On the night when Dong Xiaoxue met Pan Jun, in a large private room of the "Tang Palace Seafood Restaurant" on the second floor of the Beijing New Qiao Hotel, laughter and joy filled the air as five old comrades from the former Army X Division's Political Department gathered with Dong Xiaoxue, her daughter, son-in-law, and grandson.
The bond of camaraderie is as deep as the sea; only those who have worn military uniforms can truly understand the meaning of this phrase.
After being out of contact for forty years, several old comrades finally reunited in Beijing.
At the moment they met, Dong Xiaoxue, Wang Jia, and Zhao Lili embraced each other with tears in their eyes, and the eyes of the three gentlemen, Pan Jun, Hua Guoqing, and Yan Yuanchao, were also misty with emotion.
Interestingly, before taking their seats, everyone was politely deferring to each other about who should sit in the main seat.
Among the six old comrades, Pan Jun is the oldest, Yan Yuanchao has the longest military service, and Dong Xiaoxue has come from afar. They pushed and pulled.
Hua Guoqing, Wang Jia, and Zhao Lili stood aside, covering their mouths and watching the three of them defer to each other, laughing heartily.
Hua Guoqing, still the straightforward person he used to be, stepped in to mediate: "Stop pushing each other; let me, the self-appointed and recognized secretary-general among the comrades, make the arrangements."
Upon hearing Hua Guoqing say this, everyone agreed.
Hua Guoqing continued: "Comrade Pan Jun, you should sit in the main seat because you are the oldest, you are the convener today, and you held the highest position before retirement. No need to be modest; Director Pan, please take your seat."
Dong Xiaoxue had learned in the afternoon at Pan Jun's home that he had served as the director of an important department in the Central Office before his retirement, and she quickly said, "You should, you should."
Hua Guoqing continued: "Comrade Dong Xiaoxue and Comrade Yan Yuanchao will sit on Pan Jun's right and left, respectively. Zhao Lili and Wang Jia will sit on Dong Xiaoxue's right, and Little Dingding's father, Little Dingding, and Little Dingding's mother will sit on Uncle Yan's left. I will still follow the old rule and sit opposite Pan Jun, which is the position for paying the bill. Obey orders and follow commands; everyone, please take your seats."
Everyone laughed at Hua Guoqing's feigned serious expression, and they laughed even more after he finished speaking.
Pan Jun, wanting to save everyone time, quickly said, "Alright, alright, let's do as he says."
So everyone finally took their seats.
Ordering food followed the old habit of these Beijing comrades' gatherings, with Hua Guoqing taking charge. Of course, he would also be the one to pay the bill.
He had once been the owner of a well-known private enterprise in the capital, but before the pandemic in 2019, he stepped back from the front lines at his own request and became a shareholder. Now he enjoys high-end sports, skiing in winter, sailing in summer, and playing golf in various places across the country in spring and autumn. He is truly enjoying the pleasures of a wealthy person's later years.
Delicious dishes were quickly served on the dining table.
Hua Guoqing asked the waiter to open the two bottles of thirty-year-old Moutai he brought, pouring a glass for each person. The three female comrades who usually do not drink white liquor insisted they must have a drink today.
Yan Yuanchao said to Pan Jun beside him: "Brother Pan, please say a few words to start; let's begin. Little Dingding and the others have been playing all day and are starving."
Pan Jun raised his glass and said: "Okay, I'll keep it brief. Today, we old comrades are gathering here to welcome Dong Xiaoxue and her family to Beijing, to celebrate that after more than forty years, we finally meet Dong Xiaoxue, and to wish all the old comrades present good health! Cheers!"
After a simple opening speech, everyone raised their glasses, and the dinner officially began.
Next, everyone took turns introducing their situations to Xiaoxue, who examined each old comrade's face while listening to their stories.
Pan Jun shared that after retiring from the department, aside from small gatherings with family and close comrades, he had declined all external social engagements and only felt relaxed in such occasions. Now he spends his days practicing calligraphy, accompanying his wife to buy groceries, and insists on walking in the Temple of Heaven Park.
Yan Yuanchao said that although he is not from Beijing, he has been coming to Beijing for nearly thirty years. He and Wang Jia always strive to attend gatherings of old comrades from the Army X Division in Beijing, while he has attended fewer gatherings of the military district's art troupe. He holds great respect and trust for his two old brothers, Pan Jun and Hua Guoqing. He and Wang Jia enjoy gardening in their city and suburban villas, and he mentioned that Wang Jia's artistic flower arrangement skills have reached a high level.
Wang Jia interjected: "Yuan Chao, don't exaggerate; it's just a hobby."
Everyone laughed at this remark.
When it was Zhao Lili's turn, she said she wanted to clink glasses with Dong Xiaoxue first. After they took a sip, she said: "I want to toast my dorm mate Xiaoxue; I missed you so much after not seeing you for over forty years. I used to be tone-deaf and couldn't do anything in the propaganda team, but now I can sing and dance, and I go to activities in the Purple Bamboo Garden every morning. Yang Lei won't retire until next year; he has been so busy with military affairs that he hardly comes home."
Everyone had served in the military and understood that especially in the past two years of the Russia-Ukraine war, China faces a more complex and changing international situation, so they were quite understanding of Yang Lei's busy schedule in his leadership role in the military.
Hua Guoqing did not introduce himself much, but from his words and actions, Dong Xiaoxue could see that he is now the most carefree one. This was because Zhao Lili, sitting beside him, quietly told her that Hua Guoqing had divorced twice after leaving the army and had paid a lot for it. In past gatherings, comrades often joked about him, but today, with Xiaoxue's daughter and family present, they gave him some face.
After listening to her comrades' stories, Dong Xiaoxue began to recount her situation after leaving the army and asked about the current situations of other familiar comrades from the Army X Division that she was unaware of. She mentioned that she still teaches dance at a senior university and takes her grandson Little Dingding to and from school. She is in good health, able to eat and sleep well.
Her last remark received praise from several old comrades.
Pan Jun and Dong Xiaoxue also shared stories from when the Army X Division was deployed to the Laoshan frontline.
The three female comrades and Yan Yuanchao reminisced the most about their memories from the propaganda team.
Hua Guoqing tried to interject several times, wanting to ask the three female comrades whether the rumors he heard about several beautiful female soldiers being pursued by single officers in the division were true, and he particularly wanted to confirm it.
At this moment, Zhao Lili teased him, asking whether it was true that a female teacher fed him while he was hospitalized in the division hospital.
This topic sparked uproarious laughter among everyone, but Hua Guoqing wore an innocent expression.
The comrades opened up and shared some embarrassing and funny anecdotes from back in the day.
Unknowingly, three hours passed, during which Dong Xiaoxue's daughter and her family had already eaten their fill and returned to the hotel to rest.
The drinks and dishes on the table in the private room had not been touched much, but the six old comrades were getting more and more lively in their conversation.
It was still Pan Jun who spoke up: "Guoqing, have you confirmed the location for tomorrow night's gathering? We need to find a bigger room; there will probably be sixteen or seventeen comrades attending."
Hua Guoqing replied: "Don't worry, I specifically booked the Yihe Spring over in Hepingli; they have a private room that can seat twenty people."
Pan Jun said: "Alright, I suggest we end today's gathering here and let Xiaoxue return to the hotel to rest early. Tomorrow, aside from everyone present, there are others Xiaoxue knows whom I have already notified... They all expressed their desire to attend the gathering upon hearing that Xiaoxue was found. Hua Guoqing, listen carefully, tomorrow night's dinner will be on a split bill basis; you are not allowed to insist on paying."
Among the Beijing comrades Pan Jun called, some are well-known public figures.
After the gathering ended, Dong Xiaoxue returned to the hotel.
After washing up and lying in bed, scenes from her time in the army played back in her mind like a movie, combined with the events of the morning at the Temple of Heaven Park, at Pan Jun's home, and the evening gathering, as well as the meeting with more Beijing comrades tomorrow night...
She, who claimed to be able to eat and sleep well, found herself unable to sleep.
（End of Chapter One）