"Yeah, Comrade He Xiaoping. Wang Yan mentioning it reminded me—did you get your photo taken? Your family's all worried about you."
Hearing Wang Yan's words, Liu Feng also asked with concern, while pushing Wang Youquan's vinegar bottle over with his hand.
He Xiaoping replied quietly, "I did. Suizi lent me her military uniform to wear."
"That's good. You might not be used to things yet since you just got here, so make sure to speak up if anything comes up. You're all in the same dormitory, and Comrade He Xiaoping is only seventeen. Look after her more." Liu Feng said it naturally enough, but it was really just polite talk. He wasn't a leader, after all, and no one took his words particularly seriously.
"Thank you." He Xiaoping responded politely and continued eating her fragrant dumplings.
She had just arrived, and back home, neither her grandmother nor her uncle cared for her. Her family circumstances were poor. These dumplings were proper refined-grain food—she could not eat them more than a few times a year at home—so naturally, she savored them.
That eased the tension. The female soldiers at this table asked Liu Feng about amusing things that had happened on the road, while the male soldiers at the other table resumed their idle chatter. The room soon returned to its buzzing liveliness.
Hao Shuwen glanced at He Xiaoping and thought over Wang Yan's awkward attempt to smooth things over. Still, it did nothing to improve her opinion of Wang Yan. It was all Wang Yan's fault...
Before things had been quiet for long, the cook from the kitchen squad, wearing a white apron, stood at the entrance of the mess hall and shouted, "Liu Feng! Liu Feng!"
"I'm here. What is it?" Liu Feng hurriedly got to his feet.
"The