Volume 1 / Chapter 61: Cracking the Stone Slab

The rain fell in a steady drizzle.

Under the rain canopy, the students were marching in goose step.

The same ceremonial step used during flag-raising.

But because the canopy was too small, everyone moved rather awkwardly. After just ten or so steps, they’d reach the edge and have to turn back—either that, or simply march in place.

Ironically, marching in place seemed even harder.

“March with strength! One, two, three, four!” bellowed Instructor Huáng , his voice thundering. “What’s wrong with all of you? Didn’t have breakfast?”

“Yes—sir!” the students answered without missing a beat, as if it were only natural.

“Oh right, I forgot—you really didn’t have breakfast.” Huáng Jiǔ poked his head out to check, then turned back and said, “Alright, alright, the company commander’s left. You can take a break now.”

“Yay!”

“Long live the instructor!”

Cheers broke out as the students sat down one by one.

They’d been training for about an hour already, which meant it was around 6:30 AM.

For most of them, this was about when they usually got up.

Those who lived close by—or just suffered from chronic procrastination—might get up even later.

Even Mò Xuěyáo, who had done nothing but watch the whole time, felt her stomach growling a bit. Let alone those who’d been marching for an hour.

They must be absolutely starving by now.

“Jie... I’m so hungry...” Mo Zhúyōu lay limply across Mo Xiǎoxiào’s lap, mumbling like a sleepy kitten.

“Breakfast should be coming soon.” Mo Xiǎoxiào gently stroked her sister’s head in comfort.

“Instructor! When do we eat breakfast? I’m about to starve to death!” Gāo Yuán raised his hand and called out loudly.

“You? Starving? With that chubby belly? A little hunger would do you good!” the instructor teased.

“Ahh—it’s water weight! Totally superficial!” Gāo Yuán protested, trying to explain himself.

“If you’re just ‘superficially’ fat, then who counts as truly fat?” Zhōu Yǒng teased from nearby.

“Obviously Tián Xīnnán. She’s the real heavyweight!”

“You damn fatty, who are you calling fat?!” Tián Xīnnán’s voice rose up from the crowd, ready to rumble like a sumo wrestler.

Although both of them were chubby, they weren’t exactly in the same weight class.

Gāo Yuán weighed around 130 jin and stood roughly 165 cm".

[Jin=0.5kg=1 pound]

Tián Xīnnán, on the other hand, was close to 180 cm and nearly 200 jin. The kind of weight that, quite literally, could crush someone.

“Seriously? Even a fatter person is calling me fat now?” Gāo Yuán looked utterly dejected, making everyone burst into laughter.

“You may line up for the cafeteria now. Breakfast time,” came a new voice. It was the Dean of Discipline, holding a solid black umbrella and wearing delicate gold-rimmed glasses.

She was going from class to class to notify them.

“Finally! Let’s go, let’s go! I’m starving!” Huáng Jiǔ sprang up first, oddly more excited than the students themselves.

The group promptly formed neat lines. Mò Xuěyáo returned to her squad and followed along.

Breakfast still required singing before they could eat—this time, it was the national anthem. Only after singing could they take their seats.

The morning meal was simple and modest. The main staples were steamed cornbread buns and millet porridge.

Each metal bowl held some peanuts, pickled vegetables, and stewed wheat gluten.

The only item that even barely counted as meat was a single boiled egg per person.

At the front of the cafeteria were additional cornbread buns and flower rolls, free to take. And if the millet porridge wasn’t enough, they could get refills.

It was plain fare, no doubt, but after a full hour of physical training, the students were so hungry they could barely see straight. At that point, who cared what was being served? If it was edible, it went in their mouth.

“I’ve never had a breakfast without meat at home...” Gāo Yuán grumbled quietly, yet still ended up eating a lot. After all, vegetables didn’t fill you up the way meat did.

With yesterday’s experience behind them, today’s students were much more disciplined—eating in complete silence. Whatever chatting they wanted to do, they saved for after the meal.

Mò Xuěyáo didn’t eat much. Since she hadn’t exercised, her appetite was about the same as usual—just an extra bowl of millet porridge.

The warm porridge settled in her stomach like a soft embrace. It was... comfort in liquid form.

“Xuěyáo~” No sooner had she stepped outside and opened her umbrella than Huā Yínyín popped up behind her, tapping her shoulder lightly like a little tail that just wouldn’t leave. “Here, this is for you~”

“Huh?” Mò Xuěyáo looked curiously at what Huā Yínyín was holding. Whatever it was, it had been wrapped up so tightly that she couldn’t see a thing.

“An egg.” Huā Yínyín grinned, pressing the still-warm boiled egg into her palm.

It still carried the warmth of Huā Yínyín’s hand.

“Uh... Why are you giving this to me?”

“I don’t like boiled eggs. I’ve had too many at home. It’d be a waste to throw it away. Unless... wait, do you not like eggs either? I can give it to someone else...”

“N-No, I didn’t say I don’t like it...” Mò Xuěyáo mumbled, a little embarrassed. Then she quickly peeled and bit into the egg, as if afraid Huā Yínyín might snatch it back.

“I heard eggs help with cramps during your period,” Huā Yínyín said while lightly scratching Xuěyáo’s chin.

Like she was petting a cat or something...

At home, Mò Xuěyáo rarely ate eggs.

They weren’t exactly cheap, after all.

Maybe once or twice a week she’d get a boiled egg for extra nutrition.

She wasn’t particularly fond of boiled eggs either—too dry. But she couldn’t bear to waste the nutrition.

She didn’t like the yolk much, but she did enjoy the whites. If only it were a tea egg, that’d be even better...

After breakfast, the students returned to their respective training zones. Following a short rest, drills resumed.

Today was noticeably tougher than yesterday. Just standing at attention went from five minutes straight to fifteen.

Thank goodness Instructor Huáng wasn’t too strict—otherwise, if even one or two students had managed to last the full fifteen minutes, it would’ve been a miracle.

Even so, over half the class began wobbling and swaying after just ten minutes.

Mò Xuěyáo wasn’t relieved. Instead, she was wondering—how long could she last if it were her up there?

“Mò Xuěyáo, come sit down. I need to stretch a bit,” Yè Wén said, yawning and stretching before standing from the bench.

“Oh... sure... thank you.” Mò Xuěyáo snapped out of her thoughts and sat down slowly, a little shy.

Mostly because she was worried—if she sat too quickly, something might... leak.

Even though she’d packed four pairs of underwear, if the rain kept up and nothing dried, that could spell real trouble.

Better to be cautious.

After standing drill came another round of marching-in-place practice.

As usual, Gāo Yuán got his steps mixed up again and was dragged to the front to march alongside the girls.

“One, two, three, four!” Instructor Huáng barked. “You’ve all had breakfast now, right? Then put some strength into it! No slacking!”

“Louder with the chants! Am I the only one shouting? Where’s your class sports rep?”

“Here.” Lǐ Hóngrǎn raised his hand timidly.

“Louder! Lead the chant! One-two-three-four, go!”

“Yes, sir!” Lǐ Hóngrǎn took the lead in shouting.

The boys immediately followed suit with renewed energy, not to be outdone.

The girls, meanwhile, were more relaxed—just mouthing the words was enough.

After all, Huáng Jiǔ usually targeted the boys anyway.

Sitting off to the side, Mò Xuěyáo could feel the ground rumbling beneath her—thump, thump—like a minor earthquake. That’s how hard the boys were stomping.

The most intense of them was Zhōu Yǒng. His voice was louder than Lǐ Hóngrǎn’s, and each stomp was powerful, like he was trying to crack the ground.

And he actually succeeded.

BANG! CRACK!

A loud sound echoed as everyone instinctively froze.

Zhōu Yǒng stared blankly down at his right foot.

A stone slab beneath him had shattered.

“Whoa...” Mò Xuěyáo’s mouth fell open in awe.

No way she could ever pull something like that off.

Zhōu Yǒng’s form might’ve been messy, but he definitely had the strength.

Granted, the stone slabs were already a bit weathered. Otherwise, this probably wouldn’t have happened.

Still, the impact was stunning.

“You’ve got guts, kid! Huh?” Huáng Jiǔ slapped Zhōu Yǒng on the shoulder and gave him a big thumbs-up. “You cracked a stone slab! Are you hurt? Does it hurt?”

“Don’t think so...” Zhōu Yǒng came to his senses, shaking his leg. “But the bottom of my foot feels kinda... chilly?”

“No wonder. You broke right through your shoe sole! I gotta hand it to you,” Huáng Jiǔ said, genuinely impressed. “You got a spare pair?”

“Yeah, but they’re in the dorm.”

“Find someone to go with you. Change shoes and come back—but ease up next time.”

“You’re the one who told us to go all-out,” Zhōu Yǒng said honestly, a bit smug.

“You little rascal.” Huáng Jiǔ laughed and smacked him lightly on the head. “Go pick someone.”

“Hmm, I pick...”

“Me! Me!”

“Me too!”

A few boys who were close with him made funny faces and raised their hands eagerly.

“Gāo Yuán, let’s go.” Zhōu Yǒng waved him over.

“Heh heh!” Delighted to get a break, Gāo Yuán happily followed him out under the umbrella.

“Alright, break time for the rest of us. Heh, once that chubby kid gets back, he’ll have to jump right back in—no break for him,” Huáng Jiǔ snickered. “Bet he thinks he got lucky—ha!”

“Damn, Instructor, that’s evil. I love it!” The boys roared with laughter.

The ones who hadn’t gone with Zhōu Yǒng felt like they’d really scored.

Men’s happiness really was that simple.

——Though, the girls clearly didn’t understand what all the fuss was about.

Not long after, Gāo Yuán returned. His reaction, upon learning the truth, was exactly what everyone had expected.

He beat his chest and wailed in frustration. “Ahhh! I got played!”

The crowd exploded into laughter, unable to hold it in.

Mò Xuěyáo suddenly thought of a similar class clown from her middle school days—someone everyone got along with.

Just like Gāo Yuán.

...Though, only among the boys.

Come to think of it, maybe every class came with a pre-assigned clown.

Almost like it was pre-arranged by fate.