Chapter 64 Speech
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The speech contest officially starts at 10:00 AM, and registration begins at 9:30 AM.
She Ning is a light sleeper and woke up around 6 a.m. After getting ready, she took out the draft she had already written and read it through several times to make sure there were no changes needed. Then she put the speech down.
There was a small park near the guesthouse. When She Ning arrived, there were already quite a few people walking and training in the park. She neatly tied her hair into a high ponytail and started running around the park. The morning sunlight was gentle and not glaring, and it felt warm on people's bodies.
At this time of day, the park is mostly frequented by elderly people, making it a rare sight to see a young person like She Ning. Her appearance attracted a lot of attention. After running and stretching her muscles, She Ning practiced Baduanjin (Eight Pieces of Brocade) for a while before returning to her room when it was almost time.
"Ah Ning, are you up?" Just as she dried her wet hair, there was a knock on the door, followed by Director Xia's voice.
"Coming, almost done." She Ning quickly put her things into her bag and opened the door.
Outside the door, unlike her usual serious and profound demeanor, Xia Qiuxia wore a bright light blue dress and had a smile on her face, looking much younger than usual.
She was holding steamed buns and soy milk. When she saw She Ning open the door, Director Xia handed her the breakfast.
"Here, have breakfast on the way." Although she knew She Ning was reliable and trustworthy, Director Xia still asked as usual, "Did you get everything?"
She Ning nodded, biting into her steamed bun.
Actually, there wasn't much to take. With a backpack slung across her shoulder, She Ning wore a white shirt, dress pants, and round-toed leather shoes.
Her long, glossy black hair was braided into a fishtail braid and draped diagonally across her chest. Her features had matured, and she possessed a refined and elegant beauty.
She has an upright posture, bright eyes, and a youthful and beautiful appearance.
"Now that we have everything, let's set off." Director Xia said, looking at She Ning with satisfaction.
School gate
The city attaches great importance to this event. Even before we reached the school gate, we could see a huge banner hanging in the middle of the gate. The red background and black characters read "#The First Citywide Student Leadership Summit#", which were particularly eye-catching.
Wearing her work badge, She Ning followed behind Director Xia in line to enter the venue.
After entering the school, Director Xia took She Ning to find the relevant person in charge. All the people who participated in the speech gathered backstage, and Director Xia accompanied She Ning backstage.
When they arrived, the backstage area was bustling with noise. Representatives from various schools sat in their chairs, some memorizing their speeches, some chatting with their colleagues, and others resting with their eyes closed.
She Ning also found a seat and sat down, while Xia Qiuxia saw an acquaintance backstage.
"Ah Ning, can you wait here for the staff to call out the numbers? I'm going out for a bit," Director Xia turned to She Ning and asked in a low voice.
She Ning looked at the person waving to Director Xia from ahead. She remembered that he seemed to be a teacher from the Fourth Middle School of Xiahe Town. She nodded and said, "Director Xia, you go ahead. I'm fine."
"Okay, I'll be back soon." She patted She Ning's head and walked quickly toward the teacher from No. 4 Middle School. The two of them then walked toward the backstage entrance after saying this.
"She Ning, it really is you." She Ning felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to look at the girl beside her. It was the girl who had been next to the teacher at No. 4 Middle School.
"Are you Chen Xiaomin?" She Ning stared at her for a while before asking.
The student who ranked second in the preliminary round of the math Olympiad was in the same classroom as me when we took the exam at No. 4 Middle School last time. I remember her as a very lively and enthusiastic person.
"It's me!" Somewhat surprised that She Ning recognized her, Chen Xiaomin sat down next to She Ning and leaned in familiarly, saying, "You actually know me?"
She had heard of She Ning's name long ago, and her performance in the preliminary round of the Olympiad made her even more impressed with She Ning. After hearing about her academic experience of taking a break from school and skipping a grade to enter the third year of junior high school, and still achieving such good grades, Chen Xiaomin unilaterally regarded her as a role model and a source of spiritual motivation.
But in reality, they never officially met.
"Yes, I remember you. You were very active during the preliminary round of the math Olympiad, and you even took the initiative to help others solve problems. After the competition, a classmate accidentally sprained her ankle, and you helped take her to the infirmary," She Ning said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaomin's eyes lit up instantly. As if embarrassed by the praise, she scratched her head and said with a slightly flushed face, "It was just something I did casually, nothing to mention, nothing to mention."
"Are you nervous about participating in the competition today?" She leaned closer to She Ning and asked in a low voice. "This is my first time participating in this kind of event, and I'm a little flustered."
The thought of her speaking from above while a bunch of people stared intently at her filled her with panic.
"Don't think about who's sitting down there; just think of those rows of cabbages."
“And…” She Ning whispered in her ear.
"Is this really okay?" Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaomin turned her head sharply to look at her, and asked hesitantly.
"Give it a try, the worst that can happen is what you get," She Ning said, patting her shoulder encouragingly.
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaomin seemed to be deep in thought.
"Dear contestants, please come over here to draw lots." The staff member's voice rang out, and everyone walked towards the designated spot one after another.
“Let’s go draw lots too.” She Ning stood up, looked down at Chen Xiaomin who was still thinking in her seat, and said softly.
There were twenty contestants. She Ning drew the nineteenth spot, while Chen Xiaomin drew the ninth spot.
"Won't everyone get sleepy by the time it's number nineteen's turn?" Chen Xiaomin looked at She Ning with concern. People get tired easily, and those who listen to the same topic repeatedly will suffer more as they are seated later in the line.
"Don't worry, it's okay, I know what I'm doing." She Ning patted her head and comforted her, "Number 19 is second to last in the play. In a play, it's the grand finale, the climax. It's a good omen."
"Ha, the grand finale? Country bumpkins are country bumpkins, all uncultured and ignorant, saying whatever comes to mind." The male classmate next door couldn't help but speak up sarcastically after overhearing She Ning and Chen Xiaomin's conversation.
He looked She Ning up and down. She was quite pretty, but her clothes were so unfashionable that it was obvious she was from the countryside. Thinking of the rural relatives who would come to his house to freeload from time to time, his eyes were filled with disgust as he looked at She Ning and the others.
The city is close to the port city, and influenced by the aesthetics there, everyone now likes bright red lips and brightly colored clothes. She Ning's classic black and white combination seems plain and unpretentious, and in some people's eyes, it is not trendy, not fashionable, and even tacky.
"How can you talk like that? So what if you're from the countryside? Apologize!" Chen Xiaomin's face flushed red with anger as she glared at the man and said angrily.
The man, however, was unimpressed. His eyes flashed with disdain as he said contemptuously, "What, did I say something wrong? Aren't you country bumpkins supposed to be good at putting on airs and talking big? You dare to say your work is the climax before the competition has even started? You're just ignorant and narrow-minded."
"You're the one who's narrow-minded!" Chen Xiaomin's voice trembled with anger. She didn't understand why words of encouragement between the two girls would be taken so seriously and even used to criticize their status as country people.
"Who says people from the countryside are inferior? Who says people from the countryside can't be the best? People like you only know how to judge others by their background and appearance; you don't understand what real ability is at all!"
She Ning tugged at Chen Xiaomin's hand, signaling her to calm down. Then, she looked up at the male classmate and said calmly, "You're so confident and look down on country folk. Why don't you take a gamble?"
The man clearly looked down on She Ning. With his arms crossed, he glanced at She Ning sideways, his tone provocative, "What are you betting on? You, a country bumpkin, dare to bet with me?"
Unfazed by his words, She Ning glanced at him calmly and said composedly, "Didn't you say that country bumpkins only talk big? Then let's let the facts speak for themselves."
“If you beat me in the competition, I’ll admit you’re right, that people from the countryside are indeed inferior to city people. But if you lose, and you stand on the stage shouting that I was wrong and that I shouldn’t have looked at people with prejudice.”
The man paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, clutching his stomach and laughing for a while before saying sarcastically, "You really dare to say that! You, a country bumpkin, dare to bet with me?"
"Okay, I'll take it, but don't blame me for not warning you, just don't come crying and begging for mercy later."
She Ning looked at him calmly and simply replied, "We'll see."
Chen Xiaomin watched She Ning from the side, her eyes full of admiration.
She knew that She Ning was never the impulsive type. Gently holding She Ning's hand, she whispered, "Ning, I believe in you. No matter what others say, you are the best."
She Ning squeezed her hand back and said softly, "I'm fine here. You go and get ready. Remember what I said, cabbages, rows and rows of cabbages that can't talk."
At the end, She Ning winked playfully at Chen Xiaomin.
Seeing She Ning's rare display of playfulness, Chen Xiaomin burst out laughing, "Yes, yes, cabbage, all of them are cabbage."
Whether it was a suggestion or not, after going on stage, thinking about She Ning saying that there were rows of cabbages sitting below, her heart really calmed down a lot. Then, thinking about the last words She Ning whispered in her ear, she was completely at ease.
After Chen Xiaomin finished her speech, she went down from the stage and went to stay next to She Ning. The male student was number 15 in line. Before going on stage, he gave She Ning a very arrogant look.
His content was indeed more novel and insightful compared to previous speakers. He spoke with confidence and composure, without any stage fright, and his voice was loud and rhythmic. When he finished speaking, the audience applauded continuously, and the judges sitting in the first row nodded repeatedly, clearly quite satisfied with what they had heard.
As he was leaving the stage, the man met She Ning's gaze.
He sneered at She Ning, then made a gun gesture with one hand, pointing his fingertips at her. He raised his hand and mouthed a "biu" sound.
"You're doomed to lose," he said silently.
"So impressive, you certainly have reason to be proud." Holding She Ning's hand tightly, Chen Xiaomin's palms were sweating after listening to his speech. She looked at She Ning with concern.
She Ning smiled but didn't comment. Seeing that there was still time, she said, "I'm going to the restroom. You can sit here for a while."
The restroom was on the left outside the backstage area. When She Ning came out of the restroom, a group of people were passing by, and someone accidentally bumped into her.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," the man said repeatedly as he left.
"Ah Ning, number 18 is ready, come back quickly," Chen Xiaomin called out from the backstage entrance.
She Ning glanced in the direction the group of people left, feeling that something was off. She touched her handbag.
The manuscript is missing.
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