73: Xiao Niannian even gave him the feeling that she was controlling the score.

Xiao Niannian listened to the Instructors' words and also heard some people complaining.

"What did that Xiao Niannian eat to grow up? How is she so powerful?"

"I heard her elders are all Soldiers. Maybe she's been trained since childhood, so how can we compare?"

"Someone like Xiao Niannian, perhaps only those from the Special Forces Brigade can beat her."

"She's not the strongest. There are a few people in our New Recruit Regiment who are even better than her."

Hu Ping watched Xiao Niannian running ahead, her heart filled with extreme anger.

Last time, her parents came to visit her, gave her two hundred yuan, stayed with her for two or three days, and then went home. Her mother wouldn't let Xiao Niannian off easy. She would let her pass the new recruit company assessment first.

Although her mother wasn't in the Military Unit now, her maternal grandfather had also retired from the Military Unit, and she also had uncles and paternal uncles.

Thinking of this, Hu Ping smiled again.

Xiao Niannian, just wait, you'll have your time to cry later.

Lu Jing stood with a few others not far away, watching them train.

"Old Lu, there are many good prospects in this New Recruit Regiment. Should we recruit all these good prospects into the Special Forces Brigade?"

The speaker was Jiang Huguo, a team leader from the Special Forces Brigade.

"If we pick all the good prospects, what about the other units?"

"Our Production Brigade is short of good prospects, we can't let other units snatch them away."

Lu Jing listened to these people's words, his gaze fixed on Xiao Niannian. He felt that Xiao Niannian's speed should be more than eighteen minutes; she even gave him the impression that she was deliberately controlling her scores.

That day when he cooperated with Xiao Niannian, he felt that Xiao Niannian was extremely confident, and when she acted, he killed the gangster. He also saw Xiao Niannian's actions out of the corner of his eye; there was no hesitation, every step was textbook-perfect.

Lu Jing looked at the watch in his hand; the time was exactly eighteen minutes.

Lu Jing's guess was correct. Xiao Niannian could run it in seventeen minutes, but it was already very difficult for these new recruits to run it in eighteen minutes. Most of them finished in eighteen minutes and fifty-something seconds, or even over nineteen minutes.

However, during the assessment, she could probably run it in seventeen minutes.

"Report, Comrade Xiao Niannian completed five kilometers in eighteen minutes."

Company Commander Hong listened to the Soldier's words and looked at Xiao Niannian with some surprise.

Xiao Niannian had run eighteen minutes several times before. He initially thought Xiao Niannian ran very well. But for several consecutive times, it was always eighteen minutes, not a second more, not a second less.

Could it be that Xiao Niannian deliberately ran this score?

He had seen Xiao Niannian running effortlessly before, while other Soldiers were panting heavily after running five kilometers, some even drenched in sweat.

He must have thought wrong. Xiao Niannian's limit might be here, or perhaps Xiao Niannian wasn't trying her best to run, waiting to achieve a better score during the new recruit assessment.

Time flew by, and Xiao Niannian had been enlisted for over a month. She received a subsidy of six yuan and seventy-five cents, six yuan being their allowance and seventy-five cents being an additional subsidy. She planned to go back and give this subsidy to Grandma.

Although she had given Grandma a hundred yuan reward before, this money was the first month's allowance, so it had a different meaning.

The Production Brigade gave her a day off, and Xiao Niannian returned to the Family Courtyard.

Grandma Xiao was busy in the courtyard. She had bought some seeds and planted vegetables in the front and back yards. Now, these small vegetables and green onions were growing exceptionally well.

Grandma Xiao was an excellent planter. The small vegetables she tended to would always grow exceptionally well, even during years of drought or flood disasters.

Looking at her busy Grandma, Xiao Niannian called out.

"Grandma."

Grandma Xiao heard her Granddaughter's voice and immediately looked up.

Grandma Xiao dropped the hoe in her hand and said happily.

"Niannian, you're back!"

Xiao Niannian opened the courtyard gate and walked in.

"Grandma, I'm back."

Grandma Xiao was about to hold Xiao Niannian's hand, but realizing her hands were covered in mud, she withdrew them.

Xiao Niannian held Grandma's hand and helped her walk towards the house.

"You've gotten thinner."

Grandma Xiao scrutinized her Granddaughter, her heart aching with distress.

"Grandma, this is my allowance from last month." Xiao Niannian took out six yuan and seventy-five cents from her pocket and handed it to Grandma Xiao.

"You child, the hundred yuan you had Xiao Jing give me a few days ago, Grandma hasn't spent it yet. These days, Grandma took on a few sewing jobs and earned over ten yuan."

Grandma Xiao happily told Xiao Niannian about what had happened in the Family Courtyard these days.

"Grandma also met many people..."

Grandma Xiao naturally reported good news and not bad news. She had indeed met many people in the Family Courtyard. The mothers of those regiment commanders and battalion commanders were very kind to her, but there were still a few bad apples. She didn't want her Granddaughter to worry about such people.

There was an Aunt Huang, who lived two doors down from them. She heard that Grandma Xiao was good at making clothes, so she brought some clothes over, wanting her to make them. They agreed on five yuan for a set, but after they were made, she only wanted to give two yuan.

She didn't confront Aunt Huang, but waited until Aunt Huang's son, Battalion Commander Huang, returned to the Family Courtyard. She talked to him and got the money.

That Aunt Huang, however, was extremely angry and came to her doorstep to curse.

Grandma Xiao was also excellent at arguing, but she had avoided conflict before because she didn't want to cause trouble for her Granddaughter. However, since she would be living here long-term, if she was bullied, anyone would be able to step on her.

Grandma Xiao won against Aunt Huang without using any vulgar language, becoming famous in one battle.

Listening to Grandma's words and seeing her happy expression, Xiao Niannian smiled.

"Grandma, you can't just report good news and not bad news. If anyone bullies you, your Granddaughter will definitely not let them off."

"Niannian, Grandma is really fine. What hasn't Grandma experienced all these years? Let's not talk about this. Grandma knitted you a red sweater; see if you like it."

Grandma Xiao not only made beautiful clothes but also knew many ways to knit sweaters.

She went to the kitchen, washed her hands, dried them, and then went to get the new sweater.

The bright red sweater, when knitted, looked as beautiful as a custom-made item from a luxury store.

Xiao Niannian took off her military uniform, leaving only the inner shirt, and put on the sweater. Grandma Xiao immediately praised her Granddaughter.

"My Niannian is truly beautiful."

Xiao Niannian walked to the mirror nearby and looked at herself in the mirror.

Although she trained every day, she hadn't gotten darker; in fact, she was a bit fairer than before.

She noticed that her appearance, which was only seventy to eighty percent similar to her original world's self, now resembled her original world's self even more.

And her temperament was also very similar to her original world's self.

"It's beautiful; wear it when you go back later."

Grandma Xiao thought her Granddaughter had come back on leave again.