All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

The man turned around and saw it was Zhang Haiyang!

Zhang Haiyang was excited to run into Zhong Yuemin here. In such a large unit, it was a kind of fate that the two of them could become comrades in the same squad again. The two sat down and had a long chat.

Zhong Yuemin was puzzled as to why he saw Zhang Haiyang in the recruit camp. Logically, Zhang should have enlisted a year earlier than him, so it was impossible for them to meet in the recruit company.

Only after asking did I find out that Zhang Haiyang and Yuan Jun had caused too much trouble in the army, arguing with their squad leader, platoon leader, and company commander, and eventually couldn't stay there anymore.

Yuan Jun was assigned to the engineering corps to serve as an engineer. Every day, his face was covered in soot as he worked on digging mines or air-raid shelters.

Zhang Haiyang, on the other hand, was transferred from Army A to Army C by his father through connections, starting over as a new recruit.

When the two met again, they were both filled with emotion.

Zhang Haiyang also blamed Zhong Yuemin for not coming to see him even though he had been in the recruit camp for three months. Zhong Yuemin laughed and patted Zhang Haiyang on the shoulder, feeling a mix of emotions. He had long forgotten the details from the original story; who would remember this?

Zhong Yuemin had very mixed feelings!

In the original story, this kid was a simp his whole life, and I probably won't be able to give him that chance in this life.

He wanted both brothers and women. He figured he'd never be able to get rid of Zhou Xiaobai in his lifetime. As for whether other girls would enter his heart in the future, he'd deal with that later.

For some reason, I felt a little guilty looking at Zhang Haiyang's face.

As the two were chatting, a short, dark-skinned man carrying a washbasin walked into the dormitory, placed the basin directly at Zhang Haiyang's feet, smiled憨厚ly, and said to Zhang Haiyang.

"Old Zhang, you've been training all day, you must be exhausted. Come on, wash your face!"

Zhong Yuemin looked up and immediately felt that the face seemed very familiar. After a moment of recalling the original work, a name immediately appeared in his mind.

"Wu Mantun!"

Chapter 161: Doing something for my buddy is nothing.

Seeing that Zhong Yuemin seemed quite interested in Wu Mantun, Zhang Haiyang raised his head and said to Wu Mantun with some dissatisfaction.

"Mantun, what's wrong with your eyes? There's another guy here. Go, go, go get some water!"

Wu Mantun wasn't angry; he smiled憨厚ly and quickly echoed.

"Okay...okay, I'll go get some water right away. Have a seat, buddy!"

Upon seeing this, Zhong Yuemin quickly stood up, grabbed Wu Mantun, and said with a smile.

"Dude, no need, you rest for a bit, I'll go get the water myself later!"

Wu Mantun shook hands with Zhong Yuemin, still with that honest and simple demeanor, and spoke in a very generous manner.

"It's alright, it's alright, I'm not tired at all. We're all brothers, helping each other is only right. Wait a minute!"

With that, he left with a simple, honest smile, leaving Zhong Yuemin staring blankly at his retreating figure.

Upon seeing this figure, Zhong Yuemin suddenly recalled some impressions from the original novel. Wu Mantun in front of him was indeed an honest and simple man.

In the original novel, Wu Mantun and Zhong Yuemin were comrades-in-arms for more than ten years. They shared joys and sorrows, trained together, helped each other, and grew together. In the end, they fought side by side on the battlefield and became brothers in life and death. Unfortunately, in the end, Wu Mantun sacrificed himself to leave a way out for his brothers.

When Zhang Haiyang saw Zhong Yuemin staring blankly at Wu Mantun's back, he patted him on the shoulder and teased him.

"Yuemin, what are you looking at that silly guy for? His name is Wu Mantun, a simple-minded boy from the countryside of Shandong. This kid grew up deep in the mountains, and this is his first time venturing out. He's completely clueless and doesn't know anything. He can't even count very well. I gave him a few lessons in moral education last time. Once, I talked about Comrade Lei's good deeds, and this kid took him as a role model. Now he does all the laundry and fetches water every day, and he's always eager to do all the chores. Isn't this kid silly? Hahaha!"

"Another time, we were having steamed buns in the cafeteria. It was the first time that kid had ever eaten steamed buns in his life. He couldn't bear to eat them, so he hid them and said he would send them back to his parents... You wouldn't believe it, but those steamed buns were kept in his blanket and they got moldy... Hahaha!"

Seeing Zhang Haiyang's smug smile, Zhong Yuemin did not laugh. These children of high-ranking officials had always looked down on ordinary people since they were young. Now, this silly boy, Wu Mantun, would naturally be the target of Zhang Haiyang's ridicule and teasing.

Although Zhong Yuemin knew that Zhang Haiyang didn't have any bad intentions—in the original story, he even took advantage of Wu Mantun with Zhang Haiyang and made fun of him together—how could Zhong Yuemin, who already had memories of the original story, still laugh?

Zhong Yuemin stood up, patted Zhang Haiyang on the shoulder, and said.

"Haiyang, don't do that again. We're comrades-in-arms. Take care of your own affairs from now on!"

Zhang Haiyang's smile froze instantly, and he was a little embarrassed. Seeing this, Zhong Yuemin felt that he should be too serious, so he smiled and said.

“Haiyang, that’s not what I meant. Don’t mind me. You have no idea how much I longed for food during my year working in the countryside in northern Shaanxi. But when I got there, I realized how hard farming really is. Farming is a noble profession. Without millions of farmers, we wouldn’t be where we are today. What we eat now is all thanks to the farmers’ hard work and sacrifices. It’s not that they don’t want to eat steamed buns, it’s that they can’t afford to. I don’t care about Wu Mantun’s background. I won’t make fun of him because of his identity!”

Zhang Haiyang gave Zhong Yuemin a deep look, and finally nodded solemnly.

"Yuemin, you've really changed. You seem much more mature than the rest of us. But you're right, I shouldn't have made fun of Mantun. I'll apologize to him. Yuemin, tell me about northern Shaanxi. I've never been to the countryside before. Is it really that poor?"

Zhong Yuemin smiled, sat down, patted Zhang Haiyang on the shoulder, and began to tell him about his experiences in northern Shaanxi, explaining what "chaff and vegetables" meant and its unpalatable taste.

She also told him what it felt like to be covered in lice and fleas, what it was like to go begging for food with the whole village, and after telling him about the bad feelings, she finally talked about the folk songs of northern Shaanxi, the winding loess plateau, the juicy melons, and the girls of that place...!

The two did not end their conversation until Wu Mantun returned with a basin.

Zhang Haiyang stood up and apologized to Wu Mantun very solemnly. Wu Mantun quickly waved his hand and said with a smile that it was no need.

"I want to do something good for my brothers. I come from the countryside and I'm not very bright. I'm happy to know you, Haiyang, as a brother. It's nothing for me to do something for my brothers!"

Looking at Wu Mantun's honest smile, Zhong Yuemin felt a sense of warmth and approached him with a smile. He took Wu Mantun's hand in one hand and Zhang Haiyang's hand in the other, and said earnestly.

"Mantun, from today onwards, you have a new brother. My name is Zhong Yuemin. From today onwards, we will help each other, respect each other, and learn and improve together!"

Wu Mantun's honest face beamed with a bright smile, his expression filled with emotion. He excitedly grasped Zhong Yuemin's hand tightly. The three young men shook hands for the first time in this simple dormitory, and their lives would begin anew from here.

At this moment, fifty kilometers away, inside an air-raid shelter under construction, Yuan Jun, looking exhausted and covered in dirt, took the detonator handed to him by his comrade and carefully installed it inside a rock pipe. After two hours of work, everyone finally withdrew from the blast zone one after another.

Yuan Jun took the water bottle from his waist, opened it, and found it was already empty. Seeing this, the squad leader next to him took out his own water bottle and handed it to him.

Yuan Jun glanced at the squad leader, seemingly reluctant to accept the offer, a hint of resentment in his eyes. Seeing this, the squad leader snorted and said...

“Yuan Jun, you usually cause trouble and don’t train seriously. What’s wrong with me talking to you? I’m your squad leader, so I have to be responsible for you. Training is training, but you work very hard and deserve praise. Don’t bring your bad temper here!”

Yuan Jun looked disdainful and didn't want to argue. He took the water bottle and gulped down several mouthfuls. Just then, a violent explosion suddenly rang out in the cave. After the explosion, Yuan Jun suddenly put down the water bottle and asked with some confusion.

"Was there one less explosion just now?"

The group looked at each other, and finally the class monitor nodded and said.

"Damn it, we've definitely run into a dud. You guys wait here, I'll go in and eliminate the danger!"

Upon hearing this, the group quickly pulled their class monitor aside and volunteered to go themselves.

Yuan Jun looked at the dark cave entrance, silently put the lid on the water bottle, threw the water bottle to the squad leader, his face ashen, and slowly said.

"Stop arguing. I planted the explosives, and I know their location best. Are you blind men groping around?"

As he spoke, Yuan Jun walked into the cave. The squad leader next to him quickly grabbed Yuan Jun and scolded him.

"Yuan Jun, I'm ordering you to go back. I'm your squad leader, and this is something I have to do!"

Yuan Jun ignored the squad leader and tried to break free. During the struggle, the company political instructor ran over, asked what had happened, looked at the group, and finally asked Yuan Jun in a deep voice.

"Yuan Jun, are you confident?"

Yuan Jun's still somewhat chubby face was now serious as he looked up at the dark cave and said solemnly.

"I will definitely complete the mission. It is a soldier's duty. Even if something happens, I will not regret it!"

After saying that, Yuan Jun rushed inside. His comrades were filled with emotion, and the squad leader shouted as he watched Yuan Jun's retreating figure.

"Yuan Jun, you are a good soldier! I am proud of you, and I will definitely come back!"

Yuan Jun's lips curled up slightly, his eyes gradually hardening, and he strode into the cave.

Even after Yuan Jun's figure disappeared from everyone's sight, everyone still stared nervously at the cave entrance, silently praying in their hearts.

A minute passed, then two minutes, and the cave remained silent until everyone was on the edge of their seats.

Chapter 162: Feelings and Future

A deafening explosion rang out!

Yuan Jun was in trouble. Everyone rushed into the cave, and a dozen minutes later, they carried out a human figure with tattered clothes. Yuan Jun was covered in blood and was almost unrecognizable. They carried him to the hospital.

After Yuan Jun was carried into the hospital, the doctors began to resuscitate him. He suffered a massive hemorrhage and needed a large amount of type O blood. Everyone looked at each other, and then they all raised their hands to indicate that they were willing to donate blood. The doctor scolded them.

"Not just any blood can be donated; it must be type O blood. Who among you has type O blood? Hurry, time is of the essence!"

As it turned out, only one of the soldiers present had type O blood. However, Yuan Jun needed a large amount of blood to save his life, and one soldier's blood was obviously not enough. Everyone asked the other people in the hospital for help.

This was the hospital where Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun were. As soon as Zhou Xiaobai heard that Yuan Jun had an accident, her first thought was to go find Luo Yun.

Last year, Yuan Jun came to the hospital for treatment and inexplicably got together with Luo Yun. As her best friend, she immediately ran to the pharmacy to tell Luo Yun about it.

When Luo Yun heard that Yuan Jun was in trouble, her first thought was not to visit him, but to see if he would die or be crippled. She worried that if she visited him now, their relationship would be exposed, she would be punished, and her future would be ruined.

Luo Yun hesitated, unwilling to see Yuan Jun. She confessed to Zhou Xiaobai that she couldn't see Yuan Jun because the hospital was going to recommend a girl to go to university this year. If her relationship with Yuan Jun were discovered at this time, her chances of going to university would be basically over.

Zhou Xiaobai glanced at her with disappointment. At that moment, she suddenly felt that Luo Yun was a stranger. This best friend who had grown up with her had also been defeated by reality.

Zhou Xiaobai left in anger, leaving Luo Yun looking dejected. For Luo Yun, when it came to her future versus love, she would only choose her future; there was no other choice.

When Zhou Xiaobai arrived at the operating room, she heard that they needed type O blood, which she happened to have, so she donated 400 milliliters of blood twice without hesitation.

After several hours of surgery, Yuan Jun was finally saved, but unfortunately he was still in a coma, his whole body wrapped in thick gauze, lying motionless on the hospital bed.

After Yuan Jun had been unconscious for three days and three nights, Luo Yun finally entered the ward to visit him for the first time. Zhou Xiaobai sat to the side, watching her coldly. Luo Yun looked at Yuan Jun, who was wrapped up like a mummy, sighed deeply, and said to Zhou Xiaobai.

"Xiaobai, thank you for taking care of Yuan Jun these past few days. And thank you for keeping my affair with him a secret!"

Zhou Xiaobai looked up at Luo Yun with some disappointment, and finally shook his head helplessly.

"Luo Yun, what he needs most right now is you, his support and encouragement as his girlfriend. Is your future more important than our relationship?"

Luo Yun was speechless at Zhou Xiaobai's confident question. She remained silent for a moment before slowly raising her head to look at Zhou Xiaobai and saying.

"Xiaobai, for me, my future is more important than this relationship. My family is just an ordinary family. I rarely have the opportunity to change my fate in my life. But if I give up the opportunity to go to university this time, I may never have a second chance in my life. Xiaobai, do you understand?"

Zhou Xiaobai naturally didn't understand, because in her view, if feelings were gone, what use was a future? For Zhou Xiaobai, such opportunities to change her fate were countless times in her life, so she naturally couldn't understand Luo Yun's words. Seeing that her persuasion of Luo Yun was ineffective, she finally said in a cold tone.

"You can go now. I won't stand in your way of a bright future. I'll take care of Yuan Jun for you. Think about how you're going to explain things to him when he wakes up!"

With tears in her eyes, Luo Yun glanced at Yuan Jun one last time, wiped away her tears, said nothing more, and pushed open the door to leave.

She didn't notice that a tear was streaming down Yuan Jun's face from his eyes, though it was covered by thick gauze and no one noticed.

Zhong Yuemin, who was in the recruit training camp, knew nothing about Yuan Jun's affair. He had long forgotten these little episodes from the original novel.

Military life was dull and monotonous. In addition to the training programs of ordinary troops, reconnaissance soldiers in this era also had to undergo driving skills, various reconnaissance training, wilderness survival and other programs. These programs already had some of the prototypes of later special forces.

But it is still just a prototype. In this day and age, people still emphasize mastering basic skills. Reconnaissance soldiers are still training using combat subjects from 20 or 30 years ago.

However, Zhong Yuemin has only just enlisted. He knows that he will definitely go to the battlefield in the future, so he wants to master the basic skills before making any other plans.

Zhong Yuemin was physically gifted and had a talent for fighting. After treating Battalion Commander Zheng to drinks twice, he successfully learned that fighting skill. In just over six months, he was able to take down both Wu Mantun and Zhang Haiyang by himself.