Cuihua nodded repeatedly. Her eldest son and daughter-in-law were living a good life. Now it was just a matter of whether Liujin could be admitted to the school. If he could, Liujin could stay in the capital to study. This boy had been a drama queen since he was a child, and he was really pleasing to everyone.
The two chatted and laughed, and their movements became even more efficient. In an hour and a half, they had prepared all the food and drinks for the evening, and also prepared a lot of food for the opera the next day.
After dinner, Grandma Yan happily asked Liu Jin to sing Peking Opera for her. Liu Jin stood in the courtyard, coughed twice, and began to sing: "I have countless cousins, they only come to visit when there's something important. Although they're relatives, they don't really acknowledge each other as closer than relatives..."
After the child sang "Everyone Has a Bright Red Heart," Grandma Yan beamed with joy at his still-developing childlike voice. This little guy sang even better than the original on the radio, and even better than when she heard it at the theater last time.
Grandma Yan looked at Liu Jin, whose forehead was starting to sweat, and decided to tease him: "Little Liu, you sang well. Here's a penny for you."
Liu Jin, quick-witted as ever, ran up and respectfully accepted the one-cent coin: "Thank you for the reward, Grandma. Please choose a play for me, and I will perform it for you."
Grandma Yan thought for a moment and then said, "Let's sing this part again. I haven't heard enough of it yet."
"Alright, listen up." Liu Jin started singing again, and the entire courtyard was completely silent except for Liu Jin's loud and clear voice.
Yan Daqiang felt guilty looking at his mother's beaming face. Since his mother liked it, he would support her. Yan Erqiang sat by the flower bed, watching his mother, who was nodding and swaying her head with a satisfied expression.
My mother's life is getting better and better, but how much of this is due to my own efforts? None, not even a little bit. An unprecedented sense of guilt welled up inside me. Looking back on most of my life, I feel like I've wasted it all. No, it seems like even dogs are better off than me, like Zhongnan.
After Ai Dang gets married, he'll go back, divorce Cai Min, find a job, save money, and make up for all the money he owes his mother. A plan appeared in Yan Erqiang's mind. After reviewing it again, he thought, "Yes, that's what I'll do."
Yan Erqiang also held Yan Ge's hands tightly. Yan Ge's eldest son had been implicated. He would help him find a job, and if the father and son worked hard, they would definitely be able to make a living.
Liu Jin sang five or six Peking Opera excerpts in a row. Grandma Yan felt sorry for him and said, "My dear child, stop singing. Your throat must be sore. Come and drink some water and rest."
Liu Jin also felt a bit tired, so he ran to Grandma Yan's side and asked, "Grandma, what do you think of my singing? Will I be accepted?"
"Yes, you can sing even better than those on the radio. If they don't accept you, it proves they have no taste. Don't worry, Bao, you'll definitely be accepted."
Liu Jin looked at Yan Xiaonan, who nodded. If they still couldn't get accepted, then they shouldn't take the exam and should find another way out.
The next day, Baoguo had already parked a large car at the entrance of the courtyard. This was the car assigned to the major general, and it would be used to pick up his mother to go to the theater today. Yan Daqiang, Grandma Yan, Fu Qingping, and Ye Huixian got into the car, while the others rode bicycles or took the bus.
Such a large commotion attracted the attention of the neighbors who were peeking around. Fortunately, the courtyard house was some distance away from them, so the neighbors only knew that the whole family had gone out, but they had no idea where they were going.
Bao Guo was holding a stack of theater tickets and counting the number of people with his staff. He had bought almost all the front-row seats, and the staff were overjoyed. The audience had increased today!
"Dong dong dong dong," the gongs and drums sound, and the play is about to begin. The clown comes out first, holding a colorful flag and circling the stage. When the gongs and drums are played slowly, they walk slowly; when the gongs and drums are played quickly, they walk quickly.
As the drums and gongs grew louder, they performed somersaults throughout the entire performance, their movements graceful and agile. Yan Xiaonan pointed at their somersaults and said to Liu Jin, "Liu Jin, look! This is the result of ten years of hard work offstage for just one minute on stage. Can you do it?"
Liu Jin stared intently at the performance on stage, a determined glint in his eyes. Yan Xiaonan felt completely relieved; she had faith in Liu Jin.
After the morning's performance ended, Yan Xiaonan laid out a tablecloth on the open ground next to the theater and put all the food and drinks on it. People could take whatever they liked. This scene reminded Dongnan, Xinan, and Liujin of the barbecue scene at Mushroom Mountain.
"Nan Nan, if only there were mountains here, we could go up and have a barbecue too," Xinan said with a sigh.
"Second brother, have you gone up the mountain to see Tiger King and Zhongnan?" Yan Xiaonan looked around and asked Southwest in a low voice.
Southwest nodded: "I went up the mountain two days before I left and told Tiger King and Zhongnan that I wanted to come see you. Tiger King was fine; he just barked once and ran away. Zhongnan kept howling, but I didn't understand what he was saying. I just told him that when he saw you, he should come home and visit him when he had time, and then he stopped howling."
Yan Xiaonan felt a pang of pain in her heart. If only Zhongnan and Tiger King could come to the capital, she could keep an eye on them. But then she thought it was better if they didn't come. Uncle Shan sometimes brought people to train there, and that mountain eagle already knew Hand Cannon. It was too dangerous.
"Second brother, I'm entrusting these two to you. Please check on them whenever you have time, especially in winter. Make sure they have enough food, and keep a close eye on the enclosure so the animals don't escape. If their bedding is torn, replace it. I have several in my room; you can give them some."
Southwest nodded. There were many quilts in her parents' room, her grandmother's room, and the rooms of Nannan and Beinan. She and Tang Xiaoling would take them out to air them and clean the rooms when the weather was nice.
Yan Daqiang winked at Yan Xiaonan from a distance, and Yan Xiaonan nodded slightly. They had already agreed that when the whole family went out, Yan Daqiang would take Baoguo and Baomin to transport the cotton away. This was a spoil of war collected from all over the southeast.
Not long after Yan Daqiang left, Xue Ying and a man walked in. The man was the head of the drama academy and Xue Ying's childhood friend from the same compound. When he heard that Xue Ying's family had a child who could sing Peking Opera, his expression was one of delight.
He knew Xue Ying well; she wouldn't bother recommending anyone unless they were exceptionally good. But anyone she recommended was always a gem. Knowing they were coming to the theater today and couldn't wait until next week, he wanted to hear it today.
The afternoon's opening act was just as lively. The clowns, knowing their supreme leader was present, were in high spirits, and their movements and singing were even more impressive.
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