On September 3, Deputy Mayor Shen and two reporters from Linghai TV station took a plane and left first.
The reporters carried a lot of videotapes and films back to edit a comprehensive docuntary reflecting the flood relief efforts of Linghai soldiers. They planned to give each participating officer and soldier a flood relief photo album and a VCD, so they needed to prepare in advance.
Noon on September 4, the ergency rescue assault team gathered for a al, to be precise, they were having a farewell al.
Vice Army Commander Lu, Major General Jiang, leaders from the Naval Engineering College, leaders from the Changhang Bureau, Deputy Mayor Liu of Jingzhou City, and Commander Huang of the Jingzhou Military District all ca to toast the comrades and affirm their contributions in flood relief and rescue efforts.
Having fought side by side for more than a month, they were now facing separation.
Han Yu shed tears, as did Captain Peng, Political Commissar Yang, Old Ge, Old Wang, and Hao Qiusheng, Staff Dai, and others, while the officers and soldiers of the 132nd Regint 2nd Battalion wept bitterly.
The ferries and tugboats of the second detachnt were all local.
There were two water transportation detachnts in total. The fleets from Shuzhou, Zhangjia Port, and Jiangyin, which had previously transported rescue supplies, did not co again due to the subsiding of the Yangtze River's water level later on. The local vessels and crew truly assisted the Linghai Reserve Camp in rescue operations, all summoned by the Jingzhou Port Supervision Bureau.
The local crew mbers were equally reluctant to part and ended up crying bitterly while hugging Wu Hai Li, Gu Pengfei, Liu Wei, and others as they drank.
"Seeing off comrades, embarking on a journey, silently weeping, while the sound of cal bells rings in the ears! The road is long and foggy, partings are common in the revolutionary career, and each parting is with different emotions! Comrades, oh comrades, dear younger brothers..."
No one knew who started it, but everyone tearfully began to sing this heart-wrenching song.
In a few days, the 404th Division would also return to the camp, and upon returning, they would be sending off transferred cadres and retiring soldiers. The more Major General Jiang listened, the more upset he beca. Seeing the leaders of Jingzhou City talking to military commanders and leaders of the Naval Engineering College on the dam, he wiped away a tear and joined them.
Han Yu neither drank nor sang, finding the atmosphere of parting unbearable, and just when he was about to find an excuse to sneak away, Du Yuan suddenly squeezed in with a wine glass in hand, choking with emotion, "Secretary Han, I toast you, I'm downing it!"
The young man drank as he said, and it was clear that he swallowed not just the drink but the tears that had fallen in it.
Han Yu took a small sip of plum juice, patted his arm, and said, "Good, keep up the good work, you're welco to co to Linghai anyti."
"Secretary Han, I received my admission letter."
"Really, which military academy?"
"The Engineering Corps Academy, in Xuzhou City, Jiangnan Province. Secretary Han, is Xuzhou City far from where you are?"
"Not very close, but not too far either, should be reachable by car in a day."
"Then I'll co to visit during winter vacation."
"Sure, you have my phone number, rember to call ahead of ti."
"Yes."
anwhile, Master Dai, Staff He, and Li Shousong were toasting Old Ge.
Old Ge, a forr director of the Transportation Bureau seasoned by alcohol, though aged, had excellent drinking capacity, reputed to refuse no one.
"Ge Diao, if you co to Beihu again, be sure to give us a call."
"Absolutely. Though I haven't officially retired, I'm practically retired. I have plenty of ti, and I'll bring my wife along next ti, that is, the master's wife with the salted fish. I heard the Three Gorges Reservoir Area is soon to be flooded, and we won't be able to see it then, so we must co before it happens."
"Great, we'll et you and Auntie at the train station when the ti cos."
"Good, let's leave it at that."
Old Ge truly liked these three young n in front of him, and after so thought, he chuckled and said, "Speaking of the Three Gorges, I suddenly rembered sothing. The reservoir area of the Three Gorges is going to be flooded, and the more than one million inhabitants in the reservoir area will have to relocate. The superior is assigning Linghai to receive and resettle 200 Three Gorges immigrants, and the city has given the task to Secretary Wang and , so we'll have to co over later!"
Staff He instinctively asked, "Ge Diao, are you responsible for settling the Three Gorges immigrants?"
"I'm old, can't handle big tasks, only small ones like this, just taking the opportunity to bring my wife out."
"It's good to get out and see the great rivers and mountains of our country."
Dongdong had returned to the sandbag filling table.
Or rather, it wasn't a table but a circle sitting on the ground.
The officers and soldiers of the 2nd Battalion not only regarded him as a comrade but also as a younger brother, chit-chatting about their respective future plans.
"Dongdong, after I retire, I'm going to East Sea to work. When the ti cos, I'll find you and the platoon vice, you guys must help keep an eye out for good jobs."
"I'm going back to school and have to catch up with classes, so I don't think I can help much with job referrals, except to find Brother Wang."
"Pudong is undergoing major developnt, there should be work opportunities."
...
Zhang Jiangkun watched his son from a distance, showing a gratified smile.
This trip to Beihu wasn't in vain. His son had truly grown up and beco sensible, even helping with laundry in recent days, sothing unimaginable before.
Yang Daming felt equally uncomfortable and asked with a bitter face, "Master, are you really going to East Sea?"
"The whole family is moving, I have no choice but to go."
"What about us when you leave?"
"What do you an, 'what about you?' You've all established families and careers, not children anymore, do you expect to lead you?"
"I ant when you go to East Sea, who will take us out to do private work!"
"..."
"Master, we're just kidding. We have work to do. President Wang and Wu Heng told us they'd call when their shipyard is too busy. Master Sun also said they're often busy over at Cosco."
"That's right, nothing to worry about." Moving to East Sea for work and life, becoming an East Sea person, Zhang Jiangkun felt it was like a dream.
Zhang Erxiao and a dozen cooks from the cooking class were the last to "take their seats."
As soon as they sat down, a retired soldier from their hotown asked, "President Zhang, when are we going back?"
"We'll leave when the Port Authority's convoy arrives."
"The Port Authority's flatbed trucks can only carry excavators and loaders, they can't carry people."
"We'll take a boat back."
"Sit on a dunship to go back?"
"Not on a dunship, we're taking a passenger ship. The leadership at the Changhang Bureau arranged it this morning; Changhang Passenger Transport is resuming operations. The routes are both ways, and Hanwu has a passenger ship heading back to East Sea for preparations. The leaders at the Changhang Bureau are using this opportunity to arrange a ride back for us."
"Where to?"
"The Jiang Han passenger ship doesn't go to Bailong Port, it only stops at Binjiang, so we'll go to Binjiang first."
Zhang Erxiao took a sip of beer, thought for a mont, and laughed: "Secretary Han said this is best. We'll go back together, so that the old folks at ho won't have to welco us in batches."
A chef asked curiously: "How are the folks back ho planning to welco us?"
"Of course with a big fanfare, drum rolls and all. Let's not talk about this; let's talk about future plans. Brother Wu, what do you plan to do after you go back?"
"I don't know."
Wu Youming, a retired soldier from Bailong Port Village, put down the beer bottle, sighed and said: "You can get a job with just a high school education, even vocational school graduates can get placed. I can't bla others; I can only bla myself for not studying hard when I was in school."
Just as Wu Youming said, those rural soldiers who ca to help with the flood control efforts will be assisted by the city in changing their status from rural to non-rural and be placed in jobs if they have a high school education.
So will work at the Customs, so at the courts or the Procuratorate in Changzhou and Gaoru as contractual police officers, so are being assigned to the newly established Water Administration Enforcent Team at the Linghai Water Resources Bureau, while six of them with only junior high education have not yet been assigned.
Zhang Erxiao doesn't want his subordinates to have nothing to do and only work odd jobs after returning, so he mused: "Why not open a restaurant when I get back? Bailong Port used to be bustling, now the developnt zone has a lot of people, so a fast food joint would definitely have business."
"Opening a store is fine, but you can't do it without capital."
"Capital is no issue, I've got you covered! I'll provide the capital, if we earn it's considered loaned to you, if we lose it's on ."
"That's kind of you."
"We're comrades, we're supposed to help each other. What's there to be embarrassed about?"
Just as Zhang Erxiao finished speaking, President Wu walked over from behind with a smile and said: "Count in. President Zhang and I will provide the capital, and you can go ahead boldly. Open a store first in the Linghai Developnt Zone, and if business is good, we'll open a branch in the Binjiang Developnt Zone!"
"President Wu..."
"Sit, let's talk this over."
President Wu handed out a round of Zhonghua cigarettes, extrely spirited, saying: "Whatever the business, you build it slowly. President Zhang used to sell cigarettes, I used to run sales; I believe you'll be able to grow big and strong as well!"
While Zhang Erxiao and President Wu were helping the cook squad's reserve soldiers with ideas, Hao Qiusheng and Zou Xiangyu were also busy recruiting.
The Road and Bridge Company is about to expand its operations, needing workers who are willing to endure hardships, as doing engineering work with als in the wild is indeed tough.
A lot of soldiers from the 132nd Regint, 2nd Battalion have found jobs before even retiring and kept toasting the veteran platoon leaders of the "Hong Kong Garrison".
Captain Peng watched anxiously, muttering with a wine glass in hand: "Old Yang, these crafty fellows have lost their focus; these soldiers can't be led anymore. When we return, we have to straighten them out!"
Political Commissar Yang turned his head, saw this scene, and laughed: "Captain, I don't think it's a bad thing. Soldiers won't have to worry about joblessness after retiring, which ans they have no worries and can serve with concentration."
"At this point, we have no choice but to think that way."
...
Han Xiangng didn't want to be egged on into singing by a group of rookies, so she ran back to the dunship as soon as she finished eating and sat in Master Han's teorology room overlooking the dike.
Liang Xiaojun walked in holding a plate of sliced waterlon, asking: "What are you staring at foolishly?"
"Watching the commotion."
"Sotis crying, sotis laughing, it is quite hectic."
Han Xiangng picked up a piece of waterlon, took a few bites, and slyly asked: "Xiao Jun, did your hospital director call you?"
Liang Xiaojun sat down and said: "I don't have a cellphone, even if he called, I wouldn't be able to receive it."
"Our hospital leaders called , through Uncle Ge. Uncle Ge called to answer."
"Why are your hospital leaders looking for you?"
"Asking when I'm going back, saying they want to co pick up then." Han Xiangng giggled and continued: "We're fire-line party mbers now, so they told not to forget to bring the materials for becoming mbers back."
"Whatever fire-line mbership, the procedures still need to be done. Just held the party oath earlier, at most it's provisional mbership now."
"Many people can't even get provisional mbership."
Han Xiangng grumbled, then smiled proudly: "Our hospital director said when I get back, he's planning to make the head nurse of the third ward. They're even planning to invite my mom back for a flag-giving ceremony, having my mom pass the symbol of the third ward, the Red Flag, to ."
Mother-in-law used to be the head nurse of the third ward at the People's Hospital!
Liang Xiaojun understood and laughed: "Your hospital leaders really know how to plan, even intending to hold so handover ceremony."
"You're unhappy about becoming head nurse?"
"No, I'm very happy. Hello, Head Nurse."
"Stop kidding around, if you talk about being an official, Ningning is the most impressive in our family; she's got the potential to be a high-ranking leader, much more than San'er."
"San'er is also full departnt level now, they're on the sa level."
"It's different. San'er is just departnt level, Ningning is departnt position, an actual departnt chief, and she's been on it for several years."
Han Xiangng truly admired her elder sister, thought it over and laughed: "Ran into Weasel Huang the other day, he said Ningning is certain to be promoted to deputy section in two years."
Liang Xiaojun asked in surprise: "Promotion to deputy section in two years, really?"
"Why would I deceive you, you can ask dad, Weasel Huang told him personally, put dad in such a good mood he couldn't sleep well all night."
"Being a high-ranked official is natural for her, she can stay by the river for years; if it were us, we wouldn't stand for it."
...
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