The Sixteenth Chapter: New Recruits (Part 1)

  The Second Regiment of the Military Academy was newly formed in early December, with Wang Boling as the regimental commander. The three battalion commanders and party representatives were all from the Whampoa Military Academy. The first battalion commander, Wang Junyuan, was originally a military school instructor, and the party representative was old acquaintance Zheng Dongguo. The other two battalions were respectively commanded by First Battalion Commander Gu Zhutong, Party Representative Jin Fuzhuang, Second Battalion Commander Lin Dingke, and Party Representative Ji Fang.

  The Second Battalion and the Third Regiment were among the last troops to be formed, with their garrison located farthest from the military school. The battalion headquarters and the second company were in Xifang, while the seventh company was stationed at Lanchaotai, east of Xifang. Lanchaotai was originally called Tieguan Temple, where legend has it that a Taoist priest named Tieguan observed the tides for nine days before attaining enlightenment during the early Ming dynasty. Whether this story is true or not is unknown, but locals later built a temple there called Tieguan Temple. However, by the time the First Battalion arrived, the temple had already disappeared, leaving only its foundation behind, and Tieguan Temple was renamed Lanchaotai.

  When Zhuang Jihua arrived at the barracks, the troops were in the middle of a drill. The sentry stopped him and asked what he was doing there. Zhuang Jihua showed him the appointment letter from his pocket. The sentry took the paper and looked at it upside down for a while before saying: "Officer, I don't understand what's written on this. Can you tell me?" Zhuang Jihua couldn't help but laugh and scolded with a smile: "You can't even read it, why are you looking? Let me tell you, do you believe me if I just make something up?"

  The sentinel's head was not big, about 1 meter 6 or 7, and his age was around 18 or 19. His skin was a bit dark. Seeing him hesitate, he looked him up and down again and said: "You look similar to the squad leader when he came, so you shouldn't be a spy. Speak, I'll think about it."

  Zhuang Jihua burst out laughing: "Alright, I've come here to be your company commander."

  "Don't believe it? Here, let me teach you." Zhonghua took the order and pointed to the words on it, reading them out one by one: "It says here: Order, Huangpu Military Academy's first graduating class, Zhuang Jihua is appointed as the commander of the 7th company of the 3rd battalion of the 2nd regiment. Report for duty immediately. School President Chiang Zhongzheng, Political Commissar Liao Zhongkai."

  The sentry still didn't understand, but he knew that this seemingly cheerful person was here to be the company commander. Having been a soldier for a few days, he also knew that the company commander was more senior than the platoon leader. So he led Zhuang Jihua to the company headquarters.

  Zhuang Jihua walked and asked: "What's your name, little devil." The two words 'little devil' made Zhuang Jihua feel a bit like a leader.

  "Dog egg."

  "What I said is a great name, not an internet nickname." How can it be like an internet nickname? Zhuang Jihua was somewhat speechless.

  "My name isn't famous, I've been called Dog Egg since I was a kid."

  "What's your surname? You know, the one from the Hundred Family Surnames. Do you understand?" Zhuang Jihua knew he had met an illiterate person and was afraid he wouldn't know what a surname is.

  "I understand, my surname is Zhao, Zhao Gou Dan, and the company commander also calls me that." Zhao Gou Dan said to Zhuang Ji Hua with a bit of resentment, feeling that this company commander was underestimating him.

  "Zhao Dog Egg, this name is not good." Zhuang Jihua said with an open mouth, having been in this world for so long, it was the first time he spoke to someone without using tricks or guessing their thoughts, Zhuang Jihua felt a little excited.

  "What's wrong with that? There are several people in our village called Dog Egg." Soldier Zhao Dog Egg was somewhat dissatisfied with Zhuang Jihua's slander.

  "Dog egg is the egg laid by a dog, have you ever seen a dog lay an egg?" Zhuang Jihua asked him. Zhao Dog Egg shook his head, how could dogs possibly lay eggs? Dogs give birth to puppies, only chickens and ducks lay eggs.

  "Let me give you a name." said Zhuang Jihua enthusiastically.

  "Not good, both my parents called me Dog Egg." Zhao Dog Egg felt that this person came up and gave him a new name, as if he had ill intentions.

  "Gou Dan is a nickname, I'll give you a proper name." Zhuang Jihua began to tempt Comrade Gou Dan.

  "Oh, then you tell me." Zhao Dog Egg was a bit moved. It's not easy for a peasant to have a good-sounding name. Third Uncle asked the village scholar to give Little Sunzi a name and even gave him ten eggs as a gift.

  "Who are you?"

  "Zhao Zhuang." Zhuang Jihua became depressed again.

  "Which province was I talking about?" "North of Jiangsu Province, Zhao Zhuang."

  "Oh, okay," Zhuang Jihua walked two steps and said: "How is Zhao Hanjie?"

  Comrade Dog Egg blinked and asked: "Lian Zhang, what's the big deal?"

  "The little devil is quite clever, of course. You're a Suzhou native, coming all the way from Suzhou to Guangzhou to join the revolution - that's a good fellow, a hero. So they call you Han Jie. How about it, brother, isn't this name pretty good?" Seeing his identity as a leader being accepted, Zhuang Jihua felt somewhat encouraged.

  "Alright, from now on I'll be called Zhao Hanjie." Dog Egg thought for a moment and felt that both "Hao" and "Han" were good words: "Company Commander, what's the meaning of 'ge men'?"

  "Oh, 'ge men' just means brothers." Zhuang Jihua only then realized that this "ge men" should be a term that emerged in the 50s or 60s.

  Two people walked and chatted, passing by a group of soldiers practicing formation when they suddenly heard someone calling him: "Wenge, Wenge."

  Zhuang Jihua looked up to see a short man walking quickly towards him with a big smile on his face. The sentry stood at attention and reported, "Reporting to Platoon Leader, this officer says he is our Battalion Commander, I am leading him to the battalion headquarters."

  "Alright, you go back to your post, I'll take him."

  "Shoushan, how are you here? Aren't you in the First Regiment?" Zhuang Jihua was somewhat perplexed, as Hu Zongnan was someone he had sent to the regiment.

  "I was originally doing well in the first regiment, but when the second regiment was established, the higher-ups said they wanted to let the second regiment quickly form its combat effectiveness, so a batch of people were transferred from the first regiment to the second regiment. I was among those who were transferred. The platoon leaders of this company are all from the first regiment, you're familiar with them, Guan Ting and Meng Guo." Hu Zongnan said, but he didn't say everything. As soon as he arrived, he was promoted one level, from platoon leader to deputy company commander. The company commander had not yet taken office, and he thought his superiors would promote him to the position, but unexpectedly, they sent Zhuang Jihua to take over as company commander.

  "Guangting and Mengguo," what a pleasant surprise, Chiang Kai-shek thought he was quite good, assigning all the party's young talents to his command, Zhuang Jihua felt a sense of pride.

  "Where is the party representative?"

  "Yuquan might be in the next department, we're from the same batch." Hu Zongnan reached out to take the gift, but Zhuang Jihua quickly grabbed it and said, "I'll do it myself, it's just a few steps away."

  "Don't be polite, I also saw that it was only a few steps before picking up." Hu Zongnan said with an unchanged face, this group of people were all trained by Zhuang Jihua.

  "It's fake enough," Zhuang Jihua smiled and didn't stop him anymore.

  "How long have you been training?" Zhuang Jihua asked casually as he walked a few steps.

  "How long can it last? Four days."

  "It looks like it's got some style now." Just casual praise.

  "These people are so stupid, oh, you'd better not talk nonsense." Hu Zongnan felt a bit out of place, but he was very familiar with Zhuang Jihua and spoke casually, knowing his habits.

  "I've heard it all before." Hu Zongnan gave him a white eye, obviously a waste of words.

  "Haha, then I won't hit you again." Zhuang Jihua smiled mischievously.

  Cao Yuan, a party representative, arrived at Lian Department with a bucket in one hand and a brush in the other, brushing a wooden board while looking around.

  Zhuang Jihua made a silencing gesture to Hu Zongnan, quietly walked behind Cao Yuan, and then stood there silently.

  Cao Yuan stopped and was about to take two steps back to observe when he heard from behind: "One look and it's obvious you're an amateur, the left side still needs two more strokes."

  He didn't even turn his head and said: "When did you, Zhuang Wen, work as a painter during the Cultural Revolution?" After that, he added two more strokes on the left side.

  Zhuang Jihua smiled and said: "I've never been a professional painter, but I have been an amateur wall painter. How did you know it was me?"

  "Who else in this school, apart from you, has such a smooth and oily tone?"

  "Ah." Zhuang Jihua turned his head to look at Hu Zongnan, dissatisfied, and said: "How can it be oily and smooth? It should be humorous and witty. You say, isn't that Shoushan?"

  "Hmm, I agree with Yuquan on this point. According to the rules, when a superior asks questions, I must tell the truth." Hu Zongnan thought for a moment before apologetically saying to Zhuang Jihua.

  "Cut it out, this isn't a lie. I'm looking at you two, one is a stupid wooden stake, the other is pretending to be old and mature, two despicable guys." Zhuang Jihua retorted.

  "Whether you're a wooden stake or an old fake, welcome to the Seventh Regiment as the regimental commander." Cao Yuan put down the paint bucket and turned around to shake hands with Zhuang Jihua. Zhuang Jihua shook his hand without hesitation, only to find himself tricked - Cao Yuan's hands were covered in black paint, and now Zhuang Jihua's hands were also blackened. Hu Zongnan and Cao Yuan burst out laughing at the sight of Zhuang Jihua staring blankly at his blackened hands. Zhuang Jihua couldn't help but laugh along with them.

  Then Zhuang Jihua asked with some distress where the gasoline was. Cao Yuan asked in confusion what he wanted to use the gasoline for?

  Zhuang Jihua said with a sullen face: "How have you been washing your hands these past few days? Paint thinner needs to be washed off with gasoline."

  Ts'ao Yüan and Hu Tsung-nan looked at him sympathetically: "Alas, rich young master! This isn't paint; we can't find any paint either. It's just the sediment from the bottom of a pot, washed off with water."

  After settling down, Cao Yuan called the orderly to bring Du Yuming and Song Xilian to the company department as well. After Zhuang Jihua read out the order to everyone, he officially took over as the company commander. However, Zhuang Jihua did not ask them to gather all the people in the company for a special inauguration ceremony, but only asked for the training plan and let the three platoon leaders continue to drill the troops. Cao Yuan continued to brush the blackboard, while he sat there looking at the training plan and recent work arrangements.

  At dinner time, all seven companies gathered in front of the cooking class, and Zhuang Jihua took this opportunity to deliver his inaugural speech.

  "Comrades, I am Zhuang Jihua. From now on, I will be your company commander. In the future, we will eat from the same pot; remember, I will train you, lead you into battle, and lead you out of battle alive."

  The soldiers look at me, I look at you, and neither of us speaks a word.

  Not even a round of applause, Zhuang Jihua was so depressed. This sentence is short but it's the result of his deep thinking since he received the order. Now there's no reaction, what a failure...