NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13 - Is this a tofu block? It's clearly a block of rolls!
Chapter 13: Is this a tofu block? It’s clearly a block of rolls!
“You blockhead!” Exclaimed the squad leader as he looked at the bewildered recruit.
“I’ll demonstrate it again. Pay attention!” The squad leader skillfully folded the already folded quilt once more.
Soon, a perfect block of tofu reappeared in front of everyone.
“Remember it all,” the squad leader pointed at the tofu block, looking at the recruits.
The recruits, exhausted from the morning exercise, exchanged bewildered glances. Folding the quilt seemed simple, but the intricate moves made it challenging to remember after just a few demonstrations.
“A bunch of pig heads!” The squad leader, frustrated, couldn’t tolerate their inability to grasp the technique.
“I’ve shown it twice, and you still can’t get it. When I was a recruit, the old squad leader taught it once, and we could fold it!” He exclaimed.
Seeing the squad leader’s anger, the recruits lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact.
“Compliments won’t help! Focus on learning how to fold the quilt!” The squad leader scolded.
“We can’t compare to you, squad leader,” He Dong flattered, attempting to ease the tension.
Ignoring the flattery, the squad leader retorted, “Is flattering me useful? Use your twisted minds to figure out how to fold the quilt!”
Observing the situation, Chen Ming raised his hand, “Report, squad leader, I’ve learned how to fold. You can rest. I’ll teach them.”
The recruits looked at Chen Ming in surprise, and even the squad leader showed a hint of astonishment.
“Really learned it?” The squad leader asked skeptically.
Chen Ming nodded and approached the folded quilt. He skillfully replicated the process by recalling the squad leader’s demonstration and combining it with his previous experience.
The recruits, including the squad leader, watched in amazement as Chen Ming folded the quilt almost identically.
“Have you really learned it?” The squad leader asked, still incredulous.
Chen Ming nodded, and the squad leader, impressed, spread out his folded quilt again. “Fold it again.”
Chen Ming complied, replicating the process, and soon, a block of tofu sat at the end of the bed.
“Wow!” exclaimed the recruits, admiring Chen Ming’s skill.
“Report to the monitor. It’s ready,” Chen Ming said, placing the tofu block at the end of the bed.
The squad leader, suppressing his initial shock, regained his composure.
“It’s alright, but slightly worse than I used to be.” The squad leader admitted with a hint of guilt.
“Alright, since you’ve learned it, you can teach them. I’ll give you a whole morning. If they can’t fold something decent by then, hmph!” The squad leader declared a hint of fierceness in his eyes.
The squad leader let out a snort, satisfied with the lively response from the dormitory. Seeing the squad leader’s stern expression, everyone hurried back to their beds, each expressing their eagerness to learn.
“Chen Ming, come teach me!”
“Teach me first, I’m quicker than He Dong!”
“No, teach me! I can help you teach others once I learn!”
Everyone eagerly looked at Chen Ming, who felt a bit overwhelmed.
“Alright, how about I demonstrate with my quilt first? Memorize the steps, and if you have questions, ask me,” Chen Ming suggested.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Feeling puzzled, Chen Ming took out his quilt and began folding. However, as he touched the quilt, he couldn’t help but frown. The texture of this quilt seemed off. Even though he slept with it last night after handling the squad leader’s quilt, there was an indescribable difference.
Disregarding the confusion, he proceeded to fold, but when he finished, everyone was shocked. Instead of a neatly folded quilt, it resembled more of a rolled-up bun.
Confused, Chen Ming wondered aloud, “How did this happen?”
Watching the situation from a distance, the squad leader chuckled to himself, thinking, “These kids are still too green.”
Attempting to explain, Chen Ming said, “I followed the steps. Why did this happen?”
Realization struck Chen Ming suddenly. “I get it. Our quilts are new, and the cotton inside is loose. We need to compact it to achieve the squad leader’s tofu-like folds. Otherwise, no matter how skilled we are, it won’t work.”
Demonstrating by shaking out the quilt, Chen Ming showed the thickness and explained, “Our quilts are thicker than the squad leader’s because the cotton inside is loose. Quickly compact the cotton. No matter how you fold, you won’t get tofu blocks!”
Everyone rushed to their beds, trying to figure out how to compress their quilts.
Watching Chen Ming quickly figure it out, the squad leader thought, “This kid has good physical strength and a sharp mind. He discovered the problem quickly. Not bad, he’s a promising one.”
The squad leader couldn’t help but smile.