A generation of soldiers begins with Feng Yuxiu traveling through time and space with Xu Sanduo

Essay Topic for Chapter 486: My Grandfather

It was pitch black, and the training ground was packed with people. The exhausted recruits were forced to jump into the waist-deep mud pit.

Captain Gao stood at the edge of the pit, looking at it with a smirk, and said, "How about it? Not bad, right? In other countries, this is called mud therapy, and you have to queue up even if you pay! We're so practical, letting your leisure time be in line with international standards ahead of time, a free experience!"

The recruits were so cold that their teeth were chattering, and none of them dared to utter a sound. They all huddled together, hoping to share some warmth with each other.

Captain Gao's face darkened, and his tone was as cold as ice: "Anyone regretting it? It's not too late to back out now. Take off your helmets and leave them there. Nobody will stop you."

It was still quiet down there; not even a loud breath could be heard.

"Alright, I've seen it all. I've never seen such stubborn newbies like you. Okay, let's eat!"

The special forces soldiers next to them handed out a pile of field rations one by one. The recruits were starving, so they took them, tore open the packaging, and stuffed them into their mouths. Some of them chewed too fast and choked, patting their chests.

Captain Gao chuckled and called out to the side, "Give them some water to help them relax!"

Ma Da grabbed a high-pressure water gun and sprayed it all over the people in the mud pit.

The recruits were caught completely off guard and were swept away, some even sitting directly in the mud.

Captain Gao's voice suddenly rose: "Do you regret it or not? Speak!"

Qiangzi couldn't hold back any longer and yelled, "Fuck your mother! You bunch of lunatics! Perverts!"

Captain Gao grabbed him by the collar, dragged him to the edge of the pit, and glared at him menacingly: "Do you regret this?"

"I don't regret it!" Qiangzi said, his neck stiffening.

"If you don't regret it, then keep suffering!"

Captain Gao shoved him back into the mud, turned around and yelled at everyone, "Listen up, all of you! If you don't want to leave, remember one answer: Be loyal to the motherland! Be loyal to the people! Everything else is nonsense! Engrave these words into your brains, make them a conditioned reflex! If you can't remember them, get out of here and don't waste your time!"

The rations in Chen Pai's hands were washed away by the water and fell into the mud.

Captain Gao saw it and shouted at him, "Pick it up and eat it! Not a single penny of the Chinese People's Liberation Army's military budget can be wasted!"

He grabbed Chen Pai again, stared at him, and asked, "Tell me, do you regret it?"

Chen Pai shouted at the top of his lungs, "Loyal to the motherland! Loyal to the people!"

Captain Gao released his grip, pursed his lips, and said, "You've learned pretty quickly! But don't think that's all. I'll still deal with you rookies! Why? Because you're rookies!"

No other reason, you brought this on yourselves! I didn't force you to come here, you deserve it! If you can't stand it, get out; if you can, stay and bear it! I'll ask you one more time, do you regret it?

The new recruits in the mud shouted in unison, their voices trembling slightly but filled with unwavering resolve: "Loyalty to the motherland! Loyalty to the people!"

Only Shi Dafan was still leisurely eating, chuckling as he ate.

Captain Gao saw this, walked over and grabbed his arm: "Rookie! What are you laughing at?"

Shi Dafan still had a smile on his face: "Brother Wolf, don't pull me, I can get here by myself..."

Captain Gao got angry and yelled, "What are you laughing at! Do you think I'm funny and are you making fun of me?"

"No, no, I'm just like this by nature, I have a forced smile, I'm used to it," Shi Dafan quickly explained.

Captain Gao raised his hand and knocked the rations out of his hand, letting them fall into the mud: "Pick them up and eat them!"

Shi Dafan chuckled as he bent down to pick up the mud-covered rations, opened his mouth to chew, and continued chewing even with his mouth full of mud, saying, "The taste is alright, quite chewy!"

Captain Gao stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly picked up a pile of field rations and threw them all into the mud pit: "Eat all of these too!"

Shi Dafan's smile froze instantly.

Captain Gao chuckled and said, "If you take even one less bite, I'll punish the whole group! If you can't finish it, have the person next to you eat it for you. Aren't you all in the same boat? Let them freeze it down there for another half an hour, then rinse it clean!"

"Understood!" Mada responded from the side.

Captain Gao turned around, got into his car, and drove off in a cloud of dust.

Deng Zhenhua glared at Shi Dafan from the side and scolded him angrily: "Xiaoxiao! I told you not to laugh! What the hell are you laughing at! Now look what's happened, you've dragged everyone down with you!"

Shi Dafan grinned again and said, "You don't understand, do you? Brother Wolf is taking care of me. He was worried that I hadn't eaten enough, so he specially added more food for me."

Just as Deng Zhenhua was about to continue cursing, a jet of water hit his face, knocking him directly into the mud.

Mada, holding a high-pressure water gun, sprayed the new recruits with water.

These people were shivering from the cold, but none of them gave in; they gritted their teeth and endured it.

Feng Yuxiu waved his hand from the edge of the puddle, and the nine veterans of the Seventh Company gathered around.

“You can’t compare to me, so I can’t give you the same treatment. Special forces aren’t something you can stay in through connections. From now on, if you want to stay, it’s up to your own abilities.”

"Go."

"Yes!"

The nine veterans turned around and stood in unison under the water jets fired by the motor, their eyes resolute.

Ma Da looked at Feng Yuxiu for a moment, then snatched a water gun from an old soldier and began watering Feng Yuxiu.

Just like the special forces' assessment, everyone is treated equally, and staying depends on the final joint examination results.

"Class monitor, class monitor...it's me..."

With one hand covering his head, Geng Jihui struggled to stand in front of Feng Yuxiu against the high-pressure water gun.

Feng Yuxiu looked at Geng Jihui and said, "Oh, it's you. You've come to participate in the assessment too."

Geng Jihui chuckled, then suddenly lunged forward, struggling to his feet while cursing, "Why did you charge at someone's head like that?"

He immediately said, "I've known about your glorious deeds since I joined the army, and I've always wanted to follow in your footsteps. I've finally caught up with you."

Feng Yuxiu nodded, but then paused, turning around suspiciously to stare at Geng Jihui. "How did you know I was in Wangdu Village? Your company isn't in the urban area of ​​Wangdu Village."

Geng Jihui was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled and lowered his head. "Squad leader, there are confidentiality rules in the military, so there are some things I can't say."

Now, Feng Yuxiu fell into deep thought.

The high-pressure water gun kept pounding against his body, making him sway back and forth, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Wangdu Village a year ago.

How could someone who has lived for nearly forty years suddenly change their identity without being noticed by their family and friends?

Especially Xiao Zhuang and De Zi, who hang out with the trees every day.

Even if others don't know, how could the mother of the tree not know at first glance whether this is her son or not?

Moreover, when Feng Yuxiu first woke up and spoke, his accent was completely different from that of people from their village.

So after he returned to the army, he often spent that year reminiscing.

Unless everyone in Wangdu Village is an idiot, they wouldn't be able to tell that the person in charge has been changed.

And although he only looks similar to a tree, there is still a difference of several centimeters in height.

Little did Geng Jihui know that when he heard Feng Yuxiu begin to inquire about Wangdu Village, he quietly walked away to a distance.

-

Forty minutes later, everyone was shivering from the cold.

The temperature was only a few degrees Celsius in the darkness, and the frigid temperature made them shiver uncontrollably.

Mada glanced at the rookies around him. "Anyone quitting now? This is a special mission assessment, no different from fighting a war. Don't risk your life for an assessment."

Everyone gritted their teeth and trembled, but none of them gave up.

Mada nodded. "Very good, a bunch of stupid, stubborn rookies, hyenas! Take them back to the dorm!" "Yes, sir!"

"Come on up!" the coyote shouted.

The newbies helped each other climb out of the puddle. Mada watched them all, but when his gaze fell on Feng Yuxiu, he froze.

Feng Yuxiu was soaked through with ice water, but unlike the others, he felt as comfortable as if he had taken a bath on a sweltering summer day.

Ma Da frowned. Is this person so resistant to cold?
This is nighttime with temperatures only five degrees Celsius; pouring ice water on someone is no joke.

-

The dormitory was still in the empty military warehouse, and even before getting close, you could smell the stale smell of a mixture of engine oil, kerosene, and gasoline.

Pushing open the door, you enter a room with only a few dozen bunk beds, covered with curtains that have somehow been dug out of the room and used as sheets.

Shi Dafan was stunned for a moment, then grinned, "My goodness, it wouldn't look out of place if anyone took a dump on the floor at night. I thought we were here to take a dump."

Deng Zhenhua winked. "Medic, you're wrong. You can't poop in this place either, because it's not well-ventilated."

"Are you two having fun?!" Mada stepped forward instantly, opened his mouth and roared angrily at Shi Dafan's face, spitting into Shi Dafan's eyes.

The two immediately stopped.

Mada shouted at the top of his lungs, "Look carefully! This is your dormitory from now on. You'll be living here from today until the end of training! There are names on the beds, find your own beds! Remember, we're soldiers, this is a military dormitory, we check the rooms every day! Don't you all call yourselves some kind of elite soldiers? Do you need me to teach you how to keep your rooms tidy?"

Xiao Zhuang couldn't help but frown and mutter, "What's that smell? Is this place even habitable?"

Mada immediately turned and glared at him: "I just said you're not human, you're a newbie!"

Xiao Zhuang retorted defiantly, "Even birds need a place to land, right? This lousy place is unbearable for birds!"

"If the birds don't come, the newbies will! If you're not satisfied, get out. Nobody's begging you to stay here." Mada's tone was as hard as a rock.

Xiao Zhuang wanted to argue, but Chen Pai quickly pulled him back, and he swallowed his words and didn't say anything more.

Mada turned to the group of new recruits and said, "Hurry up and make your beds! Tomorrow morning at five o'clock sharp, get up for training, don't be late!"

"Report!" Qiangzi stepped forward half a step and asked, "Is there hot water here?"

Mada scoffed, his face full of disdain: "What? Should I prepare tea leaves for you and brew you another cup of tea? If you want water, go to the corner; there's a tap there."

"So... how do I get to the restroom?" someone asked in a low voice.

Mada raised an eyebrow: "What did you say?"

The man quickly repeated, "Well... look, this is all wasteland, where's the toilet?"

"Yeah, isn't this huge piece of land enough for you to mess around with? Find somewhere else to settle things!"

The Lone Wolf team turned and walked away with a mocking expression. After all, they had gone through the same thing, and now they found it somewhat amusing to see others repeating their experiences.

Only those who stay here will become their comrades-in-arms; otherwise, they may never see each other again in this lifetime.

They are unlikely to be so polite to strangers they will never meet in their lifetime.

Feng Yuxiu took off his clothes, changed into a dry set of clothes, rolled onto the bed, and immediately closed his eyes to sleep.

None of these people might stay, but he could definitely get in, so he didn't have much free time to chat with those who wouldn't stay.

Chen Pai turned around and called out, "Everyone pack your things and go to sleep. This is only the first day, and it's already this intense. The days ahead won't be easy. But based on my reading experience, I'd better not fall asleep tonight. Who knows what kind of surprise attack might come in the middle of the night?"

Shi Dafan and Deng Zhenhua exchanged a glance, and the two helped each other take off their clothes and go to sleep.

Geng Jihui slept opposite Feng Yuxiu, an absolute elite officer who had served two terms in the special forces and was now in the Southeast Theater Command.

He was determined to follow in Feng Yuxiu's footsteps.

Zhuang Yan changed his clothes, let out a groan, lay down on the bed, and turned to look at Chen Xiwa, "Xiwa, go to sleep."

Chen Xiwa nodded. "Sleep."

But Zhuang Yan's personality remained that of a college student who was easily swayed by gentle persuasion but not by force, and he couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard he tried.

The impatience in my heart began to spread and rise like a raging fire, and finally I sat up abruptly.

"What are you doing?" Chen Pai opened his eyes and turned his head to stare at Zhuang Yan.

Zhuang Yan was furious. "It's just a special forces brigade. What's so great about it? They don't treat us like human beings at all. I quit. I'm going back to the reconnaissance unit and join Miao Lian."

Chen Pai stared at him. "Can't you endure this hardship? You'll be happy to go back to Miao Lian? What do you take this place for?"

"It's not that I can't endure hardship; I can continue soaking in cold water, but I just don't want to be humiliated like this!"

"The first lesson of special forces is patience. Only with absolute patience can a mission be carried out!" Chen Pai shouted.

Zhuang Yan retorted, "I never thought I'd come to the special forces. Sergeant Lao Pao prepared for three years, you started preparing in high school, and Xiwa joined the army after being inspired by a novel. Why me? I only planned to be in the reconnaissance company. If it weren't for Company Commander Miao..."

Feng Yuxiu slowly opened his eyes. "Shut your mouth. If you say another word, I'll show you what homesickness is."

Zhuang Yan was most afraid of Feng Yuxiu, and he immediately shut up when he saw the Seventh Company Commander speaking.

He's the type who responds better to gentleness than force, but Feng Yuxiu isn't forceful... he's a landmine; if you dare step on it, he'll explode and kill you.

Shi Dafan came in after washing his feet, grinning and showing his front teeth. "Don't just stand there. We're all crazy to come here. Instead of staying in our own units, we're just asking for trouble. Who's smart enough to come here and suffer?"

Deng Zhenhua, wiping his feet, asked curiously, "Medic, what brought you to the special forces?"

Shi Dafan sighed, "Is this crazy? A doctor can't heal himself. I gave up being a good doctor and came here to be tortured."

"Weren't you a medic? When did you become a doctor?" Deng Zhenhua asked, looking bewildered.

Shi Dafan patted his chest. "You're kidding. I graduated from medical school, I'm a proper surgeon, an attending physician."

"Then why did you join the army? And you're a top student, no less?"

Deng Zhenhua's words drew the attention of all the newbies. A doctor from a medical university would be highly sought after anywhere.

How did someone of this caliber end up in the military?

Shi Dafan sighed, "My old man made me join the army. He used to be a military doctor in the Tibet Military Region. He said I was lacking something, so he made me join the army to make up for it."

"Why give up a perfectly good life to become a common soldier? And you even dare to join the special forces? I think you're seriously ill!"

"Who says otherwise! You must have had your head caught in a door to come here! Hey, what about you? Judging by your rank, you're in the Air Force, right?"

"You've got some sense! See this? Do you know what this is?" Deng Zhenhua said, almost shoving the eagle armband on the other person's nose, as if afraid the person wouldn't see it.

Shi Dafan covered his mouth and chuckled: "Wow, what a big ostrich! It's just that its legs look a bit short!"

Deng Zhenhua was so angry that he could barely keep his composure, clenching his fists as if he were about to strike: "This is the Eagle! Do you understand the Eagle? I'm from the famous Eagle Division's reconnaissance company! Ever heard of Shangganling? The Huang Jiguang Hero Company! I came from there!"

“I’ve heard of it, of course I’ve heard of it!” Shi Dafan nodded. “My grandfather fought in the Battle of Shangganling back then, and he was in the same company as Huang Jiguang.”

Deng Zhenhua was stunned for a moment, and his tone softened a bit: "Was your grandfather also a medic back then?"

"At first, yes, but later, when the fighting got urgent and the troops were almost wiped out, they were promoted on the battlefield."

Shi Dafan added with a smile, "He's not a high-ranking officer, just a deputy company commander. But he also serves as a medic, saving lives on the front lines."

Deng Zhenhua opened his mouth, then pressed on, "And then what happened? What became of your grandfather?"

"Later he was transferred to the airborne troops, the kind that wear blue pants! When he retired, I think he was the deputy director of the airborne army's directly affiliated hospital."

After he said that, the entire dormitory fell silent.

(End of this chapter)