Wei Wu's father rummaged around in his arms for a while, took out several Spanish silver coins, stuffed them into his son's hands, and spoke in a serious voice.
"San'er, when you go to the military camp in the future, don't skimp on where you should spend your money!"
"The ten acres of red land we rented before will belong to our family as long as we pay a few years' rent."
"Now our family has fifty acres of good land thanks to your joining the army!"
"Total up to seventy acres of land!"
"Your father, your mother, and your brothers and sisters can farm and save a lot of money every year. When you are short of money, you can send letters home."
"In the future... I will come back often!"
"When you go to the battlefield, don't be a deserter, but don't be stupid either. Be smart and don't take the lead. Dad doesn't want the other fifty acres of land, and he doesn't want the white-haired people to give away the black-haired people!"
Listening to his old father's chatter, Wei Wu only felt warm and not bored.
…
After a long time, Wei Wu ate and drank enough. He drank another bowl of chicken soup and sat down on the chair with his belly bulging, squinting his eyes happily.
He hasn't been so full for a long time!
Enjoying the rare feeling of fullness, Wei Wu almost fell asleep.
At this moment, there was a knock on the Wei family's courtyard door, and Wei Wu went to open the door.
Standing outside the door was the Liberation Army officer responsible for publicizing the recruitment.
"It's almost time for Wei Wu. Say goodbye to your family and let's get ready to set off!"
The Liberation Army officer, who was wearing a straight military uniform, leather shoes, a heroic face, a tall and strong body, and a very good appearance, said.
When Wei Wu heard this, he nodded vigorously.
Right at the door, he knelt down to his parents, kowtowed three times and said loudly.
"father!"
"mother!"
"My son is gone!"
"Take care, you two!"
"..."
Wei Wu's father pretended to be calm on his face and just nodded.
"San'er, you went to the military camp to repay the great kindness of the Governor to us ordinary people!"
"Don't be a coward!"
Wei Wu's mother, however, had already turned her head to the side, unable to bear to look at her son anymore, her tears fell down, and she burst into tears.
…
Wei Wu left home with the officers of the Liberation Army and asked Wei Wu to wait at the entrance of the village while the officers went to find other people.
Not long after, all the recruits in the village who chose to join the army gathered at the entrance of the village.
Wei Wu looked around and saw that almost every household had people joining the Liberation Army.
There are even families with many boys, and two or three of them sign up to join the army at once.
Everyone else in the village ran to the entrance of the village to watch the fun!
In front of everyone, the officers of the Liberation Army put big red flowers on all the new recruits.
In addition, a large firecracker with thousands of rings was set off at the entrance of the village, and a special band appeared at the entrance of the village, beating gongs and drums, which was very lively.
The whole village, young and old, watched such a lively scene, and unknowingly, their attitude towards joining the army also changed.
Since ancient times, if a family can produce a talented person, the government will give it such a big deal.
However, now the military government has people blowing and beating at the entrance of the village just for a group of new soldiers!
It is evident that the military government attaches great importance to the military!
Seeing this lively scene, the recruits raised their chests and raised their heads, enjoying the envious or jealous looks around them.
It greatly satisfies their own vanity!
The officers of the Liberation Army personally came forward and gave a bronze plaque to each family with a son who joined the army, saying that he was a hero.
He even took it upon himself to help the military family members nail the sign to the door!
The brands are not valuable, but the brands issued by the military government are very valuable.
According to regulations, priority is given to military personnel when seeking medical treatment, enrolling in school, or going to the military government offices to handle various matters!
Even in the military government's recruitment examination, if someone in your family joins the army, there will be extra points in the examination.
Zhu Hongyu will use various means to regain the status of soldiers, which has plummeted since the two Song Dynasties!
It is necessary to arouse the enthusiasm of all walks of life to join the army and defend the country.
We must change the traditional concept of emphasizing culture over martial arts!
Under the reluctant eyes of the family members in the village, the officers of the Liberation Army left the village with a group of recruits and headed for the recruit camp outside Weiyuan City.
…
Wei Wu and others arrived at the recruit camp outside Weiyuan City, and were assigned to a group of ten people in advance.
Each class is assigned a veteran as the squad leader to lead the group of new recruits.
The first thing the new recruits do when they enter the camp is to ask them to clean up their personal hygiene.
Take off your dirty clothes and disinfect them with sulfur.
Then enter the public bathroom to take a shower and clean off the dirt on your body.
Finally, the barber helped the recruits cut all their hair into bald heads.
Wei Wu was wearing clean training uniforms, with wet hair hanging down behind him, and asked the recruit squad leader beside him.
"Squad leader, why do we all have to shave our heads like monks?"
Wei Wu's face was full of curiosity. Although he was very thin, he looked particularly energetic after taking a bath.
The squad leader's name is Wang Gao, a veteran who has participated in several battles and made many military exploits.
This time the Liberation Army expanded its troops, and he was promoted to squad leader.
The new recruits in this class will be led by him.
Wang Gao touched his bald head and said.
"You know a hammer, do you know what it means to cut off a will?"
"The chief governor cut his hair and vowed not to return to the Central Plains and never to grow his hair. The generals and officials above have all cut their hair. Naturally, we big-headed soldiers must follow suit."
"What is this called? This is called political consciousness!"
Wei Wu nodded in understanding.
Seeing that the cubs under his command were still a little resistant to shaving their heads, Wang Gao then spoke.
"Also, although this monk's head is not good-looking, it is just right for use in the military!"
"First, it can avoid getting lice and fleas and keep it clean and hygienic."
"Second, on the battlefield, if you are injured on the head, you can be treated directly if you are bald, but if you have long hair, you have to shave it first."
"Such a delay might be the difference between life and death!"
"What is this called? This is called riding and shooting in Hufu! The money rat tail of the Manchu Tatars is too ugly, we can't keep it, but the monk's head is just right."
"When I retire from the army in the future, I can just grow my hair slowly!"
"Besides, don't you feel cooler if you shave your hair?"
After hearing Wang Gao's words, the recruits nodded one after another and no longer resisted so much.
Soon, it was their turn to shave their heads.
Wei Wu was the first in line. As soon as he sat down, the barber started to work.
Swish, swish, swish a few times, Wei Wu felt his head relax.
A ladle of cold water was poured on the top of his head, and Wei Wu felt a chill.
With his hair gone, Wei Wu shook his head unaccustomedly, but he really felt cool.
After everyone had finished shaving their heads, a group of bald heads headed towards the barracks.
Wang Gao, the squad leader, arranged dormitories and beds for them, and then began to teach them how to clean up the house.
After everything was arranged, Wang Gao chose to leave!