Chapter 13 Performance Program

Xia Xiao had not expected, when she entered the space the next day, that her joy at seeing the chicks grow quickly after being fed spring water mixed with bran would be short-lived. Her dismay was palpable when she discovered that the chicks had almost destroyed her sweet potato seedlings.

She was counting on those sweet potato seedlings, and their potential harvest caused her great concern.

Left with no choice, Xia Xiao had to go to the county town again to buy a large chicken cage and some woven bamboo pieces to erect a barrier within the space, enclosing the chicks. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

Due to the proximity of the Spring Festival, the county also organized cultural festival events including a chorus, solo singing, dance, lion dancing, and acrobatics, which members of the production team participated in.

However, these events had nothing to do with Xia Xiao. The original owner of her body had not participated, but Yang Xuehua and others joined in the choir and danced the "Loyal Dance," earning second and third place awards at the county level, much to the delight of the Guangming Production Team.

It's worth noting that there were quite a few production teams in a county, so for Guangming Production Team to take home second and third place awards was indeed a cause for celebration.

During the New Year's Eve performance at the team, aside from the acts that won in the county competition, there were impromptu performances, with everyone given the opportunity to perform on stage.

Back at the dormitory, everyone was humming tunes, preparing to sing a chorus at the production team's annual celebration. They couldn't be outdone by other dormitories. Now Xia Xiao could not abstain from participating; even the usually aloof Sun Yuhua was joining in the group activities. Xia Xiao, now eager to integrate with the group and foster good relationships, had to join in as well.

At that moment, Xia Xiao listened to them sing several revolutionary songs and "Nine-Nine Sunny Days" among others, and couldn't help but touch her throat, feeling a bit challenged.

Xia Xiao had learned these songs back in elementary and middle school, but had hardly sung them as she grew older, and had even forgotten most of them. Seeing Yang Xuehua and the others picking out songs, Xia Xiao hurriedly suggested, "How about 'Listen to Mother's Stories of the Past'?"

At least she was more familiar with this song, having listened to it often as she grew up, and having participated in a singing competition in college with a substantial prize. It was this very song with which she had won a second-place prize.

"Xia Xiao, why don't you sing it for us to hear?" Yang Xuehua suggested.

The others chimed in, "Yeah, we haven't really heard Xia Xiao sing before."

Holding Yang Xuehua's songbook, Xia Xiao looked at the lyrics of "Listen to Mother's Stories of the Past" and began to hum softly.

There came a round of applause. Yang Xuehua and Wang Aihua clapped their hands, "Not bad, Xia Xiao's voice is sweet and clear, very pleasant to hear."

"Xia Xiao, sing this one now," Yang Xuehua flipped to "Let's Row the Oars" and asked Xia Xiao to give it a try.

Speechless, Xia Xiao still found the song easy, having sung it often during her childhood. So she started to sing in a light and airy manner.

Dong Meihua made a sour comment, "Who knew that Xia Xiao had such a great voice? She's been hiding it all this time. If she had entered the county competition, she might have won another prize for the production team."

Women tend to compare with each other, and Xia Xiao wasn't surprised. The prettiest girl in the dormitory was Sun Yuhua, whose beauty was striking at first sight. However, Sun Yuhua was distant and not easy to approach.

Moreover, judging by Sun Yuhua's demeanor, Xia Xiao surmised that she came from a good family background, though the specifics of what her parents did for a living remained unknown as Sun Yuhua did not share, and nobody asked.

Yang Xuehua was graceful and shared no less of a presence when standing next to Sun Yuhua. This was also due to Yang Xuehua's parents being university professors and her being recognized as a talent herself, always exuding an academic aura. Yet Xia Xiao couldn't help but worry about Yang Xuehua; in six years, a tumultuous period was approaching, a time when being a professor or teacher would be precarious.

Xia Xiao also recalled, from the original owner's memories, that the former owner's maternal aunt was a teacher, too.

Xia Xiao knew she mustn't intervene; if she spoke out about these sensitive issues before anything had happened, people would think she was crazy. She certainly wasn't foolish enough to divulge such sensitive matters.

Wang Aihua, though of average appearance, had a strong presence and was always spirited. In the dormitory, everyone respected her and at the Youth Point, young as she was, Wang Aihua also held the position of a team leader.

As for Feng Ying, she was attractive but rather reserved, unlike Sun Yuhua's overt pride. Xia Xiao sensed a bit of an inferiority complex in Feng Ying.

While Dong Meihua was on the plumper side, her features were quite good. If she lost weight, she would undoubtedly be a great beauty, no less stunning than Sun Yuhua.

However, Dong Meihua tended to be calculating and slightly petty, which Xia Xiao noticed. Whenever Xia Xiao did better than Dong Meihua or received more attention, Dong Meihua seemed displeased.

Aside from this, Dong Meihua was a cheerful and helpful big sister.

Nobody's perfect, and Xia Xiao did not dismiss someone based on their flaws. All things considered, she was quite fond of her roommates. Although they had occasional disputes, there were many endearing aspects.

"No way, I can't compare to Meihua." Xia Xiao's response wasn't out of modesty, as Dong Meihua did indeed possess a good singing voice, especially when it came to folk songs.

Sun Yuhua also had a fine voice, though hers was high-pitched and shrill, likely an indication of her having studied operatic singing.

Besides the team events, Yang Xuehua, Wang Aihua, and Feng Ying were rehearsing a drama with the members of the Youth Point.

Having decided on their performances, they began their rehearsals.

"Hey, have you heard? Li Shengmei's two sons have returned, and they're quite the lookers," Dong Meihua said.

The roommates began to gossip about Li Shengmei's two sons, but Xia Xiao lost interest upon hearing Li Shengmei's name, so she paid little attention to the conversations about her sons.

"I heard that if you marry a soldier, you can follow him and relocate. Didn't Liang Lili marry a soldier last year? She's already moved with him and no longer has to work at the production team," Dong Meihua noted.

At this, several of the girls became intrigued. They were all young and beautiful and none of them relished the prospect of laboring in the fields until their looks faded.

Though military life was not necessarily easy, it still seemed preferable to the hard labor of reclaiming land and farming, at least in their eyes.

Even Xia Xiao was tempted by such thoughts. Though young now, marrying a soldier could offer her a life far from the drudgery of the production team, without having to endure it for eighteen or nineteen years.

But as for Li Shengmei's sons, Xia Xiao shook her head at the thought of such a domineering mother-in-law.

Due to Li Shengmei's sons returning home for the New Year, female youth at the Youth Point were abuzz, praising the good looks of Li Shengmei's sons and even comparing them with Zheng Xianghong's.

Xia Xiao hadn't seen them and therefore couldn't comment, but her disinterest in Li Shengmei extended to these matters as well.