Don't Go Against Your Squad Leader

A recruit's first lesson after arriving at the unit was, without a doubt, folding a blanket.

Everyone folded their blankets the same way. What determined whether a blanket turned out well came down to one thing: pressing the cotton flat.

This process often took a month, and for some recruits, it lasted nearly their entire time in New Recruit Company.

A recruit like Lü Qinglong, who was born strong enough to flatten the cotton in a single go, was probably the only one of his kind in the entire PLA.

Squad Leader Chen Ting didn't want the other recruits to have it too easy. Pressing their blankets was part of tempering their character.

"Squad Leader, may I ask why you won't let me help the others press their blankets?"

Lü Qinglong asked, confused.

If every recruit in the squad could get their blanket pressed flat, wouldn't that raise the overall standard of their squad's barracks upkeep?

He was clearly doing a good deed. Why had Chen Ting suddenly taken issue with it?

"From now on, don't speak unless I've given you permission."

"Pressing their blankets is their own business. Why are you sticking your nose in? If you press all their blankets for them, what are they supposed to press?"

Chen Ting shot Lü Qinglong a glance and calmly took a sip of tea.

This really was fine tea. Even after three brews, its flavor was still rich.

"But..."

Lü Qinglong still didn't quite understand. He was about to ask again when Ji Baichang hurriedly cut in:

"Come on, Squad Leader Qinglong's only trying to help us. Pressing our blankets is meant to temper our character!"

"We should understand how much our squad leader cares about us!"

As he spoke, Ji Baichang frantically winked at Lü Qinglong, urging him to stop talking.

He finally got it. Lü Qinglong really was strong, but he was still too simple-minded. He lacked the knack for knowing when to keep talking and when to stay quiet.

Lü Qinglong opened his mouth, then finally shut it.

A while later, Ji Baichang asked permission to go to the toilet, saying his stomach hurt. Once Squad Leader Chen Ting had given him the okay, he pulled Lü Qinglong along with him.

After checking a few stalls and confirming they were alone in the restroom, Ji Baichang finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to Lü Qinglong with a serious expression.

"Qinglong, you can't do that again. Whatever the squad leader says goes. Don't go against him!"

"Why? If I help everyone press their blankets, then nobody else has to do it. Our squad's barracks upkeep will definitely be the best."

"That's a good thing. Why won't the squad leader allow it?"

Lü Qinglong had grown up hearing all sorts of stories about the military, so of course he knew not to go against the squad leader.

But he was doing a good deed!

"Come on, man! I know you're trying to do a good thing."

"But we're in the military. Just don't go against the squad leader, okay? Otherwise, we're in for a rough time."

"It's like when you called out that recruit this morning who wanted to go back to sleep. Qinglong, you know we're all in this together. If you make the squad leader angry, the rest of us will suffer too."

Clearly, Ji Baichang had done his homework before joining the military. He even knew that when one person messed up, the whole group got punished together.

"I just don't really understand. So I shouldn't help them press their blankets?"

Lü Qinglong asked, puzzled.

"Right, you can't help them out in the open. But you can do it where the squad leader can't see~"

"Anyway, want a cigarette?"

Ji Baichang suddenly pulled a cigarette from inside his shirt, looking rather secretive.

"Huh? I don't smoke. Why are you smoking? Didn't you say..."

"Come on, I can't let the squad leader find out I smoke. As long as I don't get caught, I'm fine!"

Ji Baichang motioned for Lü Qinglong to keep his voice down and cover for him.

Then he slipped into the stall at the very end.

There were four toilets in the restroom, each separated by a partition. That gave Ji Baichang room to work.

A moment later, Lü Qinglong heard a sound like flint striking together from inside. Then he caught the faintest whiff of cigarette smoke.

Fortunately, all the recruits and veterans were probably in their squads at that hour, so nobody else came to use the restroom.

After a while, Ji Baichang emerged from the stall, looking satisfied.

He went to the sink and rinsed his mouth several times with cold tap water before turning to Lü Qinglong.

"What do you think? Smell my mouth. Can you still smell smoke?"

"No. But is this really a good idea? Didn't the squad leader say smoking was forbidden?"

"Shh~ As long as I can hide it for my entire time in New Recruit Company, the squad leader will think I've never smoked. Come on, let's head back."

Ji Baichang went out first.

But the moment he stepped through the door, he walked straight into Squad Leader Chen Ting, who was heading toward the restroom.

"Hello, Squad Leader."

Ji Baichang greeted him without batting an eye.

"Why were you in the toilet so long? Were you smoking?"

To Ji Baichang's horror, Chen Ting's very first question hit the nail on the head.

His expression shifted, but he quickly composed himself and put on an honest smile.

"Squad Leader, you sure know how to joke. I don't smoke."

"Really? Then I hope you're not lying."

Chen Ting nodded, shifted his gaze from Ji Baichang to Lü Qinglong, and said:

"When you get back to the squad, continue teaching them the steps for folding a military blanket."

"Yes, Squad Leader."

Lü Qinglong nodded.

Chen Ting turned and went into the restroom. Ji Baichang hurriedly pulled Lü Qinglong toward the squad room.

"Good grief, that scared me to death. The way our squad leader looked at me just now, I thought he'd caught me."

"An old squad leader really is something else!"

"I'd better behave for a while."

With that thought, Ji Baichang decided to quit smoking for a while, at least until the heat died down.

Back in the squad room, Lü Qinglong called everyone to the open space in the middle and continued demonstrating the steps they'd left unfinished.

"The next step is really important. It basically determines the blanket's width and size. A lot of people end up with blankets shaped like cannon barrels because they don't get the creases right."

"Pay attention. Start making the crease about one and a half handspans plus a fist away from the top of the blanket. Your hands are smaller, so you'll probably need two handspans."

(Image 1)

As Lü Qinglong spoke, he spread his hand. The distance between his thumb and index finger was called a handspan.

"When you've reached one and a half handspans plus a fist, pinch both ends and shape the blanket into an arch."

(Image 2)

"Then grab one end of the blanket and fold it lengthwise toward the middle. That finishes one side."

"See? Isn't that simple and easy to do?"

(Image 3)