Chapter 49  Why does the dancing fairy in look so much like my sister-in-law to me? ?

Tang Xinxin, are you the director, or am I?” Director Zhao’s voice was sharp with irritation. The more she looked at Tang Xinxin, the more annoyed she felt. But the other women also chimed in support of Tang Xinxin:

“Director Zhao, Comrade Tang Xinxin has a point.”

“We don’t even know if Jiang Wan can really dance that well. And yet you’re letting her perform a solo? That’s hard for us to accept. Even as the director, you have to listen to the people!”

That shut Director Zhao up for a moment. The frustration swelled in her chest until it became almost unbearable.

Tang Xinxin saw her chance. “Director Zhao, how about this? It’s not like we’re being unreasonable.” She curled her lips slightly and gave Jiang Wan a threatening look. “The village committee isn’t made up of just you. Why don’t you call all the committee leaders and cadres here?”

“Then have Comrade Jiang Wan perform for everyone. We can vote afterwards, right?”

“If the village leaders and cadres all agree that her dancing is good, then we have nothing more to say. What do you think?”

Tang Xinxin thought Jiang Wan was just bluffing—taking advantage of the fact that rural folks didn’t know much about dance to make herself sound impressive. Hmph, if that’s the case, better to let her embarrass herself in front of everyone here first, rather than disgrace the village in front of the county officials! In a way, she was helping Jiang Wan.

“…Comrade Jiang Wan, what do you think?” Director Zhao asked, helpless but trying to keep the peace. She had to admit that the suggestion was fair.

Jiang Wan didn’t flinch at all. With a sweet, serene smile and calm, curved eyes, she nodded. “I have no objections, Director Zhao.”

Then she lifted her long lashes and cast a glance at Tang Xinxin—cool and cutting, like a flash of light beneath calm water. She thinks she can intimidate me? Jiang Wan scoffed inwardly. Clearly underestimates me.

She had spent years in a top 500 company in her past life, starting from the bottom and working her way up. She had endured worse—this was nothing. You want to play games with me? You’ll lose so badly, you won’t know what hit you.

“Alright then!” Director Zhao clapped her hands. “I’ll go call the village committee cadres and the village chief!”

“You lot, don’t just stand there! Go get the chairs from the meeting room! Set them up for the leaders, and… Tang Xinxin, organize everyone, will you? Make sure they’re seated and leave a space in the middle for Comrade Jiang Wan to perform!”

Although Zhao wasn’t thrilled about giving Tang Xinxin the responsibility, it was true that most people currently listened to her.

Tang Xinxin, thrilled to be given authority, practically held her chin to the sky. She quickly took over, bossing everyone around, and soon the chairs were all set up in neat rows.

Not long after, the village committee leaders arrived with Director Zhao. Among them was Village Chief Yang Jun, in his forties, and the village accountant Sister Zhou—Zhou Jiaxiang.

Director Zhao leaned toward Sister Zhou and whispered something. Jiang Wan caught faint snatches of her own name.

Then she saw Sister Zhou, in her blue plaid shirt, glance up and look her over. Her expression immediately changed—startled, then excited.

“Oh my! Oh my!” Sister Zhou gasped and slapped Director Zhao on the arm, eyes lit up with wonder.

Director Zhao grinned smugly. “Well? Didn’t I tell you? You kept insisting your Tang Xinxin was the prettiest girl in the village. What about now?”

“Look at Comrade Jiang Wan—she outshines her completely!”

“Director Zhao! When are you going to let Jiang Wan dance? The sun’s only getting hotter!” Tang Xinxin snapped, annoyed by the attention Jiang Wan was getting. She sat next to Yuan Meilin, both of them fuming.

As more village committee members arrived—older men with teacups in hand—they took their seats, all the while murmuring and glancing toward Jiang Wan, clearly impressed.

Jiang Wan, meanwhile, remained calm. She was used to being stared at and judged. Now, she barely felt anything. She smiled lightly, her expression serene.

Gracefully, she stepped to the center of the courtyard. Her spine was straight, her presence elegant—like a willow: soft, but unyielding.

Director Zhao couldn’t stop beaming. Her instincts told her she had chosen the right person.

“Comrade Jiang Wan, go ahead and start! Just dance a little—don’t tire yourself out!”

Jiang Wan nodded and closed her eyes briefly in thought. The dance she chose was an ancient-style routine she had always liked—supposedly based on a traditional rain dance once performed by women in a small town.

Her slender, fair arms lifted slowly toward the sky. Her thick lashes trembled as she moved. Her delicate waist swayed with her motions, and her yellow skirt twirled gently with each step.

Though there was no music, her body moved with its own rhythm—fluid, graceful, full of poise and strength. Her expressions held a sacred light, each glance heavenward paired with a shift in motion—controlled, elegant.

In the sunlit courtyard, decorated with red banners, she was like a fairy descended to earth—otherworldly and pure.

The crowd fell into silence, holding their breath, eyes widening as they watched her. No one could look away.

Even Tang Xinxin sat dumbfounded. She had never imagined that Jiang Wan, just by standing there, could emit such a radiant presence. And once she began to dance, she seemed like a completely different person.

So beautiful it was unsettling.

For the first time, fear crept into Tang Xinxin’s heart—sharp and unshakable.

She wanted to run! She didn’t want anyone to compare the two of them!

When she looked at Yuan Meilin again, the woman was completely dumbfounded! Her narrow triangle-shaped eyes had never opened this wide in her entire life! Her mouth hung open in a perfect “O”!

The more Yuan Meilin looked, the darker her expression became. In the end, she even lowered her head, unwilling to look anymore. In a low, muffled voice, she tugged at Tang Xinxin’s sleeve and said,
“Xinxin… maybe forget it.”
“I don’t want to perform anymore. How could I possibly compare to her?”
“Just look at her — she looks like someone who stepped out of a painting!”

“Jiejie! Why are you being so weak!”
Tang Xinxin’s chest rose and fell violently, the blood vessels in her eyes visibly red.
“So what if Jiang Wan can perform a solo act? You can’t just give up like this!”
“…You, you at least have to participate in the performance! What if the leaders don’t like her overly delicate, pretentious style? Maybe they prefer honest and down-to-earth working-class women instead!”

As she glanced sideways, Tang Xinxin noticed Zhou Jiaxiang looking at her with a complicated expression. After a few glances at her, Zhou Jiaxiang turned her gaze back to Jiang Wan.

Jiang Wan had fully immersed herself in the dance without even realizing it. She didn’t notice that a group of olive-green uniforms had suddenly appeared at the entrance of the village committee courtyard.

A few new recruits, wide-eyed and baby-faced, leaned in to greet someone — only to catch sight of the delicate and graceful figure dancing in the center of the courtyard. Their jaws dropped instantly!

Some of them nearly drooled on the spot!

At that moment, a man strode over and punched one of the gawking soldiers at the entrance. With furrowed brows and a deep, rough voice, he barked,
“What are you standing around for? Get in there and get to work!”

“…C-Captain, that fairy dancing inside… how come she looks so much like our sister-in-law??”