Ah-Tu, a diligent soldier, worked tirelessly on construction tasks—he could handle the work of two people and always had a cheerful smile, even when being scolded for mistakes. Because of this, the officers in the unit were fond of him. Ah-Tu had a huge appetite, needing five or six bowls of rice per meal, which overwhelmed his fellow soldiers, as there was never enough food to go around. Ashan often shared some of the officers' food with Ah-Tu, and Ah-Tu would gratefully accept it with a smile, never turning it down.
As the engineers often worked on construction sites, meals were served directly on the ground, with no tables or chairs. Soup and dishes were placed on the ground, and the soldiers would squat or sit to eat. Due to the sandy environment in Kinmen, a gust of wind would cover the food with a thin layer of sand as soon as it was set down. Sometimes, even without wind, soldiers who finished eating and brushed off their pants would accidentally send sand flying onto the food.
At first, Ashan couldn’t tolerate it, but since it was impossible to pick out the sand, he and the others eventually got used to it. They ate the food as if the sand wasn’t there, despite the uncomfortable sound of sand grinding between their teeth. Over time, their stomachs became as resilient as a chicken’s gizzard, and they joked that eating sand helped with digestion, making them healthier.
The troops in Kinmen had one day off per week, and since water was scarce on the frontlines and construction sites—especially hot water—most soldiers would take the chance to head into Jincheng for a hot bath. Even though the water was often a murky yellow, they still considered it a luxury.
At first, Ah-Tu always volunteered to stay behind during leave days instead of going out. Ashan thought he was just tired from the physical labor and wanted to rest. Later, he discovered that Ah-Tu was afraid of getting lost if he went out and was too shy to ask Ashan or others to accompany him. He really was an honest, straightforward person.
From then on, whenever there was a day off, Ashan would arrange for himself or another soldier to take Ah-Tu out to explore and see more of Kinmen. The most important part of these trips was ensuring that Ah-Tu got a proper bath, as he would sweat profusely while working on construction tasks. If he didn’t get a good wash once a week, the smell of sweat would be so strong that his fellow soldiers couldn’t sleep at night.
Although Ah-Tu received a lot of care from everyone, he still had moments of frustration. While he was a model worker, he struggled with military drills—always a step behind and sometimes mixing up left and right, much to the amusement of the commander. Despite efforts to give him extra training, it didn’t help much. So whenever higher-ranking officers came to inspect the unit, the commander would assign Ah-Tu to help in the kitchen instead.
Ah-Tu felt embarrassed about this and often blamed himself for not being able to perform well in drills, especially compared to Ashan, who executed the maneuvers perfectly. Ashan would reassure him, saying that he had the blood of a military family running through his veins, so it was natural for him to do better. Ah-Tu, though not fully understanding, reluctantly accepted this explanation. But he repeatedly asked Ashan not to mention this issue when writing letters to his family on his behalf.
阿土這個大頭兵做工事非常賣力，一個人可以幹兩個人的活兒，又整天笑咪咪的，就是做錯事挨罵也是笑咪咪的，所以連上長官都疼他。阿土的飯量實在很大，一頓要吃五、六碗飯，與他一同吃飯的弟兄都直呼受不了，因為菜每次都不夠吃。阿三常把長官們的菜分一些給阿土，阿土當然也笑咪咪的接受而從不推辭。
工兵因為經常在工地構築工事，所以都是在地上開飯，根本沒有桌子椅子。因此湯菜都是擺在地上，弟兄們也就或蹲或坐在地上吃飯。金門沙子多，常常湯菜才擺好，風一吹來，所有的菜上面就覆了一層薄沙。有時候雖然沒有風，可是有些先吃好的弟兄站起來時，順手拍了拍了屁股上的沙，結果弄得湯菜上還是覆了層沙。
起初阿三也受不了，但是沙子也挑不出來，日子久了，大家都視沙子如無物，照樣大口吃菜吃飯。只是在嚼食時會發出沙子在牙齒間摩擦的聲音，令人不太舒服。不過胃都鍛練成雞的胃了，所以弟兄們都戲稱吃沙子可以幫助消化，身體才更健康。
部隊在金門是一禮拜中有一天輪到放假，大部份的官兵因為陣地或工地裏缺水，而且根本不可能有熱水，所以趁著放假都到金城的浴室去洗熱水澡。雖然水都是濁黃色的，大家還是把洗熱水澡當做是一大享受。
阿土在起初放假的日子裏，總是自願留在工地不出去。阿三以為他平日構工太勞累，想利用假日在「家」休息。後來才知道阿土是怕出去了以後找不到路回來，又不好意思叫阿三或其他阿兵哥帶他出去玩，真是老實蛋一個。
以後每逢假日，阿三總是會安排好自己或是指定弟兄帶阿土出去玩一玩，見一見金門的世面。最要緊的是一定要阿土好好洗個澡，阿土是粗人汗多，平日構工總是汗流得像是掉到水裏一樣。一禮拜不好好洗一次澡，身上的汗臭味會薰得鄰兵晚上都無法睡覺。
阿土雖然受到大家的照顧，但也有不開心的時候。阿土做工固然是個模範，不過軍事操練就不行了，他老是慢半拍，有時左右也分不太清楚，連長感到又好氣又好笑。雖然曾命令阿三為阿土單獨出操也沒有用，所以每逢上級長官來視察部隊操演時，連長就叫阿土到伙房去。
阿土覺得很沒有面子，一再向阿三責怪自己為什麼軍事動作每次都做不好，而阿三卻是做的那麼標準，那麼俐落。阿三只好安慰他說自己身上流的是軍人的血液，當然做得比一般人好。阿三似懂非懂地接受了這個事實，不過他再三交待阿三幫他寫家書時，不能提起這件事。
