

"Bring it, bring it." Wei Ran quickly promised, pointing to the backpack held by Squad Leader Dao, "It's right there. What do you mean, you're already married?"

"How fresh!"

Lu Yao said with a proud look on his face, "My son Lu Ming was born during the Mid-Autumn Festival in 88. I even sent telegrams, phone calls and letters in advance to invite you to the capital, so that my son could recognize you during the full moon wine party. The two of us are godfathers.

The result is not good, you are as unreachable as ever, and Squad Leader Dao cannot do without him at the bee farm. "

"What did I go for?"

The squad leader Dao said mockingly, "Hai Dongqing and the others must have gone, right? How can I have the shame to go? I..."

"Hey! I told you that, I don't blame you, and I don't blame Wei Ran either."

Lu Yao said quickly, "I didn't blame you, and neither did Hai Dongqing and the others. On the way here, I also went to the homes of Xiao Xifeng and Squad Leader Cha.

They are all doing well, and they have never blamed you two. Why can't you two old monitors get over this hurdle? "

"Let's get in the car first and let's talk in the car."

As Squad Leader Dao said, he had already walked to the cab of a white Dongfeng pointed six-wheel truck on the side of the road. He took out a key, opened the door and got in. Then he helped open the passenger door from the inside.

After the two got into the cab, Squad Leader Dao skillfully started the car, stepped on the accelerator and took them away from the train station. At the same time, he kept asking, "Wei Ran, I saw in your letter that you drove in your local area." You opened a photo studio, and your lover is about to give birth?"

"Ah, yes." Wei Ran was stunned for a moment, then followed the topic and replied, "She's about to give birth."

"I thought you would be a barefoot doctor." Squad Leader Dao smiled and continued to ask, "Have you decided on a name for your child?"

"My father-in-law is a country doctor who does bone setting, and I usually help out."

Wei Ran could only continue to weave along the topic, "As for the name of the child, let's think about it slowly after the child is born. How about asking the squad leader to think of one?"

"I won't get involved"

The squad leader hurriedly waved his hand, "I am not qualified enough to name a child with my level of education. I think you have to ask Lu Yao for this matter."

"No, it's up to the parents to name the child." Lu Yao also waved his hand and joked, "Otherwise, this child would have been born in vain."

"That's okay, we can name it ourselves when the time comes." Wei Ran smiled, opened his backpack, took out the Zhujiang camera and gave it back to Lu Yao, and asked by the way, "Lu Yao, where do you work now? "

"observatory"

Lu Yao took the camera and played with it while explaining, "Since my leg became disabled, I changed my job to the observatory and worked in the same unit as my wife."

"Speaking of this, I wanted to ask when you arrived last night. Even if Wei Ran's wife is about to give birth and it's inconvenient, why don't you bring your sister-in-law here with your son?" Squad Leader Dao complained to Lu Yao.

“They do want to come.”

Lu Yao hung the camera around his neck helplessly, "Ziqing and the others went to the northwest to participate in astronomical observations. She is not here. I can't take care of our little ancestor along the way."

"Tell me about the others."

Squad Leader Dao smiled and slowed down the car slightly, "For so many years, I have only been in contact with Wei Ran and you. I don't know how they are doing, especially the families of Cha Yongfang and Xiao Xifeng, and , and Li Dazhai, how are they doing?"

"Actually, you wanted to ask when you were at the guest house last night, right?" Lu Yao asked with a smile.

Squad Leader Dao nodded, "I guess Wei Ran will have to ask when he comes. It's better to wait until he comes and let you stop talking."

"First."

Lu Yao thought for a moment, took a puff of cigarette and said, "Let's start with Xiao Xifeng. I went to his house on the way here. His brother He Wen took over his father's job at the winery in 86. When I was young, I had a girl named He Xiaoxi, who was the same age as our Lu Ming, so her birthday was two months younger."

"he"

Squad Leader Dao asked almost cautiously, "Xiao Xifeng, are his parents in good health?"

"Ugh"

Lu Yao sighed, "It's not that good. I heard from He Wen that after Xiao Xifeng died, his mother cried every day, until she couldn't see clearly. His father also drank frequently, and his hands trembled when he drank.

When I went to see them, I poured the old man a full glass of wine. He was able to shake off more than half of the glass before lifting it to his mouth. "

Hearing this, Wei Ran fell into silence, but Squad Leader Dao continued to ask after taking a puff of cigarette, "Where is Cha Yongfang? How is his family?"

“His family situation is pretty good.”

Lu Yao rubbed his hands and said, "His younger brother is still in high school, and his parents are also open, but he has looked old over the years."

Without waiting for the knife squad leader to ask questions, Lu Yao continued, "Dazhai was assigned to their local armed forces department based on the second-class personal merit you gave him back then. He became a firearms administrator. In 85, he and their armed forces A colleague at the department got married and gave birth to a big fat boy that year."

"So your college student sister-in-law doesn't like him?" Wei Ran asked with a smile.

"Hi! I was fooling them back then. My sister-in-law just graduated from college this year."

Lu Yao said with great joy, "Dazhai's brother Daqing was a soldier in the capital before, and he stayed in the capital after he was discharged. After my introduction, he worked as a driver at our observatory.

When I have nothing to do, I invite him and his wife to my house for dinner or to their house for dinner. Every now and then, Dazhai would call my office if he wanted to see his brother. "

"Where are the others?" Squad Leader Dao continued to ask, "Let's talk about each one."

"Haidongqing studied as a veterinarian after returning from the army. The family also raises hundreds of sheep. I heard that the boss has a pasture." Lu Yao introduced with his fingers like he was asking, "After Zhang Hongliang changed his job, he became a veterinarian." He became a criminal police officer and solved a major case in the past two years. I heard that he even received third-class personal merit.

Wang Beizhan is even more capable. He has made a lot of money by selling bargains to Lao Maozi over the years. This summer I took my son and my wife to Hai Dongqing’s house to play. I heard that Wang Beizhan even gave Hai Dongqing a van bought by Maozi. "

Lowering the window and flicking the cigarette butt that was about to burn out of his hand, Lu Yao lowered his voice and continued, "If you want to be more powerful, it has to be Zhao Yuejin. What do you think he is doing now?"

"What are you doing?" Squad Leader Dao asked with interest.

"He went to the armed police to find the golden armed police force." Lu Yao said, "I heard from Hongliang that he is now a technical backbone."

"Good"

Squad Leader Dao breathed a sigh of relief and was about to say something when he heard Lu Yao say, "Old squad leader, can you also tell Wei Ran about your current situation?"

"He knows my situation"

Although the squad leader said so, he still said, "After I was discharged from the army in 84, I didn't go back to my hometown. There was nothing there, and there was no point in going back. So I just raised bees in Wenshan. The honey I have sent to you two over the years is mine." The bees they keep produce their own.

When I have nothing to do, I go to Laoshan and visit Platoon Leader Luo in the Martyrs Cemetery. "

Platoon leader Luo.

Wei Ran was stunned for a moment, but in the end he just suppressed the doubts in his heart, did not ask any questions, and just listened quietly.

Regarding the topic of those former comrades, the three of them seemed to have endless chats. Wei Ran also learned from a few words in the chat that Platoon Leader Luo died in the mission of investigating and capturing prisoners after the squad leader retired in 84. Yes, he was already the deputy company commander at that time.

"My second brother didn't survive either."

Lu Yao said sadly, "In 87, their military region also came to Laoshan to fight. When we were fighting at the 167th Highland, my brother was a health worker. When he was rescuing people, shell fragments hit his head. Didn’t survive.”

In unspeakable silence, the car drove for hour after hour. Finally, Squad Leader Dao slowly stepped on the brakes in the night and said, "Wei Ran, Lu Yao, I also said in the letter inviting you here this time that I plan to Go and pick up Cha Yongfang and Xiao Xifeng.

Over the years, I have always dreamed of them, dreaming that they told me they wanted to go home. Asked me if I could take them back.

Now that the battle is over, I heard that at the Asian Games at the end of the month, those white-eyed wolves are so shy that they send athletes to participate in the competition. So I thought it was almost time to pick them both up. "

"Just tell me what you need me to do." Lu Yao said immediately, "My eldest brother is still in the army. If you..."

"I'll go with you," Wei Ran said.

"No, no need."

The squad leader smiled and waved his hand, "I invite you here because I want to say goodbye to you. In addition, I also entrust you with some things. Come on, get off the car."

Before he finished speaking, Squad Leader Dao had already opened the door and jumped out.

Wei Ran and Lu Yao looked at each other, and the latter immediately opened the car door, jumped out with his cane and a travel bag.

By the time Wei Ran got out of the car with his backpack and helped close the door, Squad Leader Dao had already pushed open the door of a small courtyard.

There is a tall and lush camellia planted at the entrance of this small courtyard, which is not too big. Inside the courtyard is a two-story wooden building. Looking up, it seems that there are many beehives on the second floor.

“I bought this yard two years ago.”

Before Squad Leader Dao finished speaking, a little boy who looked definitely less than ten years old came out and shouted "Uncle Dao!" in a babyish voice but with great enthusiasm.

"Qingyan, come here, this is Uncle Wei, this is Uncle Lu, call someone quickly." When communicating with the child, Squad Leader Dao tried his best to introduce in Mandarin.

"Hello Uncle Wei, how are you, Uncle Lu." The little guy said calmly and generously, with a slight Cantonese accent in his words.

"This is."

"Let's talk later"

Squad Leader Dao winked at Lu Yao, then picked up the little guy and walked inside while asking, "Qingyan, have you had dinner?"

"ate"

The little guy named Qing Yan nodded and said, "We ate at Grandma Jiang's house. She also prepared a large table of dishes for you."

"Has Grandma Jiang gone back?" Squad Leader Dao continued to ask patiently.

"Really," Qing Yan replied, "She asked me to go to their house with Qu, but I didn't go."

"Would you like to eat some more with us?" Squad Leader Dao continued to ask patiently.

"No, I'm full. I just drank a large glass of honey water." Qing Yan said obediently, "You guys go ahead and eat. I'm going back to sleep. I have to go to class tomorrow, Monday."

"that line"

Squad Leader Dao said, finally putting the child down, and finally pointed at Wei Ran and Lu Yao behind him and said, "Remember these two uncles, they will also take care of you, and they are also your family."

Hearing this, Qing Yan turned to look at Wei Ran and Lu Yao seriously, then nodded, opened the door and walked into a bedroom on the first floor.

"Come with me"

Squad Leader Dao sighed and led Wei Ran and Wei Ran to a room on the second floor. He waited until the door was closed before saying, "That child is Platoon Leader Luo's son, Luo Qingyan."

"What's wrong with Platoon Leader Luo's son?" Lu Yao's eyes widened.

"In 88, I went to Platoon Leader Luo's home."

The squad leader sighed and explained, "His parents were gone at that time, and his wife was the only one to take care of the child. She also had bad health and was taking medicine all year round.

That winter, I received a letter from their neighbor. When I went there again, Captain Luo's wife had been buried, leaving only this lonely child.

Their neighbor said that the platoon leader wanted to entrust the child to me before his wife left, so I simply took him back. "

After introducing the origin of the child named Luo Qingyan in a few words, Squad Leader Dao changed the subject and said, "I originally thought about taking care of this child and growing up before looking for Cha Yongfang and Xiao Xifeng, but I can't wait any longer. I dreamed at night that they wanted to go home."

"I'll go look for it with you," Wei Ran said, and even Lu Yao opened his mouth as if to say something.

"No, you don't need to go."

The squad leader waved his hand, stood up, opened the bedside cabinet, took out a wad of cash and said, "It's enough for me to do this myself, Wei Ran, Lu Yao, I just wanted to see which of you can clean up the banquet easily." Take him over and take care of him for a while, this is his living expenses, wait for me to find it."

"What are you talking about! What are you talking about, Squad Leader Dao!"

Lu Yao slapped the wad of cash out of the other person's hand, "What do you think we brothers are?"

Before Squad Leader Dao could say anything, Lu Yao said, "I'll tell you the truth. I'm just adding to the chaos by following you to find Xiao Xifeng, but I want him to come back more than you do."

At this point, Lu Yao had already opened his travel bag, took out a paratrooper pot with a 78 pot set and a paratrooper knife and said, "I promised Xiao Xifeng back then that I would treat him to a full drink when I get back. One pot and two pot heads.

Earlier, I secretly drank with him without him, and even lost the paratrooper knife my eldest brother gave me to him. "

At this point, he had already taken out these two things and put them on the table. "Old monitor, I know I can't stop you, and that's my problem, so I won't be polite to you. You can take these two things and go find them." Xiao Xifeng, go find Monitor Cha. I'll take care of that child."

"I"

"You should take a rest."

Lu Yao waved his hand to stop Wei Ran who was about to speak, "Isn't your wife about to give birth? Are you willing to take care of that child?"

"I can."

"Your wife is about to give birth, so don't let her be frightened."

Squad Leader Dao used the same reason to block Wei Ran's decision, and then said happily, "Okay, Lu Yao, I'm not polite to you either. You can take care of Qing Yan, and I'll pick them up. "

"now it's right"

Lu Yao said, rummaging through his bag again, and took out a "combat vest" that Wei Ran had seen in later photos and handed it over, "This was given to me by my second brother when he came here for a round of battles." As a souvenir to me, old squad leader, just wear it and treat it as if you were going on my behalf.

Whether it's your child or your little courtyard, I'll take care of it for you. No matter when you come back, this house and yard will not collapse. I will raise that child as my own son from now on, and I will definitely train him to become a pillar of the country. "

"Row!"

Squad Leader Dao nodded seriously and reached out to take the combat vest with the words "Defend Southern Xinjiang" written on the back, "I will definitely bring them back!"

(End of this chapter)