Zhao Jun turned his gaze away and looked at Xue Yanchen ingratiatingly.
He whispered, "Brother, at least you've found a girlfriend, while I don't. Are you really going to just stand by and watch your brother stay single? We grew up together, and then we both joined the army. We've been together for so many years. Tell me, who can compare to us?"
Xue Yanchen remained unmoved and smiled faintly: "If you want to make a move on my cousin, you'd better see if you have the ability."
Zhao Jun was overjoyed upon hearing this: "So, according to you, she doesn't have a boyfriend yet? That's great! If she doesn't have a boyfriend, then I have hope."
"Whether she has a boyfriend or not is not important. The key is that Zhenzhen doesn't like you, kid."
Zhao Jun immediately became unhappy, put on a sour face, and said with great dissatisfaction with Xue Yanchen's words: "How do you know she looks down on me? Am I that bad? Is my family that bad? Let me tell you, if your cousin marries me, whether we go back to the army or back to Beijing, she will be with me. You are relatives, and you can see each other often. Isn't that great? Most importantly, I will treat her wholeheartedly and not let her suffer any grievances."
"You've got a pretty long-term plan," Xue Yanchen said with a smile. "I'll say it again, I can't help you with anything. These things depend on your own abilities."
Xue Yanchen actually quite liked Zhao Jun. He and Zhao Jun had been brothers for so many years, so he naturally knew Zhao Jun's character. Zhao Jun's family was simple, and they had a harmonious relationship. Their material conditions were also good. Compared to other men, he knew Zhao Jun very well. Qin Zhenzhen wouldn't be at a disadvantage if she dated Zhao Jun.
However, this matter mainly depends on Qin Zhenzhen's own wishes and the Qin family's decision.
Zhao Jun looked in Qin Zhenzhen's direction and smiled: "I will try my best."
When they arrived at the performance venue of Taohua Brigade, the opera performance had not yet started, but there were already many onlookers in the area. The temporary stage was packed with people, and the area around it was almost completely blocked. It would not be an exaggeration to describe the scene as a sea of people.
Luo Jingyan said, "I don't think we're here to watch a show; we're here to see the people."
Qin Zhenzhen said, "Anyway, I just want to be with you guys and have some fun. Whether I watch the show or not is not important to me."
“Yes, I’m here to join in the fun too. It’s Chinese New Year, so it should be lively,” Luo Jingyan said. She then asked Xue Yanchen, “Was Chinese New Year lively when you were in the army?”
"It's alright," Xue Yanchen said. He had been on missions three times during the Spring Festival. When he wasn't on missions, he continued to train. Apart from making dumplings and eating with his comrades, he hadn't participated in any of the military's recreational activities.
Zhao Jun said, "Luo Zhiqing, asking Xue Zhiqing these questions is like asking nothing. He always goes on missions during the Spring Festival, and when he's not on missions, he doesn't train at all. While others spend the Spring Festival watching the cultural troupe's performances in the auditorium, he spends it in battle and training."
"Is that really true?" Luo Jingyan looked at Xue Yanchen, feeling a pang of sadness.
Xue Yanchen said, "I'm not interested in those entertainment programs, so I've never participated in them."
She reached out and gently squeezed his hand, her fingertips tracing his palm, clearly feeling the calluses rubbing against her own, which unconsciously increased her respect for him.
Qin Zhenzhen said, "Cousin, you've worked too hard. But now that you're no longer in the army, the New Year won't be so boring anymore. Like now, we can go to the theater together, take a walk and chat. Isn't that nice?"
Xue Yanchen lowered his eyes slightly. Such comfort was certainly good, but it required many people to sacrifice their own comfortable time to protect it.
“Zhenzhen, as long as you love your career, you won’t find it boring.”
Qin Zhenzhen said, "Anyway, I feel that my job is quite boring. Going out to play is relaxing and enjoyable. That's what it means to enjoy life."
Zhao Jun tried to strike up a conversation with Qin Zhenzhen: "Comrade Qin Zhenzhen, soldiers take pride in being able to defend their motherland and feel honored to enable the people to live a happy and stable life. This is a belief. Even if they are in the cold wind and snow, as long as the motherland and the people are safe, they are happy."
Qin Zhenzhen couldn't comprehend those things, but she agreed with Zhao Jun's statement and nodded.
More and more people arrived, and they gradually moved from the periphery to the center.
Once the opera began, many people's attention was drawn to it.
Luo Changtian really wanted to watch the show, but unfortunately he wasn't tall enough and there were too many people in front of him. Xue Yanchen and Zhao Jun used their hands to lift him up. He sat on their hands and wrapped his arms around their necks. At first he was a little embarrassed, but he got used to it after a while.
At this time, people from other brigades were still rushing to this side.
The performance on stage was "The Red Lantern," a classic revolutionary opera. The actors performed with great enthusiasm, and almost everyone in the audience watched with great interest.
However, at halftime, this hard-won lively and joyful atmosphere was shattered by a few extremists who suddenly broke in.
Like a surging tide, the harmonious atmosphere was first shattered in one corner. What should have been a place filled with laughter was suddenly punctuated by heart-wrenching cries and screams. The crowd there began to riot and panic, scattering in all directions.
The riots at this moment were like a wheat field that had been set ablaze, and the fire was spreading rapidly to other areas.
Luo Jingyan stood in the crowd and noticed several people with foreign faces. It turned out that they had suddenly barged in. They were not there to watch the show, nor were they just passing by by chance; they had planned this.
After approaching the crowd, taking advantage of the dense population, they pulled out pre-hidden knives from their clothes and stabbed anyone they encountered, specifically targeting vital areas. They didn't spare anyone, regardless of whether the victim was male or female, adult or child, even an infant in a woman's arms or a pregnant woman with a large belly.
The piercing cries, screams, and terrified shouts immediately drowned out the opera music on stage.
The riots quickly attracted the attention of people in other areas. Knowing that rioters had broken in, their first thought, driven by the instinct for self-preservation, was to run away from those demons who treated human life as worthless and killed without blinking an eye.
When Xue Yanchen noticed this, his thoughts were exactly the opposite of others. His first reaction was to rush over to stop the thugs' violence and protect the safety of the people here.
He and Zhao Jun put Luo Changtian down and said to Luo Jingyan and Qin Zhenzhen beside them, "Take Xiaotian away from here quickly."
“We know,” Luo Jingyan said. She knew Xue Yanchen was definitely going to rescue people, and she cautioned him, “Be careful.”
"I will."
While everyone else was fleeing, Xue Yanchen and Zhao Jun rushed headlong into the most dangerous place.
Luo Jingyan's heart clenched as she looked at the thugs who were like killing machines.
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