Next came the “river crossing” drill. At the sound of a whistle, the militia members standing on the riverbank jumped into the water. “Pu-tong pu-tong!” Some carried rifles, some held big cooking pots over their heads, and others even swam with people on their backs. They all moved forward together, as if they were racing on solid ground. How awesome! Guoqing’s eyes went as wide as saucers. He thought to himself that his dad and his fellow soldiers must be just as amazing as these militia soldiers. How else could he protect our coastline? He asked Great Uncle again: “How are the militia so skilled?” Second Great Uncle gave him a pat on the shoulder and said: “Skill comes from courage. Only people who love their country deeply can be truly brave, and that’s how they learn great skills!”
