Chapter 74: Oh, this brain of mine!

"Hey, Dad, it's me. I've become a training model soldier in the unit!"

"What's a model soldier? A model soldier is the most awesome, the most formidable!"

"Who's bragging? It's true—I even have the certificate!"

Kong Long, one hand holding the phone and the other clutching the certificate, proudly reported the good news to his dad on the other end.

Today is the weekend, and in principle personal mobiles aren't allowed, but using the Squad Leader's phone to call home is still fine.

Each person gets at most five minutes; because time is limited, everyone sticks to the main points.

"How's the food in the Cafeteria? It can't compare to home, but it's okay; the more people, the tastier the rice gets."

"Send me something? No, no, even if you sent it I have nowhere to put it."

"That pot of bao again, pickled cabbage stewed blood sausage, roasted silkworm pupae vacuum‑sealed—aren't those just nonsense?"

"Alright, alright, that's it. Later other comrades still have to make calls… I won't say more, hanging up now."

Kong Long hung up, passed the phone to the next person, and kept staring at the training model soldier certificate.

He even gave Lu Yang a shake, a look of "I have it, you don't," as smug as possible.

Lu Yang laughed, "Don't get cocky; next week I'll get one too."

Kong Long shook his head and swayed, "I got mine first, hehe."

Zhou Kaidong coughed once, walked over, and said, "No showing off; try to lose another ten jin before the next session."

Kong Long's face collapsed, looking like "just kill me."

During the preparation period, he could still control his weight with a low‑fat diet.

Now, training day after day, not eating rice or steamed buns really wears the body down.

Eating too many carbs improves appetite, so the weight just won't drop.

Lu Yang smiled and teased, "The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility; being a model soldier isn't easy for you."

Kong Long hurriedly shoved the certificate into Lu Yang's hand, meaning he didn't want it, but Lu Yang stepped back and avoided it.

Zhou Kaidong sternly criticized him, saying a model soldier must look the part; if he regresses in the future, or his progress is unclear, he'll have to be dealt with properly.

Soon, Lu Yang heard a familiar hometown dialect behind him; turning his head, he saw Ding Tengfei on the phone.

The unit gathers soldiers from all over, so daily communication is mostly Mandarin.

But when calling family, they can't help switching to the hometown accent.

Lu Yang, Zhou Kaidong, and Kong Long turned, all eyes landing on Ding Tengfei.

It's not that they wanted to eavesdrop on his family chat; the main reason is this guy has a record.

Therefore, when using the phone, they must watch the whole time to prevent a fool from having another sudden idea.

"Hey, it's me… I don't sell bank cards, I don't sell health products, I'm your son!"

"This is the Squad Leader's phone; the unit's regulations are strict now, no personal phones on weekends. Why are you asking why they forbid it? It's forbidden, period!!"

"I haven't quarreled with comrades! No fights! No sleeping in, and I don't smoke! Why is talking to you so hard, and I drank again last night?"

"My mom? You let her listen to the call?"

"Mom, keep an eye on Dad, have him drink less, gamble less, and stay away from those shady friends outside…"

"How's the family lately? What, Grandma fell and hit her head?"

Ding Tengfei suddenly raised his voice, sprang up from the horse‑stool, his face anxious.

"Ah, what's the matter?"

"Is it serious?"

"Why is she still in the hospital?"

"Oh dear, really, wasn't it Uncle Er who was taking care of her? How did she still fall…"

Ding Tengfei paced back and forth, and Lu Yang noticed his eyes were a bit red.

It shows he is very close to his grandma, perhaps raised by her since childhood.

Being a soldier, the worst thing is hearing something happen at home; that anxious, powerless feeling is truly painful.

On the other end, they told him not to worry, saying Grandma's issue isn't too serious; with proper rest she'll recover, though she may need a cane later.

Later, his family asked Ding Tengfei to hand the phone to the Squad Leader, saying they wanted to say a few words to the unit's leadership.

Zhou Kaidong took the phone, and a muffled middle‑aged man's voice came through, speaking imperfect local Mandarin.

"Hello, hello, I'm Ding Tengfei's father. I'm a mischievous kid, sent to the unit to give you a hard time."

"If this undisciplined one does something wrong, he should be beaten, should be scolded; never be shy about it."

"At home I beat him with a stick; I've broken several bristles off a feather duster."

Zhou Kaidong lifted the corner of his eye; no wonder this kid's early attempts at correction didn't work—being beaten at home gave him a tolerance.

He thought for a while before saying, "Sir, our unit now practices civilized leadership; we no longer use corporal punishment. Also, your son…"

He paused, his expression turning conflicted, his throat feeling as if clogged with phlegm: "Your son performs quite well in the unit, never picky, gets along with comrades, trains earnestly, and he's also… clever."

Pfft!

The others almost couldn't hold back their laughter.

Because what the Squad Leader said had nothing to do with him, a serious mismatch.

The father on the other end looked bewildered: "Really? Is it real or fake? I didn't study much, you're scamming me?"

"It's true."

"That little brat is rotten to the bone, full of bad habits; can he still improve?"

"If you don't believe, I'll have the deputy Squad Leader speak; he's also a rookie, from the same hometown as your son, also from Guangling."

Lu Yang inexplicably took the phone that Zhou Kaidong forced onto him.

Seeing Zhou Kaidong's relieved expression, he instantly understood.

Squad Leader didn't want to keep saying insincere pleasantries, so he let him help finish up.

Lu Yang pressed the phone to his ear, heard the voice on the other side, and naturally switched to the dialect.

"Hello uncle, I'm Lu Yang, I'm from Shiqiao Village of xx Town."

"Yes, that's right. What our Squad Leader said earlier is all true; Ding Tengfei has really become diligent and well‑behaved now."

"He is now highly valued by our Company Commander and Instructor, just earned the training model soldier award, and we all have to look up to him."

"Especially when hitting the sandbag, none of us can beat him; you can tell he has experience..."

Lu Yang's body houses a soul weathered by many hardships; if you speak of age, it's actually not much younger than Ding Tengfei's father.

So, during communication there is no sense of incongruity at all, even a déjà vu of a homeroom teacher talking with a student's parents.

Moreover, he concluded with a comment: "Your child is actually very smart, but previously his mind wasn't focused on the right path; if he is willing to be down‑to‑earth, he will surely become a dragon or phoenix among people in the future."

These words made Ding's father on the other side laugh heartily, but made Ding Tengfei want to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Zhou Kaidong and Kong Long both gave a thumbs‑up, thinking Lu Yang has great potential for being a big talker.

With ease, he left the couple on the other side in a wonderful mood.

At the same time, the other side also said that handing the child over to the troops, to the state's discipline, makes them feel much more at ease.

The couple never imagined, even in their dreams, that this little cannon, having been sent to the troops for just over two months, could change so dramatically—far beyond expectations.

At the end of the call, the two solemnly begged Lu Yang, a fellow native, hoping he could teach more, guide more, and look after that incompetent kid in the troops.

Lu Yang didn't refuse; he accepted, in the manner of an elder, the reluctant responsibility of caring for that incompetent little cannon.

The call ended, Lu Yang handed the phone back to Zhou Kaidong, and the two looked at Ding Tengfei with a half‑smile.

"Did you hear that? Your parents want you to learn more from Lu Yang!"

"Did you hear that, little cannon? Your parents want me to look after you more!"

Ding Tengfei felt as if he had been slapped on both cheeks at once.

In an instant, in terms of seniority, Lu Yang towered over him.

But he didn't argue, because both Zhou Kaidong and Lu Yang gave him full face in the call.

Not only did they not expose the stupid mistakes he had done before, they actually said many good things that made his parents happy.

For this reason, Ding Tengfei has to remember their kindness in his heart, especially Lu Yang's.

Without this all‑knowing, all‑capable fellow native, he's probably still banging into the southern wall, getting his head smashed and bleeding.

The others also gradually called home; unlike the first time when they cried about homesickness, this time everyone seems to have made progress.

They've become more steady, more responsible, mostly reporting good news and not worries; no one complains or cries from fatigue—this is the change the troops bring.

Lu Yang feels fortunate that after being reborn, he didn't choose to repeat his studies, but instead joined the troops.

Being able to enter the troops with an adult's perspective and experience the charm behind military life together is truly an interesting thing.

Lu Yang was the last to make a call, briefly inquiring about the family's situation, letting his parents know everything is fine here, and that was enough.

He handed the phone back to Zhou Kaidong, who also clapped his hands and announced something.

"Today is the weekend; no training this morning. In a bit we'll play basketball, play badminton."

"Just a heads‑up: don't eat too much at lunch, there's a big event later..."

Lu Yang and the others' eyes lit up; they just remembered that after receiving the Moving Red Flag yesterday, the Company Commander rewarded them with two hundred yuan.

Zhou Kaidong used that money to order some goodies outside that they couldn't get inside the camp.

As for what exactly, Zhou Kaidong kept it a secret; no one said.

Thus, during the morning basketball game and at lunch, everyone was eager to find out what the delicious treat would be.

After lunch, back in the dorm, Zhou Kaidong's phone rang; it was the delivery guy calling.

He answered: "Almost there? Good, I'll come over to pick it up now."

The call ended, everyone got excited—there was good food to eat!

Zhou Kaidong gave Lu Yang a chin‑nod: "Come on, let's go get the delivery."

"Alright!"

Lu Yang put on his cap, excited, ready to go out with him.

Just as they stepped down the stairs, Zhou Kaidong suddenly froze, his eyes blank.

Lu Yang asked, "What's wrong, Squad Leader?"

Zhou Kaidong stomped his foot hard on the ground, as if wanting to slap himself: "Damn it, I forgot to give the exact address, the stuff was sent to the wrong place!"

Lu Yang: "Where was it sent?"

Zhou Kaidong forced a wry smile: "It was sent to my old unit!"

He hurriedly tried to call back, but found the phone had been disconnected!

It must be that he used up the credit from too many long‑distance calls earlier; what to do now?

The delivery person is almost here; if we can't leave, they'll surely curse his ancestors.

Even though Zhou Kaidong had ordered from that place before, he wasn't familiar enough to buy on credit, let alone purchase for all ages!

Lu Yang, both laughing and crying, asked: "What do we do then?"

Zhou Kaidong pounded his head hard: "Oh, my brain!"

Finally, he decided: "Our Company is not that far from here; we can climb over the north wall and take a shortcut that takes just a dozen minutes. Dare you come with me?"

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow: "What's there to be afraid of?"