The beacon of youth

The large troops of the Independent Brigade meandered forward, billowing smoke and dust under the starlight of the moonlit night. The left-behind artillery battalion had another task. The surrounding area is blocked, and if it can be blocked for an hour, it is an hour.

The government of Yiwu County also took part in this work. County Mayor Zhang led all the troops of the County Public Security Bureau to act together. Fortunately, most of these people were veterans who had transferred from the Independent Brigade. Sincerely.

The convoy walked for several hours, and reached the edge of the Gobi when it was about to dawn, and then went further to the great desert.

A round of red sun erupted, reflecting the beauty of the great desert. The golden sandy beaches were one after another. The drowsy soldiers gradually woke up. They set off in the middle of the night and bumped in the car for several hours. , most people are confused.

The soldiers shouted and yelled, what a beautiful desert, what a beautiful sunshine, but most of those who yelled and yelled like this were soldiers who joined the army later, like those who had walked away before. The veterans who have experienced the desert are all silent, because they know the horror and ruthlessness of the great desert.

Under the guidance of the reconnaissance battalion, the troops plunged in without hesitation, walked through one dune after another, and walked hour after hour. The endless desert seemed to never end. At the beginning, they shouted The screaming soldiers fell silent. There were no trees, not even a single blade of grass, no water, no signs of life activity, and the desert was deadly silent.

The soldiers sitting on the truck were talking nonsense, this fucking desert is really powerful, if you walk in it on two legs.Maybe I was exhausted before I reached the ground.

Hu Qingshan, the deputy battalion commander of the first battalion, quietly murmured to the battalion commander Li Jiangguo: "Battalion commander, when we went to the Longdong plateau to fight against the Majia army in [-], we walked through the desert once. Don't mention the feeling. Our regiment alone died. Fifteen of them died of thirst in the desert, without a drop of water, they couldn’t be rescued even if they tried, and the health team put Rendan in the mouth of the sick patients, it’s useless, there’s no saliva that can’t be melted.”

"Why don't you prepare more water storage equipment?" Li Jiangguo asked.

"You put it simply. The troops at that time were as wealthy as we are now. The situation was urgent, and the troops were rushed out. Before departure, we had to borrow a lot of water gourds from the local villagers, but this was just a drop in the bucket. Not enough at all. Oh, what a pity."

What a pity Hu Qingshan didn't say anything.Li Jiangguo didn't ask any further questions.But both of them understand that the soldiers who died back then were veterans who had passed the test of the War of Resistance. If they hadn't died at that time, and the army had developed to the present, it would be no problem for each of them to be a battalion commander or company commander, just like Li Jiangguo and Hu Aoyama is the same.

"When you and the main force of the field army went to Longdong in [-]. We were training in the Zhenwudong area near Yan'an. Our brigade commander and political commissar were the company commander and instructor at the time. It was hard to say. We could eat cornbread and pickles. Thank goodness. Later, I made a windfall, so I was relieved, and you know the rest of it."

Regardless of what Li Jiangguo and Hu Qingshan murmured, the large troops of the Independent Brigade continued to advance in the desert. In order to prevent vehicles from breaking down, the tank battalion specially prepared several tracked vehicles by the side of the road to prevent them from breaking down and getting stuck in the sand. vehicles for towing.

Li Jia, the company commander of the guard who sat in the same car with Li Yong, this is the first time for a Jiangnan girl to walk in the desert. The scene in the desert shocked this beautiful girl, and there was a trace of fear in her expression. The very sensitive Brigadier Li had no choice but to comfort her. This is nothing. The desert around the Balikun Ranch is just a child's play. The large desert in southern Xinjiang is hundreds of thousands of kilometers long, and there is the real sea of ​​death.

How long has it been since I walked, from midnight to when the sun is about to press down on the mountain at night, it has been about fifteen or six hours. With the marching speed of the independent brigade, I can go hundreds of kilometers, just outside everyone's troops When he was about to camp in the desert, the reconnaissance battalion commander Zhang Jinsong ran over with a few soldiers.

"Brigade Commander, we're not far from the land, and we'll be there in a dozen kilometers."

Everyone was excited. Walking in the desert for a long time will make people feel impatient. What Zhang Jinsong brought was really happy news.

The troops continued to advance, as if to verify the accuracy of Zhang Jinsong, the old scout's intelligence. On the ground on both sides of the march, weeds with unknown names gradually emerged. There were more and more weeds, and gradually some places became connected took a piece.

Suddenly it changed from desert yellow sand to oasis. The change of geographical scenery made the soldiers dizzy. One soldier suddenly shouted in surprise: "Look, what's ahead."

Following the direction of the little soldier's finger, there is a river flowing quietly. Under the reflection of the setting sun, the surface of the water reflects bright light. It is very dangerous for troops without water to fill up their own kettles and cars in the desert.

The river water is cool and cool, and the deepest point is just below the waist of an adult. Groups of fish swim in the water, embellishing this river beautifully.

Li Yong looked into the distance with his binoculars. There was a river sandwiched between two big mountains. On both sides of the river was a large piece of plain. With the irrigation of the river, this large piece of plain was covered with the most beautiful aquatic plants.

There are mountains, water, trees, large expanses of lush water and grassland, and the great desert Gobi that hinders the enemy's attack. This place is simply a fairy mirror in the world, and the Hongliuxia Ranch lives up to its reputation.

It's so beautiful, it's a holy place for tourists. The Usman gang, He Dehe Neng, has occupied such a place favored by gods.

Reconnaissance Battalion Commander Zhang Jinsong ran over again: "Brigade Commander, Political Commissar, I have already contacted a platoon left behind. They will be here soon, and they will report the details to you."

The reconnaissance battalion and the cavalry battalion immediately turned back to meet the main force of the independent brigade after discovering the bandit's lair, and the specific reconnaissance mission was left to a reconnaissance platoon monitoring in this area, so it was very appropriate for Ning Erzi to report.

"Good job, don't forget to give them credit after the battle is over."

Li Yong knew that the task of staying behind was not easy. A platoon had to hide here for several days, not only to protect himself but also to perform the task well. If one was not careful, he might be found and eaten by the bandits, which was very dangerous.

As soon as the words fell, several soldiers came over, and the one in the front was a row of Chang Ning's sons from the reconnaissance battalion. Li Yong understood without introducing him, that's right, the one who was left behind to carry out the surveillance mission must be the second son of Ning's reconnaissance. Row.

Several years of blood and fire training have made Ning Erzi grow into Zhang Jinsong's most capable go-getter. Whenever there is a major task, the first consideration must be Ning Erzi's platoon.

Ning Erzi, who was full of excitement, yelled and walked over: "Brigade Commander, Political Commissar, I'm looking forward to you, this is great, I see where those bandits are going."

Political commissar Wang Chengde reminded: "Second son, don't be so happy, our whole brigade has been dragged here, and the bandits can't escape, so report the situation to the brigade commander immediately."

"Brigade Commander, the situation is like this. This must be the lair of bandits. There are very few young and middle-aged people. They are mainly responsible for daily guards. Most of them are old people, children and women. The population size exceeds [-]." , I work at sunrise every day and rest at sunset, and my life is very regular. The main job is to herd livestock, mainly sheep and horses. There are so many sheep, just like the stars in the sky, they are simply innumerable. Another point is that most of the family members of these bandits were carrying weapons when they were grazing, and they were very vigilant."

Ning Erzi paused for a while when he was talking about this, and the kid stuttered and said: "Hey, Brigadier, do you think we can capture some bandit cattle and sheep after the battle is over? I haven't had them for almost a month." Now that we have eaten some meat, more than 100 of us spend most of our time hiding in the grass these days, and the flock of sheep is very close to us, I was so greedy that I almost bit off the thighs of the live sheep."

The soldiers next to him roared with laughter. Li Yong knew what the second son Ning was thinking. It was impossible for the troops to march continuously and fight without a little meat. If things went on like this, the physical strength of the soldiers would decrease in the long run.

Before Li Yong could express his opinion, Wang Chengde, the political commissar at the side, scolded him with a straight face: "Oh, Erzi Ning, I think you are getting more and more promising, and even dare to eat live sheep. During this time, you are alone in a row. Action, have the troops violated discipline? After the battle is over, write a check and send it to me."

Wang Chengde slapped Ning Erzixun on the thigh. This kid is afraid of writing inspections even if he is not afraid of fighting.

The second son Ning looked at the brigade commander Li Yong for help. Everyone knew that the brigade commander was easy to talk, so Li Yong could only pretend to cough a few times:

"Ahem, that second son, the order of the political commissar must be resolutely carried out, check it, wait until the battle is over, the main task now is to capture everything belonging to the bandits, I repeat, everything is captured, Now we have the final say, we can do whatever we want."

For the troops of the old Eighth Route Army, robbing cannot be called robbing, it must be called seizing, and robbing bandits' supplies can be felt at ease, and it is not considered a violation of discipline.

The soldiers were happy, and the brigade commander's order made people want to shout one word, that is "cool."

"Order, the troops will spread out in battle teams on both sides according to the original plan, and surround the Hongliuxia Ranch. Make sure that no bandit slips through the net. After the battle is over, eat dinner at the bandit's camp and start operations."

I saved some drafts, but I lost them all due to a wrong operation, which is depressing. (to be continued..)