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墨書 Inktalez
According to the planned deployment, each class was responsible for a section of the water channel. At the sound of a command, everyone quickly sprang into action, immersing themselves in the intense and busy labor. The excavation of the channel had strict specifications; some sections needed to be two meters wide, while others had to be dug to a depth of one meter. This made the construction quite challenging.
Particularly when encountering hard rocks or other tough obstacles underground, the task became even more difficult. Faced with numerous challenges, no one shrank back or felt discouraged; instead, they brainstormed and devised ways to overcome the difficulties, striving to accelerate progress and complete this daunting task as soon as possible.
Thus, everyone worked diligently, pushing forward along the water channel. Unbeknownst to them, time slipped by quietly, and no one could say exactly how far they had traveled or how much they had dug. It was only as the sun began to set that we joyfully realized there was just a small section of the water channel left unfinished. Do not underestimate this seemingly short distance; it required all of Company's efforts.
In this section lay two pig carcasses that had been dead for who knows how long. The stench emanating from them made it nearly impossible to approach. Additionally, due to the terrain, there was only enough space for a maximum of three people to work at a time, and machinery could not be used. Everyone racked their brains and finally came up with a plan: one person would tie a rope around the carcass while others pulled it up together. However, this method failed during implementation; after being dead for so long, the bodies had decomposed significantly, and any careless movement would cause parts to fall off. With no other options available, we resorted to the most rudimentary method—manual labor. Using every tool at our disposal, we formed groups of three and rotated shifts. Due to the overwhelming stench, we needed to switch out teams after working for a while. Everyone remained undeterred, and soon we managed to retrieve the first carcass.
However, when it came to the second one, we encountered another problem; it was larger and heavier than the first. Relying solely on tools was insufficient. While we were still brainstorming strategies, another team member jumped into the foul-smelling ditch that was about a centimeter deep in murky water. Seeing this ignited everyone's enthusiasm; they immediately began lifting the carcass with their bare hands. Even when filthy water splashed onto their clothes and faces, they paid no mind. In no time at all, they managed to pull up the second carcass as well. The group erupted in cheers as if they had achieved a great victory, their faces smeared with grime yet radiating satisfaction. That moment of joy felt incredibly pure.
During our downtime from disaster relief efforts, we also participated in some professional training; learning how to roll was an essential skill for us. Behind our school was a large grassy area where on that day with fewer tasks, our instructor took us out back to practice rolling techniques. After teaching us the key movements, he divided us into groups for practice. A Yu seemed particularly excited; whether he hadn’t listened or thought he knew better was unclear, but during the first exercise he ended up with a nosebleed which startled us all. The squad leader quickly took him aside to stop the bleeding. Although rolling looks impressive, it can actually be harmful to the body; some comrades who trained too hard or didn’t focus properly ended up with bruises all over. So we advised everyone not to imitate recklessly.
Before long, we reached the midpoint of our disaster relief mission where we were tasked with clearing a very long water channel that hadn’t been used in quite some time. The mud inside was about a centimeter deep but that day everyone worked efficiently and by noon we were almost done. Just as we were tackling the last small section, I looked up for a drink of water and noticed white smoke rising from across the mountain. I asked A Yu if there was a fire over there; he couldn’t tell either and ran off to report it to Company Commander. To our surprise, right after he communicated this information we received orders from higher-ups to assist in firefighting efforts.
At that moment, Dongfeng Truck, which was delivering our lunch arrived just in time. Everyone quickly packed up and boarded the truck; lunch was placed in the center while we stood around it in a circle—everyone was hungry but no one ate because of the urgent mission ahead. Upon reaching our destination without uttering a word or taking a bite of food, we filled our water bottles and grabbed firefighting tools before following Company Commander into the mountains.
Upon arriving at the first fire point—having never seen a Mountain Fire before—I realized how terrifying disasters could be; everywhere around me were sounds of wood cracking as it burned. The flames reached heights equivalent to two stories and thick smoke made it extremely difficult to open my eyes while also irritating my breathing and causing me to cough uncontrollably. Fortunately, some of our more experienced squad leaders shared their knowledge with us and soon we managed to extinguish it.
After putting out one fire point, we climbed up mountainsides to check on other fire points before descending again; I lost track of how many mountains I climbed or how many fire points I extinguished until finally our designated area was mostly cleared out. However, due to prolonged hunger and lack of water, each one of us felt particularly exhausted. While searching for our rendezvous point with Local Government, we walked into a forest where fruits littered the ground everywhere. I didn’t know what they were—some looked like sweet potatoes but had white flesh inside—resembling snow lotus fruit yet I wasn’t sure. Everyone eagerly picked them up to eat; I did too after seeing others enjoying them—they were very sweet and juicy! In my life until then I had never tasted anything so delicious; however, just as I started eating a few bites I stopped because since these were wild fruits without any safety guarantee for consumption.
Finally reuniting with Local Government, they provided us with delicious meals and bottled water. After eating, we rested on a grassy slope while watching friendly neighboring troops come and go; thinking about returning soon to warm beds brought immense joy! Just then Company Commander received orders stating that due to many uncertainties remaining, higher-ups required us to stay behind for mountain patrol duties instead.
In an instant everyone slapped their foreheads in unison; though somewhat reluctant as soldiers it is our duty to obey orders so we continued on—brushing off dust from ourselves before regrouping for departure. Due to significant temperature differences between day and night combined with strong winds on the mountain at nightfall—and having not brought any supplies while executing other missions—Company Commander contacted stationed comrades asking them to send over coats via vehicle.
We only wore military coats while seeing neighboring troops arriving with blankets and bedding which made us envious! We chose an open hollow area as our spot for staying overnight while duty personnel sent several people out gathering firewood for warmth but that night none of us could sleep well—huddled together seeking warmth from each other hoping this night would pass quickly.
As dawn broke after breakfast when receiving confirmation from higher-ups that it was safe now—the excitement from yesterday faded away as everyone silently packed their belongings waiting for departure. After brief communication with Local Government, we boarded Dongfeng Truck heading back to base where everyone immediately fell asleep regardless of how winding or bumpy the road was—finding comfortable sleeping positions even snoring away!
After an arduous journey filled with hardships—we finally arrived back at base looking utterly exhausted yet gleaming with victorious spirits in our eyes! Just as there was time left for us to wipe away dust from our faces—we eagerly gathered by colorful flowerbeds outside school.
Sunlight bathed us in golden rays while gentle breezes carried fragrances of flowers and fresh grass through this vibrant scene where we quickly lined up ready for an extraordinary group photo.
As soon as the shutter clicked time seemed frozen—the lens captured every smile and silhouette preserving our day-and-night struggle along with triumphant moments forever.
In that photo though slightly disheveled—with dirt on clothes and hair askew—the resilient spirit shining through alongside joy after overcoming challenges spoke volumes! This picture not only witnessed tough times shared together but also became an invaluable memory etched deeply along our life’s journey.
Before long it was time for departure—we gathered all supplies cleaned up thoroughly before boarding Dongfeng Truck back home along route gazing outside at once barren rice fields now lush green expanses—the channels we cleared transformed into crystal-clear streams while Uncle Farmer busily tended their work brought forth indescribable feelings within me.
Arriving at district square—a brief farewell ceremony held by government officials—we set off back towards our unit amidst crowds lining both sides of streets waving goodbye—students government staff spontaneous citizens all wore joyful expressions! I felt immense gratitude towards those who cared for us during this period—both government officials and locals alike—every mission saw villagers offering us water food warmth during visits shopping in town always selling goods at discounted prices—this truly exemplifies camaraderie between military personnel and civilians!
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