85: He fell into a pile of pig manure.

Hu Ping was overjoyed when she heard that Xiao Niannian and the others were going to farm and water vegetables with manure water.

"Pingping, I just treated some comrades from other squads to candy, and they said that over at the Logistics Platoon, they really are farming and tilling the soil..."

"Now Xiao Niannian won't be able to act so proud."

"Pingping, the Platoon Leader praised you again! Our squad will definitely get the rotating red banner at the end of the month."

Several people surrounded Hu Ping, saying flattering things.

Just then, their Squad Leader Hao Pan walked in.

"We just received a notice. Starting tomorrow, our squad of female soldiers will also go to the battalion to grow vegetables, farm, raise pigs, raise chickens and ducks, and clean pigpens..."

What?

Hearing this, Hu Ping looked at Hao Pan in shock.

"Squad Leader, we are signal corps soldiers. Why would we be doing logistics work?"

"Exactly! I heard that raising pigs and cleaning pigpens are jobs for male soldiers. Why would they make us do it?"

"The pigpens are so smelly."

"Chicken and duck droppings—how foul they smell."

Listening to their questioning, Squad Leader Hao said with a serious expression.

"This matter was decided by the higher-ups. If other female soldiers can do it, so can we."

Hu Ping was utterly furious. She wanted Xiao Niannian to be sent to raise pigs, clean pigpens, and sweep up chicken and duck droppings, but she never intended for herself to be cleaning those things.

Just thinking about those stinking things made her feel terribly ill.

Xiao Niannian and her comrades-in-arms were planting radishes and building trellises for some vegetables when they saw another team arrive.

What a coincidence, wasn't that Hu Ping and Yang Fang?

"Squad Leader, do we have to clean the pigpen today? Will the pigs bite people?"

"Why is this place all mud, and chicken droppings too?"

"We came here to be soldiers, not to feed pigs and clean pigpens."

Listening to these people, Squad Leader Hao scolded them.

"Shut up! Now that you're here, you obey orders. If others can do it, why can't you? If you don't want to do this or that, why did you join the army? You should have just stayed home and been pampered young ladies..."

As soon as she said this, the soldiers were frightened into silence.

Seeing the other team of female soldiers, Zhao You and Cao Huan looked confused.

"Those are people from the Communications Squad, right? Why did they come over here too?"

"They are indeed from the Communications Squad. Are they also here to farm today?"

Lin Er watched them walk forward and said with some surprise.

"They're heading toward the pigpens. Don't tell me they're responsible for feeding pigs and cleaning the pigpens today?"

"I never thought people from the Communications Company would have to do this kind of work."

Watching those people enter the pig farm, Xiao Niannian smiled.

Wasn't this a case of lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own foot?

Hu Ping tried to harm her, but ended up harming herself instead.

They had already been farming for a few days and were about to be assigned to feed pigs and clean pigpens, but unexpectedly, the Communications Company personnel were assigned there first.

This was truly amusing.

Xu Jia walked over at this moment.

"The comrades-in-arms from the Communications Company came over to feed pigs and clean pigpens today. You all will go over and observe later, as it will be our squad's turn to clean in a few days."

"We observe? They clean the pigpens, they feed the pigs?"

Zhao You looked at Squad Leader Xu in surprise.

"Yes. Is there a problem?"

"No problem."

Hearing this, Xiao Niannian almost burst out laughing.

Hu Ping, Yang Fang, and the others walked into the pigpen and were nearly overwhelmed by the stench inside.

"Why does it smell so bad?"

"Oh heavens, we have to clean a pigpen like this?"

"It's so smelly. If our clothes get contaminated with this smell, can we even wash them clean?"

"We are the Communications Company. Why do we have to come clean pigpens?"

Hu Ping felt that perhaps the higher-ups had made a mistake. She clearly intended to mess with Xiao Niannian, so how did she end up messing with herself?

Although they were extremely reluctant, they still followed their Squad Leader and began learning from the veteran soldiers.

The veteran soldiers previously responsible for cleaning never expected that the female soldiers in their Reconnaissance Battalion would also have to clean pigpens and feed pigs.

However, they enthusiastically taught the female soldiers. Usually, it was rare for them to see so many female soldiers.

"Oh no, be careful, don't get that on my shoes."

"It's too smelly."

"Ugh."

"Be careful when using the shovel."

Although they were very careful, pig droppings inevitably got onto their clothes and shoes.

"It's too smelly."

"My shoes are ruined."

"Ugh."

When Xiao Niannian and her comrades-in-arms walked to the entrance, they heard several people inside vomiting and complaining to each other, while a few others were working seriously.

"Platoon Leader Yang."

Platoon Leader Yang, Squad Leader Hao, and the others immediately stopped what they were doing and saluted Feng Lin when they heard her voice.

After Feng Lin saluted, she looked at the group covered in mud and grime.

As the two Platoon Leaders talked, Xiao Niannian's gaze drifted toward the distance.

She saw Hu Ping and Yang Fang holding tools like hoes, shovels, and rakes, putting all the straw from the pigpen into baskets.

Their clothes were already covered in quite a bit of muck.

"It smells awful here."

"How exactly are we supposed to clean this pigpen?"

Feng Lin swept her gaze over them, and the people muttering on this side immediately fell silent.

Over there, Hu Ping and Yang Fang spotted Xiao Niannian. Hu Ping was utterly enraged. How could Xiao Niannian see her looking this smelly and dirty?

"Xiao Niannian, what are you doing here?"

Xiao Niannian crossed her arms and replied.

"We came to learn from you how to clean pigpens and feed pigs."

What?

Xiao Niannian said she came to learn from them how to clean pigpens and feed pigs?

Was Xiao Niannian mocking them?

She glared hatefully at Xiao Niannian. Hu Ping felt that ever since she met Xiao Niannian, she had been plagued by bad luck. Was Xiao Niannian jinxing her?

It was supposed to be tormenting Xiao Niannian, but now it had turned into tormenting herself.

"Stop gloating here."

Hu Ping said through clenched teeth.

Xiao Niannian's lips curved up, a mocking smile on her face.

She had to admit, things were pretty good right now.

Seeing Xiao Niannian look at her mockingly, Hu Ping became enraged. She quietly filled her manure scoop with pig manure and slurry, and secretly walked toward Xiao Niannian.

Suddenly, a rat darted out and jumped near Hu Ping's leg.

"There's a rat."

These people were afraid of rats; seeing one and hearing its squeak, they all scrambled to get away.

Everyone in the pigpen descended into chaos, scattering everywhere.

Hu Ping also ran to the side, but she stepped on a pile of pig droppings, slipped, and pitched forward.

"Thump."

She slammed into the pile of pig manure in front of her, her face sinking right into it.

"Ah..."

"Pfft."

Hu Ping screamed.

Yang Fang and the other few, ignoring the stench, helped Hu Ping up.

"Ugh, wow."

Hu Ping wiped the pig manure off her face with her sleeve, but ended up smearing it near her mouth.

"Ugh."

Yang Fang and several comrades-in-arms supported Hu Ping, but the filth on her sleeve ended up splattering onto their faces as well.

"Hurry and go wash up."