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墨書 Inktalez
The class leader announced that the Cooking Team had prepared noodles for us, and those soldiers who had just arrived and hadn’t eaten could go to have some. However, due to the ongoing discussions and the approaching noon hour, we decided not to eat. Looking back, it was quite amusing; given the various conditions, the food prepared didn’t always meet expectations. We jokingly referred to it as Steel Wire Rice Noodles or Steel Noodles.
Most of the time, we focused on internal affairs, like making our beds. Once all the soldiers were gathered, formal training began, marking the first step in our military journey—transforming from ordinary youths into qualified soldiers. Morning exercises were essential. Due to the temperature differences in Yunnan, I woke up on the first morning to find everything covered in white and thought it had snowed. As someone from the south who rarely sees snow, I was thrilled, but later learned from the class leader that it was just frost on the plants.
Training started with formations and military posture. In our area, planes flew over frequently, so we used them as time markers for our training sessions. The details of each movement were practiced longer than usual. I had no complaints about my standards in formations and posture; however, A Yu struggled due to his weight, often feeling uncoordinated and clumsy during exercises. Sometimes he was pulled aside for extra practice and faced his share of hardships. But the military is a collective unit; we had to remember unity. If one person made a mistake, everyone would face consequences together. Although there were some initial biases against A Yu, through the class leader’s guidance and corrections in behavior, we gradually began to help each other and integrate as one.
Once we met the requirements for formations and posture, we started incorporating tactical and physical training—this marked the beginning of our nightmares. Every day at four-thirty sharp, I began to truly respect A Yu, this chubby guy from Northeast China. Physical fitness was a weak point for heavier individuals; the military had strict standards regarding time and quantity for physical tests. When he enlisted, he weighed a lot and failed all tests—running, push-ups, sit-ups—coming in last place. Yet he never gave up; he attended every physical training session even when he had a fever or foot pain. I remember one time during a kilometer run when everyone else finished while he was still limping along. We didn’t abandon him; at the finish line, we counted down how many laps he had left—three laps, two laps. In that final lap, I saw him grit his teeth with determination in his eyes as sweat drenched his face, yet he never stopped moving forward—slowly but surely—until he crossed the finish line. At that moment, I thought this embodied the spirit of Chinese soldiers: never giving up.
“If you can’t do it, you must practice; if you don’t understand something, you must learn.” This was a phrase my instructor often repeated. To quickly grow into qualified soldiers with solid skills, we often engaged in voluntary physical training at night.
Initially, we only did basic push-ups and squats. Over time, the difficulty increased—from regular push-ups to high-intensity moves requiring fist support on the ground; simple squats evolved into challenging tasks where we had to carry our partners while completing them. Every night before bed, we would almost completely rehearse these exercises.
Speaking of carrying someone during squats—it was both love-hate! According to regulations, we paired up so one person would sit on top of another's shoulders. Strangely enough, fate seemed to conspire against me; every time we drew lots for partners, I ended up with A Yu. This guy weighed a hefty amount while I barely weighed anything at all. Whenever I saw his massive frame approaching me, a wave of despair washed over me like a tide—it felt overwhelming. Sometimes I couldn’t help but wonder if he had secretly observed my technique in order to end up as my partner repeatedly.
However difficult it was, after each session of physical training ended, there was a unique feeling akin to having gone through a fiery baptism that made all our efforts worthwhile.
Life in the military was simple yet monotonous. Day after day passed until we finally welcomed the ceremony for rank promotion—a sign that we were about to complete our first transformation in military life. Dressed in our new uniforms and gathered in the grand hall as the People's Liberation Army march played, when I received my Private Rank and faced the Military Flag to take my oath at that moment—I knew I would cherish this special experience among my peers forever. That day marked my transition into becoming a soldier.
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