Tan Junzi and the other two stood outside the formation, facing the entire grade and over a dozen instructors. Chang Ying stood at the head of Class One, watching Tan Junzi’s face. She looked so righteous that it felt as if the rest of the grade were the ones being punished.
Instructor Liu looked at them, and they looked back at him. The three of them took turns performing expressions of indifference, solemnity, and docility, looking for all the world like Donald Duck’s three nephews. Their attitude was perfectly upright, but their behavior was absolutely infuriating.
After a long silence, Instructor Liu spoke. "...Did I tell you to stand outside the formation so you could hide in the shade of the trees?"
He waved a hand toward the very center of the track. "Go stand over there."
Although the afternoon sun was no longer directly overhead, the temperature remained high, baking the synthetic track until it smelled of scorched rubber. The soles of their training shoes weren't particularly thick; standing on the track, which seemed to be practically smoking, they could feel the heat radiating up through their feet.
Before heading off to serve their punishment, Yuan Guo raised her hand. "Can I apply some sunscreen? I have a UV allergy." As she spoke, Tan Junzi tugged at her arm.
Instructor Liu snapped, "If you have something to say, shout 'Report' first. You only speak when permitted." He then turned to Tan Junzi. "Did I tell you to move? Why are you pulling her?"
Yuan Guo: "Report, Instructor! May I apply some sunscreen?!"
Tan Junzi: "Report, Instructor! I didn't move!"
Qin Ruanshu: "Report, Instructor! I also need to apply sunscreen!"
Instructor Liu looked at Tan Junzi. "Aren't you going to put some on?"
Tan Junzi: "Report, Instructor! No need! I already put mine on!"
Young Instructor Liu felt he couldn't lose his dignity, but he still couldn't help himself. He looked at Yuan Guo and asked, "You, what's wrong with your belt?"
Yuan Guo said, "The buckle is broken."
"Say it again."
"The buckle is broken!" Yuan Guo thought she lacked momentum, so she shouted it at the top of her lungs. The roar nearly deafened Tan Junzi, leaving her ears ringing.
Without moving her lips, Tan Junzi squeezed out a reminder to Yuan Guo: "You forgot to say 'Report, Instructor.'"
"Say it again!" Instructor Liu was now locked in a battle of wills with Yuan Guo.
"...Report, Instructor! The buckle is broken!"
Then, Instructor Liu slowly turned toward Tan Junzi. "Are you performing ventriloquism for everyone? If you're so worried about her, why don't you eat for her? Why don't you go to the bathroom for her?"
Nearly everyone in the first row of Class One was struggling to suppress their laughter, though for different reasons.
Luo Zihan, for instance, simply found it hilarious to see their former Discipline Monitor getting roasted by the instructor.
Zhang Da thought she looked quite cute, but he also felt a twisted sense of satisfaction seeing Tan Junzi being criticized. He didn't realize this petty malice was already showing in the curl of his lips.
Chang Ying, however, knew Tan Junzi too well. He knew she was practically invulnerable to this kind of criticism. In fact, she was probably thinking: *How could I eat or go to the bathroom for someone else? That’s a technical impossibility.* Yes, she would actually ponder it. It wasn't exactly that she was thick-headed; her brain just worked on a different frequency.
Qin Ke was the only one who didn't laugh. He merely glanced at Tan Junzi and turned his head back, expressionless.
***
Yuan Guo, who had replaced her belt, and Qin Ruanshu, who had finished her sunscreen, were now standing side-by-side with Tan Junzi—who had been dragged into this for no reason—in the dead center of the track.
The various classes of the grade fanned out to conduct small-unit training. As Class One prepared to march off, the instructor shouted, "Squad, attention! Right—turn!"
The entire class turned right, except for Chang Ying, who executed a perfect turn to the left.
Zhang Da was standing next to him. Since Zhang Da turned right and Chang Ying turned left, the two suddenly found themselves face-to-face. Zhang Da felt Chang Ying was so close he could practically lean against his chest, and a wave of revulsion washed over him. He took half a step back, only to step on Luo Zihan’s foot.
He initially thought Chang Ying couldn't tell left from right or had just suffered a brain fart, calling him an idiot in his head. But then he saw the faint, knowing smile on Chang Ying’s face. His lips were pressed into a thin line, and he even quirked an eyebrow at Zhang Da. Zhang Da suddenly realized he had been careless. This kid, Chang Ying, was far too cunning.
Just as Zhang Da expected, Instructor Liu pointed at Chang Ying. "You, step out!"
Chang Ying stepped out obediently, looking perfectly innocent.
"Can't tell left from right, eh? Head's not clear? How should I punish you? Push-ups or standing guard? Take your pick."
"Report, Instructor! Standing guard in the center of the track!" Chang Ying placed extra emphasis on the words "center of the track."
Instructor Liu was stunned. He thought to himself, *What is wrong with kids these days? He’s actually being hard on himself.* He hadn't actually intended to make Chang Ying stand guard; he’d planned to just make him do some push-ups. Any normal person would have chosen that. But since the boy had suggested it himself, he could only say, "Go on then."
Zhang Da silently watched Chang Ying’s back as he walked solemnly toward the center of the track. To anyone else, the silhouette looked normal, but to Zhang Da, it looked arrogant and triumphant. He couldn't help but mutter a "Fuck" under his breath.
***
The three girls were reaching the point of heat-induced delirium. Young Instructor Liu had specifically ordered them to face the sun, forbidding them from turning their backs to it. They had no idea how long they would have to stand there; it was truly despair-inducing.
The three of them closed their eyes. The sun was too fierce; even the brims of their caps couldn't block it out.
There wasn't a breath of wind. Tan Junzi felt sweat trickling from her forehead, down her cheeks to her chin, and then dripping onto the ground. Fortunately, her sunscreen was waterproof.
Suddenly, Tan Junzi felt a small breeze, then another. The piercing sunlight on her face vanished. The stray hairs at her temples swayed in the wind, tickling her cheeks. She opened her eyes, intending to tuck her hair back while Instructor Liu wasn't looking.
Instead, she saw Chang Ying standing right in front of her.
Chang Ying had his head lowered, blowing air directly onto her face. "Hey, wake up."
Seeing her open her eyes, he stopped blowing.
The boy had a casual, nonchalant smile on his face as he stared at her without moving. Tan Junzi was dazed for a moment. Then she snapped out of it.
"Are you crazy? What are you doing here?" Tan Junzi kept her voice low, but she practically wanted to jump up and smack him. She thought he had snuck over. Chang Ying had always been disorganized and undisciplined, but this was too bold. She wondered why the instructor wasn't stopping him.
Chang Ying shifted his position slightly, standing directly in front of her to block the sun. "What are you thinking? I'm here to serve my punishment too."
Completely shielded by his shadow, Tan Junzi whispered, "Why?"
Chang Ying gave her his broad back. "Because I can't tell left from right."
"..." Tan Junzi.
She wasn't stupid. She knew Chang Ying had made a mistake on purpose just to come and accompany her. Standing in his shadow, she felt a mix of worry and anger. "Isn't it hot? Pull your hat down a bit. Oh, are you an idiot?" She really wanted to stomp her foot.
Since Chang Ying was facing away from her, his voice was somewhat muffled. Neither of them dared to chat openly, so his voice was very low and lazy. "It's fine. Not that hot." He didn't respond to the "idiot" comment.
After a while, when things went quiet behind him, Chang Ying wondered if she was angry. Just as he was about to ask, he felt a series of cool little breezes, intermittent and soft, blowing against his sweat-soaked back.
Tan Junzi was puffing out her cheeks, blowing cool air onto Chang Ying’s back. Since she was shielded by him, no one else could see what she was doing.
She saw that his camouflage t-shirt was almost entirely wet and clinging to his back. It had to be so uncomfortable. What if he got heatstroke? Perhaps the shadow of Chang Ying’s frail constitution during their childhood was so large that Tan Junzi still viewed him as someone weak and easily broken. Thus, she blew with all her might.
Chang Ying returned her words to her exactly as they were: "Are you an idiot, Tan Junzi?"
Tan Junzi didn't answer, but the little breezes against his back continued.
Despite the teasing words, the corners of Chang Ying’s mouth curled up. Standing guard was wonderful; he felt refreshed. Those little puffs of air felt as though they were blowing directly onto his heart.
There were certain qualities in Tan Junzi that had always attracted Chang Ying. He couldn't quite describe them, but if he had to, it was a sense of absolute sincerity mixed with a touch of clumsiness. It wasn't an annoying clumsiness. He called it "Tan Junzi-style silliness."
He remembered a time back in middle school when they went to KFC to buy drinks. There were often homeless grandfathers or elderly scavengers in KFC, especially in the summer; they would order the cheapest drink just to sit inside and enjoy the air conditioning.
That time, such a homeless man was sitting at the table next to them. He had a strong, sour odor and carried a massive, tattered woven bag.
After sitting down, the man counted his money. After a long struggle, he finally scraped together enough coins to buy an iced cola. Then, while taking tiny sips of his drink, he pulled out an old newspaper. From his bag, he fished out a graphite pencil lead that no longer had a wooden casing and began doing the crossword puzzle in the entertainment section. The old man ate a steamed bun he had brought with him. The staff were kind people; they turned a blind eye and didn't bother him.
After they had sat for a while, Tan Junzi frowned and began rummaging through her backpack. Chang Ying thought she was going to buy the man a burger or something. Instead, she pulled out her pencil case, took out a mechanical pencil, loaded it with several leads, and handed it to the old man.
"Please use this to write."
Later, after they left KFC, Chang Ying asked her why she hadn't bought him a burger instead of giving him a pencil.
Tan Junzi had a sudden realization. "Oh, right. You have a point. I didn't think of that just now."
In truth, whether one gave money or food, both were the actions of a kind and soft-hearted person; there was no hierarchy of virtue. But Chang Ying simply liked the Tan Junzi who gave the old man a pencil.
At this very moment...
Qin Ruanshu felt she might as well let the sun blind her, because the two people next to her were unbearable to look at. They were supposed to be serving a punishment, so why did it feel like a scene from a TV drama? The boy shielding the girl from the sun, the girl blowing air for the boy. It was strange yet tender.
Yuan Guo clicked her tongue and moved a bit further away from them. To her, the two of them seemed to be bathed in a holy light, practically sacrosanct. It was more blinding than the sun itself.
On the other side of the track, Liu Kan, who was practicing the goose-step in formation, saw Chang Ying walk to the center of the track to act as a parasol for Tan Junzi. He thought to himself, *Holy crap, Brother Chang is too good at this. So smart. Brilliant.* Consequently, Liu Kan intentionally messed up his goose-step, swinging the wrong arm and leg. He was immediately pulled out by the instructor.
"Report, Instructor! May I go stand guard now?" Liu Kan couldn't quite hide his excitement, and this trace of smugness was successfully caught by the instructor.
The instructor said, "Do you think I'm stupid? Putting two boys together so you can have a chat?"
The instructor pointed to a deserted corner of the track. "Go stand over there. Face the wall!"
And so, the four people standing in the center of the track watched as a dejected Liu Kan trudged out from his class formation to stand all alone in the far corner. Facing the wall. Yuan Guo sighed inwardly; she was glad she had broken up with this idiot.
Then Qin Ke also stepped out of the formation. For a split second, Yuan Guo felt a spark of expectation, her eyes following him. She watched as Qin Ke strolled leisurely toward the brick restroom building at the edge of the field. He didn't even spare a glance in their direction.
***
Inside the military administration building overlooking the training grounds, a senior leader had arrived to inspect the base. A Lieutenant General was currently reporting to the old Chief.
The Lieutenant General happened to look out the window at the center of the track. He saw a young man who looked somewhat familiar, and his train of thought stuttered for a moment.
Chang Sheng noticed the Lieutenant General’s distraction and felt a bit displeased. He followed the man's gaze to the track. Then he froze.
"Chief, is that your grandson?" the Lieutenant General asked. He had seen Chang Ying a few times when the boy was younger.
Chang Sheng’s expression turned grim. He felt it was a disgrace; his eldest grandson was here for military training and had been caught and punished. Not only was he being punished, but he had a strange smile on his face—his attitude was completely improper!
"I'll go speak with the instructor," the Lieutenant General offered, but Chang Sheng stopped him.
"No need. A grown man shouldn't need someone else to plead for him just for standing guard. It's embarrassing. Besides, there should be no special treatment in the military. Let him stand there."
After the Lieutenant General left, Chang Sheng leaned against the window for a closer look. He saw Tan Junzi standing behind Chang Ying and slowly exhaled a sentence: "...No wonder. That brat!"
What a fine "bitter toil" ruse. Only Tan Zhengqi’s silly granddaughter would be fooled so completely. Then, Chang Sheng thought to himself: *As expected of my grandson!*
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 豆腐块儿 | tofu blocks | A term for blankets folded into perfect, sharp-edged squares. |
| 小马扎儿 | folding stools | Small, portable stools often used in military or outdoor settings. |
| 作训鞋 | training shoes | Standard-issue athletic shoes for military drills. |
| 腹语 | ventriloquism | Speaking without moving one's lips. |
| 顺拐 | swinging the same arm and leg | A common mistake in marching where the arm and leg on the same side move together. |
| 苦肉计 | "bitter toil" ruse / the ruse of self-injury | A strategy from the Thirty-Six Stratagems where one inflicts pain on oneself to deceive an opponent or gain sympathy. |
| 谈正气 | Tan Zhengqi | Likely the name of Tan Junzi's grandfather. |
