On the first day of school in September, the "school anniversary gift" became the most concerned thing for the students in Grade 2 (Class 17).
The preparations for the skit were in full swing. The classmates all agreed that the main members of the cast must meet certain appearance requirements. According to the latest news that Shen Fuxuan had heard, the junior high school anniversary event would be held at the provincial theater. At that time, several cameras would be pointed at the stage to film the performers on the stage in real time.
The images captured by the camera will be projected onto a large screen behind the stage, so that the audience sitting in the back row can also see everything clearly.
Han Peng suggested: "Let's let Jiang Yubai play the male lead! Jiang Yubai has the best looks. If he plays the male lead, I guarantee that no one will be distracted when the camera is filming."
Duan Qiyan sneered: "Who said Jiang Yubai has the best looks?"
Duan Qiyan's subtext is: I look better than Jiang Yubai.
However, Arts Committee member Tang Tingting once again refuted Duan Qiyan's opinion: "I also think that the male lead should be Jiang Yubai. Although Jiang Yubai is younger than us, he is the most conspicuous in the crowd, do you understand?"
Conspicuous?
Is Jiang Yubai also worthy of the adjective "conspicuous"?
Duan Qiyan complained in his heart while glancing at Jiang Yubai.
Duan Qiyan not only wanted to be the leading actor, but also wanted to be known as the "Zhao Benshan of the Provincial No. 1 High School". If his classmates nominated Jiang Yubai as the leading actor, Duan Qiyan would only be a supporting actor - a situation that Duan Qiyan did not want to see no matter what.
Jiang Yubai is Duan Qiyan's imaginary enemy.
Jiang Yubai himself was completely out of the hot casting atmosphere. He opened the thermos and calmly poured out half a cup of water. He slowly leaned back in his chair and drank the water gracefully, as if he was not the one being discussed.
Duan Qiyan mercilessly provoked: "Jiang Yubai, have you ever performed in a skit or a drama?"
Jiang Yubai cleverly replied: "I can start honing my acting skills from today."
Duan Qiyan sneered coldly. He raised his lips slightly, put his hands on his hips, and exuded a strong aura. He introduced to everyone: "I once played an important role in the cultural and art festival of the Normal University Primary School, and the teachers and students of the whole school praised it very much."
Tang Tingting exposed him on the spot: "Duan Qiyan played the little horse in "Little Pony Crossing the River"."
“Hahahahahahahahahaha…” Shen Rongxuan really couldn't hold back his laughter. He squatted on the ground and couldn't even stand up.
Duan Qiyan's face was pale and red, and Tang Tingting was still adding details: "Duan Qiyan didn't show his face. He was wearing a horse head. The horse head was made of paper shell and covered Duan Qiyan's head. If the host hadn't called Duan Qiyan's name during the announcement, we wouldn't have known that he was playing the horse."
Shen Fuxuan held onto the table with difficulty and slowly stood up: "Duan Qiyan, even if you have performed skits, your face is covered by a horse head and no one in the audience can see your expression, which means you have not honed your acting skills. You are not as good as Jiang Yubai, at least Jiang Yubai has a humble mentality."
Duan Qiyan was choked by him and was speechless.
Lin Zhixia asked casually, "Shen Fuxuan, do you want to join the cast?"
"Being an actor is so boring," Shen Fuxuan slammed the table, "I want to be a director, I want to be the chief director, the chief director who directs the whole show."
Shen Fuxuan served as both the deputy monitor and the math class representative. He had very good grades and a high reputation. He often helped his classmates solve problems. In addition, his mother was the principal of the provincial No. 1 Middle School, so generally no one in the class objected to Shen Fuxuan's views.
Shen Fuxuan naturally became the leader of the directing team.
He specifically asked Jiang Yubai to be the male lead.
Lin Zhixia immediately asked Jiang Yubai for his opinion: "Are you willing to be the male lead, Jiang Yubai? If you don't want to, just tell me directly, I can arrange you to another group, don't let yourself down."
Jiang Yubai closed the lid of the water cup. He reached into the drawer and touched the garden wooden box that Lin Zhixia had given him.
In that garden, Captain Lin Zhixia's belief was preserved. Jiang Yubai seemed to have touched the entity of belief and said very firmly: "I am willing."
Even though Jiang Yubai didn't hesitate at all, Lin Zhixia was still a little worried.
Jiang Yubai is the best-looking boy in the class and has a high level of comprehension. However, the male protagonists of skits are usually comedians. Lin Zhixia thinks that Jiang Yubai is more suitable for roles such as "Leader of the Legion", "Prince Charming", and "Jedi Knight".
After some thought, Lin Zhixia couldn't help but ask, "Can I play the leading female role?"
The class was silent.
Lin Zhixia was a little panicked inside, but on the surface she remained calm and resolute: "If no one objects, I will be the heroine."
Shen Fuxuan spread his hands and said, "I thought you would be a screenwriter. The soul of a skit is the script. If you don't care about the script, what will happen to the script?"
Indeed.
Shen Fuxuan expressed the thoughts of his classmates.
Lin Zhixia has written several essays that received full marks. She quotes from classics, is well-informed, and her writing is rich and refined, covering civilization and history from ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad. She is the favorite student of her Chinese teacher.
Lin Zhixia doesn't write scripts...
Who can take on this important task?
Seeing that the class discussion had reached a deadlock, Wan Chunlei volunteered, "I'll write the script!"
The classmates' eyes fell on Wan Chunlei. Wan Chunlei smoothed her coat and said with a general's demeanor: "I am the third runner-up of the elementary school group in the fourth city-wide elementary and middle school Go competition. I do things logically. How about I write the script? Do you trust me?"
"I can trust you." Lin Zhixia nodded.
After Lin Zhixia spoke, other students echoed her.
Wan Chunlei easily became the head of the scriptwriting team. The quality of this show was entirely determined by Wan Chunlei, and she immediately felt a great sense of responsibility. She selected seven classmates to assist her.
That afternoon, Wan Chunlei borrowed a small classroom to hold a script meeting.
In addition to the eight students from the scriptwriting team, there were also three people at this script meeting: Jiang Yubai, Lin Zhixia, and Shen Fuxuan.
Eleven students gathered together, holding blank draft papers, thinking hard.
Wan Chunlei clenched her fists and propped her chin up, like a statue in deep thought. She murmured to herself, "What are you acting? What do you want to act?"
Shen Fuxuan smiled and said, "The Three Fights with the White Bone Demon in Journey to the West."
Jiang Yubai said solemnly: "The burning of Red Cliff in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms."
Shen Fuxuan smiled even more: "Wow, Jiang Yubai, do you want to play Red Cliff in Romance of the Three Kingdoms? How do you divide the roles? You are Zhou Yu, and Lin Zhixia is Xiao Qiao?"
Jiang Yubai plays Zhou Yu and Lin Zhixia plays Xiao Qiao - this assumption makes Jiang Yubai feel embarrassed. He knows that Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao are a couple. But he is still a junior high school student and should not be involved in adult aspects. In addition, he and Lin Zhixia are good friends, so he cannot play Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao.
Lin Zhixia was different from Jiang Yubai. She didn't even consider the fact that Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao were husband and wife.
She just calmly analyzed: "According to the Zizhi Tongjian, the Battle of Red Cliffs resulted in heavy casualties. When Cao Cao was fleeing, the road was muddy and the wind was strong, making it difficult for the army to move forward. Cao Cao asked some sick and weak soldiers to carry grass and lie on the ground, and the cavalry's horses' hooves trampled directly over those soldiers, killing many of them."
The scene described by Lin Zhixia shocked the entire writing team.
"We can't stage the Battle of Red Cliffs," Wan Chunlei said firmly. "Teacher Zhang said that the school anniversary should be lively and joyful, not something that would cause countless casualties."
Another classmate in the scriptwriting group asked: "What else can we act out? Granny Liu in Dream of the Red Chamber entering the Grand View Garden?"
Wan Chunlei commented: "Grandma Liu Enters the Grand View Garden is warm, plain and interesting. But what does it have to do with the centennial anniversary of our Provincial No. 1 High School?"
The writing team was silent again.
Lin Zhixia held her face with her hands and looked at her classmates quietly. Since she had joined the acting team, she would not take over the work of the writing team.
Jiang Yubai lacks Lin Zhixia's understanding.
Jiang Yubai directly suggested: "The predecessor of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School was a school in 1906. We set up two scenes. The first scene is in 1906, and the second scene is in 2006. Our skit compares the changes over the past 100 years and promotes the school motto of 'learning extensively, thinking carefully, cultivating oneself and enlightening one's morality'."
The school motto of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School is "Be knowledgeable and prudent, cultivate oneself and enlighten one's virtue", which combines famous quotes from "The Book of Rites: The Doctrine of the Mean" and "The Book of Rites: The Great Learning".
As soon as Jiang Yubai finished speaking, Shen Fuxuan exclaimed: "Your method is quite good. It not only highlights the theme of the centennial celebration, but also reminds the audience of the school motto. Teacher Zhang will definitely like it very much."
In the brightly lit small classroom, Lin Zhixia held the table with both hands and suddenly stood up: "Jiang Yubai's method is very good, I support it."
Most of the students in the writing team held the same view. They couldn't think of a better idea at the moment, so they voted unanimously to pass Jiang Yubai's proposal.
Wan Chunlei was busy preparing the script, which she named "Changes" and divided into two parts: 1906 and 2006.
The students in the writing team worked overtime and produced the first version of "Change" within two days.
Wan Chunlei focused on "girls' opportunities to study".
Through two dramatic scenes, she restored history and reality: in 1906, at the end of the Qing Dynasty, boys and girls were not allowed to attend the same school, and girls' schools were scarce. In 2006, the Provincial No. 1 Middle School enrolled both boys and girls, and the nine-year compulsory education was exempted from tuition and miscellaneous fees. Female students could speak actively in class, and female teachers could teach and educate people on the podium. The century-old history has promoted social progress and also promoted the innovation and development of education.
The script "Changes" promotes the spirit of "reviewing school history and loving learning."
The eight students in the writing team were all very confident in "Transformation". They proofread with each other, confirmed the version, and sent the electronic manuscript to Shen Fuxuan.
Shen Chongxuan took a group of friends to the copy shop at the school gate, printed out 36 copies of "Changes", and then gave them to every student in the Grade 2 (Grade 17) class.
After receiving the script, everyone read it over and over again and said that the screenwriters wrote it well, brilliantly, smoothly, and with high intentions, and that it would definitely win the "First Prize for School Anniversary Program."
The class teacher, Mr. Zhang, also liked this book. Although this book did not meet his requirements of "lively and joyful", he saw the spiritual culture behind the words and was very pleased. He encouraged everyone to bring their enthusiasm for learning and perform the high spirits of the competition class.
Teacher Zhang’s high praise made the actors, directors and props team of Class 17 eager to start rehearsals.
The junior high school of Provincial No. 1 High School has an art building with two rehearsal rooms. As the school's centenary celebration is approaching, it is difficult to find a rehearsal room. The Grade 2 (17) class can only use one rehearsal room at noon on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
This means that every Tuesday and Wednesday, Lin Zhixia can't go home for lunch or nap. At first, she was a little unhappy, but then she thought that she was the monitor of Class 17 and the heroine of "Transformation". It was reasonable for her to mobilize the enthusiasm of the whole class and take every rehearsal seriously.
Eight students from the scriptwriting team stayed up for four consecutive days to work on the script. In comparison, Lin Zhixia didn't feel tired at all. Lin Zhixia should cheer up and live up to the expectations of the whole class!
Lin Zhixia spent only a few seconds to convince herself. She told her mother at home: "Mom, Mom, our school will hold a centenary celebration at the end of September, and our class has prepared a skit..."
She clutched her mother's apron with her fingers and tilted her head slightly. "Maybe it's not a skit, but more like a drama. Mom, I'm the heroine of the drama. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, I can't go home to eat and sleep. I have to rehearse at school. Other students in the class will rehearse with me."
When Lin Zhixia was in junior high school, her mother often worried that she was too young and would be bullied in class. As a result, Lin Zhixia not only became the class monitor, but also had many friends. She prepared the show with her classmates, which didn't sound like a bad thing, so her mother agreed and asked her, "Xia Xia, how long do you want to rehearse?"
Lin Zhixia told the truth: "We rehearsed for two consecutive weeks, from noon on Tuesday and Wednesday to 2 pm."
The mother felt sorry for her daughter: "Xia Xia, are you tired?"
Lin Zhixia shook her head: "Xia Xia is not tired."
Mom asked again: "What will Xia Xia eat for lunch?"
Lin Zhixia leaned on her mother and acted coquettishly: "Xia Xia can have lunch in the school cafeteria."
"Is the food in the cafeteria delicious?" Mom touched her head. "Mom will ride her bike to your school and bring you lunch at noon, right?"
Before Lin Zhixia could answer, Lin Zeqiu suddenly appeared behind her. Lin Zeqiu must have heard the conversation between Lin Zhixia and her mother, so he declared in a nasty manner: "Lin Zhixia will be corrupted sooner or later."
"No way," Lin Zhixia turned to look at him, "I don't want my mom to bring me food either. I want to eat lunch in the school cafeteria!"
Lin Zeqiu took out a box of strawberry yogurt from the refrigerator. Before he opened the lid, he noticed Lin Zhixia's pure eyes. In this family, as long as he ate anything related to strawberries, he had to accept Lin Zhixia's gaze - unless she also had strawberries in her hands.
He could only stuff the strawberry yogurt into Lin Zhixia's hand and found a box of yellow peach yogurt for himself. He quickly opened the lid and took a sip when he suddenly thought of something and his face suddenly changed. He grabbed Lin Zhixia and pulled her into his bedroom.
Lin Zhixia held the strawberry yogurt in her hands. Before she could taste the strawberries, her brother asked her seriously with a serious face: "Lin Zhixia, let me ask you, you are the heroine of the play, who is the hero of the play?"
Lin Zhixia guessed what her brother was going to say. She thought he was so old-fashioned and long-winded. She said bluntly, "Our class teacher, Mr. Zhang, agreed to let us perform this play. The dean of the second grade has already reviewed the script for us. Why do you still care about who the male lead is? There is no emotional scene between me and the male lead."
My brother's face turned worse.
A gloom seemed to be pressing down on his brows. He held a cup of yellow peach yogurt in his hand, took two steps out of the narrow bedroom, and then said, "You are only eleven years old. Do you understand what a love story is? What TV series have you watched at home?"
"There are usually romance scenes in TV series. Why can't I watch them?" Lin Zhixiasi didn't feel ashamed at all.
She searched her memory and said, "Brother, when you watched TV, you didn't seem to deliberately avoid the love scenes between the male and female protagonists. Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you, brother."
Lin Zhixia's move of "diverting trouble to the east" did not affect Lin Zeqiu.
Lin Zeqiu guessed something. His sister refused to tell him who the male lead was, so he suspected that Jiang Yubai was the male lead of the play. Thinking more deeply, Lin Zhixia said that she had no love scenes, so was that true?
Even if their Grade 8 (17) class chose fairy tales suitable for all ages such as "Cinderella", "Sleeping Beauty", "Snow White" and "Beauty and the Beast", there will be an ending scene where the prince and princess live happily ever after.
Lin Zeqiu originally thought that Lin Zhixia was spotted by the coaches of the high school competition class and her academic focus was completely on high school and college knowledge. She had to participate in the Olympic competitions in mathematics, physics, and information. How could she have the time and energy to take care of her "best friend" in junior high school?
He didn't expect that Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai would be connected through a program at the school anniversary celebration.
It was his mistake.
He thought about it over and over again, still worried.
He simply said hello to his parents and said he would accompany Lin Zhixia to rehearse. He also said that Lin Zhixia might not be used to eating in the school cafeteria, and with him as her brother, Lin Zhixia would be more adaptable.
Both his parents praised him for being considerate and thoughtful, and called him a gentle and good brother.
In September this year, Lin Zeqiu was promoted to the third year of junior high school.
He was still the top student in the gifted class, the best in the third grade. He gave up the competitive class and never took another exam.
But he still often heard about the competition class.
His sister Lin Zhixia not only dominated the second grade of junior high school, but also went to the high school department and swept the competition teams in three subjects. For a while, Lin Zeqiu felt that all his classmates were secretly talking about his sister.
Several girls from the competition class even ran to the door of Lin Zeqiu's class, specifically wanting to take a look at him. Lin Zeqiu was good-looking, and he was used to other students stealing glances at him. However, the competition class seemed to have a different way of thinking - the girls from the competition class came to see him because they admired his sister.
They pointed at Lin Zeqiu and said, "This is Lin Zhixia's brother! Lin Zhixia's biological brother!"
One of the girls casually asked, "What's Lin Zhixia's brother's name?"
Another girl said: "I don't know. It's not important."
After saying the above three sentences, the girls left. Lin Zeqiu was alone, standing at the door, his tall shadow falling on the floor, covering a piece of white tiles. How much he yearned for the competition class in the past, how much he disliked the word "competition" later.
There is no doubt that Lin Zhixia's existence cast a shadow on Lin Zeqiu's junior high school life. But he never complained to Lin Zhixia. He tried his best to ignore the outside world and insisted on going to and from school with Lin Zhixia every day. He thought that being a brother to this extent was almost his limit.
The school anniversary program of Grade 2 (Class 17) allowed Lin Zeqiu to further expand his limits.
At noon on Tuesday, Lin Zeqiu bought a fried chicken burger in the cafeteria. In order to save time, he wolfed down his lunch without caring about his image and went straight to the rehearsal room of the junior high school's art building.
The security guard of the Art Building stopped Lin Zeqiu and asked him which class he was from. He lied that he was a student in the seventh grade (grade 17) and was about to play the leading role in a play. The security guard saw that he was indeed good-looking and had the style of a leading actor, so he casually scanned his student card and allowed him to enter the Art Building.
Lin Zeqiu studied at the Provincial No. 1 Middle School for more than two years, but he had never been near the art building. He was too lazy to even watch the school anniversary performance rehearsed by his class, let alone participate in it in person.
And now, he was like a lonely ghost, wandering in front of the door of the rehearsal room.
Lin Zeqiu hesitated for a few seconds, and Lin Zhixia saw him at a glance.
Lin Zhixia waved at him: "Brother, brother!"
She introduced him without hesitation, "He is my brother, his name is Lin Zeqiu, and he is in the third grade of our school. Brother! Do you want to watch us rehearse? Just come in, brother, you are the first audience member of "Transformation"."
Things had developed to this point, and Lin Zeqiu had no way to retreat. He strode into the room with a tall and slender figure, attracting countless eyes. The girls in the second grade of junior high school sighed slightly. He ignored the comments of the crowd, found a chair and sat down by himself.
In the rehearsal room, Shen Fuxuan shouted loudly: "Squad Leader Lin's brother came to watch us rehearse. This is a sign of trust in us. Everyone, don't be distracted and continue to follow the script of "Transformation"!"
In the crew of "Change", all the actors' costumes and accessories were provided by Jiang Yubai. Jiang Yubai's mother runs a clothing business and has clothing brand chain stores in major cities across the country. In recent years, it has even expanded into the Southeast Asian market.
Although Jiang Yubai was not a member of the props group, he prepared almost all the necessary items and provided them to the whole class for free. The students in the props group did not have to worry about the expenses of the class fees. They only needed to properly maintain the props and arrange the background reasonably.
Jiang Yubai took away the position of the male lead, and thus became Duan Qiyan's number one enemy. However, within the crew of "Change", Jiang Yubai tried his best to help his classmates, and Duan Qiyan could not find any fault with Jiang Yubai. Later, Duan Qiyan secretly believed that Jiang Yubai was indeed the best choice for the male lead.
Jiang Yubai plays a very important role. He plays two roles. In the "Changes · 1906" stage, Jiang Yubai is a new youth who cuts his hair and changes his clothes, advocating "personal liberation and education reform". In the plot of "Changes · 2006", Jiang Yubai is an ordinary student who accidentally walks into the school history memorial hall. He and several other actors trace the development of the school over the past 100 years, and see the changes of "big events" from "little people".
As the chief director, Shen Fuxuan spoke a few words to help Jiang Yubai get into the role.
Then, Shen Fuxuan raised his megaphone and shouted with enthusiasm: "Let's start from the first measure of the first act and do it again! Duan Qiyan, I must criticize you by name, don't forget the lines again!"
Duan Qiyan quickly flipped through the script and shouted, "I won't forget my lines again!"
The first act officially begins.
Jiang Yubai walked into the audience's field of vision. He recited a line of dialogue, introduced the background of the times, and described his inner confusion.
At this time, Lin Zhixia made a brilliant appearance.
She wore a silver hairpin, a satin coat, and held a bamboo basket in her hand, dressed like a young lady from the late Qing Dynasty.
Lin Zeqiu's eyes were fixed on his sister.
Lin Zeqiu watched with disdain as Lin Zhixia grabbed Jiang Yubai's sleeve. What Lin Zeqiu couldn't accept the most was that Lin Zhixia softly called Jiang Yubai "this young master."
This young man?
What the hell is this feudal dregs?
Lin Zeqiu slammed the table and said, "Are you allowed to have a show like this at the school anniversary celebration? You will definitely be eliminated in the selection of the second grade of junior high school. There are 18 classes in the second grade of junior high school, and only 7 classes' shows can be selected for the school anniversary celebration. You are still immersed in the world view of 1906..."
The afternoon sun was very bright, and the frame of the glass window was projected onto the wooden floor. In the huge rehearsal room, the second-year students stared at Lin Zeqiu in amazement.
Lin Zhixia said, "Brother, please watch the entire play before you comment. We are not immersed in 1906. The focus of our play is the founding and inheritance of the school, the changes and development of the times, and the reform and significance of education."
In front of classmates, Lin Zhixia acted like a class monitor and spoke to Lin Zeqiu in a businesslike tone.
However, in Lin Zeqiu's eyes, Lin Zhixia has been a "mother-clinging spirit" since she was a child. She is a spoiled child who won't let go of her mother. She is timid, spoiled, and has a bad temper. It's the first time that Lin Zeqiu has seen her being used as a model of opinion by a group of people of the same age.
In short, Lin Zhixia calmed down the situation.
She continued acting calmly.
She plays a girl from a wealthy family who longs to go to school but is frustrated and has nothing to show for her ambitions. She can only silently envy the only son of her wealthy neighbor.
Jiang Yubai is the only son of that wealthy businessman.
Duan Qiyan is Jiang Yubai's teacher. For this purpose, he deliberately wore round glasses without lenses and the same long gown that scholars in the late Qing Dynasty had to wear.
Tang Tingting, the literary and artistic committee member, is Duan Qiyan's wife in the play. Of course, Tang Tingting and Duan Qiyan have no contact or emotional moments. They are a drama couple who lack eye contact.
Duan Qiyan saw Lin Zhixia walking slowly towards him and said angrily, "You are a woman, don't come to the men's school anymore."
Lin Zhixia's cheeks were flushed and her eyes were filled with tears. She answered very well: "Teacher Duan..."
In the Ming Dynasty, "jiaoxi" was a special title for teachers in the Hanlin Academy. In the late Qing Dynasty, when the country established schools, teachers in new-style schools were also called "jiaoxi" - this is the information Wan Chunlei specifically looked up.
Therefore, Lin Zhixia's calling Duan Qiyan "Teacher Duan" should be regarded as restoring part of history, Wan Chunlei thought very proudly.
Wan Chunlei clearly saw the expression on Lin Zhixia's face and couldn't help but exclaim: "Lin Zhixia is such a good actress. She is so talented. She brought out all the expressions of the heroine that I imagined when I was writing the script. She gave me everything I wanted."
Shen Fuxuan talked to Wan Chunlei and said, "Yes, Lin Zhixia performed the best." He paused and said, "Jiang Yubai was a little bit off."
More than a little bit.
Jiang Yubai stood beside Duan Qiyan like a wooden stake. He had a good appearance but his acting skills were terrible.
Jiang Yubai had almost no skills in reciting lines. He recited lines as if he was reciting them in a morning reading class.
What about his feelings? What about his understanding?
He plays the role of the male lead, so he can't just recite lines!
"Is it my fault?" Wan Chunlei began to doubt herself. "Jiang Yubai is such a smart and good student, why can't he feel the deep meaning of the lines? Is it because our script is not well written?"
Shen Fuxuan touched his chin and said, "Jiang Yubai plays the role of a wealthy businessman's son, so he should act out his true colors. No one in the class has a richer family than him. If he can't act well, others will do even worse."
Wan Chunlei echoed: "Yes, he is very rich!"
Shen Fuxuan raised the horn: "Stop!"
All the actors' movements stopped.
In the center of the rehearsal room, Lin Zhixia put down the bamboo basket and walked in front of Jiang Yubai. She stood still, looking at him without moving. All the noise around them gradually faded away, the clouds moved with the wind, and everything was quiet, as if there were only the two of them left in the world.
Lin Zhixia said, "Jiang Yubai, you can think of "Changes 1906" as a time and space branch of "Exploring the Universe". I know you are not used to memorizing the lines written by others, nor are you used to reacting according to the framework set by others. The background of the era of 1906 is more oppressive to your personality. How about this, you are the protagonist of the "Exploring the Universe" sub-plot, and we travel to 1906, just like acting out the script in a comic, do you think it's okay?"
Jiang Yubai noticed that Lin Zhixia's hairpin was crooked. He raised his hand and prepared to fix her hairpin, and suddenly, he caught a glimpse of Lin Zeqiu from the corner of his eye. Jiang Yubai turned his head slightly and looked at where Lin Zeqiu was. Lin Zeqiu gave him a cold and ruthless look of terror.
Jiang Yubai was immediately aroused with a strong desire to win. He whispered, "Okay."
Lin Zhixia thought that her words had inspired Jiang Yubai. She happily circled around Jiang Yubai and said, "Jiang Yubai, Jiang Yubai, let's continue rehearsing."
She made an "OK" gesture to Shen Fuxuan.
Many students in the director's group took their positions, and Shen Fuxuan said in unison: "Okay, start again, the first act, the first section of "Transformation"!"
This time, Jiang Yubai seems to be a different person. He successfully portrays the arrogance and recklessness of a rich kid. Even though he was a young man with advanced ideas in 1906, he could not escape the limitations of the times. In this scene of "Changes", he supports women's education, but he opposes coeducation and even more so, the abandonment of tradition.
Sports committee member Cao Wu played the role of a butcher in the late Qing Dynasty.
Cao Wu, wearing a gray-blue short-sleeved shirt and holding a piece of fake plastic pork in his left hand, walked in front of Duan Qiyan and said, "Teacher Duan, when did you accept a female student? If this female student enters the school, will the male students still have the heart to study?"
Jiang Yubai replied with a guilty conscience: "It is true that boys and girls should not go to the same school."
Teacher Duan said: "It is comparable to doing evil."
Teacher Duan's wife Tang Tingting just came out of the inner room. Tang Tingting had bound feet and walked slowly. She said in a pretentious tone: "Hey, where did this girl come from? She went to a school full of men. Will she be able to get married in the future?"
Tang Tingting played the role very well. Tang Tingting raised her eyebrows and gently held the door frame, although she was madly spitting at her role in her heart: What does it have to do with you whether she can get married or not? Are you so idle that you care about what others do?
Tang Tingting and Lin Zhixia's eyes met. Lin Zhixia was still explaining pitifully: "Teachers are people, students are people..."
At this point, according to the plot setting of "Metamorphosis", Lin Zhixia should burst into tears on the spot and timidly cry about how difficult her life was in 1906.
But she thought for a moment and changed her words temporarily.
She held her head high and faced the butcher, the teacher, and the rich young man: "Teacher Duan, have you read the "Immeasurable Life Sutra"? The sutra says - 'Good and evil change, and are born from pursuit. Different paths will lead to endless reunion.' Teacher Duan knows a lot of words and has read a lot of books, but do you really understand what good and evil are? Do you understand what the path is and what is the pursuit? You say I am doing evil, but I think I have a kind heart and infinite merits!"
"Stop! Stop now!" Shen Fuxuan interrupted, "Lin Zhixia, how can you change your own lines?"
Lin Zhixia held the bamboo basket, her face slightly red: "The original script was a bit weak."
Before Wan Chunlei could say anything, Lin Zeqiu, who was watching from the sidelines, said, "Hey, are you sure? Didn't Lin Zhixia do a good job in her adaptation? In her version, the heroine doesn't cry anymore. Who would want to watch a grannies crying during the centennial school celebration?"
Shen Fuxuan was about to refute, but Wan Chunlei stopped him.
Wan Chunlei thought for a moment and agreed very much: "Yes! Squad Leader Lin's brother is right! Cao Wu, Jiang Yubai, Duan Qiyan, and Tang Tingting are already stupid enough. If there is not even one smart person in the 1906 scene, the audience will think it is too tragic. The 1906 scene of "Change" should play a role in connecting the previous and the next, and lead to the innovation in 2006. Lin Zhixia should put forward the most advanced viewpoints in 1906."
Shen Fuxuan nodded.
Wan Chunlei clapped her hands: "Lin Zhixia, just follow your feelings! You are the eldest daughter of an official family! You should have an arrogant attitude! An advanced intuition! The courage to accept education! You are the strongest and the smartest! You should compete with men! A hundred years later, your name will appear in the school archives, and tens of thousands of students will regard you as a role model!"
"Okay!" Lin Zhixia agreed immediately.
Wan Chunlei asked again: "Lin Zhixia! Can you remember the lines you changed? You don't need to change the lines of other people, they are stubborn characters anyway."
"Of course I can remember it!" Lin Zhixia showed her talent in front of her classmates in Grade 2 (Class 17) for the first time.
Lin Zhixia told her classmates: "I will never forget what I want to remember."
Everyone except Jiang Yubai and Lin Zeqiu mistakenly thought that Lin Zhixia just had a better memory, a little better than ordinary people. However, Lin Zhixia's performance surprised them. She remembered the lines that she had corrected clearly. She could also remind others when they forgot the lines.
Lin Zhixia's brainpower is beyond the script.
For this play "Transformation", all the students in Grade 2 (Class 17) rehearsed for two weeks. They passed the grade 2 selection and were successfully selected to be on the list of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School's school anniversary program.
On the day of the 100th anniversary of the Provincial No. 1 High School, all the students in the props group and the actors got up early. They arrived at the Provincial Grand Theater at 7:30, and the teacher led them to the backstage. This was Lin Zhixia's first time to participate in a large-scale cultural performance, and she was going to play the leading role. She followed closely behind Jiang Yubai and even pulled his sleeve slightly. He seemed to have sensed something and comforted her: "Lin Zhixia, don't worry, you will definitely perform well."
Lin Zhixia smiled. She nodded gently and replied: "Yeah!"
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