Qi Jianguo, with a plan in mind, walked briskly, thinking about how to prepare when he got back. Today, he had gained a more comprehensive understanding of He Tiantian, not only her physical charm but also her inner beauty.
No matter what, he had to get He Tiantian.
After everyone left, Grandma Qi, He Tiantian, and Qi Xiaoyan washed the pots and dishes together.
Qi Xiaoyan was in a good mood today, humming a little tune. Her voice was melodious and pleasant, like a lark in the mountains. Qi Xiaoyan's voice was usually nothing special when she spoke, but when she sang, her voice became different; she had a naturally beautiful voice.
Seeing that Qi Xiaoyan liked to sing, He Tiantian guessed and cautiously asked, "Xiaoyan, do you like to sing?"
Qi Xiaoyan nodded and said, "Yes, I love singing. At school, I'm always the lead singer. Our music teacher says I have a good voice and a strong sense of rhythm."
"I see," He Tiantian realized. Li Mingkai had an accordion and was musically savvy. Qi Xiaoyan also loved to sing, so they had something in common. With their back-and-forth conversations, they naturally got together!
In my past life, in the 1970s, after paying the grain tax, it seems the commune's propaganda team went to perform for each production team. Qi Xiaoyan and Li Mingkai were both selected, and they spent a lot of time together, so they probably met around that time. Neither of them was married, so naturally they started dating!
"Really?" He Tiantian feigned surprise. "If you could, you could try to join the military's cultural troupe!"
"A performing arts troupe? Oh, I'm just a country girl, how could I possibly get into a performing arts troupe!" Qi Xiaoyan exclaimed. She used to want to go to university, but now all the schools are closed, and you need a recommendation to get into university, so it's not her turn at all.
He Tiantian was determined to change Qi Xiaoyan's fate, to prevent this kind girl from suffering the pain of being pregnant and abandoned, and also hoped that she could escape the fate of jumping into the river and committing suicide.
"Why not?" He Tiantian frowned. "Look at you, you're pretty, you have a nice voice, and you sing well. As long as you have the opportunity, you'll definitely be able to get in."
"But those military units don't recruit people in this poor, remote area." Qi Xiaoyan was tempted. Although she was usually delicate, she liked the feeling of being in the center of the stage and craved applause.
While washing the dishes, He Tiantian said, "You could write to your second brother and see if there's a chance?"
"My second brother is a company commander. He has a lot of training missions. Would it be wrong for me to bother him with something like this?" Qi Xiaoyan was timid. Her parents had high hopes for her second brother. If she asked him about this and caused him trouble, even though her parents loved her, they would scold and reprimand her.
“Just write a letter to ask what the requirements are for applying to the performing arts troupe, and be prepared. Maybe one day they'll come to recruit, and you can give it a try,” He Tiantian encouraged. “Opportunity favors the prepared mind. If you're not prepared, even if the opportunity comes your way, you might not be able to seize it. I have stationery, envelopes, and stamps in my room. Write a letter now and have Brother Dajun mail it for you.”
Qi Xiaoyan was excited by He Tiantian's words. She loved singing so much. Tiantian had a saying that was very true: "Opportunity favors the prepared mind." Regardless of the outcome, as long as you try your best, even if you don't achieve your goal, at least you tried and learned something, and you won't have any regrets.
If you get what you want, that would be an even happier thing!
"Alright, I'll write to my second brother now and ask about the situation." Qi Xiaoyan finished washing the dishes and wiped her hands.
He Tiantian led Qi Xiaoyan into the house and gave her paper and pen.
Qi Xiaoyan wrote the letter, sealed it, affixed the stamp, and caught up with Niu Dajun, who was saying goodbye to Secretary Qi.
"Brother Dajun, could you mail this for me? This is a letter I wrote to my second brother," Qi Xiaoyan said breathlessly, handing the letter to Niu Dajun.
Qi Xiaoyan knew that Brother Dajun had a good relationship with her family, so she didn't hide anything from Niu Dajun and said, "I like to sing. I want to ask my second brother how to get into the performing arts troupe?"
Niu Dajun looked Qi Xiaoyan up and down, and asked in surprise, "You want to audition for the performing arts troupe?"
Secretary Qi was also taken aback, and said reproachfully, "Little Yan'er, how could we possibly pass the exam for that cultural troupe? Don't bother your second brother. In a while, we'll see if we can find you a job opening so you can go to the city."
"So what talents do you have?" Niu Dajun asked. Qi Xiaoyan had fair skin, big eyes, and was tall; she was much prettier than the women in his former military arts troupe.
Upon hearing her father's words, Qi Xiaoyan lowered her head and whispered to Niu Dajun, "I... I can sing. Sister Tiantian said I sing well, and I used to be the lead singer in every activity at school."
"What songs can a kid sing? Don't let your brother Dajun laugh at you," Secretary Qi scolded. In this day and age, who dares to sing? And even if they do, they know exactly what songs they'll sing.
Qi Xiaoyan's face was pale, and tears were about to fall.
Niu Dajun chuckled and said, "Uncle Qi, don't say that about Xiao Yan. She likes to sing. If she sings well, why can't she audition for the performing arts troupe? Xiao Yan, come here. I'll leave in a bit. Sing a couple of lines for me."
Seeing her daughter so upset, Liang Hongyu interrupted, saying, "Honey, let our daughter sing a couple of lines and let Dajun judge. If it's really good, it's a way out. Xiaoyan can do what she loves, and she can even join the army—how honorable!"
The idea that being a soldier is an honor was deeply ingrained in Secretary Qi's heart. Seeing his wife say this, Secretary Qi didn't stop her and said, "Alright, sing a couple of lines, and we'll hear it. At this time, we can't just sing random songs, especially revolutionary songs."
Qi Xiaoyan was very clever. She nodded repeatedly and said, "Then let's sing 'My Motherland,' which I used to lead in singing at school. Listen to it. Cough cough..." She cleared her throat, slightly raised her chin, and adjusted her breathing, "A great river flows wide, the wind blows the fragrance of rice blossoms on both banks, my home is in..."
Qi Xiaoyan's voice is gentle yet possesses a strong power, fully demonstrating her love for her motherland.
"Clap clap clap!" Niu Dajun clapped continuously after hearing Qi Xiaoyan's singing. "Xiaoyan, you sing so well, even better than our old performing arts troupe."
"Dajun, I've never treated you like an outsider, so you can't lie," Secretary Qi said, frowning. Xiaoyan sings well, but she's self-taught; how can she compare to someone who has formally studied music?
“Uncle, I’m not lying, Xiaoyan sings really well. If a performing arts troupe comes looking for people, Xiaoyan will definitely be recruited,” Niu Dajun assured him. “My uncle works in the armed forces department, so if they come to our county to recruit, I will let you know in advance. Xiaoyan, keep it up, and practice hard when you have time.”
Liang Hongyu was thrilled. If her daughter joined the army's cultural troupe, she would be a soldier, but without the need for fighting—it would be both honorable and safe. (To be continued.)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com