Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Ling Qianjin must be highly praised~

The loudspeakers at the entrance and exit of Donghe Village were broadcasting performance notices, and the villagers raised their heads and listened carefully to the time and place.

Some children had already grabbed their benches and were heading to night school. The performance was held at the former Donghe Primary School, which is now the night school.

Qingmei originally thought of performing in the threshing ground, but unfortunately she was strongly opposed by Chen Lili.

The threshing grounds are infested with mosquitoes in the spring, and I've heard there are even snakes awakening in the mountains behind. Chen Lili, who grew up in a warm environment, is "voluntarily" performing in the countryside for the first time, insisting on doing so in a safe place.

Zhao Xiaoxing was waiting in the brigade office. She was quite happy because she didn't have to go to night school in the evening.

She has been driving a tractor during the day and attending classes at night recently, and she has been feeling unwell due to lack of sleep.

Qingmei was calling a sister village to borrow a microphone and a speaker.

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Xiaoxing took Qingmei back to take a shower so that they could watch the performance in a comfortable state.

Donghe Village is as lively today as it is during the Spring Festival. The faces of the villagers who have finished their hard work are all full of smiles.

When I met Qingmei on the road, she said, "Hurry back and have dinner. After eating, we can take up space. It's too late and we can only climb the tree."

Qingmei said crisply, "Hey, I'll go after I finish eating."

As we were walking on the road, Zhao Hongwei's voice came from the loudspeaker, announcing the first, second, and third clips of "The Red Detachment of Women" to be performed as a consolation performance tonight.

There were also impromptu programs, including red songs sung by Chen Lili, Errenzhuan sung by Chen Lili, and skits performed by Chen Lili.

"This girl is really capable. She can carry an entire show by herself."

Qingmei said admiringly, "I wonder if Secretary Wang has arranged dinner with them. Otherwise, it would be nice to invite them to our house for a meal. Our grandma likes her the most."

As they walked, Zhao Xiaoxing said, "Isn't that impressive? Otherwise, I wouldn't be the mainstay of the Municipal Theater. This trip is considered an incognito tour."

"That's not how you use an incognito tour," Qingmei explained. Then she said, "I also think she deserves praise for performing in the countryside. After the performance, how about we get the villagers to write her letters of praise?"

Zhao Xiaoxing immediately said, "That's great! You're really smart. I wouldn't have thought of that. It would be even better if everyone saw our letters of praise and came to perform."

Qingmei laughed and said, "I hope it works. Let's write it in a positive way."

The two of them discussed their way home, and Xiaoyan and Zhao Wuhe had already prepared dinner at home.

One dish was a mixed cold dish that Zhao Wuhe bought from the supply and marketing cooperative, pig ears and cucumber, and the other was stewed potatoes with green beans.

The white kidney beans in season in northern China are thicker and longer than an adult's finger. The beans in the pods are plump and fragrant, and when stewed with potatoes and meat slices, dipped in the potato starch, they go really well with rice.

Xiaoyan cooked two large plates of this dish alone. By the end, Zhao Xiaoxing had even mixed the soup, which looked like it had been made with water and starch, with her rice and ate it all.

After dinner, Xiaoyan and the others cleared the table. Qingmei was dragged by Zhao Xiaoxing to the backyard, where she frantically chopped vegetables for the chicks.

After more than half a month, the chicks grew a lot, from a round shape to... a young chicken.

"Grandma said they'll be able to lay eggs in two months or so."

Zhao Xiaoxing said expectantly, "When the time comes, we won't have to sell our eggs. We'll keep them for ourselves. We can eat steamed egg cakes, pickled eggs, and omelet every day. We'll all be plump and plump."

Qingmei also thought that eating one or two eggs a day was good for the body. After thinking for a while, she said, "How about we go to the county next time and buy a bag of chicken feed? Spring plowing is sometimes busy, and if they are hungry, they won't grow."

Zhao Xiaoxing said, "Sure, I'll buy it when I get my salary."

Zhao Xiaoxing now has money in her pocket, so she is not in a hurry to do things and does things as soon as she says she will.

After feeding the chicks, Qingmei took a bath. Xiaoyan and her grandmother couldn't wait and went to Donghe Primary School to reserve a place.

After Zhao Xiaoxing finished her shower, the two of them went together. When they arrived at the playground, Qingmei was stunned.

The yangko troupe from Donghe Village has dressed up and is playing drums and gongs to warm up the atmosphere.

The educated youth comrades were seizing the time to practice the performance repertoire with accordions and harmonicas.

Captain Jin was squatting under the flagpole, preparing his opening speech.

Qingmei suspected that no one had eaten yet and rushed over. If you didn't know better, you would think this performance had been rehearsed several days in advance and everything was going smoothly.

Two tractors from Zhuan Village were parked outside the playground. They were delivering microphones and speakers to a sister village. More than twenty people had come with them, all standing in the backs of the tractors, craning their necks to peer out at the playground.

The playground was also crowded with people, so crowded that it was almost impossible to put down your feet.

Qingmei saw that many people were not even from Donghe Village, but from the neighboring village.

Spring plowing was hard and tedious, and everyone, like Qingmei, longed for some entertainment. Adults and children alike counted down the days until the rural performances. When they heard Donghe Village was coming, people from nearby villages also rushed over.

Qingmei and Zhao Xiaoxing searched for a long time before they spotted Xiaoyan and the others in the front rows, with Xiaogang and Mrs. Fang next to them.

Qingmei sat over and heard Xiaoyan whisper, "If Xiaogang hadn't come earlier, we wouldn't have had a place."

Qingmei turned to Xiaogang and said, "You're awesome! Have you eaten yet?"

Xiaogang was holding an enamel teacup filled with edamame that Mrs. Fang had bought from the supply and marketing cooperative. He replied, "I drank two large bowls of porridge!"

Then he handed the enamel teacup to Qingmei and said, "You eat, and you give some to them too."

"Oh, this little jar is really nice. You know how to share." Qingmei grabbed a tea and put it in her mouth, then passed the tea jar to Xiaoyan on the other side. Xiaoyan also took a tea.

Suddenly, Xiaogang reached out and grabbed a handful of food from the bowl and stuffed it into Xiaoyan's hands: "You're not a child bride, you can eat as much as you want!"

Qingmei laughed and said, "What about me? I'm not a child bride either."

Xiao Gang said seriously: "Aren't you dating someone? Go ask your brother-in-law for it."

Zhao Xiaoxing grabbed a handful of edamame and laughed heartily: "Xiao Gang is right. Don't let her take advantage of you. She has someone who loves her."

Xiao Gang said innocently, "Yeah."

While they were talking, Qingmei saw someone on the tractor in Zhuan Village greeting her. When she looked closely, she saw it was Huaer.

Huaer waved her arms for a long time and finally saw Qingmei turn around, say hello to the people next to her, get off the tractor and come over here.

Huaer squeezed for a long time and finally got the chance. Before she could say anything, a soybean was stuffed in her mouth.

Mrs. Fang put salt and star anise in the edamame she cooked, and then mixed it with soy sauce. It tasted delicious.

Hua'er ate the edamame and said to Qingmei excitedly, "Your village is amazing. You actually invited the mainstay of the village to come here. Tell me how you did it? We want to hold one in our village, too."

Qingmei said, "There's nothing we can do. They just go to the fields on their own."

Hua'er said doubtfully, "Did they come here on their own? Oh, the people in your village are so lucky. I'd like to talk to them and see if they'd be willing to perform in my village tomorrow."

After Huaer finished speaking, Xiaoyan reached out and hugged her waist. Huaer sat down on Xiaoyan's lap and said with a smile, "Our village can contribute some money, or we can treat us to a meal."

Qingmei said, "I'm not sure about that. Why don't you ask her after the performance?"

Hua'er was thinking the same thing, so she said to Qingmei, "Okay, I'll ask after we're done."

Everyone waited in the playground for a long time, and there was a sound of frogs in the distance.

There are stars overhead, and the scene is peaceful and natural.

Suddenly, there was a sound of electricity coming from the speaker.

Everyone knows this sound: the show is about to begin.

Without waiting for the actors to appear, the simple working people welcomed them with warm applause.

A female reporter who was staying in Donghe Village was planning to take some photos of the performance. Seeing everyone eagerly waiting, she immediately snapped a picture.

When Chen Lili came on stage to perform, her excellent dialogue and stage skills made everyone immersed in the wonderful drama performance, and everyone watched her performance in fascination.

The following programs came one after another, and Qingmei sat in the front and clapped her hands crazily.

So exciting!

This is the strength of professionalism!

When the last song ended, Chen Lili took his bow as usual.

Although she performed under the most rudimentary conditions, she still performed professionally and delivered satisfactory results.

However, just before she was about to leave, a crisp and sweet voice suddenly took the lead and shouted, "One more! One more! One more!"

Qingmei stood up and excitedly shouted "Encore". This was her recognition of the performance and her respect for the excellent actors.

An actor who is not called for encore is not a good actor.

Finally, Chen Lili couldn't stand it anymore and was driven back to the center of the stage by the enthusiastic fellow villagers. She made up her mind, walked towards Qingmei, took the microphone and said, "Comrade, how about we perform together?"

This was the idea Qin Shanshan gave her.

In Qin Shanshan's own words: "People like this are not worthy of being on stage. She dared to mobilize the whole village to force you to perform, so you forced her to go on stage. You two are so different, and in the end, she is the one who is embarrassed."

Chen Lili felt depressed, and without thinking much, he pulled Qingmei onto the stage.

She was thinking about how she would smooth things over if Qingmei was stunned while holding the microphone or said something she shouldn't have.

Seeing the reporters still lingering in the distance, Chen Lili felt a surge of regret. She'd performed so well up until then, and even after the curtain call, she'd invited Qingmei on stage. She was so impulsive, wanting to leave a bad mark on her stage career out of no reason.

Chen Lili's face looked unhappy and he was very upset about his behavior just now.

Who knew that something unexpected would happen.

After Qingmei came on stage, the applause from the audience became even louder!

Chen Lili handed the microphone to Qingmei and asked her to talk to the villagers. Chen Lili was worried and wanted to whisper a few polite words to them.

Unexpectedly, Qingmei wasn't at all stage-shy. This wasn't her first time performing on stage. She simply grabbed the microphone and excitedly shouted, "Fellow villagers, haven't you eaten yet?! Come on, let's have some more applause!"

Zhao Xiaoxing, Fang Dasao and others simply stood up and applauded Qingmei. When the villagers saw that the famous actor was actually interacting with Qingmei, they thought that this was such a people-friendly cultural and artistic worker, so the applause became even more enthusiastic.

Qingmei told a few more jokes, and the audience could hear endless laughter.

After finishing the joke, Qingmei noticed Chen Lili standing on the stage in a daze. She walked over and nudged her with her arm, then covered the microphone and said, "Get ready to sing!"

Chen Lili came to his senses and realized that this person was not at all nervous. He was even in control of the situation? He was even subtly suppressing him on the court and telling him what to do.

Chen Lili, who had just reacted, froze beside Qingmei. He took the microphone Qingmei handed over and said in a low voice with a hint of imperceptible grievance: "Everyone, please pay attention to safety. Don't get too excited. Don't crowd. Please sit down. Everyone, please sit down... We're about to sing."

If an actor is not called Encore, he is not a good actor.

An actor who can’t sing Errenzhuan is not a good actor either.

After Chen Lili finished singing the first half, a loud and clear voice immediately sang the second half.

That would have been fine, but Qingmei, having danced in a yangko troupe before, didn't care about being shy at the moment. She stood on the stage and twisted her waist to the encouragement of Zhao Xiaoxing.

Qingmei thought Chen Lili standing there looked awkward, so she walked over, took her hand, and started twisting with her. Compared to Qingmei's lively movements, Chen Lili stood there like a wooden stake.

She didn't notice that the female reporter had snapped another picture. She had originally wanted to see the interaction between Qingmei and Chen Lili, but who would have thought that Chen Lili's performance was not good.

After singing the Errenzhuan, Zhao Hongwei came on stage and performed a crosstalk with everyone, which was the final show.

Qingmei sat back in her seat, her heart pounding. It turned out that it felt good to get a little carried away occasionally!

After the performance, everyone reluctantly carried their small stools and left, talking to each other about the performance. This performance will make the villagers linger for a long time.

Huaer went to find Chen Lili and the others and ran away first.

Qingmei walked slowly home with everyone else, unable to hide the happiness on her face.

Zhao Xiaoxing also said, "Grandma just said that you sang better than that actor on stage. Her voice was low and she didn't look happy at all."

Qingmei immediately said, "Maybe I'm just tired."

Xiaoyan said: "Of course he's tired. He's been performing for almost two hours."

Zhao Xiaoxing thought about it and felt that this was probably the case: "That's because Xiaomei sings well."

Xiaoyan agreed and said, "Xiaogang said the same thing. I think everyone thinks the same way."

Qingmei rubbed her face, which had been stiff from a night of laughter, and said, "I should write them a thank-you letter and ask the reporter at the newspaper to send two photos along with it. I'm so happy tonight, I want to make them happy too."

Xiaoyan said, "If I received a thank-you letter, I would be so happy that I would go crazy."

Zhao Xiaoxing hit the nail on the head: "Yes, he must be crazy."

Qingmei muttered, "I don't know if Hua'er can invite them. It would be great if they could perform. But they're working hard too. I heard their voices are hoarse tonight."

Zhao Xiaoxing said, "This kind of thing depends on luck, and we in Donghe Village are blessed. This performance was like a lucky find. Actor Chen may look very arrogant, but it turns out he's actually very approachable at heart."

Xiaoyan also said, "Why did she suddenly ask Sister Xiaomei to come up?"

Zhao Xiaoxing said, "Maybe she looks the most cocky."

Qingmei laughed and said, "I am now fully immersed in the performance."

Two days later, the popularity of this performance has not died down.

Most of the scenes we have seen on the big screen of a movie suddenly appear before our eyes vividly, as if they existed in real life, so lifelike.

The children running around in the village alleys were reciting the lines from that day one after another.

Even the elderly sit in front of their homes and recall the plots before and after these scenes in the model operas.

The sisters-in-law of the yangko team even invited Qingmei to formally join the yangko team, but Qingmei was too busy and had no choice but to be a nominal member.

These past two days, Qingmei has been attending night school with Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan. After resuming work, she cannot neglect her studies.

Qingmei and the others sat in the first row. The lights in the classroom were dim and the content of the lecture was simple and boring.

The teacher's words sounded like a hypnotic spell, and there were frog sounds near the window. Zhao Xiaoxing was so sleepy that she kowtowed.

Qingmei was also drowsy beside her. Spring is the season for sleepiness. Every time she felt sleepy, she would see Zhao Xiaoxing rolling her eyes in sleepiness and secretly smile. A smile would make her feel less sleepy.

The teacher lecturing on the stage couldn't stand it anymore and walked over to Zhao Xiaoxing and said, "Comrade, if you're really sleepy, just lie down on my arm and take a nap. Stop rolling your eyes at me. I thought you were going to pass out several times."

Qingmei held her stomach and laughed so hard that she couldn't stop. The others also laughed.

Zhao Xiaoxing rubbed her face, shaking off the sleepiness: "No, no need to sleep."

Zhao Xiaoxing was in high spirits after hearing the laughter. Seeing Xiaoyan buried in her writing, she couldn't help but say, "I'm not cut out for studying. I can't do math well, and I can't remember words."

"You're not using the right method," Qingmei said. "Don't move your eyes when you're counting. Using your brain is more effective than moving your eyes."

Zhao Xiaoxing turned around and said, "It's not that I can't use my brain, I thought if I moved my eyes I could make my brain work."

Even the math teacher on the stage laughed heartily: "I'll teach you the multiplication table. You can go back and memorize it slowly. Once you memorize it, you'll be able to do it."

Zhao Xiaoxing: "Ah! I have to recite it again..."

The math teacher stood on the stage and earnestly addressed the dozen or so adult students in the audience, "Xiaoyan has already memorized the multiplication table I mentioned. She doesn't need any urging. Qingmei, on the other hand, is even more so. I once urged Qingmei to go directly to the Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers University, but she refused. You should all learn from them. Don't underestimate them just because they're night school courses. Knowledge is always the stepping stone to the future. Even if it's not valued temporarily, there will always be a bright future."

Qingmei looked at the math teacher and felt that intellectuals were far-sighted and had a certain vision for the future.

The math teacher knew that knowledge would still be needed in the future, but he didn't know that the college entrance examination would soon begin again. However, if someone could listen to his words, wouldn't they be a guiding light?

After class, Zhao Xiaoxing became energetic again.

She took one of them by the hand and said, "Let's go to the supply and marketing cooperative. The Golden Rooster Biscuits I wanted are here. Come with me to get them. I'll treat you all."

Qingmei said to Xiaoyan, "Why not go when someone treats you? Let's go."

Xiaoyan nodded vigorously: "Let's go."

The three of them came to the supply and marketing cooperative carrying the same schoolbags, and unexpectedly ran into Chen Qiaoxiang head-on.

Chen Qiaoxiang bought two taels of dried red dates and exchanged them for fifty cents worth of brown sugar. She wrapped the money in an old handkerchief, unwrapped it layer by layer, and handed it to the salesperson.

"Can you give me two cents off?"

The salesperson said, "It's not cheap. They're all public property. Do you think I'm the same as your father? I can embezzle public property just because I say so."

Chen Qiaoxiang didn't dare to continue and put away her things. Suddenly, she saw Qingmei coming in, chatting and laughing. She lowered her head and hurried away, looking a little embarrassed.

Qingmei looked back and saw that Chen Qiaoxiang had lost a lot of weight and her clothes had two more patches on them.

Knowing they'd had a disagreement, the saleswoman leaned over and whispered, "She bought this to nourish her husband. His arm was broken and he bled a lot. Her mother-in-law had previously said she wouldn't let Huang Wenbi touch her, but now that his arm is broken, she's rushing to take care of him. Isn't that strange?"

Zhao Xiaoxing no longer liked gossiping behind people's backs, so she put her schoolbag on the counter and said, "Big Sister, have the Golden Rooster Cookies arrived yet?"

The saleswoman said, "It's here. There are only two boxes. Captain Jin took one box to give to the educated youth to improve their lives. I saved the other box for you. You can see it's still at the bottom of the counter."

Zhao Xiaoxing is now also a celebrity in Donghe Village. The saleswoman always acts very friendly to her regardless of whether she receives preferential treatment or not.

Qingmei and Xiaoyan walked along the long counter and took a fancy to the bean root candy.

"We want this, but not too much. We'll eat it when we get home tonight."

Dougentang (豆根糖) is a traditional Jinshi snack, made primarily from soybean flour. It has a rich bean flavor and a soft, slightly chewy texture. It's not overly sweet, but I enjoyed it the last time I bought it.

"Thirty cents." Zhao Xiaoxing asked for two handfuls of bean root candy. This stuff will become hard as time goes by, so it's best to buy as much as you can chew.

After buying the things, the three of them went home.

The saleswoman watched them leave and said to the person next to her with an envious expression, "Look, Zhao Xiaoxing doesn't even ask the price when she buys things now. She just buys whatever she likes. She's completely different from before."

The salesperson next to them also said enviously: "I heard that they are studying culture recently. Do you think I should learn from them too?"

The saleswoman said, "What's the point of studying? You'll be called a stinking ninth grade by the students. The math teacher at the night school was sent down from the countryside and only earns four work points a day. You can't even earn as much as a salesperson."

The salesperson next to me said, "They are all learning."

The saleswoman hesitated for a moment and said, "Let's see first. They're still driving tractors. If it were you, could you do it?"

The salesperson next to him said, "Yeah, let's see."

*** ***

Seven days later.

After completing his mission, Gu Qingzhou changed out of his dirty combat uniform and returned to the army from the southern border.

Zhao Wuhe told him about the failed mission in his previous life. He had already set up a network and found some clues to start an investigation.

After returning to the army, he handed in his gun and then had two days of leave.

He planned to go to the employee furniture factory without stopping. Bao Mi reported to him that the furniture styles in Donghe Village had been selected. According to the wood materials mentioned above, Qingmei chose pine wood to make furniture.

"Use Heilongjiang white pine?" Gu Qingzhou came out of the dormitory, stopped, and frowned slightly. "Is there no other wood? There are a lot of old wood stored in the warehouse. Can't use it?"

"There should be more."

Bao Mi thought of the redwood that the furniture factory had accumulated in the warehouse in the early years. It was of little use nowadays. Most of the furniture used these days was standard furniture, and no one dared to use furniture that represented □□.

Gu Qingzhou knew this. He was mainly thinking that the blue brick courtyard was built by Qingmei with great effort. He also said that he would make it his ancestral home in the future and ensure that it would not collapse for a hundred years.

If the wood inside is rotten and damaged, it will lack some meaning.

He felt that Huanghuali, a type of mahogany, was superior to other woods in both its elegant color and its stability, and could fulfill the little girl's wish to inherit the ancestral home for a hundred years.

Even if she was just joking, he wanted to make it happen.

"I understand." Gu Qingzhou planned to discuss it with the furniture manufacturer, but then he remembered that these ancillary businesses were handed over to Political Commissar Chen last year to provide a buffer for his retirement.

When Gu Qingzhou thought of the old political commissar Chen, he naturally thought of Chen Lili.

After leaving the dormitory, he planned to go to the furniture factory first.

As soon as he opened the car door, a deputy battalion commander under Gu Qingzhou ran over. This deputy battalion commander had been married for many years and was seven or eight years older than Gu Qingzhou.

My wife has joined the army and lives in the military compound, so she often gets some gossip.

Seeing that he looked troubled, Gu Qingzhou told Bao Mi to get in the car first and wait while he went to talk to the deputy battalion commander.

Seeing Bao Mi leave, the deputy battalion commander said with a sad face: "Actually, I shouldn't say this..."

Gu Qingzhou said: "If you don't want to tell me, just leave."

The deputy battalion commander stood still and said, "Then I'd better speak."

Gu Qingzhou checked the time and said, "Hurry up and tell me, is it business or personal?"

"It's a personal matter," the deputy battalion commander said. "It's about you and someone in your family."

"My home?" Gu Qingzhou was no longer in a hurry to go to the furniture factory. He raised his chin slightly to let him continue.

"My wife ran into Comrade Chen Lili at the post office a few days ago. When she heard something happened to her last time, she didn't even say hello to her. She was just on the phone nearby."

The deputy battalion commander scratched his head. He was not good at telling tales behind people's backs, but he and his wife had discussed this matter and both felt that they should tell the regiment commander.

Gu Qingzhou immediately caught the message and said, "Did you hear something?"

The deputy battalion commander said, "I heard Chen Lili was looking for someone to borrow a wife and said he was going to Donghe Village. Everyone knows your boyfriend is from Donghe Village. My wife later ran into Chen Lili and her best friend at the door. Her best friend was trying to figure out how to deal with your boyfriend."

Gu Qingzhou's face darkened visibly. He walked to the car, took out his coat, and slammed the door shut.

Bao Mi saw him striding towards the political commissar's office and quickly chased after him.

The deputy battalion commander also said: "Commander, don't be impulsive. He is the old political commissar. He is sick all over. You can't blame him. He is also disciplining his daughter..."

Bao Mi knew what they were talking about in an instant. He turned around and ran to the car, grabbed the newspaper stuffed in the front, and sprinted towards Gu Qingzhou: "Commander, please take a look at the newspaper! I need to report to you!"

Gu Qingzhou had already stopped and knocked a few times on the door of the old political commissar's office.

Bao Mi ran over and held the newspaper in front of him and said, "Look at the photo on the page 'Promoting the spirit of women, building everlasting cross-border friendship'!"

Gu Qingzhou didn't take the newspaper. He lowered his eyes and saw a photo. A look of surprise appeared on his face. Even if it was only for a moment, it was already very strange.

In the photo, the person he loved was standing arm in arm with Chen Lili. Chen Lili had a blank expression on his face, but Qingmei held him tightly and grinned foolishly at the end.

Bao Mi quickly turned to the next page.

Gu Qingzhou saw another photo.

In the photo, Chen Lili was tearfully bowing out, while his beloved little partner was standing in the crowd, clapping and cheering wildly, apparently wanting Chen Lili to continue.

In the last photo, Chen Lili is holding the microphone and singing with a desperate look on his face, while next to him is a little guy dancing happily and excitedly.

Gu Qingzhou's mood suddenly became complicated.

Bao Mi swallowed and said, "Maybe...it's hard to say who is bullying whom."

Before Gu Qingzhou could express his opinion, the door in front of him slowly opened.

Seeing Gu Qingzhou coming through the office window, Political Commissar Chen appeared after taking two blood pressure pills under the distressed gaze of the guard before opening the door.

On the table behind Old Political Commissar Chen was a copy of Dazhong Daily, with a picture of Qingmei grinning foolishly on top.

Old Political Commissar Chen, also feeling mixed emotions, said in a rare gentle tone, "Mission accomplished? Why did you come all this way?"

Gu Qingzhou put on a stern face, put the newspaper behind his back and said, "Nothing."

Political Commissar Chen said, "Are you really alright?"

Gu Qingzhou said: "It's okay."

Political Commissar Chen heaved a sigh of relief and said, "I'm glad you're alright."

He wanted to quickly trick this donkey into going somewhere else and said, "I heard you ordered furniture from a furniture factory. Are you planning to go furniture shopping?"

Political Commissar Chen had heard others talk about this matter, that Gu Qingzhou wanted to buy furniture for his girlfriend.

Gu Qingzhou nodded and said, "Yes." Then he said suggestively, "It's a rare occasion to celebrate a new house. We even held a grand banquet in the village."

Political Commissar Chen didn't think this was a hint, it was an explicit statement.

He walked back to his office and opened the drawer, inside which was a calligraphy and painting that he treasured.

His daughter went to Donghe Village with bad intentions, so he should apologize. Although she didn't say it explicitly, she had to show her attitude.

Gu Qingzhou took the calligraphy and painting and stood at the door without leaving.

Political Commissar Chen's eyelids twitched. He asked, "Anything else?"

Gu Qingzhou suddenly smiled and said, "She doesn't understand the calligraphy and painting you gave her. We don't have a suitable return gift."

Political Commissar Chen said, "You don't have to return the favor. If she doesn't understand, that's her business. I gave it to her, and that's it."

Gu Qingzhou said: "How can you give a gift to someone who doesn't want it?"

"You don't want what I gave you? Do you know that it's the work of a great calligrapher and painter? Okay!"

The guards supported Political Commissar Chen and tried to calm him down. "We're showing our attitude, not our expressions."

Political Commissar Chen suppressed his anger and said, "Then what should we give?"

He regretted it after saying this. He really shouldn't have asked.

"It's not a very rare thing." Gu Qingzhou said smoothly, "A country kid would just want to use harder wood to make furniture."

Political Commissar Chen said expressionlessly, "So, what kind of wood do you think is best?"

Gu Qingzhou said, "I don't know what kind of wood is hard, so I came to ask you."

Political Commissar Chen turned to the guard and asked, "Is there any good wood in that old warehouse over there?"

The guard said: "Everything that should be burned has been burned, only a few redwoods are left..."

Gu Qingzhou said: "Then it's redwood."

Old Political Commissar Chen glared and said, "Did I tell you to use it?"

Gu Qingzhou said, "Then you burn it. I'll go to see Commander Wang."

After saying that, he pretended to leave, turned around and showed the "Dazhong Daily" in his hand. In the photo, Qingmei was smiling at the old political commissar Chen with her little white teeth bared.

Political Commissar Chen immediately stopped him and said, "If you need it, don't burn it. I'll call the furniture factory."

"Why are you sending so many things?" Gu Qingzhou said, "Aren't you going to keep these woods for Comrade Chen Lili to make wedding furniture?"

"Why should I stay? Is it worth it?! Don't try to be nice after getting an advantage." Old Political Commissar Chen's blood pressure was rising again. He pointed at the door and shouted angrily, "Get out!"

"Yes!" Gu Qingzhou saluted handsomely and closed the door neatly from the outside.

He had just taken a few steps when the door opened from the inside.

Political Commissar Chen was supported by the guards. He pointed at Gu Qingzhou's nose and said angrily, "Look at you, you're making plans for others before you even get married."

Gu Qingzhou smiled slightly and said, "The marriage report has been submitted. I will propose to her later."

Political Commissar Chen really wanted to plug his ears: "If you want to propose, then propose. Don't tell me."

"You have to tell me."

Gu Qingzhou took two steps back and said with a smile: "It is mainly because of this set of Huanghuali furniture that I have more confidence to propose. Thank you for your concern, Commander. When I succeed, I will definitely beat the gong and drum to express my gratitude to you. I believe that your daughter will also express high praise for this."

Old Political Commissar Chen closed his eyes.

The guard beside him said distressedly: "Captain Gu, please leave quickly, please."

Gu Qingzhou nodded: "Then I'm really leaving."

Political Commissar Chen, suspecting she had taken expired blood pressure medication, told the guard, "Go, call the theater and punish her severely! Also, tell her not to come here again this year!"