Joining the Army Is Also a Path (1)

August was the season for autumn enlistment. Tong Haojing quit his job and returned to Tangdu Ancient Town, hurrying to the town's People's Armed Forces Department to sign up. Tangdu Town did not have many people, nor was it large, but it was the place Tong Haojing had long dreamed of. He envied the officials who worked in offices there and was fascinated by its urban life. How he wished he could be one of them. But in reality, he was just a country boy, and even walking down the street made him feel shabby and insignificant.

People's thinking was often limited to what lay before their eyes. Only after leaving the mountains did you realize there was an ocean beyond them. Tong Haojing had never traveled far from home, so even walking through the town outside his village felt fresh to him, and he could not help fantasizing about it.

The entrance to the ancient town's People's Armed Forces Department was packed with young people who had come to register. From the other applicants, he learned that there were only fifteen recruitment slots this year. A slick-tongued young man vividly told the crowd, "These days, without someone you know, no one in the city will even hire you to shine shoes. Want to join the army? Without relatives or friends to pull strings, forget it!" Hearing this, some of the eligible youths felt they had little hope. Still, they had come to try their luck, and they kept cracking jokes. "Sigh! Even if we're only here to make up the numbers, flowers still need green leaves like us to set them off, right? We may be cow dung, but without us, could flowers still call themselves beautiful...?"

The crowd burst into laughter.

Tong Haojing's stubborn nature made him unwilling to believe it. His proper education had taught him that the world was full of warmth, fairness, and justice. He wanted to give it a try, to take a gamble. In the countryside, the requirements for joining the army were simply meeting the physical examination standards and having a middle school education. Tong Haojing was a high school graduate, so he naturally held a clear advantage. His heart brimmed with confidence.

Inside the enlistment office, Cadre Liu registered the young applicants one by one, while a long line stretched outside. As soon as the person ahead of him left, Tong Haojing dropped onto a wooden chair in front of Cadre Liu's desk. With a crack, the chair fell apart. Tong Haojing toppled backward onto the floor, making a tremendous racket. He rolled over and climbed back up without a word, then walked outside and patted the dust from his clothes.

"They're testing me, huh? No big deal!" Seeing Tong Haojing's comical attempt to comfort himself, the men and women present could not help bursting into laughter.

Seeing how Tong Haojing did not panic in the face of trouble and handled it steadily, Cadre Liu gave him an approving mental thumbs-up. A tall young man with a handsome face and eyes that shone with an unyielding spirit—wasn't this the boy Uncle Mumu had mentioned, the one who wanted to join the army? Yes, it had to be him. Cadre Liu liked Tong Haojing at first sight, and an approving smile appeared on his face.

Without showing it, Cadre Liu came up with an intriguing idea. When it was Tong Haojing's turn to register, Cadre Liu glanced at him with a stern expression, deliberately left him hanging for a moment, then called for the next person.

Sure enough, Tong Haojing reacted. He found it baffling. It should have been his turn to register—why was he not being allowed to do so? Was there something fishy going on? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Tong Haojing felt that his self-respect had been deeply insulted. His face reddened, and his mind became a tangled mess. He wanted to loudly question Cadre Liu, vent the resentment in his heart, and condemn this blatant injustice. So he let it all out.

Suddenly, Tong Haojing recalled the inscrutable look in the enlistment officer's eyes. Could Cadre Liu have some other reason? Tong Haojing restrained his anger, and his heart gradually calmed. He warned himself not to act rashly when faced with trouble. He had to stay calm and keep his composure. He would wait and see what the enlistment officer intended to do with him. Perhaps that was what he truly needed to figure out. Thinking this, Tong Haojing waited for some miracle to happen. He sat on a reception chair outside the office and waited for half an hour. Only after all the youths who had come to register had left did the enlistment officer emerge from the office and casually ask, "Tong Haojing, why are you still here?"

Tong Haojing was somewhat startled. How did he know my name? It was unbelievable. "Didn't you tell me to wait?" Tong Haojing seemed to gain some confidence. He guessed that Cadre Liu had been testing him. If he had truly stormed off in anger, that would have been a lifelong regret.

"Come, tell me about your family situation in detail." Tong Haojing could tell that Cadre Liu had done it deliberately. The stern expression on his face vanished, instantly replaced by a kind and amiable look.

A warm current suddenly surged through Tong Haojing's heart. Perhaps happiness had arrived too suddenly. Cadre Liu finally spoke. "Tong Haojing, I noticed you the moment you arrived. You look sharp, and you can keep your composure. You're fine material for the army!"

Tong Haojing's tightly drawn face immediately relaxed, and the smile in his brows was obvious. Somewhat excited, he asked, "Sir, what should I do next?"

"If there are no issues with your physical examination or political review, don't run around. Stay home and wait for good news!" Cadre Liu's certain tone thrilled Tong Haojing, because he knew there could be no problem with his health. He had already undergone a physical examination before the college entrance exam. In fact, however, military physical examinations were much stricter.

Cadre Liu's seasoned manner reassured him completely. Joining the army now seemed certain. He was so happy that he danced with joy as he headed home without thinking. By then, Tong Haojing had completely forgotten about running away from the marriage. He wanted to tell his mother the good news as soon as possible, but when he thought of her stubborn attitude, she might not agree at all. Tong Haojing hesitated. After thinking it over and over, to avoid creating other problems, he ultimately returned to Tangdu City and found another temporary job while waiting for the day he left to join the army.