Chapter 10: The Deputy Class Monitor Who Tried to Get on Good Terms with Zhang Yu

  After we finished smoking two cigarettes, Zhang Yu put the cigarette back in the recess of the toilet. After we both relieved ourselves, we left the toilet.

  As I passed by the squad's bathroom, I grabbed Zhang Yu suddenly.

  "Usako, brush your teeth before going back, your mouth is full of smoke smell, it's easy to be discovered."

  Zhang Yu nodded, thinking that it was indeed so.

  Then we picked up our toothbrushes and toothpaste from the washstand.

  After squeezing out toothpaste, we quickly brushed our teeth.

  Just as we felt that there was no longer any smoke smell coming out of our mouths, Zhang Yu's deputy class leader suddenly appeared at the door of the washroom.

  "Good Vice-Squad Leader!"

  "Take it out."

  Zhang Yu's deputy class leader stretched out his hand in front of us, with a sly smile on his face, and shouted at us.

  We are all very nervous, is the deputy class leader a mad dog in the world?

  "Eighth class vice monitor, we don't understand what you're saying. What are you asking us to give you?"

  "Hmph, you two new recruits, let me tell you, I've used these tricks when I was a new recruit." The deputy squad leader sneered at us with a cold hum.

  Now we all understand, the deputy class leader must have guessed what we did.

  Zhang Yu continued to argue strongly: "What's that? I really don't understand what you're saying, Vice Monitor."

  The deputy class leader smiled slyly: "You think you've done a perfect job, don't you?" The deputy class leader paused and pointed to Zhang Yu's hand, saying lightly: "Zhang Yu, stretch out your hand."

  Zhang Yu was taken aback and subconsciously put his hand in front of the vice captain of Class 8.

  I muttered under my breath, "It's all over." Everything was exposed now.

  As expected, Vice Class 8 grabbed Zhang Yu's hand and smelled it in front of his nose again and again.

  "Heh heh, young one, don't think that just brushing your teeth can fool me, your hands have given you away."

  Zhang Yu saw that he had been discovered with the smell of smoke in his hand, and immediately spoke in a low voice to flatter his deputy class leader: "Deputy class leader, dear Deputy Class Leader, let us off this once, we promise not to smoke again next time, really won't smoke again."

  "Yes, Vice Monitor, we guarantee that we won't smoke again in the future, we swear..." I also hurriedly tried to appease the vice monitor, afraid that he would report our sneaky smoking incident to the class monitor.

  Zhang Yu's deputy class leader said faintly: "No use, this trick doesn't work on me."

  I quietly used my eyes to hint at Zhang Yu about the distant toilet, and Zhang Yu immediately understood what I meant.

  "Class Vice-President, come with us, come with us."

  The two of us each grabbed one of the vice class monitor's hands and walked towards the toilet.

  "What are you going to do."

  The deputy class leader was dragged by us to the toilet where we just smoked.

  This morning Zhang Yu pointed to the recess where the cigarette was placed. Zhang Yu nodded and walked over to the recess, stretching his hand in.

  The deputy squad leader was stunned, and saw Zhang Yu take out a pack of cigarettes, scolding us: "Damn it, you two new recruits are quite something, thinking of such a hidden place."

  I rubbed my head and smiled awkwardly.

  Zhang Yu hastily stepped forward a few steps, slapping the cigarette into the deputy class monitor's hand, and said with a flattering tone: "Deputy, this is what Xiao Bin and I have prepared for you, please let us off easy."

  "Yes, yes, Vice Monitor spared us this time, we promise not to smoke again in the future." I also hurriedly promised.

  The deputy squad leader opened the pack of Furongwang cigarettes that Zhang Yu had slapped into his hand, pulled one out and lit it, took a drag and lectured us: "It's not that you're not allowed to smoke, your first year is crucial, your first year as a soldier is when you lay the foundation, many subjects you learn in your first year require endurance and pushing your body to its limits. Smoking will affect your lung capacity, infantry relies on their legs, when you become old soldiers leading new recruits, you'll understand."

  The two of us nodded hastily and promised: "Yes, Deputy Director, we definitely won't smoke anymore."

  Finally, we finished the last cigarette in Vice Squad Leader's office and followed him back to our dormitory. Zhang Yu and I returned to our dormitory with trepidation, feeling extremely tense until Vice Squad Leader personally assured us that he would keep our secret, only then did we feel at ease.

  What a pity, that pack of Furongwang cigarettes cost over 20 yuan, although Zhang Yu bought it, I still feel heartbroken. Now it's all gone, given to the deputy class leader as a tribute. If only I had known it would be discovered, I would have smoked a few more.

  That day, after returning from a meeting with the company commander, Pai Zhang assembled all of our new recruits together.

  "Take a short rest." The squad leader gave us an order.

  "After we all took a short rest, the platoon leader said to us: 'Comrades new recruits, half a month has passed and you basically understand the internal affairs. The company has decided that starting next week, every day one deputy class leader from each class will be selected to inspect your internal affairs, and every Monday morning there will be a 30-minute drill time to check your military appearance and discipline.'"

  "Monday morning's military bearing and discipline mainly inspect your appearance, fingernails, hair, beard, and attire. The company will also select the top 3 classes with the best internal sanitation and hygiene every Monday afternoon, and these three classes will be awarded a mobile red flag, which represents the honor of new recruits' internal sanitation and hygiene."

  This flowing red flag can be hung in the classroom for a week. After one week, it will be transferred to the classrooms of the next three classes that have been evaluated.

  After the class leader finished announcing all these, that afternoon, the class leader and vice-class leader began to give us some special care.

  What's wrong?

  Just keep watching and you'll see -- ||

  Our class leader is very strict with us, every day making us check our beds carefully, not a single hair can be left on the white sheets. The comrade in charge of wiping the bed frame must wipe each position clean and tidy, and even with hands, no dust can be felt, because the inspectors will touch every corner of the bed during inspection, and if dust is found, points will be deducted.

  It's a pity for us new recruits. Some of them were young masters at home and had never done such things before, so they were all very unwilling in their hearts.

  However, our class 6, I and Zheng Hao and Hu Xinyue all hope that the mobile red flag can be hung in our class, so we are very diligent in cleaning every day. Check carefully. The deputy class leader usually looks cold, and doesn't even talk to us much, but when it comes to cleaning, he is very enthusiastic about us. Carefully guiding us, even revealing which dead ends the inspectors will check.

  This is also the first time that our deputy class leader has moved us, from the day we entered the army camp, we have never seen him smile, every day he is cold and icy, as if we owe him three or five million and haven't paid him back.

  It wasn't until one day when we asked the class leader that we found out the vice class leader's girlfriend had married another man after he enlisted in the army for two years.

  We all sympathize with the vice class leader very much now. Every day, we find opportunities to comfort the vice class leader and hope he can let go.

  At this time, I also thought of Han Ruoyun in my hometown, and wondered how she was doing now, whether she had a new boyfriend or not...