A dirty letter was opened, and the thin letter paper inside was taken out. The handwriting on the letter was scribbled, with many spelling mistakes. But anyone could feel the deep emotions contained within it.
"Dear Aina,
As I write this letter to you on this land stained by smoke and war, the emotions surging in my heart are like a tide that is hard to calm.
All around is the incessant sound of enemy artillery fire, like a call from hell, cruelly tearing apart the night’s silence and tearing at my heart.
The Tang Army’s shells are simply too nurous, as if they have an endless supply of ammunition. For every shell we fire at them, they respond with a hundred.
Now, the position I’m at has been bombed beyond recognition, and yesterday our battalion’s deputy commander was killed. Every day, people die, and I live in fear every day.
In this endless clamor, the only peace I can find is in the thought of you and the child, the longing for you both.
First of all, please forgive my possibly ssy handwriting, my hands tremble slightly from holding the cold gun barrel for so long, and I can’t control them.
Writing a letter in such a broken place is not easy, which is why it’s been a while since I last wrote ho. The letter paper was borrowed from a comrade, and I gave him my quota of cigarettes.
He might feel he got a good deal, but heaven knows when the next batch of cigarettes will arrive, so I didn’t think I lost out on this exchange.
This letter paper is as precious as life, because there are so many things I want to say to you. I know, in such circumstances, every letter could be the last farewell, but I still choose to write these words, because I want you to know, no matter where I am, my heart is always with you.
Life on the battlefield is far more difficult than anyone can imagine. Food is scarce, and every bite of food is extrely precious. Vehicles have to stop 15 kiloters away from the battlefield, and the rest of the distance can only be covered on foot.
Sending food to where we are is very difficult. Most of the ti, the supply materials are ammunition, and it is hard for us to find decent food.
I often dream of returning ho, sitting at that familiar small table, enjoying the pumpkin rice you made with your own hands. The golden pumpkin, mixed with the aroma of rice, and that hint of sweetness, is the warst taste in my heart and my greatest desire at this mont.
Whenever it is late at night and the artillery fire stops, this longing cos in waves, making feel lonely and helpless.
I think of our little garden, have the flowers on the wall blood? I rember you said you liked those flowers on the wall, they always bloom there quietly, emitting an irresistible fragrance. Whenever I think of this, my heart calms a little, as if I can really sll that faint scent of flowers.
Clothing is also scarce, in the cold wind we can only cling to each other, using each other’s body heat to resist the biting cold. I rember when I left ho, the weather was not this cold, so I didn’t take that old cotton coat with ...
Although it is old, it is enough to ward off the winter cold. Now, I miss that coat you said wasn’t very nice. Here I can only fight in thin clothes, but the good news is that the weather is getting warr, and I have finally endured those difficult days.
The clothes issued to by the military have long been worn out in countless rushes and battles. Every ti it’s late at night and the cold wind penetrates through the gaps and attacks my body, I think of your gentle gaze, I think of you nding clothes for . Those ordinary days have now beco my greatest luxury.
Ammunition is also a scarce resource, and each shot requires careful consideration. Tomorrow, we can only receive 10 bullets unless the Tang Army launches a large-scale attack, only then might we be issued more ammunition. At least I’ve shot targets during training, but those new recruits are so inexperienced, they aren’t even familiar with loading bullets.
Here, life is as insignificant as grass, with a slight inattention one could fall forever. Those new soldiers, I didn’t even have ti to rember their nas before they were already dead.
So are buried in the earth, so can’t even have their bodies found... I’m lucky, once a shell landed beside but didn’t explode. The Tang Army’s shells rarely have duds, so the Battalion Commander said I was really lucky.
But even so, we cannot retreat, because behind us is the soil of the Empire, that is our ho, where I must defend. We must hold our ground here, using all ans to prevent the Tang Army from continuing south, to prove our loyalty to His Majesty The Emperor.
During the pauses in battle, I always look up to the distance, trying to find a direction ho in the gray horizon. I know, it’s impossible, but this obsession is like a faith that sustains moving forward.
I miss you, my wife, your smile, your voice, everything about you is deeply imprinted in my heart. I miss every simple and warm day we spent together, those days were simple, yet they are the most precious treasures in my heart.
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