When Jin Feng and the others returned to the foot of the mountain, the sky had already turned dark.
The common people had finished eating and gathered in the open space. They sat around bonfires, waiting silently.
“They are not resting. What are they doing here?” Jin Feng asked.
“The Jinchuan Song and Dance Troupe is coming here to perform today. Everyone is waiting to watch the song and dance.”
Wei Datong explained.
“Qing Yuan has come?” Jin Feng was stunned.
Back when Qing Xinyao had given Qing Yuan and a group of dancers to him, Jin Feng had no other way to arrange them. So he let Qing Yuan form a dance troupe.
At first, Jin Feng just wanted to give the dancers something to do. Who knew that Qing Yuan and the others’ performance would far exceed his expectations.
The stage plays performed by the dance troupe greatly comforted those refugees with brands on their faces. Many girls who planned to end their lives regained the will to live after watching the stage plays.
Later, Xiao Yu noticed that the dance troupe’s stage was very suitable for propaganda. She approached Qing Yuan and Chen Wen Yuan to customise some stories specifically to promote Xihewan Village and Jin Feng’s ideas.
To achieve the best propaganda effect, Xiao Yu required the dance troupe not only to perform at the escort bureau and various factories but also to go to townships around Jinchuan irregularly for performances.
So Jin Feng kept the dance troupe and officially renamed it the Jinchuan Song and Dance Troupe. Qing Yuan served as the troupe leader. Chen Wen Yuan, who had written scripts at Great Python Slope, served as deputy leader and chief editor.
The main work of the song and dance troupe was to perform consolation shows for the escort bureau and various factories.
But the song and dance troupe usually operated in Jinchuan. Jin Feng really did not know they had come to Dujiangyan.
“Miss Qing Yuan has been here for a while. She performs at various worksites every day. Today is the second time at the Dujiangyan worksite. Everyone is looking forward to it.”
In Great Kang, there was almost no entertainment. The stories performed by the song and dance troupe were close to the lives of the common people and were very popular. Every time they performed outside, the audience was packed with people.
Many common people crossed mountains and ridges, walking ten or even dozens of miles, just to watch one performance by the song and dance troupe.
Wei Datong was speaking when the tent not far away opened. A large group of beautiful women walked out.
Leading them was Qing Yuan.
When she saw Jin Feng, Qing Yuan’s eyes lit up. She let the dancers go on stage to perform while she quickly walked over with Chen Wen Yuan and his wife.
Now Qing Yuan was much more confident than before. She was also familiar with Jin Feng, so her speech was more casual.
But when she noticed the ninth princess standing beside Jin Feng, she did not dare to be presumptuous. Together with Chen Wen Yuan and his wife, she properly bowed. “Greetings to Your Highness. Greetings to sir!”
After both sides exchanged greetings, Jin Feng asked again.
“Qing Yuan, Mr Chen, sister-in-law, when did you arrive?”
“We came as soon as the Dujiangyan worksite started.” Qing Yuan replied. “We have performed one round at each worksite. Today we start the second round.”
“So early?” Jin Feng was stunned.
“Yes. When the village heard that sir and Your Highness were building Dujiangyan, everyone was very excited.”
Chen Wen Yuan smiled and said, “Little sister Xiao Yu said this is a great deed benefiting the country and the people. We must come to console them properly.”
Hearing this, Jin Feng roughly understood Xiao Yu’s plan.
This was to promote him and win the people’s hearts.
Jin Feng did not oppose this. He nodded slightly and asked, “What story are you performing today?”
“It is a new script written by Mr Chen especially for Dujiangyan. It is called Dujiang Wind and Clouds.”
Qing Yuan asked an assistant to bring a stack of manuscript papers and handed them to Jin Feng.
Jin Feng did not read the main text. He only looked at the outline.
As he had guessed, this story was based on the current construction of Dujiangyan. It told how he, the ninth princess, and Qing Xinyao had faced great dangers and made huge sacrifices to push forward the Dujiangyan construction.
In the story, to build Dujiangyan, Jin Feng had spent all his family wealth. He, Guan Xiaorou, and Tang Xiaobei did not even buy winter clothes. They all wore patched clothes and could not afford to eat meat.
The ninth princess also sold the jade pendants and jewellery rewarded by the emperor. She gave the money to Jin Feng to buy grain for disaster relief.
Qing Xinyao’s part was not much. Perhaps because Chen Wen Yuan was not familiar with him.
“Mr Chen, your script is too exaggerated.”
Jin Feng read it and could not help but laugh and cry.
He finally understood why the common people kowtowed when they saw him and the ninth princess.
“Mr, it is what you told me. Art comes from life but must be higher than life.”
Chen Wen Yuan smiled and said, “Writing like this can better arouse the emotions of the common people!”
“I think there is nothing wrong with Mr Chen writing it this way.”
The ninth princess said, “The common people are having a very hard time now. We need to give them some hope. Let them know that there are still people working hard for them.”
Jin Feng looked deeply at the ninth princess and nodded slightly.
Indeed, the common people needed hope.
This way, society could function normally and various projects could proceed smoothly.
If the common people all felt abandoned and saw no hope, they might turn to banditry or even rebel.
While the few were chatting, a thunderous applause suddenly came from behind.
They turned to look. It turned out the stage play had already started.
“Mr, Your Highness, do you want to watch? If so, I will have someone set up a tent near the stage.” Wei Datong asked.
“No need!”
Jin Feng and the ninth princess waved their hands at the same time.
No matter how thick-skinned they were, they could not sit in the audience and watch the song and dance troupe praise their own story.
“We have been running all afternoon and have not eaten yet. Hurry and prepare something to eat. I am starving.”
“Look at my memory.” Wei Datong slapped his forehead. “Your Highness, sir, go rest first. I will arrange it now. A few days ago, someone caught some monkeys in the mountains. I kept them for you two.”
Hearing this, Jin Feng thought of the monkey brain feast he had seen at Lushui Manor. He felt a wave of nausea and waved his hand. “Release the monkeys. Let the kitchen prepare some simple dishes. What do you think, Your Highness?”
The ninth princess naturally would not oppose Jin Feng on such a small matter. Moreover, the stage was currently performing how she and Jin Feng lived so frugally to build Dujiangyan. If the common people turned and found them eating a monkey brain feast, the consequences would be unimaginable.
So she nodded in agreement.
“Alright. I will go release the monkeys now.”
Wei Datong quickly ran to inform the kitchen.
Before the Dujiangyan area was deserted, now although it was lively, there were not many buildings.
Apart from the cafeteria, there were only three rows of wooden courtyard houses.
The working common people and escorts were all squeezed into tents.
Wei Datong and the escort company commander, one being the overall commander of this project and the other the escort commander, each had a small courtyard.
Now that the ninth princess and Jin Feng had come, the two vacated their courtyards.
After running all day, Jin Feng was a bit tired. Back in the small courtyard, he lay on the bed to sleep.
But the stage play outside was still going on. Every one or two minutes, there would be applause. It was so noisy that he could not sleep. He had to light the oil lamp and sit back at the desk.
The stage play did not end until after nine at night. But at that time, Jin Feng had only drawn half the blueprint. He could only yawn while continuing to work at the desk.
When the blueprint was finished, it was already midnight.
Just as he was about to sleep, he suddenly heard the voice of the on-duty escort. “Who is it? Stop!”
