Heal These Battle Scars | MxM

Chapter Six - Jiangsu

The road leading down to Jiangsu's village... Or more like the route that led down to Nanjing where the soldiers from the nationalist government were stationed had countless rough patches, rendering the tiresome journey nearly unbearable for the soldiers from Commander Wang Yi's base. And despite the jeeps stinking with vomit from soldiers who couldn't control their stomachs, the trip down the rocky road continued, exhausting even the bravest of them.

Xiao Fang knew Commander Yi's Red Army wouldn't be given a pardon to pass through Jiangsu because recently, soldiers from the nationalist government seized control over the small village. A part of him — the rational part preferred the nationalist soldier had never seized the village to begin with. Because whether or not he liked it, Commander Yi and his men needed to pass through the village to get to Nanjing to supply their base with more weaponry. And once they crossed Jiangsu's trench hold, they would open fire and more lives would unquestionably be lost.

During the painful three-hour drive cramped inside a jeep, Xiao Fang strained his ears and overheard a soldier beside him talking. Apparently, Commander Yi planned to kill off all the enemy soldiers stationed at Jiangsu and occupy the village for themselves.

The thought that more men would be killed at the hands of the dictatorial Communist Regime left a bitter taste in Xiao Fang's mouth. And as his eyes scanned outside where oak trees swayed from the gentle breeze, covering both ends of the road, and looking as depressing as the war itself, his eyes unintentionally landed on Commander Yi, sitting in the passenger's side seat in the jeep behind.

The young commander had this unexplained regalness about him despite his delicate features. It made Xiao Fang stare longer. Despite their differences, Xiao Fang somewhat enjoyed the conversation he shared with Commander Yi last night. In a strange sense, he wouldn't mind having the commander as a friend. What a shame the war made them enemies instead.

It took the communist soldiers several more hours to arrive near Jiangsu's border. Xiao Fang could feel his stomach dropping when the jeeps moved off the road, heading toward the deciduous trees surrounding the village. And although it was relatively challenging for the jeeps to pass through the slips and slopes, dodging unwanted boulders and fallen tree barks, the soldiers made it safe, parking at a spot where the trees served somewhat as camouflage. It was the perfect place to carry out an unexpected attack since the soldiers occupying Jiangsu were visible to the communist soldiers alone.

++++++++++

Xiao Fang remained inside the jeep, watching all the soldiers huddled around themselves, talking in hushed tones. Commander Yi wasn't there, but it was visible the soldiers were discussing when and how they'll carry out their attack on their enemy counterpart, stationed inside Jiangsu.

When the obnoxious soldier, Zichen, approached the jeep, muttering profanities under his breath, Xiao Fang's body became tense. Why couldn't these communist mongrel soldiers leave him alone!?

"Get the fuck out." Xiao Fang stiffened when Zichen's death grip grabbed him by the arm and hauled him off the jeep. It happened so fast. He could feel his heart hammering inside his chest. "I don't know why we had to fucking bring you along," Zichen continued throwing insults. "I should've shot you earlier."

"I don't know either," Xiao Fang bit back as he smoothed out the wrinkles on his sleeve from where Zichen grabbed him. It was obvious Zichen didn't take too kindly to him. The soldier had been rude toward him since Commander Yi ordered Zichen to watch over him so he won't slip away. However, Xiao Fang had no plans to escape anytime soon — not without his comrades, at least. "Why don't you ask your commander?"

Zichen scrunched his nose, his eyes twitching in rage, and for a split second, Xiao Fang regretted backtalking the loudmouth soldier. "You dare talk back to me?" Zichen raised his arm, ready to strike Xiao Fang. "I'll teach you something to talk about."