My Military Career in a Parallel World

Chapter 252 Return home!

"Master, please pull over for a moment. I'll change my clothes in the car."

The vehicle stopped at the roadside at the entrance of the village. Jiang Chen greeted the taxi driver and took out the camouflage training uniform that he had specially kept for bringing back from his backpack.

In fact, if possible, it would be most appropriate to wear casual clothes now.

However, there is no other way. His original service uniform has already been handed in, and the new service uniform will not be issued until the military academy. For the time being, he can only use the training uniform as a substitute.

Fortunately, although this coordinated training uniform has been worn for some time, the army clothes are of good quality and look relatively new.

The stitches and seams on the clothes, which were left rough to prevent people from recognizing them, were tidied up before he returned, and from a distance they looked almost new.

In fact, Jiang Chen had some vague guesses about the owner of this suit.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be so cautious.

Jiang Chen was changing his clothes in the back seat. The driver was a little impatient at first, but when he saw that he took out a military uniform, he immediately put on a smile.

"Little brother, are you a soldier?"

"Yeah, I just joined the army last year." Jiang Chen answered casually.

As mentioned before, Jiang Chen's hometown is an old revolutionary base area, and many people join the army every year. The driver obviously knows some rules in the army. After hearing what Jiang Chen said, he subconsciously murmured: "You served as a soldier last year, why are you back now?"

Then, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind. When he saw that the military uniform Jiang Chen took out did not even have a military rank, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous and thought, "Could this kid in front of me be..."

After all, Jiang Chen was a scout who had participated in combat, and he often used the dream space to hone himself through actual combat.

Always being alert to the surroundings has become part of his instinct. The driver's sudden silence, combined with his previous mutterings, made Jiang Chen immediately realize what he was thinking.

While stuffing his changed clothes into his backpack, Jiang Chen smiled and explained, "Master, don't think too much. I'm being promoted to military school, and the army has given me a month's vacation."

As he spoke, he patted his camouflage uniform and said, "If he was really a deserter, he wouldn't dare to walk around in this uniform."

After hearing what he said, the driver came to his senses, his face turned red, and he quickly waved his hands to explain: "Hey, little brother, what are you thinking!

Our X County is a place with a red revolutionary base, and there are no cowards among the young men who come out of our county! "

Perhaps in order to increase the persuasiveness of his words, the driver suddenly had an idea and remembered that the county had come to Linjiagou to present a plaque to a hero, so he immediately changed the subject and talked about this matter.

"You don't know, there is also a young man in your village who just joined the army. He hasn't even passed the recruit company yet, but he has already won a second-class merit.

Last year, a county leader came to present a plaque. It was such a great scene that they walked for several miles with drums and gongs. Even reporters from TV stations came to interview us..."

As he spoke, the driver's voice gradually became quieter for some reason.

He is not a fool. There is no such coincidence in the world.

Linjiagou, just joined the army last year, promoted to military academy...

Jiang Chen's words just now flashed through his mind, and the driver obviously understood what was going on.

After zipping up and buttoning his pants, and adjusting his hat, Jiang Chen listened to the driver's increasingly low voice and the changing expressions on his face. He smiled and said, "Master, here's the fare. Can you help me open the trunk?"

"Oh...okay..."

The driver obviously hadn't come to his senses yet. He subconsciously agreed and pressed the button to open the trunk.

The taxi driver didn't come to his senses until Jiang Chen walked past the driver's seat carrying something.

"Hey, I can't take credit for it..."

Before the driver could finish his words, Jiang Chen interrupted him with a smile: "Driver, the army has rules that we don't take anything from the people. You just said that our county is a revolutionary base, so we have to do this even more!"

After watching Jiang Chen leave, the driver turned his head and looked at the sixty yuan on the side. He muttered quietly: "I should be considered to have been blessed by the hero. From now on, I can brag more when I drink."

The taxi driver restarted the car, turned the steering wheel, smiled, stepped on the accelerator and the car disappeared at the end of the road.

……

After putting on the military uniform, although without the military rank, Jiang Chen's every move subconsciously became disciplined.

According to military regulations, soldiers are not allowed to wear military uniforms unless they are on official business, and can only wear casual clothes.

However, the enforcement is not so strict. As long as it does not cause any adverse effects, there is nothing wrong with going out in military uniform.

In fact, most of the time, even if you ask people to go out in military uniforms, many people will not be happy about it.

There is no way. As long as you put on the military uniform, no matter where you go, you will immediately become the focus of everyone's attention.

Every move must strictly abide by the military regulations and must not discredit the army in front of the people.

It's really tiring to have to hold it all the time.

Of course, Jiang Chen doesn't need to worry about these issues.

However, although he had no military rank and others probably wouldn't really treat him as a soldier, Jiang Chen still subconsciously maintained the qualities that a soldier should have.

This is the self-awareness of being a soldier, and has nothing to do with whether you have people or military rank.

The reason why Jiang Chen changed into military uniform before returning home was naturally to give his parents and grandfather a surprise.

But he knew how devoted his old man was to the army.

According to the memories left by the original owner, his father and uncle were trained by his grandfather since childhood in the same way as training new recruits in the army, otherwise they would not have such a strong rebellious mentality.

It is even more impossible that the two brothers ran away from home together to avoid joining the army, and were almost beaten by the angry old man on the spot...

"Hey, look at that guy in camouflage uniform, is he Uncle Jiu's grandson?"

"Tsk, he looks quite similar, but Uncle Jiu's grandson is weak and frail, not as strong and dark as this one."

"Hey, are you stupid? If you don't look stronger and darker after joining the army, it would be a waste of time. This must be Uncle Jiu's grandson!"

Walking on the country road, the villagers on both sides saw Jiang Chen, who was wearing camouflage uniform and carrying large and small bags, coming over. Some of them whispered and talked, while others tentatively stood up and walked over to say hello.

"Are you the guy who built the country?"

"Uncle, it's me!" Jiang Chen nodded in agreement.

"Haha, I knew it, good boy! You didn't bring shame to our Jiang family, and you didn't bring shame to your grandfather!" An old man who looked to be in his sixties or seventies patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder and praised him.

"Second Uncle, my grandfather and the others..."

"They are all at home. Why? Didn't you say hello to them when you came back?"

"Haha... Isn't this just a surprise for them?"

Putting the things in his hand on the ground, Jiang Chen casually took out the cigarettes he had prepared long ago from his pocket and handed them to the uncles and uncles who were around.

It's not a good cigarette, it's just the Frosted Monkey cigarettes that cost ten yuan a pack in Qin Province.

However, for the old people in the village, a five-yuan bottle of Monkey King is considered a high-end, good-quality cigarette, and they can only smoke it when there is a wedding or funeral in the village.

They usually smoke cigarettes that cost two or three yuan or simply smoke dry tobacco leaves.

Cigarettes that cost ten dollars are all good cigarettes.

"Why are you back at this time?" Jiang Mingcheng asked, taking the cigarette and putting it between his ears.

Jiang Chen did not hide anything and told the general story of how he was promoted to the military academy due to his meritorious service.

“Well, that’s a good thing!

It just so happens that your grandfather... Never mind, you should go back and ask him in person!"

As he spoke, Jiang Mingcheng waved his hand and asked the villagers who had gathered around to disperse.

"Okay, stop coming closer, didn't you see that he was carrying something back?

We haven't seen each other for over a year. Let him go home first. We can talk about it later if there is anything else."

After doing all this, he turned to Jiang Chen and said, "Go back quickly and make Brother Nine happy!"

"Hey!"

Although he had some doubts in his mind, Jiang Chen did not say much. He agreed, picked up the things on the ground and walked towards home.

Like most rural areas today, Linjiagou has mostly elderly people and children remaining in the village, while the young people either go out to work or go to school.

It is summer vacation now, and occasionally you can see a few young men around 15 or 16 years old who are in high school.

However, the original owner's presence in the village was not strong.

After all, most of the time is spent on studying.

So, even if they met them, they would at most look at them curiously and had no intention of coming over to say hello.

Along the way, we met many villagers who had just returned from working in the fields. The older ones were called grandpa and grandma, and the younger ones were called uncles and aunts.

Finally, the familiar Tumen Tower came into view.

In their previous life until they crossed over, their home remained the same as it is now.

A dilapidated earthen gatehouse, three large cave dwellings in the backyard, and two tiled houses outside.

Walking closer and standing under the gatehouse, Jiang Chen looked up at the obviously wiped-off plaque of the second-class hero hanging on the wall. He put down the things in his hand, straightened his military uniform, reached out and gently pushed open the wooden door.

"Grandpa, Mom, Little Sister, I'm back!"

Jiang Chen came back at just the right time.

My mother came back from working in the fields and was preparing dinner.

Jiang Chen's younger sister Jiang Anan was lying in front of the TV, waiting for the Big Windmill program which was broadcast every afternoon at 6 o'clock before the news broadcast began.

As for the old man, he should have just returned not long ago. After dinner, he would watch the news broadcast to learn about national affairs, and then it would be time for him to go back to his room to rest.

The creaking sound of the wooden door and Jiang Chen's shouting mixed with various complicated emotions immediately attracted the attention of the people in the yard.

Although the old man is old, his ears are not deaf at all.

After a moment of hesitation, he stood up and walked out of the yard with his crutches.

Then, there came the cry of surprise and a bit of childishness from the younger sister Jiang Anan, and finally, it was the voice of the mother Zhang Cuilian, mixed with surprise and sobs.

"elder brother!!!"

The little girl shouted and trotted over.

Jiang Chen reached out to catch Jiang An'an who rushed over, rubbed her little head and said affectionately: "Little girl, I haven't seen you for more than a year, did you miss me?"

Jiang Anan, who was already fifteen years old and in high school, shook her head to get rid of the big hand on her head, turned around and hugged Jiang Chen's arm, looking at the snack packaging vaguely exposed in the plastic bag in her hand, her big eyes curved into crescent shapes.

"Of course I do. You don't know, ever since you left, my mom has been staring at me all day. I'm almost annoyed to death by her..."

Although the Jiang family is a bit poor, they are never vague when it comes to their children's education.

If it were other families, like Jiang Chen's family, most likely both parents would go out to work and earn money, but in the Jiang family, only Jiang Chen's father went out, and his mother stayed at home to take care of the whole family.

In addition, Jiang Anan's personality is a little eccentric and her academic performance is far from as good as the original owner, so it is normal for her to be nagged.

"Haha, I don't know you yet?"

Jiang Chen smiled and reached out to pinch his sister's little face.

"Okay, stop looking. This bag of snacks is specially bought for you, a little greedy cat. There are also clothes, school bags and some stationery next to it. They are all yours..."

"Wow! Bro, you're the best."

-

"Xiaochen!"

"Chenchen!"

While the brother and sister were talking, their grandfather and mother also came over.

"Grandpa, Mom, I'm back."

After Jiang Chen chatted with his daughter-in-law for a few words, Jiang Weiming walked to Jiang Chen on crutches.

He first looked Jiang Chen up and down, then forced a smile on his wrinkled face and said, "Well, not bad, you look a bit like a soldier in this outfit!"

"Come on, salute grandpa!"

"Yes!"

Jiang Chen straightened his back, stood at attention and saluted the old man with a standard military salute.

The afterglow in the sky had not yet faded, and the dim sunlight shone on his body. Looking at his grandson in military uniform, Jiang Weiming laughed out loud:

"Haha, great! This is my Jiang Weiguo's grandson!"

After more than thirty years, the old man finally mentioned the name he had used for almost forty years.

Jiang Weiguo.

Jiang Weiguo who defends his country!

……

In the evening, because of Jiang Chen's sudden return, his mother added two more dishes and was busy at the kitchen stove.

Jiang Anan sat in front of the TV, watching cartoons while eating the snacks that Jiang Chen bought for her from the county supermarket.

As for Jiang Chen and the old man, the grandfather and grandson did not go into the house, but just sat under the walnut tree in the yard.

Jiang Chen talked about his experience in the army, and the old man listened quietly without interrupting.

"Well, now is not the same as before. Knowledge is the basis. It's good to go to a military academy. It's good to go to a military academy..."

After listening to Jiang Chen's narration, the old man was moved and couldn't help but think of his past.

In his era, in the words of Baldy's officers, the Eighth Route Army, from soldiers to officers, was a bunch of peasants.

This is indeed the case. After he joined the army, the two regiment commanders before and after him were both illiterate peasants...

After recalling the past, the old man stood up, stared at Jiang Chen and said softly: "Xiao Chen, since you have decided to stay in the army, it's time for grandpa to tell you some things."

Just as the old man said before, he would only tell Jiang Chen about the past when Jiang Chen told him in person that he wanted to stay in the army.

"Let's go back to the house with Grandpa!"

"Hey."

This time there was no crutches. Jiang Chen wanted to go forward to support him, but the old man pushed him away.

As Jiang Chen hurriedly trotted to catch up, he became more and more excited about the old man's past stories.

The original owner had lived with the old man since he was a child and was used to it so he didn't feel anything. However, Jiang Chen, a time traveler, was different.

Having completely accepted the original owner's memories, he had already noticed some unusual characteristics on the old man.

Nonsense, if a veteran who came back alive from the war didn’t have a story behind him, that would be a problem!

……