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Chapter 91: Beef Jerky

The weather in September was hot. After the military training started, the sun was still very strong. A group of students in uniform military training clothes stood at attention on the playground.

The first-year high school students were divided into more than twenty formations for training. Each class formed a small formation, each occupying a position, and was strictly managed by a drill instructor in charge of training.

Because they were in a military camp, even for teenagers, the drill instructors had high standards for everyone. They would walk back and forth with a stern face, checking the students’ military posture. If anyone was not standing properly, they would be immediately pointed out and constantly corrected.

The weather was too hot, and the sweat on their foreheads was like little bugs crawling, slowly sliding down. Mi Yang felt that if he blinked, he could feel the sweat dripping.

Actually, besides the heat, the rest was fine. Mi Yang had grown up in the army since he was a child. Bai Luochuan thought he was not in good health, but that was also in comparison to the young master Bai himself. Mi Yang felt that he was alright. Standing in the line of the second class, his posture was the most standard, and it was also relatively easy for him—when they were young, they had even been taken to the mountains for training by Mi Zehai. They had walked five kilometers without any weight and had come back without asking for help from the adults.

A classmate in Mi Yang’s line already couldn’t hold on anymore. The boys were standing in the back row, and a few of them who were a little overweight were already sweating through their shirts. A few of the girls in the front row were looking a little unsteady from the sun.

Mi Yang’s drill instructor was a young man. His face also looked a little fairer than the other drill instructors. He was smiling and seemed to have a good temper, and he also took good care of them. The little drill instructor saw that they couldn’t stand it and said to them, “All of you, forward—march—!”

Mi Yang’s class then moved forward one position as a whole. When the girls’ section had walked into the shade of the tree, the little drill instructor immediately shouted, “Halt! About-face—!”

This time, after they turned, the girls were in the shade of the tree at the back, and the boys were facing the scorching sun.

A boy muttered something in a low voice.

The little drill instructor had sharp ears and walked over with a grin. “What did you say? Louder!”

The boy said loudly with a red face, “Report—I said, said that the drill instructor is not being fair to men and women!”

The whole class started to laugh. The little drill instructor nodded. “That’s right. As men, we have to endure a little hardship. So far, not a single girl in our class has raised her hand to ask for leave. They’re already amazing!”

He was so righteous in his favoritism. This time, even the few weaker girls in the girls’ section gritted their teeth and persevered, their eyes sparkling, with a particularly strong sense of collective honor.

The boys were just joking and were not really competing. They continued to stand at attention. Mi Yang was standing in the second to last row, with half of his body in the shade of the tree and the other half exposed to the sun. Even with the brim of his hat, he had to squint his eyes to look at the front. He also smiled when he heard the conversation between the classmate and the drill instructor, a shallow dimple appearing on one side of his cheek.

The little drill instructor had them stand at attention for a while, then had them practice marching and goose-stepping in rows. Everyone practiced hard, and every half an hour, they would have a few minutes of free time to move their arms and legs, which was relatively happy.

The drill instructor of the class next door was naturally dark-skinned. He probably looked even darker after being in the sun in the army. He had a stern face and was very serious, treating the students as new recruits under his command, without any room for negotiation. If they did well, the black-faced drill instructor would call them out and praise them loudly, and also demonstrate. If they didn’t do well, he would have a stern face and punish them by making them do it a few more times until they got it right. It could be said that he was very strict.

Among the students in the first class, Bai Luochuan was the most conspicuous. His posture was standard, and he was the best. When they were standing at attention, the black-faced drill instructor even had him stand alone in front of the whole class, as an example to teach everyone.

Bai Luochuan stood there, his legs straight, his arms naturally hanging down close to his pant seams, his posture as straight as a poplar tree.

The front row of their class was also girls. They had been very interested in the student who had given the speech at the new student assembly. Now that they had a legitimate opportunity to look at him, they all looked with a hint of shyness and wide eyes. But it wasn’t just the girls; the boys in the back row of the class were also looking, with a hint of curiosity.

Bai Luochuan didn’t pay much attention to their gazes. His eyes were fixed on the front. The brim of his hat cast a slight shadow, and the exposed bridge of his nose was straight, his lips thin and handsome. Even the tense line of his chin looked handsome.

The formation of the second class next door was close to theirs and had also occupied the only shade in advance. Now, they were walking past them in rows, practicing goose-stepping.

The little drill instructor of the second class was smiling and blowing his whistle, having the students follow the rhythm, and he was on the side, watching and correcting. This group of students was very obedient to the management. The little drill instructor felt that they were about ready and had them practice in rows without stopping.

After walking a couple of times, he heard the drill instructor next door shout, “Bai Luochuan! Step out! Three steps forward—!”

The tall and handsome boy in the front said loudly, “Yes!”

The black-faced drill instructor walked over, stood in front of him, and asked in a deep voice, “Is it nice to look at?”

Bai Luochuan said loudly, “Report, drill instructor, it is!”

The black-faced drill instructor asked again, “Is that so? Then tell me, who in the class next door is the best-looking when they walk!”

Bai Luochuan stood there without hesitation. “Report, drill instructor, I still need to observe carefully!”

As soon as he said this, the whole class burst out laughing.

The black-faced drill instructor said, “Since it’s so nice to look at, I’ll give you a chance to look at it from another angle. 50 push-ups, ready!”

Bai Luochuan’s posture was standard, and his physical fitness was sufficient. He was not afraid at all. After the drill instructor finished speaking, he got down on the ground and started to do push-ups, counting as he did them, his voice clear and his movements crisp and neat, even better than the old soldiers who had been in the army for several years.

The little drill instructor of the second class saw this and also stopped his class from practicing goose-stepping. He had everyone march forward as a whole. After they had walked into the shade of the tree, he stopped them, had the front row squat down and the back row stand up, and said with a grin, “Come, come, everyone, look carefully. According to my observation, this student’s posture is the most standard on the whole playground! You should all look carefully. This is what you call a standard push-up. You should all learn from it. We’ll also do a few in a bit!”

The shade of the tree was not big. The students of the second class squatted there and all looked over, with dozens of pairs of eyes sizing up the most dazzling new student of the first class.

Bai Luochuan’s body stiffened for a moment. “…”

The black-faced drill instructor said, “Continue!”

Bai Luochuan gritted his teeth. “…27! 28!”

After 50 push-ups were done, Bai Luochuan was sent back to the line by the drill instructor. Although Bai Luochuan’s face was as indifferent as usual, you could see that the tips of his ears were a little red.

Among the new students, Bai Luochuan was the best, but he was also a troublemaker. He was the one with the most standard movements every time, and he was also the one who didn’t follow discipline and moved his gaze. The black-faced drill instructor paid special attention to him. After being called out for punishment several times, he would let him go back. Overall, he was praised more than criticized, and he was one of his favorite students.

The first and second classes were close, and Mi Yang’s class was also affected. Bai Luochuan’s face was handsome, and he was naturally fair-skinned and didn’t tan easily. He was a standout among the new students. Every time he was called out for punishment and did push-ups or other movements, many of the girls in Mi Yang’s class would also secretly raise their eyes to look.

The little drill instructor of the second class was a little better, smiling and very approachable. He was not angry when he saw this and said to them, “No, the good children in our class can’t learn from this. Come on, all of you, about-face!”

The good babies of the second class all turned to the back and continued to stand at attention, facing the shade of the tree.

Just as they had turned, they heard the black-faced drill instructor of the first class say with anger, “Bai Luochuan, still looking! 20 more push-ups!”

The young man’s clear voice from behind answered loudly, “Yes—!”

After a day of training, everyone was much more enthusiastic about dinner than usual. Mi Yang even ate half a bowl more of rice than usual.

The classmate beside him had gotten a layer darker after a day in the sun and was a stark contrast to Mi Yang. But the boy didn’t care about his skin color. As long as he was full, he didn’t care about these things. The boy finished a bowl of rice in one go, then finally had time to say with emotion, “Mi Yang, your older brother is really amazing. The amount of exercise he did today is equivalent to three of our days! Hey, is your older brother’s family in the army? How is his posture so standard?”

Mi Yang nodded. “Yes, my dad was also a soldier before.”

The classmate said with envy, “No wonder. You’re also good at tidying up your internal affairs. The way you fold your quilt into a square tofu block is so beautiful!”

Mi Yang smiled. “I’ll help you tomorrow.”

The boy’s eyes immediately lit up. “That would be great!” He then said a little embarrassed, scratching his head, “Actually, you don’t have to help too much. You can just help me pinch out the four corners. I can never get that right.”

Mi Yang nodded in agreement.

Perhaps because he thought Mi Yang was easy to get along with, the boy joked again, “Hey, your older brother did so much exercise today. He must have eaten three bowls of rice, right?”

Mi Yang thought for a moment and said seriously, “More than that.”

Two or three tables away, Bai Luochuan was eating with his class. The black-faced drill instructor was sitting next to him. The two of them were eating without a word. Bai Luochuan was eating with big mouthfuls, and the three empty bowls beside him didn’t quite match his handsome face—the rice in the military camp was served in advance. To save trouble, he had taken two more bowls of rice and hadn’t gone back for a second helping. If he went now, there probably wouldn’t be anything left.

Bai Luochuan exercised a lot and also ate a lot. He had no scruples when he was growing. After he finished eating, he wiped his mouth and ran to the dormitory.

As soon as he entered the dormitory, he saw that his thermos had been filled with hot water. The basin with his name and number on it was also half-filled with cold water, with his towel draped over it. Bai Luochuan was taken aback for a moment. “Who got the hot water?”

A boy in the same dormitory with him said, “Oh, your little brother—he said he was your little brother. A boy from the second class, not very tall, with fair skin, and a dimple when he smiles.”

The corner of Bai Luochuan’s mouth lifted a little. “I know.”

He washed up with the hot water. As he was wiping his face with a towel, the classmate beside him was curious. “Brother Bai, you have a little brother? I don’t think you two look very much alike.”

Bai Luochuan said, “Nonsense. We look very much alike.”

The classmate stood there and thought seriously for a long while, his face full of confusion. Bai Luochuan’s aura was as sharp as a dagger. But the boy who had come today didn’t have that. Especially when he smiled, it was like a gentle breeze, very easy to get along with!

The easy-to-get-along-with classmate Mi Yang was having a small activity in his own dormitory.

He had hidden a bag of beef jerky in his backpack and brought it in. Taking advantage of the fact that the drill instructor had not yet come to check the dormitory, he quickly and decisively shared it with the few people in the same dormitory. The stomachs of boys of this age were like a bottomless pit. No matter how much they ate, they were not full. After just eating dinner, they immediately got together and finished the bag of beef jerky. Each of them ate a few large pieces, and the feeling of chewing on meat made their eyes light up.

Mi Yang chewed slowly. He suddenly remembered that Bai Luochuan also had more than half a bag. He had eaten some on the way to school, and there should still be some left to satisfy his craving.

In the boys’ dormitory a few rooms away, Bai Luochuan, wearing a vest and shorts, was being searched.

He watched as the black-faced drill instructor flipped through his bed a couple of times, his eyes also following. “Drill instructor, there’s really nothing…”

Before he could finish, the drill instructor had a small bag of beef jerky in his hand. He held it up and asked him, “What’s this?”

The light in the dormitory was very bright. A pink heart was drawn on the bag, with the three words “For Brother” written crookedly on it, just like a child who had just graduated from kindergarten. But even if the handwriting was not good, the touch of pink still made the eyes of all the boys in the dormitory light up—none of them had a little girlfriend yet!

Bai Luochuan thought for a moment. “This is from a little sister—”

The drill instructor waved his hand and said seriously, “What brother and sister? I don’t care about your puppy love, but you can’t eat snacks here!”

Bai Luochuan’s gaze was on the bag, still looking.

The few brothers in the same dormitory were almost moved. One of them even seriously raised his hand and made a report, “Drill instructor, can you give it back to him? How about you punish him with something else?”

Someone also said, “Drill instructor, don’t always punish our Brother Bai. It’s not easy for him either. How many push-ups did he do today? Don’t make things difficult for him!”

“That’s right. Why are you always targeting him? Just for a bite of food. If you punish him, we’ll also run laps with him!”

“Protest against violent law enforcement—!”

The drill instructor looked around the dormitory, his gaze falling on Bai Luochuan. He held up the bag and asked him seriously, “If I give you another chance, will you share the beef jerky with your comrades in the same dormitory?”

Bai Luochuan’s Adam’s apple moved a couple of times. “Report! I have to think about it.”

The black-faced drill instructor looked up at the boys. “Are you still going to run with him?”

All the boys in the dormitory said angrily, “Report, drill instructor, we’re not going—!!”