Chapter 150: I Have a Small Wish ④
“Nie Qiu, how should we choose?” As the three of them were about to leave the school gate, Huang Yan took the schoolbag from Peng Yu Yang, then linked arms with Nie Qiu and asked anxiously, “There are only a few programs left in the class. If we want to choose, we definitely need 80% of the students to agree. The programs will also need to be reviewed by the music teacher. How should we choose?”
“Isn’t our art festival the week before the exam?” Nie Qiu looked at Huang Yan. “It’s still time to prepare. We’ll go to Peng Yu Yang’s house after school tomorrow and see if there are any popular programs or dances online. If not, we can write a skit. We can’t let Li Kai look down on us.”
Peng Yu Yang nodded. “Come to my place after school tomorrow! I have a computer at home.”
“Huang Yan, you said you wanted to be the Art Committee Member, so you can’t just do nothing. We’ll show them! If we win an award, they won’t be able to look down on you.” Nie Qiu held Huang Yan’s arm. “Don’t worry, Peng Yu Yang and I will help you.”
Huang Yan nodded. “Okay, we’ll discuss it again tomorrow.”
After separating from Huang Yan and the others, Nie Qiu took the bus to the warehouse. Because she was dismissed late from school, she couldn’t go to the market to help Nie Aifang sell vegetables. She believed Zhang Qidi had already informed Nie Aifang that the selection of art festival programs would be delayed until very late. However, to avoid making Nie Aifang wait for her, she decided to take the bus to the warehouse instead of walking.
It was already past seven when she got home. Nie Aifang had prepared dinner. The two of them ate and chatted about their day. Nie Aifang was very happy because she had earned over ten more yuan that day.
“By the way, Mom, will you come to watch the school’s performance on the day of the art festival?” Nie Qiu asked with a smile.
“Can I?” Nie Aifang’s eyes widened, full of anticipation. “When you were in the first year of junior high, the school also held an art festival, but parents weren’t allowed to attend. Only students with performing programs could invite their parents. I heard that art festivals used to be held on the sports field, and stools were moved from classrooms to watch. So, all students could invite their parents. But it seems that since the year before last, it’s been held in the auditorium. Because the space is too small, parents can’t be invited. I haven’t seen any performances yet!”
“Is that so?” Nie Qiu frowned. So the performances were now held in the auditorium? Nie Qiu felt she had taken things for granted. Times were changing. When she studied at this school before, apart from the sculpture, the iconic large rock at the entrance, and a teaching building, nothing else was the same. Two more teaching buildings had been added, the school’s land had gradually expanded, and the decoration and landscaping had become more refined. It wasn’t surprising that the art festival performances had moved to the auditorium, but the drawback was that other parents couldn’t watch the programs.
“Didn’t the teacher say anything?” Nie Aifang was no longer excited and looked at Nie Qiu. Now that Qiu Qiu had lost her memory, it was understandable that she didn’t remember what happened the year before last. If the teacher hadn’t said anything, it probably meant she couldn’t go.
“Then… Mom, do you want to go?” Nie Qiu asked, looking at Nie Aifang.
“Yes!” Nie Aifang nodded without hesitation. “We only watch the Spring Festival Gala on TV during New Year’s. I haven’t seen a live performance yet! A while ago, I heard some university students at the market talking about some star holding a fan meeting at their school. I was thinking, maybe when you get into university, you’ll be able to see a live performance too.”
Nie Qiu looked at Nie Aifang’s expression and smiled, nodding. “Mm! I understand.” She had attended many celebrity solo concerts, listened to many renowned musicians, and even participated in press conferences for many famous movies. In her previous life, she could have all of this, whether Yang Zihao took her, she was invited, or she went by herself. She had seen quite a few live events.
Although there were so many variety shows on television now, Nie Aifang had only watched the Spring Festival Gala and had never seen a live performance. She hadn’t even seen school galas or art festivals.
This mother, who ate vegetarian steamed buns herself but would buy meat buns for her, she had to make up for her regrets.
Even if she wasn’t good at performing, she had to do her best, choose a good program, and get selected so that Nie Aifang could come to school and watch a performance.
With this thought, Nie Qiu’s gaze became firm. She had to choose a program, a good program, get selected, let Nie Aifang come to school to watch the art festival, win an award, and not let Huang Yan lose face.
After finishing dinner, Nie Aifang went to the kitchen to wash dishes, and Nie Qiu washed clothes in the bathroom. While hanging the clothes, Nie Qiu saw a black casual jacket hanging on a wire and suddenly remembered that Li Kai had lent her his jacket after she finished tutoring him that day.
She had originally intended to return it to Li Kai after washing it, but her days had been too packed and busy, and she had forgotten.
She picked up the long pole used for hanging clothes, took down the clothes drying overhead, brought them into the room, and placed them on the bed, then came out to hang the washed clothes.
Returning to the room, she looked at the casual jacket on the bed and picked it up with a sigh. She admitted that she had a flutter of excitement towards Li Kai, but Li Kai was like a spoiled child. What he hated, he hated with all his might, just like he did to the previous Nie Qiu. What he liked, he liked with all his might, just like he did to the current Nie Qiu. He never hid his true feelings.
Undeniably, she was attracted to this kind of boy. To say that a person in her thirties liked a teenage boy seemed a bit awkward and strange, but this kind of boy was indeed attractive. At least, in the innocent youth and pure love, she felt deeply moved.
But as soon as she thought about what Li Kai had done to Nie Qiu before, she felt unable to accept it. For a boy to bully someone to such an extent out of dislike was truly embarrassing for her. More than that, she felt heartache for the previous Nie Qiu. She was now in this person’s body, living in the environment she had once existed in. Everything made her feel empathy.
Nie Qiu recalled her first day at school: Li Kai’s warning, Wang Chao Lei’s disgust, Chen Li’s scorn… and more classmates watching with amusement. How had the previous Nie Qiu managed? She had experienced it all.
She thought that if her composition hadn’t been exhibited on the notice board, if she hadn’t gone to Class 1 to lecture, then… the classmates in the class probably wouldn’t have changed their opinion of her much. They might have just thought that this person was a bit more neat, that this person was a bit more serious about studying…
