“Dad, Mom, it’s New Year’s Eve today, and the New Year is tomorrow. Shouldn’t we bring Xiaoze, Xin Xin, and Anan back to celebrate?” Xi Wang couldn’t understand why her in-laws were so heartless, showing no concern for their grandchildren.

“There are so many soldiers who can’t go home for the New Year. Having them accompany Xiaoze and the others, this year’s New Year will be livelier than being at home,” Cen’s father said dismissively, not paying much attention to Xi Wang’s concerns.

Xi Wang wanted to say more, but Cen Zhengshi stopped her, “Let’s just make the dumplings. We can send them to Xiaoze and the others.”

Xi Wang glared at him, but Cen Zhengshi didn’t mind.

Chuxia focused on making dumplings, preparing the filling that Anan liked, waiting to send them to Cen Huai’an.

As for Cen Zhengshi and Xi Wang, she didn’t care about them.

Chuxia made many dumplings, packed them in food boxes, and handed them to Cen’s father, saying, “Dad, tell Anan that if the dumplings are boiled and sent, they’ll be cold. It would taste better if cooked at the camp. Let him share them with his friends, the coach, and the other soldiers.”

Cen’s father took the boxes and glanced at Xi Wang and Cen Zhengshi, “Are your dumplings ready?”

Xi Wang wanted Cen Zhengshi to speak up and ask about the children, at least to bring them back.

But Cen Zhengshi didn’t say anything and handed the packed dumplings to Cen’s father, “Dad, these are for Xiaoze and Xin Xin. Make sure they share them with others.”

Cen’s father ignored Xi Wang’s unspoken words, took the two food boxes, and left.

Jiang Shengnan didn’t even get to follow, let alone Xi Wang.

Xi Wang, angry, pinched Cen Zhengshi’s waist and left the kitchen.

However, Chuxia wasn’t lenient.

During the New Year’s Eve dinner preparation, she directly called Xi Wang and Cen Zhengshi to help.

Xi Wang complained, “Men shouldn’t be doing cooking chores.”

Jiang Shengnan replied, “The men in my family all work. Zhengshi did when he was young.”

Chuxia, while chopping vegetables, said, “If you don’t work, you don’t eat. Zhengshi and Anan know my rules.”

Xi Wang frowned, clearly puzzled.

Cen Zhengshi grabbed Xi Wang’s hand, “Stop complaining and help out.”

Seeing Cen Zhengshi already taking vegetables to wash, Xi Wang had no choice but to help.

The New Year’s Eve dinner was eventually prepared in a strange atmosphere.

When Cen’s father returned, he appeared tired and seemed to have caught a cold from the outside.

But beyond looking worn out, Cen’s father had a satisfied look in his eyes.

Xi Wang, unable to wait, hurried to Cen’s father to ask about Cen Huai Ze and Cen Huai Xin.

“They’re doing well at the training camp, making and cooking dumplings with the soldiers. It’s livelier than at home.”

“Dad, I wasn’t asking about New Year’s. I was asking how they’ve been doing recently.”

Cen’s father replied, “That’s what I meant. They’re doing well, better than if they were with you two.”

“Dad, what about Anan? Has he mentioned missing home?” Chuxia also missed Cen Huai’an and was worried since he had been away for so long.

“No. Anan seems to have grown a lot. He’s doing well there.”

Chuxia, although not completely at ease, was less worried than before when there was no news at all.

The New Year’s Eve dinner was quieter without the children, and other families who had sent their kids for training felt the same.

There was a slight regret, but it was soon forgotten after the meal.

Cen’s father brought back messages from each child and their letters to their parents.

For other families, the letters were delivered by guards, but after the New Year’s Eve dinner, Cen’s father personally handed them to Chuxia, Cen Zhengshi, and Xi Wang.

Cen’s father had read Cen Huai Ze and Cen Huai Xin’s letters beforehand to see if they were complaining or mentioning any hardships and whether they had made any progress over the month.

They had certainly complained, but they didn’t ask to be brought home, which Cen’s father was very satisfied with.

He didn’t worry about Cen Huai’an and didn’t read his letter.

Chuxia read it, but after reading it, she felt even more upset.

Cen Huai’an’s letter didn’t mention a single word about the hardships of the training or field exercises.

It only talked about interesting things during training and field exercises, without mentioning any of the difficulties.

Chuxia, who had experienced military training herself, knew that army training was tougher and more exhausting than regular military training, with field exercises being even more demanding.

But Cen Huai’an didn’t mention any of it, not wanting to make her worry.

Chuxia felt her eyes becoming misty and even wanted to run to Cen Huai’an immediately and hug him.

Chuxia composed herself and began writing a letter to Cen Huai’an.

Little Zhu would deliver the letters to the children the next day.

…..

Cen Huaize was once again infuriated by Cen Huaxin.

When the break time ended, everyone continued on their journey.

At the beginning, when leaving the camp, a few energetic individuals, including Hu Panden, would sing military songs with the soldiers.

But as time went on, not only did they stop singing, they didn’t even feel like talking.

They had never been this exhausted in their lives.

The bedding and luggage on their backs felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, making it hard to stand up straight.

The boys with good stamina were struggling, let alone Cen Huaxin, who had long been completely worn out.

Now her luggage was being carried by Cen Huai’an, along with Xiao He’s.

Cen Huaize was also extremely tired but didn’t want to lose face, so he gritted his teeth and persevered.

The coach was quite surprised that the kids managed to hold on till now.

He credited his wisdom in choosing Cen Huai’an as the squad leader.

During the journey, Cen Huaxin and Cen Huaize almost lay down on the road, refusing to move.

Cen Huai’an suggested that he take on Cen Huaxin’s luggage and that Xiao He help carry it too.

He also encouraged everyone with extra strength to help each other, saying, “We are a team. Regardless of previous conflicts, our goal now is to reach the destination together! Not a single person falls behind!”

Hu Panden and others cheered, “Not a single person falls behind!”

Cen Huai’an looked at Cen Huaize and said, “If you really can’t carry it anymore, just speak up. We will help you.”

When he said this, it was as if addressing a true subordinate, without any personal emotions involved.

The coach was very satisfied and said to his fellow soldiers, “Did you see? This is the squad leader I chose. If he joins the army, he’ll definitely be a great leader!”

His comrades nodded in agreement, “You have good judgment. The brother and sister clearly have conflicts with him, yet he managed to resolve them and lead everyone forward. His ability is commendable.”

In reality, Cen Huai’an didn’t use any special methods; he just employed a bit of psychological tactics on Cen Huaize.

Cen Huaize’s proud, self-centered, and arrogant nature made him especially sensitive to losing face in front of peers, especially those he considered rivals.

The humiliation was worse than death.

Cen Huaxin, on the other hand, was helped by Cen Huai’an and was scared of him.

With her luggage shared, she knew that if she continued to act out, Cen Huai’an might use other methods rather than just accommodating her.

At night, when they camped outdoors, everyone started learning how to set up tents from the soldiers who could do it, with the coach demonstrating as well.

By the time they had their compressed ration dinner and settled into the tents, it was already very late.

The compressed rations didn’t taste as good as home-cooked meals, but they were filling.

They even got canned pork and rice.

The young ones were so hungry their stomachs were growling.

They didn’t care if the military rations were tasty or not; they just wanted to eat.

Other soldiers had to stay on guard because Cen Huai’an and the others were still very young.

If Cen Huai’an hadn’t been so steady and smart, and if he hadn’t trained in martial arts, the coach wouldn’t have made him the squad leader due to their young age.

So, the young ones didn’t have to stay on guard and could sleep well.

It was impractical to have one tent per person; it was perfectly fine for ten or more people to sleep in one tent.

Cen Huaxin, being a girl, slept with the female soldiers who were also part of the training camp.

That night, while Cen Huai’an was sleeping soundly, he was suddenly awoken by someone.

He opened his eyes and saw Xiao He squatting in front of him.

Sitting up, he realized it was Xiao He.

“What’s wrong?”

Xiao He hurriedly said, “An’an, you need to check on Cen Huaize. He seems to have a fever.”

Xiao He had been sleeping next to Cen Huaize and, disturbed by Cen Huaize’s faint moans and signs of pain throughout the night, couldn’t wake him up.

He noticed Cen Huaize was sweating heavily and felt extremely hot.

“I’ll check it out. You go outside and inform the guard soldiers.”

Xiao He immediately went out, and Cen Huai’an took out his small flashlight to check Cen Huaize.

His face was red, and from the warmth on his forehead, it was clear he had a high fever.

Soon, the guard soldiers arrived with the accompanying military doctor.

The other people in the tent were also woken up by the commotion.

“He indeed has a fever,” the doctor said, taking Cen Huaize’s temperature with a thermometer, which showed 38.5°C (101.3°F).

Cen Huai’an added, “During the day, he had blisters on his feet which he didn’t treat after bursting.”

The doctor examined Cen Huaize’s feet, which had blisters filled with fluid and blood, stuck to the socks.

It was a distressing sight.

“It’s likely an infection from the injury. We’ll start by giving him some medication. Is he allergic to any medication?”

Cen Huai’an and the others shook their heads.

The doctor had to wake Cen Huaize to ask him, but he was too groggy to answer clearly.

Eventually, Cen Huaxin, who knew the situation best, was also called over.

With so much noise, the coach also woke up and entered the tent.

“My brother isn’t allergic to any medication,” Cen Huaxin said.

Only then did the doctor administer the medication and treat the foot injury.

After giving Cen Huaize antipyretics, the doctor told Cen Huai’an, “Monitor him for the next two hours. If the fever doesn’t subside, come find me.”

The doctor left, and everyone else exited the tent.

Cen Huaxin was worried since it was her older brother.

The person she trusted most here was Cen Huai’an, so she asked him in a softer tone for the first time, “Cousin, will my brother be okay?”

Her face showed concern for her brother’s condition.

Even though she was willful and temperamental, she wasn’t so heartless as to remain indifferent when her brother was sick.

Cen Huai’an replied, “You need to trust the military doctor.”

Cen Huaxin couldn’t stay in the tent any longer.

The coach also told her to go back quickly, “Your brother is being taken care of by us. You don’t need to stay here; go get some rest.”

Cen Huaxin had no choice but to leave.

In the tent, Cen Huai’an and Xiao He switched places.

Cen Huai’an slept next to Cen Huaize, and the coach slept on the other side.

Neither Cen Huai’an nor the coach slept well.

They woke up periodically to check Cen Huaize’s temperature.

The coach told Cen Huaize, “You need to sleep. I’m here. How can you manage tomorrow’s training if you don’t rest well?”

Cen Huaize replied, “Coach, I’m fine.”

Fortunately, two hours later, Cen Huaize’s body temperature dropped, and Cen Huai’an could finally relax and sleep.

As the squad leader, he needed to shoulder his responsibilities.

Due to his biological clock, Cen Huai’an woke up early.

The coach had already left the tent.

Cen Huai’an sat up and reached out to check Cen Huaize’s temperature.

As soon as his hand touched Cen Huaize’s forehead, Cen Huaize opened his eyes.

Initially, Cen Huaize was still groggy, but when he recognized Cen Huai’an and his actions, his eyes widened as he recalled the events of the previous night.

Cen Huai’an, with a calm expression, withdrew his hand and said, “You’re not burning up anymore. I hope you’ll listen to me as the squad leader from now on and not cause trouble for the whole squad.”

After saying this, he got up to pack his things, ignoring Cen Huaize, who was left there puzzled about his actions.

Cen Huaize’s face was a mix of red and white, filled with confusion.

If it were him, he would never help someone with whom he had conflicts.

How did Cen Huai’an manage to help him without showing any resentment?

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 Xiaohe.

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.

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.