Chapter 71 "Oh my god! A lamp broke..."
Shu Ran looked at the dejected crowd and felt anxious, but she knew she couldn't panic at this moment.
She took a deep breath, her mind racing.
"Don't be discouraged!" Her voice wasn't loud, but her tone was calm. "If the stage is big, we'll amplify our movements! If the lights are bright, we'll use our voices to create a lively atmosphere! If the red light isn't conspicuous... we'll find a way to make it conspicuous!"
She immediately began to adjust: "Sister Wang, when you say your lines, make your gestures more exaggerated, like you're arguing with someone in the field! Xiulan, you need to raise your voice, Shitou, take bigger steps when you go on and off stage, show some presence!"
Then, she picked up the red lantern, looked around, and suddenly asked, "Who's wearing a red ribbon or a red headband?"
A woman took a small piece of leftover red ribbon out of her pocket.
Shu Ran's eyes lit up. She took the hair tie, then took out some tape from the medical kit Xu Junjun had given her. In no time, she wrapped the red hair tie tightly around the glass bottle near the mouth.
Then, she had Li Xiulan hold the lamp and stand in a spot where the stage lighting would reach them to test it. Sure enough! Although the bottle was still transparent, the dense red ring around the mouth of the bottle became conspicuous under the light.
"Teacher Shu really has a way!" Everyone gathered around and let out a low cheer, which immediately dispelled much of the atmosphere of despair.
“But… our set still feels too empty.” Li Xiulan was still a little worried.
Shu Ran pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Did you see where the other companies' props were piled up just now?"
"It seems to be near the entrance to the storage room on the west side of the backstage area."
Shu Ran's eyes lit up. "I've got an idea! Sister Wang, Xiulan, you two lead everyone to continue practicing, and refine the voice and movements even further. I'm going out to beg for some money!"
She slipped out backstage and found the storage room filled with props. Sure enough, old sets, broken tables and chairs that the various companies had replaced were piled up there.
She spotted two good things: a worn-out, dark blue-dyed curtain and an old table that looked outdated and missing a leg.
She found the bespectacled officer and put on a sincere smile: "Officer, I need to discuss something with you. We'd like to borrow two old, discarded sets and a broken table over there temporarily. We promise not to damage them and will return them immediately after use! Is that alright? It's for the better overall effect of our performance, isn't it?"
The staff member was already overwhelmed with work, and seeing that she was nice and only using discarded junk, he waved his hand impatiently: "Use it, use it! Hurry up and move it away! Just don't get in the way!"
Shu Ran was overjoyed and quickly went back to call Shi Tou and a few other teenagers. Together, they carried the piece of blue curtain and the broken table back.
She used a piece of blue curtain as a backdrop behind the stage, which was much better than the bare wall. She also repaired the broken table, tied the missing leg with a rope, and covered it with an old bed sheet borrowed from the guesthouse, turning it into "Grandma Li's" table.
Although it was still simple, this adjustment immediately made the whole stage scene fuller and more interesting, and it no longer looked so shabby.
"Teacher Shu, you're so resourceful!" Sister Wang exclaimed in admiration. Li Xiulan also smiled again.
Everyone's morale was greatly boosted, and they quickly practiced the stage several times in the adjusted environment, feeling much more at ease.
*
Backstage before the official start of the division's performance, the actors from each company were making their final preparations, rehearsing their lines, warming up their voices, and tidying their costumes.
A corner of the livestock company stood out. Their simplicity contrasted sharply with the glamorous surroundings, but it was precisely this difference that attracted a lot of attention.
Zhou Qiaozhen and the people from the Eighth Company were not far away. Their faces were painted with greasepaint, which made them look much more professional.
Zhou Qiaozhen looked at the glass bottle lantern in Li Xiulan's hand, which Shu Ran had carefully decorated with red string, and then at Sister Wang's patched red cloth shirt. She curled her lips and said to the people next to her, "Look at their shabby appearance, they can only afford to make such low-class things. When they go on stage and the lights come on, I wonder how they will embarrass themselves."
Her voice wasn't loud, just loud enough to reach the livestock company. Sister Wang's face darkened, and she was about to retort, but Shu Ran stopped her with a look.
Shu Ran's face remained expressionless, but she subtly increased her vigilance. Someone like Zhou Qiaozhen, in this competitive situation, might resort to underhanded tactics.
Sure enough, just as the broadcast announced the preparations for the livestock company's program and everyone was doing a final check of the props, Li Xiulan picked up a prop that was placed aside and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh! This red rope... how come it's so loose?"
The red rope that had been tightly wrapped around the mouth of the red lamp bottle had become loose and frayed in several places, clearly indicating that someone had tampered with it.
If you go on stage like this, the effect will be greatly diminished under the stage lights, and it may even look ridiculous.
"Who did this?!" Sister Wang immediately flew into a rage, her eyes glaring towards the Eighth Company. Zhou Qiaozhen was straightening her collar, a faint hint of smugness playing on her lips.
There are too many people involved, making it impossible to find any evidence. Investigating who did it now is pointless; the key is to resolve the problem immediately.
"Don't panic!" Shu Ran suppressed the panic among the crowd, quickly glanced at the loose red rope, and then looked around.
"Did Dr. Xu include any bandages in the medical kit? The white kind!" Shu Ran asked quickly.
“Yes!” Li Xiulan immediately opened the medical kit.
"Give it to me now!"
Shu Ran took the bandage, her mind racing. The red rope wasn't conspicuous enough? Then she'd make it even more conspicuous! She wouldn't hide its simplicity; she'd turn it into a distinctive feature!
Instead of re-tightening the easily loosened red rope, she simply cut off a section of white bandage with scissors and soaked it in mercurochrome! The bandage was instantly stained bright red.
To everyone's astonishment, Shu Ran used the temporarily dyed red bandage to tightly wrap several times around the middle section of the bottle, below the original red rope, tying a secure knot. Instantly, two striking red rings appeared on the glass bottle lamp—the loose red rope at the bottle's mouth and the bright red bandage on the bottle's body.
"Xiulan, once you're on stage, try to hold it like this." Shu Ran gestured for Li Xiulan to grasp the new red bandage around the middle of the bottle, "so that both the top and bottom red bandages are visible!"
Li Xiulan tried it and nodded vigorously. Holding it like this made the lamp more stable, and the two red rings intertwined under the light, creating a unique visual effect with an indescribable sense of tragic grandeur.
"But... this bandage is red, won't it..." Sister Wang hesitated.
"That's exactly the effect we wanted!" Shu Ran's eyes sharpened. "Our lights are like lights that have been damaged and patched up, but are even more eye-catching! They perfectly match the spirit of our program!"
The crisis was averted in an instant, and might even have become a unique feature. The members of the livestock company breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Shu Ran with admiration.
When Zhou Qiaozhen saw this quick-thinking scene, her face immediately turned ugly. She hadn't expected the other party to react so fast.
Just then, the staff came to urge the performance to start. Shu Ran gave everyone one last look, her gaze firm: "Remember, no matter what happens, the show is paramount! Tell our story well! Get on stage!"
The curtain is drawn back.
The stage lights in the division headquarters auditorium were blazing. The old, dark blue set, the broken tables with their legs tied, and a group of actors from the livestock company, dressed in faded, patched clothes, appeared under the lights.
Compared to the previous shows with their uniform costumes and elaborate props, their shabby appearance, like a group of stray settlers, instantly drew surprise, murmurs, and whispers from the audience.
On the judging panel, several veteran experts from the division's cultural troupe and propaganda department frowned, whispered among themselves, and hovered their pens over the scoring sheets, clearly surprised by this overly raw presentation.
The reactions of the judges and the audience put immense pressure on the actors on stage.
Li Xiulan was carrying the red lantern with a red rope tied around its mouth. Her hands were trembling so badly that her first line was stuck in her throat, and she couldn't say it no matter what she said.
Shi Tou looked at the sea of people below the stage and the judges' scrutinizing gazes, and his breathing became rapid.
Shu Ran, standing on the side of the stage, felt her heart leap into her throat, but she clenched her fists tightly and stared at the stage, silently chanting: I must stay calm!
Just then, perhaps due to nervousness, Li Xiulan's hand slipped, and the red light slipped from her grasp, crashing onto the stage floor with a loud bang! The glass bottle didn't break, but the small candle stub inside went out!
"Ah!" Li Xiulan gasped in fright, her face turning deathly pale instantly.
A collective gasp and a few snickers erupted from the audience. Sister Wang was also stunned.
The judges' brows furrowed even more.
In that awkward silence, Sister Wang suddenly snapped out of it. She rushed forward and slammed her hand on the broken table with a loud bang, drawing everyone's attention.
She pointed to the extinguished red light on the ground, and tears streamed down her face. It wasn't an act; she was genuinely anxious and in real pain.
With a sob in her voice, she cried out to the audience, as if questioning fate: "Damn it! Not even a lamp... not even a lamp will be left for us?! Seventeen years! Through wind and rain, we've hidden ourselves, not daring to utter a single open word! We were counting on this little light, hoping our children could pass on this hope! This lamp is out... but the fire in our hearts will never be extinguished!"
This was completely beyond the script and was an improvisation, with a kind of explosive power that came from being pushed to the brink, making it more impactful than any carefully crafted performance.
The audience fell silent instantly, everyone stunned by the sudden turn of events and Sister Wang's performance.
Startled by Sister Wang's shout, Li Xiulan felt a surge of shame and grievance transform into strength. She lunged forward, not to help Sister Wang up, but to kneel down and, with trembling hands, cradled the extinguished red lamp as if it were an invaluable faith.
She didn't look at the audience, only at the lamp, and continued in a voice trembling with tears, as if making a vow:
"Grandma! If the light goes out, we'll light it again! If the blood gets cold, we'll warm it with our chests! We have countless uncles and cousins, and they only come to visit when there's something important! But our family's hopes and dreams will never be broken! Even if I have to sell everything I own, I will make sure this light... shines again!"
She suddenly raised her head, tears still on her face, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness as she stared intently into the void, as if the enemy were right before her.
The unexpected chain reaction, ironically, pushed the emotions to an unprecedented climax. The entire stage was filled with a tragic sense of survival in a desperate situation and an atmosphere of unwavering determination.
Stone was completely ignited by this emotion. He straightened his back, his voice filled with youthful sincerity, and roared, "Mother! Sister! We're not afraid! We're not afraid of anything! We'll fight them to the end!"
Shuanzhu's timely shout, "Sharpening scissors—sharpening knives—!" sounded more like a battle horn.
In the subsequent performances, the actors completely shed their inhibitions and formalities; every movement and every line was infused with genuine emotion. The red lamp, though extinguished, was always held tightly by Li Xiulan, becoming the most poignant symbol on stage.
Finally, when all the actors gathered around, Li Xiulan held the extinguished red lamp high above her head, and everyone shouted in unison, "We will not leave the battlefield until all the wolves are defeated!"
The curtain slowly closed.
On stage, the actors slumped to the ground, Sister Wang was still wiping away tears, and Li Xiulan was tightly clutching the lamp, trembling all over.
After a few seconds of silence, applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
Backstage, the people from the livestock company were completely exhausted, and no one spoke for a long time. The thrilling scene on stage had left them still shaken.
The actors from the other companies looked at them with admiration. Zhou Qiaozhen opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
The evaluation process took another turn for the worse, with the judges' disagreements becoming even greater than expected.
Conservative experts exclaimed in anguish: "Nonsense! Utter nonsense! A major performance mishap! This is improvisation, completely deviating from the script and established norms! This trend cannot be allowed to continue! It must be severely criticized! Forget about any awards!"
The liberal representative was extremely excited: "This is true art! It originates from life, but transcends it! An accident? That was a divinely ordained dramatic turn of events! The improvisational reactions and emotional outbursts that followed could never be staged by any rehearsal! It's authentic! Powerful! It strikes right at the soul! This should not only not be punished, but should be richly rewarded!"
The two sides argued heatedly, their faces turning red.
Yang Zhenhua argued forcefully: "Comrades! We are judging based on the program's effectiveness and its ideological appeal! The Livestock Company's program may have had flaws in its form, or even an accident, but it was precisely this accident that aroused the actors' most genuine emotions and vividly demonstrated the revolutionaries' indomitable spirit in the face of setbacks! The audience's reaction says it all! Isn't this the highest realm that our literary and artistic propaganda strives for?"
Ultimately, after more intense debate and deliberation, the judging panel reached a compromise: they fully affirmed the emotional impact of the livestock company's performance and would not pursue the stage mishap, but reserved their opinion on the improvisational format. Given the positive artistic effect and audience response, they were awarded second prize, along with a batch of books and thirty yuan in cultural development funds.
In addition, in recognition of the program's resilience and collective adaptability in the face of unexpected events, an additional "Special Spirit Award" was presented, along with a radio.
When the final results were announced, everyone behind the scenes was stunned.
We secured the second prize, the funding and books, and even received an extra special award!
Sister Wang was stunned for a long time, then suddenly slapped her thigh: "Oh my god! I broke a lamp, and a radio came out with it?!"
Li Xiulan burst into laughter through her tears, hugged the red lantern, and kissed it.
Shu Ran let out a long sigh of relief, her heart filled with mixed emotions. It was truly a case of "after all the mountains and rivers seem to have no end, a new path opens up before you do!" Although the process was extremely perilous, the result was even better than expected!
She understood that what they had won was not just a prize, but the highest form of recognition.
However, the story doesn't end there.
Just as the division leaders were about to go on stage to present the award, the bespectacled officer who had previously been in charge of backstage coordination and had been quite impatient with the livestock company, arrived at the backstage area of the Eighth Company with two security personnel, looking very serious, and went straight to Zhou Qiaozhen.
"Comrade Zhou Qiaozhen, please explain what you did when you briefly left your company area about fifteen minutes before the performance and went to the props storage area?" The officer's tone was very stern.
Zhou Qiaozhen's face turned deathly pale in an instant. She forced herself to remain calm: "I...I didn't do anything, I just tidied up our own props..."
"Really?" The officer pushed up his glasses and pulled a small, dirty piece of red rope, identical to the one on the Livestock Company's red light, from his pocket. "This was found near the prop pile. Someone saw you bend over nearby at the time. Also, the Livestock Company's red rope was inexplicably loose, and the timing matches up. Do you have anything else to say?"
It turns out that after Shu Ran discovered that the red rope had been tampered with, although she tried to remedy the situation immediately to avoid affecting the performance, she did not remain silent.
She quietly approached the bespectacled officer who seemed meticulous in his work and reported her suspicions and the unusual red string she had discovered. She didn't say it must be Zhou Qiaozhen, only providing clues and the timeframe.
The bespectacled officer initially thought it was a minor matter and didn't want to get involved, but Shu Ran emphasized, "This isn't a personal grudge; it's disrupting the order of the group performance. If they can loosen our red rope today, they can dismantle someone else's stage tomorrow. The division's performance cannot tolerate this kind of unhealthy behavior." These words struck a chord with the officer. He then secretly investigated and indeed found witnesses and physical evidence.
With witnesses and physical evidence at her disposal, Zhou Qiaozhen could not deny it and stammered that she had confessed, saying that she "couldn't stand them getting special treatment and wanted to play a joke on them."
"Are you kidding me?" The officer's face turned ashen. "This is a serious case of disorganization and indiscipline! Disrupting a brother unit's performance is egregious! Your Eighth Company's program is disqualified from the awards! Your issue will be dealt with seriously by your company and the security department after this meeting!"
Zhou Qiaozhen was completely stunned, and her companions were too frightened to speak. All the hard work the Eighth Company had put into rehearsals was wasted because of her jealousy and her petty actions.
This scene was witnessed by many backstage. The way people looked at the livestock company now held a mixture of admiration and understanding, but their gazes towards Zhou Qiaozhen and the Eighth Company were filled with disdain.
Shu Ran watched from afar, her face expressionless. She wasn't a saint; she didn't possess the magnanimity to repay evil with kindness. In the modern workplace, she knew all too well that tolerating malice was being cruel to herself. When necessary, she had to fight back, not only to solve the problem but also to make the perpetrators pay the price. This was the most effective way to protect herself and her team.
Sister Wang spat out, "Serves you right! You have wicked intentions!"
Li Xiulan said with lingering fear, "Luckily, Teacher Shu, you noticed..."
In the end, Shu Ran and the members of the livestock company walked onto the stage with their heads held high to receive their awards. What they received was not only certificates and supplies, but also a sense of victory in their counterattack, and the respect of everyone.
The atmosphere became even more lively on the returning truck.
The radio, which was obtained in exchange for the "stage accident," became the most treasured item, and everyone took turns holding it.
"When we get back, we'll be able to hear Chairman Mao's voice!"
"You can even listen to music!"
"We're one of those families with big-ticket items now!"
The thirty yuan and the books gave Shu Ran a great sense of security. Sister Wang treasured the "Special Spirit Award" certificate like a precious gem, showing it to everyone she met.
The setting sun blazed like fire over the vast Gobi Desert.
Looking out the window, Sister Wang suddenly sighed, then laughed: "Thinking about it now, it's really a good thing I fell. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to yell those words."
Li Xiulan said with lingering fear, "I was so scared I almost lost my soul... but now I feel it was worth it!"
Shi Tou gazed into the distance, his eyes resolute: "No matter what happens in the future, we won't be afraid! Just like Teacher Shu said, there are always more solutions than problems!"
Adil nodded emphatically: "Shi Tou is right!"
Shu Ran looked at everyone. After this trip to the division headquarters, their eyes had lost some of their initial timidity and gained more confidence.
Trucks returning from the division's performance approached the livestock company. The roads the wheels were driving over were no longer the frozen, hard dirt roads of the last time, but rather muddy tracks formed by snowmelt and repeated compaction by the wheels.
The truck kept skidding, splashing up large amounts of mud.
When the outline of the company came into view in the distance, everyone in the vehicle paused for a moment. Unlike last time, there was no crowd gathered at the entrance of the company; only a few children were playing in the muddy water.
"Why... is nobody here?" Sister Wang muttered with some disappointment as she clung to the side of the carriage.
"Have they all gone to work?" Li Xiulan wondered, feeling a little uneasy herself.
A hint of doubt crossed Shu Ran's mind, but she quickly dismissed it. With production tasks piling up in the spring, it was impossible for everyone to come out to greet them like in winter. She smiled and reassured everyone, "They must all be busy, so it's better if we go back quietly."
When the truck finally arrived at the open space in front of the company headquarters, a thick layer of straw covered the muddy ground from the company headquarters entrance to where they got off, like a golden carpet specially prepared to welcome them!
The wheat straw absorbed the mud and water, making it soft to step on and carrying a dry, grassy aroma.
Company Commander Ma, Secretary Liu, along with many family members, elderly people, and employees who had just finished their shifts, stood at the end of the straw road, smiling and clapping enthusiastically.
"Welcome back, our hero!" Company Commander Ma's voice was still loud and clear.
"Thank you for your hard work! Thank you for your hard work!" Secretary Liu stepped forward with a smile.
Accountant Shi's wife, Shuanzhu's mother, and several other women quickly brought over several bowls of steaming ginger and brown sugar water: "Quick, have some hot water to relieve your fatigue!"
It turned out that the company had already estimated their return time and specially collected straw to pave the road, which not only solved the problem of the muddy road, but also expressed their welcome in this way.
"Oh dear! This...this is too much!" Sister Wang's eyes welled up with tears, and she almost shed them again.
Li Xiulan and the others were so excited they didn't know what to say, holding the ginger tea and thanking her profusely.
The children immediately spotted the radio wrapped in cloth that Sister Wang was carefully holding in her arms.
"A radio! It really is a radio!" The children screamed and crowded around, wanting to touch it but too scared to.
The adults craned their necks in curiosity, their faces beaming with wonder. This was the first such modern treasure in the entire livestock company!
At this moment, Chen Yuanjiang also came out of the company headquarters. He still had that cold and stern look, but his gaze lingered on Shu Ran and the radio for a moment, and his expression softened a lot. He nodded to Shu Ran.
Zhao Weidong was also watching the lively scene. For the first time ever, he didn't mention the production task. Instead, he said to Company Commander Ma, "This is great. It will be much easier to follow the instructions and directives from higher-ups in the future."
Taking the opportunity, Shu Ran stepped forward and solemnly handed the second-prize certificate and the "Special Spirit Award" certificate to Company Commander Ma and Secretary Liu. Then she loudly announced, "Company Commander, Secretary, we won second prize in this performance, which includes a 30 yuan cultural development fund and a batch of books! We also received the 'Special Spirit Award' and this radio! This is an honor for our livestock company!"
The applause rang out again.
Shu Ran added, "I suggest that part of this thirty yuan be used to purchase urgently needed stationery and sports equipment for the school, and the other part be used to buy some production tools or materials, which can also be considered as our support for the company's production!" She knew that only by tying honor to the overall interests of the company could she obtain the longest-lasting support.
Upon hearing this, Company Commander Ma and Secretary Liu smiled even more broadly and repeatedly said yes.
Then, Shu Ran took out some snacks she had bought at the division's supply and marketing cooperative and distributed them to the children watching, which drew cheers.
The lively welcome lasted for a while before the crowd gradually dispersed. The children chased after Sister Wang, who was carrying a radio, and the employees went about their business. In front of the department, only straw spread on the ground and a few people who hadn't left remained.
Shu Ran carried the last of the props back to the classroom. When she came out, she saw Chen Yuanjiang still standing there, seemingly checking whether the straw on the ground had been trampled, or perhaps waiting for someone.
Shu Ran walked over, her feet rustling as she stepped on the soft wheat straw.
"Officer Chen, haven't you gone back to rest yet?" she asked, her tone relaxed.
Chen Yuanjiang turned around, his gaze falling on her. He quickly scanned her from head to toe, as if to confirm that she was unharmed, before finally humming in response.
His gaze lingered for a moment on the mud-stained cuffs of her trousers.
"This time... I owe you a lot again." Shu Ran was referring to the book "Simple Drawing Method" and the support that might have been provided in places she was unaware of.
Chen Yuanjiang shifted his gaze to the melting snow on the Gobi Desert in the distance, his tone flat: "Things are inanimate, people are alive. It's your own merit that you've done well." He paused, as if carefully choosing his words, before adding, "The process... I've heard about it. It was handled well."
He was clearly referring to the red rope incident and the unexpected event on stage. It seems that Officer Yang or some other channel has already relayed the details of what happened at the division headquarters.
Shu Ran smiled, a hint of smugness mixed with a touch of probing: "I had no choice, I was forced into this situation, I couldn't really let people laugh at me. But, thanks to that booklet you gave me, it gave me some inspiration." She didn't mention exactly how it inspired her, leaving it for the other person to figure out.
Chen Yuanjiang grunted again without replying. He took something out of his uniform pocket and handed it over.
It's a small box of common mentholatum with the words "All-Purpose Oil" printed on it.
"Spring is here, and there are lots of mosquitoes. Apply some while grading homework at night; it'll help you stay alert and prevent bites." His tone remained firm, as if giving an order, but his eyes were fixed on the wheat straw beside him.
Shu Ran took the box, and her fingertips inevitably touched his fingers. Chen Yuanjiang quickly withdrew his hand.
"Thanks."
"Let's go." As if he had completed his mission, Chen Yuanjiang immediately turned around and strode towards the company headquarters.
Shu Ran looked at the horizon and then turned and walked towards the classroom.
There's still a lot to do.
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