Chapter 41

Lin Wei’s reaction made Li Fei realize that she had mistaken him for someone else.

She quickly glanced around and spotted a small, charming face.

But this time, even though Li Fei was impressed by the girl’s looks, she did not rush to speak.

Instead, she turned her gaze to the youngest child in the group—a girl so thin and delicate that she looked barely 12 years old.

Suddenly, she remembered that Principal Huang had mentioned a “child.”

Could it be…?

She quickly turned to Principal Huang and hesitantly asked, “Are you talking about this child?”

Principal Huang nodded. “Yes, this is the one. She has an amazing voice. In all my years, I haven’t heard a better one than Fang Cuihua’s.”

That was high praise.

Li Fei herself had started her career as an opera singer, and though she no longer performed, her professional pride and experience remained.

To hear an old hero claim that she was no match for this inconspicuous girl in front of her—

It made Li Fei take another careful look at Fang Cuihua.

Still, she didn’t rush to judge. Instead, she called for an attendant and asked them to invite a few more senior members to join the assessment.

Once everything was arranged, Li Fei poured tea for everyone before sitting down to chat.

But before the conversation even got far, she couldn’t help but glance at the tall, long-legged, and handsome man sitting opposite her—the one who looked perfect for the big screen.

She smiled and asked, “Who is this comrade?”

Then she turned to Lin Ting, clearly admiring his potential. “You have great features, and you two look alike. Are you siblings? Would you be interested in joining the art troupe?”

Lin Wei…

Lin Ting…

Lin Ting always knew that good looks brought preferential treatment, but this moment still surprised her. It reminded her of the time a talent scout handed her a business card in college.

Even so, she had no outstanding talents. Just as she was about to decline, Principal Huang interjected, “That won’t do. Teacher Lin is an English teacher I worked hard to recruit. How can she join the art troupe?”

Li Fei felt regretful. Lin Ting’s temperament, appearance, and figure stood out among all the beauties she had seen. If she appeared on the big screen…

But competing with the old principal wasn’t an option, so she shifted her eager gaze to Lin Wei instead.

Principal Huang quickly added, “This is Teacher Lin’s brother. You can talk to him if you have any ideas.”

Lin Wei…

Li Fei’s eyes lit up. Just as she was about to speak, several cadres from the regiment arrived. She suppressed her excitement and led the group to the next meeting room.

Inside, a row of art troupe cadres in military uniforms sat, with a young girl standing at the center. Even Lin Ting felt nervous.

The girl remained calm and composed, speaking with confidence. The initially indifferent cadres, who were only there out of courtesy, suddenly became serious.

Li Fei, with her years of experience in the General Political Department, immediately recognized true talent. She could tell from just one sentence.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. A girl with such a voice—she could be trained into a top performer. Even if she wasn’t conventionally beautiful, it didn’t matter. Her voice alone was a gift from heaven.

Talent outweighs hard work. This girl was born to stand at the top.

If she trained for two more years, even the General Political Department wouldn’t find a match for her…

Li Fei’s breathing grew heavier with excitement. As soon as the girl finished singing, she immediately asked, “What’s your name? How old are you? Have you gone to school? Would you like to learn to sing from me?”

The other cadres felt she was being unfairly quick.

Fang Cuihua felt confident only when she sang. Now, she was flustered by the rapid questions. Nervously clutching her clothes, she instinctively looked at Lin Ting for reassurance.

Lin Ting smiled encouragingly.

Taking a deep breath, Fang Cuihua clenched her fists and mustered her courage. “My name is Fang Cuihua. I’m 14 years old, in my first year of junior high. I’m willing to learn from you, Leader.”

Upon hearing her name, Li Fei immediately understood why the girl looked so malnourished but didn’t react outwardly. She planned to ask Principal Huang and Teacher Lin privately.

At the very least, once she joined the army, she couldn’t keep the name Fang Cuihua.

“Xiao Li, are you agreeing to the special recruitment?” Principal Huang asked with a smile.

Li Fei, seeing Fang Cuihua’s hopeful eyes, softened her gaze and nodded. “Yes. I’ll file a report later. As long as she passes the medical and political examinations, she can join.”

Lin Ting reassured her, “There will be no issue with the political review. Fang’s father is our army’s deputy chief of staff.”

A battalion-level officer raising a child like a refugee? Li Fei mentally gave him a thumbs-up for incompetence.

But she had no interest in family affairs.

She still hadn’t given up on her earlier idea. After the other cadres left, she eagerly turned to Lin Wei. “Comrade Lin, are you interested in my proposal?”

Lin Wei…

Watching movies was one thing, but acting in them?

“Would I have to become an art soldier?” he asked.

Li Fei nodded, then, after a moment’s thought, explained frankly, “All actors undergo political review. Soldiers from the art troupe won’t face restrictions. Having military status will benefit you.”

The situation for artists outside had been difficult in recent years. Lin Wei understood what she meant but had never considered becoming an art soldier. He couldn’t sing or dance.

“I really don’t have any talent for it,” he admitted honestly.

But he hadn’t outright refused, which meant there was still hope.

Li Fei grew excited. “The art troupe also does drama performances. We have professional teachers. Of course, I can’t decide on your recruitment alone. We’re currently filming a movie, and I think you’d be perfect for the second male lead. But the final decision is up to the director. If you’re interested, let’s go meet him.”

The offer came so suddenly that even Lin Wei, usually level-headed, hesitated.

Lin Ting nudged Lin Wei’s arm. “You won’t lose anything by checking it out. Whether you accept or not, or if the director picks you, you’ll still learn something about filmmaking.”

Lin Wei smiled and ruffled his sister’s hair. “You’re right. I’ve been overthinking.”

Li Fei, who had been listening, stood up. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

Principal Huang asked, “Where? How long will it take? The ride-share won’t wait forever.”

Lin Ting, who initially wanted to go, hesitated.

Li Fei replied, “The set is far. A round trip takes at least two to three hours.”

Principal Huang frowned slightly.

Lin Ting added, “Second Brother, I won’t go. I have classes this afternoon. Can you return alone?”

Li Fei interjected, “The crew has a car. They can take him back.”

Lin Wei wasn’t worried about himself—he had traveled all over and could manage. He was more concerned about his sister. “Will you be okay alone?”

Lin Ting sighed. “I’m just pregnant, not fragile. The road here was smooth, no bumps.”

Principal Huang reassured him. “Don’t worry, Xiao Lin, I’m with her.”

Lin Wei nodded.

Li Fei grinned, eager to introduce Lin Wei to the right people. However, she still took the time to fill out Fang Cuihua’s recruitment form and informed the deputy regiment commander before leaving in a hurry.

After they left, Lin Ting and the others didn’t stay long. They had lunch at the cafeteria before getting into a jeep for the return trip.

Even as the car moved, Lin Ting couldn’t shake her thoughts. Was her second brother… going to be a celebrity?

_

Huo Xiao returned to his office with a thick envelope. Seeing a man at the desk reading documents, he raised an eyebrow. “What do you need?”

Dong Cheng looked up. “Not you, I need Political Commissar Xing.”

Huo Xiao placed the envelope on the table, took a sip of tea, and sat down. “Old Xing isn’t here?”

Dong Cheng grinned. “Nope. Just came from his office. Figured I’d stop by. Also, let’s eat at your place tonight.”

Huo Xiao slowly opened the envelope. “Did you come all this way just for that?”

“Hey, I wanted to chat. I heard your brother-in-law is here, charming all the ladies in the compound. What does he look like? I need to see him—hey, whose photo is that? Show me!”

Huo Xiao dodged his hand. “Be careful.”

Dong Cheng scoffed. “I’m not going to break it. When was this taken?”

Huo Xiao replied, “A few days ago. Tingting asked me to take yearly photos of the kids.”

Dong Cheng, barely glancing at the picture, was stunned. Then he looked closely at the 5-inch print.

In it, Guoguo sat on his brother’s shoulders, clapping happily at a monkey in a fenced area. The child’s wide smile showed all his tiny teeth.

Dong Cheng flipped through more photos, realizing each had duplicates. It dawned on him. He sighed. “Sister-in-law is thoughtful. We never considered recording their growth.”

Huo Xiao, pleased by his wife’s gesture, said, “Send these out later… and this too.”

He pulled out a key, unlocked a drawer, and retrieved a small notebook.

Dong Cheng asked, “What’s this?”

Huo Xiao’s expression softened. “A diary my wife wrote for the kids.”

Dong Cheng was surprised. He flipped open a page and read:

January 23, 1967 – It snowed heavily again. Guoguo wanted to go out but didn’t cry when he couldn’t. Instead, he put his hands on his hips, pointed at the sky, and scolded, “You’re not good!” Kids are hilarious.

He turned the page:

January 24, 1968 – Miaomiao suddenly wanted to see the moon. Unfortunately, it was cloudy. I expected her to be sad, but she asked seriously, “Mom, is the moon like me? Afraid of the cold and covering itself with a blanket?” My girl is so cute.

Page after page, Dong Cheng read amusing and heartfelt moments of the children’s lives.

As he reached the final entry, his smile faded.

Thinking of his late brother and sister-in-law, and the old leader enduring hardships, Dong Cheng wiped his face and held back emotions. “I remember you said your wife only learned about the kids after coming to the army.”

Huo Xiao nodded. “Yes. She started recording everything to show them later. We have a backup, so it’s fine to send this out.”

His wife had once said that children under five lived in the memories of adults. She wanted to preserve those memories in words and give them as gifts later.

Now, this diary allowed the old leader to feel included in the children’s growth, offering him some comfort.

Dong Cheng looked grateful. “Sister-in-law is truly thoughtful.”

Huo Xiao smirked and said, “Your sister-in-law is pregnant.”

Hearing this, Dong Cheng wasn’t surprised. The couple had a strong relationship.

Before, he might have worried that his sister-in-law would neglect the twins after having her own child. But seeing how much she cared for them, even without knowing they weren’t her husband’s biological children, he no longer had any doubts.

Still…

Dong Cheng eyed his brother before suddenly saying, “Old Huo, I envy you. Sister-in-law is truly a good person.”

Huo Xiao narrowed his eyes and smirked. “Want me to set you up with someone?”

Dong Cheng immediately stood up, grabbed his things, and walked out. “Come over for dinner tonight,” he called back before rushing off like the wind.