Chapter Fourteen: New Recruits Arrive at the Regiment
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The next day, the whole company was mobilized to line up at the gate to welcome new recruits. Everyone said, "New recruits arrive in the second half of the year, old soldiers spend New Year's." After a year, the wives became more mature (at that time and now, two years of military service). The old soldiers made an effort to beat drums and gongs, clapping their hands hard, leading the new recruits into the door. According to yesterday's list, the new recruits were quickly assigned to each class, some were happy, and some were worried. Class 6 got four new recruits, looking at their quality was not bad, Liu Daxiong and the old soldiers helped the new recruits carry their backpacks, enthusiastically taking them back to the dormitory. The old soldiers helped the new recruits tidy up their internal affairs, Zhang Peng hurriedly poured water for them to wash their faces. Looking at the new recruits, one by one with tears in their eyes, flustered and frightened, they must not have received this treatment in the new recruit company.
After settling down, Zhang Peng poured a cup of water for each new recruit. The clever new recruits handed cigarettes to the old soldiers and lit them up as a gesture of respect. A few new recruits introduced themselves: Zhang Wenguang from Zhejiang, a fisherman; Wang Maobin from Sichuan; Li Jiashan from Liaoning; and Batuqar from Mongolia. The new recruits saw that Zhang Peng was just a young boy without any rank badges or insignia on his hat, and they were at a loss as to what to do, so they just stood by and smiled foolishly.
"Come over here, you few, I'll introduce you." Zhao Hai said, pointing at the new recruits.
"Zhang Peng is a squad leader, also one of our sixth class members. Although he's only been in the army for a month longer than you guys, he's still a veteran. I don't need to teach him anything." Zhao Hai put on an air of superiority as deputy squad leader.
"Zhang Peng has been here for two days and already won the class a banner award, plus a pot of braised pork. You few should be like him." Old soldier Wang Chun chimed in.
Zhang Peng was replaced by Batuger, a new Mongolian soldier who was taciturn and had a height of nearly 1.8 meters, with a sturdy build like an ox. Originally, Batuger was an outgoing young man, but after joining the army, he found that he was the only Mongolian, and language became a problem. In his platoon, the squad leader had a catchphrase, often saying "mom's" when speaking, which Batuger didn't understand. He thought it must be very important since the squad leader said it so often, so he asked his comrades for help. One of the new recruits played a trick on him, telling him that "mom's" meant "hello" in Mongolian. As a result, whenever Batuger saw the squad leader or platoon leader, he would say "mom's" first, and everyone around him knew what was going on and laughed about it. One day, when the military leaders came to inspect the barracks, they happened to arrive at their platoon and pointed to Batuger, who responded with a loud "mom's". The leaders were shocked, and as for the consequences, you can imagine them with your toes! This incident led to Batuger only learning a few everyday phrases and military terms until he left the army, and he didn't dare speak much.
At noon, Zhang Peng was amazed by the new recruits' appetite. A basin of steamed buns disappeared in an instant. He had just gone to fetch another basin, but before he could finish one bun, it was all gone again. Zhao Hai had no choice but to go and get more, bringing back only half a basin this time. Then, they heard the cook sergeant's loud curses: "The new recruits have eaten even the cooks' lunch! They're a bunch of starving ghosts! They've even finished off my own lunch!"
The next day, the reconnaissance battalion's spring training officially began. Each company was testing the new recruits' abilities and also giving them a taste of what was to come. The morning exercise was changed to a five-kilometer cross-country run. When they set out, they were neat and tidy, but when they returned, eight out of ten were being dragged back by their backpacks. The battalion commander and instructors stood on the drill ground, looking at the new recruits who were stumbling about in all directions, and couldn't help but smile wryly. It's said that only the best of the new recruits can make it into the reconnaissance battalion, but now it's all "read every day, talk every day", without any actual practice. The quality of the training is self-evident.
The reconnaissance battalion is the army's on-duty unit, which needs to be ready to respond to sudden situations at any time. The quality of new recruits is not good, how can they complete their tasks? The battalion adjusted its training plan in a timely manner according to the actual situation, strengthened physical training, and conducted basic subject penetration training.
In the morning, wake up at 5:30, start with a five-kilometer cross-country run, return to tidy up, and practice capture fist or dagger manipulation. After breakfast, conduct infantry's five major technical training (shooting, grenade throwing, blasting, engineering work, and stabbing); in the afternoon, compress political study time, conduct military geography, observation, mapping, and other theoretical studies; before dinner, another five-kilometer cross-country run; before lights out, it's the free playtime of each class leader, as long as training is carried out, the cadres in the company won't interfere.
The five-kilometer cross-country run is a nightmare for every new recruit. After the morning wake-up call, they have to assemble within three minutes and run out of the gate in units, along the tractor path between fields to a small hill two kilometers away.
Second Lieutenant Li Yushan is an old squad leader, this year after the new training and returning with the new recruits. This time, most of the new recruits in the reconnaissance battalion were selected by him, but their quality was not good. Although no one said anything, Li felt very frustrated in his heart. The higher-ups asked him to train them like this, and he had no choice. These were still the ones he carefully selected as 'diamonds in the rough'. The company commander held a red flag and led the way running at the front, while Second Lieutenant Li held a rifle belt and patrolled back and forth with a fierce expression, hitting those who ran slowly. When they saw him coming, the soldiers who were about to collapse suddenly sprinted forward like they had been injected with chicken blood. "Pay attention to your breathing!" The squad leaders reminded them from time to time.
Batu'er felt useless, even the little guy from Sichuan, Wang Maobin, was running ahead of him. If it wasn't for Zhang Peng supporting him from behind, he would have fallen into the roadside ditch. The distance that used to take only a moment to ride on horseback now seemed as far away as the horizon. Finally, they got around that damned hill, and Batu'er had been whipped twice with the long leather belt. His legs felt like they had been deboned, soft and unable to lift up. He was gasping for air with his mouth wide open, like a fish thrown onto the shore. The squad leader came over and tied him up with a backpack strap, dragging him forward as he ran. Zhang Peng still closely followed at the tail of the sixth squad.
The soldiers returned to the playground, one by one collapsing to the ground in exhaustion, coughing incessantly. The old soldier dragged the new recruit along, also panting heavily. The company commander saw the last team return and looked at his watch, shaking his head.
Ten minutes later, the assembly whistle of "Dudu ???" sounded, and the warriors stood up with all their might and gathered in formation. Looking at the exhausted warriors, a hint of unbearable emotion flashed in the eyes of the company commander.
"Sing!" The instructor commanded.
"Come without a shadow, go without a trace, sing!"
Come without a shadow
Vanish into thin air
Like lightning
Like a gentle breeze
Ride alone into the enemy's lair
Capture prisoners and gather intelligence on the enemy situation
A deep river can be forded.
The mountain is high and steep, but I dare to climb it.
……
Over a hundred Han troops roared the "Scout's Song", this is a song that every scout will sing, in the midst of the stirring singing voices, the soldiers shed their fatigue, and a heroic spirit rose from the bottom of their hearts.
"Our regiment was born in the revolutionary cradle of Jinggangshan, grew up on the anti-Japanese battlefield of resisting foreign humiliation, and became strong in the flames of war to liberate the country and defend the nation against US aggression in Korea! Our predecessors have traversed the mountains and rivers of our motherland, shedding their hot blood all over the land of our motherland! Can we inherit the spirit of our predecessors?" The instructor asked loudly.
"Can, can, can???" The warriors replied in unison.
"We are revolutionary warriors armed with *thoughts*, can we overcome the difficulties in front of us?"
"Can! Can! Can!!!" The warriors bellowed in response.
The warriors, with the morale boosted by the instructor, entered the next subject of training.
The evening physical training was also unbearable, with only eight pull-ups in the new recruit regiment considered passing, and among these thirty, it was just the beginning. Those who couldn't finish were hung from the horizontal bar, but there weren't enough to go around, so the old soldiers came up with a solution - they hung people from trees and door frames until they were full, like dried chickens. Before bed, 300 sit-ups, 300 single-leg squats, and 300 push-ups had to be done. If you finished, congratulations, you could sleep; if not, someone would keep you company, and not a single one could be missed. When Liu Dàyǒng carried the last trainee, Zhang Wenguang, up to bed, the lights-out signal had already been sounded.
The recruits were not required to participate in the company's high-intensity training, and most of them accepted this "kindness". Zhang Peng felt that he had completed these trainings, which reminded him of the days when his elders and uncles bullied him. Now, without feeling annoyed, he instead felt a sense of closeness. You say he's not being humble! The flashlight flashed by, and the door was quietly closed. This was the second time the company commander had come to inspect at night. Zhang Peng listened carefully and found that everyone in the squad was fast asleep. At this moment, if they were carried out, they would probably not wake up. He jumped down from bed like a cat and slipped out of the door.
It's midnight now, only the stars in the sky and the sentry are still awake. The sentry is changing shifts, and from time to time, the sound of the sentry's password can be heard. Zhang Peng uses the shadow of the house and trees to come to the wall of the barracks, his legs exert force upwards, his toes touch the top of the wall, and he silently crosses over the iron wire mesh on the wall, landing outside the wall without a sound. He quickly runs towards a thicket 50 meters away. In the midst of the dense weeds in the thicket is a clearing about ten paces square, which Zhang Peng had chosen as his spot on the second day he came to scout out the camp. The ground has been trampled until it's as hard as stone slabs.
Nei Lian is the foundation that made Dian Xian Fan Zi famous in the martial arts world for hundreds of years. The stake training of Dian Xian Fan Zi not only includes internal exercises to refine one's energy and cultivate one's spirit, but also to enhance one's striking power through hand, foot, and body movements. From a health perspective, Dian Xian Fan Zi first requires the practice of three meridians: Shui Jin Jing (Water Tendon Classic), Xue Jin Jing (Blood Tendon Classic), and Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic). When the fluid is full and not deficient, one's spirit will be elevated; when the blood and tendons are sufficient and not empty, one will be robust; when the energy is full and not injured, one will be strong. With the three meridians full, one's vital energy will not disperse, and even without practicing martial arts, one can extend their lifespan and benefit their health.
An hour later, Zhang Peng finished his practice, and the fatigue from training had disappeared. He had regained his usual vitality. After some light exercise, Zhang Peng practiced "Ba Da Kai" again. The movements of "Ba Da Kai" were expansive yet not exaggerated, with a reasonable structure, high and low, left and right, balanced in punching and kicking, and all aspects of body method and footwork could be practiced. Each of the eight routines was very long, with more than 50 moves per routine. Zhang Peng finished this set of punches in another hour.
Zhang Pengshun returned to the dormitory door of Class 6, stuck his ear on the door and listened for a while. The people in the class were still asleep. He opened and closed the door gently, came to the bedside, propped one hand on the bed frame, and floated onto the bed like a leaf, without disturbing anyone in the class at all.
