Yellow Basin (Seeking Collection)

If their significant others heard their partners being slandered so early on, they would definitely pick a fight with the other party.

"Here, you should know what's going on, right?"

"Haha, alright, not bad, just as I expected from you!"

"I read about it in an ancient book that recorded strange races. It mentioned a Xue Family Village that made a living by telling fortunes."

"Now it seems the ancient book was right. Impressive, Xue Daochao. I don't even have a girlfriend."

Ji Baichang patted Xue Daochao on the shoulder, leaving the other new recruits stunned.

They wanted to speak up for Ji Baichang, but seeing the person involved seemed indifferent, they didn't have much to say. They could only walk past the two of them.

Xue Daochao merely nodded at Ji Baichang's reaction. As he was about to return to the barracks to pack his toiletries, Ji Baichang called out to him again.

"Uh, I'll send you another twenty thousand via phone later. Can you tell me some information about Lü Qinglong?"

"Huh? Lü Qinglong?"

"Yeah, I want to know what kind of background this guy has, and what happened to him in the past."

"I've lived this long, and this is the first time I've seen someone so built."

Ji Baichang spread his hands, his eyes full of curiosity.

"Twenty thousand? He's my squad mate. On the battlefield, I'll be entrusting my back to him. You want all his information for a mere twenty thousand?"

"Then what do you mean?"

"You have to pay more."

Ji Baichang: ...

"Alright, alright, you're just trying to fleece me, aren't you? I won't ask anymore. I'm going to wash up."

He had money, but he wasn't stupid. How could he spend so much just to find out about someone?

Seeing that Ji Baichang wasn't asking anymore, Xue Daochao didn't bother to say anything else. He returned to the barracks, grabbed his yellow basin for washing up, and prepared to head to the washroom.

Meanwhile, Lü Qinglong, who was storing his bag in the storage room, overheard their entire conversation.

"Strange? Asking about me? What's there to ask about?"

Lü Qinglong couldn't understand, but he still walked out of the storage room and returned to the barracks.

As he passed by other barracks, he glanced inside and saw that in the other barracks, veteran soldiers wearing military ranks were smiling as they gave foot soaks to their new recruits.

Their courteous demeanor made Lü Qinglong wonder if he had somehow arrived at the wrong place.

"The military really isn't like what they say online. These squad leaders who are training new recruits are actually so friendly."

Lü Qinglong sighed and returned to his barracks.

New recruits in the barracks were gradually taking the neatly stacked yellow basins from the tables to wash up. Lü Qinglong had returned to the barracks late, so there was only one yellow basin left on the table.

Looking at the familiar yellow basin, Lü Qinglong couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia.

At home, he had plenty of everything, but these military-issued yellow basins were the most abundant.

He basically used these yellow basins for washing his face and other things. They were very sturdy and durable.

Carrying the yellow basin to the washroom, he found that there were hardly any other new recruits from other barracks. The other new recruits were enjoying the foot soak benefits provided by their squad leaders.

"Brother Long, uh, why don't you come wash up at my faucet?"

Seeing Lü Qinglong walk in, a new recruit quickly offered him his faucet.

The washroom had very few faucets, less than five in total, and the new recruits took turns using them to get water.

"Okay, thank you."

Lü Qinglong nodded and simply rinsed his face and feet with his yellow basin.

Seeing that Lü Qinglong wasn't as terrifying as they had imagined, the other new recruits nearby slowly began to try and communicate with him.

"Brother Long, how did you train to get so strong?"

"Yeah, Brother Long, your muscles are terrifying. Your pecs are practically bursting out of your camouflage uniform!"

"Brother Long, can I borrow some protein powder? I want to get this strong too!"

The new recruits chatted animatedly, making Lü Qinglong feel a sense of long-lost happiness.

Back in school, which classmates ever gathered around him to chat?

Perhaps Lü Qinglong knew that his looks were a bit below average, so most classmates were unwilling to hang out with him.

But it was different in the military. His new recruit comrades could gather around him, laughing and talking. This feeling was truly wonderful!

"Hehe, no problem. You can ask me anything about training later. I have some experience with fitness and weightlifting."

Lü Qinglong finished washing up with satisfaction. After returning to the barracks, he skillfully flattened the edges of his towel and the yellow basin, then placed his mouthwash cup in the basin. His toothbrush was on the right, and his toothpaste was on the left, neatly arranged on the top shelf of the basin rack.

He did this because there were too many similarities between the military and home.

At least the bathroom at his house was similar, with a similar basin rack. Every time he finished washing up, he had to fold his towel properly, aligning the five-pointed star with the edge of the yellow basin.

"Uh... do we have to fold them to this standard too?"

The other new recruits looked at the yellow basin Lü Qinglong had folded and immediately felt uneasy.

They knew they'd have to fold their blankets like tofu blocks in the army, but they hadn't expected even a yellow basin for washing up to have to be folded neatly.

"It's best if you do. Once you're in the army, you have to be strict with yourself."

"Even though it's your first day here, these basics naturally need to be done well!"

Lü Qinglong explained very seriously.

The army has always valued discipline. Why is it that for most people who have served, the three months in recruit training camp are the most memorable?

It's because recruit training camp forcibly instills a lot of ideology in you, completely changes your behavior, and teaches you what it means to obey orders without question.

These three months are when you are completely transformed from a civilian youth into a qualified new recruit.

To put it more plainly, it's about being forced to do things you don't like, shattering your former self in terms of thought and behavior, and then throwing you into a furnace to be severely refined into a proper person.

"Okay."

The other new recruits in the squad then took their basins back from the rack. One by one, they somewhat grudgingly folded their towels and placed them back on the rack.

Although very unwilling, seeing Lü Qinglong's fists, which were bigger than sandbags, they figured it wasn't worth the trouble.

Lü Qinglong nodded. Before getting into bed, he made sure to arrange his shoes by the bed before finally lying down contentedly on the two bed frames pushed together.

Although the single blanket was a bit small for him, it was barely enough.

Lü Qinglong's actions were all seen by the Squad Leader Chen Ting, who was video-calling his wife and child. He subconsciously muttered:

"So alike, it's like they were carved from the same mold."

"Honey, were you talking to me?" a confused female voice came from the phone.

"Oh, oh, no, no."