56 第11章 艰苦训练（1）

 第11章 艰苦训练（1）
 

 “Stealing! Penalty: death!” 
 Sergeant Qiang’s voice rang over the parade ground in the center of the encampment. Morning had come far too quickly for Mulan’s liking. She had been awakened by the sergeant’s loud voice billowing through the tent, ordering everyone outside for the morning announcements. Luckily, in the rush that had followed, Mulan had been able to slink into the shadows of the tent and dress. Now she stood shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other conscripts and seasoned soldiers as the sergeant barked a list of rules and the punishments for breaking them. Beside him, Commander Tung stood, his eyes moving over the men gathered in front of him. 
 “Desertion!” Sergeant Qiang went on. “Penalty: death!” 
 The men listened, their faces somber. Even Yao knew not to joke. 
 “Bringing women into camp or consorting with women in any way,” the sergeant continued. “Penalty: death!” 
 Mulan struggled to keep the panic and fear from her face. She felt as though everyone was looking at her, though she knew that was not the case. Still, hearing Sergeant Qiang’s words made her fears feel that much more real. She had known there was a penalty for women in the army, but death? That seemed a bit ... aggressive. 
 As if reading her thoughts, Sergeant Qiang f inished his speech. “Dishonesty? Penalty ...” He paused, letting the word hang in the air for a moment before f inishing. “Expulsion! Disgrace.” 
 The conscripts gasped. 
 Sergeant Qiang nodded. “Disgrace for you, disgrace for your family, disgrace for your village ... disgrace for your country.” 
 From the looks on the faces of the men around her, and from the way they all shifted uncomfortably on their feet, Mulan knew they were thinking the same thing she was thinking. Disgrace was a far worse punishment than death. 
 Mulan could have sworn Sergeant Qiang looked happier to have made all the soldiers nervous. Marching in front of them, he stopped, slamming his f inger into the chest of the nearest conscript. “We’re going to make men out of every single one of you!” 
 As the parade ground erupted with cheers, Mulan half-heartedly lifted her own hand and voice. But on the inside, she shrank. How could they make a man out of her when she wasn’t a man to begin with?And worse still, what would her future look like if anyone ever found out the truth? 
 Mulan was exhausted. After their morning “talking to,” they had been sent out into the middle of the parade grounds to begin their basic training. For hours, she and the other “men” had been practicing the same basic martial arts maneuvers over and over again. Using only their arms, legs, and body weight, they were supposed to defend themselves with minimal effort.