The world of film and television started from optical film

Chapter 645 Cabbage and Pork Stewed with Vermicelli

"Sir, I heard that you are Commander Yu's right-hand man, and the most trusted of Commander Yu's confidants, and you are deeply trusted by Commander Yu." Taking advantage of the break, Zhang Lixian was sorting out the information of the defeated soldiers. Wang Zhong pulled He Shuguang aside and tried to get close to him.

"If you have something to say, just say it. I don't have the time to chat with you!" He Shuguang frowned, looking impatient, holding a submachine gun in his hand.

Wang Zhong took out two small yellow croakers from his arms with a smile on his face and quietly put them into He Shuguang's hand.

He Shuguang raised his eyebrows, a look of surprise appeared on his face. He hurriedly grabbed the small yellow croaker tightly in his hand, turned his head to look around, afraid of being seen.

Since Wang Zhong dared to pull him over here, he must have observed the situation long ago. Their location was just right to avoid everyone's attention.

He Shuguang stuffed two small yellow croakers into his arms, coughed twice, and said seriously: "Tell me, what's the matter?"

Wang Zhong said with a smile: "It's nothing. I have been a soldier for so many years, but I am still a small second lieutenant platoon leader. I have not been able to bring honor to my family. I am speechless in front of my ancestors. Fortunately, I met the officer. I wonder if the officer can help me because we hit it off right away! Say a few good words in front of Commander Yu, so that I can also experience the thrill of being an officer."

"Ahem!" He Shuguang raised his hand to cover his mouth and coughed a few times again to hide his inner panic: "The commander has always promoted people based on their talents. Your marksmanship is so good, the commander will definitely promote you."

"As the saying goes, it's easy to be an official if you have someone in the court. If the officials can say a few good words for me in front of Yu Tuanzuo, wouldn't this matter be more secure?"

“It’s no problem to say a few good words for you!” Wang Zhong’s marksmanship was already outstanding, and with this as an excuse, He Shuguang didn’t mind taking the opportunity to say a few good words for him in front of Commander Yu. He felt at ease collecting these two small yellow croakers.

"Thank you, sir!"

"Thank you, sir!"

"Alright! Back to the team!"

He Shuguang and Zhang Lixian left in a hurry, carrying with them a roster filled with their information.

Life in the shelter returned to the way it was before. The defeated soldiers had nothing to do all day long. Some were catching lice, some were basking in the sun, looking lazy and comfortable.

At Xiaozui's home, Wang Zhong locked the newly bought old hen and chicks into the chicken coop he had just built. The soil and stones dug out from the house were also built into two small flower beds more than a foot above the ground. However, the flower beds were not planted with flowers, but seasonal vegetables.

In addition to growing vegetables and raising chickens, there were many racks in the yard with winnowing baskets on them, drying the herbs that Wang Zhong had picked from the mountain.

"Brother, I'm ready!" Xiaozui came out of the house, wearing a coarse linen shirt, cloth shoes and leggings, a straw hat on his head, and a bamboo backpack on his back.

"Let's go!" Wang Zhong threw the remaining rice grains in his hand to the chicken in the cage, clapped his hands, stood up, put the hand knife on his waist, put the spear on his back, called Xiaozui to pick up the medicine hoe in the corner, and went out together.

Since he bought the gun that day, in addition to practicing shooting, Wang Zhong also began to teach Xiaozui to identify medicinal materials and learn nursing and medical skills.

However, Xiaozui is not well educated, so naturally she cannot learn very quickly. Wang Zhong has only taught her some methods of identifying medicinal materials, treating external injuries, and treating common fevers and colds.

Although the progress has not been fast these days, I have learned a lot about medicinal herbs and also remembered some methods of preparing them.

Nowadays, the medicinal herbs dried in the yard are basically processed by Xiaozui himself under the guidance of Wang Zhong.

This war will still last for several years, and the army is short of doctors and medicine. Xiaozui should learn some basic medical skills, which will be useful in the future.

That day, Wang Zhong had just returned from Xiaozui's house and saw everyone gathered together. Commander Ayi was standing in the yard with an embarrassed look on his face.

Fanla ran out in a hurry and the veterinarian also got up and went into the house. Milong was still lying on his hammock as usual, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, looking leisurely and comfortable.

"You won't let me get the pork alone, will you?" Ayi's voice spread throughout the yard, but unfortunately no one paid attention.

"What pork?" Wang Zhong stepped over the gate. "Just now, they all ran out in a hurry, saying they were going to get cabbage? What are you planning to do?"

"Wang Zhong, I'm glad you're here. We're going to Burma soon, and we're all brothers living in the same barracks. I thought we should have a pork stew with vermicelli before we leave to boost our morale."

Hearing A Yi's words, A Yi turned around and saw Wang Zhong who had just entered the room. He immediately grabbed Wang Zhong like a drowning person who had grabbed a life-saving straw, and explained quickly.

"This is a good thing!" Wang Zhong said, "Brothers, it's been a while since we last saw any meat. It would be nice to bring some meat back to boost morale."

"But this pork is not easy to prepare!" A Yi frowned and said with embarrassment. There was a bit of helplessness and pleading in his eyes when he looked at Wang Zhong.

Although Ayi had never been to the battlefield, he was a top student from the Military Academy and the one with the highest military rank in the internment camp.

He was a major, but now he was asking for the favor of Wang Zhong, a small second lieutenant platoon leader. However, Ayi had already spoken, so how could he break his promise to others?

It was a matter of face, and Wang Zhong was among the defeated soldiers, so A Yi had no choice but to swallow his pride and look for Wang Zhong.

"I'm a pretty good cook. I've made pork stewed with vermicelli many times, so I have some experience." Wang Zhong avoided the question, as if he didn't hear what Ayi said at all.

A Yi's expression turned even uglier, and he was confused. He wanted to talk to Wang Zhong again, but he didn't know what to say.

What he couldn't let go of even more was the fact that he was born in a military academy and was the only major in the shelter.

Wang Zhong looked at him and said, "Commander Ayi, there is no free lunch in this world. If you want to boost morale and win people's hearts, you have to pay a price."

A Yi's expression froze and he was stunned. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond to Wang Zhong's words.

Wang Zhong smiled and walked towards Mi Long. He waved his hand as he walked and said, "Captain Ayi, you can't make pork stewed with vermicelli without soy sauce. I'll be responsible for making the soy sauce."

A Yi's expression changed again and again, he raised his hand again and again, and the words Wang Zhong had just said kept echoing in his ears, but in the end he still couldn't open his mouth to call out to Wang Zhong.

Just when Ayi was confused and at a loss, Wang Zhong had already come to Milong and asked, "Are you really not going to go to Burma with us?" "I'm not going!" Milong opened his eyes and glanced at Wang Zhong, his eyes flickering a few times, "Why go to Burma? We can't figure it out at home, how can we figure it out in Burma?"

"Yu Xiaoqing's death was just to trick you and make you cannon fodder!"

Milong said a lot of words in one breath, and it was unclear whether he was comforting himself or persuading Wang Zhong.

Wang Zhong blew away the dust on the stone steps under the eaves and sat down. "You are right. Yu Xiaoqing has the ability, but his family background is too high and his experience is too little. He takes things for granted. This time when he went to Burma, he looked very grand, saying that the three countries would unite to defend the enemy outside the borders, and the slogans were loud and clear, but the result may not be what those officials sitting in the office and looking at the sand table think."

Hearing Wang Zhong say this, Mi Long immediately became more motivated. He turned his head to look at him, and asked in shock and confusion, "Then why are you so enthusiastic?"

Wang Zhong's expression suddenly became serious, and he said solemnly: "Someone has to do these things. Even if it's not you or me, it will be someone else."

"Instead of watching these people lose their lives in Burma, it would be better for us to go there ourselves. Maybe we can kill a few more devils and lose fewer lives in that crappy place of Burma."

Milong remembered the beautiful marksmanship that Wang Zhong had demonstrated during the registration that day, and subconsciously believed what Wang Zhong said.

"In a few days, all of us who have signed up will have to leave. By then, there will probably be only a few people left in this shelter. I'm afraid no one will patronize your business!"

"Instead of staying here to guard your shop, you might as well come with us to Burma. At least there are more than a dozen of us acquaintances. Even if we all die in Burma, we can be buried together as companions!"

Although Milong refused to give in, he had actually been shaken in his heart. The reason why he became more and more venomous just showed that he actually longed to go to Burma with the defeated soldiers and longed to win a victory.

From the Northeast to Zenda, from 1938 until now, Milong has been fighting and losing all the way, losing and fleeing all the way, and he has been defeated so many times that even Milong himself can't count them.

The four eastern provinces have all fallen, the home is gone, and the country will never be restored.

Milong looked at Wang Zhong seriously for a long time, but he didn't say a word. He just looked at him intently.

Wang Zhong did not expect to convince Milong with just a few words. Human nature has always been like this, stubborn and selfish. Unless Milong figures it out himself, no matter how much Wang Zhong says, it will be useless.

In the yard, Ayi listened to Wang Zhong's words, and his originally ugly and tangled face gradually became more solemn and his expression became more dignified.

Ayi looked up at the azure sky. The white clouds in the sky seemed to outline countless scenes of his past when he was in his hometown and at his father's knees.

He raised his hand and looked at the watch his father left him. It was also the only thing his father left to Ayi. Wang Zhong's words kept echoing in Ayi's mind.

Taking off the watch on his wrist, Ayi walked up to Milong and handed the watch to him: "How much is this watch worth?"

Milong looked up at Ayi, saw the determination in Ayi's eyes, saw the seriousness on Ayi's face. Even though he knew that this was the only thing left by Ayi's father, Milong did not say much. Instead, he took the watch, looked at it carefully, then stretched out his hand, spread out five fingers and said, "This watch is just average, it's worth this amount at most."

A Yi puffed up his cheeks and said firmly, "Changed!"

Milong counted out three dollars from his pocket and gave them to Ayi, and he took Ayi's watch into his own hand.

Ayi took the five dollars and hurried out of the shelter.

Wang Zhong bought half a bottle of soy sauce and a small bag of salt from Milong. He directed several defeated soldiers to move the large clay pots that were usually used for cooking out of the house, built a stove with several stones, and set up a chopping board next to it.

After a while, Doubing came into the yard with a bundle of firewood and a silly smile on his face.

"Brother Wang Zhong, do we have enough firewood?"

"It's probably still a little short, go pick up some more!"

"okay!"

Doubing was a very good soldier. He had no doubts about the orders and his execution was good. He put down the firewood in his arms and trotted out again.

Wang Zhong commanded two defeated soldiers to light a fire and rinse the pottery jars.

After a while, Snake Butt came back in a hurry with two earthenware jars. As soon as he entered the yard, he couldn't help but take credit for himself: "This is the best mountain spring water!"

Wang Zhong took the jar from Shebutt's hand and poured it into the large clay pot on the stove.

The next person to come out was Kang Ya. This guy took out a paper bag from nowhere and opened it carefully in front of everyone, as if there was some priceless treasure inside.

Seeing that Kang Ya was about to pour the salt into the earthenware jar, Wang Zhong hurriedly spoke out to stop her.

"Do you know how to cook? If you can't, just mess around. Let's have a good meal of pork stewed with vermicelli, but don't let them become pig food." Wang Zhong said unhappily while reaching out to grab the salt from Kang Ya's hand.

"What are you doing!" Kang Ya immediately stopped and subconsciously wanted to snatch the salt back, but she didn't expect that as soon as she stretched out her hand, Wang Zhong grabbed her wrist and pinched the back of Kang Ya's hand with his thumb. With a little force, Kang Ya screamed.

"If you can't do it, just watch!" Wang Zhong stared at Kang Ya coldly and said sternly.

Kang Ya immediately became like a mouse seeing a cat, and dared not say a word.

After a while, Yao Ma and Bula brought back the cabbage and onions one after another. Yao Ma and Bula had a better relationship with Wang Zhong than anyone else in the shelter. They had no opinion on what Wang Zhong said. Anyway, they had already done what they were supposed to do, so they just had to wait to eat.

Then came the greasy veterinarian, who was Fanla and didn't know how to get the vermicelli back. Finally, it was the chief officer Ayi, who was holding a piece of pork weighing three pounds, four ounces and six cents.

Looking at the ingredients neatly laid out on the side, none of the defeated soldiers said a word. They just stared at the ingredients and kept swallowing their saliva.

The vermicelli that Fanla brought back had been soaked in boiling hot water in advance under Wang Zhong's instruction.