White Olive Tree

Chapter 12

Chapter 12
Li Zan's dormitory is not big. Four people live there, with two bunk beds.  The army green quilt is folded into standard tofu cubes.  There are also two tables and cabinets and two chairs, and enamel jars and toiletries are placed on the windowsill.  The rest of the place was exceptionally clean and spotless. I didn't see a change of clothes, so they should have been stored in the cabinet.
Song Ran went to the boys' dormitory when she was in college, and it was full of mess and smell.  Now it seems that soldiers are really different, and discipline has penetrated into every aspect of life.
In addition to the faint smell of sweat, there is also a hint of soap smell in the room.
A sunset slanted in from the window and spread softly on the ground.
Song Ran stood on the other side of the sun, with an embarrassed expression and hair like a chicken coop, still dripping water.
Li Zan opened the drawer, and she took the opportunity to take a look. His military uniform was neatly folded, without a single wrinkle.  On it was a harmonica, a pen and a small notebook.
He took out a towel and gave it to her: "Wipe it off."
Song Ran hesitated.
Li Zan smiled: "New. Not dirty."
"No." She waved her hand quickly, and said somewhat cautiously, "I'm afraid that your towel will be dirty. You can just lend me a comb, and it will dry quickly."
He didn't force it either. He put the towel on the back of the chair, walked to the window sill, took out a small white plastic comb from the enamel jar containing toothbrush and toothpaste, and handed it to her.
The place where Song Ran was standing was already dripping with dots of water. She took the comb and walked to the door, turned her head out of the door with her back to him, combed her hair carefully and awkwardly, and the water droplets hit the ground densely.
She wrung out the water in her hair, and combed it once or twice to drain the water out as much as possible.  The weather in Jialuo City is hot and dry, and the hair will dry in a short time.
He glanced at her, turned sideways and folded the towel on the back of the chair and put it back in the drawer.
After she finished combing, she gathered her hair back to her shoulders, secretly wiped the water off the comb with her sleeve, and then turned around and returned it to him: "Thank you."
"It's okay." He took it over, glanced at the half-dry comb, and put it back into the enamel jar.  He stepped back to the chair and turned to look at her.
The two looked at each other and stood still for a second.
   "when did you come?"
   "when did you come?"
They were taken aback for a moment, and laughed embarrassedly at the same time:
"Last month."
   "last week."
Song Ran's face was a little red, and he pursed his lips and glanced at the vegetable field outside; he also stopped and waited for her to speak first.
Both of them were speechless for a while, separated by a warm sunset.
In the end, he resumed the topic and said, "Why did you come here? I thought your TV station only sent male reporters."
"Discriminate against girls?" She frowned.
"That's not what it means." He smiled softly, looking directly at her.  Although there is a gentle smile, the soldier's eyes are more or less sharp and bright like a blade.
She turned her eyes away, tugged at the wet ends of her hair, and said, "Reporter, don't you rush forward, do you run backward... What about you? How did you come here? I heard from Political Commissar Luo that the peacekeeping mission is a voluntary application  of."
"Soldiers, don't you rush forward, why don't you run backwards." He was indifferent, imitating the example.
The puddle of water in the mouth also completely evaporated.
She didn't want to stay any longer. She looked at the chickens running past outside and said, "You guys should meet again later. I'm leaving first."
   "Um."
"Thank you." She pointed to the window sill, "comb."
"You're too polite." He smiled again, showing his beautiful teeth.
Song Ran turned her head and went out the door. The silhouette quickly crossed the edge of the window, and then ran.
Li Zan walked to the door with her pockets in her pockets, and took a look. She ran faster than a rabbit, turned around the end of the barracks in the blink of an eye, and disappeared.
Song Ran flew across the corner in one breath, and then stopped to catch her breath.
She slowed down, adjusted her breathing, and as she walked, she suddenly patted herself on the forehead with her palm.
Song Ran's work backpack was still in Luo Zhan's office. She forgot to say hello when she went in to get it, and she was very preoccupied.
Luo Zhan just put down the phone. Seeing her like this, he knocked on the table.
She came back to her senses: "Political commissar!"
"What's wrong? Are you frowning?"
"No." She immediately stretched her brows and widened her eyes.
"Which short-sighted person has made you angry, tell me, and I'll let him go for a 10-kilometer run."
Song Ran chuckled: "No, I'm thinking about material selection."
"Oh yes, I was just about to tell you. Tomorrow, a small team is going to carry out the task of clearing mines. You follow."
   "OK."
Song Ran went out with a big backpack on her back. She just walked back and poked her head out: "Luo Zheng, can you really run 10 kilometers?"
Knowing that she was joking, Luo Zhan pretended to be stern and pointed at her twice.
She stuck out her tongue and smiled, and slipped away.
The power went out again in the early morning of the next day.
The room was so hot that Song Ran couldn't sleep well, and the alarm clock almost didn't wake her up.
When she put on her backpack and rushed to the station, the officers and soldiers of the demining team had already assembled on the military truck.
Song Ran flew over to say sorry for the long wait.
The team leader was surnamed Yang, and he reassured her that it would not be too late, and they were just getting ready.
"Get in the truck." Team Yang looked up at the soldiers sitting in the back of the truck, and said, "Give me a hand."
Just as Song Ran was about to climb up the truck, he handed down one hand, a black half-fingered combat glove, revealing a section of slender fingers.
She looked up. Li Zan was wearing a half mask, and his exposed eyes were bent towards her.
Song Ran handed over her hand silently, and that hand held her tightly and pulled her hard. She stepped on the bottom of the car and got on the car, and sat on the outside seat.
Before sitting down, Li Zan hunched over, pointed his chin inward, and said, "Sit inside."
Song Ran didn't understand why, but she still carried the backpack and moved her butt inside.  At this moment, the truck suddenly started to turn. Li Zan lost his footing, swayed, and suddenly leaned towards Song Ran.
Seeing that he was about to fall on top of her, he pressed his hands against the hood of the car and supported it with all his strength.  Song Ran turned her face away, and was surrounded by his arms, so frightened that she didn't even get angry.
The car was running smoothly, he sat back, and together with the comrades in arms opposite him, he fished out the truck fender and fastened it.
Song Ran's face was very hot, and he tried his best, but his heartbeat was uncontrollable.  Frustrated, she took out the mask and covered her face tightly.
She didn't look at him, but he actually sat beside her.
The road is broken and the car body is bumpy.  The arms and legs of the two inevitably touched.  Even through long clothes and trousers, she felt uneasy.
It's really terrible.
A few soldiers in the car closed their eyes and dozed off, probably because they didn't sleep well last night.  It was very quiet in the car, no one spoke.  Song Ran was also shaken so sleepy that he put his chin on the backpack and closed his eyes heavily.
Song Ran woke up when the car stopped.
Li Zan removed the truck fender and jumped out of the truck.  A group of soldiers filed down one after another, like dumpling.  A height of more than half a meter is no problem for them.
Song Ran walked to the side of the car, Li Zan stood down and looked at her, and said, "Leave it to me."
"It's quite heavy." She reminded softly.
He easily took it and put it at his feet, and asked, "Can I come down?"
"Yes." She squatted down and lowered her center of gravity to jump down. Seeing this, he still reached out to hold her elbow and supported it.
"Thank you." She fell to the ground and picked up her backpack.
They arrived at a village in the suburbs.
Some villagers fled.  Most people's ancestors lived here, and they were poor and couldn't leave.
At this time, the wheat in the mountains is ripe.  Large expanses of golden color cover the hills.  Several olive trees are dotted among them, like the watchmen on this land.
The minefield is in a depression in the mountainous area. A few days ago, a farmer stepped on a landmine while harvesting wheat, and a couple died.  It was buried when the rebels were repulsed, and the government troops were busy fighting, and no one cleaned it up.
The task of the small team is not to clear all the mines in the mountains, as that would cost too much work.  What they have to do is to open up a safe road for nearby residents, and put up danger signs in other places.
The soldiers took the detectors and quickly spread out on the hillside, inspecting the land inch by inch.