Chapter 12#

Commander Chu and General Huo#

After the headquarters was moved to a bunker in a corner of the playground, Chu Xun was about to call for the fight to start when Chuanwu held his shoulder from behind and squeezed it.

This person took out a peach pit, which had been hollowed out with a small knife to make a whistle. Huo Chuanwu used the slingshot he usually played with, pulled it into a posture of drawing a bow and nocking an arrow, narrowed his eyes, pursed his lips tightly, and snap—

Chu Xun turned his head, his mouth opening into an O shape, watching Chuanwu release his fingers. His eyes looking diagonally ahead were dark and calm, and his thin eye corners threw out a trace of elegant spirit at the moment of release…

The whistle was like a sounding arrow, extremely clear and melodious as it cut through the sky.

As soon as the signal was given, whistles burst out from several different directions at the same time. It was Chuanwu’s buddies responding to him with whistles, launching the attack!

When had Chu Xun ever seen this?

Today he finally saw what kind of style the young General Huo had when fighting with people on the battlefield.

The so-called sounding arrow was a routine used by bandits handed down from the Republic of China era. Once the sounding arrow was fired, it was a signal for ambush. The ambushing horse bandits would charge up with guns and knives, with bells tied to their horses’ necks. Therefore, horse bandits were called “Xiangma” (Sounding Horses). Moreover, the term “Xiangma” originally originated from Shandong, the birthplace of bandits. In ancient times, there were Qin Shubao and Song Gongming, and later Zhang Zongchang and Sun Meiyao. The various fierce bandits and Xiangma who roamed outside the pass during the Republic of China were mostly Master Huo’s fellow villagers.

A ripe tomato flew into the playground with a whistle, splat, splashing red soup all over the ground within a radius of three feet, opening the prelude to the battle.

The children from the ministry compound were playing ball on the playground. They didn’t expect to be ambushed, and it was an encirclement by several groups of people echoing each other from front and back. Their position was thrown into chaos at once.

At that time, when children fought in groups, who had ever seen such strategy and tactics, making a feint to the east and attacking in the west, advancing secretly, and charging from ambushes on the left and right wings? That group of bratty kids from the ministry compound was caught off guard, unable to attend to both head and tail. They were smashed in the face with tomatoes, and then outflanked by Vice General Shen leading troops, their buttocks hit by rubber bullets one after another.

Shen Bowen lay behind a sand pile by the playground, shooting. Rubber bullets couldn’t hurt people, but they hurt quite a bit when hitting the buttocks and legs.

They also had slingshots, and everyone had a pocket full of empty bullet casings, a specialty of the compound. Kids not from the military couldn’t get these.

Chu Xun calculated too accurately. That group of children indeed wanted to flee into the corridor, planning to run into the unit door, close the door, and resist the counterattack. Just as they ran to the door, a water bomb from inside covered their heads and faces, soaking them all over…

The water bomb was a secret weapon invented by Commander Chu. Chu Xun made bombs using a faucet with a rubber hose connected under the wall. He took food plastic bags from the compound canteen, filled them with water, tied the bag openings, and handed them to Chuanwu.

Chuanwu took the weapon, leaped out from behind the bunker, took two steps for a run-up, lunged, and threw his right arm dashingly and vigorously…

Water bombs were very powerful in gang fights, beating the opponent breathless. It was autumn, the heat had passed, and the weather was turning cool. The ice-cold tap water just taken from the water pipe poured in from the collar of the autumn clothes, making the whole body shiver and howl. The one who got hit was the leader of the children from the ministry compound, a hooligan named Hou Yiqun.

Chu Xun crouched behind the bunker, grinning, cheering for Chuanwu: “Good hit, fuck them!”

Chu Xiaoer was actually very shrewd, cunning as a thief. He never went into battle himself for this kind of gang fight. Every time, he commanded Adjutant Shao and Vice General Shen’s group, while he hooted and shouted from behind. After the fight, the group of people were covered in dirt, looking like painted melons, but Chu Xun alone was clean from head to toe, his small parted hair shiny, and no dust on his leather shoes, very beautiful.

Huo Chuanwu only wore a thin shirt. His clothes and pants were wet. He wiped his face, water dripping from his chin, his chest heaving.

The two put their heads together, hearing each other’s excited panting in their chests, burying their heads to fill water, having great fun.

Chu Xun said: “I’ll throw one for them.”

Chuanwu said: “I’ll throw. You have too little strength, can’t throw far, will throw it on our own position.”

Because of the excitement of the fight, Chuanwu’s face was red, his dimples deep, his eyes black and bright. He held the water bomb: “Watch, I’ll smash a far one for you to see…”

Chu Xun squatted on the ground, craning his neck to watch. Chuanwu’s shirt was soaked, sticking to his body, revealing his wheat-colored skin. The belt was tied on his hard waist. He took a run-up, the trailing leg exerting force to show muscle lines. His figure was both solid and flexible. Chu Xun watched intently, feeling that the little General Huo under the commander’s tent had only four words when fighting—really, fucking, handsome!

Huo Chuanwu threw a round of bombs, then picked up the gun, lay prone and aimed. His marksmanship was very accurate, one shot for one person, specifically hitting the opponent’s asshole, with vicious eyes and ruthless hands. A direct descendant of the division commander’s family, he had touched and played with guns since childhood, practicing target shooting in the army. He could shoot both fake and real guns. His skill was really not just talk.

Chu Xun didn’t care that his clothes were also wet, his wet hair messy. He picked up the rubber hose, the other end connected to tap water, and sprayed people with this end of the water hose, playing crazily…

Commander Chu became famous in one battle.

In this battle, the children of the military compound won a complete victory, beating the opponent into fleeing in panic. Several children were smashed to tears by water bombs, wiping tears as they went back to get reinforcements.

A group of older children from the ministry compound ran out carrying sticks.

Seeing this, Chu Xun hurriedly whistled to call his companions, run! (Retreat)

Having fought to their heart’s content and taken enough advantage, the group ran away as fast as they could, with people chasing them with sticks behind.

At this time, Chu Xun couldn’t care about Shao Jun and Bowen. Escaping depended on individual ability. Everyone ran separately and scattered. Chuanwu pulled Chu Xun and ran for his life. Chuanwu ran fast, flying all the way, without letting go of Chu Xun. Fortunately, Chu Xun had changed into a pair of military trousers and sneakers, not wearing a suit to show off. Chuanwu’s face became redder as he ran, while Chu Xun’s face became whiter as he ran.

They ran towards the coal yard, taking a shortcut back to their nest.

At that time, inside the wall of the coal yard was a coal mountain made of thousands of tons of coal lumps and coal slag, which would be pressed into honeycomb briquettes in the factory building.

To escape, the two of them climbed over the low wall, jumped onto the coal mountain, and vaulted over from the middle. The two boys ran over the top of the hill with deep and shallow steps. Chuanwu was busy pulling Chu Xun behind him, and accidentally sprained his ankle, rolling down from the coal mountain. Chu Xun screamed, couldn’t hold onto him, and also rolled, unable to stand up, sliding all the way down…

Running on a coal mountain was very dangerous. Coal slag poured down like quicksand, easily burying two boys inside, losing their lives without anyone knowing. This was because the two little bastards back then were inexperienced, ignorant, and bold as thieves.

The two rolled all the way down, black all over, from head to toe, rolling into two lumps of black coal balls.

Running back to the compound in a wretched state, the sentry standing guard at the gate was startled, almost not recognizing that these two coal balls were the ancestors of Commander Chu and Commander Huo’s families.

The group chasing to beat them saw the PLA standing guard at the gate from a distance and knew they couldn’t catch them. They were exasperated and cursed across the street.

Chu Xun held Huo Chuanwu’s wrist and sneaked to a place behind the canteen where no one was around to hide. The two were out of breath from exhaustion, laughing so hard they couldn’t straighten their backs.

Chu Xun was proud: “Hahahaha, my water bombs were too fierce, beat them until they ‘peed their pants’!”

Chu Xun asked: “Hey, was it fun?”

Chuanwu also laughed, nodding sincerely: “Yeah.”

Rolled into smelly shit balls, they didn’t dare to go home. Going home like this was asking for a beating. They bent their waists and washed under the tap. The water was cold and stinging. Chu Xun shivered and kept shaking his hands, afraid of the cold. Chuanwu put his whole head under the tap to rinse. The water rinsing down was the color of coal slag. Water splashed down along his nose and eyelashes, flowing to his throat and down his chest.

Chu Xun reached out for a sneak attack: “It flowed into your crotch.”

Chuanwu blocked with his hand, tilting his head from under the water flow to glance at him. His thick eyelashes were full of water droplets, his eyes very bright.

“Oh my…”

Chuanwu covered his crotch and gave a low cry. The cold water really flowed into his crotch, chilly.

“Little willy frozen into a curling stone, right!”

Chu Xun laughed at the other party.

Chuanwu took off his incredibly dirty shirt over his head, bare-backed, and shook his hair. The ten-year-old man, not yet fully grown, had a slightly thin figure, his collarbones straight and powerful, making people feel at a glance that the bone structure of this child’s whole body was extremely tough. His flat lower abdomen and narrow waist were tucked into his trousers, with sharp lines.

His stature was not yet tall, and his muscles were not very thick, but the ten-year-old Huo Chuanwu clearly already had the temperament of a little man.

Little Shandong’s chest actually had contour lines. Chu Xun glanced at the two shallow small red dots on the other’s chest a few times, completely subconsciously comparing in his heart. Huo Xiaoer’s skin was not as white as his, but his figure was indeed stronger than his.

Huo Chuanwu rubbed his shirt, threw it in the water, unfolded it, found the only remaining clean white spot on the clothes, and leaned over: “Give me your face.”

Chu Xun’s face was so black that his features couldn’t be seen clearly, only a mouthful of white teeth remaining. He obediently presented his face to Huo Chuanwu.

Chuanwu used a corner of the clothes to wipe and rub for him, wiping off a layer of coal slag, revealing the little white face and a red mole again.

Chu Xun was overly excited just now and got a stitch in his side from running. He covered his stomach and slowly bent down.

Chuanwu reached out to rub his stomach.

Chu Xun blocked him, complaining: “Your hands are cold, are you icing my stomach?!”

Chuanwu rubbed his hands, kept breathing on them, afraid they weren’t hot enough, so he put his hands on his own belly to warm them up, and then covered Chu Xun’s lower abdomen to rub…

That night, the various groups ran back to the compound and went to their respective homes. Because they won the battle, the children in the whole compound couldn’t hide the triumphant air of a bandit army returning to camp after robbing homes, celebrating, dividing the spoils, and picking pieces.

Chu Xun was black all over and feeling guilty. He opened the door lightly with the house key hanging around his neck. As soon as the door opened, he lowered his head and bent his waist to sneak into the room.

“Little Xun?”

“…”

Chu Xun looked up and met Commander Chu, who was sitting upright on the living room sofa with angry eyebrows and cold eyes!

Commander Chu laid out the formation and calculated everything divinely, but he didn’t calculate that his dad was waiting for him at home.

This commander, fake and self-proclaimed, acting all high and mighty in front of his buddies, immediately withered upon seeing the genuine Commander Chu at home.

Why was Chu Huaizhi coincidentally at home? The father was still worried about that damn child because of the trouble Chu Yu caused. Having free time in the army, he came back to take a look and say a few polite words to the leaders of the guard company. Chu Yu had been very honest these days, leaving early and returning late every day just to hang out with his scoundrel friends at skating rinks, video halls, and billiard halls, without causing trouble. Commander Chu didn’t expect to bump into his younger son going out to fool around.

Commander Chu reached out and touched his son’s head, grabbing a handful of coal ash from the messy hair on top of Chu Xun’s head!

Actually, before Chu Xun even entered the house, the complaining phone calls had already chased to his home relentlessly, and his father answered them.

The one complaining was the family of the beaten child from the ministry compound, surnamed Hou. Someone recognized Chu Xun, Shen Bowen, and their “Three Young Masters of Yuquan Road” and called the parents directly to complain: Your child beat our child, beat him bad!

Chu Xun blinked in surprise and explained seriously to his dad: “Didn’t beat him bad. We used tomatoes and water bombs, so it’s impossible to beat him bad.”

Commander Chu poked his forehead: “Still talking?! When I’m not at home, you all fucking rebel.”

Commander Chu was really angry this time, staring at his son, unable to say a few words for a long time. He wanted to curse but found it hard to open his mouth, because he had never used those vulgar words on Little Xun.

In Chu Huaizhi’s heart, the status and affection for the two sons were definitely different. He strongly favored the younger one. The elder son was not born in a good year, coming into this world in the middle of the Cultural Revolution, deeply influenced by the turbulent, riotous, and distorted generation. His character and behavior were rude, his temper impetuous, and the things he did were simply silly and stupid, looking like a good-for-nothing in the future. The younger son was different, clever, calm and steady, with good grades in school, a “Three Good Student” every year, a student cadre in the class, wearing two stripes on his left arm, praised by everyone in the compound.

Such a well-behaved son, who did he learn from, going out to fight in a gang?!

Chu Yu leaned against the door of the room and chimed in: “Xun’er, went to fight? Beat up that bunch of little idiots from the Ministry of State Security compound?”

“Oh my, really capable, worthy of being my brother!”

Commander Chu’s eyes flashed sideways: “Roll back to your room.”

Chu Yu stuck out his tongue and drilled back into his room.

Commander Chu approached Chu Xun step by step, stared into his son’s eyes, and asked seriously: “Who did you take out to fight?”

Chu Xun pouted and said: “Jun-jun, Bowen…”

Commander Chu sneered: “Fighting three brothers, can’t break you three apart, really tight.”

“Who else?!”

Chu Xun: “…”

The light in the bottom of Commander Chu’s eyes was deep, pondering: “And that kid from the Huo family? You played together?”

Chu Xun: “Mm.”

Commander Chu said in a deep voice: “In the future, don’t mess around with the Huo family kid, don’t take him out to fight. Don’t let people say one day that my Chu Huaizhi’s son led his Huo Yunshan’s son astray.”

Chu Xun: “…”

If his Chu Huaizhi’s son got beaten by Huo’s eldest son one day, he wouldn’t care, wouldn’t bother. But Commander Chu absolutely could not tolerate his child provoking or leading the Huo family child astray one day, letting people gossip behind his back. Thinking about it, Commander Chu still felt awkward in his heart, but couldn’t explain it to the child. The dignity of a father, the face of a man, the competitive honor of a soldier…

Commander Chu changed the subject: “Water bomb—what is it? Who came up with it?”

Chu Xun puffed out his chest: “I invented it.”

Commander Chu bit the cigarette filter fiercely: “You are really capable.”

The next day, Chu Xun’s mother took him, carrying two cartons of Hilton cigarettes, to the Hou family in the ministry compound to apologize.

Children fighting is a trivial matter, but when the other party comes to complain, the conflict between children rises to the level of the family. Parents can only come forward to express their attitude, not to mention that the Hou family was not an ordinary family.

Chu Xun and his mother stood at the gate of the Hou family, and unexpectedly ran into the Huo family mother and son. Chuanwu’s mother also brought her son, carrying two bottles of Taishan Tequ liquor!

When the two sides met, it was quite awkward. Chu Xun’s mother nodded to the other party, and Chuanwu’s mother smiled reluctantly, hiding the two bottles of wine behind her back.

The Hou family was indeed arrogant. Their tone of voice was reasonable even when unreasonable, and even more unforgiving when reasonable.

“Our Qunqun’s butt was swollen by rubber bullets, face not looking like a face, butt not looking like a butt. What do you say we should do?”

“Our Qunqun had a fever when he came back, can’t even go to school!”

“Hey, why are two families here? Who exactly beat our Qunqun?”

“Who is the leader of your two families? Which one made the water bomb to hurt us?!”

Huo Chuanwu said in a rough voice in front of his mother: “I smashed it.”

Chu Xun looked at Chuanwu and said quickly: “I hit him.”

Hou Yiqun’s mother couldn’t care about face anymore, pointing at the two children in anger and asking: “You are too ruthless. How old are you children? Who did you learn from, so bad! Our Qunqun’s asshole was turned red by rubber bullets, swollen. Which of you two did it!!!”

Chu Xun and Huo Chuanwu both puffed out their chests with fearless spirit.

“I did it.”

“I did it.”

After answering, Chu Xun couldn’t help but “pfft” himself.

Aiming at the asshole so accurately, obviously, it must be Little General Huo who aimed. On this point, Commander Chu felt inferior.

Huo Chuanwu tilted his head, pursed his lips, unyielding rather than die, the posture of a tough guy. The young master beat your monkey child, so what? I admit I beat him. If you feel you suffered a loss, you have the ability to beat Master Huo back?

Chu Xun was not a fuel-efficient lamp either, and would absolutely not suffer a loss and admit defeat. Chu Xun was articulate, laying it out in front of the three families’ adults: “Hou Yiqun bullied the children in our yard first. He snatched our Lei Feng hats. He also snatched our ice skates last year, bought with dozens of yuan of pocket money saved up. He also stopped the girls in our yard on the road. Our girls ignored him, but he kept stopping them endlessly and wouldn’t let them go. He also…”

This and that, digging up old accounts and biting back with a pile of complaints. Chu Xun finally said: “Anyway, we just went to find Hou Yiqun to communicate about that hat issue…”

Hou Yiqun’s mother wasn’t having it, her voice shrewish: “Just a hat, what about it?”

“How much is a hat worth? How much is our child worth?”

“Took your hats and ice skates, wouldn’t it be over if we gave you money?”

Chu Xun’s mother and Chuanwu’s mother looked at Hou Yiqun’s mother coldly sideways. They didn’t say it out loud, but their eyes were clearly saying: Nonsense, then you give the money? Do you think our family lacks money? Our children are precious too. Coming to apologize to you is good enough!

…

The adults went into the house to talk, so the two children stood outside the gate as punishment, standing side by side against the wall, whispering to each other.

The Huo family was also complained against. Commander Huo also asked his son, “Who raised the flag and took the lead in the fight? Who came up with the water bomb?”

Commander Huo said almost exactly the same thing as Commander Chu: Xiao Wu, if you go out and fight with people, getting beaten bloody, I won’t care. If you have the ability, beat them as hard as you can. But don’t provoke the Chu family kid, don’t make their son wild.

Chu Xun asked Huo Xiaoer relentlessly: “Do you dare to say you took the lead in the fight?”

“In our compound, are you the commander or am I the commander? Do you have that prestige? Can you call our people? You’re just bragging.”

“You made the water bomb?”

“You dare to snatch mine? You’re just talking nonsense!”

Huo Chuanwu was scolded by Chu Xun for a few sentences, smiled, indifferent, shallow dimples appearing on his face.

Second Master bites you. Chu Xun hummed angrily. The two rolled their eyes at each other, glancing at each other from the corners of their eyes. Rough, heavy, desperately suppressed laughter came from the corridor.

Fought and got scolded, quieted down. But at that time, both of them secretly felt in their hearts that this fight was worth it. Really happy, really fun, beat them! Really satisfying!…