Chapter 1163: A Good Soldier

"Not bad, you're even going easy on me."

Wu Liu Yi, panting heavily, looked at Wang Yan beside him, who was only breathing slightly hard.

The two had just finished a ten-kilometer run and were now walking around the parade ground to ease their muscles, occasionally lifting their knees high to stretch.

Wang Yan smiled and said, "I didn't go too easy; Squad Leader still has real strength."

"No need to flatter me, don't try that with me. In the army, strong is strong." Wu Liu Yi waved his hand, then asked, "How did you train?"

"Just normal running. Every morning I run ten kilometers, once every half-month I run a half-marathon, which is under twenty-two kilometers, and once a month I run a full marathon, under forty-three kilometers. Running builds endurance; I also jump rope and so on to practice my footwork, which also builds endurance. My lung function is pretty good too. Maybe I'm a genius; I suppose I have some talent."

"A marathon? What's your fastest time?"

"About two and a half hours," Wang Yan replied with considerable modesty.

"What about five kilometers?"

"Around fifteen minutes."

"What's the world record again?"

"Under thirteen minutes; world champions are basically all around the thirteen-minute mark. I'm far from that. Otherwise, do you think I wouldn't have become an athlete?"

"But you could still train, surely you could improve further; it's a bit of a waste for you to be a soldier," Wu Liu Yi said, shaking his head repeatedly.

"What kind of talk is that? We are the sons and daughters of the people, serving the people; how is that a waste? Our army has over two million people, with talented individuals emerging in every generation; who knows how many can run five kilometers in fifteen minutes—are they all wasted? Since childhood, I've wanted to become a member of the People's Liberation Army. You, a six-year veteran Squad Leader, have such low political awareness; you need to strengthen your study of ideological and political theory."

"Get lost!" Wu Liu Yi, who also understood Northeastern dialect, couldn't help but curse with a laugh.

Of course, he loved the army; he just saw potential in Wang Yan and felt there were better opportunities for development, especially since Wang Yan was still very young. At present, military benefits were not that great; one could only say there was no worry about food or drink.

Military pay would not see a substantial increase until 2006, with successive adjustments in the following years, at which point allowances for mid- and lower-level officers would nearly double. Resettlement arrangements for veterans, compensation, and so on would all see varying degrees of improvement.

It was only 2004 now, not yet at that stage. Wu Liu Yi, a non-commissioned officer holding the rank of Staff Sergeant with a single large chevron on his sleeve, earned less than three thousand yuan a month. Although that was certainly enough to live on in those days, it ultimately did not stand out as it would twenty years later.

Wu Liu Yi then asked, "Have you ever run with a load?"

"No, I haven't. I know our army has armed cross-country running, with a basic load of fifteen kilograms, right? What, do you want to compete again?"

"That's a subject for your third month in the new recruit company. We'll train for it later. In a few days, there's the 400-meter obstacle course; let's try that then. I really don't believe it."

"I really don't believe it" was the phrase Wu Liu Yi had repeated most often that day.

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Squad Leader, I'll let you see firsthand what natural material for a soldier looks like."

"Keep dreaming."

"You're the type who won't shed tears until you see the coffin."

"I won't bully you; wait until you've trained for a few days and gotten familiar with it, then we'll compete."

"No need; when the time comes, we'll compete directly, so I don't take advantage of you. The Company Commander said, 'Whether it's a mule or a horse, bring it out for a walk.' I am a genuine thousand-li horse and must show my worth properly. I think our Company Commander is quite young; he must have connections. Serving under him will be comfortable."

"You've thought even that far ahead?" Wu Liu Yi looked at Wang Yan in astonishment.

"One can't just build muscle without developing the brain. Since we're all soldiers, after fulfilling our duties as servicemen, we certainly have to consider our own futures too."

"Your brain works well enough; I'm just the one you called 'lacking brains'..."

Watching Cheng Cai run past them, looking half-dead, Wu Liu Yi whispered to Wang Yan, "Let me tell you something, but don't go blabbing it everywhere. Our Company Commander's father is an Army Commander, specifically of our own army."

"See, what did I tell you?"

"Don't spread this around; it would create a bad impression, and our Company Commander doesn't want people to know."

"But now you know too."

"The entire regiment knows; only he thinks we don't." Wu Liu Yi laughed as well, then added another warning, "Don't talk recklessly."

"Do I look like that kind of person?" Wang Yan waved his hand.

While chatting and laughing, the two completed a lap and reached the area with the horizontal and parallel bars to stretch their legs and tendons. The conversation naturally shifted to the army's assessment standards for the bars, and Wu Liu Yi even demonstrated some moves for Wang Yan.

Wang Yan lightly performed two-arm pulls, one-arm pulls, muscle-ups, front and back levers, and even flashy tricks like the human flag and moonwalk, primarily showcasing his powerful upper body and core strength.

Being able to perform these movements basically meant one had mastered the horizontal bar. Of course, this referred to ordinary mastery, not the kind seen in competitive gymnastics.

After all this, the two found a secluded corner to smoke. The cigarettes belonged to Wu Liu Yi; he asked Wang Yan if he smoked, and Wang Yan said yes. He then asked if he could drink, and Wang Yan said he could handle a little. He mentioned that when they had the chance to go to a restaurant in the future, they could compete in that as well...

Wu Liu Yi was a standard soldier: his professional skills were solid, he possessed a strong sense of collective honor, held personal pride, was competitive and eager to win, and always strove to be the best...

After finishing their cigarettes, the two strolled back.

Wu Liu Yi did not return to the barracks but instead went to find Gao Cheng.

"How did it go?" Gao Cheng asked as soon as they met.

"I couldn't beat him," Wu Liu Yi replied.

Gao Cheng cursed with a laugh: "Your squad is already the spearhead squad of our company; are you still not satisfied?"

"How could one be satisfied, Company Commander? We must make the spearhead even sharper. This kid may not have touched a gun yet, but he's definitely no slouch. Once he joins our squad, our squad's strength will absolutely be greater. In the next confrontation exercise, our single squad will beat an entire enemy company."

"Now you're bragging to me. What if you can't beat their whole company?"

"Then it would definitely be this kid's fault," Wu Liu Yi chuckled.

Gao Cheng pointed a finger vaguely at Wu Liu Yi, burst into laughter, immediately handed him a cigarette, and the two began chatting and joking merrily...

When Wang Yan returned to the barracks, the previously lively room instantly fell silent. He smiled and waved his hand: "Hard work, comrades."

"Damn!"

Someone cursed with a laugh, "Acting like a high-ranking officer now, are we?"

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "Well, as soon as I walk in, all you comrades give me the honor of your focused gaze; what can I do about it? So, have you noticed my aura of a high-ranking officer?"

"Get lost already. Cheng Cai didn't say anything earlier; what was the final outcome?" In just this short while, everyone had learned to say "get lost."

"Nothing major. We're all young men; how can there not be conflicts? If there are conflicts, how can there not be fights? A good run settles everything. As the old saying goes, we are brothers stirring the same ladle in the same pot; how can there be grudges lasting overnight? Right, Cheng Cai? It was indeed me taking advantage. Although your character is terrible, I still apologize to you. If you're not convinced, let's keep training; I welcome it anytime."

Cheng Cai merely stared at Wang Yan without saying anything; indeed, he had nothing to say. He had already lost face, and regaining it was not something a few sharp words could achieve. Being a smart person, he naturally understood this principle...

Seeing this, Wang Yan ignored him further, waving to the others instead. "Alright, this matter is settled; everyone doesn't need to keep asking about this or that. Comrades, continue your chatting. I've noticed the squad leaders aren't here."

Although he said this, some people still crowded around to ask this and that. However, their questions were all about his fighting skills, asking how he was so formidable.

Cheng Cai watched Wang Yan, who was surrounded by the crowd and stealing the spotlight... He could only watch. Immediately afterward, he lowered his head and fiddled with his quilt on his bunk...

Wang Yan dealt with the inquiries of the busybodies and arrived at his bunk, only to see Xu Sanduo sitting there. Beneath his buttocks were two quilts.

Seeing Wang Yan return, he smiled happily, grinning as he said, "I heard it all; it's great that you're fine. It would have been bad if you weren't allowed to be a soldier. Wang Yan, I know you're doing this for my own good, but you can't hit Cheng Cai."

"Get lost, it's got nothing to do with you; I just can't stand the sight of him. That kid isn't a good person."

"Isn't that still because of me? If he hadn't come looking for me, you two wouldn't have exchanged a word."

"You really know how to drag trouble onto yourself." Wang Yan shook his head with amusement. "Cheng Cai beat you up quite a bit back home, didn't he?"

"He was just messing around with me."

Xu Sanduo smiled, completely unconcerned, then patted the quilts beneath his buttocks. "Wang Yan, I folded your quilt too; the one at the very bottom is yours. Cheng Cai said that to fold a quilt well, you must press it down first; having your quilt on the bottom allows it to be pressed properly."

"Thank you."

"No need to be polite; we're friends, after all." Xu Sanduo smiled carefree. While speaking, he even propped himself up against the iron frame of the upper bunk to put more weight on the quilts, pressing them down faster.

This incident was not without its gains; all the new recruits now knew that to fold a quilt well, one must first press it down well. Thus, Xu Sanduo was not the only one doing this; everyone was going through the same process. Press for a while, imitate the veteran squad leaders from before by creasing the edges, press for a while longer, then crease again.

They weren't particularly good, still loose and sloppy, but at a rough glance, they were barely presentable. However, they were definitely not up to standard. It was everyone's first day, their first time folding a "tofu block"; indeed, some were good, but not everyone was. As for the most standard one, that had to be Cheng Cai's; after all, he had practiced beforehand, and it looked very impressive...

Facing Xu Sanduo's good intentions, Wang Yan did not refuse, letting him sit there pressing the quilt, while he lay on his side on the bed.

"Sanduo, why did you join the army?" he asked.

"Cheng Cai was right; my family is poor and couldn't afford to send me to school, so my father sent me to join the army. During the recruitment, it was our platoon leader who recruited me."

Speaking of Shi Jin, Xu Sanduo was also very happy.

As everyone knows, Shi Jin was dragged down by Xu Sanduo, which affected his own professional scores. Originally, there was a high probability he would have advanced to a fourth-term non-commissioned officer, wearing two large chevrons on his shoulders, but in the end, he left the unit in dejection. The famous scene of the jeep on Chang'an Avenue truly made those who saw it heartbroken and those who heard of it shed tears.

"Do you want to be a soldier?" Wang Yan asked with a chuckle, his hands pillowed behind his head.

"I do! Being a soldier means learning skills!" After saying this, Xu Sanduo deflated, smiling awkwardly. "It's just that I'm not as amazing as you; I might not even learn the skills well. I always mess things up."

"You need confidence. How can you know what's right if you don't try? Haven't famous people said that failure is the mother of success? Once you make a mistake and learn from the experience and lessons, won't you get it right the next time?"

"I get this one thing right, then get that other thing wrong." Xu Sanduo sounded somewhat dejected.

"If it's wrong, just correct it; who can avoid making mistakes?" Wang Yan shook his head with a smile, then asked, "Do you think what I did today, hitting Cheng Cai, was right or wrong?"

"Fighting is wrong," Xu Sanduo said softly, stealing a glance at Wang Yan's expression. Upon meeting Wang Yan's smiling eyes, he hastily looked away.

"What's wrong with fighting?"

"It's just wrong!"

"Was it right for Cheng Cai to hit you? He probably beat you up along with other kids from your village, didn't he?"

"That was just joking; he was teasing me." Xu Sanduo smiled again, his expression honest and simple.

The people nearby could no longer bear to listen and said to Wang Yan, "Wang Yan, stop talking to him; there's something wrong with him." This person sat rocking on his own quilt, pointing at his own head to indicate the problem.

"Get lost; didn't you hear Cheng Cai say that Sanduo studies quite well?"

"Maybe he studied himself silly. Let me tell you, I had someone like that in my class."

"Just shut up." Wang Yan scolded with a laugh, then turned to look at Xu Sanduo. "Sanduo, do you think you can be a good soldier?"

"I think I... can't..."

"Why can't you?"

"From childhood until now, nothing I do works out; only you said before that I could..."

Wang Yan smiled: "You inherently can."

"I can't." Xu Sanduo shook his head, looking like a bullied pushover.

It was precisely this demeanor that made people furious at the sight, but fortunately, Wang Yan had no temper.

He smiled and said, "You need confidence. When I used to practice boxing, I also felt I couldn't do it, and others thought I couldn't either; so what did I do?"

"What did you do?" Xu Sanduo asked curiously, because he was just like that.

"If I myself feel I can't do it, then how can I make others think I can? So every morning I look in the mirror and tell myself: I can do it! If I can't, who can? I ran and exercised as if my life depended on it, getting stronger bit by bit. You saw it yourself; even our squad leader couldn't beat me. Back in my hometown, no one could defeat me."

Wang Yan continued, "Xu Sanduo, you also need to tell yourself: I can do it! If you want others to respect you, first you must respect yourself. If you give up on yourself, why do you think others would respect you? That is exactly why Cheng Cai has bullied you from childhood until now."

"That was just joking!" Xu Sanduo emphasized once again.

"Exactly; that is why Cheng Cai has been 'joking' with you from childhood until now, and even brought other children from the village to 'joke' with you. During the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the Chairman said: 'Throw one punch to prevent a hundred punches.' If, back when you were in the village, whenever Cheng Cai tried to 'joke' with you, you had grabbed him and beaten him mercilessly, fighting as if your life depended on it, do you think anyone in the village would have dared to 'joke' with you afterward?"

"Why did I hit Cheng Cai? I was afraid he would 'joke' with me, so I 'joked' with him first. I was afraid others would 'joke' with me too; after I finished 'joking' with Cheng Cai, others didn't dare to 'joke' with me. Do you understand now?"

Xu Sanduo held his breath for a moment, processing the barrage of "joking," then muttered again, "Fighting is wrong!"

"Then was it right for Cheng Cai to hit you? Oh, my mistake, was it right for Cheng Cai to 'joke' with you?"

"No."

"Then you must teach him what is right. If you reason with him, he definitely won't listen and will just keep 'joking' with you. At that point, you 'joke' with him, and then reason with him, telling him that fighting and bullying people are wrong; see if he listens then."

Wang Yan was very patient; Xu Sanduo was single-minded and stubborn, and an ordinary person would have gotten angry long ago. In fact, this was exactly the case; in the series, almost everyone had lost their temper with Xu Sanduo, yet in the end, they were all worn down by him until they had no temper left. However, none of them gave up on Xu Sanduo; they still taught him things and reasoned with him; they were all truly good people...

To enable Xu Sanduo to grow, one must straighten out his concepts and consciousness, forcing him to mature early. One cannot wait until others have served as stepping stones for Xu Sanduo one by one before he finally realizes it and grows up.

In short, the goal is to let Xu Sanduo find himself as soon as possible...