The other boys joined in shouting, “Yes! An An, we’ll run together!”
“We’re good friends!”
“Good brothers!”

Cen Huai’an couldn’t help but smile at the deafening cheers around him.

The boys laughed and ran around the field, their warm hearts outmatching the chilly winter wind.

The instructor, hearing the noise from the dormitory, came out to the corridor and watched Cen Huai’an and the others running on the field.

“Are those the new recruits you’re in charge of?”

A few soldiers dressed in the same uniform as the instructor stood beside him.

One of them, clearly familiar with the instructor, asked as he put an arm around his shoulder.

“Yes,” the instructor replied, his gaze admiring as he watched the field.

“These recruits are pretty good, but weren’t there supposed to be eleven? Why is one missing?”

The instructor replied lightly, “One is in the dormitory.”

He was referring to Cen Huai Ze.

The instructor knew more about him than the others did.

While Cen Huai Ze seemed like a troublemaker, he was merely a bully who feared the strong and took advantage of the weak.

It was unlikely he would change much even with a month of training.

It was the seemingly compliant Cen Huai’an who was truly the troublemaker.

Even the instructor could be corrected by Cen Huai’an if he made a mistake, and Cen Huai’an would not hesitate to point it out.

The instructor wasn’t worried about Cen Huai’an; he was more concerned about Cen Huai Ze.

The task assigned by his superior was challenging, and he needed to figure out how to complete it.

Meanwhile, Cen Huai Ze lay in the dormitory, irritated by the deafening cheers from the field.

Despite his efforts to block out the noise, it kept penetrating his ears.

Annoyed, he peeked out from behind the curtains and saw Cen Huai’an and the others running, with Hu Panden and the others surrounding Cen Huai’an, running alongside him.

Cen Huai Ze clenched his teeth, feeling jealousy rise within him.

His younger cousin was so irritating, always stealing the spotlight.

If it weren’t for Cen Huai’an, he and Xin Xin might not be enduring this hardship.

The more Cen Huai Ze watched, the angrier he became, especially at the sight of Hu Panden’s smiling face, which seemed to glare at him.

He yanked the curtains shut but then pulled them open again, unable to stop watching in frustration.

After ten laps, everyone was exhausted, lying on the ground, unwilling to move.

Only Cen Huai’an stood, breathing slightly uneven but not as exaggerated as the others.

“Don’t lie on the ground. Stand up and walk around,” Cen Huai’an said, pulling up Hu Panden and Xiao He.

They complied, and he led the group to walk another lap around the field before heading back.

Everyone was so worn out that they didn’t even bother with washing up, collapsing into bed as soon as they could.

Cen Huai’an had enough energy to wash his face and feet before getting into bed, while the others, too tired to care, simply went to sleep with their dirt.

The next day, the instructor indeed reduced the training intensity, acknowledging it was due to Cen Huai’an’s punishment.

“Cen Huai Ze!”

“Here!” Cen Huai Ze responded reflexively, standing tall with his chest out and voice loud.

“Cen Huai’an fought for your class’s benefit. You’re part of this class too. What do you have to say?”

Cen Huaixin was also in the same class but in a different dorm from the boys.

She didn’t know about the previous day’s events.

Cen Huai Ze hesitated for a while before stammering, “Th… thank him.”

The instructor continued, “Last night, everyone in your dorm accompanied Cen Huai’an during his punishment. How do you feel about that?”

Cen Huai Ze’s mind was racing with curses.

What did he think?

He wished Cen Huai’an wouldn’t steal the limelight.

He wanted to replace Cen Huai’an in Hu Panden’s favor.

But he couldn’t say any of this.

He fumbled for words, trying to come up with an answer.

The instructor patiently waited until Cen Huai Ze finally managed to express his thoughts.

The instructor nodded, “You say you should thank him, but you weren’t even willing to accompany him during his punishment. You’re now comrades who need to fight side by side. Cen Huai Ze, do you understand what being a comrade means?”

Cen Huaize looked at the instructor, his face scrunched up, unsure how to respond to satisfy him.

He was afraid of being punished and could only awkwardly nod.

“Yes, instructor, I understand.”

“Then tell me,” the instructor pressed.

Cen Huaize stammered, “Um… comrades….”

He couldn’t provide a clear explanation.

“It seems you don’t have a clear concept of what a comrade is. That’s okay; you’ll understand soon enough. From today, we’re not training in the camp anymore. We’re going to the field. Now, everyone! Left turn, march!”

Cen Huai’an and the others quickly followed the command.

Cen Huai Ze, lost in thought, turned the wrong way and was kicked by the instructor before quickly correcting himself.

Cen Huai’an and the others packed their belongings according to the instructor’s guidance and then followed the new recruits for a field training exercise.

The field training was harsh.

The wind was biting and cold, cutting into their faces like knives.

Cen Huai’an was struggling to keep up, let alone Hu Panden and Xiaohe, who had never trained in martial arts.

Cen Huai Ze and Cen Huai Xin were on the brink of collapse, crying as they walked, not daring to ask to go home.

The coach was nearby, and they were afraid of him.

Cen Huai Xin stumbled and almost fell forward, but Hu Panden, who was beside her, pulled her up.

As soon as she regained her balance, Hu Panden quickly let go and said urgently, “Walk properly.”

He then hurried to catch up with the main group.

Cen Huai Xin wiped her face, feeling even more like crying.

She had never endured such hardship at home.

Her feet felt as if she were walking on sharp knives, and her face was numb from the cold.

She never wanted to come to the northwest again.

Training was not just physically exhausting; it was mentally taxing as well.

When the coach finally said they could take a break, Cen Huai Ze and Cen Huai Xin, disregarding the dirt, immediately sat down on the ground.

Cen Huai Xin carefully removed her shoes and found blisters on her feet.

Cen Huai Ze had the same issue.

Hu Panden and the other sports enthusiasts didn’t have such problems, but Xiao He also had blisters on his feet.

Cen Huai’an, being the squad leader appointed just before the training, was responsible for these young recruits during the training.

He knelt in front of Xiao He, examined his blisters, and took out his medical kit, asking, “Do you want me to pierce the blisters for you, or will you do it yourself?”

Xiao He reached out his hand, “I’ll do it myself.”

Frowning, Cen Huai’an used a sterilized needle to carefully pierce the blisters.

Cen Huai’an handed him gauze and medicine, “Clean the blisters with the gauze and apply the medicine yourself.”

Cen Huai’an’s medical kit was prepared by Chuxia, and many of the ointments inside were made by her.

Knowing that An’an would go for training, she packed not only the usual medications but also many for treating external injuries, such as the one used by Xiao He to prevent inflammation and promote quick healing.

As Xiao He treated his own wounds, Cen Huai’an moved to Cen Huai Ze and Cen Huai Xin and asked the same question.

Though he didn’t particularly like Cen Huai Ze and Cen Huai Xin, as their squad leader, he couldn’t ignore them.

Moreover, as teammates in the same squad, they needed to stick together, which was what the coach wanted to see.

When Cen Huai Ze and Cen Huai Xin saw the needle in Cen Huai’an’s hand, they swallowed nervously.

Cen Huai Xin, who had lost her earlier arrogance, asked with a tearful voice, “Can you not pierce the blisters?”

Cen Huai’an replied, “You can choose not to, but piercing them will heal faster, and walking won’t be painful. If you don’t pierce them, walking will be painful, and the blisters might burst and stick to the socks…”

“I’ll do it. I’ll do it,” Cen Huai Xin said, feeling the pain more acutely just thinking about it.

She preferred to get it over with now.

Cen Huai Ze also chose to have them pierced.

Holding the needle, they hesitated for a while.

Cen Huai’an couldn’t stand the delay and saw that the break time was almost over.

He reached out to Cen Huai Xin, “Give me the needle.”

Cen Huai Xin, feeling intimidated by Cen Huai’an, quickly handed it to him.

Cen Huai’an squatted down and held her ankle.

Cen Huai Xin’s pupils widened in shock as she looked at him and asked, “What… what are you doing?” She pulled her foot back instinctively.

“Don’t move!” Cen Huai’an scolded with a frown and quickly pierced the blisters.

Cen Huai Xin barely felt any pain.

“Is it… over?”

“Not yet.” Cen Huai’an handed her a small tin of medicine, “Can you apply the medicine yourself?”

“Yes, yes!” Cen Huai Xin hurriedly took the medicine, carefully wiped off the fluid from the blisters with a handkerchief, and applied the ointment.

Cen Huai’an then moved to Cen Huai Ze.

Cen Huai Ze had been watching Cen Huai’an and Cen Huai Xin with astonishment, and his surprise had not yet faded.

“Do you need my help too?”

Cen Huai Ze, still holding on to some pride as a boy and as the elder brother, didn’t want to be helped by his younger cousin. “No need.”

He gritted his teeth and pierced the blisters himself.

“Cen…” Cen Huai Xin was about to call out to Cen Huai’an but stopped abruptly.

“That… cousin, your ointment,” she said, feeling embarrassed.

She knew she had a bad temper and had always been rude to Cen Huai’an.

Now, accepting his help made her feel awkward, and she didn’t dare to look at him.

“Let your brother use it too.”

Cen Huai Ze immediately put on his socks, “I don’t need it.”

Cen Huai’an frowned at him, “The wounds might get infected, and you could delay the entire team’s progress.”

Cen Huai Ze started putting on his shoes and remained nonchalant, “Just a few blisters, it’s not as serious as you say! I’m not some delicate girl. I don’t need it.”

Cen Huai’an gave him a deep look, took the ointment from Cen Huai Xin, and turned to leave without saying another word.

Cen Huai Xin quietly said to Cen Huai Ze, “Brother, I think the ointment that cousin brought is good. My feet don’t hurt anymore.”

“What did you call him?”

“Cousin!” Cen Huai Xin said confidently, “He’s my cousin after all. What’s wrong with calling him that?”

Cen Huai Ze gave her a hard poke on the head, “Just a bit of ointment and you’re won over?”

Cen Huai Xin pouted, “And the blisters being pierced. You’re still my brother, and you haven’t done anything, so you’re not in a position to talk about cousins.”

He looked at Cen Huai’an, frowning as he stared at his younger cousin.

He couldn’t understand why Cen Huai’an, who clearly didn’t like him, would still help him.

Cen Huai’an sensed his gaze and directly met his eyes.

Cen Huai Ze quickly averted his gaze, feeling awkward in front of Cen Huai’an.

He no longer felt as confident as he had before.

The remaining training was still exhausting but went relatively smoothly.

The three days of training felt light to the soldiers, largely thanks to the presence of Cen Huai’an and the other young recruits.

“We usually don’t go out for training unless it’s ten days or half a month. But since you guys can’t handle it, it would be a hassle if you were to get seriously tired and cause problems,” one soldier joked.

The soldiers enjoyed teasing Cen Huai’an and talking with Hu Panden and Xiao He. Hu Panden said, “We can still hang on!”

The soldiers laughed, “It doesn’t matter if you think you can hang on. The leaders have decided to go back!”

Although Cen Huai Ze and Cen Huai Xin had wanted to give up multiple times, they had been helped by Cen Huai’an several times, and their comrades also supported them when they couldn’t continue.

Moreover, whenever they tried to speak up, Cen Huai’an’s gaze would immediately turn to them, making them unable to voice their complaints.

Once Cen Huai’an looked away, Cen Huai Ze and Cen Huai Xin felt regretful, questioning why they were so afraid of Cen Huai’an.

It wasn’t just fear; Cen Huai’an had helped them, and they felt embarrassed and unwilling to oppose him.

When they finally reached the camp gate, Cen Huai Xin and Cen Huai Ze simply sat down on the ground, not wanting to move. Even Hu Panden and the others were exhausted, lying on the ground and catching their breath.

Only Cen Huai’an seemed to be in slightly better shape, though he was also very tired and lay down with the others.

It wasn’t until the coach came over and kicked each of them that they got up and went to their dormitories.

The training continued with a cycle of two to three days of camp training followed by three days of field training.

They would train, go out for field training, and then return to train, repeating the cycle.

During their time in the army, they also attended ideological lessons every evening with the soldiers and sang songs during field training.

Through these trainings, the young recruits, including Cen Huai Xin and Cen Huai Ze, had changed significantly.

Their demeanor and expressions showed much more maturity compared to when they first arrived.

Although they still had various small issues, they had improved.

At least they now understood what teamwork and camaraderie meant.

On New Year’s Eve, at the Cen family home, Jiang Shengnan wanted to enjoy making dumplings, but Xi Wang was completely disheartened, missing Cen Huai Ze and Cen Huai Xin.