"Okay, okay! That's great! We're not in a hurry!"
Lei Yuhua readily agreed, her heart filled with even greater anticipation.
To become a long-term consultant, that takes a lot of skill.
The small auditorium was dimly lit, and there were some set props and lighting equipment piled up in the front rows.
Lei Yuhua then pulled her mother to find a seat on the side in the back row.
Zhou Shuhua remained silent, simply observing the unfamiliar little auditorium.
Not long after I sat down, the lights in the audience area dimmed, leaving only a soft, warm light emanating from the stage.
The performance is about to begin.
Just then, the side door near the backstage was gently pushed open, and two figures walked out one after the other.
Ahead of me was a woman in a crisp Lenin suit, probably Director Zhuo's wife.
A young woman followed behind.
Although the lights were dim, the young woman seemed to have her own spotlight as soon as she stepped out.
She wore a perfectly tailored off-white wool coat with a light brown plaid lining peeking out from the collar. The coat was fitted at the waist and had a neat hem. On her feet were a pair of polished black mid-heeled leather shoes.
She walked with ease and stood tall. Even in the dim light, her capable, confident, and elegant aura instantly caught Lei Yuhua's attention.
"Mom! Look!"
Lei Yuhua excitedly tugged at Zhou Shuhua's sleeve, lowering her voice, her tone full of admiration.
"That one! The one in the beige coat! She must be the designer! My goodness... that aura, that outfit, so stylish! She looks like a capable, powerful woman! Even more beautiful than in the movies!"
Zhou Shuhua looked in the direction her daughter pointed, and in the dim light, the silhouette of that figure did indeed make her heart skip a beat.
She squinted, trying hard to see the other person's face clearly.
The woman was slightly tilting her head and whispering something to Director Zhuo's lover, the light casting soft shadows on her delicate jawline and straight nose.
"Yes...it is quite beautiful..."
Zhou Shuhua murmured, her brows furrowing slightly. A lingering sense of familiarity washed over her, and she couldn't help but lean forward again.
"But...why does it look so familiar? It's kind of like...like..."
"Who does she look like, Mom?"
Lei Yuhua was focused on the designer and didn't pay much attention to her mother's words, casually replying,
"Like Zhou Qiqi?"
She found it funny after she finished speaking, and immediately scoffed, her tone filled with undisguised contempt.
"You're kidding me! How could that be? That designer earns his living through his real skills! Zhou Qiqi, she just uses Shen Huaichuan's allowance to buy a few nice clothes to show off, how can she compare to him? A freeloader is a freeloader!"
She suddenly remembered her father's warning, quickly stopped talking, and waved her hand somewhat guiltily:
"Oh, let's not talk about her! Dad won't let us mention her! Let's focus on the show, let's watch the show!"
The lights in the small auditorium went completely dark, leaving only a spotlight on the stage, shining down coldly and quietly.
The music flowed gently; it was "An Unforgettable Song." The melody was like a mountain stream, carrying the sediment of time and a faint, indescribable longing.
The curtain was drawn back, and a dozen actresses stood silently on the stage.
The lights gradually brightened, focusing on them.
Wow!
A collective gasp rippled through the audience, and even Lei Yuhua, a seasoned veteran of such events, had a flicker of excitement in her eyes.
The actors wore faded, old-fashioned indigo cotton jackets.
The skirt was also in the same color scheme, but at the hem, there was a thin strip of red fabric, about one finger wide, ingeniously trimmed.
The clash of red and blue instantly creates a striking contrast amidst the simplicity, silently conveying the suppressed yet never-extinguished yearning of the educated youth during their time as sent-down youth.
The clothes had undergone some kind of special treatment; they were obviously old and worn, but they looked exceptionally exquisite, and each person had their own unique details.
What's even more amazing is the stage design.
Behind the stage, several huge, rough-textured pieces of indigo and off-white cotton cloth hung from the ceiling, naturally forming folds that resembled rolling mountains or fields blown by the wind.
A few soft beams of light shone on the curtain, creating a play of light and shadow that evoked a sense of time passing and hazy memories.
The actors danced in this blue and white "mountain wilderness".
The actors in the municipal cultural troupe, in terms of basic skills alone, are indeed lacking compared to the top performers in the military region's cultural troupe. Their spins are not smooth enough, and their jumps are a bit hesitant.
What's truly amazing is that, combined with this "talking" costume and the poetic set design, the entire program seems to have been infused with a soul!
Every time the actors raised their hands or turned their heads, the folds on their old blue jackets seemed to carry the weight of memories, and the red trim around their skirts appeared and disappeared with their movements, like a suppressed flame stubbornly flickering in their hearts.
Their movements were no longer just a display of skill, but transformed into a silent narration.
In the soothing and profound music, they used body language to express their complex feelings for that land—the melancholy of parting, the sadness of lost youth, and the faint anticipation for the future.
The audience was completely silent.
Unbeknownst to everyone, they were all drawn into that faded, yellowed scroll of time.
She subconsciously turned her head to look at her mother. In the dim light, she saw Zhou Shuhua staring blankly at the stage, her eyes filled with tears that silently slid down her cheeks.
She was clearly thinking about her time in the countryside.
Lei Yuhua's heart clenched, and she gently touched her mother's arm: "Mom?"
Zhou Shuhua snapped back to reality, hurriedly wiping away her tears with the back of her hand, her voice thick with a nasal tone:
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