Chapter 36
The sixth lap, the seventh lap …
When He Yan finished the last lap, he felt as if he had just been fished out of the water.
Xiao Mai ran over and handed him a water bottle. "A He Ge, drink some."
He Yan tilted his head back and gulped down the water.
While he was drinking, Liang Jiaotou walked past him. He looked at him from head to toe, shook his head, and left. His gaze clearly said that He Yan could only be a squad leader.
"Why did you finish?" Hong Shan said, "You're so stubborn. I saw that there were other people who didn't run much. They're smarter than you!"
He Yan was so tired that he didn't want to talk. He only said, "I don't want to be a squad leader."
"What's wrong with being a squad leader? Don't underestimate a squad leader. They might even live longer than us." Hong Shan didn't think much of it.
"I think so too." Xiao Mai looked forward to it. "If I'm a squad leader, I can cook for everyone. I can cook more delicious food!"
He Yan: "… If you want to cook, you should be a chef. You shouldn't be here to join the army."
Xiao Mai looked at Shi Tou with an aggrieved expression. "Big Brother asked me to come."
What kind of people are they? He Yan looked up at the sky and sighed in his heart.
She was so tired that her legs felt like jelly. Hong Shan and Xiao Mai helped her walk forward and sighed. "It's only the first day. How long can you last?"
He Yan thought to himself. I'll last as long as I can.
That day passed in exhaustion. Chief Instructor Shen's face was cold and emotionless. He caught the few soldiers who were lazing around in the afternoon and punished them in front of everyone. They screamed even more miserably than chickens. This was a warning to others. At least during the afternoon training, no one dared to laze around anymore.
Just as He Yan thought, the first half of the month was physical training. It was nothing more than running with weights, standing under the sun, and lining up. Half a month later, they would begin their skill training. Once they had trained for a certain amount of time, they would begin to split up.
He Yan was in the Vanguard Battalion in her previous life. She still wanted to enter the Vanguard Battalion. However, the problem was that with Xiao Jue's training method, she would be eliminated before she reached the Vanguard Battalion. After all, her physical strength was her weakness now.
She thought as she ate the porridge in the bowl.
The porridge was thick rice porridge with all kinds of wild vegetables, fruits, beans, and the like. Half a bucket of rice in the morning and a third of a bucket of millet for dinner. Occasionally, there would be some dough balls. If it was good, there would also be soup pancakes and meat.
However, it was just the beginning. There was only porridge.
It was originally a bland meal, but because he was really too tired today, he already felt hungry. Almost no one spoke at the dining area. Everyone was engrossed in eating.
"If only there was wine." Hong Shan smacked his lips. "Now I finally understand why you shouldn't join the army unless you have nowhere else to go. This is not something a human would do."
"I want to hunt." Xiao Mai bitterly curled her lips at Shi Tou. "Big Brother, I want to eat roasted rabbit."
Shi Tou: "… Wait a few days."
He Yan found it funny. Wait a few days. Even if they waited a month, they would not have the opportunity to hunt. If they wanted to run away after entering the army camp, they would be considered deserters. Deserters would be beheaded.
After dinner, everyone went to take a bath. Hong Shan hesitated for a moment and asked, "A He, you really don't want to go?"
After being in the sun for the whole day, he was covered in sweat. His whole body smelled of sweat and was sticky. The river was already crowded with people. Hong Shan said, "Don't be afraid. I'll hold onto you. I guarantee that you won't fall."
He Yan looked troubled. "Forget it, Brother Shan. When it's late, I'll go to the river to get a few buckets of water and wash them in the shallows."
"Okay then." Hong Shan did not force him. "You rest first."
He Yan breathed a sigh of relief after Hong Shan and the others left.
This was probably one of the inconveniences of entering the army camp. As a lowly soldier, they did not have a separate room in the guard station or a separate tent in the wilderness. Taking a bath was a big problem. Because of this, she used to live a restrained life. Every night when she slept, she had to be careful not to let the cat out of the bag. However, as she gradually got promoted, she became a deputy general, and then a chief general. She had her own tent and room, so this was no longer a problem.
She did not expect that she would have to walk the same path as before.
He Yan lay on the bed and rested for a while. When the people who went to the river to take a bath came back one after another and everyone went to sleep, He Yan woke up when she heard Hong Shan's snoring. She looked at the moon outside the window and estimated that it was already midnight. She climbed out of bed, walked past Xiao Mai, rolled up her clean clothes, and sneaked out the door.
Outside the guard station in Liang Province, the wilderness was empty and the moon was bright and clear. Perhaps it was the border, but the moonlight was different from the one in the capital. He Yan tiptoed to the river.
The river around the guard station was at the foot of Mount Baiyue. Its name was very interesting. It was called the Five Deer River. It was said that one day, a fisherman who lived by the river came back from his boat in the middle of the night. He saw a fairy in plain clothes riding a five-colored deer on the surface of the river.
There were many large rocks by the river. He Yan found a piece of Shi Tou and placed her clean clothes behind the Shi Tou to prevent them from getting wet. Then she took off her outer clothes and walked in.
What she said to Hong Shan was right. After the incident of her drowning in the pond at the Xu family home, she did not dare to go near the water. Unless she had no other choice, she did not want to go to the river. Because of this, even if she went into the water, she only dared to do it in shallow water.
The river water was icy cold. It was very comfortable in the hot summer. The river breeze was also refreshing. He Yan wiped her face. She felt that the tiredness from carrying the sandbag in the afternoon had been swept away. Every part of her body felt comfortable and warm. The bright moon here was as cold as frost and snow. It shone on the boundless wilderness and the wide river. It was magnificent and elegant.
"Mount Baiyue, Five Deer River …" He Yan whispered. The names were very elegant, and they were indeed so. She looked at the silver-white moon and thought to herself that all that was missing was a beautiful fairy in plain clothes. If a fisherman were to pass by at this moment, perhaps she would be the rumored "beautiful fairy".
As she thought about it, she felt that it was funny and laughed out loud.
"Who is it?" A voice rang out in the silence. It was both strange and familiar.
He Yan almost swallowed a mouthful of river water into her stomach.
It can't be, right? There was still someone here at this time?
The person's footsteps paused for a moment. Then, he walked in the direction of He Yan. He Yan was stunned at first. Then, she quickly hid behind a large rock in front of her. Because she was in shallow water, she was not far from the river. Therefore, she could see the person clearly.
It was a young man. He wore a dark blue robe embroidered with red cranes. The embroidery on the robe looked as if it was going to fly back with the wind. He was also very outstanding. He was handsome and charming. His eyebrows were as beautiful as a painting. The long sword at his waist looked like ice and snow under the moonlight. It made his expression even colder.
This handsome young man was Xiao Jue, the Commander-in-Chief of the Right Army.
He Yan saw the person's face clearly. She wailed in her heart.
Enemies were bound to meet on a narrow road.
Chapter 37
"Hey, don't, don't come any closer," He Yan was afraid that the person would walk in front of her, so she quickly stuck her head out from behind the Shi Tou. "I'm naked! What are you doing? "
The person stopped in her tracks.
He Yan sighed in relief. Based on her understanding of Xiao Jue, Xiao Jue was extremely picky. Being naked in front of him was considered a breach of etiquette, so he didn't want to dirty his eyes.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Xiao Jue stared at her and asked coldly.
"I'm a new recruit from the garrison. I'm here to take a bath," He Yan replied.
Xiao Jue heard this and a trace of mockery flashed across her eyes. She clearly didn't believe her and asked, "You're here to take a bath at this hour?"
"There were too many people at night, so I fell asleep in my room." He Yan looked at her. "I'm not an adult here. I have my own room to take a bath in. If I did, who would want to take a bath in the middle of the night? I find it cold! "
He Yan was referring to Xiao Jue when she said 'adult'. She hoped that Xiao Jue could understand her sarcasm.
Unfortunately, Xiao Jue didn't show any signs of guilt after hearing her words. She only looked at her calmly.
He Yan lowered her body into the river and asked, "Who are you?"
Hmm, I'll just pretend to be a new recruit who doesn't know anything about the world. It'll be more convincing that way.
Xiao Jue didn't answer her and instead said, "If you find it cold, then don't join the army."
Was she refuting what she said just now? He Yan looked at her clothes behind the huge rock. If Xiao Jue didn't leave, she would have to stay in the water. However, if she stayed in the water for too long, Xiao Jue would be suspicious.
"I joined the army for a reason," He Yan said.
Xiao Jue looked at her and raised her eyebrows. "What's your purpose?"
"Of course it's to build a career, get promoted and get rich, and become someone like General Fengyun who achieved success at a young age. Then we can go home and build a house, marry a wife, marry the most beautiful and virtuous lady, give birth to the most adorable children, have many children and grandchildren, and live a prosperous life. What a good life! "He Yan showed a yearning expression.
As soon as he said that, Xiao Jue's eyes turned cold. She scolded him coldly, "How vulgar!"
He Yan was overjoyed in his heart. She deliberately threw the name of General Fengyun together with the wishes of ordinary men in the world to deliberately disgust him. Xiao Jue was such a proud person, he must feel humiliated.
"What's wrong with that?" He Yan looked serious. "This is what you should do when you join the army. Be the happiest man."
Xiao Jue glanced at her as if she couldn't bear to listen to her ravings. She left in a huff, as if she didn't want to talk to her anymore.
He Yan said from behind him, "Hey, brother, can I trouble you to help me throw the clothes behind the rock over here? Just give me a hand!"
Xiao Jue naturally wouldn't help her get the clothes. He Yan waited until he was far away and completely out of sight before she quickly washed up and ran to the Shi Tou to change her clothes.
The moonlight was silent, as if it didn't see what happened. He Yan carried the dirty clothes and walked back, but he thought about the scene when he saw Xiao Jue just now.
At this time, Xiao Jue probably didn't come here to do anything. Perhaps she just came out for a walk. After all, the night was so beautiful.
Speaking of which, He Yan and Xiao Jue hadn't seen each other for many years. The last time they met at the racecourse, he was afraid that Xiao Jue would find out, so he hurriedly lowered his head and didn't see clearly how different Xiao Jue was now. It was rare to see him clearly just now. It seemed that he was different from what he remembered.
She knew that Xiao Jue was born handsome and beautiful in the past. Many young girls would rush forward just to look at him. But people actually became more and more beautiful. She didn't know what this person ate when he grew up, but now it seemed that he was even more charming than before. If Xiao Jue was said to have a bit of youthful charm, then that charm was completely gone now. He was like a fine jade, like a sword in a box, faintly shining.
But his temperament was much colder than before.
He Yan walked slowly.
That year, she had a big quarrel with the He family and then joined the army. She didn't know what happened in the Xianchang Restaurant. At that time, Xiao Jue was still the Xiao family's young master and everything was normal. After she joined the army, a few years later, she learned about the situation of the Xiao family's second young master from the people around her.
Xiao Jue's father, Xiao Zhongwu, was a brave general of Da Wei. He was best at winning with a few people. Just like Da Wei, when they attacked Da Wei, he was ambushed by the enemy at the Battle of Mingshui and died at the hands of the enemy leader. After General Xiao died, Xiao Jue took over the army and continued to lead the army to attack Da Wei.
He Yan was 15 years old when she joined the army. When Xiao Jue joined the army, he was only one year older than her. She didn't know what exactly happened, but she knew that Xiao Jue was only 16 years old at that time. It was definitely not simple for him to take over the army from his father's hands. Not to mention the imperial family, the Xiao family's political enemies would not let go of this opportunity to hit them when they were down.
If Xiao Jue was defeated, then the entire Xiao Family would be defeated as well. As a military family, the Xiao Family would definitely not be able to survive with just a civil official, Eldest Young Master Xiao.
Fortunately, the heavens were on his side. Not only did Xiao Jue win, he won beautifully. He defeated Da Wei and brought the enemy's general's head back to the capital. At this point, he established the title of "Young Killer, Commander Jade-Faced".
War was the fastest way to sharpen a person's heart. All the edges and sharpness had to be withdrawn in the face of life and death. Perhaps Xiao Jue still retained the arrogance and frivolity of the capital's nobles in the past. But now, he didn't have any of that.
He was a more outstanding, more indifferent, more unfathomable, and more difficult to deal with Xiao Jue.
He Yan walked to the door. Everyone in the room was sleeping soundly and no one noticed her. She placed her clothes at the foot of the bed and lay down. She closed her eyes and her heart was calm.
Fortunately, Xiao Jue was not the only one who had grown these years. She was the same as Xiao Jue.
They weren't far apart.
Chapter 38
The next day, they woke up at five in the morning and ran with weights as usual.
The recruits were miserable. Because of yesterday's events, they still had to check on other things. The recruits were all dressed in red. When they woke up in the morning, they couldn't be disheveled. This included the messy beds they slept on at night. The next morning, they had to be neatly arranged. If there was a messy bed, they had to add an extra circle.
Who could stand it if they added one round after another? Amidst the cries and screams, the recruits' appearance and military discipline were quickly fixed. It had only been half a month. Although the recruits didn't know how to set up formations with swords and arrows, they already looked decent.
He Yan sighed in his heart. Although Xiao Jue was a bit evil, her methods were quite impressive. Compared to Military Governor Xiao, He Yan felt that his previous methods of training soldiers were simply too benevolent.
As the saying goes, if you don't lead soldiers, then you won't keep money. It seemed that he still had to learn more from Xiao Jue.
As the recruits ran in circles, the instructors took advantage of the gaps to talk.
Head Instructor Shen Han looked at Liang Ping and asked, "Why don't I see the … eh, the weakest kid in your team?"
Over the past few days, everyone knew that the weakest kid in the Liangzhou Guards was one of Liang Jiaotou's recruits. He was thin and small, and his physical strength was extremely poor. Every morning, when he ran in the morning, he would fall behind the others. It was fine if it was one or two days, but after three days, almost everyone knew that there was such a person.
It could be said that he was notoriously weak.
"You said He Yan?" Liang Ping pointed at the mountain path in the distance and said, "He's in front. Look, the one running with the middleman."
Shen Han looked over and saw a youth running forward with a sandbag on his back. Although everyone was dressed in red, the youth was unusually thin and short, so it could be seen at a glance.
Shen Han was a bit surprised. "He didn't fall behind?"
"How could that be?" Liang Ping's face showed some complicated emotions. "This kid is very strong-willed."
Speaking of which, Liang Ping was not optimistic about He Yan at first. To be honest, he had been an instructor for many years and had seen many new recruits. He could tell whether or not they could become a fierce soldier just by looking at them. He Yan's physical aptitude was really too poor. Perhaps he had been pampered since he was young, so it was obvious that he did not have much strength. On the first day of his morning run, Liang Ping made a decision in his heart: I can only be a team leader.
He didn't expect this kid to have such a strong personality despite his poor health. Even though he was dragging the tail every day, he still ran with the team. Liang Ping also noticed that from the first day until now, he had never tried to slack off. He had been running seriously.
If a rich young master from a declining family were to be a small soldier, it would already be impressive to have such willpower and perseverance. What's more, He Yan was not doing useless work.
She seemed to have mastered some kind of trick, or gradually began to adapt to this kind of weight-bearing long-distance running. In the beginning, she was lagging behind by a lot of laps. Gradually, she fell behind less and less. Now, she could barely keep up with the team. Liang Ping even had an illusion that if this continued and ran for a few more days, he might even be the one running in the front.
As he was thinking, he heard Shen Han's voice from beside him.
"What's the use of being strong-willed? Aptitude is aptitude. Even if he can barely keep up with the running, the skill training in the future will still be too difficult for him … I don't know if he can pass the skill training."
Before the skill training, the last morning run was to evaluate the physical fitness and potential of each new recruit. If there were too many people who fell behind, it would be impossible for them to even pass the skill training. Manpower was limited, so it was impossible to allocate so many troops to people who were not worthy.
War was cruel. Before the cruel war, they could only choose those who could bear the cruelty.
"I think he can," Liang Ping said.
Shen Han looked at him, and the other instructors around him also looked at him. Someone said, "Liang Jiaotou, are you sure? Don't make a mistake. You have to know that after so many years, this kind of weak person … can't even survive on the battlefield. "
Even so … Liang Ping smiled and said, "You also know that the spirit has been tempered hundreds of times. It is sharp and strong. Who can be sure about this kind of thing? "
He looked at He Yan. The young man's forehead was full of sweat. In the hot summer, his companions who were running with him gritted their teeth. Most of them looked impatient and annoyed. He was the only one who smiled and did not seem to have any complaints.
This kind of willpower was really hard to come by.
He Yan did not know that he had become the topic of discussion among the instructors. She finished her last lap and put away the sandbag. Hong Shan punched her on the shoulder.
"Hey, good boy. You're really something." Hong Shan rubbed his chin and looked at him. "Now you can even keep up with us. Are you happy now that you don't have to be the leader anymore?"
He Yan laughed heartily. "That's great."
Seeing that she looked much better than a few days ago, Hong Shan was happy for her. At this time, Xiao Mai waved at them from afar. "A He Ge, Brother Shan, hurry up. There are meat buns today!"
After being here for so long, there was finally meat for them. He Yan heard that and immediately salivated. Hong Shan also licked his lips and said, "We finally have a good meal. Let's go, let's go!"
There was porridge in the iron pot, and everyone got a bowl. In the big wooden bucket beside them were steaming meat buns. They could smell the aroma from afar. The soldier in charge of distributing the meat buns stood in front of the wooden bucket. Everyone could get one.
He Yan also got one.
She held the bowl of porridge. There were no seats around, so she wanted to find a shady place to sit down and eat the porridge. From afar, she saw Xiao Mai waving at her from under a tree. It seemed that she had found a good spot to enjoy the cool air.
He Yan was about to leave.
She had only walked halfway when suddenly, someone passed by her and bumped into her shoulder heavily. She staggered and spilled the half bowl of porridge in her hand.
She did not hold the meat bun tightly and it rolled down. He Yan was about to reach out to catch it when a hand reached out and snatched the meat bun away.
She stood still. In front of her stood a tall man with a mustache. There was an old scar from his left forehead to his cheek. At first glance, he looked strong and powerful. He took the meat bun as if it was a matter of course. He did not even look at He Yan and continued to walk forward.
A leg was placed in front of the man.
The man paused and looked at the person in front of him.
The young man retracted his leg. There was still a polite smile on his face, as if he did not understand what had just happened. She said, "Brother, you seem to have taken the wrong thing."
"The meat bun in your hand is mine."
The scarred man looked at him strangely. After a moment, he suddenly laughed as if he had heard a funny joke. He opened his mouth and said in a hoarse voice, "Do you know what you are saying?"
"I said," the young man said calmly, "The meat bun in your hand is mine."
Chapter 39
"I said, the bun in your hand is mine," she said.
Before she finished speaking, the man laughed sinisterly and said, "Kid, don't look for trouble."
"I just want to take back what's mine."
The other party looked at her. The young man was very frail. Even the uniform red uniform of the army seemed too wide and long on him. He was also shorter than the average boy. Standing here, he looked like a child who had not grown up yet.
A child yelling at him was like an ignorant puppy barking at a wolf. There was nothing but ridiculous about it.
"Yours?" The scar-faced man grabbed the bun with disdain. Before He Yan could react, he threw it into his mouth. The bun was not big to begin with, so he swallowed it in two or three bites. He was like a beast that could not wait to eat its prey. After eating, he looked at He Yan provocatively and said with a strange smile, "Yours? Who can testify? What can you do to me? "
The bun was already in his stomach. He Yan could not cut open his stomach and take the bun out. After the man finished speaking, he looked at He Yan's helpless expression happily. He took the bowl of porridge in his hand and walked forward unhurriedly.
"What can I do to you?" He Yan muttered to herself. After a moment, she smiled, turned around, and walked toward the scar-faced man. The scar-faced man was bending over to drink the porridge in his bowl. He Yan kicked his knee. The scar-faced man's legs went weak and he almost knelt down. He staggered a few steps and stood up. However, the porridge in his hand spilled on the ground. There was nothing left. Seeing this, the scar-faced man turned his head angrily. When he saw He Yan, he gnashed his teeth and said, "You!"
"Me?" He Yan laughed and said, "I did it. Who can testify? What can you do to me? "
The young man's eyes were full of slyness and a hint of provocation. It made the scar-faced man furious. The scar-faced man raised his fist and was about to step forward.
"Hey, what do you want?"
At this moment, a voice came from the side. It was Hong Shan and Shi Tou. When Xiao Mai saw He Yan talking to Scarface for a long time, she guessed that something must have happened. She called her brother and Hong Shan over.
Hong Shan and Shi Tou didn't look as easy to bully as He Yan. Both of them looked strong and strong. Scarface didn't act rashly. He just snorted coldly and glared at He Yan, saying, "Just you wait!" Then he turned around and walked away.
His tone was extremely vicious and full of threats.
"What's wrong with you?" Hong Shan asked. "What happened?"
"He snatched my meat bun, so I gave him my vegetable porridge. It's fair." He Yan tried to put it simply. Hong Shan understood as soon as he heard this. He looked at He Yan, sighed, and said, "Why are you angry with him? You should have endured it just now."
"Why should I?" He Yan asked.
When she was in the army, she often encountered such things. In the army camp, it was common for the strong to bully the weak. When she first entered the army camp, it was common for her to be robbed of her food. If it weren't for her comrades who pitied her and gave her a share of their food, she might have starved to death.
The military instructor in the army camp could prevent conflicts on the surface, but it was impossible to prevent such robberies in the dark. Moreover, she was too weak at that time. She was so weak that even the military instructor didn't care about her, let alone uphold justice for her. Later on, when she became strong, no one dared to rob her of her food. Later on, when she became the commander, she ordered her recruits to never rob others of their food or bully the weak. Once discovered, they would be punished by military order.
Who would have thought that after her rebirth, she would encounter the same thing again? But this time, she was no longer the new recruit who trembled with fear and didn't dare to voice out her grievances. Even if Hong Shan and Shi Tou didn't appear just now, it would be more than enough for her to teach this scar-faced man a lesson.
"That man is Wang Ba," Hong Shan said. "He used to be a bandit, but I don't know how he ended up joining the army. He's the fiercest one among Liang Jiaotou's subordinates. I heard from others that this kind of person kills people like flies. Today, you provoked him, and he holds a grudge in his heart. In the future, he'll definitely cause trouble for you. Shi Tou and I can't be by your side every day. If he takes advantage of any loopholes … your life will be very difficult. "
"I can't just accept that he robbed me of my food. Brother Shan, you have to believe that if he robbed me once, there will be a second time. If he comes to rob me every day, how can I live? "He Yan said." There's no such thing as unfair in the world. "
"Nothing in the world is fair." The one who spoke was the usually taciturn Shi Tou. He looked at He Yan and gently shook his head. It seemed that he didn't agree with her actions. "You're too impulsive."
"If there's no fairness, then fight for it yourself. If you can't fight for fairness because you're too weak, then work hard to become stronger." He Yan smiled. "If the fist is the law here, then let him come to me. I promise … I'll let him know what fairness is."
The young man spoke in a relaxed manner. His expression was calm, and there seemed to be a faint smile in his clear eyes. The wind blew, making his hair tie flutter. He didn't look like a soldier, but like a young master parading on the streets of the capital. She wanted to tease him by saying, "Newborn calves aren't afraid of tigers." But when she met his eyes, she couldn't say it.
Was it really true that newborn calves aren't afraid of tigers?
He was confident and didn't seem to be reckless.
Shi Tou and Hong Shan didn't say anything else. The two accompanied He Yan to the bottom of the tree. Xiao Mai knew that He Yan's meat bun was stolen. She felt that it was a pity, but in the end, she clumsily comforted him. "It's okay, A He Ge. We'll be able to go up the mountain in a few days. I'll make a few slingshots to shoot birds, or a few traps to catch rabbits. When the time comes, we'll eat wild game. It's much better than the meat in the meat bun!"
He Yan couldn't help but laugh. After finishing the porridge in the bowl, she leaned against the tree trunk and rested her head with her hands behind her head.
The sun lazily shone down, and there was a rare moment of coolness under the tree. She closed her eyes, and her mind was in a whirl.
Although it was a pity to lose a meat bun, she didn't have to be so calculative about it. When the army was marching to war, sometimes the soldiers' pay couldn't keep up, and they were forced to defend the city. Not to mention meat bun, not to mention vegetable porridge. Sometimes, they even had to eat tree bark and grass. The worst time was when she ate Guanyin clay. She ate until her stomach was bloated, and she risked her life to defend the city.
Compared to that time, she was already very happy.
But … the wind blew past her cheeks. He Yan curled up the corners of her mouth. If she guessed correctly, it would take at most five days. After five days, the skill training would begin. Some people would be assigned to be the vanguard. With her current physical strength, she probably had the qualifications to participate in the skill training. But, how could she prove her worth in the shortest time possible and prove that she was qualified to join the vanguard?
This was a problem.
Chapter 40
He Yan's guess was right. Three days later, when they were running with sandbags on their backs, Liang Jiaotou shouted from the front, "From tomorrow onwards, you will run five laps around the barracks. The rest of the time, you will be doing weapon training! So today, you all better run well! If you don't run well, you won't get to eat lunch! "
Everyone was elated when they heard this. Compared to running with sandbags on a hot summer day, weapon training sounded much easier and more like something a new recruit should do. To be able to end this purgatory and enter a new phase perhaps meant that they were already gradually becoming decent soldiers of the Great Wei.
He Yan understood the meaning behind Liang Jiaotou's words. Today was the last "test". If they didn't run well and obviously couldn't keep up, they wouldn't be qualified to do weapon training anymore.
He Yan bent over to carry the sandbags. At this time, someone passed by her and suddenly bumped into her. She stood up straight and looked. It was the scarred face Wang Ba who had snatched her meat bun a few days ago. Wang Ba looked at him and revealed a sinister smile. "Kid, after today, you will be a squad leader. Your good days will come to an end."
He Yan shrugged. "I don't understand."
"Your two brothers won't always follow you. A squad leader …" He lowered his voice and a trace of violence flashed in his eyes. "No one will care if I kill you!"
"Then you can try." He Yan threw the sandbags on his back and smiled at him. "By the way, I will not be a squad leader. Never." After he finished speaking, he didn't care about Wang Ba's expression and turned around to go up the long road.
Xiao Mai followed him anxiously and asked, "A He Ge, he didn't make things difficult for you just now, right?"
"How could he?" He Yan smiled and replied. "We just chatted for a while."
"I see." Xiao Mai laughed again. "A He Ge, you're amazing. You're not even panting when you're running with us, and you're running so fast!"
Xiao Mai and Shi Tou grew up in the mountains. As hunters, they had to go out hunting every day. Once they went out, they would spend the whole day hunting. Therefore, they had good stamina and could run very fast. He Yan's initial weakness was seen by everyone, but now, she was becoming more energetic and relaxed day by day. It made people wonder if she had secretly taken some kind of elixir.
"Is that so?" He Yan nodded seriously. "I really do have potential."
On the other side, the instructors who were observing the situation gathered together.
Half a month of daily long-distance running was not only to train the physical strength of the recruits, but also to judge the aptitude of the recruits. They would record every day, and today would be the last time. After today, long-distance running would no longer be a means to judge one's aptitude. Instead, it would become an ordinary training. This was because being able to train with weapons meant that this person already had the qualifications to become a Da Wei recruit. They would not die before the war because of their physical condition.
There were strong and weak people in the military camp, and the contrast between the strong and the weak was even more obvious. Those with good aptitude would stand out from the start, while those with poor aptitude would be an eyesore. This was a very unfair thing. After all, no one could change the way they were born.
However, there was an accident during this process.
"Old Liang." Someone patted Liang Jiaotou's shoulder. "He Yan in your team is really a talent."
He Yan was that accident.
Her aptitude was very poor, and she received a unanimous evaluation from the instructors from the start. Even when she was assigned as a squad leader, everyone was afraid that she would get sick from the fire. However, she was getting lighter and lighter day by day. Now, she was able to steadily keep up with the team, and was even at the front of the team.
This was a miracle.
"Ropes can cut wood, and dripping water can penetrate stone." Liang Jiaotou was very proud. "I've said it before. I, Liang Ping, will not make a mistake. This kid's determination is hard to come by. He can do anything well. "
"Don't boast." The person who poured cold water on him was called Du Mao. He was also one of the instructors. He said disapprovingly, "You know that aptitude is aptitude. What did he rely on to keep up with the team? It was hard work!"
This was the truth. Everyone looked at the youth who was running with the team. He was of the right age, looked optimistic, and was very likable. When he ran, he was very well-behaved. He rarely spoke to the people around him, and he ran very seriously. In short, he looked like he was very serious about what he was doing.
"He worked very hard to be able to do this. Other people don't need to work hard. Maybe they can do it with just one point." Du Mao said, "Right now, he's just running with sandbags. In the future, the weapons training and formation exercises will only get more complicated. He also needs to put in more effort than others. This way, he will never stand out. He can only be an ordinary soldier. "
"I advise you to put more effort into the recruits with good aptitude in your team. Don't pay too much attention to that kid." Du Mao shook his head. "It's meaningless."
"I can't win an argument with you. I'm too lazy to argue with you." Liang Ping was not very happy with his words. He took his spear and left.
However, as he walked, he began to mutter in his heart. As instructors, they had led many soldiers. In the end, those who could survive on the battlefield or make contributions were usually those who performed amazingly at the beginning and had outstanding qualities.
That young man could only work hard … but was it really useful to work hard?
He Yan finished running for the day in one breath. He received his meal and finished it. In the afternoon, Liang Jiaotou suddenly came and picked a dozen soldiers to follow him.
"Hey, those people seem to be going to be cooks," Xiao Mai said. "But do cooks need so many people?"
He Yan smiled and shook her head. "It's just a title. Not all cooks. Some do other things. In short, they don't have to go to the front line to fight."
"That's good." Hong Shan stretched. "They don't have to fight with their lives. Isn't it good to live?"
"But A He Ge is happy this time," Xiao Mai said mischievously. "They don't have to be cooks!"
He Yan didn't want to be cooks. This was something everyone knew. She didn't refute. She just smiled and said, "Congratulations."
"Are you going to have a chance to perform soon?" Hong Shan glanced at her and said teasingly, "You can show off your skills in the upcoming weapon drill."
"Well, not really." He Yan thought for a while before answering.
She was good at swordsmanship, archery, horsemanship, and running with a spear were not difficult. After running for so long, climbing mountains and charging were not a problem. The only difficulty was probably the crossbow.
The crossbow required a lot of hand strength. It was difficult to pull it without a strong body. With Lady He's current physique, it might be a little difficult.
However, Xiao Jue probably wouldn't use a crossbow when training soldiers, right? She thought.
She thought wrong.