Chapter 8

The art troupe canteen was separate from the main army canteen. They didn’t eat together. The art troupe canteen was not far from the dormitory and the art troupe building.

Since it was noon, the canteen was quite crowded, but they were all veterans. Only Lin Shuoyin, Sareen, Su Xiangwei, Li Jinye, and Wang Yanlin were new recruits.

The art troupe had only recruited five new recruits this year.

Lin Shuoyin and the others recognized the head of the troupe who had processed their registration in the morning. They didn’t recognize the others. They went over and saluted the head of the troupe, greeting him.

The head of the troupe, whose surname was Huang, looked to be about forty years old. He was very amiable and said with a smile, “You’re eating. No need to be so formal.”

“Li Ting, take these few around this afternoon to get familiar with the military district.” He said to a female soldier at the next table.

“Yes, head of the troupe.”

The superior leader was so amiable, Lin Shuoyin and the others felt relieved.

Although Lin Shuoyin was reborn, she was only 24 years old in her previous life. She had taken the college entrance exam at seventeen, studied for four years for her undergraduate degree and three years for her master’s degree. She had only graduated recently.

Because her family was wealthy, she wasn’t in a hurry to find a job. Besides, she had created an account online before, where she sang and played music every day, earning a considerable income.

Then, she was transported here.

So, she didn’t have much social experience. She was still a newbie in terms of social skills.

“Alright, you few, go get your food quickly. There’s meat today.” Head of the troupe Huang waved his hand.

There was meat, chicken and potatoes stewed together.

Sareen said, “I love chicken and potato stew. The chicken broth poured over rice is so delicious.”

Lin Shuoyin smiled, “I like chicken stew too.”

She also loved stewed mushrooms, radishes, tomatoes, and beef together. The broth was very appetizing. She also loved stewed mutton. Mutton broth was also very delicious, especially with some coriander on top.

Lin Shuoyin asked, “Sareen, are you from the village or the city?”

Sareen said, “From the village, why?”

Lin Shuoyin asked, “Do you raise sheep in your brigade?”

Sareen said, “We do. We raise cows and sheep. Why, do you want to eat mutton?”

Lin Shuoyin chuckled, and Sareen understood. She said, “We slaughter sheep and pigs in our brigade during festivals. I’ll ask for you then.”

Lin Shuoyin said, “Thank you, Sareen.”

Sareen waved her hand, “You’re welcome, you’re welcome.”

After getting their food, they had just sat down when Li Ting came over.

“Is your dormitory on the first or second floor?”

“Second floor, second floor, room 203.” Li Jinye said.

Li Ting said, “Okay, wait for me in the dormitory this afternoon. I’ll take you around the military district.”

The four of them nodded like chicks pecking at rice.

Lin Shuoyin enjoyed her lunch today. She didn’t leave a single grain of rice. She ate all the soup and broth, filling her stomach to the brim.

The chicken was delicious today. It could be stewed until the chicken fat was yellow and the chicken broth was fragrant. It was unlike the chickens raised on feed in later times.

Lin Shuoyin didn’t like eating chickens raised on feed in later times. She preferred chickens raised in a farm and allowed to roam freely.

Lin Shuoyin was in a good mood after eating and drinking her fill. In her previous life, she was very picky about food, but after being transported here for half a year, her picky eating habits were completely cured. She couldn’t even get enough of cornbread, and she was still picky.

But not being picky was one thing, and eating meat and her favorite foods was another. If she ate potatoes, cabbage, and cornbread every day, she wouldn’t be in a good mood.

But when she ate meat, her favorite dishes, and ate her fill, she felt happy.

After lunch, the four of them went back to the dormitory to rest and take a nap.

In the afternoon.

Lin Shuoyin and the others had just woken up when Li Ting came over.

“Tidy yourselves up. I’ll take you around.”

“I came a year earlier than you. If you have any questions, you can ask me.” Li Ting was also very talkative and enthusiastic.

Lin Shuoyin and the others nodded, “Okay.”

Li Ting asked, “Which of you is in the singing team?”

Lin Shuoyin said, “It’s me, squad leader.”

In the army, anyone who had joined earlier than you and didn’t have a specific position could be called squad leader.

Li Ting laughed, “Just call me by my name. It’s too formal. What’s your name? How old are you this year?”

“I’m Lin Shuoyin, eighteen.”

Li Ting said, “I’m two years older than you. I’m also in the singing team.”

“By the way, Shuoyin, do you know anything besides singing? Like playing other instruments?”

Other instruments?

She did. She could play the Morin Khuur, piano, guitar, and erhu.

She had learned piano, erhu, and Morin Khuur since she was a child. She learned guitar in college.

Her parents were the type who cared about face. Because they had a little money, they wanted their child to develop in all aspects, intellectually, physically, morally, artistically, and labor-wise. When she was a child, they enrolled her in countless courses.

Dance, art, vocal music, and they also demanded that she study well.

As a result, she was not good at anything. In the end, her parents divorced. Her grandparents asked her to choose one to study, and she chose vocal music. In the end, she lived up to their expectations and passed the entrance exam for the best music academy in the country.

But this was Lin Shuoyin in the 21st century, not Lin Shuoyin in this era.

She shook her head, “I don’t.”

Li Ting knew it was the case. Most people in their art troupe only knew one thing before joining. They learned other things after joining the art troupe.

She smiled, “It’s okay. I only knew how to sing before I joined the art troupe. But you have to learn after joining. You have to learn at least two instruments.”

“Not only the singing team, but also the instrumental team and the dance team. Besides your major, you have to learn other things.”

She said this to Su Xiangwei, Li Jinye, and Sareen.

Sareen said, “Besides the Morin Khuur, I can sing.”

Su Xiangwei said, “I learned a little bit of dance when I was a child.” But dancing was too tiring, so she learned the violin.

Li Jinye said, “Oh no, besides the accordion, I don’t know anything else.” She couldn’t sing very well either. She had a plain voice, not comparable to Shuoyin’s.

Li Ting said, “Anyway, besides your major, you have to learn at least two other things.”

“After you finish your new recruit training, the head of the troupe will tell you.”

The four of them nodded, “Okay, we understand, squad leader.”

Lin Shuoyin finally understood. No wonder actors who came from the art troupe in the last century were so talented. They had learned their skills in the troupe. This was true all-round development in terms of morality, intellect, physicality, aesthetics, and labor!

The winter in Hohhot was very cold, much colder than the winter in Sichuan. The four of them were caught off guard when they stepped out of the dormitory and took a breath of cold air.

Li Jinye gasped, “Is it always this cold in the north in winter?”

Sareen said, “Yeah, it’s not too cold today. There’s sunshine.”

“When it gets to the coldest time of the year, it can freeze your brains. If you stand outside for five minutes, your head will be buzzing.”

The four of them huddled together like quail, shrinking their bodies as they followed Li Ting.

They arrived at the men’s dormitory building. Li Ting asked the men inside to call Wang Yanlin, who was also a new recruit.

After Wang Yanlin came down, Li Ting took them around the military district, introducing things as they walked.

“By the way, let me tell you, in the army, neither male nor female soldiers can date unless they are promoted. Otherwise, if they are caught secretly dating, they will be severely punished.”

Except for Lin Shuoyin, the other four were dumbfounded.

Lin Shuoyin knew this rule. How did she know? She learned it from watching TV in her previous life.

Lin Shuoyin didn’t have a boyfriend, Li Jinye didn’t either, Wang Yanlin didn’t know if she had one, but Su Xiangwei did. She had a boyfriend back home.

They had talked about this on the train.

They weren’t stupid enough to look at Su Xiangwei now.

Sareen was very straightforward and spoke her mind, “Squad leader, what about those who were dating before joining the army?”

The squad leader was talking about not dating people inside the army, right?

What about those who were dating outside?