The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 235 - 234 Qi Ling (The Male Supporting Character Appears)_1

Chapter 235: Chapter 234 Qi Ling (The Male Supporting Character Appears)_1

The next morning, Qi Xiaoyan took a sip of honey water to soothe her throat!

With a valiant and high-spirited stride, she entered the examination room and, just like the first time, received her number tag.

Because Qi Xiaoyan was the first to be called, so during the retest, she was also the first one up.

"Don’t be nervous, you’re so outstanding, come on," He Tiantian said encouragingly. "Others are not as good as you. You only need to perform normally, don’t be nervous."

Qi Xiaoyan nodded, her body stiff as she awkwardly walked into the examination room.

The woman behind sneered, "With such a performance, she still thinks she can pass the retest?"

He Tiantian turned her head and laughed, it was still Yang Xiaoxue’s mother.

"Brother Dajun, if our Xiao Yan, who is ranked first, can’t pass the examination, then the one ranked last will even stand less of a chance," He Tiantian whispered. One should not be too arrogant. She was referring to Yang Xiaoxue and her mother.

You’re here for the exam, and so are others. Everyone relies on their true abilities. There’s no need to always be making sour comments in the back!

"What are you saying, huh?" The woman got angry and was about to argue with He Tiantian.

He Tiantian stepped back and said without anger: "You want to argue, don’t you? Sure, your daughter has the worst score, anyway. You make a fuss here, and she will definitely be affected inside. She’s certain to fail the exam."

He Tiantian was scaring her.

The woman quickly retracted her hand that had been stretched out, her face slightly twisted as she said, "I won’t bother arguing with a little girl like you!" Then she twisted her plump body and walked away.

Seeing the woman leave, the others secretly snickered. They all disliked her, which showed that the middle-aged woman hadn’t spared making enemies in this examination hall!

The examination room was not far from the outside, and from time to time, you could hear the singing inside.

First up was Qi Xiaoyan, who again chose to sing her forte, "My Motherland," singing mournfully and melodiously.

Qi Xiaoyan was a bit nervous at the beginning, but once she started singing, she immersed herself in the song, getting very emotional.

Because she was so invested, Qi Xiaoyan even shed tears, her voice trembling slightly. However, this did not affect the overall song; rather, it added much more emotion.

"You started off well, but later you did not control your emotions, affecting the stability of the entire song," a long-faced examiner frowned, affirming Qi Xiaoyan’s singing but criticizing her inability to control her feelings, which was a major taboo.

Qi Xiaoyan wiped away her tears and offered a bitter smile, saying, "Every time I sing this song, I can’t control my emotions!"

Another examiner, not seeing it as a flaw, asked, "Can you tell us why?"

The stability of a song is one aspect, but even more important is its emotional impact. If a song fails to move the singer herself, how can it move others?

Qi Xiaoyan’s lips quivered as she said, "It’s... It’s because my great-uncle fought in the Korean War. He lost an arm in that war. He used to tell me about the severity of the battle. As a child, I couldn’t understand, so he taught me to sing this song. As I grew up and understood more, I came to grasp the meaning of his words. Each time I sing this song, images of my great-uncle going into battle flash through my mind, and I just can’t help crying."

Qi Xiaoyan’s words made the examiners serious, and no one was talking about flaws in Qi Xiaoyan’s singing anymore.

This was an affirmation of Qi Xiaoyan’s singing and a salute to the Korean War veteran mentioned by Qi Xiaoyan!

"What other songs can you sing?" the examiner continued, hoping to hear more of Qi Xiaoyan’s singing.

Qi Xiaoyan thought for a moment and replied cautiously, "I know many songs, among them, ’Heroic Anthem’ and ’On the Golden Mountains of Beijing’ are the ones I sing best."

"Then please sing ’Heroic Anthem,’" said the examiner with a smile, looking at Qi Xiaoyan. It was an interlude from the movie "Heroes and Heroines," and this song, along with the film, became well-known among the people. It was also a song that praised the soldiers who fought in the Korean War.

However, the style of this song was very different from that of "My Motherland." If Qi Xiaoyan could sing it well, he would immediately decide to keep her.

Qi Xiaoyan nodded. Her emotions, which had just settled, instantly entered the atmosphere of that era. Her gaze was firm, and her voice a bit deeper, "Through billowing smoke, we sing of heroes, with the green mountains on all sides listening, listening closely. Thunderous skies and golden drums, the ocean’s waves harmonize, soldiers of the people drive away tigers and leopards..."

Qi Xiaoyan’s voice was clear and bright, with an indescribable richness and strong penetration, quite infectious.

When singing the first song, Qi Xiaoyan was a bit nervous, but by the second song, she was completely immersed in it. Images of her great uncle and his comrades fighting bloodily flashed through her mind, and she recalled the moving songs she had heard from the radio in her childhood.

This time, Qi Xiaoyan gave her all.

This time, she did not disappoint the examiner.

As Qi Xiaoyan sang, the three examiners sat up straight, as if pulled by her performance, listening intently.

Outside, He Tiantian, Niu Dajun, and the others also heard Qi Xiaoyan’s singing.

Despite the competitive nature among them, they had to admit that Qi Xiaoyan sang really well—no wonder she ranked first.

After Qi Xiaoyan finished singing, there were a few seconds of silence before the three examiners applauded together, saying, "Very good, you may go now. Come back at five in the afternoon to check the notice."

Upon seeing the examiners’ reactions, Qi Xiaoyan felt somewhat relieved. She bowed to them and then left the examination room. The next person proceeded to go in.

When Qi Xiaoyan came out, her movements were almost clumsy, releasing the tension of the examination.

"How did it go?" Niu Dajun asked with great concern.

Qi Xiaoyan nodded and said, "Not bad, if everything goes as expected..."

He Tiantian pulled Qi Xiaoyan to go outside, saying, "Let’s talk outside, there are too many people here, and it’s inconvenient to speak."

Once outside, Qi Xiaoyan said, "The three examiners applauded for me, asking us to come back at five in the afternoon to see the notice."

"That’s great, let’s go back to the hotel and rest up," Niu Dajun suggested. "We can come back later in the evening to check."

Just then, a man in his twenties came in and, upon seeing Niu Dajun, gave him a playful punch and asked cheerily, "Brother Dajun, how did Xiao Yan do on the test?"

Qi Xiaoyan was startled, realizing it was another one of her second uncle’s comrades, Qi Ling.

"Brother Qi, I did well, thank you for caring," Qi Xiaoyan greeted, blushing slightly.

Niu Dajun, knowing his comrade was just joking, laughed heartily, "Have you finished your business?"

"Yep, finished. I’m sorry, you guys arrived, and I was busy and couldn’t pick you up. Come on, I’ll show you around Huai City properly. Let’s go to my house for lunch, and in the evening, I’ll come with you to see the results," Qi Ling apologized, relieved that his affairs were settled, or else he wouldn’t have the face to meet his comrades next time.