Luo Ye looked at Ye Qingzhu with some concern: "What about you, if you sign up for the selection, will you have to go over there for training?"
"Yes, I’m not a student soldier, of course, I need to go to the regiment for concentrated training. Don’t worry about me, I can handle hardship. You also need to strive hard. I hope we both have the chance to become comrades fighting side by side."
"I know you can handle hardship. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have achieved so much at such a young age. As for me, don’t worry, as long as there aren’t too many hidden and lying, I’ll be fine."
"Why does it feel like we’re at a flattery convention?" Ye Qingzhu started to laugh gently: "If the elder brother finds out we’re talking about this, he’ll be even more annoyed!"
When Luo Ye returned to the dorm, everyone was discussing the announcement made by Ye Xuan during the day. Passing by Yu Na’s bed, something felt off. He reflexively looked over, a smile quickly blooming deep in his eyes, feigning nonchalance as he returned to his own bed.
Xing Nong quickly slid onto Mou Ye’s bed, hugging Mou Ye, whose laughter was throbbing. It took quite a while to subside before he leaned into Luo Ye’s ear: "Pretty, isn’t it?"
Luo Ye quickly nodded: "Pretty, pretty, very pretty."
Yu Na, at this moment, was nothing short of annoyed.
After dinner, she changed into casual clothes and sneaked out. Learning from Yao Juanjuan’s previous experience, she didn’t dare choose the nearby barber shop. She walked a mile out and picked a hair salon with a larger facade named Yan Yan Hairstyle Design.
She went in for a look, thought it was okay, described Luo Ye’s hairstyle to them, and asked if they could cut it. The hairstylist elongated his words, asking her to ease her worries.
However, the result of Luo Ye’s short, choppy fringe, as per her description and the hairstylist’s performance, turned into "uneven like a dog’s bite" plus "uneven like a dog’s bite."
Actually, you can’t fully blame the hairstylist. Luo Ye’s fashionable hairstyle from the past decade, which barbers from the 2000s had never seen, became "uneven." Based on Yu Na’s description, "uneven," "varied lengths"—so they just gave her "varied lengths," right? Who’s to blame, then?
During the next day’s training, everyone’s spirits were noticeably higher. Although the chief instructor said it was hard, the prospect of being promoted one military rank was too tempting!
That day’s challenge was the 400-meter obstacle training. Looking at the rows and rows of equipment in the distance, everyone felt their calves trembling.
How come every drill seems more life-threatening than the last? It was a struggle to endure standing at attention, then came "left-right turn," which was thought to be easier than standing at attention. But the seemingly simple maneuvers always had some trainees turning the wrong way. After a whole day, hardly anyone wasn’t left dizzy and disoriented.
After finally "left-right turn" was mastered, came the dredged-up "march." This was an even more insufferable move than standing at attention and turning. Especially during decomposed practice, first, the leg had to be straightened and extended at about a forty-five-degree angle, hovering about twenty centimeters above the ground. Then just hang there; as long as the instructor doesn’t change the command, you absolutely can’t change your posture.
After standing for a while, first the leg muscles would tremble, then the whole body would shake like a pendulum, uncontrollable no matter how hard you tried.
Each instructor held a small willow twig in hand, and after shouting: "second step of the straight march," they watched the unevenly raised feet. If someone’s distance was off or their body shook, the small willow twig went "smack" right onto them.
Kids at this age are very concerned about their face. To avoid getting hit, they clenched their teeth and persevered. But that "second step of the straight march" seemed like it was never going to come out of the instructor’s mouth, and by the end of the day, countless willow twigs had been snapped and the trainees’ glares towards the instructors were filled with resentment, nothing but resentment.
Of course, when they saw the chief instructor, resentment turned into starry eyes—the starry eyes from male and female trainees meant different things though.
Having finally passed the "march," delighted at the thought of relaxation, who knew they would be greeted by an even more twisted drill?
Yu Na, however, felt slightly excited. The previous drills didn’t showcase trainees’ uniqueness; doing well didn’t stand out. But this obstacle training was different, whether crossing the Irish barrier, leaping over trenches, walking the single-plank bridge, or crawling forward, none of these tasks could be done well just casually.
The only downside was, during obstacle training, they didn’t wear caps. Her unfortunate haircut was just miserable...
Ye Xuan surveyed the group: "Everyone’s expressions seem rather serious huh, the 400-meter obstacles aren’t as scary as they look. As long as you master the essentials and practice diligently, passing is not a problem.
Group instructors will explain the key motion points to the trainees in detail, record everyone’s scores, and hand them to me after the training is over. Now, lead the team to warm up with five laps."
"Damn, the chief instructor is handsome alright, but this is too torturous. Do we really need five laps to warm up? I’ve decided I don’t like him anymore!" Feng Xiaoting said displeased.
Yao Juanjuan scoffed: "Does he need you to like him?"
"You mean he needs your liking, right?" Feng Xiaoting glared at Yao Juanjuan with gloom: "How about, we talk alone after this?"
Bai Qingchu quickly prodded Feng Xiaoting: "Xiao Ting, you should be the most grateful to the chief instructor. Look at you, you’ve slimmed down a lot, you can even find your waist now."
Feng Xiaoting pinched her waist: "True, for so many years, this is the first time I realized I actually have a waist."
"Thank you, Bai Qingchu." After the second squad ran off, Yao Juanjuan looked at Bai Qingchu gratefully. She had just felt guilty. Although Feng Xiaoting was chubby, she was not lacking in strength. Yao Juanjuan was no match for her punch.
Nu’an’s first update arrives. A special thanks to the guys who rewarded Nuannuan’s pink for Nu’an’s authentic subscription. Love you all! (To be continued. For more details, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters, support the author, support legitimate reading!)