The Female General Dominates All After Transmigration-Chapter 73: Master and Apprentice, and Newcomers
Wu Yushu looked at her and smiled, calling over a young soldier: "Liu Xianghu, take Ling Chengyan to familiarize herself with the vehicle situation."
Liu Xianghu was only 20 years old, with a round face still somewhat childlike. He took Ling Chengyan to his car and said, "Yesterday you were assigned to Zhou Dalu, the comrades were worried for you..."
It turned out, Zhou Guoqing was nicknamed Dalu!
Liu Xianghu had just passed the assessment and got assigned to his car for less than half a year. He quite enjoyed being a mentor to others, and since he needed to maintain the vehicle, he carefully explained to Ling Chengyan, mainly focusing on mechanical structures and operating principles, avoiding going too deep into theories. Yet this gave Ling Chengyan a great deal of knowledge, and by the time she read more at home that night, she was no longer clueless, understanding a bit of what she read.
That time, she saw on the dispatch room’s blackboard that Zhou Guoqing’s vehicle had a task for the following day. She consulted Liu Xianghu about the mission’s timing, and before six the next morning, she was at the Automobile Company. Sure enough, not long after, Zhou Guoqing and three other veteran drivers came over, started their vehicles, and left after a brief inspection.
Ling Chengyan got on the vehicle, pulled out two buns from her backpack, and handed one to Zhou Guoqing, the buns stuffed with fermented tofu: "Master, do you want to eat?"
She called him naturally, without awkwardness, and with no reluctance, as if they were just an ordinary master and apprentice.
Zhou Guoqing shook his head but ended up saying: "There’s food in the cafeteria in the morning."
Ling Chengyan said, "Then I’ll go to the cafeteria for hot meals from now on."
The master and apprentice finally broke the ice. When the vehicle stopped to add water, she ran quickly to get drinking water, saving Zhou Guoqing the trouble, really putting herself in the position of a disciple, as disciples are supposed to alleviate their master’s burden when there’s work to do!
After running with the vehicle a few times, although Zhou Guoqing remained aloof and didn’t proactively teach Ling Chengyan anything, he occasionally whispered a word or two.
Ling Chengyan seemed oblivious of his cold demeanor, working diligently, running errands smoothly, and asking questions during vehicle maintenance. Whenever she asked, Zhou Guoqing would answer, which satisfied Ling Chengyan greatly.
In the blink of an eye, Ling Chengyan had been with the fleet for a month. She went from knowing nothing to being able to competently maintain vehicles, perform basic operations, loading and unloading. Except for driving, she was familiar with pretty much everything else.
That day, Ling Chengyan arrived early at the Automobile Company. Before the vehicle set out, she checked the water and oil, folded the rain tarp that had been dried the night before, and loaded it onto the vehicle. Preparing everything, she then took her lunch box to the cafeteria for breakfast, unexpectedly running into Liu Xianghu, who mysteriously told her that there would be new arrivals today.
Ling Chengyan had correspondence with Nanli Team, knowing that a week after she left, Zhang Wanxiang and Wu Qingyun also joined the military.
Initially, only those who ranked among the top three in area competitions were recruited. Later, when more people were needed, Zhang Hanchao recommended a few, including Wu Qingyun.
When Liu Xianghu mentioned newcomers, Ling Chengyan thought of these two. She learned driving, intending to be a transport soldier in the future, but wasn’t sure which unit those two had joined.
Basing it on the faint news she gleaned from the troop over the period, the frontier was unsettled, and it seemed like war might be imminent.
Zhang Wanxiang was the only one from his family.
After breakfast, Ling Chengyan followed Zhou Guoqing on a mission, missing the sight of the newcomers. When she returned, it was evening, nearly dinner time.
Parking the vehicle, Ling Chengyan habitually used a hose to wash the vehicle, tidied up the cab and cargo hold, busy with her work, when she suddenly heard Zhou Guoqing say from under the car, "Come early tomorrow."
"Sure, Master," Ling Chengyan responded cheerfully, but felt puzzled: there are no driving tasks tomorrow, right?
Moreover, even if there were tasks, Zhou Guoqing had never reminded her before!
Ling Chengyan, still perplexed, finished organizing the vehicle and couldn’t figure out why Zhou Guoqing suddenly said that when she returned home, seeing Shi Tou smiling and reaching out to her from the cradle and little Xing, who had gained some weight. Ling Chengyan tossed the strange behavior of Master Dalu to the back of her mind.
What does it matter why he acted strange? He can’t really do anything to her, so thinking too much is pointless.
She had received her first month’s stipend, not much, only six yuan. But she got thirty-three pounds of food per month, plus ten yuan for vegetables, so she could eat in the cafeteria. If not eating in the cafeteria, they could collect food and vegetables, since Shi Tou, Xing, and Xiaoyu had food rations too, they could buy from the cafeteria without using food coupons.
With this, although she received a small stipend, their family had some leftover after eating and using resources.
Liu Xianghu told her that once she’s assigned a vehicle and starts missions officially, she’ll get allowances calculated per mileage. Long-distance trips could get two to three yuan a day; run a few long trips, and that could be a few dozen yuan a month.
As long as she’s not long-distance, Ling Chengyan doesn’t have to start the vehicle too early. She often set traps in the forest or caught a few wild ducks and birds at the reed pond, adding to their home meals, improving their life. Calculating it, their family ate the most meat in their compound despite having only one person earning.
Her hunting activities gradually became known to others, yet envy was futile; not everyone had the skills to set traps or catch wild ducks and chickens barehanded.
The night before, Ling Chengyan caught two wild birds, cleaned them, and Xiaoyu set aside to braise them at night. Seeing Ling Chengyan return, Xiaoyu hurriedly arranged the meal, and since the weather wasn’t hot yet, they ate in the yard.
Ling Chengyan looked at the lush, thriving vegetable garden, pondering, "We lack two trees in our yard. Someday I’ll find two to plant."
Little Xing immediately voiced her opinion: "Mom, plant peach trees, the peach blossoms look nice and the peaches taste good."
Xiaoyu laughed: "Plant jujube trees, jujube trees produce fruit in the same year, but peach trees take three years to bear fruit."
Ling Chengyan vaguely remembered some places avoiding planting peach trees at home, preferring jujube, pomegranate, and crabapple with favorable meanings.
It was just a spur-of-the-moment thought, nothing serious. She fussed over feeding the children, breaking the cake into small pieces, pouring a little meat broth, and feeding it to little Shi Tou.
Having had a good and full meal over the past few months, the little one’s face, arms, and legs had grown plump and round, with four new teeth. Smiling broadly, he resembled a chubby little bunny.
The little one was particularly greedy. Ling Chengyan broke the cake into tiny bits, feeding him bit by bit, yet he was impatiently swallowing it all at once, eagerly trying to grab the spoon...
He was only five months old, so Ling Chengyan dared not feed him too much, allowing only a few small bites before switching to steamed eggs. He wasn’t picky, accepting whatever came his way and eating it with the same delight.
Little Xing pulled faces at her brother: "Little chubby pig!"
Xiaoyu handed a piece of meat to Little Xing and laughed: "You shouldn’t say that; chubby kids are cute."
Little Xing stuck her tongue out, lowered her head, and ate the meat quietly.
"Sis-in-law!"
"Yan Jie!"
Suddenly, two familiar voices sounded outside the door.
