“Hey! Have you guys heard? A student from our school is organizing everyone to join the national steelmaking movement!”
“Yeah, yeah. They’re saying we need to surpass Britain and the U.S.! Many students from the Engineering School have already started taking action!”
“Well, we should sign up too! We can’t let those Engineering students get ahead of us. Our Faculty of Arts isn’t any less capable.”
As Wei Jiajia, Yang Sisi, and Su Pan settled into the back of the classroom that day, they overheard their classmates eagerly discussing the recent national steelmaking initiative, with everyone sharing their thoughts and opinions.
“My neighborhood is getting ready to build its own blast furnace. Some people even gave up their cooking pots. They say since we’ll be eating in the large communal cafeteria anyway, keeping the pots is pointless. The wife tried to stop them but was met with resistance, accused of having a low level of awareness!”
“My dad said their factory has already started. Everyone is incredibly enthusiastic about it, and the factory is providing full support.”
Su Pan leaned in and, in a hushed voice, started recounting what she had seen when she went home that week.”
Wei Jiajia felt a sense of foreboding as she listened. From what was later recorded, this nationwide steelmaking movement resulted in significant human, material, and financial losses! But there was nothing she could do to stop it; she couldn’t fight the tide of history.
“Jiajia, has it started in your area? I heard it’s a nationwide initiative this time.” Yang Sisi asked.
Wei Jiajia nodded. “They’ve already demolished several vacant houses to make way for the construction of blast furnaces. Now they’re sending people to chop down trees indiscriminately. I’m afraid my family’s cooking pot might not be safe either…” She said, smiling bitterly.
“Then where are we going to find the raw materials for this steelmaking at our school? We don’t have any pots to contribute,” Su Pan suddenly interjected.
The two of them were momentarily taken aback by her words.
Indeed!
***
On a distant, isolated island in the eastern province, a group of soldiers were in the middle of a competition.
“First Battalion, go for it! Captain Qiao, go for it!”
“Second Battalion, go for it! Captain Wang, go for it!”
On the training grounds of the military camp, a group of soldiers in green uniforms were shouting cheers at the top of their lungs. In the center, two people were wrestling fiercely. Just then, one of them swept the other’s legs out from under him, and the other fell to the ground.
“Whoa! Whoa! Captain Qiao won!”
The outcome was decided, and one side erupted in cheers while the other side fell into a subdued silence. No one had expected their second battalion’s ace to be defeated by the newcomer, Qiao Haoyu.
Qiao Haoyu remained unruffled, his face betraying no emotion other than the quiet satisfaction of a good physical exertion.
He walked over to extend his hand to his opponent. The man who had fallen took his hand and stood up with his help.
“I lost! You’re really impressive!”
The soldier who had faced off against Qiao Haoyu was named Wang Jianjun, the captain of the second battalion. He was renowned throughout the entire regiment for his exceptional military skills.
Ever since Qiao Haoyu joined their regiment, he had been stealing the limelight. Deep down, Wang Jianjun felt a sense of unease, a subtle resentment he was unwilling to fully acknowledge. He felt that the other man was just a young officer, a newcomer who had gained the higher-ups’ attention due to his handsome face and prestigious education.
In just two months, all the female soldiers in the regiment’s art troupe and the female nurses were captivated by his charm, and even the girl he secretly admired was no exception.
Today, with both battalions training together, Wang Jianjun saw an opportunity to assert his dominance and suggested a competition between the two.
Wang Jianjun had intended to teach Qiao Haoyu a lesson, but in the end, he had only served to elevate the newcomer’s reputation. He could already imagine that after today, Qiao Haoyu’s name would be even more widely known throughout the regiment.
Fortunately, as a true man, he accepted his defeat with grace. He felt a tinge of embarrassment for doubting him earlier, and he had to admit, Qiao Haoyu was indeed a formidable opponent.
He had always respected the strong!
“Well done, kid, you’ve really brought honor to our battalion!” The first battalion commander came over and gave Qiao Haoyu a hearty slap on the shoulder.
He was genuinely pleased. In the past, because of Wang Jianjun, their battalion had always been overshadowed by the second battalion. Now, thanks to Qiao Haoyu, their morale had been significantly boosted.
It was well worth the effort he had invested in lobbying the leadership after hearing that a group of military academy graduates would be assigned to their region, ultimately securing such a promising talent.
The first battalion commander was grinning so widely that his teeth were visible, a triumphant gleam in his eyes. The second battalion commander, noticing this, felt a pang of discomfort as he glanced at his own soldiers.
“All members of the second battalion, a ten-kilometer run, timed at forty minutes. Anyone who doesn’t finish will not be allowed to eat,” the first battalion commander declared, his voice firm.
“Understood!” the soldiers from the second battalion responded in unison.
The first battalion commander, observing the second battalion commander’s reaction, secretly savored a sense of satisfaction, thinking that the second battalion commander should finally experience the frustration he himself had endured in the past.
It felt incredibly satisfying!
He turned to his four company commanders and said, “Tonight, all of you are invited to dinner at my place. I’ve already asked your sister-in-law to prepare a meal. We’ll have a little welcome dinner to honor the first company commander’s arrival to our battalion.”
“That sounds great, I’ve been looking forward to trying your wife’s cooking.”
“Her culinary skills are unparalleled; tonight we’re all benefiting from the first company commander’s arrival.”
“Battalion commander, you better bring out your best wine; we’re going to drink until we’re satisfied tonight.”
Upon hearing the invitation to dinner, the company commanders were eager to accept. The battalion commander’s wife was from Sichuan, renowned for her exceptional culinary skills.
After work, the group followed the battalion commander toward the housing area. The company commanders, all young and energetic men, walked with a confident stride, their physiques resembling towering poplar trees.
A few young men, tall and broad-shouldered, entered the housing area, immediately drawing the attention of everyone around. Especially Qiao Haoyu, who had been in the regiment for months but had never visited the housing area before. This was his first time there, which naturally piqued the curiosity of the womenfolk.
Hey! Look, aren’t those the company commanders under Battalion Commander Shi?” one of the women asked.
“Yes, yes, those are the company commanders from his battalion. I’ve had dinner with them before, but I’ve never seen that one over there,” she said, pointing at Qiao Haoyu.
“This young man is quite handsome. He must be new to the regiment,” another woman observed.
“I think so. I heard that recently, our unit received several graduates from prestigious military academies. He must be one of them,” the first woman replied.
“No wonder I’ve heard that the members of the arts troupe and the nurses from the hospital keep flocking to this area. With his looks, it’s no surprise they’re all captivated by him,” one of the women observed.
“Wasn’t Battalion Commander Shi’s wife home early today to cook? She said she was going to host a welcome dinner for some of her husband’s subordinates. I guess this one must be one of those she’s inviting.”
In the housing area, a group of women sat in the shade, watching as Battalion Commander Shi and his entourage entered the area, their conversation filled with lively speculation.
Just then, Qiao Haoyu and the others happened to walk past the group of women. One of the women called out to Battalion Commander Shi.
“Battalion Commander Shi, you’re back already? Why are you so early today? Are these young men all under your command? The one over there looks unfamiliar,” she remarked, her eyes lingering on Qiao Haoyu.
“Today, I brought these boys home for a meal, so we’re a little early. These are the company commanders under my command, you’ve all seen them before,” Battalion Commander Shi explained, gesturing towards his subordinates. “This one,” he said, pointing at Qiao Haoyu, “is the newly assigned Company Commander Qiao, only 22 years old this year. Don’t be fooled by his age; he’s a college graduate and a highly skilled officer.”
Since Battalion Commander Shi was in an unusually jovial mood today, he spoke more than usual.
Upon hearing his introduction, the women began to eye Qiao Haoyu with increased interest. Handsome, well-educated, seemingly from a good family, and at such a young age, a Company Commander! No wonder they were all captivated by him.”
One by one, the women began to mentally assess his suitability as a potential match for their daughters.
Qiao Haoyu, listening to the introduction, stood up straight, saluted, and politely greeted them, “Hello, sisters-in-laws!” Then he remained silent and stood to the side.
The woman who had asked the question earlier noticed the others were about to launch into another round of inquiries, and quickly interrupted, “This young man is truly impressive. Well, hurry and take them home for dinner. We won’t keep you any longer. Your wife is probably already waiting for you and has prepared a delicious meal.”
“We’ll head back now, sisters-in-laws. Enjoy your afternoon,” Battalion Commander Shi said with a nod, leading his company commanders away.
“Hey, why didn’t you let me finish asking all my questions?” one of the women, around thirty, nudged her companion and asked in confusion.
She had still wanted to gather more information about this intriguing Company Commander Qiao, perhaps to introduce him to her younger sister.”
It wasn’t that she was boasting, but her younger sister was indeed exceptionally beautiful—fair-skinned, delicate, and renowned throughout the area for her striking looks. She was still just in middle school, yet relatives had already introduced countless suitors. However, her sister had high standards and wasn’t interested in any of them. She only wanted a man who was financially secure and relied on the state-provided grain for his livelihood. When she saw Qiao Haoyu today, she immediately recognized him as a potential match for her sister.
The woman who was questioned looked at her with some annoyance and replied, somewhat irritated, “This is his first visit to our housing area, and we’re already subjecting him to such scrutiny. What will people think when they hear about this? They’ll assume we’re all uncultured and ill-mannered. I don’t want to bring shame upon my husband.”
The woman felt like she had been subtly insulted, and, with a huff, she angrily stood up and returned to her home.
The other women exchanged glances, their eyes twinkling with amusement.
Everyone wanted to bring Qiao Haoyu into their family, but none of them had the audacity to be so direct about their intentions.
From the first glance, it was clear that Qiao Haoyu was an exceptional young man, and none of them felt confident enough that their daughters would be a suitable match for him.
Who didn’t realize she was subtly attempting to secure a favorable position for her sister? Frankly speaking, did she truly believe her sister was worthy of such a remarkable individual?
Her younger sister wasn’t an unknown figure in the area. She had stayed in the military district for a while last year. While she was undoubtedly good-looking, there were certainly many other women in the world who were equally or even more beautiful. Just look at the girls in the arts troupe—weren’t they all better-looking?
When the girl first arrived in the family quarters, everyone assumed she was simply a young woman with a bit of pride.
However, after some time, her true nature became evident. She was spoiled to the point of being unbearable, especially with her incessant chattering. As a young girl, she would gossip endlessly every day, always discussing the affairs of this family and that family, and there wasn’t a single piece of gossip that escaped her notice.
Because of her, several families in the housing area got into arguments.
She acted all sweet and delicate in front of the men, and if she hadn’t been sent away, who knew how much worse things would have gotten in the housing area.
But she, the woman, still clung to the belief that her sister was some kind of goddess, adored by everyone.
They all shook their heads and turned the conversation to something else.
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