Chapter 31: The Unlucky New Recruit Zhang Yue
It's Chinese New Year...
Dong er long dong gōng dōng...
Dong er nuo... dong er nuo... dong nuo dong nuo dong dong nuo dong nuo...
"Haha... Xiao Bin, did you see that? Lao Ban is actually quite funny."
In the classroom, Hu Xinyin, who was writing his impressions of the last exam with me, smiled at me.
I glanced at the class leader who was chatting with several other class leaders outside the house and smiled back: "Yes, don't look at the class leader's usual cold and ruthless appearance, actually the class leader is still very good to get along with, he is strict with us for our own good."
Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and it's also our first Spring Festival in the military camp. Outside the dormitory, the squad leader is loudly singing a song that sets the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival.
I heard from our monitor that our company will organize many recreational activities during the Spring Festival. We are also looking forward to it.
I also heard from the deputy squad leader that one of the park activities is very fun and it's a traditional activity in the army.
After lights out at night, our whole class was assembled by the monitor in the drill ground.
In the dark of night, the class monitor began ordering us all to lie on our backs.
We lay down on the cold concrete floor according to the class monitor's instructions...
"Geez, I hope Old Ban isn't in a bad mood and looking for us to vent on," Hu Xinnuo whispered to me, turning his head towards me.
I didn't respond to him, I was afraid of being discovered by the class monitor and then having another mess on our hands.
"Brothers, tomorrow is the Spring Festival, and as it's a special day, our company will arrange for everyone to relax and have fun. However, I'm worried that you'll all become too relaxed over these five days and forget about your tense mood. So, I've decided to make you tighten up your minds on New Year's Eve eve. Play when you play, train when you train. Of course, when you're playing, I won't restrict you, you can play with abandon. But starting from the sixth day of the new year, if anyone gives me any trouble during training, I'll let you experience what it means to have a 'black' training session."
What the class leader said is obviously intended to make us tighten up our training...
"Come... listen to the order, lie flat on your body, six classes, hug your head with both hands, and lift your two feet 10 centimeters." The class leader suddenly shouted at us.
Good grief, the class monitor has come up with another weird idea again.
We didn't dare to slack off, so we immediately straightened our bodies, clasped our hands behind our heads, and according to the class monitor's instructions, started lifting our feet up.
In less than a minute, some of us began to lose our footing.
"Hu Xingwei complained to me, 'I'm telling you, Xiao Bin, what kind of training method is this? We've only just started and my stomach is already aching to death, my legs are so tired.'"
"Hu San Dao, you're talking nonsense, where did all those words come from? Shut up for me."
Before I could respond to Hu Xingyuan's words, the class monitor jumped in and scolded him.
"It's me, I'm shutting up." Hu Xingwei shouted towards the class monitor.
At this time, the deputy class leader came over with a bag of something unknown.
"Monitor, I've brought it."
The class leader nodded and took over the bag, looked at it and said to the deputy class leader: "Put one under each of their feet."
Because it was quite dark, none of us could see what the deputy class monitor had placed at our feet.
The class leader walked back and forth in front of us, saying: "Remember, each of you has an egg under your feet. This is what I borrowed from the cooking class for you deputy class leaders. After training, we need to return them to the cooking class. Tomorrow morning, the cooking class will use these eggs to prepare boiled eggs for you. Everyone remember, don't break them, whoever breaks one will have to chop firewood for the cooking class for three days. Of course, the time for chopping firewood will be during your rest time."
I'm going, the class monitor is too ruthless, and we still have to choose our own rest time, this move is too ruthless, more ruthless than anything else.
It's too much to bear...
"Listen up, we're only doing 10 sets, each set just needs you to hold on for two minutes and then you can put your legs down. If anyone doesn't do it standardly, I'll add 10 seconds. Got it?"
"...Honest...ly..." We 10 new recruits hesitated in answering the squad leader's question.
"Alright, listen up, now you can put your legs down and rest for 30 seconds. Be careful when putting them down, don't crush the eggs underneath..."
The class monitor would also intentionally drag out the word "egg" for a long time, leaving us speechless...
After putting down both legs, we quickly rubbed our sore belly...
"Creak..."
When training to the 7th group, a sudden sound of an egg breaking was heard...
"Whose masterpiece is this?"
The class monitor ran in front of us and shouted at us.
"Reporting... reporting to the class monitor, I..."
New recruit Zhang Lei nervously replied...
"Oh no, brother, that's an egg! Do you know how hard it was for the old hen to lay it? And now, because of your carelessness, a delicious fried egg is ruined."
The class monitor squatted in front of Zhang Lei and said.
Looking at the class monitor's tone of speech, we all want to laugh a little...
Zhang Wei stuttered: "B-b-b...long, I...I was wrong."
"It's late," said the class monitor after finishing speaking, and then shouted to the deputy class monitor: "Deputy class monitor, come over."
Our deputy class monitor immediately ran towards the class monitor after hearing it.
"Sweep up the broken eggs on the ground, and after the Spring Festival is over, let Zhang Lei that kid chop firewood for the cooking class for three days." The monitor said to the deputy monitor.
"Yes, class monitor."
Just as the deputy class leader was about to go get a broom to clean up the eggs on the floor, the class leader said to him again: "Remember, let him use that 20-kilogram axe to chop."
"Yes."
I'm so obedient, a 20-kilogram axe...
It wasn't until later that I found out why the class leader wanted Zhang Lei to use that axe, because that axe was a training tool for the cooking class, and when chopping firewood, it could exercise hand strength.
I couldn't help but look at Zhang Wei's slender figure.
This night training session was brief, lasting less than 40 minutes, but it made us feel more painful than training for two hours.
Don't underestimate this seemingly simple foot-raising, head-holding move. It's not easy at all. If there were no eggs under our feet, we could still sneak in some laziness in the dark of night and put our feet down when we couldn't hold on any longer.
But unfortunately, there was an egg underfoot. If it broke, after the Spring Festival, I would still have to use that 20-kilogram axe to chop firewood, just thinking about it made me break out in a cold sweat.
Lying on the warm bed, I couldn't fall asleep for a long time, and this was also my first sleepless night in my military career.
Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. At this time, I miss my family far away. Every year during the Spring Festival, our whole family gathers together to have a lively and warm reunion dinner.
At this moment, I also felt that sentence, "On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of one's dear ones."
At this moment, I also thought of Han Ruoyun from afar, and wondered how she was doing now, and if she had forgotten me.
These days I've been wanting to write her a letter, but every time I pick up the pen, I just can't bring myself to start writing.
What qualifications do I have to write her a letter?
What right do I have to miss her, to think of her...
Could it be that Han Ruoyun was just a passerby on my emotional journey...
As I thought about it, my eyes became moist...
"Can't cry... The class leader said, soldiers, can shed blood and sweat but cannot shed tears."
Yes, I mustn't cry, I'm a soldier, I'm still a man...
