Model Leifeng Exemplary Standard-Bearer

In the latter half of that night, Qi Bing found himself in a dormitory that could hold fourteen recruits. The barracks for the new recruits had the kind of long heated platform bed that ran across the room, and Qi Bing was assigned the spot farthest to the left, tight against the wall. As he lay down with great care, the scene of having fallen behind the day before would not leave his mind. At the same time, the three-month life of recruit training had begun.

Around three in the morning, the camp was utterly still. Only the yellow lights in the barracks flickered here and there. Snoring rose and fell from the recruits’ dormitory; everyone was sunk in deep sleep. Suddenly, a sharp string of whistles shattered the silence, and everyone in the room jolted awake. Then rough voices came from outside: all recruits assemble within one minute! At the sound, every recruit stared blankly in shock. Qi Bing thought, my heavens, they say army training is terrifying, and this is how it starts?

The room was instantly in chaos. Everyone hurried to find their clothes, bumping into one another in the scramble. Qi Bing was no different. In a flurry of panic he pulled on his jacket, then went searching for his trousers, feeling left and right, but they were nowhere to be found. He asked the comrade beside him whether he had seen his pants. The soldier, a man from the northwest, replied offhandedly that no one had seen them. This Shaanxi man was rather slight. By then he had already put on his uniform, and when Qi Bing saw that the trousers he wore did not fit him at all, he said, “Those are mine. Take them off at once!”

“I’m not taking them off. Why should I say they’re yours?” the Shaanxi soldier snapped.

Qi Bing then felt around on the man’s bunk and found a pair of trousers. He tossed them over and said, “These are yours. Hurry up and take mine off.”

Only then did the Shaanxi soldier realize his own trousers were indeed a little off, so he stripped them off and threw them to Qi Bing. Qi Bing hurried into them, shoved on his army shoes, and ran outside while putting on his cap. By then a few soldiers were already standing in the yard, and Qi Bing immediately took his place beside them.

One by one, the others came running out of the dormitory. Every single one of them was a mess: clothes half on, caps tilted crookedly, shirt buttons not fastened properly, each of them looking utterly bedraggled. Not one of the fourteen was properly put together. Then a young soldier of rather slight build strode up to them. Looking down on them with disdain, he said, “Just look at you lot. You haven’t even reached the battlefield and you’re already in this state. Aren’t you ashamed? I’ll give you another half minute. Get your appearance in order!”

In the blink of an eye, the half minute was up, and at last everyone had straightened their uniforms. Then the young soldier said in a booming voice, “Listen up. On my command, start calling the roll!”

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen.

Once the count was finished, the young soldier stepped back into the center of the formation and said in a rough voice, “At ease! Attention! Comrades, welcome to the Xingtai Field Forces. From now on, I, Li He, will be your squad leader in recruit training. Today, I’ll begin by taking you on a five-kilometer cross-country run to warm you up!”

When Li He finished speaking, he ordered everyone to turn left and head for the foot of the mountain across from the camp. The moment he gave the command, the recruits ran out of the barracks in neat order, with Squad Leader Li running alongside them. Little by little, the column vanished into the distance.

The next day, after the five-kilometer run was over, dawn had already broken. Everyone then went to the army mess hall for breakfast. Before they ate, Squad Leader Li had already informed them that half an hour after the meal, they were to assemble at the training ground. Only when they arrived did they understand just how grand this unit was. The training ground alone stretched over a vast area. On the left were many horizontal bars and a wooden vaulting horse with multiple legs; in the distance was the grenade-throwing area, and farther still the rifle and target range. All around, the shouts of soldiers filled the air. Qi Bing looked at these sights, which he had never seen before, and was thrilled beyond measure. He thought to himself, I like this place.

Then Li He came up close. Qi Bing did not dare to raise his head, because on the day he enlisted, Li He had been the recruiting squad leader. He also feared that Li He might resent him for having fallen behind and thereby caused trouble, so he did not dare meet his eyes. In truth, the matter had already passed. Political Instructor Chen had been punished, while Li He, because it was his first time leading a recruitment mission, had merely been ordered by his superiors to write a deep self-criticism and had not otherwise been punished. Seen this way, Qi Bing’s worry was unnecessary.

After taking the roll, Squad Leader Li announced the day’s training: soldier formation drills and individual formation movements, attention, stand at ease, and at ease. He then explained the various points of technique in detail. Attention meant bringing the heels together, turning the toes outward about sixty degrees, straightening the legs, drawing in the abdomen slightly, naturally lifting the chest, keeping the upper body upright with a slight forward tilt, shoulders level and slightly back. Stand at ease meant moving the left foot a foot-length to the left, straightening both legs naturally, keeping the upper body in the attention posture, centering the body weight between the feet, and placing both hands behind the back with the left hand holding the right wrist. Li He first demonstrated for everyone, then ordered them to align to the right, look forward, stand at ease, and attention. Just this formation drill alone took up the whole morning.

Most of them mastered the basic points of formation, except for Li Shuai, Liu Xiaoguang, and Gao Feng, who simply could not do it properly. After the others were dismissed, those three remained on the training ground continuing their practice. Li Shuai felt a surge of resentment and muttered under his breath, “If I’d known being a soldier would be this hard, I wouldn’t have enlisted!” Liu Xiaoguang also said with a sullen face, “Exactly. My father even said that if I couldn’t become a soldier, he’d buy me a bay-red horse and let me plow the fields with it. Who would have thought I’d insist on coming to be a soldier myself?” Gao Feng likewise spoke of regrets about joining the army. While they were full of complaints, Squad Leader Li overheard them. As punishment, he ordered the three of them to run twenty laps around the training ground. By the time they finished, their pitiful state need not be described. Seeing them like that, Li He barked, “With faces like that, you still think you can go to the battlefield someday? You might as well go home and feed pigs!” The three men lowered their heads in shame.

When night fell, the whole camp grew silent. Everywhere outside the barracks, dim yellow lights flickered, and the sentries kept watch with unwavering eyes. Qi Bing had already taken off his uniform and lain on the heated platform bed, silently thinking of his family back home. The comrades in the room chatted among themselves, saying they felt a little homesick and talking about how harsh army training was. Hearing this only made Qi Bing miss home more. Just as he sat up and leaned against the wall, ready to join the conversation about training, he noticed a comrade lying in the middle of the platform bed staring fixedly at him. At first Qi Bing ignored him and kept talking with the others about everyday matters. But the soldier kept staring, and eventually Qi Bing grew impatient. He pointed straight at the man and snapped, “Hey, what are you staring at me for, you idiot? Got a problem?”

With a tone of arrogance, the soldier said, “I’m staring at you. What about it? Are you some delicate maiden? Not allowed to look?”

The moment Qi Bing heard that, fury rushed through him. He sprang up and pointed at the man. “You son of a bitch, are you out of your mind?”

By then, because of the quarrel between the two, the others had gathered around. Then a soldier from Shanxi said loudly, “Do you remember? This kid only arrived in the middle of the night. I heard that on the way here he was thinking of going AWOL!”

No sooner had he spoken than Qi Bing shot over to him in a single stride and, livid with rage, said, “Say that again, you bastard.”

At that moment, Qi Bing’s anger had already been kindled to the point of bursting. The Shanxi soldier still would not let up, repeating that it was true enough. Hearing this, Qi Bing could no longer restrain himself and kicked him to the ground. The comrades hurried to hold Qi Bing back. Just as the room descended into confusion, Li He pushed the door open and came in. Seeing the scene inside, he sternly said, “You two seem to have a lot of free time. Do you want me to add some more training for you? Otherwise, you look so idle it must be unbearable!”

After a pause, Squad Leader Li went on, “Now I order: Qi Bing and Wang Jianqiu, fully equipped, one minute. Run fifty laps around the training ground!”

The soldier in question was named Wang Jianqiu. He had enlisted on the same day as Qi Bing and been assigned to the same dormitory. That night Qi Bing arrived late, and Wang Jianqiu found it strange, which was why he targeted Qi Bing with those words. At this point, neither of them dared make a sound. On the star-filled training ground, the two inexperienced recruits ran on in silence. Qi Bing glared at Wang Jianqiu, and Wang Jianqiu glared back at Qi Bing with equal resentment. After several laps, Squad Leader Li saw the situation and called them to a halt, saying sternly, “If you two insist on confronting each other like this, then you can stop only when your attitude changes!”

At those words, the two men were left speechless. Qi Bing thought to himself that he simply could not bear to be doubted in his sincerity by others. Gao Shuai felt the same way. As for changing his opinion of Qi Bing, that was impossible. In the end, after running dozens of laps, they could only shake hands and make peace against their true feelings.

This affair always caused Qi Bing deep pain. Although he had fallen behind that day, he had never once thought of deserting. A soldier may be killed, but he cannot be humiliated.

Since that incident, Qi Bing remained silent day after day, the smile gone from his face. Once the formation drills were over, the next training subjects were boxing and individual vaulting over the horse. Squad Leader Li first demonstrated for everyone. He began with a horse stance, then moved into a bow stance, and in an instant launched a punch. The essentials of the movement were as follows: the right fist struck forward from the waist in a forceful rotating motion, the fist facing downward, while the right fist was withdrawn to the waist, forming a left bow stance. This technique was used for thrusting through the throat, springing kicks, and horizontal strikes. After Li He finished demonstrating, he ordered everyone to spread out by two meters and begin practicing the various boxing movements. At the same time, Li He personally directed them on the essentials. As a result, the soldiers’ shouts on the camp training ground were deep and loud, stirring the heart to hear.

During this period, Qi Bing was subjected to much gossip because of having fallen behind, and it left a bitter taste in his heart. In the end, he decided to write down exactly what had gone through his mind when he fell behind, so as to prove the innocence of his heart. As he wrote about it, his thoughts too were unsettled. When he finished, Qi Bing solemnly handed it to Squad Leader Li He and hoped that Squad Leader Li would pass it up to the higher officers so that it might prove he had never intended to desert. Who could have imagined that after Li He submitted the piece, it would, by a twist of fate, end up in the hands of Battalion Commander Liu?

It was this very commander who had brought Qi Bing back when he fell behind. When Liu saw Qi Bing’s essay, he thought, isn’t this the soldier I brought back from Shijiazhuang some days ago? I never expected this lad to have such rich thoughts, and to be able to write such an excellent piece. Good, very good indeed. He then ordered his orderly, Xiao Gao, to send the article at once to the regimental propaganda section and have it published as soon as possible. From the moment Qi Bing’s piece was published, he became something of a sensation in the recruit company, and he won the admiration and affection of Battalion Commander Liu. Wang Jianqiu also read Qi Bing’s article and seemed at once to have changed his view of him. In the days that followed, the two finally opened their hearts to one another and became inseparable comrades. At the same time, they improved considerably in military training. Besides that, they would often help Li Xiaoguang and Li Xiaoshuai at night with vaulting-horse practice, boxing, and all kinds of other drills. Over time, they became the best of brothers. In the evaluation for live-fire target shooting at one hundred meters, everyone’s results were unsatisfactory, so Li He intensified the target practice. From assembling the rifle to loading ammunition, calculating the distance to the target, and aiming and firing, Li He personally demonstrated everything, until every soldier could understand it all at a glance.

In the blink of an eye, the three months of recruit life were coming to an end, and the men were about to be assigned to their units. Qi Bing and Wang Jianqiu were both sent to the machine-gun company, though not to the same squad. Qi Bing was assigned to First Battalion, Seventh Squad, while Wang Jianqiu went to First Battalion, Fifth Squad. Li Xiaoshuai and Li Xiaoguang were assigned to the drivers’ company, while others went to the artillery company or the logistics company. In this way, the soldiers could be said to have completed recruit training with flying colors.

In the depths of winter, the land lay bleak and white, everywhere stripped of life. The bare tree trunks, the silent earth, and the biting northern wind all proclaimed the season. It was in such a season that Qi Bing arrived at Second Squad, Third Platoon of the machine-gun company. He came that morning.

When shafts of sunlight fell across his face, a youthful vitality instantly revealed itself. Wearing a clean green uniform and carrying his army bag in his right hand, Qi Bing followed Squad Leader Wang Xiaolong into the dormitory. The room was quite large, enough to hold twenty men, and inside was the same long heated platform bed as in recruit training. Once the two entered, everyone in the room turned their eyes to Qi Bing. Squad Leader Wang brought him to his bunk and said with a smile, “This is your bunk. Put your bag here.” As he spoke, he pointed to a row of cabinets elsewhere in the room.

Then, in a ringing voice, he said to the men in the squad, “This is our new comrade, Li Qi Bing, from Hengshui, Hebei. Everyone, please welcome him with applause.”

After the applause, Squad Leader Wang had everyone introduce themselves. There was Liang Yimu from Heilongjiang, Gao Rusheng from Sichuan, Yang Hu from Nanjing, Gao Yicheng from Shaanxi, Liu Weiguo from Shandong, Zhao Xiaoming from Cangzhou, Zhang Sanxiao from Xingtai, Zhang Xiaojun from Shanxi, Shen Liang from Liaoning, and together with Qi Bing and the squad leader, twelve in all. The squad leader was from Jinan, Shandong. He was not tall, and since he was a few years older than the soldiers in the squad, people would often privately call him Brother Wang.

Thus, Qi Bing began a military life different from recruit training. The familiar figure of Squad Leader Li He seemed very far away now. The comrades who had lived with him for three months all drifted away one after another. Only Wang Jianqiu and he were in the same battalion, and whether they would have a chance to meet again in the future was impossible to know.

By the time Qi Bing reached First Battalion, Second Squad, winter had already set in, so all the soldiers had changed into winter uniforms and winter boots. When Qi Bing first went to train on the battalion’s grounds, he realized just how weak his military skills still were. At the same time, the training added more and more physical conditioning. Qi Bing thought to himself that if he did not practice harder, two years later he would be forcibly discharged. That was not the result he wanted.

Training in Second Squad began before dawn. Though the weather was bitterly cold, it could not halt the soldiers’ training. At four in the morning, the assembly whistle sounded through the camp. Everyone in Second Squad was jolted from sleep. In the confusion, they hurried to get dressed. Qi Bing had only just arrived in the squad and looked somewhat at a loss. But after a short while, he too put on his uniform at top speed, donned his cap, and tightened the belt around his waist. Then Shen Liang of Liaoning was the first to reach the assembly point, followed by Liu Weiguo, Gao Yicheng, Zhang Xiaojun, Gao Rusheng, Liang Yimu, Yang Hu, Zhang Sanxiao, Li Qi Bing, and Zhang Xiaojun, all arriving in turn.

At that moment, Squad Leader Wang stepped straight before the soldiers and said in a rough voice, “At ease! Attention!” He then ordered everyone to count off in sequence. After the count was completed, he commanded, “Everyone turn right! Forward march!” The five-kilometer cross-country run officially began. In this way, the soldiers of Second Squad marched out of the camp in a grand procession. Whoever saw their backs would not help but praise them a few words, for in them shone the resolute, fearless spirit of China’s soldiers charging ahead.

As winter gave way to spring, the weather gradually warmed. On the ground near the camp, patches of green had begun to appear. All the soldiers also changed into spring uniforms. After some time together, Qi Bing, Liang Yimu, and Shen Liang became close friends who spoke without reserve. Shen Liang and Liang Yimu were the same age, and both were two years older than Qi Bing, so whenever they addressed him, they always called him Little Li. After hearing it for so long, Qi Bing grew used to it.

Shen Liang’s military skills were particularly outstanding in the squad, and he had recently been promoted to deputy squad leader. One noon, Qi Bing and Liang Yimu begged Shen Liang to teach them shooting. Shen Liang narrowed his eyes and said that teaching them was fine, but they would have to wash his socks for a week. Qi Bing laughed and said, “Not just your socks — we’ll wash every piece of clothing on your body.” Liang Yimu also smiled wickedly and said, “Old Shen, if necessary, I can even help you bathe.” Hearing this, Shen Liang pointed at Liang Yimu and said, “You brat, I ought to scrub you down to the skin.”

In the end, unable to resist their pleading, Shen Liang went with them to practice shooting. From quickly assembling the rifle to chambering the round and finally hitting the bull’s-eye, Shen Liang’s technique was uncanny. Qi Bing watched in delight. Under Shen Liang’s patient explanations, he slowly mastered the basics of shooting and fired a few rounds himself, though he did not hit the center. Qi Bing thought he had to practice harder. Liang Yimu, with a cheeky expression, said to Shen Liang, “I’m telling you, Deputy Squad Leader, hand over all your skills to us. Don’t keep anything back.” Hearing that, Shen Liang lifted a leg and kicked him. “You brat, always running your mouth. Hurry up and practice. If you don’t do well today, you’re not eating.”

By then Qi Bing had already fired several shots in a row, and Liang Yimu followed with a few of his own. The gunfire broke the camp’s quiet for a time.

That day, Squad Leader Wang received an order. In response to the entire regiment’s call to learn from Comrade Lei Feng and his spirit of perseverance, fearlessness in the face of hardship, and selfless devotion, every squad was to write a piece on learning from Comrade Lei Feng. After receiving the order, the squad leader immediately called the soldiers together for a meeting. The question before them was: who would write the article?

Shen Liang, as deputy squad leader, spoke first. “Having simple minds and strong limbs doesn’t mean they can write articles. That’s asking too much of them!”

Liang Yimu glanced at the deputy squad leader and agreed. “Exactly. If it were military skills, they might just about manage. But writing an article? That’s really too much.”

Everyone in the squad fell silent. Then Squad Leader Wang looked at Qi Bing and suddenly remembered that he had written an article back in recruit training. Yes, let Qi Bing write it. So Squad Leader Wang rose, came over to Qi Bing, and patted his shoulder. “This honorable and difficult task is yours.”

As soon as Qi Bing heard this, he shot to his feet and said unhappily, “Squad Leader, this task is too big. I can’t take it on. I hardly know any characters — how am I supposed to write it?”

The squad leader’s expression immediately turned stern. “This is an order! Even if you don’t know how to write, you must write. I’m giving you one week.”

With that, the squad leader left the dormitory directly. Qi Bing stood there in a daze. Then Shen Liang came over and said this task belonged to no one but him. Had he forgotten the article he wrote in recruit training? Qi Bing said it was not the same. He still wanted to refuse, but everyone in the squad said in unison that it could only be him.

Qi Bing thought to himself that this was turning into a tough bone to gnaw, and he did not know whether he could chew through it. He looked at a book on the table and saw the title on the cover: Learn from Lei Feng, a Good Example. He picked it up; it was a collection of accounts of Comrade Lei Feng’s glorious deeds. He turned the pages gently. Whether Qi Bing could truly write the article well, even he did not know.

In order to give Qi Bing enough time to write, the squad leader approved that he need not take part in military training for a week. His good friends Shen Liang and Liang Yimu often helped him with chores such as polishing boots and washing clothes. After all, Qi Bing was writing an article for the squad, and if it turned out well, the whole squad would be praised. Qi Bing also racked his brains to do it justice, and after a week he finally finished it. As for whether it would be good enough, he could no longer worry about that. Once Qi Bing handed the article to the squad leader, he felt much lighter all over.

The squad leader skimmed through it and kept saying, “Not bad, not bad. Very well written!” He then took the article to the battalion commander. This battalion commander was Liu Zilong. He had no idea that Qi Bing had been assigned under his command. At that moment, Battalion Commander Liu was reviewing the articles submitted by each squad on the model of learning from Lei Feng. By chance he saw Qi Bing’s name and thought he had heard it before, though he could not remember where.

Little did he know that his connection with Qi Bing was only now truly beginning.

After reading Qi Bing’s article, Battalion Commander Liu was visibly delighted and took it to Political Instructor Yuan. Instructor Yuan was about the same age as the battalion commander. They had once fought together in the War of Resistance and later gone together to the Korean battlefield, so their relationship was anything but ordinary. Liu entered the instructor’s room without even knocking. As though he had discovered a new continent, he simply dropped Qi Bing’s article on the table.

Instructor Yuan glanced sideways at Liu Zilong and then smiled. “Well now, it’s Battalion Commander Liu himself. I was remiss not to welcome you properly.”

“Who has time to banter with you? Read this article first,” Liu Zilong said eagerly.

Old Yuan looked baffled. “Old Liu, what’s come over you today? Did you take the wrong medicine? You’ve never recommended any soldier before.”

“Enough chatter, old friend. Just see how it reads,” the battalion commander said with a glare.

By then Instructor Yuan had already picked up the article and was reading line by line. As he read, he nodded and said, “Not bad. Very well written!”

At that moment Battalion Commander Liu lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, his face full of smug satisfaction. When Instructor Yuan finished, he slapped the table hard and said, “Good. Every line is a gem. What an extraordinary piece!”

Then, beaming, he said to the battalion commander, “Old Liu, I never expected your battalion to be hiding such talent. This soldier is promising material. Worth cultivating.”

The instructor took two steps toward the battalion commander, smiling broadly. “Old Liu, arrange it so we can meet this soldier together.”

Battalion Commander Liu took orders and left the instructor’s office.

That afternoon, Qi Bing received an order to go see the battalion commander and the political instructor. Hearing this, he could not help feeling afraid. The battalion commander and instructor were senior leaders in the unit; what right did a mere nobody like him have to stand before them? His heart pounded with unease.

Soon afterward, the squad leader brought Qi Bing to the door of Battalion Commander Liu’s office. The squad leader called out, “Report!”

“Come in!” came the commander’s voice.

The squad leader pushed the door open with Qi Bing and the two of them entered. They immediately saluted the battalion commander. The squad leader said, “Reporting, Battalion Commander: Qi Bing has been brought here!”

“Good. You may go back first.”

“Yes, Battalion Commander!”

The squad leader left. Now only the battalion commander and Qi Bing remained in the room. The commander rose and walked up to Qi Bing. Looking at this broad-shouldered soldier, he suddenly remembered having once met him before and said, “You’re Li Qi Bing, right?”

“Yes, Battalion Commander,” Qi Bing replied.

“Then have we met before?”

“Yes, Battalion Commander. On my first day in the army, I fell behind, and it was you who brought me back to the unit overnight,” Qi Bing said shamefully.

“Later I heard that because of falling behind, you wrote an article to prove you had never intended to desert?”

“Yes, Battalion Commander.”

The commander lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said, “Then we are connected by fate. Your earlier article was published only because I had the regiment have it printed. But today I called you here because of the article you wrote for the Learn from Lei Feng model. That piece is excellent. Even the political instructor praised your writing.”

Because of nerves, Qi Bing did not answer. The battalion commander stepped closer and said, “Qi Bing, don’t be stiff. Lift your head.”

Only then did Qi Bing raise his head slightly and look at the battle-hardened old soldier before him. He was about forty-five, tall and broad-shouldered, though somewhat lean, with deep-set eyes that shone with life. He wore a green uniform with shoulder insignia. In that moment, Qi Bing’s heart slowly filled with boundless admiration and reverence for the battalion commander.

Then the commander picked up his cap and took Qi Bing to see the instructor. Both veteran soldiers felt that Qi Bing’s article was splendid, and they decided that at the regiment-wide meeting two days later, Qi Bing would go onstage to read it aloud.

As soon as the order was issued, Qi Bing was dumbstruck again. He thought that standing before the entire regiment on a stage would probably leave his legs shaking so badly he could not take a single step. He had never seen such a huge scene in his life. Even back in his home village, he would not dare step onto a stage. For the next two days, he was tense and afraid.

Before long, the day of the regiment-wide assembly to learn from Comrade Lei Feng arrived. The weather was bright and clear, with a gentle breeze under the sun. By seven-thirty in the morning, everyone in the regiment, except for the sentries, had already assembled for the meeting. They sat in orderly rows below the stage.

The podium had been built the previous day. It faced due south and stood about a meter above the ground. A red banner had been hung above it, bearing bold black characters announcing that the regiment of the Xingtai Field Forces was holding its annual meeting to learn from Comrade Lei Feng. To the left of the stage was the entrance, and to the right sat the unit’s leaders, among them Battalion Commander Liu.

When everything was ready, the meeting began. A young male announcer strode briskly onto the stage and took his place at the microphone stand. In a loud voice he said, “Good morning, leaders, and good morning, soldiers. The annual meeting to learn from Comrade Lei Feng now begins. First, please invite the regimental commander to speak!”

At his words, applause rose in waves from below the stage. A soldier in his forties, wearing a crisp uniform and a cap with a five-pointed star, stepped to the center of the stage with vigorous strides. In a deep voice he said, “Comrades, today all the soldiers of the regiment have gathered here to remember Comrade Lei Feng. More importantly, we are here to learn from his precious spirit of selfless devotion and of helping others without seeking reward. At the same time, I hope every soldier will always keep in mind the spirit of serving the people, never forget our original aspiration, and keep our mission firmly in heart.”

The regimental commander spoke for more than twenty minutes. After his speech, each battalion and squad took turns going onstage to read their articles on learning from Lei Feng. Qi Bing sat below, his legs shaking continuously, while Squad Leader Wang kept encouraging him from beside him.

Now it was Ruan Feng from Third Battalion, Fifth Squad, who went onstage. He was about the same height as Qi Bing, only a little fairer in complexion, and he had narrow, slit-like eyes that were not as attractive as Qi Bing’s. It was said that the article written by this Shandong soldier was also quite good. He climbed the stage carefully. At first, out of nervousness, he could not say a word for a long while. Under the repeated applause, Ruan Feng finally gathered his courage. He bowed deeply to the whole regiment, then began reading haltingly:

“Good morning, leaders and comrades. I am Ruan Feng of Third Battalion, Fifth Squad. Now I will read a piece on learning from Comrade Lei Feng to everyone.

‘Respected leaders and comrades, today let us all learn from Comrade Lei Feng, carrying in our hearts a loyal devotion and selfless service to the people. As an ordinary soldier of the people, I too pursue this everlasting spirit without regret. Let us extend helping hands to the suffering masses. While we train hard and defend our country, we must also carry hearts that care for the common people. Only then can our motherland and our nation grow strong!

Finally, let us sing together the familiar song: Learn from Lei Feng, a Good Example, loyal to the revolution and loyal to the Party!...’”

Ruan Feng’s speech ended amid thunderous applause. The announcer then returned to the stage and said with a smile, “Next up is Li Qi Bing. Let us welcome him with applause!”

By then Qi Bing was extremely tense, sweat beading on his forehead. He held the manuscript in his right hand, wiped the sweat from his brow with his left from time to time, and walked nervously toward the edge of the stage. Just as he was about to go up, fear made him hesitate. Then Battalion Commander Liu came up close to him and barked, “If you don’t want to be a useless soldier, then get up there right now!”

Seeing the battalion commander’s furious expression, Qi Bing had no choice but to steel himself and step onto the stage.

At the center of the stage, he steadied his emotions a little, then bowed deeply to the audience below and said, “I am Li Qi Bing from First Battalion, Second Squad. Below I will read an article on learning from Comrade Lei Feng:

‘Respected leaders and comrades. I am Li Qi Bing of First Battalion, Second Squad. At this moment when the whole regiment is carrying out the campaign to learn from Comrade Lei Feng, I too am deeply stirred. Comrade Lei Feng was born in Changsha, Hunan. He was a soldier of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, a soldier of communism. On August 15, 1962, he died in the line of duty at the age of only twenty-two.

Comrade Lei Feng once took part in emergency rescue operations at the Shangsi Reservoir, fighting for seven days and seven nights while ill. From this, we see his endurance and devotion to hard work. In 1960, when floods struck Fushun, where he was stationed, the transport convoy received orders to join flood rescue work. Despite the pain of burns he had just suffered while taking part in firefighting, Comrade Lei Feng worked with his comrades to battle the flood. This shows that Comrade Lei Feng was not only upright and fearless in major affairs, but also thoughtful and meticulous in small matters. For example, helping a primary school carry bricks, helping comrades study knowledge, and so on. Such things are countless. At that time there was a saying: Lei Feng traveled a thousand miles and did good deeds all the way like a trainload full of them.

Hearing these stories, how could our hearts not be moved? At this moment and place, our admiration for Comrade Lei Feng grows even stronger. At the same time, as soldiers, we must always keep a spirit of devotion to the people and hold steel rifles in our hands to defend the nation. Let us join hands to carry forward the Lei Feng spirit, remain loyal to the revolution, preserve the spirit of consistency between words and deeds, build the communist style of placing the public above the private, and vigorously inherit the proletarian spirit of fearing neither hardship nor death and the spirit of the screw!’

Qi Bing’s reading ended there. Warm applause rose from below the stage. Qi Bing stepped down quickly and almost collided with Battalion Commander Liu, who was walking toward him. The commander gave him a thumbs-up and patted his shoulder, saying with a smile, “I knew I had not misjudged you!”

The regiment-wide meeting continued until evening before finally drawing to a close. Before long, the sun sank beyond the western hills, leaving only broad stretches of rosy sunset clouds. In an instant, they reddened the whole camp, while the five-star red flag high above shone all the more brightly and vividly.

A month later, Qi Bing and Ruan Feng were both recommended by the regiment to attend military school. The news was a surprise and a delight to Qi Bing, and Ruan Feng felt the same. The two of them waited joyfully for the day they would depart for military school. On the third day after receiving the order, they packed their belongings and set out on the road to the academy.