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The pearl farmers had to be resettled in batches. Some of the elderly, weak, women and children stayed on the island, while the other group of young and strong people went to various islands under the rule of the Red Flag Gang to see if there was any place suitable for raising pearl oysters.

There is a bit of luck involved, but since Leizhou is not in our hands, we can only use some stupid methods.

Cheng Xi vaguely remembered that there was an island near the shore that produced pearls, so he always wanted to look for it.

Plus, it would take three to five years to figure out how to grow the pearl nuclei and raise the pearl oysters. Fortunately, she had enough patience; new technology took time and money to develop, so there was no need to rush.

While the Zhu people were being settled here, Shi Dani was also taken to the military camp.

The female soldiers lived in a corner of the military camp, with a total of about ten rooms and a small training ground, equipped with swords, spears, halberds, stone locks and arrow targets.

The arrival of the newcomer immediately attracted onlookers.

"Is this the new guy? He doesn't look short."

"Sister, how old are you? Where are you from? Are you married?"

"Although he's thin, he should have some strength in his hands..."

A group of women were chattering and asking questions that made Shi Dani feel dizzy and she didn't know which one to answer.

Fortunately, the woman who brought her here waved her hand and sent everyone aside: "Why are you in such a hurry? I still have to take people to report to the captain. You can come back and ask about it later!"

The women laughed, but also made way for the two men to enter the innermost room.

This room looks like a study, with tables, chairs and benches, and a young woman sitting in the middle, writing and drawing at the desk.

"Captain, there's a newcomer here, a pearl diver. The gang leader asked her to practice with us first." The leader stood up straight and reported loudly.

Shi Dani was unhappy when she heard this and said hurriedly: "The gang leader said that if I train well, I can also be a personal soldier!"

This was quite an arrogant tone. Lin Mo stood up, looked Shi Dani up and down, and then asked, "What's your name? How old are you? What can you do?"

The girl in front of her was not very tall and looked young, but Shi Dani did not dare to neglect her. She always felt that her expression was a bit similar to the gang leader she had met before. Moreover, this captain could write, so she was definitely not an ordinary person.

Following the example of the people around her, she tried to stand up straight and said loudly, "My name is Shi Dani, and I'm fifteen. I can dive to a depth of ten feet and hold my breath for half a quarter of an hour. I can also row a boat, spear fish, and weave nets."

Even Lin Mo was surprised by the depth and duration of the dive. She knew the gang leader was training a group of water-savvy pioneers, nicknamed "Jiaolong," elite soldiers for lurking and attacking. None of the men could dive more than ten feet, yet the little girl before her could. How could this not be surprising?

Nodding slightly, she said seriously, "Your talent is extraordinary. As long as you practice hard, it will be of great use. For the next three months, you will train with them, practice martial arts, and learn to read. As long as you can pass the assessment, you can become a regular soldier of the Red Flag Gang."

Shi Dani was startled and hesitated, "I, I can still read?"

Lin Mo asked in return: "If you can kill people, why can't you read and write?"

Shi Dani's eyes widened, and she suddenly grinned: "You're right!"

She would go to the battlefield in the future, and she would definitely have to learn how to kill people, so what did learning to read matter? However, the next moment, as if remembering something, Shi Dani hurriedly asked, "Does that mean I'll become a regular soldier, a personal soldier?"

Lin Mo shook his head. "Personal soldiers are to be the boss's personal guards, and only those with strong skills can be selected. Not only must you beat the female soldiers, you must also beat the male soldiers to have a chance of being selected."

Shi Dani didn't expect that becoming a personal soldier would be so difficult. However, the more she thought about it, the more her heart boiled with rage. Without hesitation, she shouted, "Then I will defeat everyone!"

In the village, she could dive deeper and hold her breath longer than men. Now that she has switched to martial arts, she will definitely not lose to others!

This aggressive and unyielding spirit brought a smile to Lin Mo's lips, but she quickly suppressed her expression and said to Shi Dani, "Go take a shower first, get some clothes and bedding, and get familiar with the environment in the camp. There's a lot to learn every day, so you have to be energetic."

After saying that, she waved her hand and asked the two to leave.

After they left the room, the guide breathed a sigh of relief and said with some envy, "The captain is quite optimistic about you. Being able to dive is truly remarkable! Have you been practicing since you were young?"

"Well, all the children in the village go to the sea at the age of twelve. And once they're at sea, it's always the children who get to pick up the pearls while the parents watch from the boat. It's never the other way around." After meeting the captain, Shi Dani relaxed and became more talkative. The pearl-dwelling people do have a rule that children go into the water. Partly because it gives them more physical strength, but also because they're afraid their parents might get into trouble underwater and the children won't come to their rescue. Once you're at sea, it's a life-or-death situation; anything can happen.

The guide grinned. "That sounds like a tough job. By the way, diving that deep won't hurt your body?"

Shi Dani thought for a moment before saying, "If I can live peacefully until I'm thirty, I'll probably become deaf, but the rest won't be a big deal."

The words "live to thirty" didn't surprise the guide. Instead, he said, "They're a bit like artillerymen; they're also prone to hearing loss. By the way, my name is Huang Yue, and I'm from a Tanka family. There are so many female soldiers named Daya, Dani, and Da Niang. When you learn to read, you can give yourself a nice name. Hey, I was the first one to get the character 'Yue'. It sounds good, doesn't it?"

Shi Dani blinked her eyes and said, "Aren't names given by our parents? How can they be changed?"

"Dani and Erya are nothing but names. They're just rankings at best." Huang Yue didn't care. "Besides, my parents can't read, so I was thinking of changing their names. By the way, are your parents here too?"

Shi Dani's face darkened. "My parents, brother and sister-in-law went out to sea and encountered a storm. They couldn't come back."

Huang Yue sighed softly: "In fact, there are quite a few people in our camp who have been without parents since childhood, but once they join the army, they are all sisters. If there is anything, we can help each other. Don't be polite with us."

These words warmed Shi Dani's heart. When she was in the village before, she was the only one left in her family. Although there were some kind mothers-in-law and aunts who looked after her, she was still someone else's child. Her own family couldn't even feed her, so how could they take care of her? Now she came to such a strange place, but there was a group of women of similar age, eating and living together. Wouldn't it be closer?

While chatting, Huang Yue did not delay her serious business and took Shi Dani to take a bath first.

Shi Dani was surprised by the spraying shower head and the hot bath water.

After rubbing the accumulated plaster off her face and washing her hair and body with soap nuts, she changed into new clothes and went to get her things.

"These two sets are for daily changes of clothes, as well as cloth shoes, bedding, and a sweat towel..."

Huang Yue piled things in front of Shi Dani one by one, making her eyes almost pop out.

Are soldiers given so many things? They even provide food and drink. Isn't that better than life as a god?

Unable to resist, she stretched out her hand and carefully rummaged through the things. Shi Dani picked up a piece of cloth that was not too long and a little wide with some confusion: "What is this?"

"That's a chest wrap, worn during daily training." Huang Yue glanced at her chest, "You don't need it yet."

Shi Dani couldn't help but touch her chest, which was like a chopping board. She put it down with some regret and picked up another narrower piece of cloth with four straps: "What about this one?"

"Isn't this a menstrual belt? Three per person, change every three months." Huang Yue couldn't help but praise. "The ones the camp gave out are much better than making your own. There's a layer of oil paper inside, so blood and water can't seep through. Oh, and remember to take the paper out when you wash it. You can stuff cotton in the opening. We have a monthly quota, so we can go to the hospital to get one. Oh, and when you dry them, make sure you put them in the sun. Don't let the cloth belt get moldy. I heard it can cause women's diseases."

Shi Dani opened her mouth wide, not knowing what to say.

Huang Yue saw her expression and immediately realized: "Haven't you ever used a menstrual belt before?"

Shi Dani shook her head: "People who are menstruating cannot go out to the sea, so they all stay indoors."

These pearl divers are most particular about not shedding blood when they go into the sea, otherwise they will attract vicious sharks and die without a burial place.

Therefore, she would stay in the hut for a few days every month and would not go out until she was clean.

Huang Yue sighed: "It's okay, I'll teach you how to use it later, and you can go out and walk around like usual after putting it on."

"But, but this is also given out, isn't it too expensive..." Shi Dani still couldn't believe it. Shouldn't such personal items be prepared by oneself? And changing them every three months is simply unbelievable.

Huang Yue snorted immediately. "Those male soldiers are even more wasteful with their clothes than we are, so what's the big deal about a few extra cloth belts for the female soldiers? Not only us, but even the nurses and accountants who work in the gang get them. The gang leader said that menstruation isn't dirty, it's just for the sake of producing better offspring. And a single cloth belt can allow a woman to work three to five extra days a month, so it's definitely a profit."

Shi Dani was speechless. Clutching the menstrual belt in her hand, she felt a sudden pang of pain in her nose, nearly bringing tears to her eyes. She had never been treated this way before. Even when her mother was still alive, she had never been spoken to this way, let alone by others. How could the leader of such a powerful gang be so considerate and kind? What she had heard was indeed true: the gang leader was the daughter of General Zhenhai, the most wonderful person in the world!

"I want to be a personal soldier." Her voice was a little hoarse, but Shi Dani still spoke, her tone more firm than ever before.

She didn't know what the personal guards did before, but now she knows.

What she wanted was not just to be stronger than everyone else, nor was it just to fight in battle and repel those soldiers who killed with a thousand swords. She wanted to personally protect the leader and block all dangers for her. Only in this way could she repay the leader's kindness.

As if seeing through her thoughts, Huang Yue smiled: "Then you must train hard. There is no one in the camp who doesn't want to be a personal soldier."

Shi Dani suddenly raised her head and glared at him: "I can do it!"

Huang Yue laughed heartily: "Alright, then let's see who gets the job first."

The laughter made Shi Dani grin and laugh too.