Chapter 220: Chapter 92: The Top Star of the 1960s Cultural Troupe (31)

"Let’s not rush for quick results. The simpler something is, the more carefully you need to learn it to build a solid foundation."

Whatever she said, He Qingran would nod in agreement.

Xia Zhaoyun then had He Qingran write down two recipes. Due to the scarcity of goods and purchasing limits, even families with decent wages and many mouths to feed had very simple meals. They didn’t focus on variety, flavor, or texture. As long as they could fill their stomachs and have some meat every now and then, life felt full of promise.

Even with the vegetable plots allotted to each family, people were so frugal that they wouldn’t eat their fill. They had to save a portion to dry and store, to survive the long winter when resources would be even more scarce.

This made foraging for wild vegetables a regular activity for many housewives, something they would arrange to do together after finishing their chores.

After gathering the wild vegetables, their preparation methods were simple and crude. They would either blanch them and add salt and minced garlic—or soy sauce and vinegar, if they were feeling extravagant, with a drop of sesame oil or lard—or they would mix them with coarse grains and steam them, or simply boil them into a congee.

These monotonous preparation methods failed to bring out the delicious flavor of the wild vegetables. What later generations would praise as healthy food was, for them, merely a choice for staving off hunger.

At the very least, the families of leaders in the residential compound, conscious of their status, looked down on participating in such activities.

One of the recipes Xia Zhaoyun gave He Qingran was for a wild vegetable that was currently in season: amaranth. As the saying goes, "Amaranth in the sixth month is like an egg; amaranth in the seventh is more precious than gold!" Amaranth has a good texture and is highly nutritious.

The recipe she shared was for the famous "stinky amaranth stalks" from the south. The pickling method was simple and required no oil or salt. But the resulting pickle was like stinky tofu; after being steamed, the amaranth stalks smelled bad but tasted delicious—tender, juicy, and a perfect accompaniment to rice!

Although it’s best eaten during the dog days of summer, it could still enrich everyone’s dinner tables now, allowing them to preserve more of their other vegetables by drying them for the winter.

The other recipe was for steamed fish. Outside the factory was a large body of water. Because the water wasn’t polluted, the aquatic plants flourished, creating a beautiful wetland. It was teeming with various types of fish, shrimp, and crabs, and also attracted many water birds. However, people lacked the proper cooking techniques. Only when there was a pregnant woman or a new mother in the family would someone go catch a few fish to make soup.

The steamed fish recipe Xia Zhaoyun described was suitable for many common types of fish, and it specifically called for rapeseed oil.

He Qingran meticulously wrote everything down, including the steps Xia Zhaoyun particularly emphasized. Afterward, she preciously copied down the instructions for steamed eggs and congee as well, saying with a smile:

"I feel like our lives are getting better and better now. Many of our female comrades have been doted on by their families and have never really worked in a kitchen or stood before a stove. So, I want to share what I’ve learned, exactly as you’ve taught me."

"Yunyun, you’re so smart! You have no idea. I’ve only been at this job for two years, and every day I’m just digging through newspapers and magazines, copying down educational articles to read to everyone. Occasionally, when I get an assignment, I have to write something myself, and it’s enough to make me want to tear my hair out."

"There’s a male comrade in our office who started two years before me, and he’s already gone bald right here on his forehead!"

"Anyway, the content from our broadcast station is dull and monotonous. We’re constantly getting called out and criticized by the leadership. But we only have access to so much information, and the broadcasts from other work units and places are the same..."

"But today, I’m going to do a great broadcast and see how everyone reacts!"

Inspired by Xia Zhaoyun, her mind was suddenly flooded with ideas. Before, like her colleagues, she would just sit in the office waiting for materials to come to her. The only effort she put in was listening to and learning from other work units and radio stations, and flipping through the latest newspapers and magazines.

’But now I think I can be more like a reporter. After finishing my broadcast duties, I could wander around the factory, specifically looking for people with real skills. I could report on their deeds, share their experiences and life hacks... It would bring me closer to the people and help me escape the daily grind of boring, unoriginal broadcasts.’

The more she thought about it, the more passionate He Qingran felt, filled with the excitement of rolling up her sleeves and getting down to business.

She hugged Xia Zhaoyun tightly and said with a laugh, "Yunyun, you’re truly my lucky star!" Then, she gathered her things and rushed out. "I’ll come find you at your workplace for lunch..."

Xia Zhaoyun just shook her head with a helpless smile. She tidied up a bit, then rode her bicycle to take her child to school before heading to the art troupe.

She first went to the office to report her return from leave. Her eyes crinkling with a smile, she placed a few pieces of wedding candy on each desk.

Although she was no longer the family of a martyr, she had now truly become a hero’s wife. Everyone in the office, including Director Yuan, had to smile and offer their congratulations.

Director Zhen specially asked her to stay behind to inquire about her health. "You, girl, you’re the most strong-willed of them all. You just up and left the Song Family without a word, didn’t report any of your difficulties to the troupe, and left it to the comrades from the Women’s Federation to come and help you solve your problems."

"Are you saying you don’t consider our troupe your family?"

Xia Zhaoyun shook her head with a smile. "Director, all of you are so busy with work every day. I felt that if it was a problem I could solve myself, I shouldn’t bother you."

Fortunately, Director Zhen didn’t dwell on the issue. Seeing that her complexion was rosy, her cheeks had filled out a bit, and she looked better than ever, she nodded in satisfaction.

"You are the most talented and fundamentally sound child in our troupe. From the moment you joined, I’ve been training you to be our star performer."

"For the factory’s semi-annual work summary conference, as is tradition, we’ll be inviting many art troupes from the northern part of the city to perform. There will be a competition to select first, second, and third place. The first-place prize is three rolls of fabric of different materials for each person, the second-place prize is two rolls, and third place is one roll. The other comrades who participate in the performance will also get some fabric."

"The prizes are secondary. The main thing is that we’re the hosts, and we can’t let the other work units outshine us! The leadership has said that if our troupe wins first place, every performer will receive an extra thirty yuan, twenty jin in grain ration coupons, five jin in meat ration coupons, and one jin in oil ration coupons."

"Our troupe will also offer some encouragement. If you get first place, you’ll be the first ones we submit for the city’s autumn performance showcase in August!"

"There’s nothing for any other ranking. So, Comrade Xia Zhaoyun, do you have confidence?"

Xia Zhaoyun nodded firmly. "I can do it. Thank you for your trust, Director!"

Director Zhen looked at her confident face and felt an unexpected flicker of anticipation for this competition. "Hmph, words are easy. But you participated in the performance showcase hosted by the steel factory last year. You know very well that the comrades in the other art troupes are incredibly skilled. There’s always someone better out there."

"Our troupe only managed to get third place then, so this time you must give it your all. Don’t let people laugh at us, the hosts."

"Time is tight, and your task is heavy, but you must also remember to balance work and rest. Remember, your health is the capital for the revolution."

Xia Zhaoyun agreed to everything.

After changing her clothes, she walked into the practice room.

The colleagues who were stretching and warming up looked up with mixed emotions as she entered. The story of what had happened in the dormitory had already spread among them.

Some said that Xia Zhaoyun, after being kicked out by the Song Family, had given up on herself and was acting like a mad dog, lashing out at anyone she could and refusing to back down until she’d torn off a piece of flesh.

They were all young girls who hadn’t experienced much in life. They might act arrogant and be hot-tempered, but they were just paper tigers—timid on the inside and terrified of getting into trouble.

To them, the current Xia Zhaoyun was a bundle of trouble!

However, a girl with delicate features walked up with a light smile. She started stretching next to Xia Zhaoyun and said in a low voice, "Comrade Little Xia, we’ve already gone through the dance once, roughly. Because you were on leave, the teacher had me temporarily take your position."

"My fundamentals and comprehension aren’t as strong as yours, so the group’s progress has been very slow. The teacher is extremely dissatisfied and has lost her temper several times. Everyone was a crying mess, shouting that they didn’t want to dance anymore."

"Thank goodness you’re here, Comrade Little Xia. Otherwise, my legs would have danced right off! I’m sure that with you joining us, everyone’s morale will improve."

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