With a typical tough guy like Wu Yong taking the lead, everything that followed became much easier. Many who had been too shy to open up began to reveal their true feelings, at least to some extent. When people expressed the anxieties and sorrows that had been weighing on their hearts, only to find that everyone else shared them, the burden felt as if it had been lightened by being shared, leaving them feeling inexplicably at ease.
Tang Ning also arranged for a few people with a flair for the arts to perform. Once the somber atmosphere lifted, it quickly turned lighthearted and lively. As people spoke of their greatest pains and worries, those burdens suddenly seemed to diminish, becoming far less difficult to voice. Tang Ning established a schedule for these tea parties, holding them every three days, rotating hosts, and setting a standard procedure; she organized every detail to perfection.
When superior officers rotating down from the mountain front lines came to inspect, they found the spirit in the infirmary camp completely transformed—more positive and vibrant than those of the healthy soldiers. There was no groaning, no sighing, and certainly no listless gloom. This was vastly different from their usual experiences on the battlefield. Deeply surprised, the officer summoned Wu Yong, whom he knew best, to ask why.
Chapter 75