Chapter Twenty-Two: Poetry Recitation and Harmonica Playing

Today is the final day available for Yunshu to practice her talents.

However, when it comes to singing revolutionary songs, Yunshu is genuinely shy. It is one thing to belt them out in private or broadcast them without being seen, but singing in front of a crowd is an entirely different matter—it is a difficult hurdle to overcome. Furthermore, she is not the only person who has transmigrated here. While she knows many revolutionary songs, she cannot distinguish which ones were released before or after this current year. If she accidentally lets slip something that Lin Jingshu recognizes, her cover would be blown. She has not yet decided whether to reveal her secret to her best friend; it is not about the strength of their bond, but rather a survival instinct to guard her most vital trump card. She believes that even in the modern era, she would not have told her parents if she had acquired such a "golden finger." Unless the situation naturally evolved—if Jingshu discovered it on her own, or if they reached a point where they could confide their most important secrets to each other—she would only then seriously consider it. But for now, it is not possible. They have only known each other for a few days, and it remains a question of whether Lin Jingshu would even reveal her own secrets. Forgive her for having the "prophetic" advantage of hindsight, but this is about self-preservation, not manipulation or testing.

After agonizing over it for a while, Yunshu decided against singing revolutionary songs; it would be too easy to make a mistake. Instead, she opted for a poetry recitation—which carries less shame—followed by a harmonica solo. As for the revolutionary songs, she could keep them as a backup, as the competition did not require a detailed program submission. The harmonica is one of the few instruments she knows how to play, and poetry recitation would highlight the unique qualities of her voice. Choosing a poem by the Chairman would be foolproof. Searching through her memories, Yunshu selected "Lin Jiang Xian: To Comrade Ding Ling."

"The red flag on the wall flutters in the glow, the west wind sweeps across the lonely city. The figures in Bao'an are renewed. A banquet is held in the cave to entertain those who have emerged from prison. Who can compare to this slender pen?"

"Three thousand Mauser-armed elite troops. The battle map unfolds toward the east of Longshan. Yesterday, Miss Wen; today, General Wu."

It fits the theme of the era and responds to the call that "women hold up half the sky." Treating her best friend as her audience, they practiced in their room. Later, Lin Jingshu felt she shouldn't be the only one watching and pulled Yunshu out of her comfort zone. Slowly, Yunshu emerged from the room to face the other four companions. From blushing and shifting her eyes to regaining a calm composure, these two hours of training brought about a qualitative change in Yunshu, turning a small group of friends into a passionate collective of the entire youth hostel.

They say the youth of this era are passionate, and just as the Chairman said, they are like the sun at eight or nine in the morning. Bathed in the bright morning light, the voices in the hostel grew louder, no longer confined to just this one poem. The educated youth were filled with heroic passion, some even with reddening eyes. Eventually, it drew the surrounding neighbors out to watch—a group of young people dancing and reciting beautiful words they did not quite understand. It was different from the familiar phrases in the "Little Red Book"; it was something more elegant, something that drew people in, leaving them feeling profoundly moved even if they couldn't fully explain why.

As the crowd around the hostel grew, Yunshu finished the performance with a harmonica rendition of "My Motherland." As the melodious notes faded, the audience burst into spontaneous applause. Yunshu bowed repeatedly in shyness, marking a perfect end to the "practice."

The onlookers dispersed reluctantly, and the veteran youth in the hostel were swept clean of their lethargy regarding the upcoming autumn harvest; everyone felt invigorated. Upon learning that Yunshu intended to run for broadcaster the next day, they all promised to vote for her. Only Yang Yue, standing to the side, wore a smile that looked truly strained.

...

Once the commotion died down and a simple lunch was finished, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. Lin Jingshu recalled the strange look Yang Yue had given Yunshu that morning and felt uneasy. She sensed that this person might be planning to cause trouble and sabotage Yunshu's bid for the broadcaster position. After pondering it for a long time without figuring out what Yang Yue might do, she tossed and turned on the kang in frustration before secretly opening the window, determined to keep an eye on Yang Yue’s every move.

Lin Jingshu was convinced that bad deeds would inevitably leave clues; she refused to believe that Yang Yue, that "white lotus" and man-eater, could escape her sharp gaze. However, as she watched, her eyelids grew heavy. Despite fighting off sleepiness several times, she eventually succumbed to the Sandman. Jiang Xiucheng, who had been sitting at his doorway across the hall tinkering with things, couldn't help but laugh at the sight, finding the girl incredibly amusing and cute.

With a moment’s thought, Jiang understood what Lin Jingshu was doing. After finishing his work, he didn't return to his room to lie down; instead, he continued to sit by the door, catching the breeze and taking over the watch for Lin Jingshu. Xie Yunshu was the youngest of the new arrivals, five years his junior—about the age of his own sister. Only a shameless person like Chen Ming would harbor bad intentions toward such a young girl. While Jiang Xiucheng’s heart held a fondness for the "tough girl" Lin Jingshu, he viewed little Yunshu as a younger sister. He had seen everything Yang Yue had done from the train ride to the Fengsheng Brigade, and like Lin Jingshu, he was determined not to let this strange Yang Yue ruin Xie Yunshu’s opportunity.

...

Although Chen Ming and Pei Wenyuan had taken the ox cart to the county town to buy coal stoves and there was no one to relieve him, Comrade Jiang Xiucheng decided that was fine—he could handle it. Thus, while Yunshu, who had practiced all morning, and Lin Jingshu, who had fallen asleep while keeping watch, slept soundly in their room, Comrade Jiang sat at the door from the moment the sun was high until the sunset painted the horizon in red clouds.

The hostel began to bustle as evening approached. Pei Wenyuan and Chen Ming returned pushing five coal stoves. As the veteran youth moved in and out, Lin Jingshu and Yunshu began to stir. Just as Jiang Xiucheng began to think that he and Lin Jingshu had been overthinking things, Yang Yue took advantage of the crowd to slip from the private plot behind the houses to the front gate, then dashed away as if in flight. She kept glancing back anxiously, as if terrified that someone would discover her and give chase.

Jiang Xiucheng and the sharp-eyed Pei Wenyuan both noticed Yang Yue’s movements. Chen Ming was still busy unloading the coal stoves from the cart, boasting to the veteran youth about how difficult it had been to acquire them. When a groggy Lin Jingshu finally emerged from the room and instinctively searched for Yang Yue, Jiang Xiucheng had already exchanged a few quick, knowing words with Pei Wenyuan. He then grabbed the still-disoriented Lin Jingshu, made up an excuse about needing to buy something from Carpenter Wang, and bolted out in pursuit.