svetikya Chapter 96 ill intentions
Chapter 96 ill intentions
Su Wanwan stepped out of the cultural troupe's small building. The evening wind of the Gobi Desert blew in her face, carrying the dry smell of sand.
She raised her hand to tidy her sweat-dampened temples, and unconsciously quickened her pace.
She walked along the dirt road toward the family compound, her mind filled with Liu, the deputy regimental commander's words.
She had never been to Red Star Commune, only heard that it was more remote and had worse conditions than this place.
The performance is urgent; I have to leave early the day after tomorrow.
I felt a little uneasy, but also a little excited.
This was her first official performance assignment after joining the performing arts troupe, and it was a rural performance.
When I pushed open the fence gate, the aroma of food was already wafting from the kitchen.
Bai Rongbei, wearing a floral apron, was standing in front of the stove cooking, the pan sizzling loudly.
Hearing the noise, he turned his head and glanced at the other side: "You're back?"
"Mm." Su Wanwan put down the cloth bag, walked to the water vat, and scooped water to wash her hands.
Bai Si'an also came over from next door, holding a few scallions. He nodded when he saw Su Wanwan: "Sister-in-law."
Lin Weiwei followed behind, carrying an empty basin, which looked like she had just washed the vegetables.
Her complexion was much better than a couple of days ago, and she walked more briskly: "Wanwan, how was today? Did Captain Zhou scold you again?"
"I scolded you." Su Wanwan dried her hands and went over to help set the table. "But the scolding was right. I'm always unsteady on one of my spinning movements."
"Take your time." Lin Weiwei put the bowl back in the kitchen, glanced at the pot next to Bai Rongbei, and asked, "What are we having today? Oh, scrambled eggs! They smell delicious!"
Bai Rongbei didn't say anything. He put the scrambled eggs into a plate, poured some oil into the pan, and prepared to stir-fry the cabbage.
It was already dusk when the four of them sat down around the table.
The kerosene lamp was lit, and its dim yellow light enveloped the small dining table.
Su Wanwan took a couple of bites of rice, put down her chopsticks, and said softly, "Um... there's something I need to say."
All three of them looked at her.
"I'm going to perform in the countryside the day after tomorrow," Su Wanwan said. "I'm going to Hongxing Commune, and I might not be back for two or three days."
There was a moment of silence at the dinner table.
Lin Weiwei was the first to react: "Going to the countryside? For a few days? Just you alone?"
"No, Captain Zhou is leading the team, along with Wang Xiuying. The three of us are going together," Su Wanwan explained. "It's a performance organized by the division headquarters, with the cultural troupe providing support."
Bai Si'an pushed up his glasses: "Red Star Commune... is not close to here, it takes most of the day to get here by car."
"Yes, Deputy Regiment Commander Liu said we'll be leaving with the division headquarters' vehicle early the day after tomorrow." Su Wanwan nodded.
Bai Rongbei, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up: "When are you coming back?"
"About two or three days, depending on the performance schedule." Su Wanwan looked at him. "Don't worry, I'll stay with the group and won't wander off."
Bai Rongbei hummed in agreement, picked up a piece of cabbage with his chopsticks and put it in her bowl. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "The border region is different from the city. The situation is complicated near the Red Star Commune, which is close to the border."
He paused, his voice low but each word clear: "After you go to the countryside, remember three things. First, always stay with the main group and never act alone. Second, don't go out at night, and lock the door to your accommodation. Third, if someone you don't know tries to talk to you, don't engage; go directly to the leader in charge."
He spoke seriously, and Su Wanwan listened attentively, nodding, "I've got it."
Lin Weiwei, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but interject, "Commander Bai, is it that serious?"
Bai Rongbei glanced at her: "It's better to be safe than sorry. Something happened there the year before last. Some villagers were tricked into leading the way by foreign spies, which almost led to a disaster. Things have gotten better in the last two years, but we still have to be careful."
Bai Si'an also said, "My brother is right. The location there is remote, and communication is inconvenient. When you go to perform, there will be many people around, so it doesn't hurt to be cautious."
"Okay," Su Wanwan replied softly. "I'll be careful."
The atmosphere at the dinner table was a bit somber.
Lin Weiwei quickly changed the subject: "Alright, alright, Wanwan's going to perform, not to fight. Come on, let's eat! Wanwan, eat more, you're leaving the day after tomorrow, and the food in the cafeteria these past few days hasn't been as good as what Commander Bai cooks!"
That made everyone laugh.
Bai Rongbei's expression softened a bit, and he put another piece of egg on Su Wanwan's plate: "Eat more."
After finishing their meal, Bai Rongbei and Bai Si'an cleared the dishes and went to the kitchen to wash them.
Lin Weiwei pulled Su Wanwan into her room, closed the door behind her, and said mysteriously, "Wanwan, I have something good to show you!"
She pulled an old wooden box from under the bed, opened it, and took out a small notebook wrapped in old newspapers.
"What?" Su Wanwan asked curiously as she leaned closer.
Lin Weiwei carefully unfolded the newspaper, revealing the notebook inside.
It was bound with rough kraft paper, not very big, about the size of a palm, and a thick book.
Su Wanwan's eyes lit up as soon as she turned to the first page.
There are several little figures drawn in pencil on the paper. It's a simple anime style with smooth lines and lifelike characters.
The painting depicts scenes from daily life in a military camp: a young soldier falls down on the training ground, and his comrades laugh and help him up; another scene shows the cooks preparing food, with steam rising from the pot; and yet another shows a soldier writing a letter at a table, with a full moon shining outside the window.
"This is..." Su Wanwan flipped through the pages, becoming more and more surprised as she read.
"I drew it!" Lin Weiwei said with a little pride. "These past few days I've been painting murals in the village, and I was thinking, if we just paint on the murals, people will just look at them and forget about them. Wouldn't it be better if we could make them into a booklet? The soldiers could flip through it during their breaks and relieve some boredom."
She pointed to the picture: "Look, I drew it in the form of a comic strip, one episode is a short story. This is 'Fun Things About Training,' this is 'Stories from the Cooking Squad,' this is 'Letters Home'... These are all true stories from our military camp, told by the aunties in the family compound."
Su Wanwan flipped to the back and found the "Close Ties Between the Army and the People" series, which depicted soldiers helping villagers repair houses and fetch water, while villagers gave soldiers eggs and made insoles.
Although the visuals are simple, the characters' expressions are vivid, and the story is heartwarming, making people feel warm inside just by watching it.
"Weiwei, you drew so well!" Su Wanwan said sincerely. "If this could really be made and sent to the soldiers, they would definitely love it!"
"That's what I think too." Lin Weiwei's eyes sparkled. "But for now, we're just drawing a sample. If we really want to print it, we'll have to find the publicity department and get funding, which is a hassle. Let's save it for now and talk about it when we have the chance."
She carefully wrapped the notebook and put it back in the wooden box: "By the way, be careful of Wang Xiuying when you go to the countryside. I always feel like she has bad intentions."
"I know," Su Wanwan nodded. "I'll be careful."