Chapter 67
Ye Tianming stopped smiling, and showed a rare serious expression, “Did the two of you think about what you’re going to do in the future? Are you going to wait till the three years are over, then go back home and rely on your family for the rest of your lives until you die, or do you want to do something big in the army and change everyone’s perspectives of you?”
Chen Yang and Long Ye was not used to seeing Ye Tianming’s serious expression at all. However, once they heard Ye Tianming’s words, they fell into deep thought.
After a while, Chen Yang said, “Boss, to be honest, we were forced by our family to enter the army. We both come from military families. My great-grandfather entered the Eighth Route Army to fight the Nips. My grandfather, my father and my mother are all soldiers. I grew up on the military grounds myself. Ever since I could remember, there was a person that specifically trained me in military matters. This is a place that chained up the fun and dreams of my childhood. I detest being a soldier, I hate the military camps. But there is no helping it, I do not control my own fate.
“When I came here after graduation, I met Long Ye. The two of us shared the same fate, so we became the best of brothers. We spent our days causing trouble, and no matter how our family threatened us or encouraged us, we never gave in. We thought this would be the best way to live on. After our family became disappointed in us, and lost their confidence in us, they will let us leave this d.a.m.n place.
“After the first year, our families did lose faith in us. They gave up on us, and started grooming our cousins instead. Yet, they still didn’t let us leave, and left us here to do whatever we want, never paying attention to us at all.” With that, Chen Yang smiled wryly.
Long Ye also showed a depressed expression and continued speaking after Chen Yang had quit, “Last year, when the south flooded, our military region got the mission to provide disaster relief services. The two of us also went. When I saw the endless flood and the despair in the looks of the people, my heart felt pained. The first person I saved in the flood was a little girl. At the time, she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me, then said to me ‘Thank you uncle soldier, you are my hero. I’m going to be a soldier when I grow up, and I will become someone else’s hero then’.” Having said that, Long Ye stopped speaking.
The three of them continued to walk silently as the atmosphere got more depressing. Therefore, Ye Tianming said, “Why aren’t you continuing?”
Long Ye calmed himself down, looked at the dormitories and the comrades that were furiously training in the fields, there was another light that flashed in his eyes, “When I saw the comrades beside me fearlessly jumping into the water; when I saw them use all the strength in their body to drag life after life back onto the sh.o.r.e, but only for themselves to get swept away ruthlessly by the flood, my heart finally understood why soldiers exist.
“When seventy to eighty years old men and women covered in mud walked to the d.a.m.n with a water bottle in their hands in the rain, then handed me a cup full of water with trembling hands, while telling me ‘Nice child, have a cup of water to warm yourself up’; when night arrived, and the children sang and danced surrounding us, I finally understood what is a soldier’s honor. It was only then that I finally felt proud of being able to wear this uniform.”
Ye Tianming stopped his steps and said, “Then, what do you plan to do now? Let’s talk about it.”
Chen yang and Long Ye looked at him blankly, then Long Ye replied, “It could be said that our hearts were purified during that disaster relief. After coming back, the two of us swore that since we put on these uniforms, we have to honor them.”