Chapter 131 Mother's Third-Person Perspective
Yan Rui's performance almost sealed her fate, making it unlikely she would stand on the podium, and casting a shadow over everyone who was watching the competition.
This shadow reached its peak after Nina and Carolina's perfect performances, with the score already exceeding 220 points before Yang Yiyan took the court.
"Now Europe and America don't hide their support for their players anymore. Carolina's score is comparable to Xiaoyan's score at last season's World Championships."
The athletes in the stands couldn't help but complain. Yang Yiyan had managed to maintain a relatively good ranking by including a triple A in her short program at last season's World Championships and also performing her highest difficulty triple jump in her free skate.
As a result, this season, Carolina, who has not yet achieved any results in the senior category, has directly surpassed the achievements of players who have been competing for many years.
Looking at it this way, the only one who seemed happy was Carolina, because Davil next to her didn't look too good either.
Through the screen, Zhao Shuhua saw Xia Yuezi standing outside the barrier, explaining something to Yang Yiyan, then touching foreheads together as she helped the athlete onto the ice.
The commentator picked up the script and spoke into the microphone: "Yang Yiyan's free skate this season is based on the movie 'Gone with the Wind.' Last season, she performed this program at a Grand Prix and scored a high score of 141.92."
"In the interview, she revealed that during the off-season, she flew to Canada to rearrange the show, and this was the first time she had ever performed it again."
"Gone with the Wind" is adapted from Margaret's novel "Gone with the Wind," which tells the story of the life of Scarlett O'Hara, a noblewoman. However, Yang Yiyan did not choose the love story of this rich young lady, but rather her mother as she sees her.
In other words, this program was also a gift from Yang Yiyan to her mother.
Yang Yiyan knelt on the ice, resting her head on her knees, her body turned to the side like a child deep in thought, quietly waiting for the music to begin.
As the music flowed gently, Yang Yiyan slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with the innocence unique to a young girl.
She started with a big "1", gently opening her arms as if she wanted to hug someone, then pressed down and glided, gathering her strength to enter 3A.
Shortly after completing this move, Yang Yiyan spun on one foot, then landed on her right foot with a 3F+3lo+2T.
Davil calculated the score for the jump, and the base score alone reached 11.7, which is higher than the score for the lower four levels.
He looked up at the ice rink's big screen. The jump had earned him a GOE of 0.83, which then dropped to 0.76. He frowned almost imperceptibly.
Yang Yiyan is the best at performing loop jumps among all figure skaters. Her movements are also the smoothest and most beautiful. As long as it is a jump related to loop jumps, her score and GOE can occupy several places in the top ten.
To put it bluntly, if he were to perform this jump, disregarding the week number, he would at least meet three criteria for a Goe bonus.
He glanced back at Carolina, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes.
The melody of the whole piece is exceptionally gentle, yet carries a faint sadness, much like Scarlett's view of her mother when she was young.
The novel does not provide a detailed description of Ellen's teenage life, but only briefly summarizes her family's prominent status and noble lineage. Even Scarlett's father is very grateful for Ellen's marriage.
Even with most of the text left blank, one can sense from Ellen's attention to her daughter and the author's writing that Ellen's teenage years must have been very peaceful and smooth.
In Margaret's writing, Scarlett's family is not the chaotic and disorderly family of traditional aristocrats, but a happy and harmonious one, which also shapes the young and vibrant Scarlett.
Therefore, Xu's liveliness and charm were subtly incorporated into Yang Yiyan's performance.
She lifted her free leg and entered the swallow-style parade, her arms fully outstretched, gently swaying her wrists to the rhythm of the music, a happy smile on her face.
"This detail has been improved quite well."
With one hand on her hip, Meng Xin was completely relaxed, her previous tension gone, her eyes filled only with appreciation for the show.
It's not that she doesn't care about Yang Yiyan, but the girl already has enough experience and good stability. She has already completed the high-difficulty moves, so as the footwork coach, Meng Xin focuses all her attention on her performance.
Xia Yuezi spread her hands, her face showing no sign of relaxation.
"I only accompanied her on a trip abroad, but I don't know the specifics of what she discussed with the choreographer. However, the choreographer seemed quite happy."
As the program entered its second half, the music lost its initial lightheartedness and instead became somber after a brief silence.
This section takes place after the war, and Ellen's life gradually unfolds in this scene.
Yang Yiyan's expression changed; her previous brightness and poise faded with her smile, and she gradually became strong and independent.
Scarlett set aside her aristocratic airs and, like her mother Ellen, used the skills she had learned as an heir to take on the responsibilities of her family and the estate.
The skaters' movements on the ice rink were full of tension. They stepped into their footwork on their skates and changed edges with exceptional clarity. But from a distance, they still seemed to carry an inescapable sense of hardship, repression, and pain.
"She captured the emotions quite well these times."
Hearing Meng Xin's low comments, Xia Yuezi didn't reply, but just stared intently at the figure on the ice.
Before the start of the senior group competition this season, Yang Yiyan made a special trip back to spend a few days with her mother. She didn't go back to make changes to the Kasten or for any other needs in life; she simply went back as a daughter.
Xia Yuezi wasn't entirely clear about the students' family situations, but she was at least very familiar with the children she had raised.
Yang's mother was a strong woman. Her underlying nature was the same as Ellen's—not tragic, but resilient. Otherwise, she wouldn't have raised a daughter so similar to herself.
"A mother is always a mother, a pillar of strength, a source of wisdom, and the one who can solve all the mysteries of the world."
This is how Ellen is described in "Gone with the Wind," and it is probably a true reflection of most mothers in the world. Even Scarlett O'Hara herself believed that the two most important women in her life were Melanie and her mother.
Xia Yuezi herself also felt that the person who has the greatest influence on a girl is always her mother.
Children who receive enough love and security from their mothers from a young age, and who observe how their mothers handle things, will learn to use their mothers' core logic to deal with things when they grow up.
Scarlett Johansson is like that, and so is Yang Yiyan.
Although Xia Yuezi felt that Yang Yiyan's behavior and temperament were somewhat similar to her own, her fundamental character was a complete replica of Yang's mother.
They would not give up on themselves for anything. Even after Yang's mother got married, she did not become a housewife in the traditional sense. Instead, she used her knowledge to start her own business.
Xia Yuezi believed that Yang Yiyan would become such a person.
The pent-up emotions in the music gradually accumulated, like layers of dark clouds piling up. Yang Yiyan took a deep breath and simply completed 2A, followed by 3T, pushing the emotions to a climax.
"Philip, Philip!"
This was the only time Ellen revealed her past to her children, and it was also the last thing she said to Scarlett.
Even if Scarlett wanted to know the meaning of the name, Ellen and those around her would never tell her again.
Just like this love that came and went so quickly, it went to the grave with Ellen, never to be known by anyone again, thus preserving Ellen's dignified and noblewoman image in everyone's eyes.
Yang Yiyan entered a squatting turn, curling herself up, holding her head with both hands, then opening them and slowly lowering herself down, hugging herself tightly again the moment she stood up.
She took a step back, looked up at the lights above her, her eyes filled with longing and nostalgia for the past. The water rippled under the light, like a silent farewell.
The audience fell silent for a second, then erupted in thunderous applause, and the dolls rained down.
Zhao Shuhua, sitting in front of the screen, was pulled back to her senses by the voice. She raised her hand in a daze and gently touched her face, her fingertips damp with sweat.
She had seen this program last season, even live, but the impact it had was nowhere near as great as the improved version.
Last season's show directly presented Ellen's image, but this season they chose to show her life from a third-person perspective.
The key point is that this person is not an outsider, but a child whom you have raised with all your heart and soul.
Not all girls become mothers, but all girls have certainly been daughters at some point, so they are better able to understand mothers from a daughter's perspective.
When Zhao Shuhua accompanied Li Tan to inspect the Beijing team, she also secretly talked with Xia Yuezi about why the athletes chose this kind of music.
When Yang Yiyan was mentioned, Xia Yuezi simply said "Oh," her eyes filled with a complex emotion that Xia Yuezi couldn't decipher, as if she were reminiscing about her past.
"The girl said that she hadn't been able to spend much time with her family in the years after joining the provincial team, and that they had to run around taking care of her, especially her mother. So she wanted to skate a program specifically for her before she retired."
After she wiped away her tears with a tissue, Yang Yiyan's score appeared on the screen.
Technical score 78.57, program component score 68.92, free skate score 147.49, total score 227.53.
This score secured her the gold medal in this event and set new career highs for both her free skate and total score.
Looking at the score and then at the silly girl who was still happy about winning a silver medal, Davil felt a vein throb in his temple.
Yang Yiyan's score was clearly lowered; if she had Russian citizenship, scoring over 240 wouldn't have been a problem.
Looking at the Chinese coaches and athletes, even after they left the camera's view, their expressions showed no relaxation. It was clear they were dissatisfied with the score, and they might even make further changes to the program before the Olympics.
If Carolina hasn't improved by then, Polina alone will have a hard time holding off two hard-working Asian women's singles players.
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The author says: In the original novel "Gone with the Wind," it is often mentioned that Scarlett is a complete Gerald's daughter (Gerald is her father), so I once thought that Scarlett and her mother were not alike.
Because Scarlett was very rebellious in the original novel, and being the eldest daughter, her father talked to her about land, probably grooming her as his heir. Therefore, she was ambitious and powerful. Her mother was described very well, and it would not be an exaggeration to describe her as a saint. She was a very typical noblewoman of that time.
Looking back now that she's grown up, Scarlett actually has Ellen's shadow in many ways. She also respects Ellen. The influence her mother had on her is like a seed planted in her heart. Even if she doesn't care, pay attention, or nurture it, this seed will still influence Scarlett in every way.
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