After saying goodbye to Qi Tai, Zhao Honghui and Xie Yuyao arrived at the street, where the movie theater was located.
A poster was pasted on the wall; it was for the revolutionary film, Tunnel Warfare.
A movie ticket cost 15 cents. Zhao Honghui spent 30 cents to get two tickets. The movie started in half an hour, and the two went into the theater to wait.
These tickets aren't cheap these days, and I expected it to be deserted. But when I went inside, I was greeted by a huge, bustling crowd with four electric lights on the ceiling, emitting a retro, dim yellow glow.
Since Qingshan Village didn't have electricity yet, Xie Yuyao specifically looked up to check.
This type of light bulb was basically phased out in the 21st century, but now it has become a rare find.
The two bought their tickets late, and there weren't many good seats left, so they ended up in seats at the back.
Unlike later projection rooms, the screening rooms at that time were not designed with steps; they were large, flat areas.
The floor was lined with rows of wooden stools, none of them even had backrests.
The front row seats are about the height of a small stool, while the legs of the stools in the back rows get higher and higher.
Xie Yuyao secretly breathed a sigh of relief; it was so good that she didn't have to sit on the low stool in the front row.
She found a seat and discovered that a young couple was already sitting next to her.
The man, dressed in military uniform, sat upright, while the woman, wearing a plaid coat, stood quite a distance away from him.
If it weren't for the bag of sunflower seeds between them, she would have thought they were strangers.
Young men and women dating in this era is particularly amusing, like underground party members making secret meetings, afraid of being discovered by others.
When Zhao Honghui saw Yao Yao looking at the other people, he assumed she also wanted to eat sunflower seeds, so he stood up and said, "I'm going out for a bit."
Soon, he returned with a bag of sunflower seeds.
Nowadays, sunflower seeds are weighed or measured in measuring cups and packaged in triangular tubes folded from old newspapers. They will give you as many as you want.
Xie Yuyao weighed it in her hand; it was less than half a pound. "How much?"
Five points.
Xie Yuyao was a little embarrassed, then pushed the sunflower seeds over and asked Zhao Honghui to grab some too, but he shook his head and refused.
She grabbed a handful and found them all shriveled and completely incomparable to those of later generations.
"I didn't see any snacks for sale when I came in. Where did you buy them? Do you sell anything else?" Xie Yuyao would much rather have popcorn than these shriveled sunflower seeds.
Zhao Honghui said in a low voice, "In the alley next door, there are also vendors selling peanuts, fried rice, and other things."
"There's still time, take me to see it quickly." Xie Yuyao put the melon seeds on the stool and pushed him out. The intimacy between her words and actions drew the attention of the men and women nearby.
The alley was bustling with activity. Several middle-aged women were selling snacks wrapped in aprons, calling out their wares in hushed tones. Some were carrying large strings of candied hawthorns, while others were selling drinks from baskets on their backs.
"Spiced peanuts, they taste delicious!"
"Candied hawthorn! Sweet and sour candied hawthorn!"
"Give me a bottle of orange-flavored soda!"
......
A man and a woman walked over from a short distance away.
The man was tall and handsome, with striking eyebrows and bright eyes. The woman had fair skin and a beautiful face, with large, bright, watery eyes that were unforgettable at first glance.
The handsome man and beautiful woman attracted the attention of many onlookers.
Hearing the vendors' cries, Zhao Honghui turned to the beautiful girl and asked, "Yaoyao, what else do you want?"
Xie Yuyao looked around but couldn't find the popcorn she wanted, so she turned her attention to other snacks.
We ordered one serving each of peanuts and fried rice, two bottles of orange soda, and a string of candied hawthorns.
After Zhao Honghui paid, the two returned to the theater carrying a pile of food.
After finding a seat, Zhao Honghui picked up the sunflower seeds he had put down earlier, sat down next to Yao Yao, and opened a soft drink and handed it to her: "Have some soft drink to quench your thirst. Ask me if you want anything to eat."
"I'll eat the candied hawthorn first." Xie Yuyao took a few sips of soda and handed it to him, asking him to take out a tissue from her bag to put the hawthorn seeds in.
When the time was up, the lights went out, leaving complete darkness. Occasionally, the curtain by the door would be lifted, letting in a sliver of light that would vanish in an instant—this was how neighborhood kids sneaked in to watch the movie without paying.
"Tunnel warfare, hey tunnel warfare, ambushing millions of divine soldiers, hey ambushing millions of divine soldiers..." The powerful theme song kicks off the show.
As she was watching, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her, startling Xie Yuyao.
Zhao Honghui quickly helped her up, saying, "It's alright, they're just ticket inspectors."
Can you please not be so scary?!
With limited entertainment options available these days, tickets for new movies are extremely hard to come by.
Believe it or not, there were quite a few people sneaking in without tickets. Especially the kids who came in later; even when they were caught, they weren't afraid. They'd giggle and pretend to leave, then quickly dart off to hide in some dark corner.
With those clever little devils who can see in all directions and hear from all sides, the ticket inspectors simply can't catch them.
Zhao Honghui was genuinely watching the movie attentively, while Xie Yuyao was focusing on experiencing the atmosphere.
While the public's attention was focused on the television screen, she secretly hooked Zhao Honghui's finger around hers.
Zhao Honghui grabbed her hand to stop her from acting recklessly and gestured for her to look around.
Xie Yuyao glanced around and noticed that many men and women were clearly separated. Even in the darkness, they were so well-behaved, unlike in later years when the back rows of movie theaters were practically reserved for couples.
She suddenly remembered a saying, "A gentleman does not deceive himself in the dark." It's a miracle that this era has produced so many "gentlemen."
Xie Yuyao had heard of the old movie "Tunnel Warfare" but had never seen it.
This patriotic film, placed in the current environment, takes on a different meaning because of the protagonist's identity and the man beside him.
The film tells the story of how, during the War of Resistance against Japan, the people of Hebei Province, under the leadership of the Chinese army, invented the innovative tunnel warfare method to fight against the island invaders in order to completely thwart the enemy's "mopping-up" plot.
When Zhao Honghui forbade Xie Yuyao's little antics, she turned her attention to the movie. The plot was fast-paced and emotional, and she quickly became engrossed in it.
As the video played, the sound of Gao Laozhong ringing the bell to warn of his heroic sacrifice and the destruction of the tunnel by the enemy was accompanied by heartbreaking sobs, with many people weeping uncontrollably.
Xie Yuyao was also moved to tears, and Zhao Honghui silently held her hand tightly.
He looked back and saw that no one was in the back row. He quietly put his arm around Yao Yao's waist, pulled her into his arms, and whispered comforting words.
Xie Yuyao was different from people of today, and she quickly adjusted her emotions.
The girl sitting next to me couldn't take it anymore; she cried so hard that tears streamed down her face.
The man beside her was at a loss, wanting to wipe her tears with his sleeve, but afraid of offending her.
Seeing Zhao Honghui and Xie Yuyao's openness and boldness, he had a sudden inspiration and held the girl's hand until the movie ended and the ceiling lights came on.
Xie Yuyao was leaning on Zhao Honghui's shoulder when she watched the show, and only sat up straight and packed her things after the lights came on.
Without realizing it, she noticed that the girl sitting next to her blushed, and the man's ears were also red.
What did they just do to end up like this?
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