Chapter 11: Military Training

After returning from Nanshan, Lin Yiqiao wasted no time and rushed to register for the women’s company. Since she was already part of the cultural troupe and met all the qualifications, her application went through smoothly.

What she didn’t expect was to see He Yujie’s name on the list of accepted candidates.

Wen Hui was known in the troupe as a notorious gossip, and she happened to be very close to He Yujie — who, in contrast, always kept a low profile and was hard to read.

Of course, Qian Ru soon heard about Lin Yiqiao’s decision. She couldn’t understand why Lin Yiqiao would leave. Getting into the cultural troupe was every girl’s dream — it was stable, respectable. But since she couldn’t talk her out of it, she gave up and let her go.

Even Zheng Qingxia tried to persuade her to stay in the troupe. But after listening to Lin Yiqiao’s impassioned speech about duty and patriotism, she found herself admiring her courage and ideals. Without hesitation, she signed her transfer papers.

Lin Yiqiao packed up her things and reported for duty.

The newly built women’s dorms in the military zone housed six girls per room, each with a single bed — relatively good accommodations compared to most areas.

The new roommates seemed alright. Only Liu Hongying and Lin Yiqiao were from Beidu; the others had been selected from different regions.

Lying on her little cot, Lin Yiqiao thought about the new recruit training that would start the next day — it wouldn’t be easy.

A faint scent of locust blossoms drifted through the air in the military zone, soothing her nerves. Before long, she drifted off to sleep.

---

Before the sun had fully risen, the reveille bugle blasted through the dorm, making Lin Yiqiao’s head throb.

She got up slowly. The other girls were already up and moving quickly — clearly used to waking up to a bugle call.

Lin Yiqiao didn’t have much grooming to do. A quick wash, then she braided her hair into a neat plait. Her cheeks were rosy, her skin glowing.

Breakfast time was only ten minutes.

She jogged to the canteen. The food wasn’t bad — there were steamed buns, filled buns, salted vegetables, and millet porridge.

Li Xiumei took a big bite of a meat bun, eyes brimming with tears. “I’ve never had a meat bun this big in my whole life. Beidu’s really something. No wonder people fight to get in.”

“Silly girl,” Liu Hongying laughed. “You’ll get big meat buns every day now.”

Lin Yiqiao just focused on eating. With all that talking, you could’ve eaten two more buns.

As soon as they finished their meal, the girls rushed to the training field.

Lin Yiqiao quickly adjusted her hat once she was in formation. Rumor was, a female instructor would be leading their training — she wanted to make a good impression.

“At ease!”

A stern woman’s voice rang out behind them, and Lin Yiqiao immediately moved in sync with the others, stepping out her foot.

A woman with cropped, no-nonsense hair walked to the front. Her skin was dark, but she looked extremely competent.

“Attention!”

The group snapped to attention on command.

“I’m Wang Xue, your drill instructor for the next three months. You’re the first batch of female soldiers in Beidu. Everyone’s watching you.”

“Will you rise to the occasion?!”

“We will!” the group shouted in unison.

“Good. Prepare for one hour of standing at attention.”

What?! Lin Yiqiao wanted to cry.

But there was no turning back now — she had chosen this path, and even if she cried, she had to walk it.

“Feet shoulder-width apart at sixty degrees, lean forward slightly, hands along the trouser seams.”

Under the blazing sun, dozens of female soldiers stood at attention for an entire hour. Their faces turned red from the heat, sweat trickling down and leaving streaks.

Lin Yiqiao’s front and back were soaked through with sweat. Her face flushed red — thankfully, she wasn’t someone who tanned easily. A rinse with cold water later would bring the color down.

“Adjust!”

With that one word, Lin Yiqiao felt her whole body relax. Even moving her legs slightly hurt. She winced and bent her knees, trying to ease the stiffness in her muscles.

“Today’s training is simple,” said Wang Xue. “Next, we’ll practice saluting. After that, it’s lunch.”

“Yay!”

The moment “lunch” was mentioned, everyone perked up again. Lin Yiqiao raised her right hand and gave a crisp, standard salute.

But… why hasn’t she called ‘at ease’ yet? It’s been almost five minutes! Lin Yiqiao’s arm felt like it was filled with lead. She gritted her teeth, barely keeping it up.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Instructor Wang walking behind the formation. Lin Yiqiao stealthily eased her arm a little and clenched her fist to keep it steady.

“Colonel Qi.”

Instructor Wang’s voice suddenly came from behind, startling Lin Yiqiao.

She instantly snapped her arm back into place.

She heard the sound of military boots approaching — steady and heavy.

Qi Jun stepped in front of her and stopped. He was wearing a training uniform today. From Lin Yiqiao’s angle, all she could see was his sharply defined jaw.

“Step out of line.”

Crap. Lin Yiqiao had no choice. Resigned to her fate, she stepped out.