Chapter 220: Chapter 220

After school started in September, time flew rapidly. Li Xianglu was incredibly overwhelmed, as the country entered an era of resurgence, and the victorious counter-attack at the beginning of the year had stabilized domestic affairs even further, allowing many countries to witness the strength of China.

Although the year 1979 had no plans for a National Day military parade, each class and club in the school was asked to prepare programs to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of our great nation’s founding.

On one hand, studying, on the other, rehearsing programs, almost too busy to manage.

After observing for a while, Li Xianglu realized that these three individuals remained rather quiet.

The transfer students were genuinely absorbed in their studies, no different from other students, except that their academic performance was exceptionally good, including foreign languages.

And that Nabasha was an impressive figure; her classes had become renowned throughout the entire school, and occasionally students from Huaqing University across the street would also attend her lectures.

A small classroom could no longer accommodate so many students, and the school, delighted by the students’ thirst for knowledge, prepared a large lecture hall specifically for Nabasha’s classes.

From then on, anyone attending her classes had to bring their student ID, allowing original class attendees to enter first, followed by listeners, and finally students from other schools.

Privately, Nabasha seldom visited their dormitory, apart from occasional greetings when they met; she never deliberately grew close to anyone.

Thus, everyone let their guard down, even Li Xianglu couldn’t help but doubt if she had been too suspicious.

The National Day celebrations were scheduled for the afternoon of September 30th, leaving three days to go.

All students involved put their studies aside to focus intently on rehearsals.

The Foreign Language Society prepared a short play titled "Defending the Homeland," about a rich young lady who, after seeing her father collude with Japanese officials, angrily leaves home to join the revolution. Once victorious, she returns home to discover her father had died in the war, only to learn from her mother that her father had been serving the country all those years. Regretting her haste without understanding the full picture, she nevertheless feels proud of her father’s sacrifices.

The story was compelling and was performed in English, complemented by various musical and stage effects. The school’s teachers had to preview it first, and after watching, they all praised it highly for its novelty. It was a tribute to those who sacrificed for the nation, with a formative twist that left the ending unexpected, and thus received unanimous approval.

Interestingly, the play was written by Li Xianglu, originally just for fun, but Xi Yunmei happened to see it and liked it, so they started preparations.

Initially, Xi Yunmei wanted Li Xianglu to play the heroine, but Li Xianglu refused as she didn’t think she had a talent for acting. Moreover, the soap-opera-like plot gave her goosebumps just thinking about the lines.

However, she couldn’t escape involvement altogether, as stage management was essential. She helped with costumes and lines, and surprisingly, Shen Yuehong was chosen as the heroine.

Shen Yuehong, who had disappeared for a while and then reappeared as if she had never been absent, had natural advantages: her beauty, tall stature, dance training, and a nice voice made her very talented in performing. For Xi Yunmei, who wanted to make a name in the various clubs at school, Shen Yuehong was an excellent choice, but she also consulted with Li Xianglu, the playwright.

Li Xianglu didn’t mind; it was just a play, after all. The most suitable person should take the role, as long as they didn’t bother her.

And it seemed Shen Yuehong truly enjoyed this short play; she never sought out Li Xianglu unnecessarily during rehearsals.

Thus, Li Xianglu felt reassured.

With time pressing and only one day till the celebratory day, Li Xianglu had just arrived at the rehearsal venue in the afternoon when Xi Yunmei informed her that the heroine’s costume was lost and they needed to buy a new one urgently. She asked Li Xianglu to contribute twenty yuan to have the tailor work overnight, hoping it would be ready in time.

Just one problem after another; how could the costume be lost? It was a two-piece set, the top in sky-blue with a slanted opening and splits at the sides, the sleeves slightly flared, while the skirt was pleated, styled after the student uniforms of the Republic period. Now, they had to remake it as it couldn’t be bought off the shelf.

Left with no choice, Li Xianglu headed to their club office to withdraw money. The money was stored in a locked drawer in the office, with only Li Xianglu and Xi Yunmei holding keys.

After unlocking the office, a twenty-square-meter small office located above the broadcasting room which Xi Yunmei had managed to secure for their use—an uncommon feat for most clubs—Li Xianglu unlocked the desk, took out two bills of money, then relocked the drawer and made sure everything was secure before leaving and locking the office door.

As she descended, she hesitated, returned, locked the door again, and left. This delay caused her to arrive somewhat late, and the others rehearsing were particularly anxious. Li Xianglu handed over the money and held a receipt in her hand; this was a second visit to complete the task.

The person receiving the money signed off, and Li Xianglu then went to eat without returning to the dormitory and proceeded directly to the rehearsal venue. She found a place to sit, but as soon as she sat down, someone handed her a note and hurriedly left. Li Xianglu didn’t even get a clear look at the person’s face.

Stunned by what she read, the note said it was intended to give her a surprise.

Li Xianglu was puzzled; who would be so idle? She chased after the person, but they were already gone. Bewildered and deciding not to delve further, she had just settled back into her original seat when someone called her over to help.

ps: How many updates do I owe...

During their short play, there would be a simple dance when the rich girl triumphantly returns. Xi Yunmei wanted it to look graceful, so they used harnesses.

The control of these harnesses required someone at the back, operating like flying a kite—you could tighten or loosen it by turning.