As soon as Lao He said this, the table became quiet.
Zhao Xin looked at Lao He and Qin Fei with a pair of shocked eyes.
After a long time, Zhao Xin suddenly laughed loudly: "Old He, are you making an international joke!"
He pointed at Qin Fei.
"He is about the same age as me. I am a retired first-class non-commissioned officer. He is probably in his twenties. How is that possible!?"
No wonder Zhao Xin was surprised.
This is a peaceful era, where can the war come from? If it is the armed police, there may be a chance to carry out some anti-terrorism missions, but the army? That is simply impossible.
The sharpness in Lao He's eyes suddenly faded and became cloudy again.
"Ah... maybe I guessed wrong. Come on, let's have some food. Today, it's rare to see you two veterans eating here together, so I invited you to this meal. It's so late, and there's not much business.
Let's just have a few drinks and chat with the new soldiers and veterans. I haven't chatted with my comrades in a long time."
Qin Fei knew very well in his heart that Lao He saw through but did not tell the truth.
Maybe he also guessed that Qin Fei was not an ordinary soldier. As a veteran, he was more sensitive to a certain extent. Maybe he guessed Qin Fei's special identity and knew that he couldn't talk about it.
"No, no, no, I'll treat you to this meal." Qin Fei said with a smile: "There's no reason for veterans to invite recruits."
Lao He thought for a while, but didn't insist. The three of them picked up the wine glasses and clinked them heavily.
"Why cheers?"
"For..." Zhao Xin tilted his head and thought: "For those green years!"
Lao He thought for a moment and said in a deep voice: "For those... for those soldiers who are sleeping on the battlefield for the sake of the Republic."
"For sacrifice." Qin Fei nodded.
After drinking, Qin Fei took a bite of food and asked: "Old He, which army were you originally in?"
"Old He? He is a hero!" Zhao Xin on the side spoke first: "He fought in southern Xinjiang. In 1984, he was the first batch of troops to fight in the two mountains. He was a third-class hero."
As he said that, he looked at Lao He's legs.
"His leg was injured at that time."
"Don't brag to me." Old He rolled his eyes at Zhao Xin, but it could be seen that he still liked Zhao Xin quite a lot.
Turning to Qin Fei, Lao He said: "I was a member of the 1st Battalion and 2nd Company of the 119th Regiment in 1984. Later I was injured in the battle at Zheyin Mountain, so I was sent back to the rear for treatment. After I recovered from the injury, I retired. Then I made arrangements in my hometown.
I joined a state-owned enterprise, but I didn't expect to be laid off again in the late 1990s. I have been working since then. After the child's mother passed away two years ago, I came to the city where her university was located and opened a small restaurant, which was considered a break from the child.
It’s closer and easier to take care of.”
Lao He spoke in an understatement, as if decades had passed by in one stroke, but Qin Fei could still smell the vicissitudes and hardships involved.
After losing his wife, being laid off, working part-time, and opening a restaurant, for a disabled hero, there seems to be no equal sign between effort and gain.
His heart trembled slightly.
"Old He, I want to ask you something..." Qin Fei picked up his wine glass, "Before I ask, I want to toast you because you are a hero."
Lao He picked up the cup and drank it down with Qin Fei.
"What kind of hero..." Lao He shook his head and said: "I am not a hero. Those comrades lying in sleep in Malipo Cemetery are heroes. Compared with them, who am I?"
Qin Fei nodded silently and said, "Do you regret it?"
"What regret? Why regret?" Lao He looked at Qin Fei: "Maybe some people think that I am not worthy. Just like in this peaceful era, many young people think that soldiers are fools, and they do not admire soldiers as much as they did back then.
They feel that being a soldier is a waste of time and is not worth it. If you have time to serve as a soldier to defend the country, it is better to go into business and make money. There is no need to work hard for the country. They think this is a 'smart' approach, but
But they overlooked one thing.”
"Which point?"
"Do you still remember that song sung in the army?" Lao He asked.
"Which one?"
"Speak from your heart." After Lao He said this, he began to sing softly.
…
Say something from your heart
I miss home too,
The old mother at home has a head full of white hair
Say something from your heart
I have love too
I often miss (that) her in my dream, she in my dream
Come on, come on, since I'm here to be a soldier
Come on, come on, you will know that you have great responsibility
If you don’t carry a gun, I won’t carry a gun.
Whoever protects our mother will protect her
Who will defend her——
As soon as Lao He sang, Zhao Xin and Qin Fei couldn't help but sing softly.
Xiaoyan was at the checkout counter and saw her father's face filled with a rare youthful atmosphere. He looked more than 20 years younger. It was as if this simple song brought her father back to his former youthful self.
Time and military years.
She smiled, turned around, opened the computer behind her, selected the song, and played it.
A familiar melody floated throughout the restaurant, and Qin Fei's heart seemed to drift along with the song, returning to those passionate years.
"Brother, only a country has a family!" Lao He patted Qin Fei on the shoulder, "If there hadn't been those 'idiots' fighting for their lives when Japan came over, and there wouldn't have been the sacrifices and sacrifices of those 40 million compatriots.
If the country is really destroyed, how will our life be better under the rule of others? Will others regard us Chinese as human beings? I am not going to be a soldier to fight, not to get promoted and get rich. In a big way, I am doing it for
country, in order to defend my own stable life, from a small perspective, I still want to protect my own home."
"Lao He, how are you doing now?" Qin Fei asked.
Lao He said: "It's not bad, the business of the small restaurant is not bad..."
"Everything is fine except for those bastards!" Zhao Xin glanced at the door of the private room, "It would be better without these scum!"
"Where are there no bad people?" Lao He said with a smile: "Strictly speaking, these people are not bad people, they are just a few bastards who took advantage."
"Hmph!" Zhao Xin looked annoyed, "I owe more than 10,000 yuan for food, and you are running a small business!"
Just as he was talking, the door of the private room opened, and seven or eight security team members came out, chewing toothpicks and smelling of alcohol.
"Today's order will be placed in the village's account first, and then we will settle it together!" the leader of the team yelled carelessly.
"Huh?" Team Liu's eyes widened, "Old He, you are so shameless, aren't you!?"
The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
"You are so shameless!?" Zhao Xin slammed his chopsticks and banged them on the table. He stood up and walked to Lao He. He looked at several members of the security team and said, "It's a shame that you are still members of the security team and you have the nerve to do this.
What kind of thing? Do you know that Lao He was a hero in the war? When he was fighting monkeys in southern Xinjiang, you were not even born yet, so why are you pulling?!"