Ma Yaya listened and laughed from the side. "It’s strange. Fei’s quilt-folding skills are just as bad as my rice-cooking skills."
It was true. Ma Yaya could never cook rice properly. Finally, Zhu Yanyi had a bright idea. She got a measuring cup for Ma Yaya. Now, Ma Yaya measured the rice and water exactly. The problem was solved. But no measuring cup could fix Zheng Fei’s messy quilts.
"Why not put a book inside the quilt?" Hui Junlan suggested. "I saw girls in the next dorm do that. They said their relatives were soldiers last year. They used this trick to pass the inspection."
"Yes! Let’s try a book." Zheng Fei opened the quilt Luo Kun had folded. She put a book inside and folded it again. She pulled the corners tight. It wasn’t perfect, but it had sharp edges now. Zheng Fei looked pleased. "See? I can do it."
Luo Kun glanced at her. "You should pray the instructor doesn’t find the secret inside when he checks."
"It looks fine. He won’t notice," Ma Yaya said, looking unsure.
Luo Kun spoke seriously. "Those instructors were soldiers. Their rules are strict. They know all these tricks because they used them as recruits too. Do you think they won’t see through it?"
Hearing this, Zheng Fei felt worried. She quickly opened the quilt and took out the book. She looked at Luo Kun with sad eyes. Luo Kun sighed helplessly. In three quick moves, she folded the quilt perfectly for her.
"I think you should stop sleeping in this quilt. Just keep it folded like this as a specimen. Otherwise, I have to fold it for you every time. It’s not fair to me."
"If I pass the inspection, I’ll carry hot water and food for you for a week after school starts," Zheng Fei said, smiling sweetly.
Zhu Yanyi giggled. "What about us? We know the truth. You can’t make us keep the secret for free."
"I’ll carry water and food for each of you for a week. Is that okay?" Zheng Fei looked like she might cry.
"Deal," Ma Yaya said with a smile.
Hui Junlan laughed loudly. Everyone in the room was happy except Zheng Fei.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Zheng Fei, closest to the door, hurried to open it. An instructor and several soldiers stood there to check the room. They looked around. The instructor checked their quilts and nodded in satisfaction. He told them to rest early and left.
"We passed!" Zheng Fei breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Honestly, I can’t even breathe when they come to check. I’m always afraid they’ll find something wrong. I heard they even wipe the top of the door frame to check for dust. Their checks are crazy."
Zhu Yanyi noticed Luo Kun’s serious face. "Luo Kun, what’s wrong? You look deep in thought."
"There might be a surprise assembly tonight," Luo Kun said directly.