The first lesson after entering the military training base is the instructor's lecture.
"From now on, you are no longer college students, but soldiers!" The instructor is a second lieutenant, surnamed Xu. He is a soldier who has just graduated from a military academy. He is slightly bookish, wearing a Marine Corps training uniform, and his legs are slightly apart.
, with his hands behind his back, stood in front of the first and second squads who were neatly lined up in military training camouflage uniforms: "In the army, there are no cowards! There are only strong ones! I don't need to say more about the truth. I just want to tell you,
In the army, if you want to be respected, there is only one way, that is, you are better than others! The strong is king..."
Liu Gen could tell from instructor Xu's instructions that he was a pragmatic soldier who did not say a word about protecting the country and the people. In just a few minutes of instruction, he only emphasized four words: "The strong is king."
These four words are not only applicable to a country, an army, but also a person. As long as you are strong, others will treat you as a king even if you do not claim hegemony.
Liu Gen likes these four powerful words: The strong is king!
The first lunch at the military camp was steamed buns with cabbage, stewed tofu and a few pickles. In the afternoon, I learned to clean up the housework. Instructor Xu had two assistants, one male soldier and one female soldier. This arrangement was made with the female classmates in mind.
Some inconvenience.
At night, they took turns to stand guard at the door of the dormitory, changing guard every hour. Passwords were stipulated. The bed they slept on was a brown mat with grass-green sheets and a thin quilt. They were not allowed to talk after lights out at nine o'clock. Anyone who violated the work and rest regulations or disobeyed orders
, penalty of credit deduction.
Get up at 6:30 in the morning, wash for half an hour, have breakfast at 7 o'clock, and sing military songs before breakfast, lunch and dinner. The one who sings the loudest eats first.
Liu Gen has a big appetite. Although the food is very poor and many classmates have little appetite, he and Liu Jun are the best eaters in the class. It doesn't matter if they eat five or six large steamed buns or three or five bowls of rice in a meal.
On the third day, something happened.
Walking in goose-stepping and standing in military posture under the scorching sun for two consecutive days made these proud men sweat dry and peel off their skin.
Cai Hua and Wu Siqi, who shared the same dormitory with Ouyang Xue, fainted due to heatstroke when the training was about to end at noon on the third day.
Boys and girls were trained separately, but they were not far apart. Liu Gen and Zhang Jian heard the exclamations from the girls and ran over first. They saw Cai Hua and Wu Siqi falling to the ground without saying anything.
He said, squatting down and with the help of the girls, he helped Cai Hua onto Liu Gen's back and Wu Siqi onto Zhang Jian's back. The two of them trotted and took the two fainted girls to the infirmary of the military training base.
This distance is not short. The army's territory is the largest anywhere. From the training ground to the infirmary, it is not only 2,000 meters but also 1,000 to 800 meters.
Liu Gen was fine, covered in sweat and slightly out of breath, but Zhang Jian, although carrying the relatively thin Wu Siqi on his back, was so tired that his feet were splayed, his hands were soft, and his throat was sweet.
"This...is simply...torturing! How can one walk...goosestep...and stand...in a military posture...under the sun...to the extreme? If...it keeps...going on like this, no one will be killed..."
Life is at risk..." Zhang Jian said breathlessly, sitting on a long chair outside the emergency room, out of breath.
Ouyang Xue and Wang Xia followed him to the infirmary, and they were so anxious that they almost cried.
Wang Xia said: "The food we eat is not nutritious! Cai Hua and Wu Siqi usually like to eat snacks. When they got here, the snacks they brought were also taken away. They both haven't eaten well in two days. They don't feel dizzy."
That’s weird!”
Zhang Jian swallowed, stretched his neck and said: "I haven't eaten enough for two days. The food...is fed to the pigs...the pigs may not be able to eat it!"
A female military doctor walked out of the emergency room and said with a smile on her face: "Every year, college students in military training faint from heatstroke. Don't worry, they have already woken up. Give them some fluids and they will be fine. Let's go back."
"Liu Gen, you go to eat first, I'll guard them here." Ouyang Xue said.
"I'll stay too, since I can't swallow the food anyway," Wang Xia said.
"Brother Gen, how about... let's quietly go outside and buy some delicious food..." Zhang Jian whispered.
"Isn't there a rule not to go out? Let's forget it. Just eat more when eating." Liu Gen didn't want to violate discipline. If he was caught and his credits were deducted, his first-year scholarship would be ruined.
"Liu Gen is right, it's best not to take that risk. Yesterday, Li Tianyi from the School of Pharmacy took a few boys out privately and was caught by the soldiers standing guard at the door. They almost got into a fight with the guard. Their instructor punished each of them by running for two seconds.
Ten circles, one hundred prone palms, haha... I heard that after one complete set, half of your life is almost gone." Wang Xia said with a smile.
"You deserve it!" Zhang Jian said harshly: "That kid Li Tianyi is the only one who... deserves to be punished!" He glanced at Ouyang Xue and Wang Xia, but did not say the words "tmd".
"Okay, let's go." Liu Gen pulled Zhang Jian and said to Ouyang Xue and Wang Xia, "I'll bring you food later."
Liu Gen and Zhang Jian went directly to the cafeteria. The song had already been sung, and they saw that both boys and girls were devouring their food like they were grabbing each other, munching on steamed buns and eating fried cabbage and pickles.
After being hungry for two days and tired for two days, who would be picky about food? Several instructors laughed and looked at the students who had gained an appetite after being cultivated by them. They seemed to feel a sense of accomplishment.
"Why is it steamed buns and cabbage again? Can the superiority of socialism be demonstrated by eating steamed buns and fried cabbage every day?" After Zhang Jian sat down, he looked at the dishes on the table. There were not many dishes left, and he stood up.
He stood up and said loudly to several laughing instructors, as if he was deliberately provoking.
Liu Gen pulled Zhang Jian's arm and whispered: "Stop talking nonsense! Sit down and eat!"
It is also a rule that you are not allowed to talk while eating. Not only did Zhang Jian speak, he also spoke very loudly, causing everyone in the cafeteria to turn their attention to him, waiting for him to be punished by the instructor.
Sure enough, instructor Xu yelled: "I thought this was your home! You can eat whatever you want? This is the army! You are a soldier now! I order you to sit down and eat!"
Zhang Jian was even more angry when he was scolded by the instructor, but he did not dare to reply.
Liu Gen pulled him to sit down, handed him a steamed bun, and whispered: "Eat quickly, there will be no food in a while."
Zhang Jian took the steamed bun and took a big bite. The air stuck in his throat didn't come out. He chewed another big mouthful of steamed bun in his mouth. He couldn't swallow it. He choked and his face turned red.
After spitting out the steamed bun, he coughed a few times and couldn't bear it anymore. He threw the steamed bun on the table and stood up. The steamed bun was quite elastic and bounced on the table and rolled to the ground.
"Why should I have to listen to you whether I eat or not? The military training fee paid when I entered the school also includes food expenses! Isn't our food expenses only enough to eat cabbage and pickles every day!" Zhang Jian's shout this time was obviously
Targeting instructor Xu.
Instructor Xu took a few steps forward, stood in front of Zhang Jian, and glared angrily at Zhang Jian's face. Although he did not speak, the atmosphere suddenly seemed to have solidified. Everyone was waiting for Zhang Jian to be beaten.
Liu Gen saw the scary look on Instructor Xu's face and knew that something was wrong. Zhang Jian would definitely not be able to eat and walk around. He stood up and wanted to speak for Zhang Jian, but Instructor Xu spoke first, his voice was not loud, but he was very dignified:
"Pick up the steamed buns that fell on the floor and eat them!"
There was a sneer on Zhang Jian's lips, and he pretended not to hear clearly and asked, "What did you say?"
"I said, pick up the steamed buns that fell on the ground and eat them!" Instructor Xu's face became increasingly ugly, as if he was suppressing the anger in his chest.
Zhang Jian lowered his eyes, glanced at the dusty white steamed buns that fell at his feet, then stared at instructor Xu and said word by word: "If I don't eat it! You won't drag me out and shoot me!"
"If you don't pick up the steamed buns that fell on the ground today and eat them! Then I will put the remaining steamed buns in the basin, together with the one you still have on the ground, into your mouth!" Instructor Xu pointed at the stainless steel on the dining table.
The half-filled bowl of steamed buns in the big basin and the steamed buns on the ground said.
Liu Gen could see that Instructor Xu could do what he said. In order to prevent Zhang Jian from being punished and to give Instructor Xu a way to step down, Liu Gen bent down, picked up the steamed buns on the ground, dusted them off, and put them to his mouth.
After a few mouthfuls, he put the steamed bun into his mouth, stuffing it until his cheeks were bulging, and with a simple and honest smile on his face, he hesitated and pointed at his mouth, which meant to tell Instructor Xu that the steamed bun was
Already picked it up and eaten it.
This move of Liu Gen surprised Instructor Xu and Zhang Jian. They no longer looked at each other like cockfighters, but stared at Liu Gen's mouth filled with steamed buns.
"Brother Gen, why are you..." Zhang Jian seemed to suddenly understand what Liu Gen meant by doing this. He felt a little embarrassed and wanted to say something, but he didn't say it completely.
Everyone's attention was attracted by Liu Gen. The huge dining hall was eerily quiet. Except for the sound of chewing in Liu Gen's mouth, there was no sound. Instructor Xu saw Liu Gen choked and blushed, and shouted.
One sentence: "Bring water!"
A cook ran out with a ladle of cold water and handed it to Instructor Xu.
"Spit it out and eat slowly." Instructor Xu handed the water ladle to Liu Gen and said.
Liu Gen was so uncomfortable that his eyes filled with tears, but he smiled and did not spit out the steamed bun in his mouth. He took the water ladle from instructor Xu, poured some water into his mouth, stretched his neck, and then poured water again, repeated three times.
Finally, he finally swallowed the steamed bun in his mouth.
"Haha...it's okay." Liu Gen stood up cheerfully, touched his belly with both hands and said, "I'm reporting to Instructor Xu! I've finished eating the steamed buns that fell on the floor!"
I don't know who it was, clapped their hands, and then someone else clapped, and the applause gradually became more intense, and eventually, even the instructors also clapped.
The anger on Instructor Xu's face gradually dissipated. He wanted to laugh but couldn't. He said, "Sit down and continue eating!" He turned and walked away.
Liu Gen sat down with Zhang Jian, poured another large amount of water into his mouth, wiped the corners of his mouth, reached into the basin and picked up a steamed bun, broke off half of it and handed it to Zhang Jian.
Zhang Jian's eyes turned red, and he gratefully took half of the steamed bun from Liu Gen and took a bite.
The applause also stopped after Liu Gen and Zhang Jian sat down, and the dining hall became quiet again. No one spoke, but everyone was saying the same thing in their hearts: 'Brother Gen, you are well done!'.