Chapter 239 Extortion and Signature: A Written Agreement!
Without Qin Xiangxiang's encouragement, Zhang Haiyan wouldn't have had the courage to learn to sing. Similarly, without Qin Xiangxiang, the factory manager and her own mother, her son Xiaopang's singing ability would never have been selected for the choir program—you know, even kindergartens have to hold auditions for their arts programs.
Qin Xiangxiang's decision was: go all in at once!
Qin Xiangxiang didn't care much about honors or anything like that; she preferred to be happy, relaxed, and enjoy her time.
In your spare time from a busy work schedule, be sure to learn to enjoy yourself, relax, and happily engage in cultural and recreational activities.
Humans are not like dung or cattle in a factory; they have their own joys and sorrows, and different life experiences.
The children are still young, so they should experience a variety of cultural and sports activities!
"Should all the factory workers' children sing a big chorus?"
"Of course, I heard that we can also go to the provincial capital to participate in the performance."
Will I be selected?
"If we can't get selected, we'll put on our own cultural performances at the factory! We've even designed new costumes for the choir—children's sailor outfits! They're really cute!"
...
Chen Muyun encouraged Zhang Haiyan to lead the other children of factory workers in practicing choral singing. At first, Zhang Haiyan was a little hesitant to speak, but she gradually developed the demeanor of a leader and led everyone in practicing songs together.
Some of the factory workers' children were mischievous, so she asked Sui Sui to manage discipline.
Sui Sui: "Me?"
"Sui Sui, you are the discipline monitor of our choir!"
Sui Sui: "?!"
Li Xiaopang: "..." Zhang Haiyan is stupid, isn't she? With his chubby brother around, she actually let Sui Sui manage discipline.
What can this little brat Sui Sui do?
Sui Sui yawned, then perked up and shouted, "Brother, you can't disobey me!"
Li Xiaopang: "..."
Zhang Haiyan's choice to make Sui Sui the discipline committee member was brilliant. Sui Sui was young, a pretty and cute girl, had an older brother by her side, and her mother was the factory director. Even the naughty children wouldn't dare to bully or provoke her.
So this little tassel can act like a crab among the children.
"Sui Sui, have everyone stand in line so we can practice singing together."
"No slacking off, no gossiping!"
...
Qin Xiang came to see them rehearsing their chorus performance and exclaimed, "They're actually doing quite well!"
Yang Zhixia laughed and said, "This is a great idea. The employees and their parents are overjoyed. When the children go to sing practice, they are less mischievous and come home clean and tidy."
“That Sun Xiaoxiang, his pants used to be always tattered and he loved to roll around on the ground, but now he’s much neater.”
Yang Zhixia is the chairman of the trade union and often listens to the voices of grassroots workers. Parents are happy to see the rehearsal activities.
Yang Zhixia: "The union will provide some more benefits, so the children won't sing for nothing. They'll give them some free snacks, like shrimp chips, rice crackers, and seaweed..."
“These are too dry. The children are singing, so we can’t let them eat too much of these; they’re bad for their voices.” Qin Xiangxiang felt that some perks should be given. “How about this, next time the factory supplies cream cakes, we’ll buy more milk and give it to the children.”
"Drink more milk to nourish your body. I heard that drinking more milk can help you get calcium and grow taller."
"Okay, then let's drink milk... but many children don't like to drink milk."
Qin Xiangxiang said, "Add a little sugar to the milk to make sweet milk."
Yang Zhixia: "Okay."
Qin thought for a moment: "Why don't we make more cream and add it to the milk?"
Yang Zhixia: "Huh?"
She was somewhat tempted to try this cloyingly greasy way of eating.
"Add water and sugar to the milk, and then put milk foam on top. Kids should like it. Adding a little water can also reduce the milky smell."
When Li Xiaopang learned that sweet milk was to be provided to the children in the choir, he raised his hand and said he wanted to make his own "milk tea".
Li Xiaopang: "This is the milk tea recipe I learned from my dad. My dad is a veteran of the navy for over ten years!"
Qin Xiangxiang was speechless, thinking to herself, "What does this have to do with your father being a veteran of the navy for over ten years?"
Your father was a veteran of the navy for over ten years; he even cut open the gallbladder of fish before killing them.
"My father was also a veteran of the navy for more than ten years."
"My dad is the same, he just can't make milk tea!"
Li Xiaopang: "...My dad is different from your dads, I'll make milk tea for you!"
Li Xiaopang and his father Li Jianzhi are like-minded and like to cook "food" to amuse people.
When Li Xiaopang was making milk tea, he suddenly added sugar and cream, which stunned all the other children.
"Little Fatty, Brother Li Qingfeng put in so much sugar and so much cream!"
"I wish Little Fatty was my real brother."
"I'm so envious of Sui Sui, having a brother like that..."
...
Li Xiaopang confidently poured himself a cup of homemade milk tea and asked the lead singer Zhang Haiyan to try it first, saying, "You're the team leader, so you should try my cooking first."
Zhang Haiyan was stunned. Milk tea with so much sugar and cream! Such a precious thing was given to her first?
Zhang Haiyan took the cup of milk tea, deeply moved. She took a sip and was captivated by its rich milky aroma and sweetness; it was the best drink she had ever tasted in her life.
Even many years later, when Zhang Haiyan became a renowned soprano singer both at home and abroad, what she could never forget was that cup of rich and fragrant milk tea from her childhood.
The legend of the mysterious Chef Li has been circulating among the people.
"It's so delicious!"
Li Xiaopang said smugly, "Is it delicious? Little sister, here's another one for you..."
The children were happily drinking milk tea and sweet milk. Chen Muyun came over to take a look, tasted the sweet milk, and also tried the milk tea... as well as a lethal dose of creamy sweet milk tea for Xiaopang.
Chen Muyun said to Zhang Haiyan, "To protect your voice, you can't drink too much sweet stuff. From now on, try to only drink plain water, and warm water at that. Don't drink anything that's too hot..."
Zhang Haiyan nodded seriously.
Chen Muyun laughed: "It's fine to drink once or twice a year, but it's best not to let yourself go."
Zhang Haiyan nodded vigorously, "I won't drink it anymore!"
Zhang Haiyan listened attentively to Chen Muyun's words, and from then on, that cup of sweet milk tea became the unforgettable white moonlight in her dreams.
Upon hearing Chen Muyun's words, Li Xiaopang thought to himself: Singing is too troublesome.
Singing is still the best! A real man should be like a soldier in the army, singing by shouting!
“Singing in the army can improve discipline, morale and cohesion. But singing like my mom, with all those sighs and yawns, would not only fail to improve discipline, but would also put my sister and me to sleep.”
Master Lu Suxin of Feiyan Textile Factory loved Chen Muyun's singing voice. She personally made a kesi peacock performance costume for Chen Muyun. The costume was so beautiful that Qin Xiangxiang drooled.
"Master, I am your apprentice, but you have never made such beautiful clothes for me!"
Lu Suxin smiled and scolded, "Now you're calling me 'Master'? You're not going on stage, why would I make you pretty clothes? Are you going to participate in the arts festival too? You're not an actor, you don't deserve to wear pretty clothes."
"If you, the factory manager, want to put on a solo dance performance yourself, then fine, the master will make your costume by hand!"
"Master, you promised to make me clothes, right?" Qin Xiangxiang immediately took advantage of the situation: "Master, if cultural restrictions are lifted in the future, I mean, if everyone can wear cheongsams and suits again... then you can make me a few beautiful outfits yourself."
Lu Suxin quickly said, "You can't just say things like that."
"In another year or two, I estimate that stores in Shanghai will start selling cheongsams again. Things are different now."
Qin Xiangxiang said, "If the store starts selling cheongsams again, then Master Lu, you have to make me ten beautiful outfits."
Lu Suxin: "??????!!! Ten sets?!"
Qin Xiangxiang shamelessly made a small but firm demand. Normal people would ask for one set, or a hundred sets, but Qin Xiangxiang asked for ten or eight sets, not following the usual path.
Qin Xiangxiang coaxed, "Since you don't believe the store sells cheongsams anyway, just agree, swear that if the store sells cheongsams, you will personally make ten beautiful outfits for Qin Xiangxiang."
"I've allocated five sets of Suzhou embroidery and five sets of kesi (silk tapestry) for you!"
Lu Suxin snorted: "Fine, I agree, but I can't let you get too arrogant."
Qin Xiangxiang: "Sign and draw up a written agreement!"
Lu Suxin: "..."
After receiving the promise, Qin Xiang was satisfied and planned to extort another sum of money from him later!
During the local National Day cultural performance, Zhang Haiyan led all the children of the factory workers in a song. Their loud voices resounded throughout the auditorium. The children's costumes were beautiful, and their embroidered bow ties shimmered under the lights, stunning the entire audience.
Leaders from the Provincial Party Committee's Publicity Department were present and immediately identified Zhang Haiyan as a key talent for the Provincial Arts and Literature Propaganda Team, specially recruiting her to the local children's music troupe for formal training.
The children's performance won second prize.
Qin Xiangxiang said happily, "This is an honor that all the children in the factory have earned through their joint efforts!"
The other parents of the workers' children were also beaming with joy. Even after these children grew up, when the factory workers talked about those days, they still said:
"My child won an award in a provincial performance back in the day!"
...
Back home, Comrade Li Xiaopang proudly declared to his younger sister Suisui, "I won an award in a choral performance!"
Li Xiaopang, beaming with pride at the dinner table, declared: "I, Comrade Li Qingfeng, have won singing awards since I was a child, and my cooking has moved the shipping magnate of Hong Kong to tears and earned praise from actress Chen Wen! My good friend Xiao Huang, the future painter, also loves my cooking!"
"Dad, I'm only ten years old, but I'm worth thirty years of your hard work!"
Li Jianzhi: "..."
Qin Xiangxiang: "..."
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