Chapter 27 That Familiar Name
The new recruits who came with Himmelstoss were assigned to different platoons and had only one month of training in the rear. During this time, they spent every day in a hurry, accompanied by shrill whistles and harsh reprimands from the instructors.
The training time they received was only half of that of Lu Mingfei and his team, but because the war was urgent, they were dispatched to the battlefield ahead of time.
Some recruits are still happy because they no longer have to undergo those tedious trainings, and even feel fortunate in their hearts that they can go to the front line earlier. After all, in their naive imagination, war may just be an adventure, a competition of honor.
They will defend this trench together with Lu Mingfei and his men. The trench is full of mud, mixed with the smell of decay and damp soil, and the air is filled with a disgusting smell.
Lu Mingfei fell asleep in the trench with his gun in his arms. He hadn't had a good sleep for a long time. He was either awakened by the sound of gunfire or by the blood-stained faces in his dreams. His face was full of fatigue and anxiety, his eyes were sunken, and he looked even more haggard.
"Hans, wake up." Someone woke up Lu Mingfei who had finally fallen asleep. It was Kaczynski. His voice was a little hurried.
"The bombardment is coming." Seeing Lu Mingfei wake up, Kaczynski continued.
When there was no artillery fire, Lu Mingfei and Kaczynski would take turns using their words to scout the situation outside the trenches in case artillery fire suddenly sounded. Their nerves were always tense, like strings stretched to the limit, and they would react immediately at the slightest sign of trouble.
"How did you know the bombardment was coming?" A recruit next to Lu Mingfei asked stupidly, with a hint of curiosity and uneasiness in his voice.
"Do you see that thing above your head?" Lu Mingfei pointed to a small black dot in the sky. The black dot was circling in the sky like an ominous crow.
"Plane?" the recruit asked uncertainly.
"To be precise, they are reconnaissance planes. They will report our position to the artillery behind us soon, and the shelling will arrive in a few minutes." Lu Mingfei calmly took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, took a deep puff, and then blew out a smoke ring.
"Aren't you afraid that the light from your cigarette will be seen by the reconnaissance planes in the sky?" After hearing what Lu Mingfei said, and then seeing Lu Mingfei take out a cigarette and light it, the recruit was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat, but he was still very polite and didn't shout or scream. It was obvious that he was a man who had read a lot of books.
"He has already discovered us. What you need to do now is to lie down obediently." Lu Mingfei pressed down the new recruit's head. His action was unquestionable and carried the majesty of a veteran.
Kaczynski also passed on the news that the bombardment was coming, and sure enough, it wasn't long before the heavy bombardment began to hit their positions. The huge explosions were deafening, the ground shook violently under the bombardment, and the dirt and gravel in the trenches flew everywhere.
The sound of artillery bombardment was so loud that the new recruit next to Lu Mingfei, who had been asking him questions, was so frightened that he trembled and didn't even notice that his helmet had fallen to the ground. His face was pale and his eyes were full of fear.
Their helmets have been changed from the original decorative pointed leather hats to steel helmets with better protection.
Lu Mingfei picked up the helmet that had fallen on the ground and wanted to put it back on the recruit, but the recruit actually pushed the helmet away.
He looked at Lu Mingfei as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw, and threw himself directly into Lu Mingfei's arms, like a shivering quail, or a child acting coquettishly to his parents.
Lu Mingfei was also stunned when he looked at the new recruit in his arms, but he did not push him away. He put the helmet on the new recruit's exposed buttocks.
He was not teasing the recruit. The recruit's butt was now raised high, and he might be hit by the flying shrapnel. Although the skin there was thick, he would still have to stay in the hospital for several months if hit, and might have to limp for the rest of his life.
The artillery fire became more and more intense. Although Kaczynski had warned them in advance, some people were still hit by shells. The huge explosions were mixed with the screams of the soldiers. The air was filled with smoke and the smell of blood. After an unknown amount of time, the shelling finally ended.
"It's okay, kid, it's all over." Lu Mingfei patted the new recruit's shoulder and said. His voice was gentle, like that of an elder who had experienced countless hardships.
The recruit raised his head, still looking a little panicked. His face was covered with cold sweat, and his eyes were filled with lingering fear.
"It's okay, you'll get used to it." Lu Mingfei said. With Lu Mingfei's comfort, the recruit finally calmed down.
He put the helmet back on his head, and suddenly his face flushed red, and he carefully put his hand to his butt. Lu Mingfei immediately guessed that this kid was probably frightened by the bombardment just now and lost control of his bladder, and he didn't know whether it was the big one or the small one that was frightened out.
"It's okay. Many people will feel the same when they encounter shelling for the first time." Lu Mingfei comforted.
"Were you like this at the beginning?" the new recruit asked with a red face. There was a hint of hope in his voice, as if he hoped to get a sense of recognition from Lu Mingfei.
"No, but it's almost there." Lu Mingfei recalled the first time he encountered shelling. It was a little better than the recruit, but not much different. He just didn't pee. "Go find a clean pair of pants to change into."
The new soldier left shyly, and Lu Mingfei began to help dig out the soldiers buried in the trenches, and then began to repair the trenches. His movements were skillful, and each movement had been repeated countless times.
Not long after, the recruit came back with a clean pair of trousers and began to help repair the trench, with a hint of shame on his face.
After repairing the trench, Lu Mingfei leaned against it panting, took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. "Hey, kid, what's your name?" Lu Mingfei blew out a smoke ring and turned to ask the recruit who had been following him.
"My name is Adolf Hill," the recruit responded.
Hearing this name, Lu Mingfei was stunned. Why did this name sound so familiar? He stood up straight and looked at the new recruit carefully.
"It can't be such a coincidence..."
The new recruit was a little thin, with dark brown hair and royal blue eyes. He didn't have an impressive mustache, which made Lu Mingfei feel relieved.
After all, this is just one battle, and this name is probably as common and ubiquitous as the names Zhang Wei and Li Ming in his later generations.
"Is there something wrong with my name?" The new recruit looked at Lu Mingfei who suddenly became serious, feeling a little overwhelmed.
"Nothing, it's just that when I hear this name my right hand can't help but want to raise up at a 45-degree angle." Lu Mingfei took another deep puff of the cigarette in his hand.
"Is that so?" The recruit raised his right hand and made a gesture after hearing Lu Mingfei's words.
"You really are my living father, put your hands down!" Lu Mingfei's eyes twitched and he immediately slapped the recruit's hand.
"Hiss~" The new recruit cried out in pain, covering the place where Lu Mingfei hit him.
"Don't do that again, kid." Lu Mingfei warned.
"Oh." The recruit nodded obediently without asking why.
Seeing the honest and well-behaved appearance of this new recruit, Lu Mingfei relaxed a little. He thought that this name was probably just a coincidence.
Ever since the shelling, the new recruit has been sticking to Lu Mingfei, and Lu Mingfei has been teaching him his experience in surviving on the battlefield.
Lu Mingfei gradually put this name behind him, thinking it was just a coincidence.
As for why he took such good care of the new recruits, it was because he saw his former self in them. If Kaczynski hadn't taken such good care of him when he first went to the battlefield, he would have died long ago. This was like a kind of inheritance.
Thank you for the 100 points reward from Luohong Fengye
(End of this chapter)
