Chapter 38: A Memory’s Echo

As per regulations, students were required to gather for evening drills at 7 PM. However, the evening exercises were considerably more relaxed. For one, the absence of the sun made it much cooler. Secondly, there was little emphasis on formation drills; instead, students primarily sat on the ground, chatting and singing military songs.

The boys’ side, perhaps due to their more exuberant hormones, sang with considerably louder voices. In contrast, the girls’ side was much softer, with Lin Duo’s voice barely a whisper, like a mosquito’s hum.

During a break in the singing, the girl next to Lin Duo initiated a conversation.

“I always feel like your skin is overly pale. Is it due to sun sensitivity?”

“No, not really. It’s always been this way since I was little,” Lin Duo replied softly.

“Is that so? I actually envy your fair, delicate skin. It’s especially photogenic.”

Another girl leaned in.

“Exactly! My skin has always been on the darker side. I’ve tried so many skincare products, but nothing works. It’s so frustrating!”

“Pfft, you know what? You could perfectly blend into the night. If you didn’t speak, I wouldn’t even know you were there!”

“Hey, hey, is it really okay to roast me like that?”

Listening to the casual chatter of the girls around her, Lin Duo’s thoughts slowly began to detach from her body. They drifted upwards, soaring high, tracing the imprints of time as they rewound further and further back.

****

Three years ago.

It was the freshman military training day for Linhuang City’s Fourth Junior High. The instructor had finally managed to get the lively, restless children to grudgingly form a semblance of a proper queue before announcing a break.

At that time, Lin Duo was only 12 years old. He had been taking medication for over a year, and coupled with a lack of exercise since childhood, his physical stamina was already inferior to that of his male peers. He sat on the ground, breathing slightly heavily.

Just then, a boy next to him, shorter in stature but quite robust, leaned over to chat.

“Hey, you’re quite fair-skinned, kid. If you didn’t have short hair and weren’t standing in our boys’ queue, I’d probably mistake you for a girl.”

These words brought a small flutter of happiness to young Lin Duo.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, but guys like you are pretty popular now, they call them ‘fresh meat’ or something. Oh, by the way, I’m Gao Tianshu. What’s your name?”

“I’m Lin Duo. Lin, as in ‘double wood,’ and Duo, as in ‘many’ or ‘much.’”

“Do you play basketball? After military training, let’s go play on the court. I even brought my basketball specifically for it.”

“I don’t know how…”

“It’s fine! We’ll just mess around. You’ll learn by playing!”

The two children chatted idly, and young Lin Duo’s heart swelled with joy. He thought he had successfully made a new friend even before classes officially started.

Unexpectedly, a familiar voice rang out just then.

“Gao Tianshu, why are you talking to this transvestite?”

Young Lin Duo’s heart sank. He turned to look, and it was indeed one of his former classmates from elementary school.

Linhuang City was not a particularly large prefecture-level city, so encountering elementary school classmates in junior high was not uncommon.

Gao Tianshu paused, startled by the remark.

“Transvestite? What do you mean?”

“It means this guy always wanted to be a woman,” the elementary school classmate added, gloating. “He said it himself in front of the whole class in second grade, that he wanted to be a girl. Pfft, disgusting!”

Gao Tianshu looked at Lin Duo in surprise.

“Is this true? Why do you want to be a girl?”

Again, the elementary school classmate spoke up.

“Who knows? Anyway, he’s a pervert, that’s for sure. And this guy is really antisocial; he never plays with us boys. Instead, he likes to crowd around the girls. That’s why everyone in our elementary class liked to tease him.”

Upon hearing these words, Gao Tianshu’s gaze toward Lin Duo rapidly shifted from initial friendliness to deep disdain.

“He really is a dead transvestite, refusing to be a proper boy.”

Several other boys, hearing the conversation, also came to join in the fun.

“Lin Duo, right? So why don’t you wear a skirt to school? Aren’t girls supposed to wear skirts?”

“Haha, exactly! He should also have long hair and wear pigtails, right?”

“I can’t believe there’s a dead transvestite like this among the new students. How disgusting!”

Amidst the laughter and insults, Lin Duo hugged his knees, lowered his head, and tried to escape it all like an ostrich. Yet, tears began to well in his eyes.

****

“Lin Duo? Lin Duo? Lin Duo!”

“Ah? What is it?” The voice of the girl next to her pulled Lin Duo back from her memories.

The girl pointed to the instructor ahead.

“Those naughty boys unanimously nominated you to sing! Just sing any song!”

Time rewound two minutes.

Instructor Chen decided to lighten the mood with a small activity.

“Who among you sings well? Step forward and perform for everyone!”

The students exchanged glances, but for a moment, no one stepped up.

Instructor Chen’s face darkened.

“What’s there to be shy about singing? It’s not like I’m sending you to war. I’ll count to ten, and if no one volunteers, I’ll make all of you run three laps around the field!”

Just as Instructor Chen counted down to ‘5,’ an unknown voice from the boys’ group shouted.

“Lin Duo is our class’s arts and culture representative! She sings beautifully!”

“That’s right! We want to hear her sing!” another boy chimed in, egging her on.

Instructor Chen scanned the students before him.

“Who among you is Lin Duo? Step over here!”

Lin Duo was currently spacing out and didn’t respond, so the girl next to her had to remind her.

Although Lin Duo felt a bit bewildered, the instructor was indeed staring at her. She had no choice but to brace herself, stand up, and walk over to where he stood.

When Instructor Chen saw Lin Duo, a smile involuntarily surfaced in his eyes.

“You little rascals, you clearly just want to get a few more glances at a pretty female classmate, don’t you?”

The boys below offered sheepish smiles.

Then, he turned to Lin Duo.

“Regardless, you’re already up here. Just sing anything, any popular song will do.”

Lin Duo stood facing the entire class, feeling a little timid. She cleared her throat softly and began to sing a familiar, popular tune.

Unexpectedly, Instructor Chen frowned.

“Louder! Even I, standing right next to you, can barely hear!”

Lin Duo had no choice but to steel herself and project her voice as much as possible.

Due to her nervousness and the lack of any sound equipment, Lin Duo’s singing was only mediocre; it certainly wouldn’t have made a mentor turn their chair. However, once she finished, a group of boys immediately clapped with all their might, some even shouting.

“One more!” “Tell us your dreams!” “This song should only exist in heaven, with a thousand sails passing by a sunken boat, and new sprouts on old trees, while birds chirp, chirp, chirp!” and so on.

The instructor didn’t trouble Lin Duo further, signaling her to return to her spot. He didn’t forget to scold the boys, either.

“You lot, you only know how to make a ruckus for pretty girls. The next song must be sung by one of you boys, and it has to be good, otherwise, only you boys will be punished with running!”

After the evening drill concluded, Lin Duo and Shen Jing’an walked hand-in-hand towards their dorms. Shen Jing’an seemed to be in high spirits, humming a little tune.

“I feel like our instructor isn’t a bad person! But finally, we can shower! I sweated so much today, I smell awful!”

Lin Duo’s heart, however, sank. By habit, this girl would undoubtedly drag her along, insisting they shower together. Sure enough, Shen Jing’an’s next words confirmed her fears.

“Lin Duo, let’s go together later! I even brought my conditioner; it’s really good!”

Lin Duo’s mind began to race, searching for an excuse.

“Um, I’m not very tired today, and I didn’t sweat much. I don’t feel like going to the bathhouse.”

“How can you say that?! Girls need to stay clean!” As expected, Shen Jing’an objected. “Besides, you’ve been showering daily for the past few days, so why the sudden change of heart today?”

Lin Duo had to go into full brainstorming mode, continuing her search for another excuse.

Unexpectedly, Shen Jing’an suddenly had an ‘aha!’ expression.

“Oh, oh! I get it! Is it because of your period? Oh, it’s really okay, you know. Warm water patted on your tummy feels very comfortable!”

At this moment, the physiological knowledge her adoptive mother, Wu Bijuan, had taught her came in handy. Lin Duo spoke with great shyness.

“Um, my flow is heavy for the first two days, so… a public bathhouse… isn’t very convenient…”

Although Lin Duo spoke rather vaguely, Shen Jing’an immediately understood.

“Oh, so that’s how it is. That’s indeed not very convenient… But you must remember to wipe your bottom with a wet wipe before bed, otherwise, it’ll smell, especially since we’re in such a large shared dorm.”

While Lin Duo didn’t quite grasp the full meaning of the other girl’s words, it seemed she had successfully bluffed her way through. She couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.