My Military Career in a Parallel World

"Squad leader, do you guys also come to the county town to play during your vacation?"

After changing clothes, Li Gang took Jiang Chen out of the hospital and walked towards the nearest commercial street.

Not to mention that Jiang Chen is just a rookie who hasn't even been to a recruit company. Even if he has been in the army for one or two years, many people still have to be accompanied by veterans when they go out.

"Haha, the third company's base is not that close to the county town. We usually just go to the nearby town and buy some things." Since he didn't need to maintain his military image after changing into casual clothes, Li Gang spoke more casually.

As they walked on the road, the two chatted idly, and Jiang Chen suddenly thought of a very important question.

"By the way, squad leader, how are we going to get back later?"

"The last bus from the county is at 5:30 p.m. After we get to the terminal, it's only about ten kilometers away from our regiment headquarters. If we walk fast, we should be there in about an hour."

"Ah?! We have to walk back on our legs!"

"Otherwise, you don't think there is a car that goes directly to the regiment headquarters, do you? That is a military restricted area, what are you thinking!"

"Uh..." Jiang Chen looked up at the sky. During the more than half a month in the recruit company without cell phones or watches, he had learned to judge the approximate time based on the position of the sun.

If he was not mistaken, it should be almost noon now.

There were still six hours at most until dinner time, and it was impossible for them to catch the last bus on time. Moreover, the shuttle bus would definitely be much slower than the military truck. In the end, they would have to walk about ten kilometers, which would take about two hours in total.

That is to say, they can play for less than four hours at most.

In order to have less than four hours of activity time, I had to walk ten kilometers on the mountain road...

"Squad leader, I've thought about it and feel that there's nothing fun to do in the county town. Let's go back quickly. We can still catch a ride back." After a simple calculation, Jiang Chen decisively turned his head and spoke to Li Gang in an extremely sincere tone.

Seeing Jiang Chen's serious expression, Li Gang suddenly laughed out loud: "Haha, don't worry, you are the hero today. Thanks to you, the company commander asked the canteen to purchase a truck to stay in the county for a while. We just need to get on the truck before 4:30 in the afternoon!"

"Ah, there is such a good thing?! Shouldn't the purchase be done in the morning? Why do we have to go in the afternoon..."

“So, I can say that it was all thanks to you.

However, this is normal. The canteen does not need to purchase vegetables every day. Vegetables that can be stored, such as potatoes and carrots, are purchased in advance, usually once a week. Otherwise, why do you think the company commander would postpone the re-examination of new recruits to the weekend..."

"Oh." Jiang Chen nodded suddenly, it turned out that this was all calculated.

Without any worries, Jiang Chen felt relieved and turned his attention to the commercial street in front of him.

To be honest, Jiang Chen hasn't shopped in real life for a long time since the development of mobile shopping.

Although the commercial street in front of me looks a bit shabby, walking among the endless stream of people and listening to the chattering sounds around me, I feel inexplicably quite happy.

"Is there anything you want to buy?" Li Gang asked.

Jiang Chen stroked his chin and thought seriously.

There is nothing missing in the army. To exaggerate a little, if you don't smoke or drink, you can go to the army naked without any money and there will be no problem.

The troops provide clothes, towels, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and you can borrow other people's clothes after use. Not to mention quilts and bedding, even mosquito nets and mats are taken into consideration.

After thinking for a long time, Jiang Chen still couldn't think of anything to buy.

Li Gang was also an experienced person. He guessed what Jiang Chen was thinking and suggested, "You can buy a watch. Although you are not allowed to bring jewelry in the army, watches are an exception. And your cell phone, do you want to change it? Your cell phone is really a bit broken."

"As long as the cell phone can make calls, there's no need to change it. But you can buy a watch." Jiang Chen nodded in agreement.

Having been used to various brands of feature-rich smartphones in his previous life, he really looks down on the so-called smartphones of today and doesn’t care whether he changes them or not.

But he really needs to get a watch. After all, he is now the deputy squad leader. Li Gang has to go out for something, so he has to serve as squad leader. He can't just stare at the sun all day to judge the time.

However, just as he was about to walk towards the watch shop in front, Jiang Chen suddenly stopped in his tracks. He thought of a very fatal problem.

He has no money!

When he came, the squad leader didn't say he would take him to the county town. Last time he went to the supermarket and bought things, he left more than a hundred yuan in the cabinet without taking it with him...

"Squad leader... well, I didn't know I could come out today, so..." Jiang Chen scratched his cheek awkwardly and told him that he didn't have any money.

"I thought it was something big. I'll give it to you first and just give it to me when you get back!" Li Gang waved his hand indifferently when he heard it.

"By the way, I almost forgot to tell you that when you buy a watch later, there is no need to buy a very good one. Just one that can be used will be fine." Li Gang suddenly reminded before entering the door.

"Why?" Jiang Chen asked curiously.

Watches are not consumables. Shouldn't the longer they are used, the better?

“What can I say about watches out there? First of all, the quality is a problem. Besides, you will most likely be assigned to a reconnaissance company after you are assigned to a company. You will be either in the woods or in the water all day long. Ordinary watches can’t stand up to such a toss.

Anyway, you will have to go to the military academy sooner or later, and the academy should give you professional watches. That is a good thing, durable, and can be used in the water for a whole day. It also has a built-in compass function, which is much more useful than the ones you buy outside. Our instructor has one..."

After changing out of his military uniform, Li Gang became noticeably more talkative. It might also be because of what happened today that made him accept Jiang Chen as a new recruit.

When they were getting along, he no longer treated Jiang Chen as a rookie, but rather like an older brother who had been in the army for many years treating his comrade-in-arms.

Jiang Chen did not interrupt and just listened carefully to Li Gang telling him about the interesting things in the army.

"Originally, our company commander also had a piece, but..." At this point, Li Gang showed a sly smile like a fox who had stolen some meat, and raised his arm with a bit of pride.

"When we had a competition at the division two years ago, I made a bet with the company commander that if I could get into the top three, he would give me his watch."

Jiang Chen's eyes also fell on Li Gang's wrist, which was a watch that was somewhat similar to the outdoor watch in his previous life.

Military watches are not rare. As early as the 1960s, my country learned from Rolex and developed the first military watch with a calendar and shockproof function.

After that, it became a routine to issue military watches to officers. By the 1980s and 1990s, about ten years ago, military watches had become very common.

Military watches from the United States were only worth a few dozen dollars in that era. In Southeast Asia, such as Monkey, a pack of cigarettes could be exchanged for a good quality black-faced military watch.

Famous brands such as Omega and Longines only sell for around a hundred yuan.

During the counterattack, XX brand 1120 military watches were distributed to regimental-level cadres, and reconnaissance troops directly distributed them to the platoon level.

After the battle, they were distributed in large quantities as prizes to soldiers.

Almost twenty years have passed. Although the army does not have a fixed brand of military watches, each military academy will still issue a watch to students based on their majors.

For those who are not conductors, mechanical watches are generally used, without any extra functions, and are only used to tell time.

Since commanders have to lead troops, the watches they are issued are more outdoor-oriented and have more functions, like the one on Li Gang's wrist.

However, there is also a disadvantage, that is, the lifespan is much shorter than that of a mechanical watch.

Of course, since it is not a unified purchase, the specific situation will depend on the school.

……

In fact, even if Li Gang didn't say it, Jiang Chen would not buy a too expensive watch. Money is secondary. The main reason is that this is just a small county town. Even if he wants to buy a good one, he has to find a place to buy it.

I randomly picked up a watch that cost over a hundred yuan. It was not a famous brand and did not have many fancy functions. The owner said that this thing was durable and even if it got wet by accident, as long as it was not serious, I could just put it in the sun and continue to use it.

"Is there anything else you want to buy?" Li Gang asked after coming out of the watch shop.

Jiang Chen shook his head: "There's nothing to buy."

"By the way, squad leader, do we have to bring something when we go back?" Just after he said that, Jiang Chen remembered that there seemed to be an unspoken rule in the army that comrades who went out on vacation had to bring something for others when they came back.

Generally, they are mainly various snacks and fruits, especially meat snacks, no matter how much you buy, it is never enough.

"Don't worry about it. It won't be too late to buy it when you get back. I'll take you to a good place first!"

"Where?" Jiang Chen asked curiously.

"Where else could it be, a massage parlor!"

Li Gang said it calmly, but Jiang Chen felt frightened when he heard it.

"Massage! Shop?!"

Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?!

Is this a place where soldiers can go?!

Damn, Li Dapao is playing too extravagantly!

In an instant, countless thoughts floated out. Jiang Chen stood there hesitating for a long time, thinking about how to refuse Li Gang's request to go to the massage parlor. He was even hesitant about whether he should report the matter to the platoon leader or company commander if the squad leader did not listen to his advice...

"Damn it, what are you thinking about! I'm taking you to a regular massage parlor! Not the kind of place you think!"

Who is Li Gang?

Li Gang could tell what Jiang Chen was thinking at a glance, and as he spoke, he slapped him on the back of the head without warning.

Rubbing the back of his head, Jiang Chen said quietly, "Team Leader, are there any legitimate massage parlors?"

"Me!" Li Gang raised his hand as if to slap him again, but Jiang Chen quickly dodged.

"Sergeant, don't hit me. I understand, I understand. It's just a foot massage. We train so much every day, we really need to massage it properly!" Jiang Chen explained while dodging with his head in his hands.

"Hey, kid, you know what I mean, but you're making fun of me on purpose, right?" Li Gang got even angrier when he heard this, and he chased after Jiang Chen and kicked him on the butt.

The two of them were playing and joking and came to the door of a blind massage shop on the roadside.

After Li Gang told his boss about his requirements, the two were arranged to lie down on the massage bed.

While waiting for the masseur to come, Li Gang lay on the bed and said, "Although what happened today is not a big deal, considering that you are still a new recruit, the company commander specifically asked me to bring you out to relax.

Ours is not a big city, there is nothing fun to do here. If you want to see the scenery, you will have plenty of opportunities after you are assigned to a company. You can even spend every day in the woods.

I thought about it and thought that instead of doing anything else, I might as well take you here for a massage, which can also relieve your physical fatigue. "

Jiang Chen nodded, not quite understanding.

"Squad leader, do you come for massage often?"

Li Gang changed his posture, put his hands behind his head, and said: "For us soldiers, it is difficult to have a long vacation, not to mention that we are on the border. Don't even think about a long vacation. We may not be able to go back for several years.

However, there are quite a few short breaks of half a day.

Some people like to wash their feet, while others like me like to get a massage.

We scouts have a lot of training and our bodies are often sore. Although we occasionally massage each other, but…"

Li Gang didn't say anything, but Jiang Chen already understood.

Please refer to the details. When they pulled each other's ligaments, it was more like torture than massage.

"Well, squad leader, if I remember correctly, the hospital seems to have a massage program. Why don't we go directly to the hospital? They are more professional, and we can avoid any misunderstandings..." Jiang Chen hesitated for a long time, but still expressed his thoughts.

"Uh..." Li Gang didn't expect Jiang Chen's train of thought to be so strange. For a moment he didn't know what to say.

After a long while, he said uncertainly: "Can I still get a massage in the hospital?!"

Jiang Chen nodded with a look of certainty and affirmation: "Yes, there must be massage in the hospital, squad leader, don't you know?!"

Li Gang shook his head in confusion when he first learned that there was a massage service in a hospital.

Jiang Chen smiled and explained: "Squad leader, have you forgotten that in addition to the normal departments in the hospital, there is also a traditional Chinese medicine and physiotherapy department.

You can go directly to the physical therapy department of the hospital, where they provide massage services, or you can call it Tui Na. They are much more professional than roadside massage shops. Not only can they provide massage, but they can also provide acupuncture. The effects of eliminating fatigue and maintaining health are much better than any blind massage.

However, you can’t wash your feet in the hospital. If you want to wash your feet, you still have to go to a foot massage shop.

Of course, I believe that you, squad leader, must have gone to a regular, pure green foot massage shop..."

Finally, Jiang Chen did not forget to tease Li Gang.

"Okay, I'll try it next time I have the chance. If the hospital can really provide massage, I can avoid gossip." Ignoring Jiang Chen's teasing, Li Gang nodded thoughtfully.

Jiang Chen was just a new recruit and didn't understand what a healthy body meant to a scout.

In view of the information he provided, Li Gang decided not to pursue him today.

The reason why Jiang Chen knew that massage and acupressure were available in the hospital was because he had a hobby of skiing in his previous life.

Before the Winter Olympics were held in China, sports like skiing were very niche. Not to mention the south, even in the north few people had actually been to a ski resort.

Not an amusement park, but a real ski resort.

Anyone who has ever skied should know how expensive this sport is.

Not counting the money spent on equipment, just going out for fun will cost at least a thousand dollars.

Jiang Chen got involved in skiing after he had earned some money and was recommended by a friend.

Skiing is bound to involve some bumps and bruises, so every time he comes back he has to find a place for a massage. That's how he found out that he could actually get a massage in the hospital, and the effect was countless times better than that in the massage shops outside, and the price was not high, so it could be said to be good value for money.

Although I know that Li Gang and his friends must have gone to a regular massage parlor, how can I put this matter? Maybe it's a stereotype. It's always not a good thing for soldiers to go to a massage parlor.

Li Gang and his friends go for massage not for the sake of enjoyment, but mainly to relieve physical fatigue. From this perspective, the effect of massage in the hospital is definitely better than that outside.

This can be considered as a small contribution from Jiang Chen.