Chapter 36

As soon as Hu Ouhua appeared, she became the center of attention.

The weekend arrived in the blink of an eye.

Early in the morning, Li Suyun took a red dress out of the cabinet and handed it to Hu Ouhua. “This dress was custom-made. Only those participating in the event from our unit will wear it, and our unit’s name is embroidered on it.”

A red dress…

Hu Ouhua immediately recalled the red dress that Lu Yuetang had torn apart before—it made her feel uncomfortable.

“There wasn’t enough time to custom-make your dress. Originally, it was meant for a comrade named Shang Rongrong, but who knew that she would take leave just two days after joining the unit and never return? See if it fits you.” Li Suyun smiled awkwardly.

There was no turning back now.

Hu Ouhua had no choice but to take the dress and go to her room to change. When she stepped out, Li Suyun was completely taken aback.

“You silly girl, you usually don’t pay attention to dressing up at all. Come here, let me help you a little.” Li Suyun pulled Hu Ouhua to sit down and braided her hair into two plaits.

Then, she took a red woolen hair clip from the drawer and pinned it near Hu Ouhua’s ear.

And, oh my…

She looked even more beautiful than a bride—festive, charming, and endearing.

“Ouhua, whoever marries you will have the greatest fortune.” Li Suyun beamed.

When Hu Ouhua stepped outside, Grandma Chang shook her head.

“You’re dressed too beautifully. What if someone takes a fancy to you on the way? Where would we find such a good teacher again?” she teased.

“Teacher Hu, you look so pretty!”

Two little boys, who had no school on the weekend, were stunned when they saw Hu Ouhua. Especially Chang Anning—the little boy had never seen someone as stunning as his teacher before. Later in life, whenever he looked for a partner, he would always compare them to Hu Ouhua, often leaving him disappointed. But that’s a story for another time.

Hu Ouhua followed Li Suyun to Forward Square.

The square was packed with people, lively and bustling.

At the center of the square, a wooden stage had been set up with a simple curtain backdrop. Behind it, performers were preparing—some were warming up their voices, some were stretching, and others were memorizing lines—all busy to ensure the summer performance event went smoothly.

The venue was divided into different sections: a free medical consultation area, an activity area, a public information area, and a section where party members were explaining summer heatstroke prevention, military recruitment, and other useful knowledge using small blackboards and notes.

A large crowd gathered.

Next to the stage, film projection equipment and film reels were set up, waiting for the performance to end so they could screen the popular movie The Raging River. Many people, upon hearing the movie title, refused to leave, determined to stay and watch.

As Hu Ouhua followed Li Suyun, many onlookers mistook her for an actress from the performing arts troupe. She was simply too stunning—people couldn’t help but steal extra glances at her.

Hu Ouhua kept her head down, trying not to attract too much attention.

Soon, they arrived at a relatively secluded corner of the square, where young men and women from different units had gathered for a matchmaking event.

As expected, there were more men than women.

People from different units wore distinct clothing and formed their own small groups.

Under Li Suyun’s arrangement, everyone sat in a circle.

To start things off, they sang revolutionary songs to warm up the atmosphere. Then, Li Suyun introduced the participants.

“These three gentlemen are from the film studio. They are responsible for organizing and screening movies. Qian Xiaolei here is quite the celebrity these days—who wouldn’t want a movie ticket from him?”

As soon as she mentioned his name, a round-faced young man wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and black trousers stood up proudly and joked, “That’s right, if you want to watch a movie, come to Xiaolei!”

Several young women in the circle immediately looked at him with admiration.

A film projectionist—one of the most fashionable and desirable jobs of the time!

“These two ladies here are sales clerks from the East Alley Supply Cooperative…”

Two women wearing trendy black polka-dot dresses—one with a round face, the other with a square face—weren’t exceptionally beautiful but had sought-after jobs.

As soon as Li Suyun finished her introduction, several men eagerly cast warm glances at the two women.

“Next, we have two radio announcers…”

One man and one woman.

The male announcer had thick eyebrows, deep-set eyes, and a refined scholarly look.

Beside him sat a tall, slender woman, around 23 or 24 years old, with arched eyebrows and a delicate chin. Her two braids curled at her ears, and a silver hairpin adorned her hair.

Before Hu Ouhua arrived, this woman—Xu Mindong—was the most sought-after lady in the group. The moment her profession was announced, Qian Xiaolei and several young men began subtly vying for her attention.

But as soon as Hu Ouhua entered, the fiery admiration directed at Xu Mindong started to wane.

So when Li Suyun introduced the participants from the military hospital, Xu Mindong couldn’t hold back any longer. She stood up and sneered at Hu Ouhua.

“Comrade Shang Rongrong, you’re dressed so flamboyantly today—are you hoping to become a bride on the spot?”

Her hostility and jealousy were blatant.

Hu Ouhua glanced around.

Everyone from the military hospital was wearing red, even one of the male military doctors was in a red shirt and black trousers.

With a calm expression, she replied, “I have no intention of being a bride, but whether you do or not—I wouldn’t know.”

“Shang Rongrong, you’re too much!”

A mere nurse from the military hospital dared to talk back to her?

This woman was truly insufferable.

“Li Aunty, forgive me for asking, but what’s this comrade’s background? What’s her origin? She’s not some ignorant country bumpkin from out of town, is she?” Xu Mindong scoffed.

She was a national radio announcer—her voice was heard across the country. How prestigious was that?

Not to mention, her father was the driver for the military district commander.

Inside and outside the circle, no one dared to offend her.

Li Suyun sighed in frustration.

She originally hadn’t planned on inviting the radio station to this matchmaking event, but Xu Mindong insisted on coming, claiming she wanted to “see the world.” In reality, she just wanted to attract a group of admirers.

Unexpectedly, Hu Ouhua’s arrival stole her thunder, making the so-called “lady of high status” unhappy.

Before Li Suyun could intervene, someone else stepped in.

Qian Xiaolei grinned. “How about this? I’ll treat everyone to a movie.”

At a time when entertainment options were scarce, the biggest weekend pastime for young people was spending three cents to watch an exciting film.

His offer was met with cheers.

Except for the two rivals.

“Hmph, fine! But at the movie theater, I want a competition. Let’s see who’s more charming—her or me!”

Xu Mindong issued a challenge.

“Comrade Xu, this really isn’t necessary,” Li Suyun tried to mediate.

Xu Mindong cut her off.

“If Shang Rongrong doesn’t dare to compete, then from now on, she must avoid me at all costs! If she’s there, I won’t be. If I’m there, she won’t be!” Xu Mindong declared arrogantly.

Hu Ouhua couldn’t help but chuckle.

She wasn’t really Shang Rongrong.

What was there to be afraid of?

“Alright, you name the competition. I, Shang Rongrong, accept the challenge.” Hu Ouhua smirked, touching her nose.