For me, a new cadet at the Army Officer School, leaving home for the first time and embarking on a strictly disciplined life, having never cooked or handled a hoe or shovel before, the first farming session was a truly memorable experience.

The first strokes of the hoe were hesitant; the soil was only lightly tilled before bouncing back, leaving my hand numb. Subsequent strokes were better, but the furrows were still not straight. Looking to my side, I saw my teammates had already started working. Some were hoeing, some were weeding, some were making furrows, and some were sowing seeds. Each person had a task, working rhythmically and decisively. The sound of the hoe hitting the ground was steady and solid. Sweat soaked through my shirt, but no one faltered.

Illustration photo: hc.qdnd.vn

Looking at my teammates, I told myself I had to succeed. Adjusting my posture, standing firm, and distributing my strength evenly with both hands, each subsequent swing of the hoe was cleaner than the last. My hands, accustomed to holding a pen, were now blistered and burning, but I didn't stop, because I understood that: Having donned the military uniform, there was no room for shyness or giving up.

When the whistle blew signaling the end of work, I stood looking at my team's vegetable patch. The soil was loosened, the rows straighter, and the seeds settled peacefully in each small furrow. It was a simple achievement, but it brought a sense of relief to everyone. That evening, under the classroom lights, looking at my red, blistered, and aching hands, I no longer felt pity but pride. Those were the marks of hard work, of the first days of getting acquainted with life as a soldier.

In subsequent farming sessions, I no longer felt awkward. We shared the heavy work and worked together on the difficult tasks. On the farming site, the distance between trainees from different regions gradually disappeared. We understood each other better through each swing of the hoe, each drop of sweat, each short but warm word of encouragement. Team spirit was formed from such simple things.

Farming provided us with an additional food source to ensure our livelihoods, but more importantly, it was an environment for cultivating military discipline: responsibility, diligence, and perseverance. From those green vegetable plots, I understood that a soldier matures not only on the training ground but also in every aspect of daily life.

Now, every time I pick up a hoe to go to the farming area, I'm no longer the bewildered recruit I was on my first day. A clear thought has formed in me: Do well from small things, hone yourself through difficult tasks. The seeds sown today are gradually sprouting in the soil, just as the aspirations of a young soldier are being nurtured day by day—the aspiration to contribute, to be ready to accept and complete any task, worthy of the green uniform and the environment of the Army Officer Training School 1.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/van-hoc-nghe-thuat/gieo-mam-khat-vong-1023971