The mother of the era is reborn to support her cannon fodder children!

Chapter 390 "What kind of talent is she?"

Xie Baiwei walked uncontrollably toward Lin Zhao, without even glancing at Gu Chenghuai, who had unwittingly helped her a few years ago, causing her to lose her girlish heart.

She looked at Lin Zhao with a generous and appropriate smile on her face, "Comrade, my name is Xie Baiwei, and I am a dancer in the cultural troupe."

Lin Zhao asked in surprise, "Hello, my name is Lin Zhao, I'm just an ordinary military wife. Is there something you need?"

Xie Baiwei gazed at her, her eyes full of admiration.

Up close, this face is also outstanding, so beautiful. If she were on stage, she would be dazzling. Winning a big award would be just around the corner, wouldn't it?
Are you interested in joining the performing arts troupe?

Su Jingqiu: "..."

Calm down. This is against the rules. Even if your aunt is the head of the performing arts troupe, she still has to follow the rules.

Lin Zhao was surprised and inexplicably felt a sense of exhilaration, as if she had been discovered by a talent scout.

"I can't dance, and I have no talent for singing. Am I supposed to join the performing arts troupe as a handyman?"

"Of course not." Xie Baiwei frowned. "With your qualifications, it would be a waste of talent for you to do menial tasks."

Lin Zhao: ...What kind of talent is she?
Xie Baiwei replied, "Dancing? Everyone starts from scratch. With your talent, you can definitely do it."

"..." Lin Zhao was both amused and exasperated.

"Thank you." She didn't take it seriously; it was obviously just something the girl said casually. Anyone who took it seriously was a fool.

Xie Baiwei knew that Lin Zhao didn't take it to heart, so she pressed her advantage and said, "Comrade Lin Zhao, I'd like to invite you to watch our rehearsal. Would you like to come and take a look?"

Lin Zhao was surprised by the enthusiasm of the girls in the cultural troupe. Looking at their bright eyes, she nodded and said, "If it's not a bother, I will."

Xie Baiwei stepped forward and took Lin Zhao's hand. Her palm was warm and smooth, like a piece of gentle jade. She paused slightly, her smile widening as she stared at Lin Zhao as if she were looking at a treasure.

"Then it's settled. I'll wait for you."

"...Okay." What a warm and welcoming girl.

Since she has nothing else to do, she'll go.

Gu Chenghuai stared at his wife's hand being held, frowning. What a woman with no sense of boundaries, getting handsy like that...

After they finished speaking, he put his arm around Lin Zhao's shoulder and led her away, closing the courtyard gate behind him.

Xie Baiwei frowned, her tone full of frustration, "He's so fierce. I hope he doesn't bully Comrade Lin Zhao? Sister Lin is so gentle; even a slightly loud voice would scare her to tears. It's a pity I only just met her, otherwise..."

Su Jingqiu: ...Don't go too far.

These people who are obsessed with looks... I've had enough.

She gently pinched the bridge of her nose. No wonder Commander Xie went to great lengths to recruit her and put so much effort into training her, making her resonate with Bai Wei. All she had to do was keep an eye on Bai Wei. It turned out... this guy was a bit unreliable.

"Let's go back." Su Jingqiu said with a blank face.

Xie Baiwei followed beside her.

After walking quite a distance, I burst out laughing.

Su Jingqiu glanced at her from the side.

My friend's eyes were still a little red, and her round face had thinned a bit because she hadn't been eating well these past few days, but the corners of her mouth were upturned, and her steps were light.

"hey-hey……"

Su Jingqiu sighed, but didn't say anything.

"Hehehe..." Another laugh rang out.

"Stop laughing. You invited Comrade Lin to watch our rehearsal without the troupe leader's permission. Think about how you're going to explain this to the troupe leader first," Su Jingqiu said.

Xie Baiwei pouted, her eyebrows and eyes haughty, "At worst, I'll practice an extra hour every day for the next month as punishment."

"Okay, just be prepared." Su Jingqiu didn't look at her, but said slowly, "From now on, we'll get water separately and eat separately..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Baiwei grabbed her arm and shook it violently, saying in a soft voice, "Ah, please don't do this, Jingqiu, I don't want to be alone, let's be together, please."

Su Jingqiu was so dizzy from being shaken that she had no choice but to agree to her request.

She looked at her friend and said, "Are you not sad anymore? I noticed you didn't even glance at Deputy Commander Gu just now."

Xie Baiwei: "That's Comrade Lin Zhao's lover. What am I looking at? It's so impolite and immoral. Besides, who is more pleasing to the eye than Comrade Lin Zhao?"

"She's so beautiful, even more beautiful than my narcissistic cousin. She has fair skin, big eyes, black and smooth hair, and a beautiful figure. She looks like a fairy when she stands there."

She didn't even notice Lin Zhao's clothes; she was too busy looking at his face...

Su Jingqiu paused for a moment, "Being too focused on looks will only get you killed sooner or later."

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid." Xie Baiwei leaned half of her body against her friend. "I have you all."

"Hmph, you've got me figured out." A smile flashed in Su Jingqiu's eyes. She had indeed received a lot of care from the Xie family, but her friendship with Bai Wei was genuine. She hoped that Xie Bai Wei would be well and live a happy life, just like the Xie family.

……

Gu Chenghuai took out a handkerchief, grabbed Lin Zhao's hand, and wiped it repeatedly, a hint of displeasure flashing across his cold and handsome face.

"They were touching you inappropriately, they had no sense of boundaries," he said unhappily. "Honey, stay away from those two."

Lin Zhao: ...This sour taste is inexplicable.

"That's a lesbian."

"What's wrong with a female comrade?" Gu Chenghuai asked dismissively. "I don't think she's a good person. Who touches someone's hand as soon as they meet them?"

"I want to watch them rehearse," Lin Zhao said.

Gu Chenghuai looked at her, meeting her expectant eyes. "Look if you want, but don't get too close to those two."

"Okay," Lin Zhao said softly.

Gu Chenghuai didn't have a chance to keep an eye on things because he was sent out on a mission. He was told he'd be back before the New Year to take Lin Zhao and the four children to a performance, but who knows?

……

Lin Zhao was very interested in the performance and rehearsal of the cultural troupe. Since she had nothing else to do, she took Yao Bao to watch it whenever she had a spare moment.

It still has to be her little darling; the three boys went out to play early this morning.

"The sisters are preparing for the performance. Don't cry or make a fuss when you get there. Tell me if you need anything, okay?"

As they approached their destination, Lin Zhao reminded her daughter again.

Yao Bao nodded earnestly, her soft, baby voice saying, "I know, I won't cry or fuss, I won't speak loudly, I'll come to Mommy if I need anything, I'll be a good girl."

"Yes, that's good."

Hearing her mother's praise, Yao Bao shook her head, and the fringes of her woolen hat swayed a few times.

The mother and daughter arrived at the training ground of the cultural troupe.

It was a large, empty room. Various props for rehearsals were placed against the wall. A few girls were resting on chairs nearby, while others were practicing their dance moves or warming up their voices...

Lin Zhao and Yao Bao were spotted by the girls in the performing arts troupe as soon as they appeared.

Xie Baiwei stood up and walked quickly towards the door.

"Comrade Lin Zhao, you've arrived."

She took Lin Zhao's hand, settled her and Yao Bao in, poured them water, and gave them some candy to satisfy her cravings.

"You've come at the perfect time. Let's begin in a moment."

Xie Baiwei was unusually enthusiastic, making Lin Zhao feel rather uncomfortable.

"Did I disturb you?"

Xie Baiwei: "No, it's not a disturbance at all. With people watching... everyone's enthusiasm for rehearsals is even higher."

She was wearing the same training clothes as everyone else, her hair was all tied up at the back of her head, her neck was thin and long, her figure was perfect, and her temperament was unique.

"It's good that I didn't disturb you." Lin Zhao smiled.

Yao Bao was surrounded by a group of girls, who looked at the little dumpling with beaming smiles. "Whose child is this? She's so pretty."

"Sweetie, who did your braids? They suit you so well, you're the cutest in the military region."

"Sister, give me a kiss."

……

Yao Bao blushed as she was amused by the enthusiastic older sisters.

Her small body stiffened, and Lin Zhao took her daughter's small, soft hand, her expression encouraging.

"The older sisters like you."

Yao Bao's big, bright eyes were wet as she said to the older sisters who were talking to her, "Sisters are pretty too." She replied with a compliment, her tone clearly imitating her second brother.

The female members of the performing arts troupe covered their chests.

"so cute."

Lin Zhao: ...Her beauty is loved by everyone.

Thanks to Bai Wei and Su Jingqiu, the female comrades in the rehearsal learned Lin Zhao's name very quickly.

People are bound to give preferential treatment to those who are good-looking.

No one disliked her arrival.

The girls were very enthusiastic. They introduced themselves with smiles, greeted her, and soon exchanged basic information.

“No wonder we haven’t seen you before, so you just joined the army. You’re so beautiful, we’ll never forget you once we’ve seen you. Comrade Lin, your braids are so beautiful, can you tell me how you did it?” said the female comrade in charge of the girls’ makeup and hair.

“Sure, this isn’t difficult. I also know other things. Do you want to learn them?” Lin Zhao said.

"Yes, yes, I'll learn. Thank you, Comrade Lin."

"It's nothing," Lin Zhao waved his hand dismissively.

She's just copying what others have said; it's not her own original idea. It's good that she can help. Yao Bao seems to enjoy coming here, so maybe she'll bring her here again. Getting along well with these girls can save a lot of trouble.

Next.

Yao Bao played the role of a little model, and Lin Zhao taught the female comrades who asked her for advice on several hairstyles.

Everyday low braids, double braided ponytails, gentle fishtail braids... it's okay to be a little different from everyday style when performing on stage.

The young comrade benefited greatly from this experience and, based on it, made improvements and created several hairstyles with his own style suitable for stage performances.

Lin Zhao looked surprised and gave a thumbs up.

"That's amazing. Once you open your mind, you'll find it quite simple. You did a great job."

The woman smiled shyly, "You're a great teacher, and you deserve most of the credit. Comrade Lin, I'll treat you to dinner another day to thank you."

She's very outgoing; if someone helps her, she'll definitely want to show it off.

"It's nothing, don't mention it. You came to perform in this cold weather, and I'm happy to help you. Don't worry about it," Lin Zhao politely declined.

Afraid of causing trouble for men, she was always cautious and would never give anyone any leverage in this regard.

Seeing Lin's determination, the woman who had been helped by her did not press the matter further and planned to buy some cookies and snacks for Yaobao another day.

Xie Baiwei was proud. Look, everyone she likes at first sight is good. Comrade Lin Zhao is so kind-hearted. She can get along well with everyone in such a short time. Some people say they are difficult to get along with. How are they difficult to get along with? Some people are so humble that they feel that this person looks down on them and that person looks down on them.

When the break was over, the actors were called over to continue rehearsing.

"Comrade Lin, we're going to rehearse. Please have a seat." Xie Baiwei hurriedly said to Lin Zhao before following the others.

The show had just started, so Lin Zhao certainly wasn't in a hurry to leave.

Music started playing from the tape recorder.

The girls forming the square began to move one by one.

This is a stage play, the kind with a plot and storyline, supposedly adapted from a true story, and called "Guardianship and Waiting."

A young woman sent her newly engaged lover to the battlefield, promising to marry him when he returned. Five years passed, but he never came back. Instead, he returned with a tattered military uniform and a broken pocket watch containing her photograph.

Xie Baiwei truly deserves her reputation as a pillar of the show; she danced and acted exceptionally well, leaving the audience with a bittersweet feeling, as if they had experienced a profound regret, a regretful ending from which no one could escape.

The performance has ended.

A round of applause erupted.

It is a beautiful treasure.

Lin Zhao was taken aback and felt a little embarrassed. She hadn't expected the quiet and shy Yao Bao to suddenly be so emotional.

"I'm sorry to bother you." She stood up, holding Yaobao, and apologized apologetically.

"It's alright!" Xie Baiwei said in front of her aunt, "Yaobao was applauding us. She thought our performance was good, that's why she applauded. We're happy for her, how can it be considered a disturbance? There's no need to apologize, she did nothing wrong."

Commander Xie: ...Why don't you become the commander?

She laughed in exasperation.

"Xie Baiwei, you'll have to practice for an extra hour later." Commander Xie said sternly.

Xie Baiwei looked shocked.

aunt!

She wanted to go to the cafeteria early to get her favorite braised pork knuckle.

It's ruined!!

Commander Xie ignored his niece's gaze and instructed his comrades to familiarize themselves with their roles and movements. He said that would be it for today, and emphasized that those with extra practice assignments should continue practicing.

Xie Baiwei: ...Give me her ID number.

Excessive.

As soon as Commander Xie left, Xie Baiwei pouted and said aggrievedly, "Jingqiu, Commander Xie is so mean. I'm so hungry. I want to eat braised pork knuckle. I've been looking forward to it for days, sob sob."

Su Jingqiu said helplessly, "I'll get it for you, so you won't miss out."

Xie Baiwei hugged her friend, "Jingqiu, you're so kind. I'll get you a portion too, it's on me. It's a thank you gift for bringing me food. It tastes better when we eat together, so you won't think anything of it, right?"

The Xie family was much better off than the Su family. Su Jingqiu had a sick family member, and the monthly expenses were high. She only kept enough of her salary for living expenses, giving most of it to her family. She rarely bought meat and vegetables. Xie Baiwei would occasionally treat her to a meal. Knowing that her friend was proud, she would always find an excuse when helping Su Jingqiu, such as that she couldn't finish the food, that the meat was too salty, or that she didn't enjoy eating alone and needed Jingqiu to keep her company...

At first, Su Jingqiu believed it, but she quickly realized that this kind girl wanted to help her and tried her best to help her while respecting her self-esteem.

Su Jingqiu didn't take this for granted; she was very grateful to Xie Baiwei and would do her best to repay her.

"Okay, I'll buy two servings." Su Jingqiu didn't want Bai Wei to be unhappy, so she agreed and planned to get two more servings of winter melon and pork rib soup later.

Lin Zhao was surrounded by girls from the cultural troupe.

"Comrade Lin Zhao, what do you think of our rehearsal? As an audience member, you should have a more direct understanding. If you find any problems, tell us, and we will gradually improve." The girl with the second most important role in the entire performance had sweat on her forehead and bright eyes.

Lin Zhao had never studied dance, but she had a normal sense of aesthetics and truthfully shared her feelings after watching their rehearsal.

The girl originally just wanted to chat with Lin Zhao some more, but she didn't expect that Lin Zhao would actually say something and take it to heart.

He expressed his gratitude to Lin Zhao.

"You read very attentively, and what you said was very insightful. I found it very helpful. Thank you."

Lin Zhao smiled and said, "I'm not a professional. I'm just sharing a couple of my thoughts from an audience's perspective. I hope they're helpful to you. I wish you a successful performance."

"Thank you," the vibrant young women said with smiles.

Xie Baiwei looked at Lin Zhao and said, "Comrade Lin, you are really suited for the cultural troupe. I think you should do this job."

She sighed, "It's a pity the performing arts troupe isn't hiring anymore."

(End of this chapter)