At a border garrison in Heilongjiang province, a young boy in his recruit training uniform runs on the parade ground. His clothes are soaked with sweat, which drips from his hair onto his eyebrows and face.
The boy, having finished his run, stopped and turned to head back towards his dormitory. Having showered, he was no longer covered in dust and grime. A handsome, youthful face was clearly revealed.
The boy was about 1.78 meters tall, with a buzz cut. His eyes were clear and bright, shining like the stars in the sky. It was as if he had stepped out of a painting.
The boy was Gu Moting and Huang Tai'an, who were referring to him as Mo Li. Mo Li, whose full name was Gu Mo Li, was Gu Moting's younger brother.
Gu Moli is 17 years old this year. After graduating from high school, he immediately signed up to join the army. He is now a new recruit.
Joining the army was his dream. When he was very young, Gu Moli liked to pester his uncle and aunt to tell him about their experiences when they marched and fought with the army.
Every time Gu Moli heard about Chinese soldiers on the battlefield, fearlessly sacrificing themselves for their country and people, advancing bravely, and how every battle brought both victory and defeat, but the Chinese soldiers never retreated, fighting with fervor until the very last moment, he felt deeply moved and filled with longing.
Now he has finally arrived at the place he longed for. Formal military training is much tougher than training at home.
When he first arrived, the instructors shook their heads at his fair complexion. Other recruits in his cohort would also laugh at him, saying he was a man who looked more delicate than a woman.
Gu Moli didn't bother with those people. He knew his appearance wasn't suitable for military service. Gu Moli took after his mother; he had fair skin that didn't tan easily.
"Hey, Gu Moli, why aren't you enjoying your life at home, instead of running around in the army?" The speaker was a dark-skinned, muscular boy.
"That's right, Gu Moli, look at your skin, it's even fairer than those girls'. If you had long hair, you'd be even prettier than a girl. The army needs male soldiers, not effeminate soldiers."
Hahaha… A burst of laughter erupted, and the one who had just spoken was a boy named Zhao Hui, who was in the same team and dormitory as Gu Moli. He had disliked Gu Moli from the very first day he saw him.
As for why he disliked Gu Moli, firstly, he thought Gu Moli, a man, was more beautiful than a woman. Secondly, he was jealous of Gu Moli's good looks and wealthy family background.
The people in the dormitory unanimously believed that Gu Moli was from a wealthy family. Poor families couldn't raise such a refined boy, and they thought that even the most pampered boy couldn't meet Gu Moli's standards.
Although the requirements for conscription are high now, most villages and communes recommend boys with good character and sound ideology for enlistment. However, there are also many who use connections to get people into the army just to gain a reputation.
Gu Moli clenched his fists as he listened to these mocking words. He remembered what his uncle and aunt had said before: the army has strict discipline, and those who do not follow the rules will be given a demerit at best, and forced to retire and be sent home at worst.
Gu Moli lowered his clenched hands, composed himself, and walked away as if nothing had happened.
"Tch, what a coward. I thought he was going to rush up and hit me when he was so angry! He was just angry, but he has no manly spirit at all. He's so effeminate."
"His family must have spent money to send him in here to coast along and make a name for himself. It's really bad luck to be in the same group as someone like that. Who knows how much he'll drag us down in the future."
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