Chapter 245: Appreciation Performance

Nearing noon, Wei Shuan and his two sons returned home, beaming as they carried a two-pound wild pheasant.

The moment they walked in, Wei Qing eagerly greeted the three of them. “Uncle, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, you’re back! Let me take the pheasant. There’s some freshly prepared rice water on the table. Go ahead and have some; the meal will be ready soon.”

Wei Qing’s sudden solicitousness left Wei Shuan and his two sons feeling both surprised and flattered.

This was especially true for the two brothers, Wei Guojun and Wei Guoliang.

In the past, Wei Qing wouldn’t even give them the time of day, but today, she was acting like a completely different person.

Liu Sufen called the father and sons into the main hall and recounted everything Wei Qing had said when she had knelt and kowtowed to her.

As for Wei Qing staying with them temporarily, Wei Shuan had no objections. Feeding one more mouth wasn’t a huge burden.

And if Wei Qing actually managed to get into a university, it would bring great honor to the Wei Family.

Besides, Wei Qing was Li Hongying’s only biological daughter; she couldn’t possibly abandon her completely.

By taking Wei Qing in, they would be putting Li Hongying in their debt.

Li Hongying’s husband was now a government official, and there was no telling when he might be able to help their family in the future.

The eldest cousin-in-law, Bai Chunyan, and Wei Shan also had no objections.

With Wei Qing around, it was like having a free laborer in the house, meaning they wouldn’t have to do any more chores.

As for the brothers, Wei Guojun and Wei Guoliang, they had even less reason to object.

And just like that, Wei Qing was accepted by the Wei Family.

Early one morning, after breakfast, Wei Shan was happily combing her hair in front of the mirror.

It was market day in town, and she’d made plans with others from her village to go and see if there was anything new and interesting for sale.

Her wedding to Zhao Jingyang was set for next month, so lately, she had been running off to town whenever she had a spare moment.

Part of it was to shop for her dowry, and the other part was to get a taste of city life.

City people lived in multi-story buildings, drank running water, cooked with coal, and never had to work in the fields. If they needed something, they could just go to the street and buy it.

The thought that she would soon be living such a wonderful life made her dizzy with happiness.

“Xiao Shan, here, you can have this.”

Staring at the object in Wei Qing’s hand, Wei Shan’s eyes immediately lit up.

Lipstick!

She had seen it on the counter at the town’s supply and marketing co-op, but she couldn’t afford it.

“I bought it a while ago and have only used it once or twice,” Wei Qing said. “I won’t need it anymore, so it’s just a waste to let it sit here.”

Hearing this, Wei Shan took the lipstick, removed the cap, twisted up the stick of rich, red color, and began applying it to her lips in front of the mirror.

After she finished, she admired the vibrant, luscious color of her lips in the mirror and said to Wei Qing with satisfaction,

“Then I’ll gladly accept.”

Wei Qing smiled, her gaze falling on the two thick braids resting on Wei Shan’s chest. “All the young women in the city are cutting their hair short these days. It gives them a more spirited look.”

Wei Shan, who was desperate to be more like a city woman, heard this and curiously asked what kind of short hairstyles were in fashion.

Wei Qing said, “As it happens, I need a haircut too. Why don’t I go to the market with you?”

Wei Shan agreed.

When they arrived at the hair salon in town, Wei Qing went first.

After it was done, Wei Shan thought it looked wonderful, so she got the exact same short haircut.

The two were cousins and already bore a slight resemblance to each other, not to mention they were about the same height. With identical short haircuts, that slight resemblance became much more striking. Anyone who didn’t know them might have even mistaken them for twins.

After their haircuts, they went to the market, where Wei Qing gave Wei Shan pointers on how young city women styled themselves.

Wei Shan learned a great deal and, as a result, gradually grew closer to and more trusting of Wei Qing.

When Wei Qing occasionally feigned curiosity and asked about her and Zhao Jingyang, Wei Shan was more than happy to share the details.

Each time, Wei Qing would respond with a tone of immense envy, praising Wei Shan for being so lucky and blessed, which never failed to satisfy her vanity.

…

In the blink of an eye, the day arrived for the arts troupe to leave on their goodwill performance tour.

Their destination this time was the Sichuan-Shaanxi Revolutionary Area.

In addition to the arts troupe, Lu Deyao, as the representative of the military district, would also be leading a group on the trip.

The tour was scheduled to last a month, and An Hui had packed plenty of warm clothes and essential medicines for both her father-in-law and husband.

After a train ride of over six hours, the group arrived smoothly at the first stop on their tour—Baston City.

After a two-day rest, the arts troupe held its premiere variety show at the Baston City Theater.

The short dance drama created by Jiang Moli, “Chasing Dreams,” was also on the program.

It was also the premiere performance of “Chasing Dreams.”

Jiang Moli stood in the audience, watching her own creation come to life on stage, feeling a mixture of pride and melancholy.

‘As the mission progress bar keeps rising, the countdown to my departure has begun.’

‘After I disappear from this world completely, when people watch ‘Chasing Dreams’ in the future, will they remember that someone like me ever existed?’

Lost in thought, Jiang Moli summoned her system. “After I leave this world, will all memories of me be erased?”

“They will not.”

“Then will I just vanish into thin air, or will I leave in some other way?”

“The host may choose a method to cover your departure from the world, such as a disappearance, a natural disaster, or something similar.”

“Oh, I see. In that case, can I choose to ascend right here and now? You know, a seven-colored holy light descends from the sky, and I ride it up to become an immortal in front of everybody. Yeah, something like that.”

System: “…”

The performance was a great success.

In the afternoon, the local reception office hosted a banquet in a government cafeteria to welcome the arts troupe and the military district’s goodwill delegation led by Lu Deyao.

They were scheduled to depart for Tong County early the next morning.

After dinner, some members of the arts troupe decided to go for a walk, and Jiang Moli joined them.

Baston City had quite a few local specialties. Jiang Moli picked out and bought several items, planning to mail them home from the post office the next morning.

Back at the guesthouse, she had barely sat down when someone came with a message, telling her to go to Yang Lijiong’s room.

When she arrived at Yang Lijiong’s room, she found Fan Qiuyun was there as well.

Yang Lijiong got straight to the point. “We’ve received a number of public complaints and calls for a boycott regarding ‘Chasing Dreams.’ The higher-ups have decided to suspend all subsequent performances.”

Fan Qiuyun didn’t understand. “Why? What’s wrong with the piece?”

Yang Lijiong looked at Jiang Moli and explained, “The message from the higher-ups is that the spirit promoted in ‘Chasing Dreams’ doesn’t align with the dominant ideology and has the potential to negatively impact family harmony and social stability.”

Faced with this outcome, Jiang Moli felt a profound sense of helplessness for the first time.

‘The core idea of “Chasing Dreams” was to call on modern women to be independent and self-reliant, to break free from the shackles of traditional thinking.’

‘But in the current social climate, a woman’s value was seen to lie in getting married, bearing children, and taking care of the household. The ideal woman was a virtuous wife and a good mother.’

‘Even if a woman had a job, she was expected to be content with her station, prioritize her family and marriage, and not make a spectacle of herself in public.’

‘The shackles that had bound women for millennia were not something an ordinary person like her could challenge and overturn alone.’

After delivering the news, Yang Lijiong told them to return to their rooms and get some rest.

Even though “Chasing Dreams” was canceled, the goodwill tour had to go on.

Jiang Moli went back to her room, packed some of the sesame cakes she’d bought, hid a bottle of Harbor Malt in her clothes, and slipped out the door.