Chapter 47 The party is the focus of everyone's attention; let's see what they're made of!
"Wife! I got you a zither!"
Qin Lie's loud voice echoed in the rehearsal room, each word like a thunderclap.
The entire rehearsal room fell silent instantly.
All eyes turned to the panting, flushed man at the door.
The mocking smile on Wen Xue's face froze completely.
It felt like she had been slapped hard in public, the pain burning intensely.
How is that possible?
Guqin?
Where did he get it?
That's impossible!
Jiang Wu was also stunned.
She looked at Qin Lie's sweat-drenched face, his incredibly bright eyes, and the smug look on his face that seemed to say, "Praise me!"
Her heart felt as if it had been gently, yet firmly, squeezed by a warm, large hand.
It's sour, soft, and sweet all at once.
That idiot.
She just mentioned it casually.
He actually went over mountains and valleys to pluck the stars down for her.
"Commander Qin... what did you say?" a female soldier stammered. "You... you really got your hands on a guqin?"
"Is it even possible that it's fake?"
Qin Lie straightened his back, looked around, and deliberately lingered on Wen Xue's pale and bluish face for two seconds.
"If my wife wants something, let alone a musical instrument, even if she wants the moon, I'll find a way to build her a ladder!"
That was a very assertive statement!
It's full of protectiveness and doting on his wife!
The female soldiers in the rehearsal room looked at Qin Lie's upright and indomitable appearance, and then at Jiang Wu beside him.
Envy sparkled in everyone's eyes.
What's this called?
This is divine love!
Wenxue's fingernails were almost embedded in her palm.
The more Qin Lie defended Jiang Wu, the more it seemed like he was slapping her in the face.
She felt that all the gazes around her were mocking, making her feel utterly ashamed.
Anyone can brag.
Wen Xue lowered her voice and muttered something in a resentful tone.
"Where's the zither? All talk and no action is useless!"
As if in response to her.
Outside the door came the voice of guard Xiao Li.
"Commander! The supplies have arrived! Good heavens, these wooden crates are really heavy!"
Then, Xiao Li and another soldier struggled to carry in a long wooden crate that was tightly wrapped in canvas.
Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to the mysterious wooden box.
Qin Lie proudly raised his chin, walked over, and personally untied the canvas.
An antique paulownia wood zither case, exuding a faint woody fragrance, appeared before everyone's eyes.
Although most people don't recognize this thing, just by looking at its exquisite workmanship and simple style, you can tell that it is definitely not an ordinary item!
"Open it and see! Quick, open it and see!"
Some people were already urging him on impatiently.
Qin Lie did not move.
He turned his head and looked at Jiang Wu with tender eyes.
"Wife, your piano, you play it."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Jiang Wu slowly walked over.
She reached out and gently brushed her fingertips across the cool brass clasp.
It was a long-lost sense of familiarity, etched deep in my soul.
She opened the violin case.
A guqin with smooth lines and dark colors lay quietly in red velvet.
Although it was just for practicing the piano, it was clear that its previous owner had taken excellent care of it.
The instrument has a smooth surface and taut strings, exuding a serene aura that has been refined over the years.
"Wow……"
One of the female soldiers couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
Even though I don't understand it, it just seems so amazing!
Jiang Wu stretched out her fingers and gently plucked a string.
"Buzz—"
A clear and melodious piano note rang out in the rehearsal room.
The sound was neither as passionate as a guitar nor as magnificent as a piano.
It's like a clear mountain spring or a gentle breeze in the forest, possessing a magical power that can instantly calm you down.
A single note was enough to silence the noise in the entire KN room.
Everyone held their breath.
Wen Xue's face was extremely pale.
She stared intently at the zither, her eyes filled with jealousy and resentment.
She lost.
Once again, she lost to this country woman she looked down upon.
Jiang Wu ignored everyone's reactions.
Her entire being was captivated by the zither.
She tested the sound and found that the pitch was perfect.
She gave Qin Lie a genuine, radiant smile.
"Qin Lie, thank you."
Looking into her eyes, which seemed to be filled with starlight, Qin Lie felt that all his running around and hard work over the past two days had been worthwhile.
He was secretly pleased with himself, but he still acted all cocky.
"Why are you being so polite with me? You're my wife!"
For the next few days, Jiang Wu did not go to the rehearsal room.
She stays at home every day, focusing intently on practicing the piano.
Qin Lie became her only listener.
Every day after returning from training, his favorite thing to do is to move a small stool, sit in the yard, and listen to the piano music coming from inside the house.
Although he couldn't understand the concepts of "high mountains and flowing water" or distinguish between the five notes of the pentatonic scale (gong, jiao, zheng, yu).
But he just thought it sounded good.
The music sometimes sounded like a babbling brook, and sometimes like a stampede of horses.
As he listened, all the fatigue of the day seemed to be washed away.
Sometimes, he couldn't resist quietly walking to the window and secretly watching her.
She sat by the window, sunlight streaming onto her profile, her fingers dancing across the strings like a pair of fluttering butterflies.
She was quiet, focused, and otherworldly beautiful.
Qin Lie would often become lost in thought while watching.
He would wonder how many incense sticks he must have burned in his past life to be able to marry such a precious girl.
In addition to practicing the piano, Jiang Wu also took the time to redesign the performance costumes for the female soldiers in the dance troupe.
It's the kind of style she suggested before, a modified version of military uniform.
She drew up the blueprints and then personally led several skillful military wives to quickly produce them using sewing machines.
When those dozen or so brand-new, stylish and beautiful performance costumes were delivered to the rehearsal room.
The entire dance troupe erupted in cheers.
The clothes retained the heroic spirit of military uniforms, while the waist-cinching and leg-cinching design perfectly showcased the female body lines.
The most striking feature is the bright red belt around her waist, which resembles a burning flame.
The female soldiers, dressed in their new uniforms, looked radiant and spirited.
When I danced "The Red Detachment of Women" again, that sense of power and conviction came out immediately!
As Wenxue watched those designs she had once scorned transform into stunning real-life objects, the last vestige of her pride was shattered.
She had to admit that when it came to "beauty," she and Jiang Wu were simply not on the same level.
Time flies.
Before we knew it, it was evening for the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration.
On this day, the entire military compound was filled with a festive atmosphere.
A stage half a meter high was temporarily erected on the large parade ground of the regiment headquarters.
Although the stage was simple, the huge banner stretched across the back with red cloth and the colorful lights hanging around it created a wonderful atmosphere.
As soon as it got dark, family members, carrying their own small stools, came from all directions and crowded the playground.
The soldiers sat neatly at the front, organized by company.
It was a dark mass of faces, all young and full of energy.
Jiang Wu, as the guest performer for the finale, was arranged to prepare in a small tent backstage.
Qin Lie stood guard by her side like a door god, never leaving her side.
"Wife, are you nervous?" He asked, trying to make conversation as he looked at Jiang Wu, who was fixing her hair in front of a small mirror.
“A little.” Jiang Wu was telling the truth.
Although she had experienced various grand occasions in her previous life, this was the first time she had faced so many "audiences" in this capacity.
Qin Lie reached out and grasped her somewhat cold hand.
"Don't be afraid." His palm was dry and warm, carrying a reassuring strength. "Just think of it as a bunch of cabbages sitting down below."
"You're the one who's the most 'cabbage' (a slang term for a large, attractive plant)." Jiang Wu was amused by him, and the tension in her heart dissipated considerably.
The party officially began with a warm and enthusiastic speech from Commander Zhang of the division headquarters.
The preceding programs included a soldiers' rousing chorus, children's innocent poetry recitations, and a pregnant military wife singing "Nanniwan".
The programs were all simple and unpretentious, yet full of genuine emotion, frequently drawing enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Wenxue and her dance troupe also took to the stage.
When they wore the dashing and stylish performance costumes designed by Jiang Wu and danced the powerful "Red Detachment of Women" dance.
The entire venue erupted in cheers!
The male soldiers, in particular, stared wide-eyed.
They never imagined that female soldiers in the army could not only carry guns, but also be so beautiful and so cool!
The dance ended, and the applause lasted for a long time.
Wen Xue stood in the center of the stage, listening to the thunderous applause from the audience, but her face showed no joy.
She knew that most of the applause wasn't for her.
It was the woman named Jiang Wu who designed the outfits and instructed them in their dance.
Finally, it was time for the last program.
The host, Chen Hao, the publicity officer, announced the program in an excited yet mysterious tone:
"Next up is our most mysterious performer tonight!"
"She is Comrade Jiang Wu, the wife of our regimental commander Qin Lie!"
"She will perform a guqin solo that none of us have ever heard before! Let's give her a round of applause!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.
All eyes were focused on the stage that was about to be lit up.
Whether it's a mule or a horse, we'll eventually have to put it to the test!
Backstage, Qin Lie held Jiang Wu's hand tightly, his palms sweaty.
He was even more nervous than if he were going to the battlefield himself.
"Wife, go ahead."
"Let them all see just how amazing my wife, Qin Lie's wife, really is!"
P.S.: Don't worry, there are two more chapters to come.
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