coobybook Chapter 82 Evening Party 2
Chapter 82 Evening Party 2
Chapter 82 The Party Part Two
After introducing the judges, Sheng Lan said, "Next up is the second program of the evening, a chorus of 'Serving the Country with Utmost Loyalty' performed by outstanding trainees from the labor camp."
"1, 2, 1..." More than fifty "trainees" dressed in labor camp uniforms walked onto the stage in neat rows, chanting slogans.
The labor camp has now reached its 27th session, with a total of more than 2,700 people. The composition of the trainees has also changed from the early sessions, which were mostly criminals, to now, where most of them are out-of-towners who deliberately broke the law to enter the labor camp.
"Smoke rises, and the northward gaze is fixed upon the land."
Dragons rise, horses neigh, sword energy is like frost.
My heart is like the vast water of the Yellow River
Who can rival us after twenty years of dominance?
Hate and lust, the long sword pointed towards
How many loyal brothers and sisters are buried in other places?
Why would you die to serve your family and country?
Sighing with regret, speechless, tears welling in my eyes.
Horses gallop south, people look north.
People look north, where the grass is green and yellow, and dust flies everywhere.
I am willing to defend the land and restore the borders
A mighty China must make all sides
Congratulations…
The students' powerful chorus once again amazed the audience.
Wang Yue's lips moved, but no sound came out. He was mute; his former name was Erheizi. The name Wang Yue was given to him by Principal Wang.
Wang Yue stared intently at Wang Wenzhou on the judges' panel, a wave of emotion washing over him.
He used to be mute and unable to communicate normally, but now that he can read, he has not only learned many principles but can also communicate with people using writing. He is filled with gratitude towards Lord Wang. If it weren't for Lord Wang, he would still be a beggar on the streets, worrying about food and clothing every day and suffering constant bullying.
Although he is now mute, no one has bullied him since Lord Wang apologized to him. His companions' gazes towards him have changed, and he has even made several close friends.
Although he was mute, he had always worked very hard and was consistently one of the top performers in the first term of the labor camp. When he saw his name on the list for this singing performance, he specifically went to see Mr. Sheng Lan, wanting to give up the opportunity. But Mr. Sheng Lan told him to go see the principal.
Wang Yue recalled the scene from that day: Lord Wang, with a gentle smile, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Anyone can sing, even if they can't utter a sound, they can sing in their heart. I know you feel inferior because you're mute. You must understand that when God closes a door, He opens a window. Although you can't speak, you're still an outstanding student in the first term of the labor camp, surpassing many able-bodied people. Why should you feel inferior? Go, this is an honor, an honor you deserve!"
"I am willing to defend our land and expand our territory, and the great China should be celebrated by all sides..." Wang Yue sang, his eyes welling up with tears.
Among the singing contestants, one person stood out because he only had one eye. That's right, it was the one-eyed Li Hu.
Li Hu felt he had changed. In just over a month, he had rediscovered the feeling he had on the battlefield. Especially the song he was singing now brought back memories he hadn't wanted to recall for a long time.
In 1621, Nurhaci (Wild Boar Skin) personally led a large army to attack Liaoyang. Li Hu was one of the soldiers defending the city.
Within Shenyang city, there were two generals, He Shixian and You Shigong, each commanding over ten thousand troops. Generals Chen Ce and Dong Zhongkui, leading over ten thousand troops from Sichuan and Zhejiang, were also on their way to reinforce the city from Liaoyang. Generals Li Bingcheng, Zhu Wanliang, and Jiang Bi, who were defending Fengji Fort, were also leading thirty thousand troops to reinforce the city. In terms of total troop numbers, the Ming army had a slight advantage. Furthermore, Shenyang city was fortified with wide moats and deep trenches, and had numerous guns and cannons. If the Ming army held the city to the death, it would be very difficult to capture it.
Eager to achieve merit, He Shixian changed his original defensive strategy and decided to go to war. The next day, Nurhaci sent a small number of old and weak soldiers to challenge him. He Shixian got drunk and led more than a thousand of his servants out of the city, boasting that he would "annihilate the enemy and then return."
Soon, the Tartar soldiers appeared out of nowhere, their elite cavalry closing in from all sides. He Shixian realized he had fallen into an ambush, but it was too late. He could only fight and retreat, reaching the west gate of Shenyang. He had already been struck by four arrows. Although he fought valiantly with his iron whip to fend off the pursuers, he was struck by several more arrows, fell from his horse, and was killed. You Shigong led his troops to the west gate to rescue He Shixian, but was intercepted by the Later Jin soldiers and also fought to the death. At the same time, Nurhaci personally led his troops to attack the city. The Ming soldiers defending the city, learning that their commanders He Shixian and You Shigong had both been killed in battle, lost their commander and were leaderless. They fled in disarray.
Li Hu was injured at that time, slashed in the face by a Tartar, saving his life but losing his eyes. Disheartened, Li Hu returned to his hometown, living a carefree and roguish life until one day he angered Wang Wenzhou and was imprisoned. This completely changed Li Hu; during his time in the labor camp, he regained his confidence.
Wang Wenhua sat in the audience, fidgeting nervously, his face grim. He simply couldn't understand how the once simple-minded Xiao Wu had become such a completely different person. This "party" was utterly unheard of!
“These lyrics are quite good! Who wrote them? I’ve never heard of them before,” Ma Deyun, who was standing next to Wang Wenhua, asked.
“Written by Wang the Fool!” Yang Shan replied.
"Ah! Silly Xiao Wu can actually write such good lyrics!" Wang Wenhua said in disbelief.
"Brother Yang, how did you know?" Ma Deyun asked.
"Hehe..." Yang Shan said with a smile, "To be honest, I've gotten close to Yuhan these past few days."
"Oh... Yuhan? Oh! You're the girl from the old Drunken Flower Pavilion?" Ma Deyun asked.
"Yes! To be honest, Brother Yang, I'm really fond of Yuhan now and would love to marry her. Yuhan said that the songs performed at tonight's party were all composed by Wang Shazi," Yang Shan said with a smile.
"Sigh..." Wang Wenhua sighed helplessly. What should he do? Silly Xiao Wu has suddenly become a man of great talent. Is he really going to take away the title?
The choral performance at the labor camp has ended.
Sheng Lan walked onto the stage and said, "Next, please welcome the children from Hanshan Academy to sing 'Our Motherland is a Garden' for everyone."
"Our motherland is a garden, and the flowers in the garden are so beautiful. The warm sunshine shines on us, and everyone's face is beaming with smiles..."
As the children's voices rang out on the stage, the audience below erupted in cheers.
"Look! That's my little Si'er!"
"Oh my, the Ma family's youngest daughter is really pretty. I wonder if they've arranged a marriage between them since they were children."
"My son said he would be performing on stage today, but I can't find him."
“These are the children in the junior class; your son might be in the back.”
Because the school had a large number of children, Wang Wenzhou divided them into several classes, similar to what would happen in later generations, from kindergarten to primary and secondary school. The children's performances made up the majority of the evening's program, with each class performing a song. This was done entirely to sell tickets.
Five copper coins wasn't much, but the term "evening party" was unfamiliar to people in the Ming Dynasty, and Wang Wenzhou worried that no one would come. He had no choice but to devise this plan; any family with children attending school would surely bring their families to support them. Five copper coins for a ticket was truly nothing to the average person in Hanshan at that time.