Chapter 1167: Attitude

"Get up, get up."

As expected, Wang Yan was still the first to rise. He patted Xu Sanduo on the upper bunk and called out to the other brothers in the squad, then stretched his throat and shouted loudly inside the barracks.

"Aiyo, damn it..."

"Ah~"

The response to Wang Yan was a chorus of aiyo groans, sounding as if they were dying or experiencing ecstasy beyond death.

This was precisely the hardship of being a new recruit; no one was given much room to adapt. The sudden physical training left all the new recruits with sore muscles, yet they could not let it affect their training and still had to continue drilling in formation.

And because of Xu Sanduo, the new recruits in his Third Squad were in even more pain. Although some physical training was conducted in the afternoon after regular drills and before dinner, the other new recruits still did not have to do as many extra exercises as the Third Squad members who were dragged down by Xu Sanduo. Naturally, by this morning, they were hurting much more.

Although it had been many, many years since he last experienced muscle soreness, Wang Yan still knew that the feeling was not pleasant...

"Damn, Squad Leader, you're truly a great beast; aren't you suffering at all?" a new recruit in the squad asked.

"I exercised every day back home, so what's so strange about that?" Wang Yan said with a smile, waving his hand. "Everyone get up; it's just a matter of gritting your teeth and stomping your foot."

"We dare not stomp our feet; one stomp and the whole body hurts."

"Even if it hurts, you must endure it for me!"

Everyone turned to look and saw Shi Jin walking over, holding a large megaphone.

"Everyone get up! Same as yesterday, you have ten minutes to tidy up your living quarters. We will inspect shortly; anyone who fails will do fifty push-ups. Move! Move!"

"Damn, fifty push-ups?" someone said. "We couldn't even fold our quilts properly yesterday; how can we do it well today? I think they just want to make us do push-ups."

"If you know that, why waste words? Hurry up and struggle a bit. If you just give up and let things go to ruin, we'll be in an even worse state."

The new recruits were sensible enough; immediately, one by one, they groaned "aiyo" as they got up, put on their clothes, and began tidying their living quarters.

"Doing okay, Sanduo?" Wang Yan asked while folding his quilt, addressing the silly boy busy working on the upper bunk.

"It hurts." Xu Sanduo smiled as he spoke. "But I can do it!"

"Ah, that's the right attitude. As the saying goes, 'Only by enduring the hardest hardships can one become superior to others.' Whether you can truly become superior, I don't know, but I do know you can certainly become a qualified soldier of the people."

"Look, our Squad Leader's awareness is truly high."

"No wonder we aren't the Squad Leader."

"Maybe we just don't know the military boxing set."

"How about I demonstrate a set for you? You can learn from it?" Wang Yan said with a smile, lightly punching the man's chest, which immediately caused him to let out strange hissing cries of pain.

Of course, it wasn't that Wang Yan had hit him hard enough to cause pain; it was the muscle soreness...

Amidst such laughter and teasing, the new recruits gritted their teeth and struggled to finish tidying their quarters. Then, as expected, most of them had their quilts overturned by the veterans and began huffing and puffing as they did push-ups.

However, compared to yesterday, the number of those who passed today began to increase; it was no longer just Wang Yan and Cheng Cai.

After all, folding quilts was not too difficult; as long as one put their heart into it, sooner or later it would be done well. Moreover, the veterans knew the new recruits' quilts were too soft and could not be pressed flat immediately, so they basically had an idea of what kind of result to expect.

But Xu Sanduo was not among those who passed; he still had not done well, and Wu Liu yi had dragged his bedding onto the ground. Xu Sanduo merely smiled, a smile that made Wu Liu yi look suspiciously at Wang Yan.

Wang Yan shrugged...

He knew why Xu Sanduo was smiling; yesterday he had told Xu Sanduo that as long as he trained hard, he could help many people, including Shi Jin, who took care of him, and his fellow villager Wu Liu yi, who helped him.

Xu Sanduo's understanding was simple and pure; although Wu Liu yi had shouted at him variously and imposed some physical punishments, he knew that Wu Liu yi wanted what was best for him and wanted him to be like everyone else.

That was simply how he thought.

Did he not know that Wu Liu yi disliked him, a fellow villager from just a few li away? He knew. But he believed it was because of himself; his poor training had affected Wu Liu yi, which was why Wu Liu yi disliked him as a fellow villager.

This understanding of his was quite appropriate and had no flaws. After all, if he had truly possessed the demeanor of a soldier king from the later stages, without all those incidents in between, then when he first enlisted, Wu Liu yi would have absolutely acknowledged him as a fellow villager and made friends with him...

After some lively commotion in the barracks, the new recruits dragged their heavy, painful legs outside to assemble and form ranks.

"Come on, let's sing the song we learned last night to warm up our voices and lift our spirits," Shi Jin said, holding up the large megaphone. "Come, 'There is a truth that needs no speaking...' Ready, sing!"

"There is a truth that needs no speaking..."

"Louder! Look at how listless you all are; shout it out! Shout it out!"

After this song, the new recruits, gritting their teeth, shouted their cadence and began running in step again.

Of course, they could not really run.

But Shi Jin had said that even if they had to walk, they must complete the five kilometers, adding that as they walked, the pain would go away...

How could it not hurt? Although their bodies were generally fine, they had never trained before. Without at least a week, the muscle soreness would not heal; this was precisely what made being a new recruit difficult. However, the most difficult part was just this first week. Once the muscles adapted, the person would adapt to military life.

As for the claim that soldiers suffer many injuries, that was certain; after all, there was always high-intensity activity. But that group of fitness and bodybuilding enthusiasts were not in much better shape either; they too were accompanied by injuries. After all, as long as one moves, the joints will suffer wear and tear; it was just that soldiers moved more, and with some high-intensity confrontations added, injuries were unavoidable.

The initial training in the new recruit company always focused mainly on formation drilling. It was through this process that the new recruits adapted to training and got through the period of muscle soreness.

So after breakfast, everyone began standing at attention again, looking forward, and turning right.

However, what the new recruits in Wang Yan's squad expected—suffering again—and what people like Bai Tiejun expected—more excitement to watch—did not come true.

Because today's Xu Sanduo was nothing short of earth-shattering; one could clearly feel his serious attitude, which had now aligned with everyone else's, and his movements were quite good.

Formation drilling was not difficult in itself; the difficulty lay in uniformity, as it was all simple repetition. With Xu Sanduo's change in attitude, it posed no difficulty for him; after all, he was not truly stupid.

After lunch, Wang Yan, Wu Liu yi, and Shi Jin, the three of them, hid away in a corner.

Seeing Wang Yan extend his hand, Wu Liu yi amusingly slapped two packs of cigarettes heavily onto it and asked curiously, "What did you say? It feels like that kid has changed into a different person."

"Yes, I'm curious too?" Shi Jin chimed in from the side.

Wang Yan opened a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Shi Jin, who waved his hand to decline; Wang Yan then passed it to Wu Liu yi, and the two of them each lit up.

Exhaling a puff of smoke, Wang Yan said, "Actually, it's nothing much. This person Xu Sanduo simply lacks confidence and has no goal, so naturally, he lacks that spirit and energy.

But the two of you—one treated him so well, bringing him from our hometown to the unit, and the other is a fellow villager and a squad leader—he feels very positively toward you both. This person doesn't hold grudges; he only remembers the good others do for him, so isn't he just holding you two in high regard?

I just told him that as long as he trains hard and doesn't drag everyone down, the two of you could earn honor, and it would also add some points regarding whether you can stay in the unit later. He wants to help you and not disappoint you. Of course, he also doesn't want to burden the others in the squad by making them do extra training along with him.

Doesn't that give him motivation in his heart? Last night he practiced those movements once, straight and proper, so doesn't he look improved today?"

Glancing at Shi Jin, whose face wore a gratified smile, Wu Liu yi widened his eyes: "He still remembers the good I did him? I haven't been good to him at all. I even kicked him twice yesterday."

"Didn't I say he doesn't hold grudges? Whether you hit him or scold him, he first looks for the cause within himself. He thinks he didn't do well, and that you want him to do better."

Wang Yan took a puff of his cigarette with a smile. "Look, what a good person; and yet you still won't acknowledge him as a fellow villager."

"I can't stand him! I've never seen such a cowardly soldier!"

Shi Jin spoke up: "How can you dismiss someone so easily? Xu Sanduo has potential; just train him well. When you first arrived, how much better were you than him?"

"I certainly wasn't as cowardly as him," Wu Liuyi said with extreme disdain. "What were you thinking, recruiting someone like this? Once he sticks to you, he won't let go. Look at this kid; he treats Xu Sanduo quite well, yet Xu Sanduo follows him around all day like a shadow, having no mind of his own."

"Hey, Squad Leader, that's not accurate," Wang Yan said, shaking his head with a smile. "We've only been in the camp for three days; even when relieving ourselves, we stand in a row together. No one has ever been alone. If anything, I just took him for some extra training last night."

"I was speaking figuratively, figuratively, get it?" Wu Liuyi glared again.

Shi Jin said, "Xu Sanduo is truly good; don't you know my eye for talent?"

"It's not about whether he's good or not; what does that have to do with us?" Wu Liuyi countered, then asked, "You're not thinking of letting him join our Seventh Company, are you?"

Shi Jin looked somewhat awkward; Wu Liuyi knew he had hit the nail on the head.

He waved his hand: "Let me tell you, impossible! Our Company Commander will absolutely never agree. You saw how this kid raised his hands to surrender when he first arrived; our Company Commander remembers that clearly. Just give up on that idea."

Shi Jin let out a long sigh, scratching his head; he was in a difficult position too...

Ignoring Shi Jin's melancholy, Wu Liuyi turned to look at Wang Yan: "I'm leaving Xu Sanduo in your hands then; make sure you train him well. Let's all get through these three months peacefully, then we part ways, and everyone is happy. You don't actually want him to stay with you, do you?"

"If I were the Company Commander, I'd make the decision immediately; the problem is, I'm not, so why should I worry about it? However, what the old Platoon Leader said is right; I also believe Xu Sanduo is a good soldier."

"Hmph, there are plenty of good soldiers. Aren't you a good soldier? Aren't the two of us? Which of those veteran soldiers who trained us wasn't a good soldier?"

Wang Yan comforted Shi Jin: "Perhaps if Xu Sanduo trains hard enough, he'll catch the Company Commander's eye."

"Not a chance; even if he trains harder than you and becomes incredibly skilled, the Company Commander still won't accept him."

Shi Jin sighed again...

Wang Yan knew that although Shi Jin claimed Xu Sanduo was a good soldier capable of becoming one, he was mostly comforting himself; in reality, he wasn't sure either. Given the cowardly display Xu Sanduo had shown, even Bo Le himself would have gone blind trying to spot his talent...

It was only because he had reluctantly agreed to recruit him while at Xu Sanduo's home, and because Xu Sanduo was such a simple-minded boy, that Shi Jin couldn't get past his own conscience, which was why he kept worrying about him.

In the original drama, after basic training ended, Xu Sanduo failed to stay in the Seventh Company under Shi Jin's guidance, leaving Shi Jin filled with guilt; yet he was powerless to change it, as Gao Cheng stubbornly refused to budge, leaving him with no solution.

Later, when Xu Sanduo was transferred back for building a road on the grassland, Shi Jin remembered him again; taking Xu Sanduo under his wing was also a way to make up for some of the guilt in his heart. He believed that since he was the one who brought Xu Sanduo here, he had failed to fulfill the promises he made at Xu Sanduo's home.

But in the final analysis, it was still Gao Cheng who made it happen; Gao Cheng's father was an Army Commander, and if Gao Cheng stubbornly refused to accept this soldier, even the Regiment Commander wouldn't truly force Xu Sanduo into the company. It was ultimately Gao Cheng who softened his heart; this result was constituted by multiple factors.

There was Shi Jin's renewed effort, there was Gao Cheng's unwillingness to clash head-on with the Regiment Commander over such a small matter, and of course, there were Xu Sanduo's own reasons. On the grassland, Xu Sanduo built a road stone by stone; anyone who heard about it would have to give a thumbs-up.

This was the spirit of a 'soldier'; it was perseverance...

"Squad Leader, how did I perform today?"

"Great! Exceptionally great!" Wang Yan encouraged. "I can say with certainty that you are already a good soldier! Just keep doing this, maintain this state, this spirit, this attitude, and you will always be a good soldier; do you understand?"

"I don't understand," Xu Sanduo said, shaking his head sincerely.

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand; just keep doing it, keep going, and one day you will understand, you will understand everything," Wang Yan asked with a chuckle, "Why aren't you calling me Wang Yan anymore, but switched to calling me Squad Leader?"

"Bai Tiejun told me; he said when the Squad Leader isn't around, I should call you Squad Leader, saying you'd be happy to hear it, and that even the veterans all call each other Squad Leader."

"Listen to his nonsense; I'm the Deputy Squad Leader, and a temporary one at that; where's the thrill of being an officer? Just call me Wang Yan; don't copy Bai Tiejun. Call the Squad Leader 'Squad Leader,' and the Deputy Squad Leader 'Deputy Squad Leader.'"

"Then I'll still call you Wang Yan," Xu Sanduo said with a hehe laugh.

Wang Yan patted his shoulder: "How about it, can you still train today?"

"Yes!"

"Don't force yourself; taking a few days to rest won't hurt."

"No way! I can't drag you guys down; anyway, the pain will pass in a few days, so let's train. Didn't you say yourself: as long as training doesn't kill you, train until you're nearly dead?"

"That's what I said, but we still need to avoid training until we're half-dead; that would be terrible," Wang Yan said. "Here's the plan: tonight we'll consolidate what we learned and practice the goose-step a couple more times. Also, since we haven't trained your back and shoulders yet, go do some pull-ups and parallel bars in a bit. Let's start training now; by the time the Squad Leader requires training, you'll already be proficient, and the pain will be gone. Hey, by then, not only will you not be lagging behind, you'll be ahead of everyone else."

"Hehe, as long as I'm not lagging behind..."

"No ambition; if you're going to do it, be the best. If there's a red flag, carry it; if there's honor, fight for it. If you can be first, who wants to be second? Without saying anything else, you have to be better than Cheng Cai, right? He jokes with you, and you hold no grudges, so we soldiers must surpass him and make him submit with conviction."

"No matter how good I get, I definitely can't surpass you."

"If you put it that way, then there's no fault in that; alright, Xu Sanduo, you've learned how to flatter people."

"I'm not flattering; I'm speaking the truth."

"Right, in the future, when you praise others, praise them just like that."

"No, I really..."

Xu Sanduo anxiously explained, hoping Wang Yan would believe his sincere words; he was not flattering...