The people walking with a limp towards the valley, bringing three others with them, were none other than Company Commander Zheng Sanpao and his men. They all looked gaunt, their faces sallow, and their gait suggested varying degrees of leg or foot injuries. The most severely injured among them had lost an arm.
When they reached the hill before the valley and looked down, they were all stunned by the bustling scene before them! They stared wide-eyed into the valley.
In the valley, where the land had only just begun to thaw, more than a dozen machines were already busy with spring plowing and planting. These machines, each with its specific task—deep plowing, fine harrowing, ridging, ditching, sowing—created a scene of intense activity.
The men exchanged glances, then looked in unison at Commander Zheng. Zheng extended a large hand, adjusted the brim of his cap, and chuckled, "Old Qi, Little Zhang, Little Du, I never knew farming was done with machines in the valley. The ground has only just thawed, so I guess they're planting spring wheat this early."
Zheng Sanpao's guess was correct. Although the land had only begun to thaw, everyone in the valley, eager to make up for lost time, was indeed sowing spring wheat.
The vast fields buzzed with the roar of machinery and the turning of earth, presenting a fervent scene of labor.
The middle-aged man referred to as Old Du by Commander Zheng was roughly the same age as him. He was gaunt, very thin, and had lost an arm.
Old Du asked in a low voice, "Old Zheng, you were right. This place is truly remarkable, like a hidden paradise! No wonder it's so hard to find. Sigh! Old Zheng, tell me honestly, those fine grains that Xu Mingxuan managed to get back for our seriously wounded soldiers, were they..."
Commander Zheng raised his hand to stop Old Du. Old Du immediately understood and said no more.
Although all four men had suffered significant leg injuries, their long years of marching and fighting meant they still walked at a brisk pace. Soon, the four of them descended into the valley. Ru Yi, who was working on the spring wheat fields, spotted them. Having met Commander Zheng at the border camp, she recognized him instantly. Filled with emotion, Ru Yi shouted, "Commander Zheng is back! Commander Zheng has returned alive from the battlefield!"
The valley echoed with the response: "He's back alive! He's back!"
The more than a dozen agricultural tractors immediately stopped. The women, young and married, disembarked from the multi-functional tractors and rushed towards Commander Zheng. Yanzi, now fifteen years old, ran at the forefront. Without even clearly seeing who had returned, she cried out from a distance, "Big Brother, Big Brother!"
When Yanzi reached Commander Zheng and looked closely, she realized none of the four were people she knew, and her own Big Brother, Er Zhuang, was not among them. Her eyes welled up, and she began to cry.
The four men were taken aback. Ru Yi quickly explained, "Commander Zheng, this is Er Zhuang's sister, Yanzi. She thought her brother Er Zhuang had returned with you. She got her hopes up and is a bit overwhelmed."
Hearing this, Commander Zheng quickly comforted her. "Sister Yanzi, please don't cry. So you're Er Zhuang's sister! When we were hiding in foxholes on the battlefield, he always talked about you, saying you were sensible and thoughtful, that you cared for your mother since you were young and helped her with chores. I never imagined you'd grow into such a young lady."
Old Qi, who had been listening for a long time, saw that Commander Zheng hadn't gotten to the main point and that the girl was anxiously crying. He quickly interjected, "Your name is Yanzi, right? Please stop crying. Your brother is fine. He and Political Commissar Xu Mingxuan had separate matters to attend to, so they didn't return to the valley with us this time. Don't worry! They'll both be back soon!"
Hearing Old Qi's words, Yanzi's tear-reddened eyes widened, and she asked eagerly, "Is that true? My Big Brother is really okay! My Big Brother is still alive? Thank you! For telling me this good news! That's wonderful! I need to go tell my parents right away."
Before she finished speaking, she had already run off swiftly.
By then, the news of people returning to the valley had spread throughout the entire valley. The elder, hearing the news, emerged from her vegetable garden and was hurrying towards them.
From afar, the elder saw Commander Zheng and, with tears in her eyes, asked, "Sanpao! You're back? Where is my Mingxuan? Why didn't he come back with you? Is he...?"
This time, Commander Zheng dared not delay and answered directly, "Auntie, don't worry! Mingxuan is fine. He's alright. He has other tasks to attend to, so he didn't return to the valley with us this time."
Hearing Commander Zheng say Xu Mingxuan was unharmed, the elder's worried heart finally settled. She then quickly greeted the others. Commander Zheng introduced them to the elder, "Auntie, allow me to introduce you. These three are my comrades from the same battlefield. This one, about my age, is Qi Shengli. This one is Zhang Dalei, and that one is Du Jiang."
The three men saluted in unison, "Hello, Auntie! We've come to the valley and may cause you trouble."
The elder looked at their gaunt, haggard faces and waved her hands repeatedly. "What are you saying? Now that you're here in the valley, we're all family. Don't be formal with us. You are all heroes who defended our country. After fighting for so many years and returning alive, you are truly blessed. You all look so thin; you must have suffered greatly. Sanpao, let's go back, and your mother-in-law and wife will prepare a feast for you heroes returning from the battlefield."
She then prepared to turn and lead the four men back.
At this moment, Commander Zheng couldn't help but ask anxiously, "Auntie, are my wife, mother-in-law, and children doing well?"
The elder smiled and said, "Sanpao! Whether they are well or not, I truly don't know. Since you're back now, you can go and see for yourself. Your wife Sun Xiaomei and your mother-in-law are both excellent cooks. Your mother-in-law is now in charge of the valley's large kitchen, and your wife Sun Xiaomei manages the valley's food processing cooperative. What do you think? Your two sons, Datian and Xiaotian, are now in the fifth grade at the valley elementary school. Your youngest daughter, Baomei, is in the first grade along with our twins."
Commander Zheng repeatedly exclaimed "Good!" after hearing the elder's words.