Chapter 35

“Listen, the horn of a new journey is blowing,

The goal of strengthening the military calls us forward.

For our country to be strong, we must shoulder our responsibilities.

On the battle flag, iron-blooded glory is written.

…

On the training ground during the break, a large area was scattered with students in camouflage uniforms.

“Good!”

“The instructor is so handsome!”

Some classes were resting, while others were still conducting gun-holding sniper demonstrations. Later in the training, everyone could touch the training guns, learn to hold and shoot them, and feel the thrill.

In Class 1, Wang Haonan was also demonstrating. He was tall, with a strong and upright posture. With a serious face, he carried the gun on his back, standing straight and proud, exuding a heroic spirit.

On the battlefield, his imposing and formidable military demeanor was evident, shocking everyone around him.

“Wow~”

Students from other classes also turned their heads to admire, cheering and exclaiming.

“Oh my Lady Gaga, this is too handsome.”

“Wow, this military righteousness is killing me.”

“Oh my God, where did this handsome guy come from? I want one!”

“Class 1 is so lucky. The previous instructor was handsome enough, and now they have another one who is just as handsome.”

“I’m not going to live anymore. Those are all other people’s instructors…”

“Unbelievable, I finally understand why my neighbor’s elder cousin’s second aunt’s little nephew’s second aunt’s daughter’s classmate was so determined to marry a soldier.”

After hearing the long and confusing story, a classmate nearby rolled their eyes silently and said helplessly.

“Sister, you could just say she’s a girl.”

“This is unnecessary, really.”

“Oh well, does she like it~”

…

Students in Class 1, seeing so many people admiring their instructor, proudly raised their heads with pride.

Look, look, our class has the most handsome instructor.

“Not to brag, Linlin,” Zhang Yue stood on the outskirts, rubbing her chin, seriously admiring the handsome instructor in the crowd, and clicking her tongue.

“This instructor is not bad either.”

“Hey, where’s Jiao jiao? Come and see the handsome instructor, Jiao jiao?”

As she spoke, Zhang Yue looked around and called out loudly, “Jiao jiao, Jiao jiao?”

During the break, it was a bit chaotic.

Thousands of students in the same military training uniforms were walking around. On the Class 1 side, due to Wang Haonan’s handsome display, a large crowd gathered, forming a tight circle.

Zhang Yue looked around, seeing a bunch of people in camouflage uniforms and hats, all looking like copies of each other.

Where was Li Jiao?

“Jiao jiao, Jiao jiao?”

“Hey, boss,” Su Linlin next to her patted her and pointed in a direction.

Zhang Yue looked over and saw a small girl crouching in a corner with fewer people, back facing them, curled up into a small ball, hugging her knees. She was out of place with the surroundings, emitting a gloomy atmosphere.

A few little dark clouds were above her head, drizzling rain.

The lively atmosphere around her had nothing to do with her; the little girl seemed like a pitiful little orphan.

Zhang Yue walked over, patted her shoulder, and asked with concern.

“Jiao Jiao, what’s wrong?”

Li Jiao turned her head silently, her eyebrows curved, her mouth pouting, her eyes glistening with tears, and her little face wrinkled like a bun.

With a bitter look, she said, “Boss, I feel like I can never be happy again.”

She said this very seriously, but with her funny expression, it was quite amusing.

Su Linlin, next to her, almost couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Pfft—”

Zhang Yue, being a bit dense, thought something serious had happened, squatted down quickly, and asked.

“Ah, what’s wrong?”

“Did your favorite ‘little Mo Xian’ not update today?”

Hearing this, Li Jiao shook her head vigorously, continued looking at her with teary eyes, and said it pitifully.

“Boss, I feel like I can never be happy again. The instructor left, taking my happiness with him, and I can’t smile happily anymore.”

“Last night, I dreamed that my happiness and the instructor eloped; they went to Beijing for a trip, leaving me behind.”

“Before leaving, they said to me, ‘Li Jiao, sorry, we decided to give up custody of you.’ What should I do, boss? I feel like an orphan with a field of green grass growing on my head.”

(T/N: I’m not so sure about this… but I think it has the same meaning as giving her a ‘green hat’ (cuckold)…so what she means is her ‘happiness’ and Zhang Jiuling is eloping together to Beijing and giving her a massive green hat (a field of green grass)…hehe..)

“………”

Li Jiao kept opening and closing her little mouth, continuously recounting her tragic experiences.

Next to her, Zhang Yue was utterly baffled.

“?????”

What was she talking about? Li Jiao became an orphan and had grass growing on her head?

On the other side, Su Linlin, understanding Li Jiao’s state, remembered that Zhang Jiuling had left several days ago.

At first, Li Jiao was like a resentful maiden, distracted and silent every day.

Su Linlin was initially worried, thinking Zhang Jiuling’s departure had deeply affected her.

Until one day…

Su Linlin came out of the shower and saw Li Jiao still sitting at the table, staring blankly at her phone while typing.

Passing by, Su Linlin accidentally glimpsed Li Jiao’s phone screen and saw that she was writing in a diary.

One sentence caught her eye:

“On the sixth day since the instructor left, I suddenly realized I couldn’t smile anymore. I would never be happy again.”

At first, Su Linlin felt quite sorry for her, but the more she thought about it, the more amusing it became.

It was genuinely a mix of silly and cute.

In fact, Su Linlin hadn’t seen the whole diary. If she had, she would have found it even more laughable.

Li Jiao’s diary read:

“On the sixth day since the instructor left, I suddenly realized I couldn’t smile anymore. I would never be happy again. Today, my favorite ‘Little Mo Xian’ didn’t update either, and I still don’t know if the little black cat found its fish.

*Sigh* When I went to the cafeteria today, the auntie noticed my sadness and was so distracted watching me that all the meat she scooped for me fell off. She didn’t even notice. Oh my, is my sadness really that infectious?

Really, I feel like all the happiness has left me. I think I’m the most miserable person in the world, truly.”

Really, the instructor’s departure had deeply saddened Li Jiao. This was something Su Linlin was very sure of.

However…

Su Linlin burst out laughing, tilting her head back, “Hahahaha,” unable to hold it in.

Having experienced it before, Su Linlin was now used to seeing Li Jiao like this and wasn’t surprised anymore.

Actually, she didn’t even know if Li Jiao really needed their concern.

Really, this girl was extraordinarily cute.

Li Jiao rambled on and on, and finally, she turned her head, looking at Zhang Yue with eyes full of hope.

“Boss, you understand me, right?”

“Uh…” Zhang Yue scratched her head.

“I think… I should understand.”

“But my brain is telling me, ‘Zhang Yue, you farted!’ ”

(T/N: talking nonsense.)

“Sigh~”

Li Jiao sighed, turned her little head back, and watched the ants moving on the ground, looking sorrowful.

“Little ants, what is your happiness?”

“Sigh~ You guys work so hard moving things; let me help you.”

Saying this, Li Jiao used two fingers to pick up the super tiny stones the ants were carrying, move them, and place them on the other side.

She said, “I’ve put them at your doorsteps. You guys should go home quickly now.”

The little ants stared at her: “!!!!!!”

We worked so hard to move them here, and you put them back?!

It’s such a long distance; are you going to reimburse us for the travel costs?!

Behind her, Su Linlin watched the whole thing, holding her forehead helplessly.

It’s over; this kid has completely lost it.

…………

On September 30th, it was drizzling lightly, like a thin white mist, gently wetting the entire Nanjing University campus. A slight breeze was blowing, with a fresh scent in the air mixed with a bit of an earthy smell.

Last night’s wind blew down many yellow flowers from the osmanthus trees by the artificial lake next to the training ground, scattering them on the ground like stars. As people passed, their clothes were faintly scented.

No one expected that the long-awaited rain for thousands of freshmen would quietly arrive on the last day of military training.

With the conclusion of a large military training achievement report meeting, the grueling military training for thousands of freshmen also came to a silent end.

This day was very special.

Everyone found that when this long-awaited day arrived, they didn’t seem as happy as they thought they would be.

During this month of military training, everyone gained something, more or less. These would become shining memories in the days to come.

And regarding the instructors, everyone had developed deep feelings.

They had basked under nearly 40-degree heat together, marched in unison, practiced military boxing, trained around the lake, sung military songs together, been punished to run laps together, and…

To them, the instructors were more than just instructors. In their hearts, they were mentors and friends—people they were grateful to have met.

“Instructor, are you going to leave quietly later?”

A girl suddenly asked during the final assembly.

The instructor being asked froze, his expression complex, unable to respond.

A sharp-eyed student noticed that the instructor’s eyes had reddened.

At that moment, silence was already an answer.

The girl sniffled, her voice trembling.

“Instructor, can we take a picture together later?”

“We… we don’t want you to go.”

She couldn’t hold back the last word and burst into tears.

Her cry marked the beginning of this emotional farewell. Everyone around her was affected, and many girls began to cry along with her.

The boys tried to stay strong but tilted their heads slightly, their eyes red-rimmed.

“Instructor, can you not leave?”

“Instructor, please don’t go.”

“Instructor, don’t go.”

“…………”

A whole class of dozens of students clung to the man in the camouflage uniform, crying and begging for an impossible answer.

The male instructor, held back by them, his eyes red and his lips trembling, couldn’t bear to look at the children’s faces.

Men rarely shed tears, but at such a heartfelt moment, emotions ran deep.

In Class 2, Instructor Liuzi, who spoke Sichuan dialect, was also surrounded. Dozens of kids held onto him, some hooking their arms around his neck, others even hugging his legs…

Holding his head, crying loudly and miserably.

“Instructor—”

“Don’t go!”

“Erkang, don’t go! Ziwei loves you—”

(T/N: This is a character from the drama ‘My Fair Princess’)

One boy clung to his leg, wailing in an imperfect Sichuan dialect.

“Instructor, don’t leave; I’ll treat you to yak meat!”

Liuzi looked at this group of lively kids with a feeling of not knowing whether to laugh or cry. His tears were about to fall, but he managed to hold them back.

He forced back the tears, pretending to be nonchalant.

“Alright, alright, don’t pee (shed tears) like a kitten.”

The group of students slowly let go, surrounding him in a circle, quietly sobbing.

Liuzi looked at them, recalling the days of training together. It felt like… just yesterday he had taken charge of this bunch of lively treasure.

He tilted his head slightly, forcing back the tears. Then he looked at the students, his gentle face breaking into a smile.

“Alright, it’s not like we’re parting forever. We’ll definitely meet again in the future.”

“A month of military training, it was great getting to know you. Although you were mischievous, you were also very good. In the future, I hope you continue to endure hardships and strive hard. Keep going, future great artists…”

…………

Throughout the training ground, the clock of farewell had already struck. Even the air was filled with a sense of sadness, and soft sobs echoed everywhere.