Military training officially began on August 22.
Chen Shi'an woke at five as usual. When he went looking for his trousers, he couldn't find them for ages, only to discover that the Class Monitor had tucked them beneath her pillow.
Although Yanda University's military training was fairly easy, its rules were still quite strict. Everyone had to assemble at seven sharp each morning and attend a daily review at eight in the evening. In between came drill practice, themed educational sessions, and other scheduled activities. In principle, no one was allowed to take leave or miss anything, and special circumstances had to be reported.
It was still early, so after getting out of bed, Chen Shi'an didn't rush to wake the two girls. He picked up Fat Cat, who had been fighting stray dogs over territory, and rode his bicycle to Anping Gate with the cat to watch that morning's flag-raising ceremony.
The bicycle was new.
Sister Wanyin had bought it. She had bought one for each of the four of them, all ordinary city bicycles with baskets fitted so they could carry things on their way to work or school.
The only difference was the color: Chen Shi'an's was black, Sister Wanyin's blue, the Class Monitor's white, and Little Cicada's turquoise.
They weren't very suitable for long-distance cycling, but city bicycles like these were very convenient for everyday commuting or leisurely rides nearby.
When he made the reservation a couple of days earlier, he had wanted to invite all three girls along to watch the flag raising. But none of them seemed capable of getting up, so Chen Shi'an had no choice but to go with Fat Cat.
It wasn't that Fat Cat was particularly diligent. The cat had simply slept enough during the day...
By the time Chen