That night, Jiang Wanyue painted a picture using a kerosene lamp.
After finishing the painting, she put it away carefully, and would find a chance to send them out together after she had painted a few more.
The next day, before going to work, Jiang Wanyue went to her mother-in-law's house.
Zhou Xiugui was cooking breakfast, black flour porridge with sweet potatoes, and eating it with her former father-in-law Song Dahai in the main room.
"Why are you here so early?" Zhou Xiugui stood up. "Would you like to eat something?"
"No, I'm making them at home." Jiang Wanyue took out three sweaters and said, "This is the sweater that a kind person gave Yingzi when I went to the county yesterday. I would like to ask you to alter it according to Yingzi's size."
Zhou Xiugui took the sweater and said, "This sweater doesn't have any patches on it, but they just gave it to you. They are really good people. Next time you go to the county town, pick some cabbage and eggplant from the fields and give them to them... Forget it, don't go to the county town all the time. It costs 60 cents to go back and forth, and no one's money comes from the wind."
Jiang Wanyue quickly interrupted her chattering: "Mom, I also want to ask, do you have any cotton here?"
"Yes, but it's reserved for Daya's wedding dowry." Zhou Xiugui said, "What do you want the cotton for?"
Daya is the eldest daughter of Hu Zhaodi, the second wife of the Song family. She is fifteen years old this year. In the countryside, girls of this age should start dating and getting married.
In those days, the bride's dowry was always quilts. Although cotton was grown in rural areas, it was a planned commodity and each person received very little. The little cotton that the Song family got was kept by Zhou Xiugui, who planned to use it to make quilts when Daya got married.
"I just need a little bit." Jiang Wanyue coughed and said, "Hua Zi snores when he sleeps, and I can't sleep well. I want to plug my ears with cotton."
Zhou Xiugui: “…”
The old lady came out of the house cursing and took out a small ball of snow-white cotton.
"Thank you, mother." Jiang Wanyue licked her face and continued, "There is one more thing. It is getting colder and colder. Several children are still wearing straw sandals, and I don't know how to make cloth shoes. Can I ask mother..."
"Alright, alright!" Zhou Xiugui said impatiently, "I made all the shoes for Huaizhi and the other two. I'll send them over when they're done. We're about to start work, so go get busy."
Jiang Wanyue thanked him again.
Although the original mother-in-law was tough in words, she was actually very soft-hearted. Look, she asked her mother-in-law to do three things, and she got them all done.
When they returned home, Song Huaizhi had already prepared breakfast, an egg and a white flour pancake for each person. After eating, they went about their own business.
After Jiang Wanyue put the cotton in the treasure bowl, she took her books and equipment and went to school.
She had music class today, so she specially collected seven bowls of different sizes from home. Because the materials and sizes were different, she had to slowly adjust them.
There were five classes taking music class together. The children carried their own benches to the playground and sat down according to their classes.
Jiang Wanyue asked the older children in the fifth grade to help place seven bowls of water on the podium, and also found a loudspeaker from the school warehouse.
"Hello, students. I am Teacher Jiang. Today is the first music class since the establishment of our school." She stood on the stage and said in a gentle voice, "The music we understand is singing. Yes, singing is a kind of music, but it is not just singing. All the sounds in nature, when arranged in an orderly combination, form music. Now, let's feel it."
She picked up a pair of chopsticks and tapped the edge of the bowl lightly, making a crisp sound.
Then I knocked on another bowl, the sound was equally crisp, but slightly different.
She quickened her movements, her staccato syllables becoming rhythmic and a melody, a song familiar to all of them.
"National Anthem! It's the national anthem!" Song Shitou shouted, "Teacher Jiang is amazing! He played the national anthem with a bowl!"
Jiang Wanyue put down her chopsticks and said with a smile: "Fill the bowl with water. This is the simplest musical instrument. Musical instruments can make music more beautiful."
A child asked: "What if there is no bowl and no water?"
Jiang Wanyue casually picked a leaf from the tree, wiped it with her sleeve, and put it to her lips. Soon, a familiar melody sounded.
She gestured.
All the students below immediately sang along with the music.
"stand up……"
"We are united..."
Most students only know the melody and are not clear about the specific lyrics, but that does not prevent them from singing along.
The national anthem resounded throughout the entire campus, making Jiang Wanyue's heart surge.
"In the first music class, we will learn the March of the Volunteers." Jiang Wanyue officially entered the classroom, "I will sing a line, and everyone will follow."
Halfway through the music class, it suddenly started raining.
It was drizzling, but the students were reluctant to leave. They sang loudly in the rain, singing the song that was engraved in their bones.
"Okay, that's all for today's class." Jiang Wanyue ended the get out of class ten minutes early. "Before the rain gets too heavy, everyone should hurry back to the classroom, put away your books, and go home."
When it started raining heavily outside, it started to drizzle in the classroom.
It was leaking here and there, and the ground was all wet.
Jiang Wanyue sighed.
The autumn rain is continuous. If it rains for a month, classes will have to be suspended for a month. No wonder the school has the lowest admission rate every year.
This is not a good thing.
Principal Zheng saw her worry and said, "Don't worry, Xiao Jiang. I have almost collected all the thatch. We can re-lay the roof when the weather is good."
Jiang Wanyue shook her head.
The principal is a cultured person. If we ask him to lay the roof, it will probably still leak. If we hire someone to do it, it will cost money, and the school has no money at all.
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