Chapter Forty-Four New Recruits Training

  The barracks is the garrison of new recruits. It's close to Ink Lake. The scenery is beautiful and the view is pleasant.

  The new recruits of Commander Ye's department in the Garrison Command must gather here for training before being assigned to various companies.

  Since the Xinhai Revolution, various warlords have been in power, each dominating a region. They recruited soldiers and bought horses, doing their best to expand their armed forces. Among them, Wu Peifu's forces, which occupied the three towns of Wuhan, were the strongest.

  However, the troops under Ye's command were not the main combat force, and their responsibilities mainly involved defending the local area of Hankou. Therefore, unlike other main combat units, they did not have the task of expanding their personnel every year.

  Since this year, the garrison command has also started to expand its personnel according to Wu's deployment. Therefore, when Ye Xinyi pleaded with Ma Fei's father on his behalf, Captain Ye took in Ma Fei and his three brothers.

  Like all newly recruited soldiers, Captain Ye didn't treat them as special objects. He just treated the three of them as his daughter's classmates.

  Liu deputy officer understood the meaning of Ye battalion commander, and did not make any special arrangements for the new recruits who took them to the barracks. He just said that the three of them were approved by the battalion commander to join the army, and asked the new recruit company commander to take them through the formalities of enlistment and training in the new recruit company.

  The original squad leader was a personal groom who took care of Colonel Ye's horse. He was one of the few hometown followers that Colonel Ye brought from Shandong Province. Because all the other followers had been promoted with Colonel Ye, he was the only one left without any position. Coincidentally, the regiment recently expanded and added a new squad of recruits. Colonel Ye then appointed him as the leader of this new recruit squad, mainly in charge of training new soldiers.

  As soon as Xu Lianchang became the company commander of the new recruit company, he changed his ways. The former low-ranking groom immediately became a high-ranking official. When walking on the road, he no longer had the humble and subservient demeanor of bowing his head and back to greet people. Instead, he puffed out his chest and looked down on all passersby.

  "Good, good, I'm already the company commander. His grandma's bear." As soon as he had a drink, Captain Xu would excitedly repeat this phrase that he had said thousands of times before. He liked to drink because the troops under the Garrison Command didn't have many military tasks like field troops did, and they rarely had to carry out combat missions. Most of their time was spent assisting with local security and defense. For the past two years, war had been far away from Hankou. Except for regular patrols, Captain Ye's unit was basically in training or resting. So, when his subordinates drank, Captain Ye didn't ask questions.

  Xu Lianchang never paid for his own drinks. There was an unwritten rule in the new recruits' company that every now and then, they would pool their money together to invite Xu Lianchang and a few instructors out for a drink. If any recruit refused to contribute a single penny or didn't invite the instructors and Xu Lianchang out for a drink, they would be in for a tough time. In the subsequent training sessions, Xu Lianchang would order the instructors to make them sweat blood, literally making them shed three layers of skin.

  It is said that some poor soldier boys, when they received their first month's salary as soldiers, did not invite Xu Lianzhang and his instructors to drink wine. Within two days, they were tortured to death by those ruthless instructors during training.

  Xu Lianchang loved to drink and also loved to say "niang niang xiong". So, the new recruits who had been tormented by him secretly gave him a nickname, calling him "Niang Niang Xiong" (Grandma Bear).

  It's true, this nickname really matches Xu Lianchang's appearance. His head, eyes, and most importantly, his large mouth that sticks out forward, and his thick neck. He really looks like a omnivorous grizzly bear.

  Li Guoting, Ma Fei and Zhao Erhu did not understand the inside story of the new recruit company. They were unclear about Xu Lianzhang's character. Nor did they know the ferocity of this 'Niangniang Xiong'. The three men all thought that with Ye Tuanzhang's big flag covering them, no one would bully them. Unexpectedly, 'Niangniang Xiong' learned from Liu Fu Guan that these three men had no special relationship with Ye Tuanzhang. Before leaving, Liu Fu Guan specifically instructed him not to mind Ye Tuanzhang and to treat them like ordinary new recruits.

  So, when Li Guoting, Ma Fei and Zhao Erhu came to the new soldier regiment, they first let 'Niangniu Xiong' come a horse whip, especially the thief's brow and mouse-eyed Zhao Erhu, let 'Niangniu Xiong' look at it is not pleasing to the eye, which had the treatment of kicking in the butt.

  At night, Li Guoting and Ma Fei, Zhao Erhu slept on the big kang in the new soldier company. Li Guoting whispered to Ma Fei and Zhao Erhu: "Brothers, I think this Commander Xu is quite arrogant. In the future, we brothers should be careful not to let him find fault with us. This is a military camp, not outside."

  Ma Fei also said: "Yes, we'd better be careful, or else we'll be bullied by this guy."

  Zhao Erhu still felt somewhat disgruntled and said: "He didn't take it out on you, but instead kicked me. When I saw him like that, he wasn't a good guy."

  "Alright, Third Brother, speak softly, or others will hear and it'll get out, and he'll surely break your legs." Ma Fei advised.

  The next day, when the sky was still dimly lit, a series of assembly bugle calls sounded in the military camp. The new recruits who were sleeping soundly on their beds immediately sprang up like startled birds, and with a "rustling" sound, they jumped out of bed, each stretching out their hands to hastily put on their uniforms. Some people quickly got dressed, packed their backpacks, and grabbed their guns.

  Li Guoting and Ma Fei also put on their uniforms with great effort, shouldered their backpacks. Just as the two of them ran over to pick up the guns placed in the corner, they heard Zhao Erhu crying with a sad face: "My hat! My hat is gone, who has seen my hat?"

  Li Guoting turned his head and found that more than half of the class had already left, so he couldn't help but feel anxious. He also heard Zhao Erhu shouting that his military cap was gone. Rushing over in a hurry: "Quickly, take another look. Is it under the bed?"

  Li Guoting helped Zhao Erhu find his military cap, but they couldn't find it anywhere, either on or under the bed.

  "It's strange, I put it beside my pillow last night, how come I couldn't find it now?" Er Huo rubbed his head, his eyes rolling around.

  "Third brother, think again, where did you put it last night?" Li Guoting said.

  "I just put it beside the pillow, didn't I? I'm sure I didn't forget." Zhao Erhu said.

  Just then, another assembly whistle sounded outside.

  Li Guoting turned around to see that there was no one else in the room. Even Ma Fei had run out. Now, in the empty room, only he and Zhao Erhu were left.

  Li Guoting didn't have time to think much, stretched out his hand and pulled Zhao Erhu, saying: "Third brother, stop looking for him now, there's no one left. Let's go out first and talk later. If we go out late, we'll definitely be punished."

  Zhao Erhuo reluctantly slung his backpack over his shoulder, grabbed his gun, and followed Li Guoting out with a bare head.

  In front of the barracks, on the parade ground, new recruits stood in formation, backpacks on their backs and guns in hand, waiting for the company commander's speech.

  Li Guoting pulled Zhao Erhu and quickly slipped into the team when no one was paying attention.

  At this time, in front of him, Xu Lianchang puffed out his belly, holding a horse whip in his hand. Wearing long tube leather boots and with a holster gun hanging from his waist, he walked to the front of the troops with an air of grandeur. He stood in front of the troops, legs apart, grasping the horse whip. His two big eyes scanned back and forth among the new recruits in front of him.

  "Attention."

  Xu Lianchang suddenly let out a loud shout.

  All new recruits stand at attention immediately.

  "Listen up, all of you. I'm not one for fancy words or big theories. Since you're here to eat the soldier's rice bowl, you'll have to listen to my orders and follow my commands. Do you understand?"

  "Understood." The soldiers responded in unison.

  "Alright, alright. As long as you understand. Why did you all come to join the army? Who's going to tell me?" Captain Xu gazed at the dense row of soldiers in front of him and asked.

  There was an eerie silence in the team.

  "No one says anything. No one says, so I'll say it for you. Why join the army? To eat. Everyone joins the army to eat. This bowl of rice, let me tell you, is not good to eat. It's exchanging your head for a bowl of rice. Exchanging your head, do you understand?"

  "I understand."

  Another chorus of response rose from among the soldiers.

  "Understood? From today on, you will receive the most rigorous training. Whoever dares to slack off, I'll let them taste what my whip is made of." Instructor Xu Lianzhang said, shouting towards the back.

  "Yes." Two instructors came up immediately.

  "Search the troops." Commander Xu ordered.

  "Yes."

  Two instructors were ordered forward and began to take roll.

  Xu Lianchang followed the two instructors, checking each one in front of the team. When he walked up to Zhao Erhu, he saw that Zhao Erhu was actually bareheaded, not wearing a military cap. He immediately became furious, pointing the leather whip in his hand at Zhao Erhu's face and shouted: "Where is your military cap?"

  Zhao Erhu was so scared that his six senses were gone, his lips trembling as he muttered: "Report to the company commander, I couldn't find my military cap."

  "Officer!" Xu Lianchang immediately turned around and shouted for an officer.

  An instructor rushed over.

  Xu Lianchang pointed at Zhao Erhu's bald head and said: "Take him out and give him thirty lashes."