Volume 1 / Chapter 65: There’s No Meat in the Instructor’s Dishes

When riding the bus up the mountain, the road hadn’t seemed long.

Nor had the mountain seemed particularly tall.

But walking up on foot was an entirely different experience—it felt endless.

There were no people, no shops along the way. Only the same winding mountain road, curling upward again and again.

“So high…” Mò Xuěyáo muttered softly to herself.

“It’s okay, just take it slow.”

Mò Xuěyáo was never very good at chatting with girls, and Lǐ Wǎnyán didn’t seem to be the talkative type either.

So, the two of them walked up in near-total silence.

Mò Xuěyáo was somewhat curious about what had happened in the class monitor’s family that left her in such a gloomy state lately.

But their relationship wasn’t close enough for such questions.

Asking about someone’s personal affairs without invitation could easily be seen as intrusive.

Above them, the soft clouds were being sculpted into various shapes by the invisible hand of the wind. The newborn sun, still gentle and pale, poured its tender yellow light through the clouds onto the earth.

“Your family must be a happy one, Mò Xuěyáo,” Lǐ Wǎnyán suddenly said as they neared the mountaintop.

“Huh…? Why do you say that all of a sudden?” Mò Xuěyáo scratched her head and chuckled awkwardly. “Well… our financial situation isn’t the best, but in other ways, things are fine.”

“Having parents who get along peacefully is really the best blessing.”

“Yeah… you’re right.” Thinking of Lǐ Wǎnyán’s situation, Mò Xuěyáo followed the thread and asked, “What about you, class monitor?”

“…My parents fight all the time. And my dad’s really into gambling… Honestly, sometimes I wish I didn’t have a father at all. It’d be better to rely on just my mom than have him around.”

“Oh… um…” Mò Xuěyáo nodded slowly, unsure what to say to comfort her.

“Actually, you can tell a lot about someone’s home life just by observing them.” Lǐ Wǎnyán brushed aside her bangs and let out a long sigh.

“Huh? Really? I never noticed anything.”

“Of course you can. Like you, for instance—you come across as pure and unguarded.”

“M-me?” Mò Xuěyáo felt like there was a giant question mark hanging over her head. That… really didn’t sound like her.

“Yep. Only kids who’ve been well protected can give off that kind of vibe. Hmm… It’s kind of like an innocent and slightly clueless air,” Lǐ Wǎnyán said with a smile.

“ Do i seem clueless…” Mò Xuěyáo rubbed her hair.

“No no, it’s a way of describing it—it’s actually a compliment.”

“…Okay then. Do you think others can tell too?”

“Most people can pick up on it to some degree.”

“Like who?” Mò Xuěyáo asked, curiosity piqued.

Everyone has a little gossip in them. They just don’t always act on it.

“For example, your deskmate Wáng Jiālè . Just like you, probably well protected by her parents. Her family must be pretty happy. At the very least, they’re likely living comfortably without financial worries.”

“Oh, that’s easy to see—her family does seem pretty well off,” Mò Xuěyáo nodded. Every time they bought snacks, Wáng Jiālè always chose the tastier, more expensive ones. And in this era, tastier usually meant pricier.

“What about Huā Yínyín?”

“Her? I think she’s probably from a single-parent household. But even so, her living conditions seem decent. Just that her guardian’s probably busy working to support the family, so no one really keeps a close eye on her. That’s why she’s more carefree and open.”

“Oh~” Mò Xuěyáo was starting to believe in Lǐ Wǎnyán’s ability to read people’s backgrounds. “That… kind of makes sense.”

“Then there’s Gāo Yuán , among the boys. He’s clearly from a wealthy family. His grandparents must spoil him, but his parents are still putting effort into raising him properly. That’s why he’s mischievous but not mean-spirited.”

“Amazing.” Mò Xuěyáo gave her a thumbs-up. “Then what about Mo Xiǎoxiào and Mo Zhúyōu? What kind of family do those sisters come from?”

“Those two…” Lǐ Wǎnyán paused for a moment. “I’m not entirely sure. But I have a feeling their parents aren’t around.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… they might be relying only on each other.”

“Eh? No way. They’re just in high school. Their parents can’t just be gone like that, right?”

“It happens. Maybe their parents divorced and neither wanted custody… or maybe there was an accident…”

“…You’re not cursing them, are you?”

“No, no! Just explaining the possibility.”

“Go on, go on—what else?”

“If you watch closely, you’ll see that even though Mo Xiǎoxiào and Mo Zhúyōu don’t cling to each other at school, whenever they’re together, there’s a deep mutual dependence between them,” Lǐ Wǎnyán said as she plucked a foxtail grass from the roadside and tickled her palm with it. “And Mò Xiǎoxiào’s hair—it's dry and yellowish. Doesn’t look natural. More like a sign of long-term poor nutrition.”

Mò Xuěyáo looked at her in awe. “I never thought about it that deeply.”

“That’s why I say you’re so pure, Xuěyáo.” Lǐ Wǎnyán gave a gentle smile.

“Please don’t say that—it gives me goosebumps,” Mò Xuěyáo said, waving her hands as she let out a big sigh. “Ahhh—we finally made it to the top!”

At the summit, the students had already done a round of training and were now resting on the ground, waiting for breakfast, which would begin in about twenty minutes.

It was already Thursday—technically the last day of boot camp.

Tomorrow would be the final performance and review of their military training.

Honestly, five days wasn’t much for actual military training. It was more like a military experience than a proper regimen.

Once tomorrow’s review was done, students would have half a day to pack up or shower. Then the busses would return to pick them up and take everyone back to school.

With the end approaching, many found themselves reluctant to leave.

Even though it had only been a few days, the experience had become a cherished memory.

Just those few nights in the dorms would be something they’d fondly recall as they grew older.

So today, Mò Xuěyáo worked extra hard during the drills. She was unusually focused. Though the weather wasn’t particularly hot, sweat still soaked through her military uniform.

Breakfast seemed to come and go in a flash, and before she knew it, it was already noon.

Today, the students’ enthusiasm while singing military songs was the highest it had ever been.

Gone was the reluctance from earlier days. Even if they sang off-key, everyone gave it their all.

Though to a distant ear, it probably sounded like a chorus of banshees wailing.

After singing, it was time to march into the canteen and sit down, just like before.

The teachers and instructors always waited for the students to finish eating before they sat at their own tables to eat.

Teachers sat at one round table, instructors at another.

The meals were different, too—students got fast-food-style boxed meals, while teachers and instructors were served plated dishes.

But plated dishes didn’t always mean better.

Today, for instance, every single dish was vegetarian.

Yes—not even a sprinkle of ground meat.

“What the hell! All veggie?! Are you kidding me?!” Huáng Gǒu slammed the table and exploded in frustration. “What kind of joke is this—no meat at all?!”

“Watch your image, Huáng Gǒu.” Company Commander Tián shot him a glare. “The students got the meat today. We’ll have a better dinner, later.”

“Can’t they spare us just a bit?” Huáng Gǒu looked at him with disdain. “Don’t tell me you’re the one paying for our meals, so you’re cutting corners on meat?”

“What nonsense! Do I look like someone that stingy?”

“You do. Absolutely.” Huáng Gǒu nodded vigorously. “You’re even smoking our cigarettes—how’s that not stingy?”

“You brat. Cut the attitude. Eat properly. Even the students don’t chatter during meals. And you, an instructor, are still yapping away?”

“I’m not a monk, you know. A meal without meat feels like torture.” He grumbled, but still cleaned his plate.

Everyone around him exchanged amused glances. The mood was light. It was obvious Huáng Gǒu wasn’t truly mad—he was just being dramatic for laughs.

After all, this wasn’t the actual military. If it were, even something like “disrespecting” a superior could be a punishable offense.

Once out of the canteen, Huáng Gǒu made a beeline for the campus shop.

Several boys from Class Two were still inside. When they spotted him, they called out warmly:

“Coach, you came to buy snacks too?”

“Hell yeah, that stingy Company Commander wouldn’t give us any meat!” Huáng Gǒu wiped his mouth. “Boss! Gimme a country-style chicken leg!”

With his chicken leg in hand, Huáng Gǒu crouched by the roadside, chomping away like he hadn’t eaten in three days.

Even though he’d just had a full meal.

Company Commander Tián couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. “This guy… seriously? Just one meatless meal and he’s like this?”

“Well, you know… a meal without meat feels like starvation,” someone offered in defense.

Others followed his lead and dashed into the shop to grab their own chicken legs, squatting beside him to munch away.

Three or four instructors, crouched in a row, gnawing on chicken legs—such a bizarre scene inevitably drew a crowd of curious students.

Some students even tried to offer them drinks and bottled water, but the instructors waved them off.

“Come on now, don’t buy stuff for us—we’re not short on cash,” Huáng Gǒu said, waving his hand.

“Coach, want a smoke? Zhonghua.” Gāo Yuán crept over, looking mysterious, and handed him an unopened pack of premium cigarettes.

“Whoa, where’d you get Zhonghua?”

“From my dad. Heh.”

“You brat. You smoke? You’re underage!”

“No no, they’re not for me—brought them as a gift for the coach. But if you’re not worthy of it, I’ll take them back…”

“Oh? So you’re saying I am worthy, huh?”

“Of course, Coach. You’re the best!”

“Well damn… now I really can’t say no,” Huáng Gǒu said, just as he spotted the Company Commander approaching. He quickly shoved the pack back. “Ahem! Do I look like that kind of guy? You take it back and give it to your dad.”

Then, pretending nothing had happened, he leaned in and whispered just loud enough for Gāo Yuán to hear:

“Give it to me later, secretly.”