She couldn't compete with the amateurs, nor could she compete with the professionals. Deng Wei lost the energy to continue her antics and didn't cause any more trouble along the way.
A few hours later, they returned to the city. As soon as they got off the bus, Zhou Jianguo couldn't help but glance at the female soldiers' bus. Knowing Deng Wei's arrogance, he figured that if he asked her directly, it would be embarrassing for her, so he asked other people instead.
Upon learning that the singer was Battalion Commander Shen's wife, he fell silent. After much internal struggle, he still hesitated before walking towards the woman.
It was one thing to wrongly accuse her in the provincial capital, but it was another to cherish her talent. He was a man of principle, able to bend and stretch, and for the sake of such a rare talent, he was willing to lower himself to invite her.
Not far away, Shen Ying saw him walking this way and instinctively shielded Jiang Yu behind him. He didn't know Zhou Jianguo's purpose in coming here, and the best course of action for now was to stay away from him, as nothing good could come of it.
"Battalion Commander Shen, your vehicle was quite lively on the way here! I heard that your wife sang 'Night at the Military Port,' which is quite unexpected. Her voice is even more expressive than yours; she must love music very much too, right?"
Zhou Jianguo started by showering the man with compliments, leaving him completely bewildered. Could it be that he heard about Deng Wei's near-fainting from anger and came here to seek justice for her?
"Here's what I'm thinking: would you like your spouse to consider joining the performing arts troupe? I'll apply to the leaders, and they'll definitely approve it. If he really enlists, it'll be much better than staying home making clothes."
On the one hand, you two won't have to be separated anymore; on the other hand, the military offers good benefits, and the cultural troupe isn't as strenuous. Isn't this a kind of secure job?
Worried that Jiang Yu might disagree, he deliberately explained the benefits very clearly, urging her to think it over. They still have two children, don't they? How proud would all the other kids be to know that their parents are soldiers!
"Thank you for your kindness, but it's not necessary."
Jiang Yu was taken aback at first when she heard his offer, then refused decisively. A clothing store was so much better; she could do whatever she wanted without having to worry about much. The performing arts troupe... just Deng Wei alone was enough to keep her busy, not to mention Yuan Shuhui—she'd need to scheme eight hundred times a day. Just thinking about it was exhausting.
"Comrade, there's no need to answer me so quickly. Think about it again. Waiting three to five months is not a problem."
It was clear that Zhou Jianguo's persuasion was sincere, so Jiang Yu didn't say anything more. It would be the same sooner or later anyway; since he was willing to hold onto a sliver of hope, there was no need to reject him so decisively.
Zhou Jianguo felt there was a chance, his wrinkles smoothed out, and he said with a smile that he had other things to take care of and would wait for her message anytime.
Neither of them spoke on the way to the bus stop. Shen Ying felt that what Commander Zhou said seemed to make some sense; if she and Deng Wei became comrades-in-arms, their relationship probably wouldn't be as tense as it was now. Of course, this ultimately depended on Jiang Yu's wishes.
In short, whatever choice she makes, he will support her.
"I will not go to the performing arts troupe."
Jiang Yu seemed to have guessed what the man was thinking and stated her choice. Joining the army was certainly a good thing, but she also needed to consider future trends. If life were still like it was in the 1940s and 50s, she would be willing, but in today's society, making money, buying a house, and investing were the only priorities; everything else was out of the question.
"good."
Shen Ying's response was extremely gentle, which surprised the woman. She had thought he would ask her to reconsider, since such opportunities didn't come around often. Unexpectedly, he showed no intention of trying to persuade her.
Once on the bus, the two fell silent again. It wasn't until they got off that Shen Ying couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering her.
"Jiang Yu, when did you start learning to sing? Or did you already know how, but just didn't want me to know?"
The wind wasn't strong today, but after hearing his question, Jiang Yu felt a chill run down her spine. She hadn't expected him to ask so quickly, but before her mind could even process it, he had already blurted it out.
She went through it in her mind, and after thinking for a while, she came up with a reason:
“When I was little, my family was poor, and because I was a girl, no one in my family could send me to school. I envied my peers in the village who talked about the knowledge they learned at school every day. So I would secretly listen to the teacher’s lectures at the school gate while I was cutting grass.”
Jiang Yu explained frankly, not seeming to be lying. Shen Ying believed her and even felt a pang of pity for her. If her family had been wealthy enough to send her to school from a young age, Jiang Yu probably wouldn't be the way she is now, would she?
But then I thought, given Jiang Chun's preference for sons over daughters, even if he were the emperor, he would only exploit his own daughter.
The two chatted casually for a while and had already reached the edge of the village. Thanks to the villagers' timely action and the warmer weather in the past two days, the snow in the village had mostly melted.
The villagers who were passing by greeted the two of them and were incredibly envious when they learned that they had returned from the provincial capital.
As Jiang Yu passed by Zhang Xinhua's house, unsurprisingly, she heard arguing again. She deliberately slowed down and listened for a few moments. It seemed that Shen Daqiang wanted to divorce her and expose all of that woman's actions to her family.
"Shen Daqiang, you heartless bastard! I've been with you for so many years, and I've never run off with anyone else because you're useless. I even gave you a son. And yet, you get tired of me and want to kick me out. You heartless bastard, no one will have a good life with you."
Zhang Xinhua's cursing echoed through the house, but the neighbors seemed used to it and no one came out to stop the fight. A short while later, the house erupted in a cacophony of crashing pots and pans, mingled with the sounds of fighting—it was quite a scene.
"Jiang Yu, let's go home."
Shen Ying reminded her not to linger in front of their house, or she would be smeared by that shrew Zhang Xinhua again. Jiang Yu nodded and jogged to keep up with the man.
Hearing a noise outside, Shen Niannian ran out quickly. Sure enough, it was her parents. She playfully said to Shen Niannian:
"See, I guessed right, didn't I?"
Upon hearing Shen Niannian's words, Zhao Meiyun and Shen Wan quickly came out to greet them. As they entered the house, they asked the two if they were settling in comfortably.
At first glance, it's clear that this long trip indicates their relationship has become quite special.
After dinner, Zhao Meiyun took the two children out, while Shen Ying dealt with the foundation of the north house and pondered what to do next.
The two women, an aunt and a sister-in-law, sat on the bed and talked about the clothing store.
"Sister-in-law, I took some time to go to the store these past two days and ran into Su Yujing, the eldest son of the Su family. He asked you to help design two suits."
Just then, Shen Ying walked in from outside. Upon hearing a man's name, or that some young master was looking for Jiang Yu, he immediately became restless.
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