r18novel Page 11
Page 11
Perhaps it was a deliberate arrangement by the Liu family, but the engagement banquet was not a large affair.
Wu Shuang understood that the situation on the battlefield was unpredictable, and if the Liu family made the engagement banquet too big, it would be bad for Liu Fei if something unexpected happened.
Xiao Fang didn't say much. His fiancée was already so wonderful; if he said anything more, he wouldn't be human.
So, at the Liu family home, Liu's father hired a chef from the state guesthouse to be the head chef.
The three elders, Liu's parents and Wu Shuang, along with Zhao Mengsheng and his wife, Pei Yihong, Liang Sanxi, and the Qi family of three, a total of twelve people, witnessed this rather simple yet extraordinary engagement banquet.
Liu Fei was wearing a red dress and had put on makeup, which stunned Xiao Fang.
The two young men toasted all the guests present.
Liu Zhongming patted Fang Zhenhua on the shoulder and said earnestly.
"Be sure to stay safe on the battlefield and come back safely."
"Yes, Chief."
"What should you call me?"
Liu Zhongming was all smiles; he was extremely satisfied with his prospective son-in-law.
Upon arriving in front of the Qi family of three, the clever little Qi Tongwei immediately called out.
"Uncle, Aunt."
Liu Fei blushed deeply, and good-natured laughter filled the living room.
Fang Lan didn't say anything to Fang Zhenhua, but instead looked at Liu Fei and said...
"Feifei, you are a blessing to our family. Zhenhua was able to marry such a wonderful girl as you. I... I don't have anything to give you."
After saying that, Fang Lan took out a piece of red cloth from her pocket, opened it, and found a jade bracelet inside.
“This bracelet was left to me by my mother. It was passed down from my grandmother to my mother. It’s our family heirloom. I’ve been keeping it safe for Zhenhua all these years. Now I’m giving it to you. If Zhenhua ever dares to bully you, just tell your sister. I’ll definitely stand up for you.”
Fang Lan's words not only received a silent nod of approval from Liu's parents, but also a secret cheer from Wu Shuang.
For Fang Zhenhua, his elder sister was his true mother; without Fang Lan, he wouldn't have lived this long.
Therefore, Fang Lan's statement actually signifies the Fang family's attitude.
After Fang Lan finished speaking, she looked at Fang Zhenhua and said.
"Be careful on the battlefield, Feifei is waiting for you at home!"
Fang Lan felt a deep affection for her younger brother, whom she had raised single-handedly, no less than that for Qi Tongwei.
Although he's called my younger brother, he's practically like a child I raised myself.
You should know that Fang Lan was only eleven years old when her parents passed away. If it weren't for the help from the people in her hometown village, neither of them would have survived.
Even so, the hardships faced by an eleven-year-old girl raising her infant brother are unimaginable.
After the engagement party, the two young people should have been able to live together, but Fang Zhenhua, for Liu Fei's sake, didn't cross the line.
Liu Fei naturally understood his meaning and was genuinely moved.
Three days after the engagement banquet, Fang Zhenhua and his four companions prepared to board a military aircraft and return to southern Xinjiang.
Liu Fei couldn't resist any longer, so she came to see him off.
When saying goodbye, she finally couldn't control her emotions; after all, she was just a young girl in her early twenties.
She hugged Fang Zhenhua tightly, tears streaming down her face.
"You must come back safely, or I will haunt you even as a ghost."
Fang Zhenhua patted Liu Fei on the back, then reached out and gently pushed her away, pinching her nose as he spoke.
"Comrade Liu Fei, you are also a Party member. How can you believe in these superstitious ghosts and monsters? I must severely criticize you for this."
Liu Fei was amused by his words, but Xiao Fang still spoke solemnly.
"Please rest assured, Comrade Liu Fei, I will definitely protect myself on the battlefield and will never let Comrade Liu Fei be a widow."
With a soft "pfft," Liu Fei smiled beautifully and gently tapped Fang Zhenhua's chest.
Stop being silly, everyone's watching!
At this moment, Jin Kailai couldn't help but join in the commotion.
"I say to my two leaders, the plane is about to take off."
Zhao Mengsheng, Liang Sanxi, and Lei Kaihua burst into laughter.
Liu Fei blushed deeply, but she still helped Fang Zhenhua straighten his military uniform.
"be careful."
After tidying up her red makeup and military attire, she filled her military canteen with water and her eyes filled with tears.
On this journey to the southern border, amidst the flames of war, kapok flowers accompany the fluttering battle flags.
Chapter 15 The New Company Commander
Military aircraft are much faster than trains, which shows how urgent the war in southern Xinjiang is.
Fang Zhenhua and his comrades were transferred to the 126th Regiment this time, with the purpose of recaptureing Kouling Mountain, an important mountain in southern Xinjiang.
The meaning of Kouling Mountain is that it is the tomb of the enemy.
In 79, the 14th Regiment of the 313th Division of the Monkey Army seized the main peak of Kouling Mountain, which is the 1705 Height. The terrain is extremely steep, the mountain top is narrow, and it is covered with wormwood.
It's easy to fall into the valley because you can't see the road clearly. The valleys below are full of thorns.
On the main peak of Kouling Mountain and the eight connected peaks, the enemy built more than 500 crisscrossing reinforced concrete fortifications, as well as various overt and covert bunkers.
Countless landmines were buried in front of the position, and firing points were arranged layer upon layer in narrow places and on the hilltops.
According to the enemy's plan, they wanted to create a comprehensive firepower system that combined overt and covert operations, connected top and bottom, interconnected inside and outside, and intersected from both sides.
The monkey went even further, boasting that our army would not be able to take Kouling Mountain in less than three years.
The military region was furious and decided that they had to retake Kouling Mountain, destroy the monkeys' stronghold, and let them know who the real father was.
When the year 1981 arrived, on January 27, the military region officially decided to assign the task of recapturing Kouling Mountain to the 126th Regiment.
This 126th Regiment was the same army where Lei Zhen was stationed. Fang Yingda took office as the division commander of the unit.
After Fang Zhenhua and his team returned to southern Xinjiang, they immediately received orders from their superiors.
Liang Sanxi was appointed as the battalion commander of the first battalion, Zhao Mengsheng as the political instructor of the first battalion, and Jin Kailai as the deputy battalion commander of the first battalion.
Fang Zhenhua became the company commander, with Lei Kaihua as his deputy.
Promotions on the front lines during wartime are common, not to mention that Fang Zhenhua and his colleagues also have military academy experience and each of them has a first-class merit medal.
The First Battalion was the main force that attacked and recaptured Kouling Mountain.
After becoming a company commander, Fang Zhenhua began to assemble the entire unit.
The company has three infantry platoons, one artillery platoon, and the company headquarters, totaling 136 people.
This is the organizational structure of a main force company. If it were a regular infantry company, there probably wouldn't be a weapons platoon.
The artillery platoon has six 40mm mortars, divided into three squads, and two 60mm mortars, divided into two squads.
In front of all the officers and soldiers of the company, Fang Zhenhua hung the Second-Class Hero Medal and the First-Class Merit Medal on his chest.
"My name is Fang Zhenhua, and I am the newly appointed company commander of our company. Our company's only task for the next three months is to actively prepare for war."
"All commanders train alongside the soldiers. The more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in wartime. Do you all understand?"
The entire company of officers and soldiers shouted loudly.
The sound was deafening, but some people didn't take it seriously.
A new company commander who wants to quickly win over the hearts of all the officers and soldiers in the company needs to have sufficient abilities.
The discipline and organization of our army are beyond question; soldiers obeying the commands of their commanders is the norm.
But beyond passing, there is excellence.
This requires the company commander to use his brain.
Fang Zhenhua's choice was to treat everyone equally. Soldiers had to undergo combat readiness training, officers had to participate, and he, as the company commander, had to lead by example.
So, over the next three months, a common scene appeared at the company's base.
Whether it's cross-country running, push-ups, parallel bars, or even live-fire shooting, Fang Zhenhua's figure can be seen everywhere, and his achievements are unparalleled in the entire company, making all the officers and soldiers in the company admire him.
In his final 5-kilometer armed cross-country training exercise, Fang Zhenhua achieved a time of 15 minutes and 38 seconds, breaking the record that had stood for 17 years in the entire army.
This record was set by a remarkable individual during the all-army skills competition in 64.
Liang Sanxi and Zhao Mengsheng reported the record to the division. Fang Yingda rubbed his eyes, still somewhat incredulous. After repeatedly confirming it, Fang Yingda burst into laughter.
This student always brought him different surprises. Fang Yingda reported it to the military, the military reported it to the military region, and finally it went all the way to Beijing.
At the last minute before the battle, Fang Zhenhua broke the record, which greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers, so headquarters made the final decision.
In recognition of Comrade Fang Zhenhua's significant contributions to military training, he is hereby awarded the Second-Class Heroic Model Medal, and this award is hereby announced to the entire army.
On April 30th, the company began to assemble, with all officers and soldiers carrying combat equipment, ready to depart at any time.
On May 1st, the First Company, together with the regimental headquarters, a part of the 125th Regiment, and the division's artillery regiment, departed from Bengu County and headed to the Mengdong area.
At 8:30 p.m. on May 6, the First Battalion split into three groups and, under the cover of darkness, set off towards the main peak of Kouling Mountain.
The mountain path was difficult to traverse, and the dense forest was so dark that nothing could be seen. In order to achieve the effect of a surprise attack, the soldiers could only hold hands and carefully move through the dense forest.
Many soldiers fell down, but immediately got up. Some fell into ditches several meters deep, injuring their arms and twisting their legs, but they didn't utter a sound. They climbed up, gritted their teeth, and caught up with the troops.
During this night march, the battalion marched for a full eight hours, and finally each unit arrived at the attack point of Hill 1705 according to the designated route and the prescribed time.
Fang Zhenhua led his men to lie in ambush, and Lei Kaihua quietly moved to his side and asked in a low voice.
"Company commander, how should we fight this battle?"
Fang Zhenhua had already rolled up the sleeves of his military uniform. He held the binoculars in both hands and looked in the direction of Kouling Mountain.
"Our company's combat mission is to be the main attack."
As he spoke, he pointed ahead.
“按照任务部署，我们需要拿下13、14、15、16、17、18这六个高地。”
"The enemy's defenses must be extremely tight. From the binoculars, the mountain is steep and the mountain path is difficult to traverse. If we don't make tactical preparations in advance, once we charge up, if the enemy's resistance is too strong, it will not be easy for us to break through on such a narrow mountain path."
Lei Kaihua, who was also holding binoculars, agreed with Fang Zhenhua's analysis after observing it.
"Then what do you think?"
“Hill 14 is the easiest to take, but Hills 13 and 15 are connected, so my idea is to concentrate our forces to take Hill 14 first, and then focus our attack on Hills 13 and 15.”
"Then how to fight?"
"We can't just charge in recklessly. The regiment has reinforced our company with a batch of heavy firepower. My idea is to concentrate all the 82mm anti-tank guns, 40mm guns, heavy machine guns, flamethrowers, and demolition charges, and give the enemy fortifications on the two hills a good beating."
Lei Kaihua listened quietly to Fang Zhenhua's words, and after a long while, he finally spoke.
"I can see it."
After speaking, Lei Kaihua took out his binoculars to observe the enemy situation, and then added a little while later.
"Given how monkeys behave, they must have planted landmines on the mountain road."
Fang Zhenhua observed through the binoculars for a while, then offered his own countermeasures.
"Use explosive charges to clear the obstruction."
"Also, Hill 16 is right next to Hill 15. In my opinion, during the attack, we should infiltrate and take Hill 16 to completely cut off the enemy's retreat and annihilate them on these four hills. After that, we can clear Hills 17 and 18."
"This time I'm in charge of the spearhead platoon. Kaihua, the 82nd Infantry Squad is your responsibility. Be careful this time. If there's any sign of misfire, lie down immediately. Enemy bullets don't have eyes."
Having been tempered by the last real combat experience, Lei Kaihua is no longer the rookie who just went to the battlefield.
He has become more mature.
"Company Commander, don't worry! I'll be careful this time. But isn't it a bit dangerous for you to lead the elite platoon?"
"The instructor also needs to organize other soldiers to attack. No one in the company is more suitable to lead the spearhead platoon than me. Our company must show the spirit of steel blades. No matter how strong the enemy's fortifications are, we must break through them in one go."
Fang Zhenhua's combat skills are evident to all, and Lei Kaihua cannot think of any objection.