Chapter 77 Poaching

Chapter 77

Yang Jie did not speak.

“Yang Jie, don’t blame me for being blunt, but if you had agreed to the demands of that guy surnamed He in the compound when you were in the capital, you might not be in this situation today.”

Yang Jie serves as a cautionary tale, and now she wants Meng Yingying to follow in her footsteps.

He Chang refused, saying, “I know you are a person of integrity, but Yang Jie, since your path is blocked, you should let Meng Yingying try a new one.”

"Marriage and having children aren't as scary as you think. Even if Meng Yingying gets together with Commander Qi, given how well she has him wrapped around her little finger, don't worry. At least a few years from now, Commander Qi won't be able to let Meng Yingying go, and she'll have his children."

"In a few years, when Meng Yingying gets older and reaches a plateau in her dancing, she can go back and have a child with Director Qi. Don't worry, given Director Qi's personality, he'll only climb higher after having a child. They're well-off, and even if their parents don't help, they can afford to hire someone. Meng Yingying doesn't suffer from hardship, and with Director Qi protecting her, do you really think getting married and having a child will be a downhill path for her?"

According to He Chang, as long as you choose a good marriage partner, your future path will be easier.

However, very few people are aware of this.

Yang Jie let out a sigh of relief. "Old He, if I had been as shrewd as you back then, would I have ended up in this situation?"

Director He had no answer to this question. She remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "It's not that there's no chance to salvage the situation. Yang Jie, you have great talent, but you have no one behind you, so you can't stand alone. But Meng Yingying is different."

"Behind Meng Yingying are you, me, Commander Qi, and the entire literary and art federation, song and dance troupe and cultural troupe of the three northeastern provinces. So many organizations have helped her rise to prominence."

"Believe me, Meng Yingying's future will go very far."

She will not leave in anger like Yang Jie did back then.

Meng Yingying will carry the hopes of all dancers in Northeast China and gain a foothold in the capital.

Upon hearing this, Yang Jie's eyes welled up with tears. "Old He, I also hope to see that day come."

"So, you don't object to Meng Yingying and Commander Qi dating anymore, right?"

Yang Jie was a little embarrassed. Although she was over forty, she still had a shyness on her face, like that of a young girl.

"No more."

“If Commander Qi can help Meng Yingying, I naturally won’t object.” She said with some concern, “I just hope that they won’t have children for the next three years.”

At twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, and then twenty-four or twenty-five, bodily functions will gradually decline.

He Chu raised an eyebrow. "Is this something you care about? This is something Meng Yingying should care about. Besides, don't worry, your newly accepted little apprentice has a plan in mind."

"If she can handle Commander Qi, why are you worried?"

"What you should be worried about is that Meng Yingying and her team are going back to the Harbin Art Troupe this afternoon, Yang Jie. If I were you, I would go with Meng Yingying."

Yang Jie frowned. "You mean?"

"Um."

He nodded, "You and Meng Yingying met halfway through your relationship, and you became master and apprentice halfway through. There is a lack of the kind of affection that comes with a casual acquaintance between you and her and Coach Zhao."

That's why I suggested you go with Meng Yingying. She cares about Coach Zhao and the Harbin Art Troupe. The entire Harbin Art Troupe is at a disadvantage. You know Coach Zhao's skills are limited, but if you could guide Meng Yingying, you could also give some guidance to the other girls in the Harbin Art Troupe.

"Yang Jie, don't worry, the relationship between you and Meng Yingying, the master and apprentice, will also progress by leaps and bounds."

This is the precise way to handle interpersonal relationships.

Yang Jie got up and paced around the room. "Let me think about it."

Director He didn't urge her. She raised her wrist to check the time. "If nothing unexpected happens, Meng Yingying and the others will be taking the afternoon train. If you want to go with them, then come along."

"Otherwise, in ten days, you will lead them to the exchange and learning conference in the Soviet Union. But at that time, there will be many people and teams, and as the teacher in charge, you will not be able to favor one person."

"Yang Jie, think it over carefully."

Actually, Director He didn't mention another point: after Yang Jie's parents passed away, she lived alone in the Writers' Association's family compound.

She was on temporary assignment at the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, but those who know the Federation know that this is where she retires.

In such a place, being too outstanding can be a sin.

Wasn't Director He also helping Yang Jie find a way out?

She's forty-three years old this year. How many more years can she live alone? What will she do when she's fifty or sixty?

She thought it would be better to go to the Harbin Cultural Troupe. After observing for a long time, she found that this troupe had a more human touch and was upright from top to bottom. It would also be the best place for Yang Jie to retire.

However, Director He would never say this. Yang Jie had a strong sense of self-respect, and she would not accept that she had aged a day and needed to be taken care of.

"No need to wait until the afternoon."

Yang Jie stood up and walked to Director He. "I can give you the answer right now."

“I am willing to leave with Meng Yingying. Give me some time, I will go to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles to complete the formalities.”

Although she was on temporary assignment, she still held a position.

Director He seemed somewhat surprised, "So fast? No regrets?"

Yang Jie shook her head, "No regrets."

“Since I have taken her on as a student, I have to be responsible for her. Besides, I also have my own selfish motives. I hope that she can stand at the top of the National Ballet of China in the future.”

That's really daring of them.

Even Director He herself dared not imagine it. She thought that if Meng Yingying could gain a foothold in the capital, and then leak some things out from between her fingers, it would be enough for the cultural troupes and song and dance troupes of the three northeastern provinces.

However, she naturally wouldn't tell Yang Jie about such a pathetic idea. Director He said, "Then I'll go find Meng Yingying and Commander Qi to come in."

Outside.

Meng Yingying and Qi Donghan took a stroll around the Writers' Association's residential compound, enjoying a rare moment of peace.

They both cherished it.

Director He arrived at this time. Although she really didn't want to disturb her date, she had no choice but to come.

"Yingying, you and Commander Qi come here for a moment."

After Meng Yingying finished listening, she swallowed hard. "So, Master, you're coming back to the Harbin Cultural Troupe with me this time?"

Yang Jie nodded. "What? Aren't you welcoming me?"

"Where, where?" Meng Yingying shook her head so hard it was practically a rattle drum. "If you go, Master, let me tell you, our troupe's Commander Fang will personally come out to greet you."

You should know that it took Commander Fang a lot of effort to find Coach Zhao to give them intensive tutoring.

If Yang Jie were to go now, not only would Commander Fang be overjoyed, but the entire performing arts troupe would be ecstatic.

Seeing her genuine welcome, Yang Jie smiled more. "I'll go take care of the formalities later. If you're leaving this afternoon, I'll leave with you."

As for her home, after losing her parents, this house was just a place for Yang Jie to stay.

Meng Yingying replied, "Then I'll have my coach buy your ticket too."

"Master, we'll come to pick you up this afternoon when we leave."

Yang Jie naturally agreed.

When Meng Yingying walked out of the Writers' Association's residential compound, her feet felt like they were walking on cotton. She looked at Director He and asked, "How did you convince my master to come back to the Harbin Art Troupe with me?"

She was very curious.

He Chang kept everyone in suspense, saying, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed."

Meng Yingying didn't press the matter further. After she returned, she told Coach Zhao and the other women in the performing arts troupe about the news.

Everyone couldn't help but cheer.

Coach Zhao even called Commander Fang directly, who assured him, "Just tell Comrade Yang Jie to come; position, benefits, and housing are all taken care of."

Coach Zhao was even more relieved after hearing this. That afternoon, after the team competition, their Harbin Cultural Troupe won second place.

Although they didn't get first place, everyone was still quite satisfied.

After the competition and winning the award, the deal was finalized immediately. The train was at 6 PM, and before leaving, they didn't forget to bring Comrade Yang Jie along as well.

Of course, Director He was with them this time. Even members of the Jilin City Cultural Troupe were present; their individual performance was unsuccessful, which affected the team's overall results and led to a less than ideal performance in the group competition.

As a result, everyone on the train was sullen.

The once arrogant Jilin City Cultural Troupe seems to have vanished. The previous ridicule has also disappeared.

This made the members of the Harbin Cultural Troupe feel somewhat unaccustomed to it.

Commander Cao personally led the team, but now they have almost lost both people and money, and their strength has been severely damaged.

She didn't say a word the whole way, and the atmosphere at the Jilin City Cultural Troupe was terribly gloomy.

Meanwhile, the Harbin Cultural Troupe was all smiles. Before boarding the train, they took their prize money from the team competition and went to the department store to buy three pounds of melon seeds, two pounds of candy, and two bags of peach shortbread.

Ye Yingtao and the others even pooled their money to buy two cans of food. The twenty-two girls, plus Coach Zhao and Yang Jie, were all there.

They shared the food in a lively and cheerful manner.

Even Jiang Li, who always tries to outdo the best, and Li Shaoqing, who loves to say harsh things, surprisingly didn't spoil the atmosphere.

Meng Yingying joined in eating sunflower seeds. She thought the sunflower seeds from the 1970s were delicious, both crispy and fragrant, and she ate a lot of them.

Qi Donghan arrived at this time, carrying a nylon mesh bag full of green oranges, plus three large meat buns.

The meat buns were freshly baked, fluffy white, and still steaming hot.

As soon as he entered, the carriage was quiet for a moment, and then someone started to make a fuss.

"Yo yo yo, Commander Qi is here! Who has Commander Qi come to see?"

It's Ye Yingtao who's stirring up trouble here.

Qi Donghan glanced around, finally fixing his gaze on Meng Yingying. He uttered a few words, "I came to see Meng Yingying."

Qi Donghan's affection for Meng Yingying was always very open and honest. He never tried to hide it.

Meng Yingying, who was called out by him in front of everyone, was unusually shy, with a blush on her cheeks.

She didn't understand why Qi Donghan could be so self-righteous in front of everyone.

Ye Yingtao pushed her to her feet, "Quickly, quick, Commander Qi is looking for you."

Meng Yingying looked up at Qi Donghan. He had changed his clothes and was wearing a polyester short-sleeved shirt. His exposed arms were strong and muscular. He also wore loose work pants and clean three-piece leather shoes.

With her clean-cut demeanor and overflowing hormones, she is truly captivating.

Meng Yingying rarely showed any appreciation; such a handsome man was hers!

Thinking of this, she no longer hesitated and stood up from the innermost seat. Qi Dong pulled her along and handed her a bag of oranges, saying, "Coach Zhao, Teacher Yang, please share these with everyone."

They're taking Meng Yingying away and giving everyone some gifts to prevent them from gossiping.

Coach Zhao accepted the oranges and said to Qi Donghan, "Have Yingying come back after dinner."

"Teacher Yang Jie is still giving Yingying extra tutoring."

Of course, everyone is listening.

Qi Donghan nodded and handed the meat bun to Yang Jie, "Teacher, one for you, Coach Zhao, and Director He."

This person really knows how to handle things.

Whether it was Coach Zhao or Yang Jie, everything was handled perfectly by him.

Yang Jie was still a little stunned, but Director He had already reacted and immediately accepted it, saying, "It was given to you by Yingying's boyfriend. You are her mentor, so you should accept it."

Yang Jie looked down at the large meat bun and thought to herself that it must be difficult to get this kind of food on a train.

It was at this moment that she truly understood the painstaking efforts of Director He.

The so-called protection and escort was nothing more than this: taking care of Meng Yingying in small matters and shielding her from all external risks in big matters.

Yang Jie accepted the meat buns, and for once, she was quite open-minded. "Yingying, please thank Commander Qi for me."

Meng Yingying turned around and glanced at Qi Donghan. Qi Donghan raised an eyebrow and looked at her. To be honest, at this moment, Meng Yingying's little vanity was completely satisfied by Qi Donghan.

This man really makes her look good in front of her superiors and teammates.

She took his hand and answered for him, "No need to thank me, this is what my Commander Qi should do, right?"

A hint of smugness flickered in his eyes, which softened Qi Donghan's gaze. "Yes."

"Well, Ms. Yang, Coach Zhao, I'm taking Yingying to dinner. I'll take my leave now."

As soon as they left, the scene immediately became lively.

"Yingying's boyfriend is really good."

Lin Qiu said this with emotion, "If any man brings me food in the future, I'll marry him."

This is a typical foodie's comment.

Ye Yingtao scoffed, "Don't even think about it. The cooks bring you food every day, why don't you marry him?"

Lin Qiu immediately fell silent.

Ye Yingtao said, "Alright, stop thinking about it. It's rare to meet a man like Commander Qi."

"We're already pretty lucky to be able to freeload off Yingying."

As Qi Donghan led her through carriage after carriage, Meng Yingying asked, puzzled, "Qi Donghan, where are you taking me?"

The carriage was packed with people, and it was only thanks to Qi Donghan squeezing a path through the crowd that she was prevented from being bumped into.

"Go to the dining car."

Qi Donghan held her hand and walked forward, not forgetting to turn back and say, "The food cart has red sausage, rice, and braised pork today."

Meng Yingying swallowed.

How could these be here?

How did you know?

Qi Donghan smiled and said, "I had a comrade from the cooking squad who retired and then became a head chef on a train."

"Today happens to be Friday, and we happen to have extra food on the dining car."

These days, the railway bureau is a good employer, and it's also a profit-making organization, so their benefits are naturally different from those outside.

After hearing this, Meng Yingying thought to herself, "It's so good to have someone I know."

After they arrived, Qi Donghan helped Meng Yingying sit down, and then went to the dining car window himself. "Old Zhang, I'd like a braised pork rice bowl and a red sausage."

Old Zhang poked his head out and said, "I just offered it to you, but you didn't want it. Now that it's here, there's only one left."

"for you."

He scooped two spoonfuls of rice, packed them firmly, and then poured a spoonful of braised pork with potatoes on top. The rice instantly absorbed the gravy from the braised pork.

The aroma was absolutely exquisite.

Qi Dong gave him 80 cents, plus two ounces of meat coupons and brothel coupons. After thanking Old Zhang, he carried his tray to Meng Yingying's seat.

Several people on the street smelled the aroma and wanted to buy some, but were told it was the last one.

Qi Donghan pushed the braised pork and potato rice bowl in front of Meng Yingying, his eyes filled with anticipation, "Eat quickly."

He sat there opposite me, upright and dignified, tall and imposing, with broad shoulders that accentuated his slender waist.

Meng Yingying was also momentarily dazed. Just as she was about to take it, she suddenly asked, "Where's yours?"

Qi Donghan casually pushed his plate forward and said in a low voice, "I've already eaten."

"How would I know that the dining car would serve braised pork with potatoes today if I hadn't eaten there before?"

Meng Yingying was somewhat suspicious, but Qi Donghan smiled, his features handsome and refined, "Really."

"I've taken care of both Teacher Yang and Coach Zhao, so I won't let myself go hungry."

"Yingying," he called her gently, "You should eat the braised pork and potato rice bowl while it's hot."

Meng Yingying didn't say whether she believed it or not. She got up and went to the dining car window to ask for an extra set of bowls and chopsticks. After bringing them over, she divided them in half.

He pushed it in front of Qi Donghan, saying, "If you don't eat it, I won't eat it either."

Qi Donghan had no choice but to accept it.

This braised pork with potatoes was the most delicious thing Meng Yingying had ever eaten.

Of course, Qi Donghan is also one.

As they ate, they would look up at each other, and when their eyes met, they couldn't help but smile at each other.

Even the air smelled sweet.

Inside the train carriage.

When Meng Yingying returned, the atmosphere was a bit strange. She wandered around for a while before finally sitting down.

"What's wrong?"

Ye Yingtao stopped eating her melon seeds and said resentfully, "Commander Cao has extended an olive branch to Teacher Yang Jie, wanting to poach her to the Jishi Cultural Troupe with a high price."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Commander Cao's voice rang out again. She turned to Yang Jie and said, "Teacher Yang, if you're not willing to accept double the salary, how about triple?"

"Or you can name your price. As long as our Jilin City Cultural Troupe can do it, I will definitely agree."

This is because they're relying on their own team's wealth to poach talent at all costs.

Coach Zhao and the others were a little apprehensive, because the conditions offered by Commander Cao were just too good.

This is something the Harbin Cultural Troupe could never dream of achieving.

Meng Yingying also frowned, looking at her master with some worry.

Yang Jie refused decisively, her tone calm: "No need, I'll be wherever my apprentice is."

If she valued material possessions so much, she wouldn't have left the National Ballet of China in the first place.

Upon hearing this, Commander Cao was somewhat disappointed.

Then, she quickly thought of something and changed her mind to ask Meng Yingying.

"Comrade Meng, the conditions at our Jilin City Cultural Troupe are much better than those at the Harbin City Cultural Troupe. If you're willing to come, I can help you with your salary, employment, housing, and even jobs for your family members all at once."

At this point, she changed the subject and tentatively asked, "Would you be willing to join our Jilin City Cultural Troupe?"

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Author's Note: Although I've never been poached, my best friend has, and the offer was incredibly high.

If you see any typos, please help me find them. I always spend a long time fixing them, and my eyes get tired by the end!

There will be another update tonight.