Power and Wealth

At night.

It was almost eight o'clock.

At the suggestion of the birthday girl, Fang Shuiling, everyone started to sing. Fang Shuiling first sang a duet with Xie Ran, singing a love song called "Rooftop," which sounded quite nice. Then Fang Shuiling sang the "Swallowtail Butterfly" solo, which was also good. Next, it was Dong Xuebing's turn.

Dong Xuebing hesitated, "I think I'll pass."

"Don't be shy, brother-in-law, just try it," Xie Ran encouraged.

Fang Shuiling grinned, "You've already picked a song, so just sing one."

Dong Xuebing chuckled, "I'm not a good singer. I don't want to scare you."

Fang Wenping chimed in, "Well, at least you're self-aware. If you do sing, sing softly. I'm afraid I'll be scared otherwise."

Fang Shuiling quickly pulled her aside, "Auntie."

Dong Xuebing narrowed his eyes, "Hey, don't force me, or I might just sing."

The music started, and Dong Xuebing sang "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing." Despite feeling a bit embarrassed, he sang loudly with confidence. Although his singing wasn't exceptionally good, he stayed on the pitch and had some spirit.

After the song ended, Fang Shuiling applauded, "You sang well!"

Xie Ran also clapped, "Much better than me!"

Dong Xuebing waved his hand with a smile, "It's nothing special, don't praise me too much." He felt quite pleased with how he sang this time.

However, Fang Wenping wasn't so generous, "Your singing was just okay."

Dong Xuebing snorted, "All right, then, try it. Let me see what you've got."

"Get ready to be amazed," Fang Wenping said as she picked up the microphone. The next song was hers.

But when Dong Xuebing saw the song's title, he started to sweat a little. It was actually "Singing a Mountain Song to the Party". My goodness, how old is this song? Can you handle it? But when he thought about Fang Wenping's age, Dong Xuebing felt somewhat relieved. You couldn't expect someone of her age to sing very popular songs.

Singing a mountain song to the Party.

I compare the Party to my mother;

My mother only gave birth to my body.

The Party's radiance shines in my heart.

As Fang Wenping started to sing, Dong Xuebing hummed along silently. Surprisingly, she sang with a particularly rich and powerful voice.

After the song ended, Fang Wenping smiled at Dong Xuebing, "Impressed or not?"

Dong Xuebing smirked, "Not bad. Wait until I sing another one."

He turned to Xie Ran and said, "Play 'Guang Ming' by Wang Feng."

"All right," Xie Ran immediately complied.

Fang Wenping said, "The next one is 'Qinghai-Tibet Plateau' for me."

"Okay, Aunt Fang," Xie Ran made a few more selections.

Finally, the situation turned into a singing showdown between Dong Xuebing and Fang Wenping. They stopped arguing with Fang Shuiling's intervention, but the rivalry continued.

You sing one.

I sing one.

Neither of us will back down.

Seeing them like this, Fang Shuiling and Xie Ran exchanged a helpless glance.

Finally, they both got tired of singing. Each had sung six or seven songs, mostly ignoring Fang Shuiling and Xie Ran's choices; it was all about Dong Xuebing and Fang Wenping.

Dong Xuebing ordered a bottle of Chivas Regal without mixing it with green tea and drank a cup in one gulp. Then he asked, "Who sang better?"

Xie Ran hesitated.

Fang Wenping also drank a cup, "Come on, tell us, who sang better?"

Fang Shuiling tried to smooth things over, "Well, they were both good, both good."

Fang Wenping squinted, "Be honest, who was better? Give us your evaluation."

Xie Ran hurriedly said, "Aunt Fang has a beautiful voice, full of power, and she sang with great momentum. Her high notes are also very high, not something ordinary people can reach, especially 'Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,' it was so beautiful."

Fang Shuiling also said, "Brother Dong sang with emotion. Although his voice is a bit hoarse, it's this kind of voice that has flavor, especially with such emotions. The songs he sang were very touching."

So basically, they both sang well.

Dong Xuebing accepted this evaluation. He knew he couldn't sing as well as Fang Wenping, so he didn't argue about who won or lost.

Fang Wenping seemed a bit reluctant but didn't say anything.

Suddenly, Fang Shuiling thought, "I suggest Brother Dong and Auntie sing a duet."

"Who's singing with him?" Fang Wenping shook her head, refusing.

Dong Xuebing boasted, "Don't force her. She's afraid of being outdone by me if we sing together." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Fang Wenping chuckled, "You're quite confident. All right, let's compare. Let's sing."

Fang Shuiling suggested, "Then let's sing 'Because of Love in Hiroshima.'"

Dong Xuebing sighed, "That's such a cliché. Let's sing something else."

Xie Ran also intervened, realizing that singing love songs might not be appropriate, "Why don't you two choose a song you both know? Aunt Fang may prefer old songs."

Fang Wenping agreed, "I haven't heard your young people's songs. Let's go with 'Walking Past the Café'."

"Okay, let's go with that. I know it too," Dong Xuebing agreed. "We'll each take a line, don't interrupt each other."

"That's something I should be telling you," Fang Wenping said, looking at him. Don't go off-key and mess up my singing."

Dong Xuebing snorted, "I won't run away, don't worry. Even if you go off-key and end up in Tongxian, I'll still be waiting for you in Chengxi District."

After selecting the song, Fang Shuiling suddenly said, "All right, you two sing. I'll go to the restroom with Brother Ran."

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Eager to start singing, Fang Wenping waved her hand, "Hurry up, hurry up, don't block the TV."

So the two of them went out, and Dong Xuebing and Fang Wenping ignored them, instead starting to sing competitively.

Outside.

Xie Ran and Fang Shuiling came out.

"Did you get everything?" Fang Shuiling asked.

Xie Ran patted his pockets, "I didn't bring a bag, but I got everything."

Fang Shuiling also held her bag, "Then let's go."

"Is it appropriate?" Xie Ran felt uneasy. "I suggested getting my brother-in-law and your aunt to resolve their conflict. But if we leave now, can they handle it on their own? What if they start fighting again? If we're not here, who can stop them?"

Fang Shuiling pondered for a moment, "Let's go. My aunt and your sister are both people who care about face. The more we're here, the more they might be at odds with each other."

Xie Ran sighed, "Are you sure?"

Fang Shuiling sighed, "We can only try. Maybe if they sing and chat, they'll resolve their differences with a smile. If not, we'll have to figure something out in the future. We can't let them keep fighting like this. I'm going crazy with this situation. It's unbearable."

Xie Ran momentarily thought, "All right, I'll follow your plan. But with their temperaments, they might explode if we leave them and go."

Fang Shuiling gritted her teeth, "Turn off your phone."

"I guess we have no other choice," Xie Ran said, taking out his phone, thinking for a moment, and decisively turning it off.

Fang Shuiling and Xie Ran's intentions were truly well-intentioned. They allowed them to sing together while also giving them space to be alone.