Two days later, the day of the movie screening finally arrived. Before the village loudspeaker went into operation in the morning, it announced that a movie would be shown at 7:30 pm that evening in the threshing ground.
Although the villagers knew a few days ago that a movie would be shown in a couple of days, they were still very excited when the day actually arrived. The villagers were talking about watching a movie that night on their way to work, spreading the news to each other.
Now that it's the off-season for farming, the work isn't as busy. All the male laborers are working on the dike, repairing the dam, and they can only watch movies when they get back in the evening.
The women were mainly responsible for weeding the wheat and carrying farmyard manure to the fields.
The educated youth didn't have much work to do; they were just responsible for the tasks assigned to them.
After finishing work, Jiang Yanxia hurried over to find Zhuang Zhimeng. "Zhimeng, did you hear that? There's a movie tonight. Let's hurry up and make the stir-fried broad beans and peanuts. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Why are you so agitated? It's not like you haven't seen it before.
"I'm so excited, so incredibly excited! Hurry, hurry, hurry! Let's get started! What do you need me to do now?"
"Okay, now let's just rinse the peanuts and broad beans clean."
"Okay, I'll go wash up."
Soak the washed broad beans in water until they soften.
Drain the peanuts, fry them over low heat, and finally add five-spice powder and a little salt. Shake well, let cool, and they are ready to eat.
The same procedure applies to soaked broad beans.
After the peanuts cooled down, Jiang Yanxia tasted one and found it quite delicious. She gave Zhuang Zhimeng a thumbs up: "Very good!"
Zhuang Zhiwu and Zhou Kangcheng smelled the aroma and went to the kitchen.
"Little sister, what delicious thing have you made? It smells so good!"
"Second Brother, Brother Zhou, you guys have a taste. I made some broad beans and peanuts. We can have them as a snack while watching the movie tonight."
"Little sister, then we won't stand on ceremony."
Zhuang Zhiwu took a few, and Zhou Kangcheng also took a few. After eating them, they both nodded, "Not bad!"
Zhuang Zhimeng also tried one, and it tasted quite good.
At this moment, Su Mengmeng also returned. She and An Qingbai had both gone to repair the dike that day.
An Qingbai went straight home to tidy himself up, worried that his body odor might bother Zhuang Zhimeng. He planned to eat first and then come back to find Zhuang Zhimeng so they could go to the movies together.
In the afternoon, Zhuang Zhimeng prepared the meal early, making a very simple porridge.
I cooked rice porridge with a little sugar, stir-fried some mushrooms, and the main dish was steamed cornbread that I had prepared beforehand.
She would steam a lot each time and eat it slowly, then switch to other types of pancakes, rotating them.
Even before the movie started, the village was already packed with people. Several nearby villages had come to watch the film, and many people were even willing to travel dozens of miles over mountains to make the trip.
As the sun sets, the projectionist sets up a support frame using two thick, long poles, then unfolds the movie screen and hangs it on the two poles.
The projectionist had already set up the screen, and everyone was scrambling to put their stools in front of the projector. The children were especially excited, dancing and waving their arms, forgetting about their meals, and eagerly waiting in front of the screen with their little stools.
By the time Zhuang Zhimeng was pulled over by Jiang Yanxia, she was much better. An Qingbai, Su Mengmeng, Zhuang Zhiwu, and Zhou Kangcheng slowly followed behind.
"Sister Zhimeng, Sister Yanxia, please sit here. There are seats available, and we've secured a really good spot!" Hu Zi quickly greeted Zhuang Zhimeng and Jiang Yanxia as soon as he saw them.
When Zhuang Zhimeng and Jiang Yanxia saw that the children had made room for them, they ran over and sat down. They thanked Hu Zi and the others and gave them some snacks to share.
Those who arrive later can only sit around the curtain, almost forming a circle around it.
There was no space to stand on the open ground, and some young men who couldn't get a spot would climb trees or rooftops.
Before the actual film is shown, a slideshow or some promotional videos will be shown.
As the engine roars to life, the incandescent light goes out several times before coming back on, at which point the crowd erupts in cheers.
The projectionist picked up the film reel, inserted it into the projector, and subtitles and music appeared on the screen. The crowd immediately fell silent.
Today's screening of "Tunnel Warfare" was in black and white, but it didn't diminish the excitement and enthusiasm of the audience.
Zhuang Zhimeng was also thrilled while watching, and many of the characters left a deep impression on her.
The cunning Gao Chuanbao, the loyal Uncle Zhong, the traitorous Commander Tang who was universally reviled, and the vicious and ruthless Japanese Captain Yamada, among others, are all unforgettable.
Even after the movie ended, people were still reluctant to leave, and some even unconsciously hummed the theme song.
Tunnel warfare, hey tunnel warfare,
Millions of divine soldiers were laid in ambush.
Hey, they've laid an ambush with millions of divine soldiers!
Guerrilla warfare unfolded across the vast plains.
The villages and households are connected by tunnels, forming a continuous network.
…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
