100 francs per stick.
According to the exchange rate, it is one dollar for one dollar.
Li Zheng waved his hand: "No, we don't want it."
In fact, Li Zheng saw that this little guy was here for business.
One stick costs 100 francs. The stick he mentioned may be just one piece, but it is definitely not a five-piece pack.
In other words, five slices is 500 francs, which is more than 5 yuan.
This thing only costs one or two yuan at most in China, and more than twice that.
Of course, this kid is just doing this to make a profit.
It's a pity that Li Zheng and the others have discipline and cannot accept this kind of deal during patrol.
This is not to be overly cautious, but a necessity.
PLA has always emphasized discipline, which is iron-clad at home, let alone during missions abroad.
For example, there are often local women standing on the roadside around the camp, wearing revealing clothes and making poses. Li Zheng and the others encountered such teasing when they were passing by on their missions.
As long as they patrol or pass by, the other party will blow kisses and tease.
Li Zheng and the others don't know what the peacekeeping forces of other countries are like. Anyway, the Chinese peacekeeping soldiers will never take a look.
You don't know what is behind this peach trap, what is hidden.
The same goes for this kind of hawker trade. You don't know what's in the gum, and you can't be distracted while on duty to buy gum.
Although everyone changed some Western styles when they came, they were used to unify the things they buy in regular stores when going to the city, not in places like this.
Seeing Li Zheng's refusal, the little boy looked a little pitiful. His big eyes were full of begging, and he kept saying: "Please, buy one. I'm very pitiful. Please."
Li Zheng's heart softened. He couldn't bear to see this situation, and subconsciously touched the bag on his arm.
There is a bit of Western style in it.
Fatty Wei said: "I'm telling you, Lao Li, don't be soft-hearted. I'm telling you, if you buy one of them, everyone will come over later..."
After saying that, he pursed his lips toward the distance.
In the distance, there is a large group of similar children, all looking here, as if waiting for the result of this little boy's exploration.
No one is sure what the crowd of children will take out of their pockets after buying a stick of gum.
Sometimes sympathy and pity really are cheap.
Sometimes you find that your compassion and a little bit of money that is as cheap as charity can't help anyone.
That's what this country is like.
The same is true for the people under the country.
Unless you help this country, you can't help the suffering people in this country.
Personal power is always so small.
Li Zheng suddenly woke up, gritted his teeth and hardened his heart, and waved his hand to the little boy: "Don't buy it, we don't need it."
The little boy still held up his chewing gum and said the same words: "Please, buy one, I'm so pitiful."
Li Zheng sighed secretly, maybe he was really pitiful.
But in this situation, there was discipline on one side and sympathy on the other. When it came, Li Zheng still didn't buy it, turned around and walked away.
The child was still shouting: "Please, buy one..."
Li Zheng couldn't sleep again that night.
In fact, he really didn't understand why he kept having insomnia after coming here.
I thought it was jet lag, but it's been more than ten days, so it's definitely not jet lag anymore.
He lay on the bed and could never forget the eyes outside the barbed wire. As soon as he closed his eyes, the little boy's voice rang in his ears.
"Please, buy one, I'm so pitiful..."
He couldn't sleep.
He sat up and sat silently by the bed for a long time.
I don't know when, Hou Jun suddenly walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder.
Li Zheng was startled.
"Monitor."
Hou Jun pointed outside and walked out.
Li Zheng also walked out.
The two of them reached the end of the corridor, where the exit was a staircase. There were only three steps and they were not high. Facing the outside were the mechanical equipment of the engineering unit.
It's just a good place to relax. The machinery can block the view from outside and won't be attacked. Usually no one passes by this place. The brothers of the engineering team all live in simple container houses outside. As for the security team, some people are inside the cement building. Because the duty room is close, it is easy to protect. If something happens, we can arrive immediately and cover the evacuation of the command headquarters. All of this is planned in advance.
Sitting down on the steps, Hou Jun took out his cigarette case, took out one, lit it, and took a deep breath.
"Can't sleep?"
Li Zheng nodded: "Yes."
Hou Jun said: "What's the matter?"
Li Zheng was speechless for a moment.
He didn't know where to start.
Did you say it was because you didn’t buy that little boy’s chewing gum?
Or is it because you feel that the little boy is pitiful?
Or was it the sequelae of the battle that night?
He didn't know where to start.
My thoughts are like a ball of thread that has been messed up by a cat, with no clue.
After a long time, he slowly said: "Squad leader, can you give me a cigarette?"
Hou Jun was stunned for a moment, and then he sneered: "Are you going to smoke a dick cigarette? Why don't you just learn to smoke?"
Li Zheng insisted: "Give me one."
Hou Jun was stunned for a moment, then took out his cigarette case, pulled out a cigarette and handed it over.
Li Zheng took it and bit it on his mouth. Hou Jun took out a lighter and lit it for him.
Li Zhengmeng took a breath, suddenly choked and coughed violently.
Hou Jun snorted: "Look! Why do people smoke if they don't know how to smoke!"
Li Zheng didn't say anything, just looked at it with a cigarette in his hand.
After a long time, he said: "Squad leader, our country is really good."
Hou Jun was startled. He didn't expect his soldiers to say such a word.
"Okay, who doesn't know? Just like the old song goes, who doesn't say my hometown is good...right?"
As he spoke, he said a few words in a tone of voice.
Li Zheng said: "I became a soldier because I was saved by a soldier. In fact, I had the idea of repaying my gratitude by being a soldier. If you had asked me at that time why I became a soldier, maybe I would have done it in a coping manner. To say something lofty, I want to dedicate my youth to the country and protect my family and country. But the meaning of these four words, "defend my family and my country," may have made me think deeply. I can only quote the sentences I saw in the book. , there is no deep understanding, and it cannot touch the soul."
Hou Jun asked: "So you have touched your soul now?"
"Yeah." Li Zheng said: "I met a kid selling chewing gum today when I was on patrol. He kept begging me to buy him one. Due to discipline, I didn't buy it. I just thought about it, even if it doesn't violate discipline. , even if I buy it, I can help him, but so what? Look around the camp, there are so many children watching there every day, as if they are selling something to us. In China, they are all school age, but here , Haha, what are you talking about going to school? When I met the little boy today, Fatty Wei and I made a defensive posture when he was picking his pockets. As a result, he was so frightened that he immediately raised his hands and used a very standard surrender posture to indicate that he was not. Malice... and he understands French. Normally, people at this age who have not gone to school cannot understand French. It seems that he not only comes to sell things in our peacekeeping camp, but also sells things to the French army..."
Li Zheng took a cigarette, took a deep breath, and choked again.
After he finished coughing, he continued: "That posture is so skillful. I dare say he does it often...then what makes him do it like that?"
He looked at Hou Jun.
Hou Jun smoked silently, finished one, threw it on the ground, stamped it out, and lit another one.
Seeing that he remained silent, Li Zheng continued to sigh: "I suddenly understood what the meaning of being a soldier is. Maybe others say that if you don't serve as a soldier, there will be more people who become soldiers; if you become a soldier, isn't it just for the future?" Are you recommending me to be a graduate student? In the past, when I encountered this kind of thing, I always felt weak in my rebuttal. But now I understand, the meaning of my being a soldier is that if every young man becomes a soldier like me, he will be a good soldier. Go back and truly consolidate our national defense, so that our descendants and our compatriots will not be like this little boy today, who has to make a living selling chewing gum when he is in school..."
Hou Jun nodded: "Yeah, actually I don't dare to say how noble I am, but at least I have something to be proud of as a soldier. Even if it's not for the praise of others, at least I feel that I have done something meaningful, eh. , By the way, didn’t Xu Sanduo say, it must be meaningful..."
After saying that, he smiled.
Li Zheng also smiled.
After talking to Hou Jun, Li Zheng felt much better.
But he still hasn't learned to smoke.
Cigarettes are really hard to smoke.
Finally, he said to Hou Jun: "It's really hard to smoke, squad leader, why do you still smoke?"
Hou Jun laughed and said: "Do you think I smoke cigarettes? I smoke loneliness..."
After speaking, he patted Li Zheng on the shoulder, stood up and left.
"Go back to sleep! There are many tasks tomorrow!"
Li Zheng thought for a while and shouted at Hou Jun's back: "Squad leader, you have to find a partner!"
