Chapter 312: Your Sister (Second Update, Begging for Monthly Tickets)

Outside Jinzhou, on the parade ground, two companies formed square formations at the center. Behind them were three hundred cavalry. In front of the squares, a line formation of one hundred fusilier musketeers was advancing. Amid the cadenced drumbeats, a light, cheerful copper flute melody mingled in, sounding very pleasant to the ear — at least Guan Dadi found it quite relaxing to listen to.

Still, the idea of playing music on the battlefield struck most as somewhat odd. What they didn't know was that this lively tune had been devised by Lord Chen. In his previous life, it was called the Grenadier's March, and the copper flute within it genuinely helped ease tension.

The front-rank officers barked a series of commands. Just as the drumbeats ceased, Zhong Laosi's voice rang out: "Stop, stop, stop."

A low, dejected sigh rippled through the drilling troops. Zhong Laosi, riding a piebald horse, came charging up to the front. Their battalion headquarters unit was the former First Farmer-Soldier Battalion. After the Jinzhou battle, a reorganization had taken place. Junior officers hadn't changed much, but there had been some adjustments at the top. The old battalion commander, Fan Shouye, had been transferred to the Jimo Camp. Although Zhong Laosi had been punished, his battle merits stood. After completing his confinement, he'd been promoted one rank, becoming a mounted-infantry squad commander in charge of two companies.

Zhong Laosi and a cavalry officer rode together along the front, making a round of observation. Afterward, he said to the cavalry officer, "Squad Commander Tan, the gap is still too narrow. The infantry numbers are still a bit too high. It's hard for the cavalry to pass through and quickly form ranks. If it takes too long to cross, the enemy will have time to adjust their defense line and might recover. Your cavalry won't gain any advantage going in."

The Brother Tan he addressed was the cavalry battalion's new commander, Tan Shen. He had previously been Zhu Guobin's deputy. Now that Zhu Guobin had been promoted to commander of the Fourth Mixed Battalion, Tan Shen had become the cavalry battalion's commanding officer.

Tan Shen shot Zhong Laosi a sidelong glance. "Then what do you suggest?"

"Only deploy my detachment. Two detachments, one hundred men, form two squares, spaced between your three cavalry squads. That gives the cavalry a broader front. The four squads of the detachments, in four ranks front to back, will fire two volleys. The enemy formation will certainly be thrown into chaos, and your cavalry can charge immediately. After the charge returns, the detachments reload, and then we do it again."

Tan Shen scratched his head. He'd been dragged by this Zhong Laosi into experimenting with new combined infantry-cavalry tactics and was utterly exasperated. For some unknown reason, Zhu Guobin had specifically instructed him to follow Zhong Laosi's lead in combined-arms training, forcing him to cooperate with this somewhat neurotic squad commander. Listlessly, he said to Zhong Laosi, "It's all your say anyway. Fine, rearrange the formation one more time. This is the last one today. I have many new recruits on my side; we still need to practice marching columns."

"Done." Zhong Laosi was a man of action. He shouted for the pikemen to withdraw, leaving only the two detachments, arrayed in two five-rank squares. The three cavalry squads slowly moved to the flanks and center of the musketeers.

After the musketeers simulated two volleys, the cavalry immediately attacked, galloping through a practice charge of one hundred paces. Once the cavalry returned, Zhong Laosi was still shouting at the top of his lungs, "The musketeer front is still a bit too wide. We need to break it down further. Split into four groups, two squads per group. Hey, hey, Tan Shen, why are you leaving…"

Tan Shen had already ridden his horse to the front, merely waving a hand over his shoulder as he fled as if for his life.

Zhong Laosi cursed under his breath. A company commander beside him leaned in. "Squad Commander, sir, Tan Shen did say just now that after one more drill, they need to practice their own subjects. Shouldn't we also continue practicing marching? You…"

"I know that. What's there to practice in marching? We walk neatly enough. Can riding a horse make us march in disorder? We ride horses only for marching. When the fighting starts, we still have to walk. Practicing battle is the real business. Once infantry-cavalry drills are done, I'm adding the four-pounder cannons."

The company commander said ingratiatingly, "Squad Commander, whatever you say to add, we'll add. In the future, we'll even add forty-pounders. But for now, we still need to practice riding, don't we? You're used to riding, but we can't compare. Look at Guan Dadi — he can't even mount properly now. Add the copper flute, and he can't even keep step."

"Guan Dadi? He's the only one. How many others can be as dumb as him? Where is he?" Zhong Laosi dismounted carelessly and swaggered over to the front rank, stopping right in front of Guan Dadi.

"Guan Dadi, you brat, how can you be so stupid? Who told you to listen to that flute? You only need to follow the drumbeat."

Guan Dadi gave a blank "Oh." Zhong Laosi kicked him and cursed, "Dead last in the literacy exam again, damn it. The way you are, you're wasting that ferocity of yours. You'll never become an officer in this lifetime. Can't you, for once, damn well do something right?"

Guan Dadi started to scratch his head again. Zhong Laosi, quick of eye and hand, was about to lash out with his riding crop. Guan Dadi hurriedly put his hand down and said, "I think all those characters look pretty much the same. Put them together, and I can't tell them apart."

Zhong Laosi stared at him for a moment and cursed, "You dog-brained thing, you're stupid enough. Can't even fully recognize two hundred characters. If you fail this exam again, you'll miss out on the reorganization promotion. Good thing there's now this thing called a non-commissioned officer. I'll have to get you one of those somehow."

"Thank you, Squad Commander." Guan Dadi grinned foolishly.

Zhong Laosi pointed behind Guan Dadi. "Mount up and practice. If you can't sit steady, no dinner for you. After dinner, while others rest, the drum and bugle corps will give extra drill just to you dumb eggs. If you don't want them cursing you, then be a bit more damn clever."

Guan Dadi's Squad Commander agreed, "The squad commander is wise. This Guan Dadi is too stupid. I'm worn out from teaching him."

Zhong Laosi raised a hand. "The usual rule. Guan Dadi's entire squad shares collective responsibility. They'll practice with him."

The Squad Commander, looking miserable, was about to plead when Zhong Laosi had already strode off. "Bugler, sound the call. Drill: encountering the enemy on the march. If the dismounting and assembly speed is slower than last time, I'm docking all of tonight's roast meat."

The flag bearer hurriedly raised the mount-up flag signal. The bugler sounded the mount-up call. Over five hundred soldiers mounted in disorder. Guan Dadi was especially flustered, his piebald horse still twisting left and right.

Before he could adjust, the march call sounded, and this mounted infantry unit began moving out of the parade ground, preparing for a conditioning march before returning. Watching the column recede into the distance, Zhong Laosi cursed, "Why the hell add a copper flute for no good reason? It's not an opera. Must be that dog-fucking Liu Pojun who thought of it."

After cursing, he shouted an order. Two four-pounder cannons fell in behind him as he chased after the column's tail.

This drill didn't end until nearly dark. After washing and feeding the horses outside the city, they withdrew into the barbican to rest and eat. This was Jinzhou's south gate, named Cheng'en Gate. The barbican was very spacious. On the walls were some garrison troops — infantry, five hundred in total. Organizationally, they belonged to the Lüshun Garrison. Normally, they were only responsible for guarding Jinzhou's walls. If a large Jianzhou Bandit army attacked, they would retreat via the sea route to the west. Before winter arrived, these men would return to Lüshun ahead of time.

Zhong Laosi, leading his guards, rode to the battalion headquarters in the city and reported the day's training subjects and results to the operations and training staff officer. After the staff officer finished recording and Zhong Laosi signed, the routine paperwork was finally done. He came back cursing the whole way. The regulations were getting more and more detailed, with more and more rules and restrictions. Every time a new rule came out, he had to curse a round to vent his spleen.

Back in the barbican, dinner was just being served. The entire company gathered in squads. After a bugle call, the officers and soldiers all began to eat. The grueling training had given them all ravenous appetites. Throughout the barbican, there was only the sound of chewing; not a single person spoke.

Zhong Laosi didn't go to the company headquarters either, but casually blended into the First Platoon, sitting on the ground with the soldiers and wolfing down his food. After the first bun had laid a foundation in his stomach, he even found time between bites to scold Guan Dadi a few more times. Guan Dadi, utterly unresponsive, just chewed his steamed cake in huge mouthfuls.

Halfway through the meal, the quartermaster officer came to their platoon and shouted, "First Platoon, fifteen letters from home."

The soldiers of First Platoon threw down their bowls and chopsticks and crowded around in a noisy swarm. Those who received letters were overjoyed, waving their arms and dancing, hastily running to the fireside to read them. Other soldiers gathered around, but most of these soldiers could barely recognize a few characters. Even those who had passed the exam only had a literacy of two or three hundred characters, limited to terms for troop types, colors, and flag signals. For those who couldn't read everything, they sought out the political instructor to help read aloud. Whenever a letter from a wife was read out, it would provoke waves of cheering and hooting.

Letters from home were now classified as a type of military supply, especially for the Lüshun garrison troops. Many of these men had transferred from the farmer-soldier companies, and most had families in Wendeng. Chen Xin believed that letters from home greatly boosted morale and required them to be delivered along with rations and fodder. Currently, the general store handled the sending and receiving, charging only two wen per letter. This investment had indeed paid off. The soldiers constantly felt they had something to look forward to. Morale had already risen considerably after just two batches of letters had been distributed.

While others went to get their letters, Guan Dadi frantically grabbed for more buns. Seeing he hadn't moved, Zhong Laosi asked him, "Aren't you going to take a look?"

Guan Dadi, his mouth stuffed full of cake, said indistinctly, "My ma, my… sis, neither can write."

"Don't you have a younger brother?"

"He never writes home, let alone to me." Guan Dadi swallowed the cake and prepared to eat another.

"Isn't that brother of yours in that whatever class? He's an educated man. How come he doesn't know to write letters?"

Guan Dadi shook his head. "Called the science and technology class or something. They say he gets to see Mr. Liu every few days. Why he doesn't write, I don't know. Anyway, he's too busy. Besides, since he was little, he never liked talking to me. He only liked talking to our ma. I'm the one who talks a lot with my little sis."

Zhong Laosi kicked him and cursed, "Your ma, your ma. I told you to go see if there's one for me. If there is, bring it to me."

Guan Dadi patted the footprint off his backside and ran over while still eating. He shoved aside the people in front of him, stayed inside for a moment, and came out — actually holding a letter.

Zhong Laosi said in surprise, "Son of a bitch, there really is a letter for me? Could it be from Zhou Shao'er?"

"It's my letter. Squad Commander, please read it for me."

"Can't even read, and damn well gets a letter." Disappointed, Zhong Laosi snatched it, tore open the envelope, and began to read. "'Brother, I've gone to…' Bah, your mother, I'm calling you brother. Start over. 'Guan Dadi, I've gone to the cultural troupe. I get one tael of silver a month. When you come back, I'll buy you filter-tip cigarettes. Your sister!'" Zhong Laosi flipped it over and looked at the back. "That's damn well it? Who is this 'your sister'?"

Guan Dadi snatched it back and looked at it himself, as if he could actually read it. "It's just my sis."

Zhong Laosi shook his head. "Your sister's… Your whole family's a bunch of fools. It's all the same two wen. Don't you know to have someone write a few more characters?" (To be continued.)

PS: Asking for monthly tickets.