Chapter 27

“Are you all going to watch the National Day parade?” Su Pan asked, looking around the dorm room.

“Of course!” He Shengnan replied. As the History Department’s League branch secretary, she’d helped organize their class’s plans. “We’re meeting at school at seven in the morning and heading to Renmin Avenue together.”

“Our class should organize something too,” Yang Sisi said, turning to Wei Jiajia. “We can’t let the Literature Department be left out.”

“I’m not sure,” Wei Jiajia replied. “No one’s said anything yet, but the class committee usually arranges something. The school will definitely send representatives.” She figured on a nationally celebrated holiday like this, the school wouldn’t just sit it out. National pride was running high, and staying silent would look bad.

“I wonder how the student union is choosing people,” Su Pan mused.

A knock on the door interrupted them. Yang Yang, whose bed was nearest, got up to answer it.

“Come in!” she called.

Everyone turned toward the door. It was Li Wenxiu, one of Wei Jiajia’s classmates.

“You’re all here!” Li Wenxiu said, walking in with a smile.

“We have some time before evening study, so we came back to relax,” Yang Sisi replied.

Li Wenxiu got straight to the point. “A lot of the guys in our class have to work at the steel mill this National Day, so they can’t be in the parade. The class committee decided we’ll just send a few representatives with the student union, instead of marching as a class.” She looked at Wei Jiajia and the others. “The school has limited spots, and our class only got a few. I came to tell you three that only one of you can go.”

The three of them exchanged glances.

“What about the rest of the class?” Wei Jiajia asked. “Aren’t we doing anything together?”

“With so few students available, we’re not organizing anything as a group,” Li Wenxiu explained. “But if you want to go on your own, you can arrange it with the others.”

Wei Jiajia thought that was a little strange, but she didn’t say anything. She wasn’t particularly keen on marching in the parade anyway. When she first arrived, she’d gone with Zhang Huimin and some classmates to watch. The crowds were overwhelming—so packed it was hard to move. The heat was brutal, and she was exhausted by the time she got home. Last year, she’d marched as a class representative. Skipping it this year didn’t seem like a big deal.

“Then I won’t go,” Wei Jiajia said after a moment, replying to Li Wenxiu. “I marched last year, so I’ll let someone else have the chance.”

“Me neither,” Su Pan added quickly. “I’m marching with my dad’s factory, so Sisi can have the school spot.”

Yang Sisi had really wanted to go. She’d even considered joining her history classmates if necessary. Now that Wei Jiajia and Su Pan had both given up their spots, she jumped up excitedly.

Seeing her reaction, everyone laughed.

“Yang Sisi, make sure you have a white shirt ready to wear when you report to the auditorium,” Li Wenxiu said, smiling.

“Got it, got it!” she nodded eagerly.

As Li Wenxiu left, Su Pan asked He Shengnan, “How many people is your history department sending? Don’t they have guys working at the steel mill too?”

“The ones from our class who are marching are the same ones working at the mill,” He Shengnan replied. “I don’t think we have a strict limit – a dozen or so should be fine.”

Hearing this, He Shengnan also thought it was strange that Li Wenxiu had said their class only had a few spots. But she figured each class probably had different arrangements.

Wei Jiajia and the others, after listening to He Shengnan, didn’t dwell on it and assumed it was just due to different circumstances.

“After National Day, why don’t you all come over to my place?” Su Pan asked warmly. “We have a day off, and since you don’t have any special plans, let’s have a meal together.”

“Are you sure? There are so many of us!”

“Yeah, and food is so scarce right now. We don’t want to impose.”

“We could just eat at the school cafeteria,” He Shengnan suggested. “We don’t want to trouble your family! It’s a rare holiday, and your parents deserve a break.”

He Shengnan, Yang Sisi, and the others all shook their heads, declining the invitation. With food shortages, five extra people would probably eat through several days’ worth of the Su family’s rations. No one wanted to be a burden.

“Oh, come on!” Su Pan protested. “Just come! My family really wants to meet you all. Don’t worry, you won’t eat us out of house and home.”

Seeing their continued hesitation, Su Pan started playfully pouting and clinging to them. When that didn’t work, she played her trump card.

“It’s my birthday that day! This is the first time I’m inviting friends over. You’re my best sisters – you have to come!”

That did the trick. Everyone finally agreed, promising to bring their own food rations.

Meanwhile, the military arts troupe was busy preparing for their National Day performance.

The troupe leader entered the rehearsal room, a worried look on her face. She clapped her hands, calling out to the performers practicing inside, “Everyone, stop for a moment and gather over here.”

Once they’d all assembled, she asked about their progress. After hearing positive replies, she glanced toward the back of the group and announced, “Zhang Huimin, you’ll be performing the solo tonight.”

A murmur rippled through the room. The performance was scheduled for that evening—why such a sudden change? Even Zhang Huimin stared at the troupe leader in bewilderment.

The leader sighed inwardly. She hadn’t wanted to make this last-minute switch either. A major National Day performance had no room for errors, and changing performers at the last minute was far from ideal.

“Alright, settle down, everyone,” she said. “Li Linlin has come down with a fever and is getting an IV at the infirmary. She won’t be able to perform tonight. The troupe has decided that Zhang Huimin will take her place.”

She turned to Zhang Huimin, her expression serious. “Zhang Huimin, the song for tonight has already been submitted. Do you think you can handle it?”

Zhang Huimin’s heart pounded. Her voice trembled with nerves, but her excitement was clear. “I—I can do it!”

“Don’t be nervous,” the troupe leader said gently. “Just perform like you do in training. Do your best tonight—the troupe is counting on you.”

“Yes!” Zhang Huimin replied firmly, having calmed herself down. “I’ll do my best and won’t let the troupe down.”

She’d been with the troupe for almost a year, and finally, her chance to perform a solo had arrived. She was determined to make the most of it. This is my chance, she thought.

That evening, the auditorium was festively decorated. Qiao Haoyu and his group arrived after dinner, took their seats, and waited for the leaders’ instructions.

Backstage, Zhang Huimin and the other performers were in costume, ready for the show.

“Come quick and look!” one of the young women whispered, peeking through the curtain and pointing at Qiao Haoyu. “Isn’t that the new Company Commander Qiao?”

A few more female comrades rushed over for a quick look.

“It’s him!” one of them sighed dreamily. “He’s really handsome, and he’s a university graduate too!”

“I wonder if he has a girlfriend,” another mused. “And what kind of woman he likes?”

“Oh?” a third girl teased with a playful smile. “Are you interested? There are plenty of girls in the troupe who have their eyes on Company Commander Qiao!”

The first young woman’s face immediately turned bright red…

“I heard Li Linlin likes him,” one of the girls whispered. “She even went to the training camp a few times to ask about him! But Company Commander Qiao never paid her any attention.”

The girls exchanged knowing smiles. No explanation was needed.

Li Linlin was the star of their performing arts troupe. She had a beautiful singing voice, an elegant stage presence, and had even received praise from high-ranking officers. This, inevitably, gave her a certain air of arrogance.

In a troupe full of young women, gossip was inevitable. Many of them were attractive, so why did Li Linlin act so superior? Her haughty attitude made her unpopular, and few wanted to associate with her—not that she seemed to care.

“Now that Li Linlin’s caught a cold and missed her chance to impress Company Commander Qiao,” one of the girls giggled, “she’s probably crying her eyes out under her blanket right now!”

The girls chuckled, stealing glances at the soldiers in the audience.

Zhang Huimin, standing nearby, saw them peeking at the audience but couldn’t hear their conversation. She didn’t really care anyway—her mind was elsewhere.

It was her first solo performance, and she was a bundle of nerves and excitement, worried she wouldn’t perform well.

Soon, the show began. The host took the stage, and backstage erupted into a flurry of activity.

Qiao Haoyu and the other cadets were seated in the third row. The first two rows were reserved for battalion and regimental officers.

Their military district was part of an independent regiment—larger than a typical regiment, with a more remote base.

As Qiao Haoyu watched the performances, he seemed distracted, his thoughts drifting to Wei Jiajia. How’s she doing? he wondered. Did she go to the National Day celebrations? Is she thinking about me too…?

Lost in his thoughts, he was nudged by Zeng Guoqiang.

“Look, it’s your cousin!” Zeng Guoqiang whispered excitedly.

Qiao Haoyu looked up and saw Zhang Huimin center stage, singing with a clear, melodious voice. Her performance brought the lyrics—an ode to the nation’s vast landscapes—to life.

Seeing his cousin so confident and radiant, Qiao Haoyu felt a surge of pride.

Beside him, Zeng Guoqiang was captivated. His heart pounded. He hadn’t expected to see Zhang Huimin here. The last time they’d parted, he’d hesitated to ask for her contact information, a decision he’d regretted ever since.

Since she’d enlisted, even in the letters between Qiao Haoyu and Wei Jiajia, she’d never been mentioned. He’d assumed their paths would never cross again.

But fate had brought her here, right before his eyes. This time, he wouldn’t let the opportunity pass.

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