sovbooks Chapter 83 Hosting a Grand Feast
Chapter 83 Hosting a Grand Feast
The veteran cadre cleared his throat. "After comprehensive evaluation, taking into account the group and individual performances in the preliminary, secondary, and final examinations, the three comrades who were finally selected for the performing arts troupe are..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the audience.
"Su Wanwan, Wang Xiuying, Li Hongmei, those of you who have been selected, please report to the cultural troupe tomorrow."
After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the audience, followed by applause.
Su Wanwan breathed a soft sigh of relief; her palms were sweaty.
Lin Weiwei, who was outside, almost jumped up when she heard this, but Bai Si'an held her down.
Wang Xiuying couldn't contain her excitement; it really was her!
The veteran cadre continued, "Special commendation must be given to Comrade Su Wanwan. During the group performance, after her partner was unexpectedly injured, she was able to react promptly, actively cooperating and assisting her partner to complete the performance, demonstrating excellent teamwork and mutual assistance. One of the purposes of setting up this group assessment was to examine everyone's sense of collective responsibility. Comrade Su Wanwan did a very good job in this regard."
These words were like a slap in the face to Wang Xiuying.
She lowered her head, her fingers digging into her palms until they hurt.
Praise Su Wanwan?
And they're using her injury as a positive example?
So what has she become?
A stepping stone to Su Wanwan's good reputation?
Wang Xiuying's chest heaved violently, and she almost vomited blood on the spot.
The veteran cadre offered some words of encouragement, telling those who were not elected not to be discouraged, as there would be other opportunities in the future.
But Wang Xiuying wouldn't listen to a word she said.
Her mind was filled with the question, "Why should I?"
Fortunately, she was not eliminated.
……
After the results were announced, the crowd gradually dispersed.
As soon as Su Wanwan stepped out of the auditorium, Lin Weiwei gave her a bear hug.
"Wanwan! That's great! You got chosen! Number one! You're number one!" Lin Weiwei was so excited that her face turned red, and she hugged her and jumped up and down.
Su Wanwan felt dizzy from being shaken, and patted her back with a laugh: "Weiwei, let go, I can't breathe..."
"I'm happy!" Lin Weiwei released her, her eyes sparkling. "Let's go home and celebrate! We have to celebrate!"
Bai Si'an walked over, adjusted his glasses, and nodded to Su Wanwan: "Congratulations, sister-in-law."
"Thank you," Su Wanwan replied with a smile.
Bai Rongbei also walked over, stood in front of Su Wanwan, and looked at her.
He didn't speak, but his eyes were gentle.
Su Wanwan looked up at him and whispered, "I was chosen."
"Hmm," Bai Rongbei responded, paused, and then said, "You danced very well."
Just those four words made Su Wanwan feel a sweet warmth in her heart.
Lin Weiwei was still a little shaken when she recalled what had happened on stage. She asked Su Wanwan, "Wanwan, did Wang Xiuying try to trip you up on the stage just now?"
Su Wanwan shook her head and replied, "I don't know, but I know she's never had good intentions. It's not impossible that she wants to mess with me. I've always been on guard against her and haven't let her mess with me."
Lin Weiwei was furious when she thought of Wang Xiuying's scheming ways. "Wanwan, you shouldn't have helped her. You should have made Wang Xiuying give a bad performance on stage and deducted points from her score."
Su Wanwan pulled Lin Weiwei's hand and said, "No, the reason we have to perform as a duo is to test our teamwork. So no matter what problems my partner has, I have to finish the duet."
"Oh, I see. Wanwan, you're amazing! You're so sensible and considerate. That scoundrel Wang Xiuying only knows how to scheme and plot, and now she's the one who makes you stand out! It's so satisfying to watch!" Lin Weiwei thought Su Wanwan had performed exceptionally well today!
Bai Rongbei, listening to the conversation between the two sisters, grew to appreciate Su Wanwan even more.
Although Su Wanwan looks gentle and weak, she is sensible and understands the big picture. She is not as delicate as she appears.
"That's right!" Lin Weiwei clapped her hands. "We should celebrate properly! Tonight we'll invite Brother Zhao and the others, as well as Auntie Pang, Aunt Li, and Aunt Zhang. They helped us so much when we fixed the toilet last time, so we should treat them to dinner to express our gratitude!"
Bai Si'an nodded: "It is appropriate to invite him."
Bai Rongbei said, "I'm going to buy meat."
"Let's go together!" Lin Weiwei exclaimed excitedly. "Let's all four of us go to the restaurant and buy lots of good food! We can eat as much as we want today!"
……
The four of them walked towards the service center.
Lin Weiwei remembered that the service station was quite far away. She also remembered that Bai Si'an had been very active last night, and she was worried that his legs wouldn't be able to walk.
Lin Weiwei nudged Bai Si'an's shoulder and asked, "By the way, how's your foot? The service center is quite far from here, can you walk...?"
Before she could finish speaking, Bai Si'an's ears turned red, and he pushed up his glasses, interrupting her: "It's okay. It won't affect your walking."
Lin Weiwei blinked and grinned mischievously, "Oh, it doesn't affect walking, but what about other things?"
Bai Si'an: "..."
He turned his face away and ignored her.
Su Wanwan couldn't help but smile as she listened to their bickering.
Bai Rong glanced at her from the north and saw that her eyes were crinkled with laughter, and the corners of her mouth were also curved almost imperceptibly.
We've arrived at the service center.
There weren't many people around at this time of afternoon.
Behind the vegetable counter was the same plump auntie, knitting a sweater. Seeing the four of them come in, she greeted them with a smile, "Oh, the four of you came together? What would you like to buy?"
Lin Weiwei approached the counter and looked at the dishes displayed inside.
The vegetables were alright today: potatoes, cabbage, radishes, a few bunches of spinach, a small pile of tomatoes, and a few stalks of lettuce in the corner. Half a pork carcass hung on the butcher's counter, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, looking quite fresh. Next to it, in a wooden basin, were a few small fish, but they were lively and jumping around.
"Auntie, how much is the pork?" Lin Weiwei asked.
"Pork belly is 80 cents a pound, you need a coupon. Ribs are 60 cents, and pork leg is 75 cents," the plump auntie quoted briskly. "Fish is 40 cents a pound, no coupon needed, but you have to clean it yourself."
Lin Weiwei calculated: "Five pounds of pork belly! Three pounds of spare ribs! Two fish! And some pork liver, stir-fried to make it delicious!"
The plump auntie laughed as she weighed the meat, "Buying so much? Have guests coming over?"
"Okay! I'm treating the neighbors to dinner!" Lin Weiwei said, then pointed to the dishes, "Five pounds of potatoes, two heads of cabbage, three radishes, three bunches of spinach, five pounds of tomatoes! All the lettuce! Do you have any eggs?"
"Yes! Just harvested, fresh!" The plump auntie took out a straw basket from underneath, which was full of eggs.
"Give me thirty!" Lin Weiwei waved her hand.
Su Wanwan, who was listening nearby, whispered a reminder: "Weiwei, isn't this too much? We can't finish it."
"Not many, not many!" Lin Weiwei counted. "Brother Zhao, Chen Jianjun, Liu Aiguo, Aunt Pang, Aunt Li, Aunt Zhang... that's quite a few people! Add the four of us, and we have to count other neighbors who might come, and maybe even some of Commander Bai's comrades from his regiment... that's at least a few!"
Bai Rongbei said, "Not many. Prepare enough for ten people."
Bai Si'an nodded: "Buy some more tofu and glass noodles. For stewing meat."
The plump auntie chuckled upon hearing this: "So you're planning a feast! Alright, let me calculate it for you..."