The Female General Dominates All After Transmigration-Chapter 132 - 131: Letter from Hongbing, Wang Wenzhang Starts School
All those who participated in this special mission received commendations, and Ling Chengyan stood out, earning a third-class merit award.
The awards ceremony was held in the grand auditorium. A special area was designated for family members, allowing them to attend the ceremony.
Xiao Xing went to school, Wang Liansheng took leave, and brought Xiao Shi Tou to the venue to witness his wife’s (mother’s) glorious moment.
After the commendation ceremony, Ling Chengyan was called to the company office by the company commander and the instructor.
Then she received news that this year’s new recruits were about to join the company, and Ling Chengyan was to be the new recruits’ platoon leader, responsible for the new soldiers assigned to the Automobile Company.
Ling Chengyan wasn’t surprised by this news.
After they returned from the mission, they noticed that several veterans were no longer in the company. With the arrival of new recruits, the cycle of old and new ensures that the team remains forever young and energetic, and maintains its strongest combat capability.
Training new recruits was something Ling Chengyan had done last year, although Ma Dajun only called her senior sister.
This year, she was going to be a mentor herself.
Things moved quickly; only a day passed after the notification, and the recruits arrived. This year, the numbers were fewer; there were only eight assigned to the Automobile Company.
Upon learning about the new recruits, both Ma Dajun and Zhang Wanxiang were very eager. They had finally become veterans who could train new soldiers. However, seeing only eight recruits left them a bit stunned, "Why are there just a few? How do we split them?"
Without any expression, Ling Chengyan grouped the eight recruits into one squad, integrating them into her platoon, forming the third platoon’s fourth squad.
Then, she didn’t actively assign a mentor to the recruits, but instead let them work alongside the veterans. She didn’t want to intervene, instead she wanted to observe the recruits’ initiative and their interaction with the veterans, to see if they could find a suitable mentor for themselves, or seize a good apprentice. It was all up to them.
With veterans retiring, Ma Dajun and the others now had their own vehicles.
Once Ling Chengyan announced the arrangement, the veterans were the first to react, especially those who had gone on a special mission with her and thus knew her better. They immediately rushed to their preferred new recruits and took them away.
Zhang Wanxiang and Ma Dajun both took a liking to a new recruit named Hou Mingqi, each pulling one of his arms in opposite directions, making everyone laugh.
In the end, the two fiercely proposed a showdown, and amid the veterans’ nonchalance and the recruits’ amazement, the two of them brought out a jack and began removing tires...
The recruits secretly breathed a sigh of relief; so the so-called ’showdown’ was just removing tires. They had thought it was something incredible.
The arrival of the new recruits did not stir up much excitement, and since Ling Chengyan hadn’t taken any under her wing, she handled the physical tasks herself, such as cleaning and vehicle maintenance.
A few days after the recruits joined the company, Ling Chengyan received a letter from Wang Hongjun, who had joined the navy.
He had completed his new recruit training and was officially assigned to a unit. Unlike the field army, the navy was divided into logistics, ports, and ships. Wang Hongjun was assigned to the warship he had longed for, extremely excited. Before boarding, he hurriedly wrote home and to his fourth aunt, reporting his safety and joy.
On this day, Ling Chengyan hadn’t gone on a long journey; she returned home early.
She had Xiao Yu knead the dough ahead of time, and they made big steamed buns. With dried locust leaves, vermicelli, and pork fat as filling, it was relatively loose and not easy to wrap.
When Wang Liansheng came home from work, he saw his wife wrestling with the buns, her brows furrowed and lips pressed, a picture of exertion.
He couldn’t help but laugh, washed his hands, took over the half-finished bun from her, handed over the letter, and said, "Hongjun did well, he went straight to the ship after joining the unit."
Ling Chengyan watched him skillfully wrap the bun and gave a barely audible hum, then unfolded the letter, reading it quickly, before folding it back neatly and saying, "I’ve read some internal materials, we are still too backward... When you write back to Hongjun, you must remind him again not to neglect his studies, and strive to advance in academics."
The saying "If you fall behind, you get bullied" is something even a three-year-old can understand.
The nation had been weak for many years; although it had driven out foreign invaders and repelled several aggressors, in the end, it came at the cost of human lives. If equipment could be improved, not only would many lives be spared, but it could also deter foreign enemies. ’Winning without fighting’ was the best strategy.
And to realize equipment improvements and updates, strengthening the national power was fundamental, so the economy needed development; knowledge was the driving force, so education was prioritized, and the treatment of intellectuals was improved... The revised national policies were very clear: to enrich the country, strengthen the nation, and grow from years of weakness to prosperity was both a challenge and an opportunity.
Such opportunities, if seized, are a fortunate chance.
Wang Liansheng wasn’t dull or slow; without needing reminder from Ling Chengyan, he had also thought about these things. He was very pleased that his wife’s thinking aligned with his, and sometimes even surpassed him in clarity and foresight.
Sometimes he wondered if he had been blind and oblivious before, for how had he thought his wife was just a gentle woman, overlooking her insight and vision!
"You’re still the one who’s thoughtful; I’ll write back after dinner."
In the blink of an eye, the 70s drew to a close, and the 80s officially began.
Since returning from the special mission and with the veterans’ discharge, Ling Chengyan had taken more long-distance assignments, and just before year-end, she went on several super long trips, one time going to the Southeast Coast.
Unlike the war-torn Southwest border, there was a vast reform unfolding here.
At the end of January, just returning from a long trip to the Southeast, Ling Chengyan had a few days off, no need to drive out.
She finally had time to contact the nursery; Xiao Shi Tou was going to school.
At two-years-old, Xiao Shi Tou spoke and walked fluently, because under Ling Chengyan’s guidance to stretch his body morning and evening, he was slightly taller than his peers, sturdier, and quite strong.
On the evening before starting school, he carried the small backpack his mother prepared, walking back and forth inside the house, unwilling to let go even when it was time to sleep.
In his backpack was a box of crayons, his favorite tin toy car, and a small wooden gun made from bullet casings by Zhang Wanxiang and others.
The little guy walked with his head held high, occasionally stopping to pull out the small wooden gun and posture a few times, imitating a pose seen in a movie, with a serious two-year-old expression, surprisingly enacting a sense of righteousness and integrity.
Both Xiao Yu and Xiao Xing burst into laughter, while Wang Liansheng couldn’t help but laugh, stepped forward, and slapped his son’s back, teasing: "Alright, hurry up and wash up for bed, otherwise you won’t be able to get up in the morning and will be late for school."
With a heart full of enthusiasm, Xiao Shi Tou was absolutely unwilling to accept being late for school, raised his little chubby hand to rub the back of his head, and scampered off to wash and sleep.
The next day, Ling Chengyan took an hour’s leave, and together with Wang Liansheng, they took Shi Tou to school.
The nursery was set up by the compound itself, located in a corner of the family quarters, a small yard with a row of rooms.
Though the weather was cold, Xiao Shi Tou was bundled up like a cotton ball, but his short chubby legs ran quickly as he led the way, frequently turning back to urge his parents.
Wang Liansheng chuckled softly, "Hopefully, the little guy’s enthusiasm for school can continue; at this rate, he’s a promising scholar-to-be."
