Chen Ji looked up at him, his tone flat and without any inflection: "What's shameful about doing what you want to do? The process is more important than the result."
Xu Ruantang pursed her lips, unsurprised that Chen Ji would say that.
"Honey, just remember, I will stand in the audience applauding for you, and I will only be proud of you."
Chen Ji didn't know that his encouragement was really effective.
On the day of the cultural performance, the auditorium was bustling with people.
In the morning, Wang Feng called a meeting and rehearsal with everyone in the performing arts troupe. Li Shuhe approached Wang Feng privately and asked not to participate in the rehearsal.
Wang Feng agreed, but since the program was already scheduled, theirs was placed last.
Seeing that the two girls didn't dare to participate in the rehearsal, Jia Shuling became even more convinced that they were feeling guilty and afraid of embarrassing themselves twice.
She thought this was for the best, so that Director Wang Feng wouldn't be afraid of losing face for the cultural troupe and cancel it at the last minute.
If it's canceled, where will she go to see the joke?
In the afternoon, the members of the performing arts troupe began to put on makeup.
Li Shuhe took out the two team uniforms, which quickly attracted a crowd of onlookers.
Someone asked, "Shuhe, your costumes are so beautiful! They must have cost a lot of money!"
Li Shuhe said calmly, "It's alright, two items only cost about a month's salary for us."
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
"So expensive! That's enough for me to eat meat for months."
"More than that, our whole family only has thirty yuan a month for living expenses. Shuhe, I envy you so much, you don't have to earn money to support your family."
Most girls still bring their wages home to help support their families.
Xu Ruantang went to the restroom, and when she came back, Li Shuhe pulled her to sit down. "Come on, let me do your makeup."
"I don't need it, you can do your makeup." Xu Ruantang refused.
It's not that she dislikes makeup, but stage makeup is too exaggerated for her to accept.
Moreover, the current stage conditions are mediocre, and with the lights shining on their faces, the eyeshadow on the rehearsed performers' eyes looked so exaggerated that they looked like they had been beaten up.
Different times have different aesthetics, and she doesn't want to talk about others; she just won't wear makeup herself.
Li Shuhe didn't insist. "Okay, you look great even without makeup. If you wear makeup, I'll just become your foil."
Have you finished memorizing your speech?
Xu Ruantang's writing wasn't long, but he was afraid Li Shuhe wouldn't remember it.
Li Shuhe proudly raised her head, "Of course!"
They were the last to go on stage. Xu Ruantang had nothing to do, so she followed Ye Lan into the venue and sat down first.
It was her first time participating in such a cultural performance, and she wanted to enjoy it as well.
"Mom, aren't Grandma and the others coming?"
Ye Lan came alone; her grandmother, godmother, and even Tang Wan and Chen Zheng did not come.
"Grandma is getting old and says she doesn't like listening to these noisy things. Your sister-in-law has been vomiting every day lately, and your older brother is at home with her."
Ye Lan was also very happy, after all, today was a good day.
The military auditorium was crowded, but it was clear that military personnel and their families were seated separately.
They were all sitting upright, neatly arranged in green military uniforms.
Just as Chen Ji had said, the place was colorful and vibrant, and without exception, everyone's face was beaming with smiles.
Unlike in later generations, entertainment activities are scarce now, so people are very enthusiastic about participating in such activities.
Given Ye Lan's status, a seat in the front row was specially reserved for her.
She pulled Xu Ruantang down to sit, where there was tea and dried fruit in front of them.
Xu Ruantang turned around and found that these seats were only in the first row of the leaders' seats.
"Here, Ruan Tang, have some water."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law got along well. Ye Lan pulled Xu Ruantang aside and smiled, "When it's your turn later, Mom will be there to applaud you. Give it your best!"
Her family knew that she and Li Shuhe were going to perform together. It was Li's mother who told them, and most of the compound knew about it.
Speak of the devil, and he appears; Li Shuhe comes over arm in arm with her mother.
"Aunt Ye! Ruan Tang!"
Li Shuhe had already finished her makeup and was dressed in her performance costume. Seeing that Xu Ruantang was still wearing her usual clothes, she asked, "Ruantang, why haven't you changed your clothes yet?"
"I'll go change when it's our turn, otherwise it'll be inconvenient to go to the toilet."
She spoke casually, and Li's mother happily pulled her along, "Ruan Tang, give a good performance with Shu He later and bring honor to our military families!"
Li's mother is better preserved than Ye Lan. She is younger than Ye Lan and does not have the airs of a chief's wife.
Xu Ruantang finally understood why Li Shuhe was so outgoing and Li Shuyang was so humble and cheerful.
A good family atmosphere is still very important.
There were still a few seats left in the first row, and they were quickly filled.
Cheng Dan came with a middle-aged woman. The middle-aged woman was wearing clothes of good quality and was quite good-looking, but she had a fierce look on her face.
You can tell at a glance that this is not someone to be trifled with.
As soon as they sat down, Cheng Dan came over to greet Ye Lan and Li's mother, and then Jia Shuling came over, swaying her hips.
"Xiao Jia, are you performing first again this time?"
Jia Shuling laughed and said, "Yes, sister-in-law, you look really beautiful today. Among so many people, I noticed you from afar. Your radiance is truly undeniable."
Cheng's mother was very pleased with the praise. "It's all about clothes making the man. Look at my clothes, they were a gift from my son-in-law!"
Mentioning her son-in-law, Cheng's mother perked up and said loudly to Jia Shuling, "Those people from the Air Force compound are really different; their treatment is much better than ours!"
The fact that Lu Lei and Cheng Dan went on a blind date is now common knowledge.
Not to mention Ye Lan's dissatisfaction with the Cheng family, the Cheng family is also dissatisfied with the Chen family! Although it was his husband who introduced Chen Ji to his wife back then, who knew Chen Ji would come back!
Since he was able to come back, Chen Ji shouldn't have agreed to that marriage in the first place.
Cheng's mother deliberately showed off her current son-in-law, implying that her daughter wouldn't be unable to live without anyone!
Jia Shuling was quick to respond: "Really? He certainly has good taste, and he's very generous! Congratulations, sister-in-law! You must be having a wedding soon, right? Remember to invite me then."
Cheng's mother smiled so much her eyes almost disappeared, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepened. "Of course, we'll never forget our stage beauty! With my daughter's qualities, it's only right that she finds someone of equal social standing."
"It's only natural for a man to spend money on a woman. It's his good fortune that he spends money on me and my daughter."
Xu Ruantang couldn't understand how she could make such a statement so confidently and loudly.
Behind her sat rows and rows of family members, all staring at her.
Cheng Dan's expression was not good. She tugged at her mother's clothes and said, "Mom, please stop talking. Lu Lei and I are not even close to getting together yet."
"Dr. Cheng, are you engaged? Congratulations! Your mother finally has a son-in-law."
Since Mother Li was sitting closest to them, she naturally heard the entire conversation.
She genuinely believed that Cheng Dan was engaged, but that it wasn't a big affair, so no one knew. Therefore, she was the first to send her blessings.
"Aunt Li, that's not true, I'm not engaged."
Cheng Dan was anxious to explain; she didn't want to be misunderstood and have the story reach Chen Ji's ears—what would he think?
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