Chapter 48 We are all performing as a group, but why did she have to perform alone? ?

Zhao Yulan, being straightforward and direct by nature, half-pushed and half-dragged Jiang Wan out the door.

Fu Chen and Fu Xiaoyan rarely had the chance to play with other kids their age, so they were overjoyed to run around and play games with Yulan’s children. Their little cheeks were flushed red from all the fun.

Fu Chen excitedly said, “Auntie Jiang, you go ahead! Xiaoyan and I will behave and listen to Auntie Zhao!”

Xiaoyan nodded enthusiastically too.

Only then did Jiang Wan feel reassured. After a few more reminders, she hurried toward the village committee.

The village committee was located at the very center of Heping Village. Zhao Yulan had just briefly pointed her in the general direction, but Jiang Wan quickly got the idea.

She touched her stomach. That deep sleep had left her a bit too refreshed, and in the rush to get to the committee, she’d skipped breakfast—now she was really starting to feel hungry.

Oh well, she’d just eat after she got back at noon. Or maybe grab something from one of the small shops by the village entrance.

At the entrance to Heping Village, right next to the marketplace, there was a row of storefronts—one had a small convenience shop, and there were a couple of noodle places and snack stalls. Honestly, for a rural village, Heping was quite well-equipped.

When Jiang Wan arrived at the village committee courtyard, she immediately spotted the head of the Women’s Association, Zhao Lan.

Standing in front of Director Zhao was a group of women—some younger, some older. And among all of them, the most eye-catching was still Yuan Meilin, with her tall, broad-shouldered figure.

Jiang Wan paused in surprise. So this Yuan Meilin actually managed to get in?
Yesterday, Director Zhao had looked so reluctant about her, but today she was allowed to join the performance group?

Well, whatever—it didn’t matter to Jiang Wan.
All she cared about was whether this village talent show could help her land a decent job!

As a corporate grunt, she had no other ambitions. Just having a stable job would already be a huge relief.

“Come, come, Comrade Xiao Jiang, come over here! I was just praising you, and look—you show up right on cue!”

Director Zhao waved her over cheerfully.

All the women turned to look at Jiang Wan with wide eyes, whispering to each other and huddling close to gossip.

Next to Yuan Meilin stood a slim girl with a round face, probably in her early twenties. Her shoulder-length hair was sleek, and she wore a red hairclip—overall, she looked rather sweet.

But the moment she looked at Jiang Wan, her expression filled with obvious disgust. Turning away, she covered her mouth and whispered to Yuan Meilin,
“Cousin, this is that Jiang Wan you were talking about, right?”

“Hmph! All dressed up like some showgirl! One look and you can tell she’s no decent woman!”

Tang Xinxin narrowed her eyes sharply at Jiang Wan, who stood glowing under the sun with her fair skin and smiling crescent eyes. Jealousy surged in her chest.

This city girl was such an eyesore!

Before Jiang Wan arrived, Tang Xinxin was considered the prettiest girl in Heping Village. But now, everyone kept praising this newcomer—even Director Zhao, who was notoriously critical, seemed to treat her differently!

What’s so special about her?

Yuan Meilin snorted, “That’s what my mom said too. She said Jiang Wan’s still young, and it’s probably just a novelty for Commander Fu.”

“You saw how excited she got yesterday when Director Zhao mentioned the performance might lead to a job in the county? Obviously she thinks the village is too poor and wants out! Once she gets to the county, she’ll probably dump Brother Jingchuan!”

“Hey, hey, hey! Comrades Yuan Meilin, Tang Xinxin—what are you two muttering about over there?”

Director Zhao frowned and pointed at them sternly.
“Let me be clear: the only reason I let you join the performance is because of Sister Zhou’s request. You two better follow the rules!”

Truth be told, Zhao Ying didn’t like either of these two girls.

Take Tang Xinxin, for instance—she was proud and arrogant just because of her looks. Sister Zhou from accounting had taken a liking to her and wanted to set her up with her son. That only made Tang Xinxin even more smug. She went around flaunting her “connections” in the Women’s Association.

Yet she still hadn’t agreed to officially date Zhou’s son. While their relationship wasn’t confirmed, she continued accepting gifts from Sister Zhou and her son anyway.

Isn’t that just someone who loves taking advantage of others?
But Sister Zhou, being somewhat naïve, assumed that Xinxin must like her son, otherwise she wouldn’t accept the gifts—and maybe she just wanted to get to know him better.

So when Tang Xinxin begged to be part of the talent show and asked that her cousin Yuan Meilin be included too, Sister Zhou personally pleaded with Zhao Ying.

Since they’d been colleagues for years, Zhao Ying couldn’t refuse her.

“Director Zhao,” Tang Xinxin spoke up with her hands on her hips and a sarcastic glint in her eyes,
“If I remember correctly, haven’t our village performances always been things like embroidery, sewing, or yangko dancing? This Jiang Wan is from the city—what could she possibly know? What if she drags us down?”

The other women were momentarily stunned, but then quickly chimed in:

“Yeah, we don’t want to have to teach her everything from scratch! That’s exhausting!”

They all knew about Tang Xinxin’s ties with Sister Zhou. Plus, Xinxin was skilled at currying favor, always helping people pull strings and solve problems. Gradually, most of them started to follow her lead.

Jiang Wan gave a silent, mocking smile. Her long lashes fluttered slightly, covering the sarcasm in her eyes.

Really now? Forming little cliques against me?

Back in her previous life, when she first entered a Fortune 500 company and started at the bottom, the grievances she endured were way worse than this. And yet, she still clawed her way into management.

Want to play this game with me? You’re not even in my league.

Jiang Wan smiled sweetly, her tone soft and modest:
“I… I know how to dance.”
“I’m not really good at anything else.”

“Dancing? That’s great! Dancing is perfect!”
Director Zhao’s eyes lit up. She patted Jiang Wan’s shoulder encouragingly and turned to the rest:
“Comrade Jiang Wan can dance! Anyone else here know how to dance? You can pair up with her—we can finally put together a fresh, modern program!”

“It’s always the same old routines year after year—embroidery, folk songs—leaders are probably tired of watching them!”

“I don’t know how to dance!”

“Me neither! That’s city girl stuff!”

“Yeah! So fake and pretentious!”

“…None of you know?”

Director Zhao’s head started to hurt.
But she’d already set her sights on Jiang Wan yesterday.
To her, Jiang Wan was like a rare pearl that had landed right in their little Heping Village. No matter what, she had to be featured in the performance!

After living half a lifetime, Director Zhao believed she had a good eye for people.
Jiang Wan’s eyes alone were enough to show her bright, spirited nature. This girl was destined for great things!

“Comrade Jiang Wan, how about this—if no one else can dance with you, you can perform solo! What do you think?”

“Why should she?!”

Tang Xinxin immediately objected, eyes flaring with disbelief.
“What’s so special about her dancing?”

“We’re all doing group performances—why does she get a solo act?!”