Chapter 47

This year, the regiment commander and his men had a great time. They drank and smoked, crying and laughing at times, while Hu Hao maintained the same gloomy expression throughout.

Could he not be gloomy? The food and cigarettes were all his, and the New Year celebration had wasted so many of his good things.

The meal lasted from noon until after 6 PM, during which Hu Hao had to fetch hot dishes several times. Seeing their drunken state, he endured it.

On the first day of the New Year, Regiment Commander Zhang got up early to open the door, following the custom from his hometown where the door must be opened before dawn to welcome the God of Wealth. The sound of firecrackers marked the beginning of the new year.

Hu Hao did not get up, continuing to sleep. The kang (a traditional heated bed) was comfortable, and it was bitterly cold outside.

"Lèngzi, get up and eat. The villagers and officials will come to pay New Year's greetings soon," Regiment Commander Zhang said and then went out.

Hu Hao slowly sat up. "Can't even let me sleep on New Year's Day. It's all fireworks in the early morning. What a New Year!"

Hu Hao got up and went to the kitchen, where Regiment Commander Zhang was still cooking.

"Brother, where's my red envelope?" Hu Hao said, leaning against the kitchen door.

"What red envelope?" Regiment Commander Zhang asked, puzzled.

"New Year's money! You took all my money, so you have to give me some New Year's money!" Hu Hao said.

"Oh, right, I forgot. Wait a moment!" Regiment Commander Zhang went into the room and found a piece of red paper.

He opened his small box and was troubled again, wondering how much to give.

The box contained either border region currency or silver dollars. Regiment Commander Zhang thought that if he gave Hu Hao border region currency, the New Year would be ruined. If he gave a silver dollar, he was worried Hu Hao might cause trouble.

After some thought, he decided to give a silver dollar. He could always take it back the next morning. He wrapped a silver dollar in red paper and went to the kitchen. Hu Hao was washing up.

"Here, take this. Try not to cause trouble this year!" Regiment Commander Zhang said.

Hu Hao quickly took it and asked, "A silver dollar?"

Regiment Commander Zhang nodded.

"Brother, you're really generous today!" Hu Hao said.

"Don't get carried away. Quickly bring the food to the dining room. We'll eat, and then you go out to pay New Year's greetings. I'll stay at home!" Regiment Commander Zhang said.

After eating, Hu Hao went out to pay New Year's greetings to the villagers. While doing so, he also considered whether he should go to the city.

"No, I can't go today. If I get beaten on New Year's Day, I won't have a good year! I'll just endure it for a couple more days!" Hu Hao thought.

He wandered outside for a long time before returning home. The regiment commander and his men were eating again.

Hu Hao didn't need to be called; he took a bowl and served himself. Just as he sat down at the table, he saw the cigarettes on the table and looked up at Regiment Commander Zhang.

"What? I already gave you a silver dollar this morning. Do you still have a problem with a pack of cigarettes?" Regiment Commander Zhang said.

"No, you smoke, continue. Don't you like to smoke hand-rolled cigarettes? Why are you smoking these?" Hu Hao asked.

"Rubbish, who would smoke hand-rolled cigarettes when there are good cigarettes!" Regiment Commander Zhang said.

After finishing his meal, Hu Hao went to lie down in the inner room. They were chatting outside, and after chatting all afternoon yesterday, they were still chatting today. You can chat, but don't waste my things.

On the fourth day of the New Year, the troops resumed normal training. Hu Hao, as usual, refused to go out unless necessary. It was too cold, and he was lying in bed sleeping. Regiment Commander Zhang came in.

"Get up, stop lying around. Let's go out!" Regiment Commander Zhang said.

"Where are we going?" Hu Hao asked.

"To the division headquarters for a meeting. You're my guard, so you're coming with me!" Regiment Commander Zhang said.

"Okay." Hu Hao sat up.

The two of them set out for the division headquarters.

"Brother, I said it would have been better to keep that car. Now we have to walk to the meeting, and it's freezing!" Hu Hao said, following behind.

"Nonsense, even the division commander doesn't have a car. Do you want me, a regiment commander, to drive around in a car and show off!" Regiment Commander Zhang said.

"Then why don't they go and seize one?" Hu Hao said.

"Right, we seized it from the division headquarters. Don't you know that seized items belong to the public!" Regiment Commander Zhang said.

"Alright, stop dawdling. Hurry up, at this rate, we won't reach the division headquarters until tomorrow!" Regiment Commander Zhang urged.

By the time they reached the division headquarters, it was already noon. After Regiment Commander Zhang and Hu Hao paid New Year's greetings to the division officials, the commander went to the meeting, leaving Hu Hao to wait outside the meeting room, smoking.

"What kind of division headquarters is this, without even a place to warm up! It's freezing!" Hu Hao complained.

"Soldier, what are you squatting there for? Get up, you don't look like a soldier!" A cadre-like figure saw Hu Hao squatting and shouted from a distance.

"What's it to you if I squat? It's none of your business!" Hu Hao muttered.

"I'm talking to you, get up and come over here!" The cadre-like figure said.

Hu Hao glanced at him and ignored him.

"You!" The cadre saw that Hu Hao was still squatting and quickly walked over. The surrounding soldiers also looked over.

"Get up! Which unit are you from?" The cadre-like figure shouted loudly.

Hu Hao rolled his eyes and said, "Are you free? If you're so free, why don't you wash a brick and sit on it!"

"You, which unit are you from?" The cadre asked the nearby soldiers.

"It seems to be the Third Regiment. I just saw him come in with the Third Regiment commander," a soldier said.

"Third Regiment! You're a guard! And you act like this?!" The cadre said.

"Get up and go outside!"

Hu Hao stood up and said, "Are you crazy? We came to the division headquarters for a meeting. Look at us guards, we have nowhere to warm up. Can't I smoke to keep warm? Can't I squat to stay warm?"

"Smoking to keep warm, squatting to stay warm! Why are the other soldiers standing properly, and you're squatting? Do you have a reason? I'll take you to the political department and put you in confinement!" The cadre-like figure said.

"Go away, go where it's cool! I don't have the mood to argue with you!" Hu Hao said, then took another cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

"You, fine, fine, I'll ask Regiment Commander Zhang. I'll see how he trains his soldiers!" The cadre pushed open the meeting room door, where a meeting was being held to discuss the year's deployment. They suddenly saw him push the door open.

"What's going on? Don't you know we're in a meeting?" Division Commander Chen said.

"Division Commander, look at that soldier from the Third Regiment. He doesn't look like a soldier at all. He's squatting and smoking, and when I told him to get up, he refused. I want to ask Regiment Commander Zhang, is this how you train your soldiers?"

"My soldier, Lèngzi!" Regiment Commander Zhang stood up and said.