Chapter 215: Wang Ye’s Waterhole (2)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
It proved extremely difficult to secure the renewal of the second phase.
At times, the military could indeed be ruthless.
No matter how consistently one excelled, a single mistake rarely offered a second chance.
At this juncture, Wu Jianfeng spoke once more, “Don’t bear too much burden. Deng Hai’s state of mind is an issue that has nothing to do with you. This time, you’ll be assigned to Class Eight. I have no ulterior motives; I merely wish to prevent the third-class monitor from jeopardizing his future due to this problematic deserter!”
“Yes, Captain, 1 won’t overthink it,” Wang Ye nodded.
In reality, Wang Ye felt no psychological weight.
After all, he wasn’t responsible for Deng Hai’s desertion; why should he be concerned?
As for their prior conflict, well, Wang Ye couldn’t be bothered to dwell on it further.
Before long, the car fell into silence once more.
Around three in the afternoon, they arrived at the train station, and Wang Ye and his companions disembarked.
After waiting at the station for over half an hour, they boarded a train. They only had a two-hour layover.
The sound of the train rattled on.
To be honest, Wang Ye felt somewhat uneasy.
They all wore their green uniforms and had to maintain their appearance.
“Mommy… This soldier uncle is really handsome. 1 want to be like him in the future!”
On the train, a young boy held a toy gun in his hand and sat beside Wang Ye and the others. At that moment, he looked at his mother and spoke.
“Absolutely!”
His mother replied with a smile.
To be honest, if Wang Ye hadn’t found himself in this situation, he might have playfully interacted with the child. However, Wang Ye remained as still as a statue.
After a little over an hour, they changed trains again.
Upon arrival, their car routes and arrangements had all been pre-organized. However, due to the time constraints of visiting Deng Hai’s home, they couldn’t select the most optimal route. So, they had to keep switching.
It was nearly four o’clock in the afternoon on the 3rd when Wang Ye reached Deng Hai’s hometown. By the time they arrived, it was already close to seven o’clock in the morning on the 4th.
At the train station, Wang Ye and Wu Jianfeng stood out prominently.
After all, they were all in military attire, and Wu Jianfeng had three small stars on his shoulder. Though it was just a single bar across, not everyone was familiar with military ranks.
Most people only knew that those with stars on their uniforms were military officers.
As for Wang Ye, most people were captivated by his appearance.
Prior to disembarking the train, Wang Ye and his companions had taken the opportunity to freshen up on the train to maintain their military image. Furthermore, they had managed to get some rest the previous night, so they were well-rested and looked presentable.
Under these circumstances, it was impossible for them not to stand out at the train station.
The military uniform itself was attention-grabbing, especially at a city train station. Even though it wasn’t yet seven in the morning, there were still plenty of people around.
Throughout the journey, more than one person saluted Wang Ye and his companions.
These salutes came from children, teenagers, and young adults. Some even saluted and greeted Wu Jianfeng, suggesting he might be a retired soldier.
However, Wang Ye didn’t respond to the greetings along the way. He and Wu Jianfeng walked side by side, and it was Wu Jianfeng who acknowledged the salutes.
“Commander, 1’11 go grab some buns!”
As they walked out of the train station onto the street, Wang Ye spotted breakfast vendors and felt a slight hunger, so he suggested this.
“Sure, be quick. Do you have money with you?”
“Yes,” Wang Ye nodded.
He had brought the bag he had saved yesterday, which still contained over 2,000 yuan in cash. Naturally, Wang Ye placed it back in his wallet.
“Alright, go ahead. Just remember how much you spend, and we’ll settle it when you return.”
“Okay.” Wang Ye didn’t pretend to be frugal just because he had money.
Since Wu Jianfeng mentioned reimbursement, he intended to report his expenses accurately.
Without delay, Wang Ye didn’t venture far and joined the queue at a nearby breakfast shop.
“Uncle, please go ahead!”
In front of Wang Ye stood a few elementary school students still wearing red scarves. It seemed they were from a nearby school, likely heading there and stopping for breakfast.
However, when they noticed Wang Ye standing behind them, a little girl saluted him like a Young Pioneer. After Wang Ye returned the salute, she spoke shyly.
At that moment, the other children were also gazing at Wang Ye and voluntarily made way for him.
“That’s right, Uncle, you can go ahead!”
“Uncle, let me treat you to breakfast. Here you go!”
A young boy even handed over the breakfast he had just purchased.
His heart was filled with warmth. Honestly, even though Wang Ye had only been in the army for a short time, he had already experienced the impact of the soldier’s aura a few times.
The first instance was when he enlisted in the army, and the townsfolk lined the streets to bid him farewell.
The second time was during their road training when the local people enthusiastically showed support for the military.
But now, not only were people saluting them along the way, but these children were also so kind when offering breakfast.
It truly warmed his heart.
“It’s alright. Uncle will pay for it himself. You kids can take it to school first.
Oh, and you don’t need to pay!”
As he spoke, Wang Ye turned to the smiling middle-aged uncle and said, “Boss, their breakfast is on me. I’ll settle the bill later!”
“Haha! How can I let you foot the bill? Count me in, count me in! It’s just a few steamed buns and fried dough sticks, 1’11 treat you!” The boss chuckled.
This surprised Wang Ye.
However, he promptly declined.
He appreciated the warmth of these youngsters and the kindness of the boss, but Wang Ye wouldn’t take advantage of anyone.
Not to mention that it wasn’t a significant amount of money, but more importantly, regulations prohibited Wang Ye from doing so.
Nonetheless, the boss laughed and swiftly prepared breakfast for the children. Then, he turned to Wang Ye and said, “Thanks to you folks, we can sell breakfast in peace. So, when we meet, it’s on the house.”
With a warm smile on his face, the boss spoke loudly, “I’ve never served in the military, and I’m a rough person. But I understand the principle, so don’t decline.”
The boss said as he handed out the breakfast.
He picked up five or six steamed buns, some with meat and some sweet ones. Then, he moved on to the flower rolls. He even asked Wang Ye, “Would you like some flower rolls?”
“That’s enough, really. There are only two of us, and this is plenty,” Wang Ye hurriedly declined, but the boss didn’t stop. He smiled and grabbed a few more rolls, then changed bags to get some fried dough sticks.
“Uncle, I really can’t eat this much. It’s too much food!”
“Haha, what’s too much? I know you soldiers. You’re all young lads with big appetites!”
The boss added four more fried pancakes and two fried dough sticks.
Finally, he changed bags again, preparing to take a few more bottles of milk.
Wang Ye was at a loss. He had already prepared a plan in secret.
After the boss handed over the food, Wang Ye slipped a red banknote under the steamed bun basket on the stall in front of him.
He discreetly pushed up the basket and slid the money in.
“Uncle, the payment is there!”
Taking the steamed buns and milk that the uncle had packed, Wang Ye left without taking the fried pancakes.
There was no way he could eat it all. With ten buns, four bottles of milk, and the fried pancakes, it was just too much.
As for the 100 yuan, it might be more than the cost of the children’s breakfast earlier, but Wang Ye didn’t mind. He saw it as a way to show his appreciation for the boss’s enthusiastic support of the military.
“Hey, 1 told you not to pay. Take it with you!”
The boss hurriedly searched through the steamed bun basket, ready to retrieve the money.
But Wang Ye had already made a quick exit.
“Company commander, the locals are really enthusiastic!” Wang Ye remarked as he approached Wu Jianfeng.
In truth, Wu Jianfeng had observed the entire interaction.
Seeing that the boss had taken out the money and even tried to chase after them to return it, he couldn’t help but shake his head.
He quickly said to Wang Ye, “Let’s go!”