FOR several days the military training had been extremely boring. Every day the students had to stand in the sunshine, their sweat soaking the uniforms. Sometimes Sophie felt disgusting, but she never escaped from her task, though she did not understand at all what good would this kind of punishment do her. 

However, she could have a rest when Lin Lin played tricks. Almost every day she played a different trick. Sometimes when the team was marching, she would scream and squat down, cover her ankle with her hands and tell the military officer that she had sprained her ankle. The officer, though did not quite believe her, could not bear her delicate expression and sweet voice begging him to release her. Every time Lin must request for at least for ten minutes and during this golden period Sophie and her classmates could have a good rest. 

Sometimes, Lin also pretended to be in a daze. When other honest people fainted, they always fell backward with a bang, only she always fell forward slowly. It could been seen at a glance that she was telling a lie. Still, Sophie hoped her to play more tricks, so that she could have a rest. 

However, there was joy in military training, when singing in teams. Sophie discovered that the Military uniform was magical. When people wear it, they turn out to be brave and full of vigor. They felt less restraint, and they sang loudly to heart’s content. At intervals the officers organized the soldiers to sing songs. The soldiers sat in teams on the sun-burnt ground and asked the officers to begin the song. Their favorite two songs were Unity is Strength or Yi Er San Si.

At dusk, when Sophie had fulfilled the task for the whole day, she would lay on the grass in her green uniform, watching the blue sky, the white clouds and the flying birds. Her thoughts would drift to a place far, far away from the reality.