Tomorrow is August 1st, Army Day, and Qin Xiaoyu, having no time to deal with Zhou Yue's affairs, handed the school over to Master Wang and plunged into the Zhou family's home.
Zhou Xing's mother suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder and moderate germaphobia, keeping the whole family running around in circles, and still finding fault with everything. Commander Zhou simply took Hanhan and ran away. Qin Xiaoyu, having delivered herself to their doorstep, couldn't escape and could only obediently listen to her scolding.
This time, Zhou Xing's mother made arrangements well in advance, giving Qin Xiaoyu ten tickets. She had already been taken home, and because she needed to go to the theater with Zhou Xing's mother early, the Tang family members were asked to meet at the theater on their own.
The rehearsals a few days ago were just a brief run-through; today is the official performance. Director Wang's performing arts troupe has a major show to perform, and she arrived early to watch the curtain.
In the 1980s, lighting and stage design were still very backward. There were no projectors or anything like that, and printing technology was not advanced. The large screens were all painted stroke by stroke by painters.
Qin Xiaoyu looked at them carefully and couldn't help but admire their talent, but she also felt regretful. Whether it was the subject matter or the color scheme, the period characteristics were too strong. "Great vulgarity is great elegance," she comforted herself.
"Look, this is what you use when you perform." The stagehand was cranking a huge iron chain to lower the curtain.
Well, what a riot of colors! This isn't a butterfly transformation, it's like they've fallen into a butterfly nest. It makes my nose itch just looking at it.
“This…” Zhou Xing’s mother frowned, but didn’t continue.
"Aunt Wang, I have a suggestion. They're playing 'The Butterfly Lovers,' and while the butterfly is fitting, it's a bit too flashy. Could we change to a simpler background? One that would complement their costumes and make the music more ethereal." Qin Xiaoyu looked at her younger sister's fairy-like dress; once she stood in front of the background, she was practically invisible.
"Here's what we'll do. They're adjusting the curtains, so you can choose one." Seeing Zhou Xing's mother's expression, Commander Wang agreed to Qin Xiaoyu's suggestion and signaled the workers to continue.
"Stop!" Qin Xiaoyu shouted.
The backdrop now that appears is simple: a bright moon rising over the sea, a vast expanse of blue, with a full moon hanging high in the sky.
"This is a phrase we often use for the Mid-Autumn Festival special performance. Is it appropriate to use it now?"
"Aunt Zhou, you speak first." Qin Xiaoyu didn't take the initiative and pushed Zhou Xing's mother to the front.
Today, Zhou Xing's mother prepared a moon-white evening gown with a Chinese-style stand-up collar and sleeveless design, making her stand gracefully. She walked forward slowly, and the moment she stood in front of the backdrop, the visual effect was immediately apparent, captivating all the onlookers.
"Listen to Xiaoyu. I'm increasingly impressed by Xiaoyu; she's not only good at business, but also quite accomplished in aesthetics." Zhou Xing's mother's praise made Qin Xiaoyu blush.
"Auntie, you flatter me. I only took an elective course in Aesthetics for one semester when I was in school."
"Oh? What kind of school offers an elective course in Aesthetics?" Zhou Xing's mother asked curiously. Qin Xiaoyu realized she had let something slip, so she quickly covered up with her younger sister and ran to the side, pretending not to have heard.
"That girl, I really can't figure her out," Commander Wang sighed, watching Qin Xiaoyu's retreating figure.
"Yes, I'm liking her more and more," Zhou Xing's mother said with a smile.
Commander Wang thought to himself with a wry smile, "Try saying that again sometime."
The audience had already started to enter, and Qin Xiaoyu ran to the entrance to greet the Tang family. She had specifically instructed her cousin to bring Tang Long out for a walk to relax, but she didn't know if he would actually come.
A Hongqi car stood out conspicuously amidst the flow of bicycles, coming to a stop at the bottom of the steps. The door opened, and Zhou Xing ran to the passenger seat to help his wife out. His cousin and his wife flanked Tang Long on either side, almost as if they were about to kidnap him.
"You went to pick them up?" Qin Xiaoyu asked, overjoyed.
"I was worried it would be inconvenient for them to travel back and forth. Don't worry, I'll take them back after the show." Zhou Xing helped his wife walk inside.
The lady seemed a little uneasy and glanced back at Qin Xiaoyu.
"You guys go in first, I'll come in." Seeing Tang Long's reluctant expression, Qin Xiaoyu took over her sister-in-law's seat and helped him walk while explaining the evening's program.
Tang Long had a blindfold over one eye, which attracted a lot of attention. His face was expressionless, his eyes were vacant and he seemed to be looking somewhere else. He ignored what Qin Xiaoyu was saying.
My cousin's wife followed closely behind them, her eyes darting around like a startled rabbit.
In less than a month, she looked more than ten years older, her hair already completely white. Qin Xiaoyu knew she couldn't withstand any more shocks.
After settling Tang Long in, Qin Xiaoyu went backstage. She redid Zhou Xing's mother's and younger sister's hair and touched up their makeup, ready for them to go on stage.
"Sister-in-law!" Tang Wenwen was stopped outside by the staff and could only shout loudly.
Qin Xiaoyu led her into the dressing room.
"Auntie, this is my sister-in-law, Zhou Xing's classmate."
"Ah, I've seen you before, haven't I? You look familiar." Zhou Xing's mother said with a smile.
"Hello, Auntie. I made two small accessories for your performance today. I hope you can use them." Tang Wenwen said, opening the box in her hand and taking out two items.
One was a wreath woven from thin willow branches and adorned with wildflowers. Qin Xiaoyu took it and placed it on her little sister's head, making the little flower fairy look even more vivid.
"Wow, Auntie's hands are so skillful, they look beautiful!" Zhou Xing's mother said happily.
"Auntie, here's this too." Tang Wenwen handed over a small bouquet of flowers, a pink rose with some baby's breath, and a safety pin attached to the back.
Zhou Xingma's white dress was rather plain, but adding this flower made it instantly eye-catching.
"I love it, thank you so much." Zhou Xing's mother smiled, her eyes crinkling, completely losing her initial aloofness; she was simply a happy, beautiful woman who was loved by others.
"Sister-in-law, I just saw Bai Weiwei, it almost scared me to death," Tang Wenwen said mysteriously, pulling Qin Xiaoyu aside.
What did she do to you?
"You should ask her what happened to her." Tang Wenwen pulled Qin Xiaoyu behind the curtain and lifted it slightly to look into the audience.
There aren't many people here yet, and besides, Bai Weiwei always insists on sitting in the front row, so it's easy to find her.
"Where? I can't find it!" Qin Xiaoyu's eyes were sore from staring, but she still couldn't see Bai Weiwei's white dress.
"There it is, see it? Second row, middle."
Following the direction Tang Wenwen was pointing, Qin Xiaoyu gasped; she understood.
Bai Weiwei didn't just avoid wearing a white dress; she went completely out of style. Her wavy hair, dark circles, and the blue and red batwing-sleeved top paired with a black mini-skirt gave her a punk-girl look.
"I can't stand it anymore, it's an eyesore." Qin Xiaoyu dragged Tang Wenwen toward the dressing room.
"Why? Did she turn to the dark side because she was heartbroken?" Tang Wenwen was puzzled.
"It's all my fault, and it's a long story." Qin Xiaoyu had no choice but to recount how she met Bai Weiwei in the municipal party committee compound.
"Sister-in-law, you're so scary! I can't afford to offend you. You're terrifying, so scary!" Tang Wenwen grinned.
"If you offend me, I'll kill you!" Qin Xiaoyu twitched her nose fiercely, revealing her little tiger teeth.
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