Jiang Chengzhou was stationed in a cat-ear dugout on the forward high ground.
Here, the temperature swung drastically between day and night, and the entire mountain remained shrouded year-round in thick white mist that never seemed to lift. Only around noon, when the sun was at its strongest, did the temperature rise slightly.
At night, cold wind carrying dampness seeped into their bones. Even in their thick padded military uniforms, they were always chilled through.
The Vietnamese forces fired harassing mortar rounds and sniper shots every day, and they had to patrol the defensive positions at least twice every night.
Jiang Chengzhou and his comrades had endured a month and a half in the dugout. At last, they were able to rotate out and rest in the rear halfway down the mountain.
Jiang Chengzhou had just finished his shift and reached the mountainside when a dense burst of gunfire erupted behind him.
It was coming from the direction of the dugout they had just left!
He exchanged a glance with his comrades, grabbed his rifle, and raced back.
In July, a major battle had broken out here. The Vietnamese military had sent six regiments in a mass counterattack. The fighting had lasted fourteen hours in a single day. Although their side had won, hundreds of officers and soldiers had been killed.
When Jiang Chengzhou first arrived, the entire defensive position had been scorched earth, littered with shrapnel. They had also been responsible for gathering the bodies, a task that had left them heartsick.
The Vietnamese forces had suffered heavy losses as well. That was why they had now resorted to firing scattered mortar rounds and sniper shots day and night. The slightest lapse in caution could mean being ambushed by one of those surprise attacks.
Jiang Chengzhou had guarded the position for more than a month without encountering a single one. He had never expected to run into one during a shift change.
The exchange of fire lasted only a little over ten minutes. The enemy was driven back, but several comrades had been shot and were seriously wounded.
The reinforcements arrived soon afterward.
They were all highly trained soldiers. They immediately split into two groups: one continued tracking and monitoring the enemy, while the other quickly bandaged the wounded men’s injuries to staunch the bleeding, then dragged them down the mountain.
When they reached the medical station in the rear, Jiang Chengzhou carried one of his comrades on his back and shouted, “Doctor! Someone’s been shot!”
A doctor in a white coat immediately rushed out of the tent. “This way. Bring him in!”
“Shen Man?”
Jiang Chengzhou and Shen Man stared at each other, both momentarily stunned. Neither had time to say anything more.
“Hurry. Get him inside.”
Shen Man lifted the tent flap and directed them to place the wounded soldier on the wooden operating table.
Jiang Chengzhou and the others withdrew outside the tent to wait.
It was nearly half an hour before Shen Man emerged with her instructor.
“The bullet has been removed. Now we have to monitor him for postoperative infection.”
Rain was falling outside. Jiang Chengzhou stood beneath it, his padded military uniform already soaked through.
Fine droplets clung densely to his thick black brows. Jiang Chengzhou narrowed his eyes as he gazed toward the dim trenches in the distance, his jaw tense while rainwater streamed from his temples down his cheeks.
Shen Man sighed. “Jiang Chengzhou, come with me.”
Shen Man’s tent was small, but compared with the soldiers’ communal barracks, the doctors’ accommodations were already considered comfortable.
There was only one camp bed inside. The table and stools had all been cobbled together from wooden planks.
Outside the tent, a rain tarp had been rigged into a simple awning. Beneath it lay a small bundle of firewood covered with plastic sheeting to keep out the damp.
Shen Man poured him a cup of hot water and pressed it into his hands. “Your clothes are soaked. Take them off for now.”
Jiang Chengzhou answered with a quiet “Mm” and removed his drenched padded jacket.
Underneath, he wore only a sleeveless undershirt, which clung tightly to the broad, solid lines of his shoulders and back, outlining the muscles forged through years of training.
“Tsk.”
Shen Man rummaged through her trunk for a long while before pulling out a slightly thicker cardigan and tossing it to him. “Put this on for now. Don’t catch a cold. There’s no medicine here for you to take.”
Medical supplies were in short supply at the front, and priority had to be given to the seriously wounded.
Jiang Chengzhou smiled and tossed the cardigan back. “No need. I’m covered in sweat and mud. I’ll dirty your clothes.”
Shen Man had no choice but to fetch some firewood and start a fire. Unfortunately, she was still unfamiliar with such chores, and after several attempts, she still couldn’t get it going.
She looked up and saw Jiang Chengzhou watching her, amusement dancing in his eyes.
Shen Man angrily threw the matchbox at him. “What are you laughing at? Come start the fire already.”
Jiang Chengzhou chuckled and squatted down to light it.
The fire caught quickly, dispelling some of the dampness.
Jiang Chengzhou added another piece of wood to the flames and frowned. “Weren’t you supposed to be studying in the capital? What are you doing in a place like this?”
Shen Man draped his padded jacket beside the fire to dry and said nonchalantly, “The newspapers said the fighting had intensified. Our school was asked to select medical personnel to form a mobile field medical team. I volunteered, got chosen, and came here. That’s all.”
Jiang Chengzhou exhaled a breath of cold air. “If you can apply to go back, you should do it as soon as possible. This isn’t a good place.”
Shen Man said nothing.
Everyone knew this wasn’t a good place. But doctors were needed here, and someone had to come.
If other people could come, so could she.
When Shen Man remained silent, Jiang Chengzhou grew agitated. “Do your parents know you came here?”
“No.” Shen Man looked up at him in return. “Do your aunt and uncle know you came here?”
“Hey.” Jiang Chengzhou laughed in exasperation. “I’m a soldier. I have to obey the army’s orders.”
He paused, then continued, “My aunt and the others probably don’t know. I’ll write them a letter later. They shouldn’t be able to guess.”
Shen Man let out a long sigh.
Jiang Chengzhou furrowed his brows. “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
Shen Man reminded him helplessly, “You used to call them every time. If you suddenly write a letter, who wouldn’t know something was wrong?”
Jiang Chengzhou realized it at once. “That’s true. Do you think my aunt has already guessed?”
Shen Man shrugged. “Probably.”
The two of them fell silent.
After a while, Shen Man spoke. “Jiang Chengzhou, I feel like you’ve changed a lot.”
The Jiang Chengzhou of the past had been direct and passionate, brimming with youthful confidence. No matter what happened, he carried himself with an unshakable certainty. He lived openly, boldly, and vividly.
Shen Man had once envied him for that.
But now, it seemed as though an unshakable weariness and heaviness weighed upon him. His eyes were veiled by gloom and confusion.
“Shen Man, will the men who were shot today survive?” Jiang Chengzhou suddenly asked.
Shen Man pondered for a moment. “We’ve already contacted the field hospital to come for them. Once they reach the hospital, their chances of survival will be better.”
Jiang Chengzhou gave a bitter smile. “You see? How could I not change? The first person I met after coming here was a young soldier. He was only seventeen. He was shot and killed while fetching water.”
Before coming here, Jiang Chengzhou had mentally prepared himself for the brutality of war.
But when someone he knew died right in front of him, his first reaction had been numbness, a dull refusal to register what had happened. Only afterward came the grief.
From then on, whenever he heard gunfire or explosions, whenever he saw a stretcher, his heart still clenched.
In class, his instructors had gone over tactical engagements and clashes between enemy forces countless times. Before arriving, he had even imagined himself fighting heroically, charging into battle.
At that time, death had been no more than an abstract, distant word to him.
Jiang Chengzhou still had ideals, and he was not afraid of sacrifice.
