Chapter 23: A Scout Begins with Manure Duty

"Su Yang, Su Yang, wake up, it's time for guard duty!"

It was just past two in the morning when Zheng Sanpao, wearing a wool coat, walked into the dormitory and shook Su Yang awake.

Hearing the voice, Su Yang woke up in a daze. He suddenly pinched his thigh hard, and the sharp pain snapped him into full alertness.

The dormitory was pitch black. Su Yang felt his way to put on his clothes and followed Zheng Sanpao out of the building.

The two soon arrived at the guard post and relieved the soldiers from the previous shift.

Su Yang gripped his rifle and stood at his post with focus, despite the biting cold wind whipping against his face.

Though it was early spring, the nighttime temperature remained low, especially deep in the mountains where the high humidity made the cold penetrate even deeper, lacking the urban heat island effect found in cities.

Zheng Sanpao glanced at Su Yang and began to school him on guard duty: "Remember, no matter who approaches, challenge them first. The louder, the better. And whatever you do, don't fall asleep. If you open your eyes and find an inspector standing right in front of you, you’ll be reported to the entire company, and you’ll have a hard time ahead of you."

"Don't worry, Squad Leader, I know. I have to keep an eye out for any anomalies in the surroundings, watch out for inspectors, and be alert for inspections by the company or regimental leaders," Su Yang replied in a low voice while scanning the perimeter.

"As long as you know, keep a sharp watch." Zheng Sanpao gave a few more instructions before falling silent.

Just as Su Yang began to drift into a stupor, Zheng Sanpao’s voice cut through the air: "Are you asleep?"

Su Yang quickly shook his head to clear it. "Reporting, Squad Leader, I’m fine. Just a little sleepy."

"It's normal for your first time on guard duty, but from now on, remember: even if you just shift your weight slightly to stay awake, do it. You cannot fall asleep. This is the first line of defense; this armed guard post is the easiest place for trouble to happen," Zheng Sanpao said sternly.

Su Yang was about to respond when he suddenly heard a sharp, urgent whistle.

"Squad Leader, emergency assembly!" Su Yang looked at Zheng Sanpao.

This was his first time on guard duty, and he didn't know how to handle an emergency assembly.

Zheng Sanpao listened to the commotion coming from the distant dormitory buildings and chuckled. "We don't need to worry about it; we just stay at our posts. You’re lucky—the first time you’re on guard duty, you catch an emergency assembly, and a full-gear one at that. You’re getting off easy."

Su Yang didn't understand what he meant at first, but within minutes, he saw everyone in the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company—except for the sentries—sprinting out of the company gate in full combat gear.

He realized then what Zheng Sanpao meant: he had been spared from a late-night armed forced march.

Two days after his first guard duty, as the sun was setting and the platoon was about to finish drill, Su Yang saw Chen Guotao walking over.

"All new recruits, stop training. Go back to your dorms, grab your washbasins, and follow me. We’re going to do some side-line production."

Chen Guotao’s words left the recruits bewildered. Side-line production? What kind of side-line production?

Su Yang thought of scenes he had seen on television and recalled that the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company had its own vegetable patches. He asked, "Platoon Leader, are we going to plant vegetables?"

The veteran soldiers nearby burst into laughter, which made Su Yang feel like they were up to no good.

"Planting vegetables? That’s related, but not exactly. Stop talking and go get your basins," Chen Guotao said with a grin.

Without a clear answer, Su Yang had no choice but to follow the others to the dormitory to retrieve their yellow basins, which they used for washing faces, feet, and clothes.

When they assembled below the dorms, Su Yang felt relieved to see that all the new recruits of the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company had been called, including the clerk, Zhuang Yan.

However, a bad premonition took hold. His three months in the recruit company and his time since joining the unit had taught him one thing: whenever the superiors called for the new recruits, nothing good ever followed.

Indeed, Chen Guotao’s actions confirmed his suspicions.

Chen Guotao had led them to the septic tank behind the dormitory building.

Seeing the yellowish-white mess in the pit and looking down at the yellow basin in his own hands, Su Yang’s face turned pale. His stomach did a somersault, and he began to retch violently.

Su Yang’s vomiting drew everyone’s attention. Xi Wa quickly grabbed him, patted his back, and asked worriedly, "Su Yang, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

"Chen Xi Wa, let him go. He’s not sick; he’s just disgusted," Chen Guotao said with a smile, blocking Xi Wa.

After a bout of vomiting, Su Yang wiped his mouth and said, "The Platoon Leader said earlier that our side-line work was related to planting vegetables."

"Most of us are country boys. We know that planting vegetables is just turning the soil, making ridges, sowing seeds, weeding, pest control, and applying farm fertilizer. Since the Platoon Leader brought us to the septic tank, it must involve applying fertilizer."

Su Yang stifled his revulsion and explained.

Chen Guotao didn't stop him, but asked, "So what are we going to do?"

"I know, we're obviously going to compost. But Su Yang, this is a bit dirty, but it’s not enough to make you vomit, is it? I do this all the time back home," Xi Wa said.

Seeing how naive Xi Wa was, Su Yang replied, "I wish it were that simple. Don't you see they made us bring our basins? They want us to use them to carry the stuff inside."

"No way! Ugh!"

As soon as Su Yang finished, Zhuang Yan, who had just realized what was happening, was the first to start retching violently.

"No way, these are our washbasins. We even use them to eat sometimes!" Xi Wa said, his face drained of color.

"Who told you we didn't have enough tools in the company? We have to use the basins to carry it," Chen Guotao said, snatching the basin from Su Yang’s hand. He placed it on the ground and used a long-handled wooden scoop to dump the contents of the septic tank into the basin.

"Ugh..."

Now the recruits were all vomiting uncontrollably.

"Do you have any backbone? It’s just using a basin to carry manure. You can wash it clean later. Everyone bring your basins over and carry the manure to the pit of wood ash we dug over there!"

Chen Guotao glared at them and shouted, "Bring them all here! I’ll fill them for you! Su Yang, you go first!"

Su Yang was truly miserable. Before this, no matter how hard the training was, he never felt like quitting; he just pushed through. He hadn't even broken down like Zhuang Yan had.

But now, he felt a genuine urge to run away.

"Platoon Leader, can we not use the basins? If it comes to it, I’ll use my own allowance to buy new buckets!" Su Yang pleaded, on the verge of tears.

"Absolutely not. This is a fine tradition of the military: hard work, simplicity, and self-reliance. If you want to grow good vegetables, you have to start by composting well. If you want to become a true soldier, a true scout, you have to endure what ordinary people cannot," Chen Guotao said, his brows furrowing sternly.

Seeing Chen Guotao’s attitude, Su Yang knew there was no escaping it. He took a deep breath, pinched his nose shut, picked up the yellow basin, and sprinted toward the wood ash pile.

As soon as he dumped it, Su Yang threw the basin aside and retched again.

Following his lead, all the recruits, while vomiting, eventually moved all the waste from the septic tank into the wood ash.