Chapter 40: Passing the Test
He Yan’s guess was correct. Three days later, during the long-distance run with sandbags on their backs, Instructor Liang shouted from the front, “Starting tomorrow, the laps around the camp will be increased to five! The rest of the time will be spent on weapon drills! So today, you’d better run well! Those who don’t perform well won’t get lunch!”
Upon hearing this, the group immediately erupted in cheers. Compared to endlessly running under the scorching summer sun with sandbags, weapon drills sounded much easier and more like what new recruits should be doing. Being able to leave this hellish training behind and move on to the next stage likely meant they were gradually becoming proper soldiers of Wei.
However, He Yan understood the underlying meaning in Instructor Liang’s words. Today was the final “test”—those who ran poorly or clearly lacked stamina would no longer qualify for the subsequent weapon training.
As He Yan bent down to pick up her sandbag, someone suddenly bumped heavily into her from behind. She straightened up and saw it was Wang Ba, the scar-faced man who had stolen her meat bun a few days ago. Wang Ba looked at her with a sinister grin and said, “Kid, after today, you’ll be demoted to a cook. Your good days are over.”
He Yan shrugged. “I don’t get it.”
“Those two brothers of yours won’t always be around to protect you. A mere cook…” He lowered his voice, a flash of cruelty in his eyes. “No one would care if I killed you!”
“Then come and try,” He Yan replied, swinging the sandbag onto her back. She flashed him a smile and added, “By the way, I won’t be a cook. Absolutely not.” Without waiting to see Wang Ba’s reaction, she turned and strode onto the track.
Xiao Mai followed nervously beside her and asked, “Brother He, did he give you trouble just now?”
“Not at all,” He Yan replied cheerfully. “We just had a little chat.”
“Oh.” Xiao Mai grinned again. “Brother He, you’re amazing! You don’t even get out of breath running with us now, and you’re so fast!”
Xiao Mai and Shitou had grown up in the mountains, where hunters spent entire days tracking game, so they naturally had excellent stamina and speed. In contrast, everyone had witnessed He Yan’s initial frailty and struggle. But now, she seemed more energetic and at ease with each passing day, making people wonder if she had secretly taken some miracle elixir.
“Really?” He Yan nodded solemnly. “I guess I do have potential.”
Meanwhile, the instructors observing from the edge of the forest path gathered together.
The daily long-distance runs over the past weeks had not only trained the recruits’ endurance but also served as a way to assess their aptitude. Each day, their performances were recorded, and today was the final evaluation. After this, the runs would no longer be used as a measure of ability but would become just another routine exercise. Being allowed to proceed to weapon drills meant that a recruit had already met the basic qualifications to become a Wei soldier and wouldn’t die before the war even began due to physical shortcomings.
The military camp was a place where the strong and weak were clearly distinguished. Those with natural talent stood out from the start, while the less capable were glaringly obvious. It was an unfair reality, but one that no one could change.
However, there was one exception.
“Old Liang,” someone patted Instructor Liang on the shoulder, “that kid He Yan in your squad is truly something.”
He Yan was that exception.Her aptitude was very poor, earning her a unanimous evaluation from the instructors from the start. Even as a kitchen soldier, everyone feared she might get sick from the smoke. Yet day by day, she grew lighter on her feet, and now she could steadily keep up with the team, even positioning herself near the front.
It was a miracle.
"Constant dripping wears away a stone," Instructor Liang said proudly. "I've always said it—I, Liang Ping, never misjudge a person. This lad's determination is rare; he won't do poorly in anything."
"Don't boast too soon," retorted Du Mao, another instructor who poured cold water on his enthusiasm. "You know aptitude is aptitude. The reason he can keep up with the team is sheer effort!"
That was indeed the truth. Everyone turned to look at the young man sprinting in formation. He was at the right age, cheerful in appearance, and quite likable. When he ran, he followed the rules diligently, rarely speaking to those around him, focusing entirely on the task at hand. In short, he seemed utterly serious about what he was doing.
"What he achieves through immense effort, others might accomplish with just a fraction of it," Du Mao continued. "Right now, it's just weighted long-distance running. But later, weapon drills and tactical exercises will only grow more complex. He'll have to put in far more effort than others. That way, he'll never stand out—just remain an ordinary soldier."
"My advice to you is to focus more on the promising recruits in your team and not pay too much attention to that lad," Du Mao shook his head. "It's pointless."
"I can't argue with you. I can't be bothered," Liang Ping replied, displeased by his words, and walked off with his spear.
But as he left, doubts crept into his mind. As instructors, they had trained many soldiers. Those who survived the battlefield or achieved great deeds were often the ones who had shown exceptional talent from the start.
This young man had only effort... But was effort truly enough?
...
He Yan finished today's run in one go, collected his meal, ate, and by the afternoon, Instructor Liang suddenly appeared, calling out a dozen or so soldiers to follow him.
"Ah, those must be the ones assigned as kitchen soldiers," Xiao Mai remarked. "But do kitchen soldiers need that many people?"
He Yan shook his head with a smile. "It's just a title. Not all of them cook—some do other tasks. The point is, they don’t have to fight on the front lines."
"That's good," Hong Shan stretched lazily. "Why risk your life when you can live peacefully?"
"But Brother He must be thrilled this time," Xiao Mai teased. "At least he doesn’t have to be a kitchen soldier!"
He Yan's aversion to being a kitchen soldier was well-known. She didn’t argue, only smiled and said, "A cause for celebration."
"Does this mean you’ll finally get your chance to shine?" Hong Shan smirked, nudging her. "With weapon drills coming up, you’ll get to show off your skills, right?"
"Well, not exactly," He Yan replied after a moment’s thought.
She was proficient with blades, arrows, and horsemanship. Spear techniques and infantry formations weren’t difficult either. After all this running, scaling hills and charging were no trouble. The only challenge would likely be the crossbow.
The crossbow required immense arm strength—something only the physically robust could manage. Given Miss He’s current physique, it might be a stretch.
But surely Xiao Jue wouldn’t start training with crossbows right away, would he? She wondered.She was mistaken.
Uncle: Surprised? Shocked? Thrilled?
(End of chapter)
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