When it's hot, military training is hot and uncomfortable.
When it's cold, military training is cold and uncomfortable too.
"If only there were no military training," someone voiced everyone's thoughts during a brief rest in the morning.
"Don't say that. Military training is meant to cultivate our moral, intellectual, and physical development. Everyone, think about it: through all kinds of drills, we can overcome difficulties and ourselves with willpower, and it also helps foster a sense of collective honor!" A short boy from Su Baixue's class suddenly spoke up. He wore black-rimmed glasses and stood straight even during the break.
Unfortunately, no one paid attention to his impassioned speech. The short boy sat down under a big tree, feeling a bit sulky.
Su Baixue turned her head, pausing as she raised her water bottle. She gently tapped the short boy's shoulder. "Qi Ji, you're pressing on my bottle cap..."
The short boy, Qi Ji, only then realized there was someone else under the tree besides him!
"Wow! When did you sit down?" Qi Ji's eyes widened. He looked at where he was sitting and quickly shifted to free the water bottle cap he had been pressing. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't see you... Su Baixue, it got a little mud on it. I'll take it to the boiling water room and rinse it for you later."
"...No need," Su Baixue shook her head. "I'll go myself." She reached out her hand, signaling Qi Ji to return the bottle cap.
Su Baixue had actually arrived earlier than Qi Ji. She chose this tree because it was away from the crowd, shady, and had fewer people. When Qi Ji walked over, he didn't see her simply because Su Baixue's figure was blocked by the tree trunk.
Qi Ji looked around. The girls were all sitting in small groups chatting. He glanced at Su Baixue, who was alone, then thought about his own solitude, and said sincerely, "Why don't you go sit with the other girls? It's not good to always be alone. You need to communicate more with everyone."
Su Baixue said softly, "You're alone too."
"I'm not good at talking," Qi Ji said self-deprecatingly.
"...I'm not good at talking either. What they talk about, I don't really understand," Su Baixue said. She was more familiar with Tian Ling, but Tian Ling liked to talk about celebrities and would go on and on. She didn't enjoy it but felt awkward expressing her displeasure, so she just avoided it.
The atmosphere turned silent.
The ground still showed traces of dampness after the rain. The sky was overcast. Su Baixue picked up a yellowed leaf from the grass, took out a small notebook of English words she had written last night from her pants pocket, and silently began to memorize.
Seeing this, Qi Ji couldn't help reaching into his own pants pocket.
He also had a small English vocabulary notebook in his pocket.
The two didn't speak. A few minutes later, the whistle blew. Su Baixue placed the yellowed leaf on the page she had just finished memorizing and closed her English notebook.
Time to assemble.
Drill exercises: stand at attention, at ease, march in step, shout slogans. Though the movements were simple and mechanical, everyone repeated them many times. Several girls couldn't hold on and asked to rest on the side. Su Baixue was also drenched in sweat and pale, but she managed to persist until the end.
"Dismissed!" With the instructor's resounding command.
Cheers erupted from the crowd. Everyone scattered and rushed to the cafeteria. Tian Ling grabbed Su Baixue, who was about to leave, and invited, "Baixue, let's eat together!"
Su Baixue asked doubtfully, "Aren't you going with Chen Baozhu and the others?"
"Baozhu is feeling unwell and went to the school clinic. Shumin went with her. I'm starving. Come with me to the cafeteria!"
Su Baixue really wanted to refuse. She didn't know what to talk about with Tian Ling, and the thought of hearing about Wei Yun again made her want to escape.
But since her grandmother had become a cleaner, the family's financial situation had improved a lot. Grandma had firmly forbidden her from eating steamed buns for lunch and insisted she buy food from the cafeteria.
She did need to go to the cafeteria to eat. If they were going the same way and didn't walk together, would Tian Ling overthink it?
Refusing seemed bad.
After thinking it over, Su Baixue convinced herself again.
She nodded. "Okay."
The cafeteria ladies served food quickly, and their hands shook quickly too. After Tian Ling sat down with her tray, she complained unhappily to Su Baixue, "This cafeteria has only one decent dish—braised spare ribs—and they only give two pieces. The lady scooped up seven or eight with her spoon, but by the time it reached me, she had shaken it down to just two!"
"Mm," Su Baixue nodded, got up, went to the soup station, and brought back two bowls of free tomato and egg soup.
"Wow, Baixue, you're so nice!" Tian Ling smiled and took the soup.
Su Baixue smiled shyly and lowered her head to eat seriously.
Tian Ling was used to Su Baixue not talking much. As she ate, she spoke enthusiastically, "Baixue, let me tell you, I got tickets to Brother's concert in City B!! It only takes an hour from our City A! I'm so looking forward to it..."
Su Baixue nodded reluctantly. "Amazing."
Tian Ling had heard Su Baixue say "amazing" so many times that she finally sensed some perfunctoriness. Seeing Su Baixue eating with relish, she felt a bit awkward. "You eat so plainly. No wonder you're so thin... Um, Baixue. I ran into Senior He Li again last time. He asked me for your phone number."
Tian Ling deliberately added, "Why don't you give me your number, and I'll set you up? I still don't have your number."
Su Baixue was taken aback. She looked up. "He Li? Who's that?"
Tian Ling was surprised. "You forgot? The senior we met when we went to get the training uniforms that day! The one who asked for your WeChat!"
"Oh..."
With Tian Ling's reminder, Su Baixue remembered.
He seemed like a nice senior. He wanted to help carry their things.
Su Baixue shook her head. "No need. I don't use my phone much."
"Really not giving it?" Tian Ling was a bit pleased. "I think Senior He Li is interested in you! He's so handsome and nice. You really won't give it?"
Su Baixue shook her head again. "We can't date early. I need to study hard now."
Tian Ling: "..."
That reason was way too proper!
Tian Ling felt bored. She missed chatting with Sun Shumin and Chen Baozhu. Talking with Su Baixue, no matter how enthusiastic, always ended up calm and dull.