Chapter 47 - 43: Arduous Task

Words : 1746 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 47: Chapter 43: Arduous TaskFor someone skilled in machinery, disassembling and assembling guns is quite simple. Han Yu figured out the structure of the Wusi Pistol and the precautions for its use. Under the guidance of Squad Leader Ding, he practiced live firing in standing, kneeling, and prone positions, firing over a hundred and thirty bullets. Xu Sanye felt that Han Yu’s previous rifle shooting was merely going through the motions. He demanded intensified training, and Han Yu took several loaded magazines from Squad Leader Ding and fired dozens of rounds under Xu Sanye’s guidance. If it weren’t for the commendation ceremony, he could have finished all the remaining boxes of bullets. He also attended the commendation ceremony, sitting on the main stage. Invited by Minister Lei, he spoke for ten minutes with fluctuating intonation as a veteran civilian soldier. After the leaders finished their speeches, they issued military training certificates, commendating individuals with outstanding training performance, and distributed certificates and prizes. The prizes were a notebook, a fountain pen, and a plastic water bottle. Han Yu, having the highest education and best performance among the civilian soldiers in his company, was unsurprisingly honored as an outstanding individual. Liang Xiaoyu performed well, was obedient, but too shy at first and not very literate, which made it hard for him to keep up with ideological and political studies. It was already good enough that he received a training certificate, but surprisingly, he was also honored as an outstanding individual, awkwardly joining Han Yu on stage to receive the award. After the ceremony concluded, they took a group photo. After the photo, several platoon leaders organized their squad leaders to distribute training subsidies. Two dollars per day, totaling twelve days, all participating civilian soldiers received twenty-four dollars. seaʀᴄh thё Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Receiving money for the training made Han Yu very happy. Liang Xiaoyu was even more excited, counting the money over and over, smiling ear to ear. The two packed their bedding rolls, took their wash basins, teapots, and other toiletries, and bade farewell to their company commander, platoon leader, squad leader, and comrades they’d lived closely with for twelve days. Under the envious gaze of their comrades, they boarded a tricycle with Xu Sanye to head back home. "Director Xu, were those two suspects caught?" "Not just two, six were caught, and two got away. It’s a crazy bicycle theft gang with over sixty thousand in stolen goods. If corroborated, it’s enough for the death penalty." "How many bicycles did they steal?" "Based on their confessions, over six hundred. Due to tight time and lack of manpower, we only seized twenty-eight and recovered seventeen. They’re cunning, selling the bicycles to boatmen whose destinations are unknown, making it difficult to track." "What should we do then?" Xu Sanye said resignedly, "We’ll just have to investigate slowly." Han Yu followed up, "Director Xu, how did you and Uncle Zhang manage to bring back six suspects at once?" Xu Sanye looked back, holding the handlebar and said with a smile, "Last time we cracked down on the black-market selling boat tickets, we collaborated with Bailong Port Police Station, and Four Factory Police Station was envious. Old Ding approached me several times, claiming not to let ’water flow into others’ fields.’ This time we collaborated with them; they arranged police and cooperative defense team members to help with the escort." Yanjiang Police Station, lacking manpower, often had to collaborate with others when dealing with major cases. Han Yu thought for a moment and then asked, "What about the suspects?" "Their team has many members; all are detained there, awaiting recorded statements before being transferred to the detention center. The seized and recovered bicycles are kept at our station. The instructor is an experienced interrogator, and he is responsible for this case." There was a pit ahead, Xu Sanye not wanting to jolt Liang Xiaoyu sitting in the bucket, quickly eased the throttle, slowed down, skirted around the pit, and then abruptly changed the topic: "Salted Fish, Old Qian said your father came looking for you the day before yesterday afternoon, he seems to have been hauling goods from Liuhe Port to Hui’an passing through Bailong Port. After returning, give your sister a call and see if there’s anything urgent at home." "Oh." "After returning, there’s another task." "What task?" "We’ve returned the extra money to passengers who bought black market tickets, and they sent letters expressing their gratitude, with over twenty passengers sending us banners. When helping the public, they keep it in their hearts. We can’t just send a standard reply like last time; we must personally reply to the letters." Xu Sanye paused, emphasizing, "The instructor is handling the bicycle theft case, Uncle Zhang also has a pile of tasks, and Zhang Lan is too busy, so this task can only be assigned to you." Replying to the public’s letters is much easier than the civilian soldier training. And it allows receiving letters from all over the country, collecting stamps from far and wide. Han Yu grinned and said, "Yes, I guarantee the task will be completed." Xu Sanye nodded satisfactorily, then laughingly asked, "Little Salted Fish, after ten-plus days of training, how do you feel?" "Ah..." "I’m asking if you found the training difficult or tiring." "Not difficult, not tiring." "Did you learn anything?" Faced with the director’s question, Liang Xiaoyu was a bit nervous, tightly gripping the handle in the vehicle and said, "Learned to sing." To others, that might seem trivial. For him, it genuinely was learning something, considering he hadn’t even watched TV before joining the station. Xu Sanye wasn’t nearly as demanding of him as he was to Salted Fish, asking with interest, "How many songs can you sing? Sing one for me to hear." "Now? Sing now?" "Right now!" "Unity is strength, unity is strength, this power is iron, this power is steel, harder than iron, stronger than steel..." Although the young man had never been to school, he had a good singing voice and sang really well. Han Yu couldn’t help but laugh, patting him on the shoulder and giving a thumbs up. Xu Sanye was very satisfied, not only letting him continue to sing, but also joining in, with military songs resounding loudly all the way to the police station. As soon as they saw the three returning, Old Qian ran out from the duty room. "Salted Fish, your dad came the day before yesterday." "Director Xu told me." "You know, right? There are several letters for you, some from East Sea, some from Hanwu." "Thank you, Uncle Qian." The instructor was not at home, probably went to Four Factory Police Station for a case. Old Zhang walked out of the office, looking at the two fresh off the car fishes and smiled, "Salted Fish, Xiao Yu, how’s the training going, walk a little let me see." Xu Sanye parked the car, pulled out the keys, and smiled, "Need to do a checkup, put down the letters and luggage first, I’ll give the commands." As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Lan also came out from the office, looking at the two and smiling without a word. Han Yu didn’t want to be gawked at like a monkey in a zoo, but since the director had spoken, he had to put down his stuff, pulling a rather embarrassed Liang Xiaoyu. "Attention!" "Turn right..." "Turn left!" "Look forward, march, one-two-one, one-two-one..." Like an instructor, Xu Sanye organized training in the yard. Han Yu and Liang Xiaoyu could only obey the commands and marched in formation. Old Zhang laughed, "Looks decent, kind of got the hang of it." "I always say, joining the Civilian Soldiers’ training is better than training organized by Wang Xiazhi," declared Xu Sanye as he dismissed everyone and took out a cigarette, adding, "This year like this, continue next year." Han Yu turned back and asked, "Director Xu, do we need to participate next year too?" "Every year until you turn eighteen. Paid training, plus allowance, and getting to shoot targets, where else would you find such good deals, don’t know the blessing in being well off." "Yes." "Old Zhang, give all the letters sent by the travelers to Salted Fish. Zhang Lan, count how many stamps are left, give them all to Salted Fish, the task of replying is his now." Old Zhang, feeling troubled by this matter, couldn’t help but laugh, "Right away!" Zhang Lan smiled, "There are quite a few stamps left, but I don’t think it’s enough." "If not enough, go buy more at the post office, eight cents apiece, no big deal." Xu Sanye flicked the cigarette ash and walked back into the director’s office without looking back. Han Yu brought the luggage to the dormitory and coming down saw, to his shock, that in these days he had received over six hundred letters of thanks from the public, Old Zhang had specially found a large cardboard box to store them. Banners received reached more than twenty, the director’s office didn’t have enough space to hang them, hung in the instructor and Old Zhang’s office, four in the reception room too. Seeing his stunned expression, Zhang Lan sympathized, "Reply to ten letters a day, should be done in two months." "What if they reply to the letters?" "Then just keeping writing back, treat it as making pen pals." Han Yu grimaced, "When will this end?" Zhang Lan covered her mouth and laughed, "Until they stop replying." While they were talking, a motorcycle engine sound came from the doorway. Looking up, they saw Old Guan from Bailong Port Post Office arriving. He parked his bike, took out a thick stack of letters from his mail bag, and called out, "Old Qian, more letters from the public, twenty-seven today." Salted Fish’s task of replying just increased, Zhang Lan couldn’t control herself, bursting into laughter. Old Zhang barely held in his laughter, seriously and earnestly said, "Salted Fish, you now represent our Yanjiang Police Station and even our Linghai Police Bureau, the replies can’t be perfunctory, write seriously. Each reply mustn’t be less than eight hundred words, try to fill at least two sheets of paper!" "Write it well, Director Xu might check it," Zhang Lan patted his arm, thinking about it and couldn’t help but laugh again.

Chapter 47 - 43: Arduous Task

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