Chapter 241 - 239: Military Training Begins

Chapter 241: Chapter 239: Military Training Begins

Tang Qiuting took the neat stack of cash, her heart pounding with excitement. She had never imagined she could actually earn money in college with her self-taught barbering skills.

Even though she’d insisted from the start that she wouldn’t charge, there was no way the guys from Dorm 6 would let themselves get a freebie from such an adorable, sweet girl.

Doing so would not only get them looked down on by all the other guys, but it would also kill their dating prospects. So, they all just shoved the money into the girls’ hands, turned on their heels, and walked away, cutting a dashing figure as they left.

"This is thanks to everyone," Qiuting said softly, then divided the money into four piles, keeping only sixty yuan for herself.

"Qiuting, I didn’t do anything at all," Lin Yanwan said with a small smile. "You were the one busy by yourself from start to finish. I can’t take this money. You keep it."

She wasn’t short a few dozen yuan, but Qiuting was a different story. For someone as frugal as her, 200 yuan was enough to cover half a month of living expenses.

"Si Si..." After being turned down by Lin Yanwan, she looked pleadingly at Si Si, who was washing her face.

"Then there’s even less reason for me to take it. I just stood there like a log and didn’t lift a finger," Si Si said, wiping her face and neck with a towel in a blunt refusal.

"But Si Si, you spent your own money on water for us."

Si Si smiled. "Then you can treat us next time."

Resigned, she turned to Cui Jiaying.

"Nope, don’t look at me. I’m definitely not taking any either."

Cui Jiaying pulled off her T-shirt right in front of them. "We’re all sisters in the same dorm; there’s no need to sweat the small stuff. Besides, according to financial theory, you provided a barbering service that left the consumers satisfied. So, don’t agonize over it. This is payment for your hard work, which you fully deserve."

Tang Qiuting’s eyes suddenly misted over. She was incredibly moved.

Even though she had been busy all afternoon, she didn’t feel the least bit tired. In fact, her heart was full of joy. ’As a girl born and raised in the mountains, not only was I not ridiculed for cutting hair, but I actually got to help so many people!’

"Thank you, my three sisters."

The other three girls exchanged a smile.

"But, speaking of which, Qiuting, why do you call Yanwan’s boyfriend ’Brother Jiang Xia,’ but you call Su Qing ’Brother Su’?" Cui Jiaying asked with a grin. "You’re acting a little suspicious, little missy. You haven’t fallen for him, have you?"

"No, not at all!"

Tang Qiuting shook her head quickly, her face flushing red. She would never dare to harbor such thoughts.

"Spill it, spill it! I want to know, too." Si Si leaned in closer. Listening to her dorm mates’ gossip was the best. After all, she knew that Cui Jiaying had a thing for Su Qing.

Teased until her face was beet red, Tang Qiuting spoke in a tiny voice, "Because Brother Su is so tall... I have to tilt my head all the way back just to look at him."

She was only 1.55 meters tall, making her a good thirty-plus centimeters shorter than Su Qing. Every time she stood before him, she felt an inexplicable sense of pressure.

"That’s the only reason?"

Si Si immediately lost interest. She’d been hoping to see some drama with good friends fighting over the same guy.

Cui Jiaying grinned. "Yanwan, are you going to shower? If not, I’m going to. I’m dying from this heat."

"I’m not. We have military training in a bit. I’d just get all sweaty again."

Lin Yanwan had already changed into her military training uniform. She had put her hair up in a bun and tucked it under her military cap, making it look as if she had short hair.

She glanced at the time—it was already 1:45. "Are you sure you want to shower now? We’re about to be late. The drill instructor will definitely give you some harsh physical punishment later."

"...Okay, okay, I’m scared."

"Let’s go, girls. Time for military training."

The four of them headed downstairs, joining a crowd of other freshmen also dressed in military training uniforms. At a glance, everyone looked more or less the same; from the back, it was impossible to tell anyone apart.

Jiang Xia and Su Qing were waiting in their usual spot. Gazing at the flock of lovely girls streaming out of the women’s dorm, he searched hard for a sign of his wife.

Just as he was wondering why she hadn’t come out yet, Lin Yanwan suddenly appeared before him with a grin.

"Who were you looking for? Let me see."

"Huh?!" Jiang Xia jumped. ’When did my wife get here? How did I not even notice?’

Lin Yanwan gave him a strange look. "You didn’t recognize me, did you?"

"Uh-oh. Looks like someone’s in the doghouse," Cui Jiaying chimed in, an expert at fanning the flames.

"Ahem. It’s mainly because you look so much like a valiant heroine in that uniform, baby. I was so captivated I just spaced out for a second," Jiang Xia said, quick on the draw.

Standing to the side, Su Qing couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He had to admire the guy’s ability to lie through his teeth.

But Jiang Xia wasn’t entirely wrong. Lin Yanwan wore her uniform impeccably. Her military cap was pulled down, completely hiding her long hair and revealing her delicate, beautiful features. She stood ramrod straight, and with her head held high and chest out, her top showed a stunning curve. The camo short-sleeve shirt underneath was tucked into her pants, her cuffs and pant legs were cinched tight, and the combat belt tied it all together, giving her a valiant and heroic air.

The others, by comparison, just didn’t have the same vibe.

Tang Qiuting was petite, with a small chest, and she wore her hat pulled so low that the two guys basically had to look straight down at her, making it impossible to see her face.

Cui Jiaying’s uniform was worn casually. Her ponytail stuck out from the adjustable strap on the back of her cap, and her top wasn’t fastened tightly. Even though she was clearly well-endowed, her uniform looked loose and baggy.

Si Si, however, was a striking sight. She was already tall, and her cool, aloof face had a natural heroic quality. She was just a little flat-chested. Overall, she had the distinct air of a female soldier.

Lin Yanwan huffed softly. She didn’t believe a word of Jiang Xia’s nonsense. It was obvious he simply hadn’t noticed her at all.

The six of them hurried toward the basketball courts on the East University Playground, arriving just in the nick of time. In the distance, they could see the drill instructor was already there waiting for them.

For some reason, perhaps intentionally on the school’s part, a platoon of girls was sandwiched right between the two training areas for the boys.

The idea was probably to motivate the boys to try harder; after all, you couldn’t lose face in front of the girls. This was especially true when being punished by the drill instructor, as you would be in full view of all the female students.

"Be careful, and if you feel like you can’t handle it, you have to tell the instructor," Jiang Xia reminded her. "I doubt he’d give you a hard time."

He knew that every year, there were incidents of students collapsing from shock or heatstroke during military training. It was a real danger that couldn’t be ignored.

"I know. You too," Lin Yanwan said gently.

Jiang Xia smiled faintly and, right in front of everyone, gave his wife’s cheek a little pinch, much to the envy of onlookers.

Back in their respective formations, Jiang Xia glanced around. In the space of a single afternoon, almost everyone had gotten a buzz cut. He had to admit, the top students at Tsinghua certainly knew how to follow orders.

Luo Peng stood next to Jiang Xia. The nearly 200-pound guy needed a size XXXL uniform and had clearly struggled to squeeze into it.

"Old Luo, they say big guys are diamonds in the rough. By the time this military training is over, won’t you be a heartthrob in the eyes of countless girls?" Jiang Xia teased.

The words had barely left his mouth when the drill instructor blew his whistle sharply.

"All units, attention! Eyes, right!"