1978: A Literary Giant Who Began His Military Service

Chapter 4 Commune Celebration
“I told you, don’t go around telling everyone this. My dad used to be a battalion commander in the army in the south. Last time I talked to him on the phone, he told me that the situation is very tense recently, and I heard that troops are being transferred…”

To be precise, the monkey-hunting campaign is scheduled for February next year, but it's October now... Indeed, some perceptive people have noticed it.

“Although we’re in the central region, Wuhan has great transportation; it’s just a train ride away. Be very careful when you go to the front lines… Don’t listen to your dad, and don’t apply to go to the front lines… I’m scared…”

Li Xiaopan pursed her lips. Although it sounded selfish to say this, she really didn't want a young life to be lost like this, especially since it was her very important friend.

“…Yes, Teacher Li, I understand. Thank you.” Zhou Xu said with a smile.

Li Xiaopan's behavior was indeed very risky; if she were reported, the consequences could be disastrous.

Even though it was so dangerous, she still kindly reminded herself. Zhou Xu suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of affection for Li Xiaopan.

"Well, you'd better be careful out there. The military isn't as good as you think. I spent time there when I was a kid, and the interpersonal relationships are all the same."

"...I'll be careful. Besides, I'm not stupid. I know what I should do, right?"

Li Xiaopan covered her mouth and laughed upon hearing this: "I'm afraid you're as straightforward as your father. If you really want to get promoted, being too straightforward won't work."

"Oh, by the way, when are you going back to the capital?" Zhou Xu asked.

Li Xiaopan sat back down, staring at Zhou Xu with a slight smile:
"I'll sell the grain in the next few days, save some money, and then take the bus back before the New Year. I've pretty much made arrangements for my parents. By the way, do you want to buy grain? I was originally planning to sell it cheaply, but it's better to give it to you instead of someone else!"

Zhou Xu looked into her eyes and said, "It's better for you to benefit than someone else. Why do you say that?"

"How much are you planning to sell it for? I'll go back and ask my dad."

"Not much. The normal price is 13 cents, but I'll sell it to you for 7 cents a pound! Two hundred pounds is about 14 yuan. Ask your dad if he's willing to buy it. Anyway, I can't possibly carry this grain back with me when I go back, can I?"

Li Xiaopan patted the two bags of grain.

A little bit of white ash was showing.

"So cheap? But my dad probably won't take advantage of you; he'll most likely let you sell it for a penny," Zhou Xu said.

Li Xiaopan smiled sweetly: "The captain is an upright person! That's why I'm happy to sell to you."

"I'll go back and ask, don't worry!"

"Yes." She nodded, looked into Zhou Xu's eyes, and continued, "You must remember what I said."

"I remember, I won't."

"That's good, goodbye!"

"goodbye!"

Zhou Xu waved to Li Xiaopan at the door and walked towards his home. Li Xiaopan was not old, two years older than him. She went to the countryside when she was fifteen or sixteen and has been working there ever since.

While other educated youths gave up on themselves to some extent, she never showed much pessimism and worked diligently and steadily.

Of course, some elderly people, living in cement houses, insist they're like cows or horses, and even wrote a book about it. That's quite humorous.

"..."

Zhou Xu didn't stay at Li Xiaopan's house for long either.

People in this era are both very naive and very complex.

Go to the cornfields outside the village, or to the haystacks at midnight; you might run into a few couples. And different people often come out of the widow's house...

Zhou Xu went home.

He discussed it with Zhang Qiutian and his father: "Teacher Li Xiaopan said she will be leaving the brigade and returning to her hometown in a few months. She wants to sell the grain she was allocated, saying it's seven cents! Mom and Dad, do you want it?"

"Seven cents?" Zhou's mother calculated for a moment: "That's a good price. How many kilograms? Does she want to sell them all? We still have some spare money at home!"

Zhou Guoping shook his head and said, "The person is leaving soon, and it's not a good thing to take advantage of them now. We can get a discount if we buy more at once, but we can't offer such a low price."

"I know you're an upright person!" Zhang Qiutian said helplessly, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Zhou Xu looked up at his parents and didn't say anything.

"It's 13 cents a pound outside now, a little cheaper, but not too much cheaper! If you buy 200 pounds, it'll be 13 cents a pound, that'll be 20 yuan."

Zhou Xu did the math: "Well, if you buy two hundred catties, you two will have some surplus grain for the next two or three years. Don't make a fuss about it, otherwise someone will come to borrow grain again, and once it's lent out, it won't be returned for several years."

"Are you saying you're just going to stand by and watch others starve to death?"

Zhou Xu pursed his lips: "The saying goes, 'Help in an emergency, not in a long-term solution.' If there's really no food, we can share some, but don't lend to just anyone." Zhang Qiutian said: "Your mother knows what she's doing. Once you're in the army, don't worry about it. I won't let your father cause trouble."

"..." Zhou Guoping scratched his head, as if he had been too kind-hearted.

The family was still preparing to cook.

The Party Secretary knocked on the door: "Brother Guoping? Is Xiaoxu home?"

"I'm here!" Zhou Guoping replied.

The Party Secretary walked straight into the room: "Hey, you two received your enlistment notices yesterday, and the commune has heard about it too. If you have time today, the commune is treating everyone to a meal! There are only seven or eight new recruits in the commune, and they all have to come over for dinner!"

Zhou Guoping said, "Okay, we'll go as soon as we're done packing."

The secretary looked at the couple, worried that they might be too embarrassed to go, and said, "Remember, Guoping and I are going too! The commune has prepared a lot of good food today. I'll be waiting for you at the village entrance with Youcai."

"I remember that."

The current brigade is equivalent to a small village, and the commune is equivalent to a town.

The commune wasn't far from here, but it still took almost half an hour to ride an oxcart! Every year, to encourage people to join the army, just like to encourage college students, they would set off firecrackers and have a commune celebration!
After all, if he stays for three years normally and comes back, he will at least be a village official.

Zhang Qiutian helped Zhou Xu pack a pack of cigarettes and said, "It's supposed to be a celebration, but some formalities are still necessary."

Zhou Xu didn't say anything, which meant his father had tacitly approved.

This reminded Zhou Xu of the assessment in "From the Soil: The Foundations of Chinese Society": commerce cannot exist in a close-knit, kinship-based society. This doesn't mean that transactions don't occur in such societies, but rather that their transactions are maintained through personal relationships and mutual gifts.

Giving gifts is a way to maintain relationships.

The two families arrived at the village entrance.

Zhou Youcai waved to Zhou Xu: "Hey! Come here quickly!"

"Ah."

"You two brothers have been close since childhood, so it's a good thing that you're being sent to the same department. You should take good care of each other!" the secretary said with a smile.

"That's right, Xiao Xu. Once I get promoted, I'll definitely help you stay in the team!"

"Stop spouting this nonsense when you get in!" The secretary slapped him on the head.

A group of people sat on a large oxcart, driving the oxen forward.

They arrived at the commune not long after.

Surrounded by people, Zhou Guoping led Zhou Xu to the side of Wang Jianjun, the commune secretary. Wang Jianjun said with a smile, "Hey, congratulations, Brother Guoping! Now Xiao Xu has also joined the army. His future is limitless. Who knows, he might become a great general!"

"Hehe, it's a great thing that this rascal got promoted! Let alone becoming an official."

"Please sit down, everyone, sit down and eat first..."

The commune secretary said a few more words.

Zhou Xu sat down with the group of people and looked at the food on the table. There were four dishes and a soup on every table, which was more sumptuous than some banquets in other places.

He waited for the banquet to begin and then started devouring everything in a whirlwind, while Zhou Youcai was like a starving ghost reincarnated!
Damn, a bunch of burly men, each about 1.67 meters tall, couldn't resist the sight of meat and vegetables.

Just like Yuan Lang said, what age am I now? I eat at 12 o'clock, and I'm hungry again at 12:30!

An eighteen-year-old who can never be satisfied!

Glug glug! I ate until I burped.

Zhou Xu was a bit better, more reserved, and not as outrageous as them. The commune secretary looked at the group of people and said with a smile:

"Yes, good! You are all strong and capable young men. Being able to eat is a blessing! I hope that you comrades in the team will also have this kind of strength and drive, and work hard to bring honor to our Yujiang Commune!"

"..."

That concludes my remarks.

The sound of firecrackers crackling and popping rang out outside, and the commune held a small celebration.

(End of this chapter)