Chapter 72
On the day of the July 15th gala, the factory gave everyone a half-day holiday. Meng Wanqiu finished her morning shift, ate in the cafeteria, packed up her leftovers to take back home for Xiao Hui, and then returned home.
In the afternoon, the people in the Propaganda Department started to get busy, setting up the venue and debugging the equipment. Sister Gao was also drafted into the army, and Meng Wanqiu was pregnant, but no one assigned her any work.
The weather is very good today. The sun is shining brightly, but it doesn't burn people. The sunlight feels warm on people, making Meng Wanqiu unable to help but stretch.
The Leng Han incident came to an end. After knowing Meng Wanqiu's methods and abilities, she no longer sent people to protect her secretly, and Meng Wanqiu felt much more at ease.
The street was crowded. Several young men with slicked-back hair were riding bicycles one-handed, heading toward the supply and marketing cooperative. By the look of their navy blue work uniforms, Meng Wanqiu knew they were workers from the July 15th Unit. They had just received their wages two days earlier and were planning to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to make toothpicks and improve their lives.
Everyone in town knows that the July 15th will hold a party tonight. Even if you are not an employee of the July 15th, you can still go and watch it.
Today is Saturday and the school is closed for the holiday. Meng Wanqiu saw many children running around on the street, discussing how to bring their benches to the square in advance to reserve seats.
Meng Wanqiu wore a lake blue jacket, loose-fitting trousers, and black round-toed leather shoes. Her hair, usually braided, was pulled up in a high ponytail, revealing her slender neck. A few loose strands of hair tucked into her temples gave her a fresh and relaxed look.
The coat was loose, covering her bulging belly. Because of her martial arts training, Meng Wanqiu had a good figure. Her back was always straight, and she walked with a heroic and imposing manner.
On the way home, they had to pass by the post office. The couple wrote a letter to their family last night and planned to send the letter and the things they prepared for their family today.
The technical department's work schedule was irregular. When it was busy, I couldn't even go home, and when it was slow, I could take a day or two off. This morning, Pei Xingzhi went to work with Meng Wanqiu. They walked around the department for a bit, and when there was nothing else to do, they went home.
Therefore, the task of sending the letter was given to Pei Xingzhi. Because of this incident, Meng Wanqiu accidentally glanced into the post office and actually saw a figure that was so familiar that it couldn't be more familiar.
Meng Wanqiu blinked and walked into the post office.
Pei Xingzhi had a leisurely day today. He left work early, borrowed a few books from his master, said goodbye to Wanwan, and went back home.
After reading for a while in the study, he got up and went to the yard to water the vegetables. Since the weather was good, he patiently boiled some water and prepared to give Xiao Hui a bath. The little guy hadn't had a bath since he came home. He was covered in dust. Fortunately, he had gray hair instead of white, otherwise, with Pei Xingzhi's obsession with cleanliness, he wouldn't be able to tolerate it at all.
When it came, it was no bigger than a human palm, but now it has grown twice as big. However, it is very well-behaved. When Pei Xingzhi picked it up and put it into the basin, it simply barked twice and let Pei Xingzhi give it a bath.
After washing, Xiao Hui hung the fur out in the yard to dry. Pei Xingzhi then went inside to change the sheets and quilt, taking the cotton wool outside to dry. He then soaked the clothes in a basin to wash later. Then, the general cleaning began.
After finishing all this, it was still early, so Pei Xingzhi went to the post office to mail a letter.
After sending the letter, Pei Xingzhi received a letter addressed to him. When he saw the address, his heart was shaken.
Father--
Pei Xingzhi opened his lips slightly, clenched the envelope tightly in his hand, and uttered these words silently.
"What are you doing here? Go home." A familiar and gentle voice sounded behind him, and Pei Xingzhi came back to his senses.
Pei Xingzhi turned around immediately and saw Meng Wanqiu's figure. A smile appeared in his eyes, "Why are you here?"
Meng Wanqiu glanced at Pei Xingzhi. He was very puzzled. What had happened? But it was not safe outside, so Meng Wanqiu did not ask. "I just looked inside and didn't expect to see you. Have you finished sending the things?"
Pei Xingzhi took the bag from Meng Wanqiu's shoulder and nodded, "I've sent it."
"Then let's go home." Meng Wanqiu said, pulling Pei Xingzhi out.
Only when they got home did Meng Wanqiu ask Pei Xingzhi what had happened.
Pei Xingzhi curled up the corner of his mouth, took out the letter and handed it to Meng Wanqiu.
After seeing the message clearly, Meng Wanqiu's eyes widened and she looked at Pei Xingzhi's letter in disbelief, "It's a letter from my father!"
Pei Xingzhi nodded, his eyes filled with undisguised joy, "Yes, it's a letter from my father."
Pei Zhongyuan's ability to send a letter meant that the other party had received the letter he had sent before. At the same time, it also showed one thing, that is, Pei Zhongyuan's policy had been relaxed.
"Open it quickly." Meng Wanqiu asked Pei Xingzhi to open the letter quickly. She was not unfamiliar with Pei Zhongyuan. Before coming to July 15, Pei Xingzhi had already told her everything about his family.
Ever since Sun Yating told Pei Zhongyuan's whereabouts, Pei Xingzhi wrote to him almost every month, and this continued for almost two years. It was not until today that they received a reply.
How can this not make people excited and happy?
[This is a letter from my son. It has been ten years since we parted. I already know about your grandparents' affairs. This is my father's fault...]
Pei Xingzhi felt a pang of pain in his heart. The death of his grandparents, unable to bear the humiliation, was a lifelong pain for him. When he was young and helpless, he had blamed his father. However, as he grew older, he became more mature and realized that he could not blame his father.
If they want to be well behaved, they can only blame themselves for living in this era and catching up with this movement.
Feeling his hand being held, Pei Xingzhi looked towards Meng Wanqiu. Seeing the worry in the other's eyes, he smiled, shook his head and continued reading the letter.
In the letter, Pei Zhongyuan expressed his guilt, talked about many things from Pei Xingzhi's childhood, and also talked about the situation on his side. He said that he was living well now and asked Pei Xingzhi not to worry.
Seeing this, Meng Wanqiu pulled Pei Xingzhi's sleeve and said, "I'll make a few sets of clothes for my father and send them to him." She knew it was a lie as soon as she heard it. Pei Zhongyuan was in a labor camp, and his life was definitely worse than that of the educated youth who went to the countryside. It didn't matter what she said. She knew it was words to comfort Pei Xingzhi.
Pei Xingzhi nodded. The whole family were smart people. No matter how hard they tried to hide something, they couldn't hide it at all. They could all guess the truth.
"Thanks a lot."
Meng Wanqiu gently hit his arm and said, "What are you talking about? This is what I should do."
The letter was rather depressing at first, but became more cheerful towards the end. Pei Zhongyuan greeted Meng Wanqiu and thanked the Meng family for their care for Pei Xingzhi. Finally, he asked Pei Xingzhi to take good care of Meng Wanqiu and not to overwork her. He thanked Meng Wanqiu for bearing the next generation for the Pei family, and said that as a father, he was unable to care for the couple for the time being due to his limited abilities. He then gave them several addresses, telling them that if they encountered any difficulties or problems they couldn't solve, they could seek help from these people.
Finally, Pei Zhongyuan expressed some dissatisfaction with Pei Xingzhi's naming of his grandchildren, but he was helpless. He explained that he had changed Pei Xingzhi's name in a double-edged sword because Pei's grandfather named Pei Xingzhi Mingde, and he changed the name for Pei Xingzhi's good.
However, Pei Zhongyuan was still satisfied with the names Pei Xingzhi gave to his grandsons.
puff--
"Mingde, hahahaha, hello Pei Mingde, haha."
Knowing that Pei Xingzhi almost called him Pei Mingde, Meng Wanqiu burst into laughter. She imagined Pei Xingzhi's handsome face and his cool, reserved demeanor, yet he ended up being called Mingde. Meng Wanqiu imagined that scene and fell on him again with laughter.
Pei Xingzhi held his forehead helplessly. He had no idea that this was the name his grandfather had given him. Seeing Meng Wanqiu laughing like that, Pei Xingzhi was helpless and had to protect her to prevent her from falling.
"Okay, enough laughing."
Hearing Pei Xingzhi's words, Meng Wanqiu laughed even more happily, "Haha, ouch, my stomach."
Meng Wanqiu suddenly hugged her belly. Pei Xingzhi was anxious and carried her to the bed. "What's wrong? Did the baby kick you?"
Meng Wanqiu wiped her eyes and looked at Pei Xingzhi innocently, "No, I just laughed so hard that I got drunk."
Pei Xingzhi: ...
So Pei Xingzhi could only help Meng Wanqiu rub her belly, and as he rubbed it, Meng Wanqiu's eyelids became heavy.
"Go to sleep, I'm here." Pei Xingzhi said softly.
Meng Wanqiu hummed, closed her eyes peacefully, and fell into a deep sleep.
Not long after, Pei Xingzhi also climbed onto the bed, hugged Meng Wanqiu from behind, buried his head in Meng Wanqiu's hair, smelled the fragrance of her hair, and relaxed completely.
In the afternoon, the couple took a nap together. The little gray cat in the yard also yawned lazily and took a nap on the ground.
When Meng Wanqiu was still dazed, she vaguely heard Pei Xingzhi whisper in her ear that he had to go to the factory first and asked her to sleep for a while and then get up to avoid a headache if she slept too long.
Meng Wanqiu responded casually and turned over.
When Meng Wanqiuzi got up again, she was awakened by the sound of Xiaohui scratching at the door. She looked at the ceiling with a blank look in her eyes and her head felt swollen.
Obviously, Meng Wanqiu did not listen to Pei Xingzhi.
There was still a whining sound at the door, the little puppy's voice a little shrill. Meng Wanqiu stretched her neck and called out, "Little Gray, stop scratching."
Stinky dog, when did you learn to scratch the door? Meng Wanqiu rubbed his head and pressed a few acupoints, and his mind became much clearer.
After putting on her shoes and going out, Meng Wanqiu opened her mouth wide and realized that the sun was about to set. She had slept for a really long time.
When Xiao Hui saw Meng Wanqiu, he stopped barking and circled around her feet. Meng Wanqiu picked him up and stroked him several times, making him howl. Then she put him on the ground and said, "Stinky dog, I won't punish you if you scratch the door again next time."
Meng Wanqiu washed her face and combed her hair, and then someone knocked on the door.
"Aunt Xiaowan, I'm Junze, I'm here to play with Xiaohui."
Meng Wanqiu opened the door and the person who came in was Sister Gao’s son Zhu Junze. He was only ten years old this year, but his height was almost up to Meng Wanqiu’s chest.
"Junze, come in quickly. Have you eaten?" Meng Wanqiu pulled Zhu Junze in.
Zhu Junze saw Xiao Hui in the yard and ran over impatiently, "Eat it, thank you Aunt Xiao Wan."
Meng Wanqiu was hungry. The cafeteria was sure to be crowded at this time, so she planned to eat directly at home. She entered the kitchen and called out to the yard, "Junze, Auntie Wan is going to cook dumplings. Would you like some more? They're made with cabbage and pork."
Cabbage and pork, Zhu Junze couldn't help swallowing his saliva and ran to the kitchen door, "Thank you, Aunt Xiaowan, then I want six, no seven."
Meng Wanqiu opened the coal stove and said without turning around, "Only seven? Is that enough?"
Zhu Junze nodded and said, "That's enough." He had already eaten dinner, but he was just greedy, so he just wanted to taste it to avoid wasting it.
Putting the pot on the stove, Meng Wanqiu scooped some water into it and covered the pot. "Okay, Auntie Wan will make seven for you."
After boiling the water, Meng Wanqiu put the dumplings she had wrapped in advance into the pot. While the dumplings were cooking, she also added pickled vegetables and pickled radish as side dishes.
The dumplings were cooked, each one bright white and smooth floating on the water. I picked them up and put them on a plate. I simply made two vinegar dishes and dinner was ready.
Then Meng Wanqiu heated up the leftovers she brought back from the cafeteria at noon and put them into Xiaohui's food bowl.
Meng Wanqiu carried the dumplings out and said, "Junze, it's time to eat." Zhu Junze ran over happily, with the little gray dog following behind him.
"Wow, thank you Auntie Wan."
Meng Wanqiu rubbed his furry head and said, "You're welcome, Xiao Hui, the food is in there, go and bring it out."
Zhu Junze nodded, trotted into the kitchen again, holding the two ends of the food bowl, and stepped over the threshold carefully, for fear of spilling Xiao Hui's food.
"Jun Ze, what are your parents busy with?" Meng Wanqiu picked up a piece of crispy pickled radish and turned her head to ask.
Zhu Junze took a bite of the dumpling, blew on it before swallowing it, and sobbed, "It's about the factory party. My mom was dragged away to help, and my dad is watching in the cafeteria. I heard that the leaders are coming today, and the cafeteria is very busy."
So, he was left alone and went to the cafeteria to eat. After eating, he wanted to find Xiao Hui, so he came here alone.
Meng Wanqiu nodded and said, "Let's go together after dinner." It was not very safe at night with so many people coming and going.
Zhu Junze agreed with a smile.
When the adult and the child arrived at the factory, they were surprised by the scene before them and opened their mouths wide.
A large stage was built in the square, with a small open space below it. Behind it was a dense crowd of people, even on the trees outside, with people sitting on every branch.
There were still crowds of people rushing on the road, and the dropping temperature at night was ignited by the lively atmosphere. There were noises of fun everywhere, making the ears buzz.
After exclaiming for a moment, Meng Wanqiu pulled Zhu Junze into the hall. The July 15th event was very grand, with two venues inside and outside.
Employees like Meng Wanqiu have dedicated seats and do not need to bring their own benches like others.
Zhu Junze was very sensible. Knowing that Meng Wanqiu was pregnant, he was worried that she would be bumped into by someone, so he walked in front of Meng Wanqiu to help her block people.
Meng Wanqiu was soft-hearted. With such a well-behaved child, she knew she would be satisfied if the baby in her belly could be like Zhu Junze in the future.
After finding the location of the Finance and Accounting Department, Meng Wanqiu pulled Zhu Junze to sit down.
Not long after, Pei Xingzhi came and was relieved to see Meng Wanqiu sitting there safely.
Meng Wanqiu saw that Pei Xingzhi's forehead was covered with sweat and handed him the handkerchief from her bag. "What's wrong?"
Pei Xingzhi wiped it off and said, "I didn't expect there to be so many people here today. I was worried you might get squeezed."
Initially, the evening party was planned to be held only in the auditorium, but as more and more people showed up, the head of the publicity department realized there wasn't enough room, and since they couldn't turn the people away, they reported the situation. Bai Fengyao, believing that sharing joy is better than enjoying it alone, added a venue and stage, allowing the town's residents and nearby villagers to watch the show in the square.
But Pei Xingzhi was still shocked by the scale of the event. He was afraid that the crowd would squeeze him and bump into the pregnant Meng Wanqiu, so he hurried over.
Hearing this, Meng Wanqiu rubbed Zhu Junze's head and said, "I'm fine. Junze has been protecting me all day, and no one has touched me."
When Zhu Junze heard the beautiful Auntie Wan say this, his face turned red.
Pei Xingzhi looked at the young boy, patted his shoulder, smiled and praised him, "Well done. Your Aunt Wan will be in your care tonight. Can you do it?"
Zhu Junze nodded shyly, "Don't worry, Uncle Pei, I will take good care of Aunt Wan."
Pei Xingzhi smiled and said, "Uncle Pei will give you a car model as a reward later."
Zhu Junze's eyes suddenly lit up, and his little hand couldn't help but grab the corner of Pei Xingzhi's clothes, "Really?"
Pei Xingzhi nodded, "Of course." It's not a big deal. It's just a simple part. I can just find a workshop master to weld it.
After a brief chat, Pei Xingzhi left as he had a lot of things to do.
At seven o'clock, the party officially began.
Two hosts, a man and a woman, walked onto the stage. The man was dressed in a neat Zhongshan suit, while the woman was wearing a beautiful red long skirt and high heels. The bright lights shone down from above, making the girl in the red skirt look several levels more beautiful.
Meng Wanqiu also heard some people discussing this girl and saying they wanted to meet her. Seeing this, she suddenly understood why Qu Miao wanted to be a supporter so much. It was too much of a show.
Everyone in the audience is focused on it, and the feeling of being the focus of everyone's attention must make people feel elated.
Meanwhile, backstage.
Qu Miao stared intently at the people on stage, the jealousy and resentment in her eyes almost tangible. She had always thought that the person trying to steal the hosting job from her was that little bitch Su Lili, but in the end, the section chief's niece suddenly appeared.
Su Lili saw Qu Miao's ferocious expression and sneered, "Hehe, you used to target me every day, but what happened? You ended up making things easier for others." Besides, where do you get the confidence that the section chief would choose you, Qu Miao?
Qu Miao is no longer the same as when she first came to 715. She was a delicate girl with graceful figure. Now her oval face is gone, her thin waist has become a barrel waist, and she looks like a big winter melon.
Hearing Su Lili's words, Qu Miao glared at her fiercely and said, "You silly girl, why are you so proud? You didn't get selected either."
Su Lili crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "I don't want to choose. I argued with you at the beginning just to make you angry. Now that I see you feeling uncomfortable, I'm happy."
"You——" This bitch.
Just as Qu Miao was about to curse, the host came down from the stage accompanied by applause.
The girl in the red dress is called Li Mo, the niece of the section chief. Her appearance can only be described as delicate, but now that she is wearing this dazzling red dress, her temperament has been elevated to several levels.
Li Mo threw the card to Qu Miao, not caring whether she took it or not, and said without turning his head: "Check the content."
The card fell to the ground, and Qu Miao was pregnant, so it was inconvenient for her to bend down to pick it up, and her face suddenly turned dark.
Su Lili, who was standing next to him, wanted to laugh at Qu Miao, but when she saw his bulging belly, she hesitated for a moment and went over to help Qu Miao pick it up. "Here, take it."
Qu Miao snatched it away with a slap and said sternly, "What's it to you?" In her opinion, Su Lili was deliberately making fun of her.
Su Lili covered her hand that was scratched by nails and looked at Qu Miao in disbelief, her chest heaving violently. "You are sick, no wonder you were not selected. Look at you and others. No one with eyes would choose you."
Su Lili compared Qu Miao's thick, barrel-shaped waist with Li Mo's slender, snake-like waist. She hadn't meant to use this against Qu Miao. But his bullying, his ungrateful behavior, infuriated her. She lost her mind and quickly attacked Qu Miao with the very issue of beauty that mattered most to her.
Sure enough, after hearing this, Qu Miao looked at Su Lili with eyes that were filled with venom, wishing to tear Su Lili to pieces.
Su Lili shuddered. After all, she was still young and a little scared, so she just slipped away.
Qu Miao was left alone, staring at her back fiercely, the host cue in his hand almost being crushed by her.
After becoming pregnant, what Qu Miao hated most was people talking about her figure. Because of this, she had several arguments with those shrews in Xinghua Lane, and they almost got into a fight every time.
Now, Su Lili's words were like rubbing salt into Qu Miao's wounds.
Suddenly, Qu Miao looked at the hand card in his hand, an idea came to his mind, his eyebrows raised, and his eyes became proud.
One show after another was performed on the stage, interspersed with speeches by the leaders. Zhu Junze couldn't help but yawn. Meng Wanqiu was also a little bored, but she still had to wait for Pei Xingzhi and the others' performance.
"The next program will be an ensemble piece, 'The Butterfly Lovers,' performed by the technical department. Also, please ask the next performers to come backstage and prepare in advance."
The host walked off the stage gracefully. Meng Wanqiu instantly perked up and nudged the sleepy Zhu Junze, "Junze, wake up! Your Uncle Pei and Uncle Jiang are starting their show."
The people sitting with Meng Wanqiu were all from the accounting department. Seeing Meng Wanqiu's excitement, they couldn't help but tease, "Accountant Meng and Engineer Pei have a really good relationship, haha."
"Alas, everyone in our two departments knows that Engineer Pei is a model husband. He treats Accountant Meng with unwavering care."
"The couple has been on good terms for a while, haha."
Hearing everyone's words, Meng Wanqiu smiled shyly and said, "Everyone is teasing me. Let's just watch the show."
"Haha, our resolute and decisive fortune teller is shy. Don't worry, Engineer Pei is the son-in-law of the accounting department. We, the wife's family, will definitely watch carefully."
The staff brought the instruments onto the stage, and the technical staff sat down in an orderly fashion. Meng Wanqiu saw Pei Xingzhi in the center, the lights shining directly on him. His handsome appearance and cool demeanor made him particularly eye-catching.
When conductor Jiang Peiran came on stage and raised his baton, a melodious piano sound was heard in the hall. Meng Wanqiu then realized that the beginning was actually Pei Xingzhi's solo.
Meng Wanqiu's eyes never left Pei Xingzhi. After about half a minute, the sounds of other instruments began to join in one after another.
"Butterfly Lovers" is a famous piece of music in my country, and almost everyone knows it. The people in the technical department are all talented. Meng Wanqiu heard someone praising it, saying that it was just like a formal concert and was not inferior to the performances in foreign theaters. This made Meng Wanqiu very proud and she was happier than when she was praised herself.
At the same time, she also heard many girls asking about Pei Xingzhi's information, which made her heart sour.
When the last note ended, the whole hall was filled with prolonged applause, and many people shouted for another song.
However, the people in the technical department were quite bad-tempered. They bowed and left immediately, completely ignoring everyone's attempts to keep them.
Meng Wanqiu couldn't help laughing.
At the same time, the female host in the red dress came on stage again. She first thanked everyone in the technical department, and then said something that made Meng Wanqiu confused.
She said, "Comrade Meng Wanqiu from the Finance and Accounting Department, please come backstage as soon as possible. The next program will begin soon."
Pei Xingzhi, who had just stepped off the stage, paused, turned his head to look at the stage, and frowned.
Jiang Peiran was also a little confused and asked, "What's going on? Didn't you say Comrade Xiao Meng didn't sign up for the program? Did he sign up again without telling you?"
Pei Xingzhi shook his head, "No, Wanwan didn't sign up for a program."
"What's going on?"
Pei Xingzhi also wanted to ask, is it possible that someone is deliberately targeting Wanwan? His eyes suddenly turned cold.
When the others heard the conversation between the two, they stopped and looked at Pei Xingzhi in confusion.
Later, Su Lili was stunned when she heard the familiar name, thinking she had heard it wrong.
She subconsciously looked at Qu Miao, who curled his lips and gave her a smug look.
Damn, this bitch.
Su Lili dropped the things in her hands and walked towards Qu Miao angrily, "Qu Miao, you are targeting me, why are you targeting Sister Xiao Wan?"
Qu Miao was responsible for preparing cue cards and connecting the program, so he had every opportunity to tamper with the program.
Qu Miao puffed out her belly and pretended not to understand, "Lili, what are you talking about? I don't understand."
"Your mother doesn't understand—" Su Lili was almost mad with anger. This bitch was still pretending with her.
Su Lili raised her hand, ready to teach this vicious idiot a lesson.
Qu Miao took a step back, protecting his stomach, with fear on his face, and shouted loudly: "Su Lili, what do you want to do?"
The people busy in the backstage noticed this. The older sister from the publicity department, who had watched Su Lili grow up, saw Su Lili and wanted to hit someone, "Su Lili, what do you want to do?"
Su Lili couldn't hear any of this. She was thinking about how to deal with that bitch Qu Miao.
Seeing this, Qu Miao's eyes revealed a look of success. He turned slightly and stretched his face forward.
Go ahead and fight, it’s just the right way to kill two birds with one stone.
Why did he target Meng Wanqiu? Because the person Qu Miao hated the most in his heart was her. She was a country girl from the countryside, but she was better than Qu Miao in everything.
Why? Her father is a university teacher, her husband is a college student, and she herself graduated from high school.
Meng Wanqiu, huh, why did she stand above Qu Miao? She was pregnant, but she hadn't changed at all. Instead, she became more and more beautiful. But she had become a fat woman. Even Li Xuezhi didn't want to touch her, and asked her to learn from Meng Wanqiu.
How could Qu Miao not hate all this?
Just as Su Lili's hand was about to fall, a big hand stopped her.
At this time, Li Mo on the stage frowned and spoke again, "Please ask Comrade Meng Wanqiu from the Finance and Accounting Department to come backstage as soon as possible."
In the guest seats below the stage, Bai Fengyao leaned over and asked the bewildered Tian Qianjin, "Xiao Tian, did Xiao Meng from your department sign up for the program?"
Tian Qianjin scratched his head. "Accountant Xiao Meng said no, and she's pregnant, so everyone told her to get some rest. Maybe the host made a mistake?"
After a long period of silence, the audience in the audience, confused as to what was going on, became a little impatient.
"Who is this person? Why is he so slow?"
"That's right, if you can't do it, don't sign up. Let the next one come."
Li Xuezhi, a non-staff member of the technical department, couldn't help but smile when he heard these words. He cleared his throat and, taking advantage of the lack of lights below the stage, shouted at the top of his lungs, "Is this going to work? If not, get down here right away and don't embarrass yourself."
As soon as these words were spoken, they instantly aroused people's impatience and they began to make a fuss.
"Yeah, who is this person?"
"Can you please not waste everyone's time?"
"that is."
Hearing these words, Bai Fengyao's face suddenly turned cold and he stood up from his seat.
Li Mo on the stage noticed it and thought that the leader was unhappy, so he picked up the microphone and prepared to urge the woman named Meng Wanqiu again.
As a result, the moment he raised his hand, the microphone was snatched away, and a cold voice rang out above his head, "Sorry, can I borrow it for a moment?"
Li Mo was stunned, watching the man walk onto the stage. She remembered this man, an engineer from the technical department, and he was the first to perform the solo in the previous program.
Thinking of this man's behavior, Li Mo's ears couldn't help but feel hot. He must have come to help her out with good intentions.
Pei Xingzhi walked onto the stage with a smile. "Excuse me, everyone. Because of your requests, our colleagues from the technical department have decided to perform one more time for you. However, we didn't want to interrupt the performance time of the next performer, Comrade Meng Wanqiu. So, after a brief discussion, we decided to compromise and perform a piece together. We appreciate your support and applause, and we won't delay Comrade Meng Wanqiu's performance."
"Please allow us two minutes to prepare. Is that acceptable to everyone?"
The noise in the audience instantly quieted down when Pei Xingzhi came up. After hearing Pei Xingzhi's explanation, everyone suddenly understood.
"I see. I was wondering what was wrong, but it turns out you wanted to perform for us again."
"The technical department is really good. He is indeed the most talented person in our 715. His character is also impeccable."
"Okay, go get ready."
"Haha, yes, yes, let's get ready quickly, we can't wait."
Pei Xingzhi smiled gently and bowed to everyone, "Then I, Pei, would like to thank you all here."
When Bai Fengyao in the audience saw Pei Xingzhi come out, his face returned to his usual casual look and he sat down with a smile.
Tian Qianjin clicked his tongue twice, "The technical department really knows how to have fun."
Bai Fengyao heard this and smiled without saying anything.
At the same time, Meng Wanqiu also rushed to the backstage.
Pei Xingzhi held Meng Wanqiu's hand and said softly, "Are you scared?"
Meng Wanqiu shook her head. "Not really, I'm just a little confused." She looked up at him. "You said we wanted to perform together. What was it?"
At this time, Su Lili ran over breathlessly, "Brother Pei, everything is ready."
Meng Wanqiu was confused and looked at Pei Xingzhi in confusion.
Pei Xingzhi pulled her onto the stage, explaining as they walked, "Let's perform 'Selling Water,' the song you sang in the rehearsal room last time. This time, all of us will accompany you."
Meng Wanqiu was startled and turned her head to look at Pei Xingzhi, "Is it possible?"
Pei Xingzhi chuckled, "Don't underestimate your husband." He raised his hand and scratched the tip of Meng Wanqiu's nose, then continued, "I'm a genius."
Then, he changed the subject, raised his eyebrows, and asked Meng Wanqiu, "Why, don't you have confidence?"
Meng Wanqiu's answer was to give Pei Xingzhi a strange look and walk confidently to the front of the stage.
After Pei Xingzhi sat down again, Mr. Huang, who had accompanied Meng Wanqiu last time, took the lead in playing the erhu.
Meng Wanqiu took up her stance, her feet moving in a "Zheng Ding" (a straight Ding) stance, vertical in front and horizontal in the back. She raised her hands to her eyebrows, then cupped them in front of her chest. Her expression and demeanor shifted instantly, imitating the posture of an ancient figure from a previous life, her entire being radiating an ancient charm.
"What mirror do I look at when I wake up in the morning? What flower scent do I get when I comb my hair? What kind of pollen do I apply on my face? What kind of red rouge do I put on my lips..."
When the people in the audience saw this, their eyes immediately lit up.
The girl on the stage had skin as white as jade, bright eyes and white teeth, and beautiful eyebrows. She wore simple and clean clothes and pants, without any makeup on her face. There was an indescribable charm in her every move.
Listening to the cheerful opera singing, the performing girl's lively eyes and sweet voice, everyone couldn't help but be mesmerized, as if they saw an innocent and lovely little girl, and were completely immersed in the performance.
While playing, Pei Xingzhi looked at the cute and lovely Meng Wanqiu. She sang better today than before, completely immersed in the role, and exuded a unique charm from her whole body.
When the song ended, everyone was still immersed in it and didn't even notice when the people on the stage left. When they came to their senses, they heard thunderous applause that lingered in their ears for three days.
At the same time, Qu Miao, who was secretly observing all this, clenched her palms tightly, not even noticing that her sharp nails had cut her palms. Hatred and jealousy were like a raging flood, drowning her.
Just as Qu Miao's eyes were filled with Meng Wanqiu, a slender figure quietly approached, came behind Qu Miao, and raised his hand.
Snap——
Qu Miao covered his face in disbelief, feeling a burning sensation. He turned around angrily, "Su Lili, you bitch, how dare you hit me?"
However, there was no one behind Qu Miao, not even a shadow could be seen.
This space was very dark and no one could see, making it the perfect place for Su Lili to take action.
We can only blame Qu Miao for being so stupid that he actually ran to this place where there are few people and the visibility is dim. Is this a good opportunity for Su Lili to take revenge?
At this time, Meng Wanqiu and Pei Xingzhi had returned to their seats in the audience. They whispered to each other, "You were so beautiful just now. You were the only one I could see."
Meng Wanqiu shrank her neck and said angrily, "You're so smooth-talking. Stop learning these things from Jiang Peiran."
Pei Xingzhi held Meng Wanqiu's hand, put it in his mouth and kissed it, whispering, "This comes from the bottom of my heart. It couldn't be more sincere."
Meng Wanqiu put her hand to Pei Xingzhi's mouth and said, "Shut up, stop talking, and watch the show quietly."
Pei Xingzhi nodded, his eyes so soft that tears almost came out of them.
Meng Wanqiu silently turned her head to the side; her burning ears and accelerated heartbeat showed her restlessness.
After stepping down, Meng Wanqiu knew the whole story and was not surprised at all when she learned that it was Qu Miao who did it.
Bai Fengyao told Meng Wanqiu in person to rest assured that he would never let her suffer any injustice.
Pei Xingzhi told Meng Wanqiu that the couple had been blacklisted, and even without their intervention, their fate would not be any better.
Meng Wanqiu touched her belly and thought of it as a blessing for the little one. Besides, these people were not worth her effort, as it would only dirty her hands.
Four months later.
During this period, Meng Wanqiu and Pei Xingzhi celebrated their first New Year on July 15th with Uncle Feng, Aunt Feng, and Bai Fengyao.
On the Chinese New Year's Day, Meng Wanqiu and Pei Xingzhi did something and recognized Uncle Feng and Aunt Feng as their godfather and godmother.
On that day, the couple learned the old couple's secret. It turned out that they once had a child named Feng Liang. When Feng Liang was seven years old, a mountain flood broke out where Uncle Feng and his family lived. At that time, the couple were both revolutionary cadres and were busy resettling the people.
They left their only child with a neighbor, who was also a nanny hired by the couple. But when the flash flood subsided and the couple returned home, they heard the nanny say that Feng Liang had been playing around and ran away when she wasn't paying attention, and was swept away by the flash flood.
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