Chapter 5: Grass Grows

After arriving at the base, the teacher in charge handed over the new students to the drill instructors. This was followed by a military training orientation meeting that lasted until 7 PM, after which they lined up to go to the cafeteria for dinner.

The drill instructors all acted cold and intimidating, clearly intending to establish discipline among the newly arrived students.

Some students had initially arrived at the base full of excitement, with unrealistic expectations about military training and a sense of novelty about the upcoming group life. However, they were quickly hit with the harsh reality, leaving them feeling dejected and mournful about not being able to return home at night.

But they were no longer children. They understood the basic rules, and those with any sense knew better than to attract attention and risk being the first to be made an example of.

In the cafeteria, the only sounds were of chewing and the occasional clatter of utensils.

After dinner, they lined up again by class to form training groups and held another discipline meeting.

It was late at night by the time everything finally ended, and the students were sent back to their assigned ten-person dormitories.

The base was in the suburbs, built into the mountains, and the place was full of mosquitoes. Although mosquito coils were already burning in the dormitories, the buzzing continued unabated.

Bo Ren and Zou Ji were assigned to the same mosquito-infested dormitory. As soon as they returned, the group of boys rushed to fetch hot water, gathering together to cook the most delicious instant noodles, too hungry to even speak.

“The cafeteria food, I swear, even pigs wouldn’t take an extra bite,” complained the pampered young master Zou Ji, who was already on the verge of a breakdown after just a few hours at the base.

Slurping his noodles with a sob, he said, “I miss home so much, I miss my mom.”

His phone had been confiscated as soon as they arrived at the base.

“There’s a public phone you can use,” Bo Ren, who didn’t have a phone of his own, said. “Do you want to go?”

Zou Ji replied, “No, there must be a long line.”

He then asked Bo Ren, “Are you going? If you go, I’ll wait in line with you and make a call too.”

Bo Ren said, “No, there’s no one at home. My mom’s working the night shift, and my dad’s in Haijin helping my brother settle into university.”

Zou Ji remembered that Bo Ren had mentioned before that his mom worked at a hospital as a nurse. He asked, “So your brother got into a university in Haijin? Which one?”

“Haijin University of Technology,” Bo Ren replied with a hint of pride in his voice as he spoke about his brother, who had been accepted into a prestigious university. “He’s studying mechanical engineering, the best major at the university.”

Zou Ji made an appropriately envious sound and said, “If I could get into Haijin University of Technology, my parents would be burning incense in gratitude.”

Bo Ren said, “My parents did that. The day the college entrance exam results came out, my dad rushed back to our hometown to burn incense at our ancestors’ graves, sincerely thanking the eighteen generations of our ancestors for blessing us with such a brilliant scholar. When the university’s acceptance letter arrived, he threw a three-day banquet, hung banners in our neighborhood, set off fireworks, and even hired a lion dance and yangko team to perform.”

“…” Zou Ji almost snorted noodles out of his nose and said, “Was it really that exaggerated?”

Bo Ren said, “Not exaggerated at all. If I hadn’t been so embarrassed and adamantly refused, my dad was planning to rent the fattest, strongest chestnut horse and have my brother ride it, dressed in traditional top scholar attire with a red flower sash, parading through the busiest commercial district in Yunzhou.”

Zou Ji laughed so hard he couldn’t eat anymore, and another classmate nearby, catching on to the key detail, asked, “Wait, shouldn’t your brother have been the one embarrassed? Why were you the one embarrassed and refusing?”

Bo Ren sighed and said, “Because a key part of my dad’s plan was for me to dress up as a bookboy and lead the horse for my brother.”

This time, not only did Zou Ji spit out his noodles, but the other roommates also burst into laughter.

The laughter from their dorm spread to the surrounding rooms, causing students from other dorms to peek out in curiosity.

In the dorm next door, Yang Qiao, who had just hung up his mosquito net and was getting ready to sleep, also heard the laughter. He guessed that Bo Ren was telling one of his 108 amusing stories again… and found himself missing Bo Ren’s playful antics just a little bit.

Being with Bo Ren was never boring.

But right now, Yang Qiao was having a small crisis. How is there still a mosquito inside the net?! he thought in despair. Resigned, he put his glasses back on and began searching for the sneaky mosquito that had somehow slipped through.

Overall, the conditions at the base were much better than the last time they had been there for military training during middle school. At least now the dorms had air conditioning, the shower rooms had plenty of showerheads installed, and there were even a few not-so-great but still somewhat useful cooling fans by the training grounds. Compared to the facilities three years ago, there had been significant improvements.

However, with these improved conditions came much harsher training. High school military training was more than ten times tougher than it had been in middle school. They had to wake up earlier, go to bed later, and endure a much more intense training regimen.

The wake-up call was at 5:50 AM, followed by morning exercises at 6:00. After that, they returned to their dorms to tidy up, had breakfast at 7:30, and began military drills at 8:00. Lunch was at noon, but not before they had to line up and sing military songs.

During the precious one-hour lunch break, the boys’ dormitory was filled with the sight of exhausted students sprawled out like dead dogs, sleeping as if they had been knocked out.

Training resumed in the afternoon, and in the evening, there were meetings and study sessions that lasted until 9:30 PM.

After a long 24 hours, the first official day of military training finally came to an end.

Zou Ji, who was too tired even to cry, sat dazed on a small stool and accurately described his condition: “I feel like I’ve been sun-dried into a human jerky.”

The other nine “human jerkies” in the dorm agreed.

Bo Ren had also been thoroughly sunburned, but his physical and mental endurance was better than Zou Ji’s. The day’s training was still within his tolerable range, so he had enough energy left to maintain some semblance of normal life.

After taking a shower, he returned with a basin and went to the communal washroom to clean the dirty clothes he had just changed out of.

As soon as he entered the washroom, he spotted Yang Qiao.

The boys were staying in a group dormitory, and since it was summer, most of them were shirtless during their pre-bedtime routines. Some even roamed the halls wearing only their underwear.

Bo Ren was wearing just his athletic shorts, his upper body bare.

Yang Qiao, however, was more conservative. He was neatly dressed in a camouflage tank top, having likely already showered, and was wearing his own pajama pants. He stood at the sink brushing his teeth, but he was so sleepy that his eyelids were drooping, and the toothpaste foam was dangerously close to dripping onto his tank top.

Bo Ren walked over to another sink, turned on the faucet, and after a moment’s thought, scooped up some water with his hand and flicked it at Yang Qiao.

“!” Yang Qiao jerked upright, hurriedly wiping the foam from his chin with the back of his hand. He looked around to see what had happened.

Bo Ren pretended as if nothing had happened, nonchalantly washing his clothes.

Yang Qiao, without his glasses on, couldn’t clearly see Bo Ren. There were also other people in the washroom, so he wasn’t sure where the water had come from. He blinked his big, dazed eyes, full of question marks, and then turned back to continue brushing his teeth, still puzzled.

Bo Ren sneaked several glances at him, feeling a familiar sense of closeness. Despite the long time they hadn’t seen each other, Yang Qiao’s behavior hadn’t changed at all—he was still the same as before, as if he had never left.

Since he was very young, Yang Qiao had always been slow-paced, as if nothing could rush him. He spoke and acted slowly, always deep in thought, and though he was very smart, he was physically uncoordinated. This was evident in how his actions often lagged a few seconds behind his thoughts.

Bo Ren thought of him as a cartoon character with a lagging frame rate.

Starting around fourth grade, Yang Qiao’s vision had gradually worsened. It wasn’t surprising—he was not only diligent in his studies but also loved reading extracurricular books. He would read while eating, before bed, even while walking, and by the time he reached middle school, his myopia had reached 500 degrees.

With his poor eyesight, possibly because his ability to receive information through his eyes had slowed down, his reactions also became slower. It got to the point where, sometimes when Bo Ren talked to him, Yang Qiao would first respond with a confused “Huh?” before finally processing what was said.

In the past, Bo Ren really liked this aspect of Yang Qiao’s personality. To him, back then, Yang Qiao had no flaws, and being slow-paced was just another good trait.

But now, things were different. Bo Ren almost wished that Yang Qiao would become a bit more irritable. If Yang Qiao could get angry and argue with him when being ignored, perhaps things would be better.

On the fourth day of military training, the squads were reorganized.

This time, Bo Ren and Yang Qiao were placed in the same squad, even ending up in the same row.

Bo Ren was the second tallest in the squad, with the tallest boy standing as the first in the front row, while Bo Ren was assigned by the instructor to stand as the first in the second row.

“You,” the instructor pointed to someone else, “you stand second in the second row.”

Bo Ren, maintaining a strict military posture, only slightly turned his head to see who was standing next to him after the person had taken their place.

Yang Qiao, who had taken the spot next to him, also turned his head to look at Bo Ren. When he saw Bo Ren glancing at him, Yang Qiao hurriedly offered a small smile.

Bo Ren: “…”

Bo Ren immediately stiffened his neck, looking straight ahead, not willing to spare even a sliver of his attention on Yang Qiao.

However, the instructor soon realized he had misjudged the heights and moved Yang Qiao to the third position in the second row, replacing him with another boy who was taller than Yang Qiao but shorter than Bo Ren. Bo Ren didn’t recognize this boy, but since they were in the same squad, he was likely also a classmate.

After that, they began drill practice. It was another scorching day, and Bo Ren, having not slept well the night before, gradually felt dizzy and lightheaded during the training. He suspected he might be suffering from heatstroke and should have raised his hand to request a break, but his pride wouldn’t let him give in. He gritted his teeth and persevered until the mid-session break when he finally rushed to a cooling fan and gulped down more than half a cup of water, slowly starting to feel better.

The squad members stood under the large poplar trees lining the edge of the field, enjoying the cooling fans and temporarily escaping the scorching sun.

“Hey, are you Bo Ren?” A boy suddenly walked up to Bo Ren and said, “You’re Bo Ren, right?”

Bo Ren nodded. This was the same boy who had been standing next to him during the drill.

The boy, who had been annoyed for a while, got straight to the point, “Did I accidentally step on your foot or something? Why have you been glaring at me during the whole training?”

Bo Ren, just starting to recover from his dizziness, felt a surge of anger and snapped, “Who was glaring at you? Stop flattering yourself.”

As their voices grew louder, the surrounding students began to quiet down. Sensing something was off, they paused their conversations and turned to watch.

Yang Qiao had been sitting alone at the base of a tree, cleaning his glasses on his camouflage uniform while resting cross-legged in a daze. Hearing the commotion nearby and recognizing Bo Ren’s voice in the argument, he hesitated before standing up. In his rush, he didn’t notice that the glasses he had just cleaned slipped from his lap onto the sandy ground. He didn’t even bother to dust off his pants before pushing through the crowd of students to reach the center of the conflict.

“Hey, we’re all classmates. Don’t fight. Let’s talk this out calmly,” Yang Qiao said as he approached, trying to mediate.

Bo Ren and the other boy were both on edge, and when Bo Ren saw Yang Qiao coming over, his first instinct was to keep him out of it. In a harsh tone, he barked, “This has nothing to do with you. Get lost!”

But the other boy, seeing this, was indignant. “What’s your problem? Why are you so aggressive? Are you trying to bully your classmates?”

With that, he even stepped in front of Yang Qiao, physically blocking the space between him and Bo Ren.

Bo Ren was at a loss for words, thinking, You’re the one with the problem!

The boy was shorter than Bo Ren but more solidly built. He scolded Bo Ren, “I won’t hold it against you for those glares, but I advise you not to go looking for trouble. Military training is tough, but that doesn’t mean you can take it out on your classmates.”

This guy really seems righteous… Bo Ren suddenly felt like he was in the wrong. He definitely didn’t intend to glare at an innocent classmate for no reason. During training, he had glared at Yang Qiao several times over this guy’s shoulder, so it was understandable that the boy standing between them misunderstood. The other guy probably wasn’t even trying to start a fight; he just wanted to clear up the misunderstanding. Bo Ren realized he shouldn’t have let his emotions get the better of him and had overreacted a bit.

After thinking it over, he decided to apologize and end this pointless argument.

But just then, Yang Qiao, with his poor eyesight that couldn’t catch subtle expressions, didn’t notice the change in Bo Ren’s demeanor. He didn’t realize that Bo Ren was about to take the high road. All Yang Qiao heard was their conversation, and he was worried the conflict might escalate. But knowing that Bo Ren had strong feelings against him, he thought intervening might make things worse.

So, Yang Qiao said to the other boy, “Um… Luo Lin, calm down. Don’t take it out on him.”

“!” Bo Ren’s anger flared up again, and he snapped, “Hey, what do you mean by that? Are you taking sides?”

Yang Qiao, confused, responded, “Huh? No, I’m not.”

The boy named Luo Lin also got angry and said to Bo Ren, “Why are you picking on someone weaker? Come at me instead, don’t bully my roommate.”

Oh, great. Just great. Bo Ren finally understood—they were roommates, close buddies in the same dorm.

Bo Ren exploded with frustration. He pointed angrily at Yang Qiao, thinking, Just wait, Yang Qiao. Just you wait.

Yang Qiao tried to explain, “I really didn’t mean it like that.”

But Bo Ren turned and ran off.

Huh? Luo Lin, who had been ready for a full-on confrontation, was left completely bewildered when his opponent just walked away.

All the other students’ eyes followed Bo Ren as he ran over to the drill instructor.

“Is he a little kid?” Luo Lin said, exasperated. “Is he seriously going to tattle?”

Yang Qiao: “…”

Bo Ren wasn’t going to tattle, of course. He earnestly told the instructor that he urgently needed to switch places for the rest of the training. If he could be moved to another squad altogether, that would be even better.

The instructor, who had already noticed Bo Ren bickering with a classmate from a distance, asked coldly, “Why? Give me a reason.”

Bo Ren, fuming, said, “I don’t want to train with certain people! I need to stay far away from him!”

By “him,” Bo Ren was obviously referring to Yang Qiao.

But the instructor clearly misunderstood.

Ten minutes later.

Bo Ren and Luo Lin stood side by side on the edge of the training field, holding hands while maintaining a military posture.

The expressions on their faces were a colorful mix of emotions, twisted with discomfort.

As the squads continued their training, students passing by them struggled to suppress their laughter while marching in step.

Poor Luo Lin couldn’t stop muttering his complaints, “You’re nuts, seriously. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“…” Bo Ren was overwhelmed with guilt and said, “I’m sorry. I’ve already apologized to you several times. I didn’t know it would turn out like this. I’m really, really sorry.”