Chapter 58: The Iron Triangle and Two Aces
After a long day, when she finally lay in bed, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
The iron bed creaked on one side, and then on the other. The bed was hard, with a few wooden planks, a thin palm mat, a thin mattress, and a bedsheet. It would be a lie to say it was like sleeping on a stone slab, but it was close.
“I miss my soft bed at home,” a soft, gentle voice said. It was the girl named Xia Mengmeng.
“This bed board is so hard. It’s uncomfortable.”
The girls were talking in a very small voice. No one could sleep at this moment, and the desire to talk was strong. But not everyone was like this. There were also some who were sleeping soundly, with a faint, rhythmic breathing sound.
“Let’s go to sleep. Tomorrow will definitely be harder than today. We’re all soldiers from now on. We have to overcome all the hardships. We can still sleep soundly tonight. Tomorrow night, there might be an emergency assembly to torment us,” Liu Shupei said in a low voice, telling them not to talk anymore. Complaining was useless.
Zhou Wanfeng closed her eyes and lay quietly in bed, thinking about her future life. She had gotten into the military academy as she had wished. And then what? After three years, she would be sent to the grassroots. And after another three years, she would enter the government? Or be promoted to deputy company commander?
Her brow furrowed. Subconsciously, she did not want to live a life of climbing the official ladder by seniority.
She also did not want to live a mediocre life. In this new life, she had studied hard. She had enjoyed studying in junior high and high school, and she had no more regrets.
She didn’t have many friends, but she had a few close ones. A faint smile appeared on her lips as a few vivid faces flashed through her mind. Zhou Wanfeng had thought that if she were to sacrifice herself in the future, there would probably be someone to shed a tear for her at her tombstone.
Yun Jingya had gotten into one of the top ten universities in North City. She had chosen her major against all odds. She was a girl with her own opinions, and she was as outstanding as ever.
Unfortunately, she would not be able to see her wonderful life in the future. She wished her all the best. Because of her, her high school life had left many wonderful memories.
Jiang Chen had gotten into medical school as he had wished. He had even said that if she were injured in the future, he would be the one to operate on her, and he would guarantee that he would stitch up the wound beautifully.
Jiang Yi had participated in the National Olympiad in Mathematics in his second year of high school. The entire Yunhai City had only won eleven gold medals, and Jiang Yi was one of them. He had even entered the top twenty in the national ranking and had successfully entered the national training team. He had participated in the International Mathematical Olympiad and had been specially admitted to a top domestic mathematics department before his third year of high school.
Ding Yanhua had gotten into a key university for a computer major. The villagers and relatives had pooled their money to send her to school. Her mother had told her to study hard. Ding Daqiang was now very well-behaved. He only dared to make threats. His big daughter had changed into a different person, and dared to take a kitchen knife to him. The younger brother and sister had followed suit, and were no longer just crying. When he was well-behaved, the family’s life was much better.
After Lu Qing had graduated from the third year of high school, Zhou Wanfeng had never seen him again. Jiang Chen had said that he had originally wanted to go to a domestic university for a photography major, but his older brother and mother had not agreed and had sent him abroad.
In the second year of high school, Zhou Wanfeng had vaguely sensed that Lu Qing was a little different towards her. She had let it be, because she could see that he himself was still muddle-headed and hadn’t figured it out. She just hadn’t expected that Jiang Chen and Yun Jingya had known for a long time.
Wu Junfeng and Ding Yanhua had actually gotten into the same university but in different majors.
Wang Feili had gotten into a key university for a Chinese major and was determined to be a writer and a screenwriter, and to make a living with her words in the future.
After an unknown amount of time, only the sound of soft breathing was left in the dorm. Even the creaking of the bed boards had subsided. Everyone was asleep.
The entire barracks was silent. Only the lights in the hallway were on. Occasionally, the sound of footsteps would pass by. A squad leader on duty was coming to check the rooms.
In the morning, when she was in a deep sleep, a whistle suddenly blew outside the barracks. The whistle was urgent and fast, like the sound of boiling water, sharp and piercing. It pierced through the walls and the eardrums.
“Oh my, what time is it?”
“Ahhh, I want to sleep a little longer.”
Unfortunately, in less than half a minute, the door to the dorm was banged on. Yu Aijun’s stern voice came from outside. “You have one minute to get ready. I’m coming in in one minute.”
After all, it was a girls’ dorm, unlike the boys’ dorm next door. He just saw the squad leader walk straight in, and then a series of wails and complaints came.
“It’s only five o’clock! Squad leader, let us sleep a little longer!”
After a minute of clattering in the girls’ dorm, Yu Aijun pushed the door open and came in. He glanced around. Basically, everyone was dressed… and presentable.
They had consciously lined up by their beds, as if waiting for inspection.
It was Liu Shupei who had commanded them to line up. It wouldn’t do to have two standing here and three there.
Zhou Wanfeng was standing at the very back. In front of her was Jin Hongjie. They were both over 170cm tall. Liu Shupei had arranged herself in the third to last position.
Yu Aijun’s brow was furrowed. He looked at the unmade quilts on the beds and shouted sternly, “Have you forgotten how to tidy up your internal affairs that I taught you yesterday?”
“Reporting, squad leader! I have not forgotten!” Hu Yinping replied loudly.
“Dismissed! Tidy up immediately!”
Everyone went back to their own beds to tidy up their internal affairs, not forgetting to straighten their own clothes.
The “tofu quilt” had to be assessed. If you failed, you would have to start all over again.
Liu Shupei was fast and good. She was the first to pass the assessment and was allowed to go and wash up.
Zhou Wanfeng had practiced last night. She had repeatedly pressed it flat with her elbow, wishing her arm were an iron. She remembered that Sun Mulan had once told her that she could use a teacup with hot water to iron it. She would probably be able to use that sooner or later.
“Unsatisfactory! Fold it again!” Jin Hongjie’s quilt was messed up, and she had to start all over again.
Someone had failed three times.
Zhou Wanfeng was not in a hurry. She had watched carefully when Liu Shupei was folding her quilt. She had also seen that her quilt was not covered last night, but was at the foot of her bed.
Now she understood.
Pull, stretch, smooth, tug, fold, pinch. It was like treating a delicate work of art. Every step could not be missed.
“Reporting, squad leader! I’m done!” Zhou Wanfeng requested an inspection.
Yu Aijun walked to Zhou Wanfeng’s bed and, after carefully examining the “tofu quilt,” he had to look at her.
But the moment he looked over, this Zhou Wanfeng met his gaze, calm and composed. There was not a single ripple or flicker in her eyes.
You looked at her, and she looked at you, without any fear or timidity.
Last night, at the squad leaders’ meeting, the male cadets would panic when the squad leader stared at them, and their eyes would intentionally look away. This girl didn’t even look away.
“You folded it very well. Did you practice yesterday?”
“Yes,” Zhou Wanfeng said, her hands behind her back, her eyes calm, her answer crisp.
Jin Hongjie was kneeling on her quilt. She took the opportunity to give Zhou Wanfeng a thumbs-up.
Zhou Wanfeng’s quilt had passed.
Yu Aijun couldn’t help but take a few more glances at Zhou Wanfeng. He had looked at the cadets’ records last night. Liu Shupei was about what he had expected. She was a third-generation soldier, from a military family. Her family had been soldiers since her grandfather’s generation, and her quality was excellent.
This Zhou Wanfeng, it was probably her first time folding a quilt. To be able to fold it like this overnight, she must have practiced. He was very satisfied. Anyone would like such a self-aware, serious, and motivated cadet. It was a relief.
Zhou Wanfeng took her towel and basin and was about to go out to wash up. Jin Hongjie shushed her twice, intending for Zhou Wanfeng to help her. But Zhou Wanfeng went up and pointed at the still-unformed quilt and said coldly, “Your quilt is not pressed into shape. Use your elbow to press it. After you’ve pressed it flat, then you can pinch the lines and the corners. Use your nails to pinch a straight line. Before that, use your elbow like a stick and press the quilt hard,” she said, and then turned and went out.
Yu Aijun turned his head and saw Zhou Wanfeng explaining to a teammate. He could tell from his experience that she had wanted her to help her with it.
There were many male cadets washing up at the faucet. Liu Shupei was also there. Zhou Wanfeng went over, put down her basin, squeezed some toothpaste, and got some water.
Two male cadets on the other side of the sink were smiling and waving at them, but both Liu Shupei and Zhou Wanfeng ignored them.
At nearly six o’clock, there were still a few people who couldn’t get their quilts folded right. The more anxious they were, the worse it got. Yu Aijun said that there would be extra training tonight. If they still couldn’t get it right tomorrow, they wouldn’t have to sleep at night and would just have to keep practicing. He would be with them until they got it right.
At six o’clock, the duty officer blew his whistle. Yu Aijun said to the few who hadn’t passed the quilt folding, “You have 20 minutes to wash up.” The few of them hurriedly took their towels and basins and went to the sink.
At this time, the ones who were rushing out of the dorms were the ones who hadn’t passed the internal affairs.
In the 20 minutes for washing up, they also had to arrange their internal affairs. Yu Aijun’s eyes were like a measuring ruler. He could tell at a glance if something was an inch too much or an inch too little, an inch too high or an inch too low. He had all the cadets look at the position he had corrected, which meant that this would be the standard for tomorrow.
“Look clearly, remember clearly. Internal affairs is part of the assessment. This will be inspected later. Every dorm will be checked. If you can’t pass then, you’ll not only lose my face. You’re female cadets, after all. Can’t you even beat the male cadets? The few of you who didn’t pass the quilt folding, you’ll have extra practice during your break time at night.”
“Yes, squad leader,” the few of them replied in unison.
They lined up downstairs and were led to the cafeteria for breakfast.
Breakfast was congee, soy milk, steamed buns, buns, fried dough sticks, and pickles.
After breakfast, they lined up and stood under the sun. Without any warning, they stood for half an hour. Suddenly, the sound of running came from a distance.
Yu Aijun commanded the line to change formation, into a four-column formation with three people in each row. The first four were Hu Yinping, Xia Mengmeng, Xu Yanqiu, and Lin Sha. The last four were Wei Jiahui, Liu Shupei, Jin Hongjie, and Zhou Wanfeng.
The class in front started to run. All the squad leaders were on the inside of the line.
“Let’s go!” With a long-drawn-out command, everyone quickly raised their arms, brought their hands to their waists, formed fists, and held them at their waists. Their legs were slightly bent, and they took a step forward with their left foot…
“One, two, one, one, two, one!”
With the main group, they left the camp.
The speed was not fast, but after ten minutes, some people in each class started to fall behind.
Their panting was like a bellows, huff, huff, huff.
After fifteen minutes, some had reached their limit. Many had fallen behind. Some were jogging, and some had even taken off their clothes and were walking.
Yu Aijun had been paying attention to the female cadets in the class. After ten minutes, their speed had dropped. They were holding on. The four in the front row were all flushed, sweating profusely, their steps sluggish, and their panting was like an old cow’s, not to mention that their running posture had completely deformed.
The four in the middle were the same.
Yu Aijun did not slow down.
“Reporting, squad leader! I can’t go on! I can’t run anymore! I want to throw up!” Xia Mengmeng said, and then she fell behind.
Yu Aijun signaled for the person behind her to fill in.
The closer they got to the end, the more every minute was an ordeal.
There were basically no complete formations. Everyone had fallen behind.
At seventeen minutes, the entire first row had fallen behind. The second row that had filled in was also weak on their feet and couldn’t keep up with the squad leader’s speed. After struggling for a few seconds, they finally gave up.
Yu Aijun’s gaze swept over the last four remaining. Wei Jiahui was at the end of her rope and couldn’t hold on.
“Huff, huff, huff, huff! Squad leader, I can’t go on!” Wei Jiahui fell behind.
There were still Liu Shupei, Jin Hongjie, and Zhou Wanfeng left in the line.
The three of them had standard running form. Only Jin Hongjie was panting heavily. Even she herself had noticed it. She couldn’t help but turn her head and look to the left and right, her eyes filled with surprise.
On the left was Liu Shupei, and on the right was Zhou Wanfeng.
Both of them were breathing in through their noses and out through their mouths.
There was sweat on their foreheads and faces, but anyone could tell that the two of them still had strength left. They had not reached their physical limit.
Jin Hongjie gritted her teeth and held on, her willpower firm. She would not fall behind.
Liu Shupei couldn’t help but glance at Zhou Wanfeng on the far right from the corner of her eye. She had a gut feeling that this person was very strong.
In the cadet brigade, there were several squads of female cadets. On the way, she had seen several squad leaders stop. When she saw Yu Aijun, she had even waved and shrugged, indicating that there was no one left in her squad. They had all fallen behind.
Yu Aijun’s female cadet squad still had three people. He had accurately remembered the time each cadet had fallen behind, and he could also roughly guess their physical limits. At this moment, Jin Hongjie could still keep up. The ones he couldn’t be sure of now were Liu Shupei and Zhou Wanfeng.
Liu Shupei should have been trained at home. She should be familiar with all the subsequent training, and she should also be able to complete them with excellent results.
As for Zhou Wanfeng, Yu Aijun felt that anyone who dared to make eye contact with the squad leader and not be afraid must have a strong mentality, which basically also meant that their physical fitness was very strong.
Yu Aijun looked at the remaining male cadets in the class in front. They were running with a crooked and stumbling gait. He then looked at his own class. Jin Hongjie was in pain and was still holding on. The other two didn’t look like they couldn’t run anymore.
He was almost certain that he had drawn two aces this time.