"Stop messing around, let's get down to business."

Jiang Yaping was very worried and in no mood to joke with them. Seeing that no one spoke, she looked at Gong Linglong, "Linglong, you are a high school student and the only senior intellectual in our family compound. You must perform on stage, and you also have to help me organize this event."

Gong Linglong readily agreed: "Okay, I'll go on stage and perform a show."

After thinking for a moment, he asked them again, "Do all family members have to perform on stage, or just select a few people to participate?"

Jiang Yaping showed a bitter face when asked this question. She pointed at the family members sitting around her and said, "Look at us. Everyone has a loud voice, but no one can sing. We are all very hardworking, but none of us can dance or move our waists. You can't pick them out even if you are too picky."

"Since it's hard to choose, then everyone should come forward." Gong Linglong made arrangements for them directly.

"Ah? All of them?"

All pairs of eyes were fixed on her.

The sister-in-law from the Second Regiment who had spoken earlier shook her head like a rattle. "I'm not going. There are thousands of people sitting in the audience, including leaders. If I go up there, my legs will go weak. I can't even speak properly, let alone sing and dance."

"Me too, I'm not going either."

"I won't participate either. I'll just applaud you from below."

She was not the only one who backed out. Others did not want to perform on stage, and even more were afraid to go on stage.

"If none of you go, it's just me and Sister Yu Miao. Even if we each do a solo dance, we can't put together three programs." Gong Linglong reminded them with a smile.

"Each of you will dance a solo, then a duet, and then all three of you will be together." Liao Qiuhua arranged everything for them.

"Yes, three programs, just right."

Her proposal was supported by everyone.

Gong Linglong and Wang Yumiao laughed helplessly. The sisters-in-law were really good at making arrangements. In short, they would not perform on stage.

Gong Linglong patiently discussed this with them, "Sisters-in-law, the art troupe suddenly proposed this, clearly wanting to make fun of the family compound. Now we've turned the tables on them, forcing them to work in the fields. We've made fun of them. If you don't participate in the art performance, won't that just give them the opportunity to laugh at us?"

"Deputy Captain Lu's family, we don't know how to perform. It would be more embarrassing if we messed up on stage." Another sister-in-law took over.

"It hasn't even started yet, how do you know you can't do it?" Gong Linglong asked back.

"We know our own capabilities very well. Let alone singing and dancing, we can't even hum a tune properly. Few of us can speak standard Mandarin, and our mouths sound like dirt. We are not cut out for this line of work." The sisters-in-law are all self-aware of this.

Seeing that they were all reluctant to go on stage, Wang Yumiao softly persuaded them: "Sisters-in-law, Linglong and I can only perform two programs at most. Three programs are not appropriate. You must arrange one."

"We really can't sing or dance. Asking us to do this is like asking us to die." Liao Qiuhua said in a hoarse voice.

"It's not necessary to sing and dance on stage. These two are indeed not the family members' strong points. We don't have that much time to rehearse. Let's rehearse a program that suits us." Gong Linglong suggested.

"A program suitable for us?" All eyes turned to her again.

"The main performances of the art troupe are usually singing, dancing, and dramas and model operas. Ladies, please have a poetry recitation. Later, not only you will go on stage, but the children who are already in school will also go up and recite a modern poem."

As soon as her suggestion came out, Jiang Yaping immediately approved: "Reciting poetry is good. We just need to spend some time memorizing and reciting it. It's not difficult."

"Sister Yaping, our Mandarin is not standard." Liao Qiuhua said with a bitter face.

"Mrs. Liao, it's okay if our Mandarin isn't standard. We're not announcers, and we're not going to give a speech. We're performing on behalf of the military wives. Going on stage is about showing our spirit and courage. We just need to show our bravery and generosity."

Gong Linglong counseled her, then added, "Our country's top leaders don't even speak standard Mandarin when they speak on the radio. Even when military district leaders speak at meetings, not everyone speaks standard Mandarin; they all have local accents."

"Yes, Sister Linglong is right. There is no problem. We just need to recite boldly and bravely." Yu Ximei spoke up to support her.

Wang Yumiao also supported her proposal, saying, "Poetry recitation is very suitable for us. Sister Linglong's suggestion is very good. We can let the children participate and bring them to the stage to show their faces. They don't have to perform very well, as long as it can train their courage. In addition, if everyone participates, it will also prove the unity and friendship of the military wives in the family compound."

"Okay, let's do it." Jiang Yaping made the final decision.

No one objected strongly now, but they were still worried. Yang Xiaolan said, "Then what poem should we recite? Who should we ask to teach us?"

"There's no need to invite outsiders. Linglong is a high school graduate and has worked as a substitute teacher in school before. She can teach." Yu Ximei had talked with the mother and daughter before and knew about their teaching career.

Since her sister-in-law trusted her, Gong Linglong readily accepted the task: "Okay, I'll teach you."

The program was decided, and the rest was organized by Jiang Yaping, while the other two programs fell on Gong Linglong and Wang Yumiao.

Yu Ximei asked them, "Linglong, Yumiao, what are you going to perform?"

Wang Yumiao, who was from the Art Troupe and used to be considered a major star, was good at singing and dancing, and even played a few instruments. She spoke first, "Sister Linglong, the dances in the art troupe are mainly choreographed around military life. Actually, I'm best at classical dance. I learned classical dance from my elders when I was a child. I'm joining this time as a military wife, and I don't want to dance the dances I learned in the art troupe. I'm planning to do a classical dance instead."

When she heard about the classical dance, Gong Linglong's eyes flickered slightly: "Sister-in-law, can you dance with water sleeves?"

"A little."

Wang Yumiao was observant and clever. Seeing her shining eyes, he guessed something. He looked a little shocked and said, "Sister Linglong, can you dance with water sleeves?"

"I like the water sleeve dance after watching others do it. I practiced it secretly, but I never performed it on stage."

In her previous life, Gong Linglong loved classical dance and had studied systematically with a famous teacher. The original owner had indeed watched others dance and practiced a little privately, so she was not lying.

No one else had ever heard of the "Water Sleeve Dance." Seeing the two girls chatting, they were all very curious. Jiang Yaping suggested, "Why don't you two perform a dance for us now?"

Wang Yumiao also wanted to see Gong Linglong's level, so she stood up and said, "Sister Linglong, dance for me."

"Okay."

Gong Linglong was very generous and asked Jiang Yaping to borrow something: "Sister-in-law, please lend me two long pieces of cloth."