In 1959, what's wrong with me pedaling a tricycle?

In early December, Wang Xingguo was transporting supplies from Daheyan to Malan Farm.

The second-class merit certificate and award certificate issued by the Xinjiang Military Region, along with the commendation for meritorious service, were sent to the National Defense Science and Technology Commission in Beijing.

The commendation only stated that Wang Xingguo was awarded a second-class merit for his border self-defense operations, while the collective third-class merit belonged to their entire search team and would remain with the troops in Yecheng.

However, Wang Xingguo's file will contain records of a second-class merit award for him personally and a third-class merit award for the temporary search team collectively.

Chief of Staff Song said happily, "You've really done a great job. Everyone is happy for you after hearing the news that you went to the front lines to fight the enemy."

The general asked, "Xiao Wang, we only heard from your colleagues that you went to the front lines to fight the enemy. They don't know the specifics. How did you, a logistics officer transporting supplies, end up on the battlefield?"

Wang Xingguo chuckled and said, "I don't even know how to explain this. We had just transported the supplies to the military post in Yecheng, and we were exhausted from rushing to get there. We had only slept for a few hours when a group of defeated enemy soldiers came and tried to steal the supplies. So, as someone in logistics, I had no choice but to take up arms and charge into battle."

Chief of Staff Qian Fu exclaimed, "You're really lucky, kid. No matter what, killing the enemy is a meritorious deed. We soldiers have to go to the battlefield to defend our country."

In fact, they only knew that Wang Xingguo had killed the enemy, but they didn't even know that he had made meritorious contributions. They were just very gratified to see a junior fighting on the battlefield.

After receiving the good news from the street office, Li Xiuping also received Wang Xingguo's merit certificate and award from the staff of the National Defense Science and Technology Commission.

At that time, the military did not have a unified medal for meritorious service. This medal was introduced in 1964, and it was later awarded to all those who performed meritorious service.

Looking at Wang Xingguo's certificate of merit and award, Li Xiuping felt incredibly proud of him. She happily said to Wang Jianhua, "Son, look! Your father has been awarded a second-class merit."

Wang Jianhua, who was only two years and two months old, didn't understand any of this, but seeing his mother happy, he became happy too.

When Wang Xingning returned from grocery shopping and learned of this, he was so excited that he exclaimed in surprise.

However, at this time, meritorious service is not publicized, and it is better to keep a low profile, since there are still quite a few spies.

It just so happened that someone from the clan came to town on business today and brought a large goose to the Wang family. Li Xiuping and Wang Xingning were delighted and killed the goose to stew it.

Wang Xingning took the receipt and went to buy the wine.

After everyone gets off work, we will notify our close elders to come over for drinks and show them Wang Xingguo's merit certificates and awards.

Wang Xingye said happily, "A second-class merit is extremely rare. Xingguo is a logistics cadre, so he must have made a great contribution to receive this."

Director Zhao said happily, "This rascal is really something! It seems being a little mischievous is a good thing. I used to worry that he would go astray, but now that he's become a soldier, he's really living up to expectations."

Director Zhao, a former soldier, was genuinely pleased with Wang Xingguo's meritorious service.

Li Laishun also said excitedly, "Xingguo is really impressive. I never expected him to make military achievements so quietly."

Wang Xingbang was so happy he didn't know what to say. He just wanted to drink a few more glasses; he was just too happy.

On Wang Xingguo's side, everyone drank a few more glasses because they were happy, but no one got drunk, because there simply wasn't enough alcohol for everyone to get drunk.

Wang Xingguo took a stroll around and found that Malan Town in December had improved considerably compared to the most difficult time last year.

The transportation of supplies allocated from the mainland has gradually stabilized, and the situation of untimely delivery of food rations is no longer as serious as it was in the previous two years.

In the autumn, the officers and soldiers harvested a lot of vegetables for cellar storage, and the "scientific research beans" allocated by Marshal Nie to various military regions were also continuously transported to ensure that scientific researchers could use them to supplement their nutrition.

However, a large number of frontline workers still need to live in dugouts, and a few still need to live in tents, because the construction of adobe houses is still not keeping up.

Moreover, although the coal supply has improved, everyone still needs to burn it sparingly, since the winters here are too cold.

The water supply situation has improved somewhat, but it is still mainly brackish water, and taking a bath is still a luxury at the Malan base.

But everything is getting better, and Wang Xingguo still remembers one thing.

When Premier Zhou Enlai returned from his visit to Asia, Africa and Latin America at the end of the year, he would pass through Urumqi and specifically call on the Xinjiang Autonomous Region to provide full support for the material supply of the Malan base. Subsequently, Xinjiang would allocate more materials accordingly.

So things will get better here next year.

In the distance, soldiers were singing "Unity is Strength" as they worked. Wang Xingguo smiled, returned to his assigned dormitory, smoked a cigarette with his colleagues, and then fell asleep.

The next morning, Wang Xingguo got into the car, wrapped his cotton coat tightly around himself. He didn't always sit in the passenger seat; he often stayed in the truck bed with the soldiers.

The wind was exceptionally strong today, and everyone ate sand the whole way. We returned to Daheyan at nine o'clock in the evening and learned that the train back to Beijing wouldn't be until tomorrow afternoon. We then checked into a guesthouse.

The next morning, Wang Xingguo went out to buy sheep again, and then brought a fat sheep back to the guesthouse. He discussed it with the people there and offered them a high price to provide rice so that they could cook a big pot of hand-pulled rice for the comrades as an extra meal.

He handed the national grain coupons he had saved to Liu Mingqi, a clerk, whose eyes welled up with tears.

Because everyone knows that his family is from northern Sichuan and is still struggling this year, he saves up his compressed dry rations and uses his monthly salary to exchange for national food coupons to send home.

There was no other way; his hometown was in a mountainous area, and he had six younger siblings who were still minors. Their area wasn't a plain, so recovery was slower.

Patting Liu Mingqi on the shoulder, Wang Xingguo comforted him, "Alright, don't be like this, men. Everything will be alright. When you no longer need to support your hometown, just treat me to drinks when you have a salary. I'm not like you guys; my wife has a salary, and mine is so high that I can't possibly spend it all."

Liu Mingqi nodded emphatically. He wasn't good with words, so he would just keep everyone's help in his heart.

Wang Xingguo said loudly, "Comrades, you've all worked hard. I've arranged for you to eat with your hands. Remember to come with me to get your lunch on time. If I don't bring you, people won't know you're my people."

"That's great! It's so awesome working with Section Chief Wang!"

"Hey, this is the second time I've eaten hand-grabbed rice with Section Chief Wang."

"If you ask me, the comrades who went to Yecheng with Section Chief Wang had the best time. I really envy them. Many of them have killed enemies and made meritorious contributions."

Everyone started discussing it happily, and Wang Xingguo was also quite pleased.

He doesn't lack money now. In fact, after going through so much, he no longer has any obsession with money.

Of course, the 380 kilograms of gold in this space alone could be converted into tens of millions of dollars in modern society, making him completely financially free!