Chapter 784
Because we are the Chinese People's Volunteer Army!
Hu Xiaojiu hesitated for a moment before returning to Instructor Peng.
No, I didn't cry.
"She stuffed the last two hard-boiled eggs in the house into my pocket, so that I... could come back alive."
Instructor Peng's gaze darkened; the words "come back alive" carried a heavy weight.
He remained silent for a moment, suppressing a sigh that could dampen morale.
"Your mother is a good mother."
After saying that, he turned around, his previously gentle voice falling silent.
"Comrades, have you thought about this?"
"If we turn back today, enemy planes will be able to fly across the Yalu River with impunity tomorrow."
All the soldiers from the nearby Third Company looked over.
Instructor Peng, supporting himself on his knees, looked at each face that was still visible in the darkness.
"The bombs that land in North Korea today may land in Heilongjiang, Henan, or even on your own earthen beds tomorrow."
"By then, what difference will there be between your own mother and your own children, and that woman from the Northern Dynasty in the ruins?"
There is no difference, of course.
Instructor Peng brushed the frozen mud off his knees and stood up.
"My friend, you asked me what we're after by crossing this river. I'll tell you clearly now."
"Just so that our mother doesn't have to shield the child from a bomb."
"Just so our children won't have to cry barefoot amidst the rubble and broken walls!"
He raised his hand and pointed north toward the ruins of his mother's village.
"That Northern Dynasty mother couldn't protect her child with her bare hands."
"But we can!"
"On what grounds?"
"Because we have guns, because we're still standing here, because we're the Chinese People's Volunteer Army!"
These few words were nothing special, yet they made everyone around them breathe heavily.
Northern Dynasty mothers couldn't protect their own children, but they could!
One sentence was enough to ignite the passion of the soldiers in the Third Company.
Instructor Peng then scanned the young faces.
No one in this world is born to work for anyone else.
"We've traveled thousands of miles from home to this frozen land to endure the cold and bombing, not because anyone wanted to leave their warm home."
"I just want my family members who sew shoe soles behind me to get a good night's sleep!"
Tao Dayou's eyes reddened again. Instructor Peng walked up to him, patted Tao Dayou on the shoulder again, and praised him.
"Dayou, the fact that you felt a tightness in your chest when you saw the tragedy shows that you have a conscience."
"Only a person with a conscience deserves to carry this gun."
"What's the point of just squatting here feeling miserable? Hold onto this pent-up frustration and fight the tough battle ahead!"
"If we win the war, our children won't have to die so unjustly anymore!"
Tao Dayou suddenly stood up straight and answered loudly and restrainedly.
"Instructor, I understand!"
Instructor Peng's stern expression softened a bit, and he patted his arm again.
"If you understand, sit down and tie your shoelaces tightly. You have a long way to go later."
Without saying anything more, he led his guards across the dead branches and headed towards the company command post.
As Crazy Brother watched Instructor Peng's figure disappear around the corner of the woods, he couldn't help but nudge Eagle Eye's arm.
"Wow, that was an amazing mobilization effort."
"Especially that line, 'She can't protect her, but we can,' is so catchy!"
Hawkeye smiled noncommittally, after all, the political instructor was in charge of the company's ideological work.
They had rarely seen their instructor mobilize like this before.
After all, the veteran squad leader did most of the work that the elite squad and elite platoon had to do.
At this moment, Squad Leader Zhou walked over from the side with a bayonet in his hand and asked the group in a deep voice.
"Did everyone understand what the instructor said?"
"Why should we be at the forefront?"
The veterans and new recruits of the seventh squad stood up in unison and shouted back in hushed tones.
"Because we are the Chinese People's Volunteer Army!"
They have knives, guns, and fists; they can protect their children and families!
But then, suddenly, hurried footsteps came from the woods.
Instructor Peng, who had just left, was brought back by Company Commander Zhang.
"Pack your things!"
At Company Commander Zhang's angry command, the soldiers of the Third Company immediately sprang into action.
But it was unclear why Company Commander Zhang was angry.
Company Commander Zhang didn't mince words and started cursing right away.
"We just received an urgent telegram from the regimental headquarters!"
"Just yesterday, a bunch of scum from the 6th Division of the Southern Dynasty army made their way to Chushan on the banks of the Yalu River!"
Everyone paused for a moment.
Company Commander Zhang ripped open the top button of his collar, his voice even angrier.
"They were firing and shelling across the river towards our Andong and Ji'an areas! Many border residents were killed or injured, and their houses were destroyed!"
"The leading Southern Dynasty officer was still shouting on the riverbank, saying something like, 'Drink your horses into the Yalu River!'"
The dry ditch suddenly erupted, and the soldiers of the Third Company all turned pale.
Instructor Peng was just saying that if enemy bombs fell on our hometown...
Now, the enemy's artillery fire is truly hitting their own doorstep.
Previously, it was just enemy aircraft harassing them, but now enemy soldiers have all moved behind their lines!
Tao Dayou and his fellow soldiers from Northeast China panicked and quickly cocked their guns.
"This is outrageous! This is outrageous!"
"Drinking from the Yalu River? I'll make him vomit his guts out and feed them to turtles!"
The idea that war would spread to their homeland was never a hypothetical scenario for the Chinese side.
Because the allied powers never took China seriously.
Even a small country like the Southern Dynasty dared to plunder the borders of the Dragon Kingdom—did they really think the Dragon Kingdom's volunteer army was armed with fire pokers?
They wished they could rush along the riverbank right now and throw all those clamoring dogs from the Southern Dynasty into the water!
Company Commander Zhang raised his hand to suppress the angry curses around him and revealed that someone else was in charge of dealing with the brats.
"The higher-ups have given the 118th Division of the 40th Army a firm order: for the entire division to turn back and head north!"
"Even if we run until our legs break, we'll devour these scumbags, skin and bones, right here in Chushan!"
He turned around and pointed to the highway to the south, which was shrouded in dark clouds.
"The major battle on the western front is about to begin, and our 38th Army cannot fall behind!"
"The entire company prepares its equipment; we will depart in five minutes!"
"Yes!" the crowd roared in response.