Chapter 1176: Squad Five on the Grassland

"Still adapting?"

In the evening, after dinner, Gao Cheng came over to show concern for the number one soldier in his heart.

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Adapting very well, better than during basic training. If I could see a volley of artillery fire sometime, that would be even better."

"There will be a chance. During the exercises, you'll see whatever you want to see. You performed well today. You didn't see it when you were shooting at the range, but our battalion commander couldn't close his mouth. Kept it open like this, completely stunned..."

Gao Cheng laughed while speaking, even imitating the battalion commander's posture. "Let me tell you, this is only because I saw it beforehand; otherwise, I wouldn't be much better. You kid are too exaggerated."

"I'm naturally good material for being a soldier; it would be wrong if I weren't exaggerated."

"Although that remark deserves a punch, I think you're stating a fact."

"Strong is strong. Wu Banfu taught me that acting low-key when you're too awesome is just showing off, and he severely criticized me for it."

Wang Yan smiled and said: "Company Commander, I'd like to ask for leave and borrow a vehicle."

"Something come up?"

"Well, Squad Five is right here. The squad leader, the deputy squad leader, and I thought we'd go over and take a look. Xu Sanduo was assigned there, right? The squad leader said the squad leader of Squad Five was his old squad leader from basic training."

"Old Ma? I know him. A very good soldier, pity about him." Gao Cheng smiled. "Alright! You guys go. Come back early."

"Yes!"

Wang Yan responded, then together with Shi Jin and Wu Liuyi, drove the jeep across the boundless grassland...

At the location of Squad Five on the grassland, inside the barracks, the light was dim.

Four veteran soldiers sat around a table playing cards, each with several paper strips stuck to their faces, more or less.

The chubby Old Wei glanced sideways: "I say, Sanduo, stop fiddling with that broken rifle; what's the fun in that? Come, sit where I am, I'll teach you to play poker."

Xu Sanduo smiled foolishly: "I don't play."

"Don't play? Then mahjong is fine too; we have mahjong in our squad. Do you know how to play?"

"Don't play." Xu Sanduo still smiled foolishly.

Then he lowered his head again, fiddling with the Type 81 assault rifle in his hands, constantly disassembling and reassembling it.

"Then what's the point of just disassembling the gun?"

"It's interesting." Xu Sanduo smiled. "Wang Yan told me, do simple things repeatedly. As long as I keep doing it, I'll be a good soldier."

"Then this Wang Yan is really leading people astray. He went to the Seventh Company, and you came to the grassland."

"Old Wei, don't say that. I know, what Wang Yan said is right. No one has ever said I could do it before; he was the first. During basic training, we were bunkmates, upper and lower bunks. At the beginning..."

Li Meng chimed in from the side: "At the beginning, you were nothing. This Wang Yan accompanied you in extra training, lifting you from being a drag on the squad to being among the top in the squad. Right? You've only been here two days, and you've said this eight hundred times."

Xu Sanduo still smiled: "What Wang Yan said is right."

"Three sentences and Wang Yan is mentioned; he seems to be your father."

Xu Sanduo smiled, made no argument, and continued fiddling with his Type 81 assault rifle.

"Alright, this Sanduo is just a blockhead. Play cards, play cards, play cards." Yang Xue Lin, from the side, slapped down two threes with a "pa" sound. "Look, are these two threes of mine big or not?"

"Pair of sixes!" Squad Leader Ma said. "Sanduo, don't overthink it; they don't have bad intentions."

"Squad Leader, I know; they are just joking with me." Xu Sanduo replied.

"Hey, Sanduo's awareness is good; it's just a joke."

The group joked and teased the fool, but only Old Ma truly cared about Xu Sanduo's feelings.

However, relatively speaking, Xu Sanduo wasn't doing too badly; after all, he wasn't bullied, just excluded verbally. But on the other hand, everyone here was a fellow sufferer waiting out their service term in this godforsaken place, living carefree and relaxed every day, so there was no need to bully a silly kid like Xu Sanduo.

Their verbal exclusion was just the beginning. As time passed and they got to know Xu Sanduo, naturally they wouldn't tease him anymore.

Of course, that was under the condition that Xu Sanduo wasn't 'ambitious'. Otherwise, it would be just like in the original script.

But then again, that was because they still had conscience and weren't truly beyond saving. If not for that, whether Xu Sanduo was ambitious or not, what did it matter to them? They wouldn't be so annoyed...

They were just laughing and joking like this until they heard commotion outside.

"I thought I heard a vehicle coming?" Li Meng tilted his ear and said so.

Old Ma listened for a moment, then stood up immediately: "It is a vehicle. Who would come at this time of night?"

Saying this, he stood up, hurriedly walked outside, and didn't forget to wave at the others to hurry up and tidy up.

Although the probability was small, if a leader happened to come, they would be in big trouble, very big trouble.

Old Ma ran out in a panic and saw Shi Jin at the head.

"Hey, it's you kid." Old Ma said with a laugh.

"Came to see the old squad leader. Did you think a high-ranking officer inspection had arrived?"

"I was wondering which high-ranking officer had so much free time to come to this godforsaken place of ours at night." Old Ma laughed and punched Shi Jin on the shoulder. "Are you out for field training?"

"Yes, we just happened to come over to take a look, and also to see Xu Sanduo." Shi Jin smiled. "This is Wu Liuyi, my deputy squad leader. This is Wang Yan, also from our squad. During basic training..."

"I know everything. Deputy Squad Leader Wu is the squad leader, you kid are the platoon leader, and Wang Yan and Xu Sanduo were bunkmates, upper and lower." Old Ma shook hands with Wu Liuyi and Wang Yan.

He said to Wang Yan: "I can tell, you really treat that kid Xu Sanduo well; since he came here, he's been talking about you."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "We get along very well."

"Come, come, come inside to talk, inside to talk." Old Ma warmly hosted them, leading the three into the room.

Inside the room, the entire Squad Five, including Xu Sanduo, were already standing at attention.

As soon as they saw the group enter, the others made no particular gesture, but Xu Sanduo was so happy he almost jumped up: "Platoon Leader, Squad Leader, Wang Yan, how did you come?"

Shi Jin said: "We are doing field training today and camping nearby, so we thought we'd come over to see you. How is it, still adapting?"

"Adapting. They are all very good to me, taking special care of me." Xu Sanduo smiled foolishly. "I even wrote you a letter yesterday. The squad leader said the supply convoy comes every three days, and it's only coming tomorrow. The letter hasn't been sent yet, and you've already arrived."

"Happy?" Wu Liuyi chuckled.

"Happy!"

"You're just a fool, all you know how to do is smile."

"Hehe..." Xu Sanduo's response was simple and direct.

Wang Yan asked with a smile, "Did you go out for drills today?"

"I did," Xu Sanduo said. "I also ran five kilometers today carrying thirty kilograms, but I don't know how long it took."

"Leave that problem to me; next time I'll get you a digital watch, and then you'll know the time." Wang Yan patted Xu Sanduo's shoulder. "Let me see, is this your bed?"

Wang Yan looked at the only bed that met the internal affairs standards.

The expressions on Old Ma's face and those of the rest of Fifth Squad were somewhat remarkable, since they had lost face in front of outsiders.

Xu Sanduo couldn't see them; he smiled and said, "Yes, Squad Leader, do you want to inspect it?"

Wu Liuyi was straightforward, but he still knew a thing or two about human relations, so he didn't really inspect it; instead, he smiled and said, "I think it looks good."

Wang Yan paid no attention to such niceties; he went up and tugged at a corner: "You didn't tuck this corner in properly; pay attention next time."

"Yes!" Xu Sanduo was still smiling.

Ever since the three of them had entered, his mouth hadn't closed; he had been smiling the whole time.

Lao Wei seemed to have a sudden realization: "So you're Wang Yan."

"That's me. Hello, Old Squad Leader." Wang Yan nodded with a smile, his attitude kind.

Lao Wei was a first-grade non-commissioned officer, a proper old squad leader.

Lao Wei smiled: "Xu Sanduo told me about you. He said you were the best soldier in the new recruit company, that you ran the five-kilometer cross-country with thirty kilograms of weight in under twenty minutes, that you could hit targets at a hundred meters with a pistol, and that all your two-hundred-meter rifle bursts landed on the target. You even received a commendation. Impressive!"

He raised his thumb to show his praise.

"Just a little talent," Wang Yan said, making a joke.

Everyone indeed burst out laughing; humor really did bring people closer.

After some banter, Shi Jin let out an "Ai" and said, "Wang Yan, Sanduo, you probably don't know this, but the first-place winner in our division's five-kilometer armed cross-country run was Squad Leader Ma. He even earned a San Deng Gong back then. Remarkable."

"That's right; I nearly ran myself to death and still couldn't beat Squad Leader Ma," Wu Liuyi chimed in with a laugh, also raising his thumb. "Impressive."

"What's so impressive?" Old Ma shook his head with a bitter smile. "Look at me now; do you think I can still run? A true hero doesn't boast of past glories; it's all in the past. Even if you beat me to death now, I couldn't run. Liuyi is capable; I've heard your name around here. Mention the Seventh Company, and they mention you. You're the real deal."

"Don't say that; the real deal is right here. This kid is truly fierce." Wu Liuyi gave a thumbs-up, then punched Wang Yan lightly. "He's now famously a 'Gu Gu Dasheng'; I can't compare. He took me down with one hand."

Old Ma looked at Wang Yan in surprise: "That fierce?"

"That's a bit of an exaggeration," Wang Yan said, waving his hand with a smile.

"You must be impressive regardless; you've struck gold," Old Ma said, looking at Shi Jin.

Shi Jin smiled: "He's our company commander's man; otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up with me."

"My own subjective desire was also quite strong," Wang Yan added.

Shi Jin continued: "Squad Leader, Xu Sanduo is also a good soldier. When he arrived, he was at the bottom of the new recruit company, but by the end of the three months, he was one of the standout individuals among over a hundred new recruits."

Old Ma nodded: "Yes, I can see that. I'm not afraid to tell you, even if you laugh at us; this place is so remote that everything has become slack. You can tell just by looking at the internal affairs. I haven't demanded much, but look at this kid; he still tidies up according to schedule and goes out for morning drills. Today he spent the whole day cleaning; he just rested and is already fiddling with his rifle again. Taking it apart and putting it back together, over and over. One look tells you he's capable."

"Not bad, very good!" Shi Jin looked at Xu Sanduo. "Keep it up."

"What's the use?" Li Meng interjected from the side.

Old Ma glared at him, then smiled bitterly: "There's no help for it; this place is remote, and normally no one comes. After a long time like this, human laziness sets in."

"I have to criticize you, Old Squad Leader," Wang Yan said. "As a soldier, you must strictly demand of yourself. If there are difficulties, you must overcome them and keep that string tightly drawn at all times."

"Easier said than done," Lao Wei sighed. "Brother, you're just standing there talking without feeling the pain. Really, if you came here, you'd fall apart too."

"Isn't that exactly about overcoming difficulties? Old Squad Leaders, you have to overcome them." Wang Yan smiled cheerfully, then turned and said, "Sanduo, hold the line and set an example for the old squad leaders."

"I don't know how," Xu Sanduo said, scratching his head.

"Just do in the future what you did in the new recruit company; you can do it."

Xu Sanduo smiled foolishly.

"Idiot," Wu Liuyi scolded with a laugh.

Lao Wei said irritably, "I think so too; he just knows how to find misery for himself."

Without saying much more, after drinking a cup of water and smoking two cigarettes, Wang Yan and the others left under Xu Sanduo's reluctant gaze.

Only two days had passed, so there wasn't much to say; a bit of laughter and joking was enough.

As for Shi Jin and Old Ma, he had occasionally visited in the past, and the two had exchanged letters.

In the original drama, Xu Sanduo stayed at Grassland Fifth Squad for half a year, and Shi Jin never came. Probably because he felt guilty, embarrassed to face Xu Sanduo, and couldn't get past his own hurdle.

But now, with Wang Yan arranging the visit, he found it hard to decline further, so he simply came along.

Wang Yan could still see a certain unnaturalness in Shi Jin's smile toward Xu Sanduo...

Returning to the camp, they reported to Gao Cheng.

"How is he?"

"Pretty good," Wang Yan replied with a smile.

Gao Cheng nodded: "That kid just lacks spirit."

"Didn't he gain some later?" Shi Jin interjected.

"He's just an idiot; he has no wildness, not a bit of ruthlessness. How can he be a good soldier? Let me tell you, give up on that idea. Anyway, nothing you say now will make a difference."

Gao Cheng waved his hand impatiently. "Alright, alright, go back; sleeping outdoors isn't pleasant."

This was the truth; they were out for field training, not for enjoyment. If it were a long-distance, long-duration exercise, they would bring logistical vehicles with tents and the like, but for a two-day, one-night activity like this, they basically slept under the open sky.

The armored vehicles were parked sideways; they took shelter on the leeward side and erected a tarp to avoid rain and such. Just pillowing their backpacks and using moisture-proof boards, they muddled through the night.

This also counted as wartime simulation. After all, when real fighting breaks out, sleeping conditions are the worst, so one must adapt. As a mechanized frontline field unit, they had to adapt even more.

"Aiya, there are mosquitoes all over this grassland," Bai Tiejun said, slapping himself hard.

It was currently midsummer, so there were indeed many insects.

"Didn't we bring floral water? Just apply some, and it'll be fine."

"I'm about to drink it; it's not stopping them."

"Sleep; once you're asleep, it'll be fine," Gan Xiaoning added.

Wang Yan lay outside the shelter, hands pillowed behind his head, gazing at the starry sky over the grasslands.

"I have a formula; when we rest, I'll go gather some herbs and come back to prepare a batch."

"Does it work well?"

"Absolutely. My grandfather was a famous old traditional doctor across ten li and eight villages; these are heirloom prescriptions. If I sold them, I could become a billionaire."

"Keep dreaming, Brother Yan," Bai Tiejun said with disdain. "Then why don't you sell them? Wouldn't it be better to enjoy life at home? Why come here to be a soldier and suffer?"

"Your awareness is lacking, Squad Leader; later, you'll need to give him a lesson."

"Indeed, we must talk seriously; if one's ideology isn't solid, that won't do," Shi Jin replied gravely.

"I'm just stating the reality of the situation."

"How many times have I said it? I love being a soldier; I was born to be one. What, do you expect to get rich from being a soldier?"

"Getting rich is for those in logistics; us ordinary grunts barely have a chance. It's good enough if we can save a little money."

"No, I really must have a talk with you." Shi Jin sat up...

Bai Tiejun was no longer happy...