White Olive Tree

Chapter 17

Chapter 17
Jialuo City in the evening is lively.  Especially in these streets near the military garrison, shops are open as usual, and pedestrians come and go.  Children playing football on the street don't have to worry about accidents in the next second.
Song Ran followed Li Zan back, the street was noisy, but they didn't talk much all the way.
He didn't speak, and she couldn't figure out his thoughts, so she just kept her mouth shut.
It's not that Li Zan is in a bad mood, but that he is really tired after a long day.
Passing by a local restaurant, the aroma of barbecue is overflowing.
Li Zan turned to her and asked, "Are you hungry?"
Song Ran originally planned to go back to his residence to eat, so he asked, "Are you hungry?"
   "Um."
"...Then let's eat here."
There were quite a few guests in the restaurant, but most of them were peacekeepers stationed nearby. A female foreigner suddenly walked in, and the soldiers all glanced at Song Ran intentionally or unintentionally.
Li Zan noticed something, and said softly: "If you feel uncomfortable, let's change the place."
Song Ran didn't want to bother, and said, "No need. I'm not a beautiful woman either, so there's nothing to look at. Besides, this barbecue smells very good."
Afraid that she would be uncomfortable, Li Zan chose the outermost table next to the street.  The two ordered the special barbecue, bread and boiled beans.  While waiting for the food to be served, Li Zan suddenly smiled and said, "Why isn't she a beauty?"
"I still have self-knowledge." Song Ran said in a low voice. Seeing him smile, she knew he was in a good mood, so she asked, "There won't be any problems there, right?"
"Which side?"
Song Ran pointed behind her with her thumb—the direction of the US military station.
"No problem." Li Zan said, "This kind of person will be fine once he is convinced."
Song Ran didn't expect him to say such a thing, so she couldn't help laughing.
   "why are you laughing?"
"No." She shook her head.
While talking, the boss brought out sliced ​​barbecued meat pancakes and boiled beans, plus a small basin of water for washing hands.
Li Zan pointed to the small aluminum basin with his chin, and said, "You wash it first." He raised his hand, "If I put this hand in, the water will turn black."
"Oh." Song Ran soaked his hands in the water and rubbed them gently twice.
Li Zan watched, and noticed for the first time that a girl's hands were so delicate, white, tender, and small; he looked at them for a while, then quietly looked away.
Soon, Song Ran pushed the aluminum basin over to him. After washing his hands, he wiped his face casually.
Roasted meat on bread rolls, garnished with boiled beans, has a special taste.  Song Ran ate four burritos and a bowl of boiled beans in one go, and she was full soon.
I don't know if it's a habit brought out in the military camp, but Li Zan is very quiet and serious when eating, and doesn't talk or chat.  When rolling the meat, the grilled meat slices are arranged neatly on the dough, and then the dough is stacked layer by layer like a quilt.  This is sent to the mouth.
Song Ran couldn't help laughing, but he didn't bother him.
A peacekeeper passed by on the street, throwing an apple in his hand.  Song Ran saw it and said casually, "The apples here are super expensive."

Li Zan was biting off a mouthful of bread, pursing his lips and looking up, the man threw the apple and walked away.  He asked, "Do you like apples?"
"It's okay." Song Ran said, "But Jialuo doesn't have any other fruits."
Li Zan paid the bill after eating.
Song Ran was embarrassed and said, "Let's AA, right?"
Li Zan looked at her: "Reporter Song, don't be too polite."
So Song Ran didn't insist anymore.
On the way back, she confirmed, "Benjamin won't trouble you next time, will he?"
   "Won't."
In the next few days, as Li Zan said, none of the soldiers of the joint combat team troubled him again, and even changed their attitude towards him.  Especially after seeing his bomb disposal ability, Benjamin chatted and joked with him whenever he had time.
Song Ran thought of Benjamin's ridicule when she first met him and the sentence "see you" afterwards, and she realized belatedly that Benjamin is not abusive.
After the training camp, Song Ran sent the edited video to Luo Zhan for review as usual.  This documentary will not be broadcast on Liangcheng Satellite TV, but directly on the national news channel and military channel.
The video begins with Li Zan being "specially treated" in the early stage of his training, and then talks about how he blends in with soldiers from various countries in the later stage.  Song Ran didn't record the fight, but the two shoulder rubs with Benjamin were recorded.  At the end of the story, a special joint unit composed of bomb disposal soldiers, snipers, air defense soldiers, long-range artillery, medical soldiers and others was formally established.  The existence of Li Zan is a key part of this team.
Luo Zhan was very satisfied after watching it, and even praised her for doing a good job: "Song Ran, your grasp of details and the overall situation is amazing. I think you are born to be a reporter."
"No. It's... Second Lieutenant Li performed too well."
"This kid does have a trick."
Song Ran said: "I think he is very clear about what he wants to stick to."
"That's right. Such a young man is rare. By the way, has the episode of Demining been aired?"
"It was aired last weekend."
Luo Zhan said with a smile: "After the episode of Azan was broadcast, did a bunch of little girls come to inquire?"
"Hmm...The TV station received a bunch of calls."
"Alright, let's advertise and pick a good girlfriend for this young man when we go back."
Song Ran hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "Second Lieutenant Li seems to have a girlfriend, and it's from our TV station."
"Where is it?" Luo Zhan waved his hand, "It was arranged by his instructor. We met a few times, but he didn't like it. It didn't work out."
Song Ran was taken aback.
...
In the vegetable field, several soldiers were watering the vegetable seedlings.  On the border fields, the tomatoes turned red and the cucumbers grew a lot.
Song Ran sat on the sidelines and watched, looking around from time to time.  It's past dinner time, he will definitely pass by here when he returns to the dormitory.  But after waiting for more than twenty minutes, there was no sign of him.
Song Ran patted his butt, got up and walked out, and suddenly heard a piece of "Castle in the Sky" played by a harmonica, and the melodious tune swayed from the playground.
When she walked around the barracks, she saw a group of soldiers just finished their work for the day, some were sitting on the ground to rest and relax, and some were walking towards the barracks.  And Li Zan was sitting on the steps playing the harmonica.
Song Ran remembered that the last time he went to his dormitory to borrow a comb, there was a harmonica in his drawer.
She walked along the melody, sat down on the two steps behind him, and listened quietly with her chin resting.  On the playground, the yellow sand is long, and the setting sun hangs in the sky, like a salted egg yolk.
After Li Zan finished playing, he twirled the harmonica between his fingers and looked up into the distance.  He noticed something out of the corner of his eye, and when he looked back, he saw that it was her. Unexpectedly, a smile slowly bloomed on the corner of his lips: "When did you come?"
"I just passed by and heard you playing the harmonica, so I sat down and listened for a while." She said, "I'm going to leave too."
   "oh."
A few comrades-in-arms are about to go back, so ask him to come with them.
Li Zan looked at Song Ran and said in a low voice, "Let's go first."
She nodded and saw him passing by, "Officer Li..." She called again by mistake.
"Huh?" He turned around.
"The other day you said that the situation in Jialuo City is unstable, so don't walk around. But I need to go to the street to shoot tomorrow. Which roads will be safer?"
"Fifth Avenue, No...." Li Zan stopped thinking and said, "Tomorrow we will go on patrol, why don't you come with us?"
She pursed her lips: "Won't it cause you trouble?"
He chuckled lightly: "What trouble can you cause me?"
Her heart skipped a beat, and she nodded lightly: "Okay."
"Okay. Together then."
"Then..." Before she was ashamed to speak, he said, "Nine o'clock in the morning?"
   "good."
"See you at the gate of the station?"
   "Um."
...
Song Ran hummed the tune of the city in the sky, and returned to the hotel. As soon as she entered the door, she rummaged through her luggage, picked out a nude pink coat, and planned to wear it tomorrow.  While the water was still running, she quickly washed her hair and took a shower.  When the hair was half dry, I tied a twist braid on my head, and I would have curly hair tomorrow.
At nine o'clock in the evening, the sun gradually set in the west.  It was still light outside.  Song Ran was too tired these days and felt sleepy, so she went to bed early.
At six o'clock in the morning, she was woken up by a phone call. It was the TV station.  The situation in Dongguo changed suddenly, and she had a new task - to go to Hapo, the border city between Dongguo and Egypt, to report on border refugees.  Immediately leave.
Song Ran said yes.
She turned over and got out of bed to pack her things. It was only when she saw the nude pink coat that she remembered to remove her braids.  She tied her curly hair into a ponytail casually, stuffed her pink coat into her bag, and changed into gray clothes.  She packed up her luggage quickly and rented a car through the front desk of the hotel.
At seven o'clock in the morning, Song Ran loaded the luggage into the car and set off.  She went around to the station and told the soldiers on guard that if she saw Li Zan, tell her that she had a mission and left Jialuo.
The soldier agreed.
The street was still very quiet in the early morning, and the bright sunlight shrouded the temple buildings.  Song Ran drove the car, letting the familiar scenery flow by.  She knew that she might never return to the city.
Or maybe when she returns one day in the future, the city has been completely changed in the flames of war.  Who knows.
She has a hint of melancholy and reluctance, but more of a faint nervousness and agitation—she is walking towards the real scars of this country little by little.
After leaving Jialuo City, she headed west all the way, with blue sky and sandy land, and endless olive groves in the distance; she headed for the long border between the Eastern Kingdom and the Egyptian Kingdom.
...
At nine o'clock in the morning, Song Ran paid attention to the time.  Li Zan should have been waiting for her at the gate of the station at this time, and then got the news of her departure.  I don't know what his attitude will be.  Thinking of this, there is a trace of regret in my heart, a trace of sourness.
And she has already driven more than 100 kilometers, and she is still 100 to 200 kilometers away from the western border.
Song Ran was wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest. To save fuel, he didn't turn on the air conditioner. He was already sweating from the heat.
After walking for another half an hour, she arrived at an unnamed town on the map.  The moment I entered the town, an inexplicable uneasiness hit my heart.
At half past nine in the morning, the street was empty.  The buildings are short and dilapidated, and the houses are gray, as if the sky has been filled with soil for several days and nights.
Song Ran slowed down, and the wheels ran over all kinds of debris—cement blocks, broken glass, sawdust, and bullet casings—making a series of shattering sounds.
This eerie silence made her take out her phone and check, no service.
Suddenly, there was a loud "boom", and Song Ran shrank her neck in fright.
A shell landed a few blocks away, and the exterior wall paint of the houses on the street fell down.  Concrete blocks clanged on the roof.
This is probably the place where the two armies are fighting.  Song Ran gritted her teeth and slammed on the accelerator, the car accelerated and sped past on the street.  There were guns and cannons outside the block, Song Ran just drove fast and rushed out of the town all the way.
The hustle and bustle gradually subsided, and when they were about to leave, a checkpoint suddenly appeared in front of them.  Song Ran was shocked, but when he took a closer look, it was the government army.
The car slowed down and stopped at the checkpoint.  A soldier with a gun on his back came forward, bent over to look, and signaled Song Ran to get off the car.  Others began to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the vehicle.
The soldier took her aside with a serious face, and asked in English with a strong accent:
"FROM" from which country?
"China." China.
Where does "DESTINATION" go.
"Hapo." Hapo.
"OCCUPATION" occupation.
"Correspondent." Reporter.
After checking the documents and documents, the soldiers have to check the cameras.  Song Ran turned on the phone and showed him.
The soldier watched and said to himself: "You reporters always like to go to dangerous places. Don't you know what safety is?"