Chapter 41: The Inspection’s Aftermath and a Fond Farewell

After the evening party, the students were subjected to more tedious drill practice. Finally, as Saturday dawned, they prepared for the inspection by a superior officer.

For reasons unknown, the day was exceptionally scorching, with temperatures likely nearing 40 degrees Celsius. The relentless heat radiating from the concrete ground pierced through their shoe soles, threatening to scorch the feet of every student.

Under normal circumstances, instructors would have guided the students to rest or perform drills in the shade on such a sweltering day. However, today marked the inspection, and with student formations from other middle schools already positioned around them, relocating was simply not an option.

For some inexplicable reason, the superior officer arrived late. The inspection, originally slated for 10 AM, had not commenced even an hour later.

Students with frailer constitutions were already swaying precariously, on the verge of collapse beneath the relentless sun. The instructors, though visibly anxious as they checked their watches, found themselves powerless. They were, after all, merely soldiers, bound by an oath to obey their superiors without question.

It was half past eleven when a small jeep, bearing military plates, leisurely approached the main platform. A division commander, distinguished by his glasses and slightly plump face, ascended the inspection stand.

He offered a brief nod to the officers assembled below, who, in turn, immediately blew their whistles, signaling the commencement of the grand inspection.

By this point, Lin Duo’s consciousness was already blurring, her body swaying faintly. She moved almost instinctively with the formation, her throat so parched it felt as if smoke billowed from it, leaving her without the strength to utter a single slogan.

Her sole desire was for this ordeal to conclude swiftly. Remarkably, she managed to endure and march past the main platform.

Yet, following the parade, a speech segment awaited them: all new students from the city’s six high schools were required to stand before the platform and listen to the division commander’s motivational address.

It was then that Lin Duo finally reached her breaking point. Her vision grew increasingly hazy, the world around her appearing as if seen through a progressively thickening pane of frosted glass. Then, she succumbed to unconsciousness.

When Lin Duo’s eyes fluttered open once more, she found herself in a pristine, small white room. A fan hummed, steadily circulating cool air, while a damp towel rested upon her forehead.

As her awareness gradually returned, she was startled to discover the buttons of her military training uniform undone, her shirt hiked up completely to her armpits. Her face paled instantly.

With a gasp, she instinctively snatched the bedsheet, pulling it to shield herself.

The healthcare physician, clad in a white coat, heard the commotion and voiced her displeasure. “`Such a racket, right after waking up,`” she huffed. “`If anyone outside hears, they’ll assume I’ve done something untoward to you.`”

Noticing the physician was a middle-aged woman, Lin Duo felt a slight easing of her apprehension, though a tremor of panic still lingered. “`Who lifted my clothes?`” she demanded.

“`Don’t you know that someone suffering from heatstroke needs their skin to breathe; don’t you know that?`” the female physician retorted, her tone rather blunt. “`These young girls today, all they focus on is dieting for weight loss, completely disregarding their health. Being beautiful is fine, but what will you do if you fall seriously ill?`”

Lin Duo paid no heed to the physician’s criticism, instead frantically checking her military training pants. There were no indications they had been removed, which brought a small measure of relief.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t resist a final confirmation. “`Um, Auntie, you didn’t take off my pants, did you?`”

“`Hey, hey, hey, do you actually think I’m some kind of peculiar auntie who enjoys molesting young girls?`” The female doctor’s displeasure was evident, her voice rising sharply. “`Never mind, I won’t waste any more words on you. Sit still, and I’ll check your temperature and pulse. If everything is in order, you can return.`”

With that, Lin Duo made her way back to her quarters. Many of the girls, upon seeing her, immediately rushed forward, their faces etched with concern.

“`How are you feeling? Are you alright?`”

“`Here, drink some water first.`”

“`Today’s inspection was truly excessive, leaving us exposed to the sun for so long!`”

“`Quick, sit down and rest…`”

These heartfelt expressions of concern once again brought a familiar sting to Lin Duo’s nose, and she quickly responded to each of them in turn.

With the inspection concluded, the military training officially drew to a close. Only a single school-organized dinner remained, an event the instructors would also attend.

Following this meal, buses would be ready to transport the students back to their school.

Though the dinner took place in the large cafeteria, the cuisine was notably more refined, featuring a variety of seafood dishes. Several boys even ordered beer, eager to toast the instructors, who graciously accepted every pour.

Despite their brief time together, Instructor Chen’s character had left a profound impression on the students. The realization that they might rarely see him again filled the boys with a sense of reluctance, while some girls’ eyes were visibly swollen from tears.

During the meal, the class monitor, representing all the students, presented Instructor Chen with a gilded pocket watch valued at a thousand yuan. While the monitor had previously mentioned the gift and collected contributions, none had anticipated such a lavish present.

Instructor Chen, visibly touched by the gesture, shared numerous military secrets and fascinating anecdotes from the South China Sea, further deepening the poignant atmosphere at the table.

Still grappling with the lingering after-effects of heatstroke, Lin Duo found her appetite lacking. The oppressive, stagnant air within the hall only exacerbated her dizziness. Feigning a trip to the restroom, she instead sought refuge on the shaded steps outside the cafeteria.

As she settled down, observing the now somewhat familiar surroundings, a subtle melancholy unexpectedly settled within her heart.

It wasn’t long before another familiar figure emerged, settling casually beside Lin Duo and lighting a cigarette. It was, surprisingly, Instructor Chen.

“`No wonder you haven’t returned for a while; you’ve been hiding here,`” Instructor Chen chuckled, exhaling a perfect smoke ring.

Given the instructor’s consistent care, Lin Duo held him in high regard. “`I feel a bit stuffy,`” she admitted. “`Thank you so much for looking after me these past days. I’ve always been rather delicate since childhood.`”

“`I can tell,`” Instructor Chen responded, his gaze filled with genuine concern. “`Your complexion has always been a little pale; in Traditional Chinese Medicine, that’s referred to as a deficiency of Qi and blood. Speaking of which, do you have any chronic illnesses?`”

Lin Duo was acutely aware of the underlying reasons for her condition: it was one of the long-term side effects of her medication, and the very price she paid to live as a girl. Naturally, she could not divulge the truth, so she merely offered a vague response. “`No chronic illnesses,`” she stated, “`but I was quite prone to sickness as a child and my parents often had to take me to the hospital.`”

“`I see…`” Instructor Chen murmured, exhaling another perfectly formed, banana-shaped smoke ring before deftly changing the subject. “`It’s quite apparent that all those rascals in the class are rather fond of you. And, you performed exceptionally well in the play the other day.`”

“`Thank you, Instructor,`” Lin Duo said softly, her gratitude evident. “`You’ve truly taken such good care of me during this time. Whenever I felt tired, you would always let me rest in the shade.`”

“`Haha, at the end of the day, military training is merely a job,`” he chuckled. “`I was assigned by my superiors, and you were arranged by the school. Each of us simply performs our duties; I have no need to make things difficult for you students unnecessarily. However, the division commander truly was a bit much today, arriving so late after countless calls, leaving all of you baking under the sun for an unconscionable amount of time.`”

A comfortable silence fell between them. Soon, Instructor Chen finished his cigarette, stubbed out the butt, and rose, giving Lin Duo a gentle pat on the head. “`Alright, I’ll head in first,`” he said. “`You should follow shortly; the dinner is almost at an end.`”

For reasons unknown, many men with an ‘older brother’ demeanor seemed to enjoy bestowing a gentle head pat upon our classmate, Lin Duo. Though Lin Duo never quite understood why, the sensation of being patted on the head was, surprisingly, not unpleasant; whenever it occurred, she would instinctively squint her eyes, much like a contented kitten.

Following the farewell dinner, the students promptly boarded their assigned buses, which idled at the entrance. They departed the training base, a place they had called home for nearly ten days, and returned to campus, ready to embrace the entirely new chapter of their high school lives that awaited them.