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Chapter 40
Coach Zhao didn't answer. Instead, he squatted down and covered her sweaty back with a towel, like draping a blanket over a frightened little animal.
"Yingying," she whispered, "whether you win or not, first ask yourself if you want to jump."
"Do you want to keep jumping?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried the confidence of someone who had been through many battles: "You've danced the Grassland Militia dance more than a hundred times, and the Red Detachment of Women dance more than fifty times. Every time you fail, you hold on for a few more seconds than the last time—that's what winning is."
Meng Yingying didn't look up; she buried her face in her arms, her voice muffled, "But my explosive power is still lacking."
"Just one more breath."
She looked somewhat unwilling.
That one stubborn streak led to her repeated failures and a loss of hope. It wasn't that she lacked talent, but rather that her body was too weak. The first three years in the propaganda team were just a slack-off; she had only truly put in the hard work for a little over a month.
In the past month, Meng Yingying has been able to perfect her dance moves, but her physical stamina has waned.
This is a natural weakness, a gap compared to Ye Yingtao and the others who have trained hard for over a decade.
"Keep that breath on stage and catch your breath later." Coach Zhao knew what was bothering her. She leaned forward slightly, raised her hand and patted her shoulder. "Let me tell you a secret. For professional actors, the audience only sees you the last time. Everything before is just a warm-up."
"The saying 'ten years of hard work offstage for ten minutes on stage' isn't just for show. As long as you master those ten minutes on stage, no one will care how many times you fail offstage."
After saying this, Coach Zhao noticed that Meng Yingying's mood had softened a bit. She raised her hand to look at her watch—5:50.
"Let's go to the cafeteria and have some ginger tea, then go back to the dorm and apply a hot compress for ten minutes. Let the muscles remember the soreness from before, but don't let them remember the failure."
Meng Yingying hummed in agreement, then braced herself with her arms on the ground and slowly got up.
She left the practice room at just 6:05, because she had already trained and had a competition to attend.
So this morning, the sisters in the performing arts troupe only did 20 minutes of morning exercises before disbanding and going to practice in their respective practice rooms.
Meng Yingying's schedule was the opposite of theirs. After eating, she returned to her dormitory and used a hot towel to apply a compress to her joints.
I lay in bed and went through it over and over again, finally making a mistake.
Finally, she looked down at her slender arms and sighed softly, "I still need to practice." She needed to build a solid physical foundation before thinking about anything else.
"Meng Yingying".
It was the staff member on duty downstairs. "Your coach told you to be in the practice room at 7:30 sharp."
Meng Yingying nodded, then got up and packed away her dance costume and wooden rifle separately.
I went to the practice room.
It's almost time to leave, but the practice room hasn't opened yet; everyone is engrossed in their practice.
They wanted to cram at the last minute, hoping to practice the group dance one more time before going on stage.
As soon as Meng Yingying arrived, Secretary Xu called her over, "Yingying, come here quickly. It's the last round of the group dance. We'll leave after we finish practicing."
Meng Yingying bent down and placed her bundle on the table.
After walking over, she raised her hand to look at the watch on her wrist. She was still wearing the Plum Blossom brand watch that Yue Ru had given her.
It's almost 7:30 now.
Meng Yingying suggested, "Director Xu, Coach, shall we set off now?"
Her philosophy is that when going out to compete, it's better to be early than late.
When Officer Xu went to see Coach Zhao, before Coach Zhao could even speak, everyone said, "Let's practice one more time. We're not sure how it will go, so let's practice one last time and see how it goes before we leave."
Coach Zhao checked the time. "There are still two hours left, so let's practice the team competition one last time."
“Yingying, I know your concerns, but we are in Harbin. We’re going to the Harbin Federation of Literary and Art Circles next door. It should only take about half an hour.”
“Unlike the Jilin City Cultural Troupe, they live far away, so they have to come the night before.”
"After we finish practicing one last time, we'll head out immediately."
Seeing that the coach had said so, Meng Yingying nodded and went to the team. She had just stood up.
Jia Xiaoli muttered to herself, "Mind your own business. We're just having the preliminary rounds in this city, it'll only take a little while to get there. Why go so early? Are we just going to be made a fool of?"
Meng Yingying turned her head and looked over. Her eyes were cold, and Jia Xiaoli was startled by her stare.
Why are you looking at me like that?
"Look at you, you idiot."
Ye Yingtao wasn't as refined as Meng Yingying. "Jia Xiaoli, if you don't learn your lesson, don't blame me for stuffing your smelly socks back into your hands."
Jia Xiaoli seemed to be haunted by yesterday's smelly socks; her expression changed instantly. "Ye Yingtao."
"Are you calling me 'Dad'?"
Ye Yingtao retorted in a light tone, just as Coach Zhao told everyone to stand still and music from the radio started playing.
The tune of the grassland female militia also took a turn.
The female soldiers, who had been making a ruckus, immediately stood still, turned their heads, and took small steps to align themselves to the right.
Once the group was in good order, they slowly separated and kept their distance from each other.
As the music began, I began to dance gracefully.
Meng Yingying, as the lead dancer, stood at the very front. Now that there was no red silk, she danced with even more ease.
The people behind her were alright too; their posture was quite neat.
It only took one take.
"I was so scared. I was worried about our group dance, what if something went wrong again?"
"I didn't expect that we would pass it in one take."
"It's good that I passed this time. If I pass, I won't be so nervous when I go on stage later."
While everyone was whispering and packing their things.
Suddenly, Officer Xu walked in from outside with a grim expression.
Coach Zhao saw this and went over to her, asking, "What's wrong?"
Officer Xu said worriedly, "The weather has changed. Suddenly, dark clouds have gathered, and it looks like a heavy rainstorm is coming."
Coach Zhao's face also turned grim. "Wasn't it sunny this morning?"
Officer Xu shook his head. "You know how the weather is in June, it changes as quickly as a child's face. How can you stop it?"
"What do we do now?"
Coach Zhao made a decisive decision and turned to everyone who was still packing their things, saying, "Get your things packed, let's set off now."
"Coach, I haven't put on makeup yet."
"I haven't gone to the bathroom yet."
There was originally enough time.
"It's too late."
Coach Zhao said, "Let's set off now before the heavy rain starts and make the most of our time."
"If I'm going to do makeup, I'll do it on location."
"Assemble at the entrance of the cultural troupe within three minutes. Those who are late will be subject to military law."
This is a military order.
Ye Yingtao exchanged a worried look with Meng Yingying, who shook her head and packed all the clothes she was going to wear that day into her backpack.
As if still not entirely at ease, they wrapped the bag with a thin layer of rainproof cloth.
"Yingying, what's wrong?"
Meng Yingying smoothed out the clothes a bit and said softly, "I'm worried that the rain will get the clothes wet, so I'm wrapping them in a waterproof cloth."
this--
Jia Xiaoli was about to mock her again, but Ye Yingtao glared at her fiercely, saying, "Do it if you want to, no one is forcing you if you don't."
After saying that, she followed Meng Yingying's example and wrapped a layer of rainproof cloth over her clothes before going out.
When the others saw this, they all followed Meng Yingying's actions.
Jia Xiaoli wouldn't cover it.
Or perhaps she was planning to wrap it up, but when she saw Meng Yingying wrap it up, she stopped and even mocked her, saying, "What's the big deal? We're in the car, how could our clothes get wet?"
Nobody paid any attention to her.
Jia Xiaoli felt she had made a fool of herself, and her face turned rather unpleasant. She looked at her rainproof cloth and kicked it away.
"I'm not bringing it."
Outside.
Meng Yingying came out and gathered at the entrance. Everyone had arrived. A green military truck with a green tarpaulin on top and a large cargo bed was parked at the entrance.
Meng Yingying's first reaction upon seeing the tarpaulin truck was that she wondered if the tarpaulin could keep out the rain.
She looked up at the sky, which was covered with dark clouds, as if the sky was about to burst open.
It was only 7:40 in the morning, but the sky was as dark as dusk.
The dark clouds pressed down on the roof of the barracks, and a muffled rumble of thunder rolled by. Some raindrops pattered against the car windows.
The rain started falling!
Coach Zhao immediately ordered, "Bring all the raincoats."
She didn't need to say it.
Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu rushed in carrying raincoats. "Report! There are twenty-two raincoats in total, and we've brought them all."
"Everyone, get on the big boxes." Coach Zhao nodded and urged from below, "Everyone up there in one minute."
"Those who bring instruments and set up the scenery, go to the innermost part; the rest of you sit outside."
Everyone nodded and filed in, climbing onto the large box.
After everyone went upstairs and settled down, we found ourselves in our seats.
Qi Donghan, holding a large black umbrella, jogged over and stopped outside the tarpaulin truck. Raindrops soaked his temples, making his features appear even more stern.
"Commander Qi, what brings you here?"
Coach Zhao was about to get on the bus when she saw Qi Donghan approaching. She immediately put one foot down and asked in a low voice.
Qi Donghan approached, his clothes slightly damp and clinging to his body, revealing his taut muscles, but no one cared about that at the moment.
His voice boomed like thunder, “Coach Zhao, the station has informed us that a heavy rainstorm is imminent, and news from the railway is that the rain is so intense that a landslide has occurred on the road to the Harbin Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and emergency repairs are underway!”
As soon as he said that, the car, which was about to start, came to an abrupt stop.
The drivers stationed there also heard this.
Coach Zhao's brow twitched, and she muttered, "Even if it's pouring rain, we still have to set off now, let alone a downpour."
After saying this, she quickly calmed down and gave instructions one by one, "Pack up the program, costumes, and props, get on the bus lightly, and take the Laoshan Road!"
The driver next to him breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
"Shall we leave now?"
"Walk."
Coach Zhao climbed into the car and sat in the passenger seat. She leaned out and said to Qi Donghan, "Commander Qi, thank you for the news you brought us."
Qi Donghan shook his head and watched the tarpaulin truck leave.
Inside the carriage, Meng Yingying sat in the fifth seat upon entering, sitting upright, perhaps noticing the gazes from outside.
She tilted her head slightly to look over.
Under the dark clouds, Qi Donghan wore a pine-green shirt, which was soaked by raindrops and clung tightly to his body.
His bulging muscles were exposed.
With broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs, and clear, bright eyes, he was exceptionally handsome.
This physique is a natural asset.
Meng Yingying had only one thought: No wonder they say all the handsome guys have been handed over to the state.
Qi Donghan also saw her, and in the rain, he slightly raised his hand and waved.
Meng Yingying saw it and nodded.
Inside the train carriage.
Jia Xiaoli's heart was pounding like a drum. She muttered to herself, "Was Commander Qi just checking the carriages?"
"Are you looking in my direction?"
Unfortunately, she was sitting in the third seat, while Meng Yingying was sitting in the fifth seat.
"I think so?"
Someone nearby said uncertainly.
"What do you mean 'should'? I saw Commander Qi wave, and he was waving at Jia Xiaoli."
"Jia Xiaoli, didn't you say your aunt wanted to set you up with Commander Qi?"
Although Commander Qi is fierce, anyone with eyes can see that he is young and has a bright future.
People like Commander Qi, who are single, unmarried, and hold high positions, are often targeted by higher-ups early on.
I just wanted to take it to my own home.
A blush crept across Jia Xiaoli's face, and even the tension of the upcoming competition dissipated somewhat. "Don't talk nonsense."
"Although my aunt is trying to match me up with Commander Qi, Commander Qi hasn't agreed yet."
Those who heard this immediately became envious.
However, Ye Yingtao, Meng Yingying, and Lin Qiu exchanged a glance. She couldn't help but chuckle, "I think some people just like to pat themselves on the back."
"With so many people in our carriage, who knows if Commander Qi is looking at you, Jia Xiaoli?"
"It could be Meng Yingying, Lin Qiu, or even me?"
Cherry leaves are good at stirring up trouble.
Of course, she couldn't let Jia Xiaoli know that Commander Qi liked Meng Yingying.
Otherwise, given Jia Xiaoli's personality, she would probably take advantage of having a leader as an aunt and target Meng Yingying relentlessly.
Jia Xiaoli, who had been all smiles, turned red with anger upon hearing this. "You shameless person!"
"I think you're the shameless one."
Ye Yingtao retorted sharply, "Commander Qi took one look at the carriage and immediately took a liking to you?"
"Have you no shame??"
Before he could finish speaking, the car in front suddenly braked and stopped.
Everyone instinctively leaned forward, and the arguing instantly ceased.
"What's wrong?"
In the driver's cab, the driver looked ahead at the landslide. Large rocks mixed with mud blocked the middle of the road, making it only wide enough for one vehicle to pass.
The driver slammed his fist on the steering wheel in anger, shouting, "Coach Zhao, we can't get through!"
Coach Zhao jumped out of the car, and rainwater streamed down her raincoat, soaking her face and obscuring her vision.
She wiped her face, made a quick decision, and shouted back at the carriage, "Get off! Carry your prop backpacks and walk through!"
The rain was so loud, and so was her voice; she was shouting so loudly her throat felt like it was about to split open.
Fortunately, the noise reached the carriage, and the carriage instantly erupted in chaos.
"If we have to walk through this, how will we have the energy to perform on stage later?"
"That's right, Coach Zhao. If we walk over there, not only will we be exhausted, but our clothes and props will all get soaked."
The tarpaulin kept them dry, but the rain was getting heavier and heavier, and if they came down, they would definitely get soaked.
Even the luggage bags covered with rainproof cloths are included.
But—that's absolutely not going to work.
Inside were their dance costumes for the stage performance. While the others at least had rainproof covers, Jia Xiaoli had nothing. She was terrified that her backpack would get completely soaked if she went down, making her the most opposed to the idea.
"We have no choice but to get out; the car is blocked, and we can't get through."
"Unless we clear away the rubble from the landslide, but we don't have the tools, and these mudslides could continue to fall at any time. It won't be over until someone gets hurt."
Lin Qiu gritted her teeth, peeked out, and within moments her hair was soaked.
But at this moment, she couldn't care less about any of that.
“Coach, I’m a local and I know a side road that we need to take. If you trust me, I’ll get in the passenger seat and show you the way.”
Coach Zhao gave up his position without saying a word.
Lin Qiu went to the passenger seat, and his raincoat was also mostly soaked.
She told the driver, "Reverse to the fork in the road behind, turn left, and then go straight ahead, taking a 30-mile detour."
The rain was so heavy that it blocked the car windows, making it difficult for Lin Qiu to point.
Seeing that the road was getting longer and longer, the driver was also losing his composure. "Comrade Lin, if we keep going like this, we'll get further and further away from the Harbin Federation of Literary and Art Circles."
Lin Qiu gritted his teeth, "It's better to take a longer route than for us all to get out of the car and get soaked."
"If our clothes, luggage, and props are all wet, then even if we make it on time, we're doomed."
If their performance costumes were damaged, they couldn't find replacements, and everyone would be soaking wet, leaving them no room to perform even if they went on stage.
At the very least, they wouldn't pass the first hurdle: demeanor.
"Listen to Lin Qiu, take the detour."
I sat at the very back of the tarpaulin-covered carriage, where there was a window that allowed me to see right into the driver's cab.
Therefore, Coach Zhao made a decision immediately.
After listening to Coach Zhao's words, the driver continued driving forward.
Inside the carriage, there was a cacophony of voices discussing the matter.
"What if we don't make it in time?"
"We're just getting further and further away from there. It's supposed to start at 9:30, and it's already 9:00, and we still haven't gotten there."
"The rain is getting heavier and heavier, as if it's conspiring against us."
"What if we really don't make it in time? Does that mean we have to give up on the preliminary round and be eliminated in the first round?"
Then what about all that hard work they put in for so long?
The atmosphere inside the carriage was somewhat somber.
Meng Yingying took the water bottle and quietly took a sip. "Have some water, calm down a bit."
Ye Yingtao hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
Jia Xiaoli gave a cold laugh.
However, seeing Meng Yingying's calm and composed demeanor, Coach Zhao unscrewed her military water bottle and took a sip herself. "Yingying is right, there's nothing we can do if we're in a hurry."
"We've done our best."
Actually, she regretted that she shouldn't have practiced that routine in the practice room that morning; she should have listened to Meng Yingying and left earlier.
But there's no going back now.
No one expected that the sunny weather would suddenly turn into dark clouds and torrential rain.
*
The gatehouse of the Harbin Federation of Literary and Art Circles.
The rain was so heavy and dense that people couldn't get out at all.
"Is everyone in the team here?"
The person who asked this question was Zhang Xiangnan, the vice chairman of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles. It was Zhang Xiangnan who applied to higher authorities for the venues for the preliminary rounds of the various art troupes.
The status of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles is somewhat mediocre.
It doesn't seem like a performing arts troupe belonging to a stationed unit, nor does it seem like a street office belonging to the government.
At this point, if the Federation of Literary and Art Circles doesn't make itself more visible, it might be abolished in the future.
Therefore, Zhang Xiangnan strongly recommended that all the major art troupes come to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles for the competition. After all, the Federation of Literary and Art Circles has a large venue, and it will be more lively with more people. The more the Federation of Literary and Art Circles does, the greater the opportunity to show its face in front of higher-level leaders.
Of course, his wife, Qin Mingxiu, also deserves credit for this.
"Has the Harbin 101 Art Troupe not arrived yet?"
Qin Mingxiu checked the time, put on her raincoat, opened her umbrella, and went into the guard post.
Zhang Xiangnan shook his head. "No."
There's still no movement.
"There are seven teams in total. The Harbin No. 101 Art Troupe is the closest to our Federation of Literary and Art Circles, but they arrived the latest."
"If I can't get there before 9:30, I'm afraid it will be considered a forfeit."
Qin Mingxiu frowned slightly, picked up the sign-in sheet and looked at it. There were indeed only six teams.
Looking at the torrential rain outside, she murmured, "We are all from out of town, so we arrived a night early and are staying at a guesthouse."
“The Harbin 101 Art Troupe is different. They are closer, so it might be just right for them to go out. But they can’t withstand heavy rain and landslides, which could block their way.”
Qin Mingxiu's guess was indeed correct.
Zhang Xiangnan asked, "If they can't come on time, can they still participate in the competition?"
Qin Mingxiu glanced at him and said, "You shouldn't ask me that question; you should ask the organizing committee."
Although she is both a coach and a judge, she and Zhao Pingshui are competitors, so she cannot decide the future of Zhao Pingshui's team.
Zhang Xiangnan strode off to find the organizing committee members.
Qin Mingxiu stood in the guardhouse, looking out the window for a while, before going to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles hall.
As soon as she arrived, her special student, Shen Qiuyue, lifted her skirt and ran over, asking, "Teacher, will the Harbin Cultural Troupe come again?"
Shen Qiuya had a round face and crescent-shaped eyes. Due to her long-term dancing, her limbs were graceful and her figure was extremely beautiful.
Seeing his favorite student.
Qin Mingxiu's expression softened a bit. "I don't know."
Shen Qiuyue stuck out her tongue. "Luckily we arrived yesterday, otherwise we would have been the ones who were late today."
After they arrived last night, they stayed at the third guesthouse of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles and came over at eight o'clock this morning.
Although I got rained on, it was only a street away, less than ten meters, so it didn't matter at all.
Qin Mingxiu didn't speak, but her eyes showed some worry.
"But teacher, if they are late, will they not be able to see Coach Zhao?"
In fact, when Zhao Pingshui was about to leave the Jishi Cultural Troupe, many people tried to persuade her not to leave.
Among the many performing arts troupes, the Jilin City Performing Arts Troupe is the best-developed and has the most outstanding students.
However, Zhao Pingshui ignored the advice and resolutely left the Jishi Cultural Troupe.
When they received the news, Zhao Pingshui had already gone to the Harbin No. 101 Art Troupe.
That is, the performing arts troupe with the worst performance. In fact, Shen Qiuyue and the others did not understand why Zhao Pingshui would give up such a good performing arts troupe.
Join a performing arts troupe that's ranked near the bottom.
"Alright, this is none of your business."
Qin Mingxiu began to urge people on, "You all need to get ready to draw lots. After you draw your order, wait downstairs and wait for your number to be called so you can go up and perform."
Shen Qiuyue nodded, hesitated for a moment, and finally asked, "If Coach Zhao can't come in time, will Meng Yingying, the genius she's mentoring, come?"
Qin Mingxiu gave her a deep look and pointed at her, "Qiuya, your heart is in turmoil."
"Alright, let's go in."
Shen Qiuyue's face turned pale. She left, looking back every few steps, and entered the waiting hall.
At 9:40, the Harbin detachment's tarpaulin truck screeched to a halt at the entrance of the Harbin Federation of Literary and Art Circles.
The women jumped off the bus, rainwater seeping into their shoes through their trousers, leaving a trail of dirty footprints on the bluestone bricks.
"quick!"
Coach Zhao waved his hand and led the team into the Harbin Federation of Literary and Art Circles.
The sentry stood up to stop them, shouting at the outside, "What are you doing?"
Coach Zhao paused, turned around and ran to the guard post, slamming the soaked letter of introduction onto the table. "Harbin 101 Stationed Art Troupe, here to participate in the preliminary competition of the art troupe's performance."
The sentry on duty glanced at the signature and frowned slightly. "It's past the allotted time."
Coach Zhao had to explain, "Comrade, we were late because of the torrential rain and the road collapse. Please make an exception."
The sentry couldn't make that decision, nor could he let her in.
He then gave Coach Zhao some advice, pointing to the window next to him, "Go ask at that window and then talk to the organizing committee."
Coach Zhao ran over without saying a word, before she could even speak.
The middle-aged woman with short hair sitting at the window adjusted her glasses and refused without even looking up, saying simply, "The list has already been submitted. Latecomers will be considered as having abstained."
One sentence felt like ice shards piercing my heart.
Meng Yingying and the others stood below the corridor, raindrops dripping down their hair and pooling into a small, pitiful puddle on the bluestone slab.
Ye Yingtao, suppressing her anger, rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward to argue, "Sister, please be lenient. The heavy rain caused a landslide, and we had to take a 30-mile detour to get here—"
"Rules are rules."
The woman ignored her explanation and slammed the window shut.
Ye Yingtao was left standing there, stunned, for a long time.
A burst of laughter suddenly came from the end of the corridor.
It was Li Qingqing, Shen Qiuyue's junior sister. She was watching the performances in front of her in the waiting hall. She was so nervous that she went out to use the restroom, but she didn't expect to see this scene.
Meng Yingying and the others looked over, but not recognizing Li Qingqing, they looked away.
Unexpectedly, Li Qingqing had no intention of letting them off the hook. She swept her hand across the group's muddy trouser legs and said, "Hey, Coach Zhao, are you bringing your students here for a competition or for flood relief?"
Someone who had come out of the first match nearby also saw it and casually chimed in, "If you're going to be late for the match, you might as well just go back and save yourself from embarrassing yourself on stage."
Lin Qiu gripped the canvas bag tightly, his knuckles turning white.
Meng Yingying pressed her down, and chuckled, "What? Are you a disaster victim who needs our rescue?"
Li Qingqing's face stiffened, and she was momentarily speechless.
Coach Zhao glanced at Li Qingqing, then instructed Meng Yingying and the others, "You stay here and don't move. I'm going to find the organizing committee."
The rain is still falling.
Meng Yingying and the others stood close to the wall, like a row of sparrows soaked by the rain.
Nevertheless, everyone held their backpacks tightly, trying their best to keep them dry, as their performance costumes were inside.
This is also their last chance.
Li Qingqing scoffed, her dance shoes clicking as she walked away, leaving behind the comment, "The side door to the auditorium wasn't closed, too bad you can't get in."
Unfortunately, no one paid any attention to her.
To Meng Yingying and the others, Li Qingqing was like a clown.
Time passed second by second.
When Coach Zhao returned, his face was rather grim. "The organizing committee said the sign-in list has been closed, unless we get the judges' signatures and go through a special approval process."
Who are the judges?
"Qin Mingxiu, vice chairman of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles and also Shen Qiuyue's teacher."
The moment the name was uttered, the air fell silent.
Qin Mingxiu was the "chief" who suppressed Coach Zhao for a full ten years.
Ye Yingtao clenched her fists and cursed under her breath, "Isn't this a vicious cycle?"
Meng Yingying looked up, and rainwater slid down her eyelashes and into the corner of her mouth, feeling excessively salty.
She suddenly slung the rifle over her shoulder and said to Coach Zhao, "Go find Teacher Qin. Whether we succeed or not depends on this."
Coach Zhao frowned. "If anyone should be looking for someone, it should be me. You all stand here and wait."
Before he could finish speaking, a military green jeep splashed water and screeched to a halt at the door.
The car door opened, and Qi Donghan strode through the water, holding a black umbrella. Under the umbrella, he wore a crisp military uniform, like a sword suddenly drawn from its sheath, cleaving through the rain.
They also carved out a path and walked towards them.
"What happened?"
Qi Donghan's gaze swept over Meng Yingying's disheveled yet stubborn face, and his brows furrowed slightly.
After Meng Yingying and the others left, he actually drove to find them, but a landslide occurred ahead, and he had to retreat back to his post.
After obtaining the judges' credentials from Commander Chen, they took a detour to the Harbin Federation of Literary and Art Circles.
Qi Donghan's appearance was like a lifeline for everyone.
Everyone instinctively looked at Meng Yingying.
Meng Yingying kept it brief, explaining the whole story in just a few sentences.
Qi Donghan already had a plan. "Come with me."
The sentry tried to stop him, but Qi Donghan froze him in place with a cold glare. He pulled out his credentials from his pocket and said, "Judge's ID, move aside."
The sentry saw that it was indeed a judge's badge and made way for them.
This surprised Meng Yingying and the others who were following behind.
How did Qi Donghan get a judge's certificate?
They exchanged glances.
Meng Yingying shook her head. She didn't know either, but she wasn't in the mood to think about it right now.
Being able to come in with Qi Donghan is already a tremendous stroke of luck.
The corridor door of the Harbin Federation of Literary and Art Circles was closed. Li Qingqing came out to use the restroom, but was also locked out. She pleaded with someone for her life.
He planned to sneak in through the side door, but when he turned around, he saw Meng Yingying and the others come in.
She frowned. "How did you get in?"
"Weren't you late?"
"Could they have sneaked in?"
Unfortunately, no one answered.
Ye Yingtao gave her a cold smile.
Meng Yingying didn't say anything.
When it was Coach Zhao's turn, she said calmly, "How about we ask you for permission to register?"
Li Qingqing immediately fell silent, took a half step back in her dance shoes, and crouched down to go to her own group.
Their group was so conspicuous that they attracted the attention of everyone inside even before they entered the auditorium.
Qin Mingxiu and Zhang Xiangnan witnessed this scene. They exchanged a glance and then walked over. They first greeted Qi Donghan, "Commander Qi."
Then, Qin Mingxiu's gaze fell on Coach Zhao's face, and she breathed a sigh of relief, "You've finally arrived."
She addressed Zhang Xiangnan in a businesslike manner, "Comrade Zhang, take them to sign in again and add the names back to the register."
Zhang Xiangnan is in charge of the venue; no one will interfere with his actions.
He grunted in agreement, added their names to the end of the sign-in sheet, and casually wrote a glaring asterisk in the remarks column.
After doing all that.
He then said, "You're late. The people ahead of you have already drawn lots. Here's what we'll do: you're the seventh to go on stage. The Jishi Cultural Troupe is ahead of you; they've been waiting since 9:30."
Coach Zhao nodded and said, "Thank you for your help, Chairman Zhang."
Zhang Xiangnan shook his head, pointed to the end of the corridor, and said with a pounding tone, "Everyone, go wait in the side curtain. If you're even a second late, you'll be disqualified."
Qi Donghan frowned slightly, his voice cold and stern, "Even stationed troops don't have such strict rules."
Zhang Xiangnan's expression paused for a moment, then he explained in a low voice, "Commander Qi, you don't know how important this preliminary round is."
Qi Dong scoffed, neither confirming nor denying his belief. He turned to Qin Mingxiu and said, "Commander Chen asked me to be a judge in his place. Please take me to the judges' table."
He completely ignored Zhang Xiangnan, which made Zhang's expression freeze instantly.
Qin Mingxiu was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected that Commander Chen from the Harbin garrison wouldn't come, and that Qi Donghan would be sent to replace him as a judge.
However, upon further reflection, it makes sense. After all, among these garrison teams, Qi Donghan is undoubtedly one of the best.
It seems that she values Commander Qi even more now.
She winked at Zhang Xiangnan, then extended her hand to Qi Donghan in an inviting gesture, "Commander Qi, please."
Qi Donghan grunted in agreement, glanced back at the Harbin Cultural Troupe, and nodded slightly to Meng Yingying in the crowd.
Meng Yingying pursed her lips and remained silent.
Turning around, I followed Coach Zhao and the others into the backstage dressing room and changed into my performance costumes.
Although some of their clothes got wet, their costumes were inside the bundles and covered with waterproof cloth, so they didn't get wet.
However, the shoes were still a bit damp, but that was unavoidable. But when it came to Jia Xiaoli, she was in trouble. She hadn't listened to Meng Yingying before setting off and hadn't covered her luggage with a rain cover. After only a short while, half of the clothes in her bag were already wet.
She immediately regretted it and wanted to cry, "My clothes are all wet."
Nobody paid her any attention; everyone was too busy taking care of themselves.
Coach Zhao glanced at it and said, "Just wear it as is."
Jia Xiaoli had no other choice but to do this.
After changing their clothes, the group prepared to go to the performance and competition area in the auditorium's front hall.
The Harbin Federation of Literary and Art Circles is quite large. After passing through a narrow, dimly lit corridor, you finally reach the end, where rows of iron chairs lean against the wall. They are quite old and covered in rust.
Under the stage lights, the performing arts troupe is putting on a show.
The seats below were full.
Among them, the Jishi Cultural Troupe had the most members, accounting for almost half of the total.
A woman sat alone in the front row, wearing a dance costume. She had striking features in profile, fair skin, and looked serene and gentle.
She is Shen Qiuya.
Hearing footsteps, she turned her head slightly, her gaze first falling on Coach Zhao's face. She wanted to speak, but Coach Zhao ignored her.
Shen Qiuyue pursed her lips and called out, "Coach Zhao."
Coach Zhao gave a casual "hmm".
Shen Qiuyue felt a little embarrassed. She turned to look at Meng Yingying and saw that Meng Yingying's trouser leg was slightly wet. She subconsciously frowned, nodded politely, but did not say anything to greet her.
"Oh, from the Harbin 101 Art Troupe?"
Behind Shen Qiuyue, Li Qingqing, who had been looking rather embarrassed, chuckled softly, "Ten minutes late? Does she really think the preliminary round is some kind of market?"
The sound wasn't loud, just loud enough for everyone in the aisle to hear.
Several girls from other groups pursed their lips in agreement, and an atmosphere of watching the spectacle immediately filled the air.
They watched Meng Yingying and her group as if they were monkeys.
Ye Yingtao entered the arena this time, and she was no longer holding back as before. She coldly retorted, "Yingying, do you see that? That's barking like a dog."
"When a dog barks, just kill it to prevent it from barking at you again."
Meng Yingying glanced at Li Qingqing's face and answered seriously, "I'll learn the Dog-Beating Stick Technique later."
"Try to kill the dog with one blow."
Clearly, even the good-natured Meng Yingying was disgusted by Li Qingqing's repeated actions.
Upon hearing this, Li Qingqing's face turned pale with anger. "You!"
She was about to continue arguing when Coach Zhao glanced over and his gaze fell on Shen Qiuyue. Shen Qiuyue had no choice but to pull Li Qingqing aside and whispered a reprimand, "Enough, stop making a scene."
Li Qingqing was unwilling, but ultimately dared not disobey Shen Qiuya.
Coach Zhao, on the other hand, didn't care about their internal conflicts.
She arranged for Meng Yingying and the others to sit in the last row of empty seats, and whispered to them, "Remember to check your shoelaces, hair, and props later. Also, no matter how hungry you are, you must endure it, and absolutely do not drink the last drop of water before going on stage."
Meng Yingying and the others nodded in agreement.
"Coach, we know."
Having come this far, they cannot afford to make a final mistake.
However, once we were finally inside the stadium to wait, the anxiety we felt that morning was over.
Meng Yingying also breathed a sigh of relief, placing the rifle horizontally on her lap, the red silk tightly wrapped around it, but her palms were still damp.
She looked up and met Shen Qiuyue's gaze, which was not provocative but rather seemed to be studying Meng Yingying, her new opponent, to see if she was worth her full effort.
Meng Yingying paused for a moment, then nodded gently.
Shen Qiuyue nodded in return, and gave a slight twitch of her lips.
It happened in an instant, like a sword still in its sheath, a light touch, and then it was as if nothing had happened.
Meng Yingying held the unwet red silk ribbon and stroked it repeatedly, her mind calm and composed.
Try your best to get yourself into the best possible state.
Until the announcement came from the loudspeakers at the top of the stage.
"Jilin City Cultural Troupe No. 06, 'Grassland Women Militia,' is ready; Harbin City 101 Cultural Troupe No. 07 is waiting to perform."
As soon as he said that, everyone held their breath.
I watched as the members of the Jishi Cultural Troupe led the way backstage.
Qin Mingxiu arrived at this time.
Wearing a well-fitting military uniform, her arrival immediately lowered the atmosphere by eight degrees.
As they passed by, students stood up to greet them.
Qin Mingxiu raised her hand to signal everyone to sit down, and then saw that all the students from her own performing arts troupe had gone up on stage.
She then found a seat and sat down, and coincidentally, that seat was right next to Coach Zhao's.
As she sat down, Coach Zhao's whole body tensed up.
Qin Mingxiu noticed, and her eyes flickered. "Ping Shui, long time no see."
Coach Zhao hummed in agreement, not wanting to say anything more.
Qin Mingxiu was her inner demon and the root cause of her leaving the Jishi Cultural Troupe.
Knowing her junior sister's personality, Qin Mingxiu lowered her gaze and stopped on Meng Yingying's face, asking Coach Zhao, "Is this the genius you found?"
Clearly, Qin Mingxiu, who was far away in Jilin, was also able to find out about the Harbin No. 101 Art Troupe.
When Meng Yingying was mentioned, Coach Zhao's face became more confident. "I wouldn't call her a genius. She just has a bit more talent."
Qin Mingxiu raised an eyebrow, looked Meng Yingying up and down, and a hint of amazement flashed in her eyes. "She's quite pretty, comparable to Qiu Ya."
Shen Qiuyue is the most beautiful girl in the Jishi Cultural Troupe, and she has been for many years.
Meng Yingying was one of the few who could rival Shen Qiuyue in appearance. In fact, she was even better.
Coach Zhao smiled and said, "It's not just about appearance; talent can also be compared."
This was the first time she had shown her talent.
Qin Mingxiu remained noncommittal, "Then I'm looking forward to it."
"However," she changed the subject, "our team will go on stage first, so you can watch our performance first."
Don't be scared.
Hidden within gentleness, yet sparks fly.
What wasn't said, everyone understood.
As the announcer on stage broke the silence, the female soldiers of the Jishi Cultural Troupe gracefully took to the stage.
Two young women suddenly opened the red side curtain on the stage with a whoosh.
The lights suddenly switched on, so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes.
About twenty women jogged onto the stage, wearing green dresses and white gloves, carrying wooden guns in their arms, and walked smartly to the center of the stage.
At the very center of the front row of the stage, Shen Qiuyue, who was leading the group, suddenly stopped. Then, she stood still, her toes turned outward at a 25-degree angle, her slender back straight as a javelin, fixed under the lights.
She didn't even look at the audience; she simply raised her chin slightly, revealing her fair, beautiful, slender, and elegant figure to everyone.
The audience fell silent, and even the judges' pens hovered over the score sheets, forgetting to give scores.
Meng Yingying sat in the audience watching.
She knew that Shen Qiuyue's opening ceremony was absolutely qualified, even excellent.
Lin Qiu couldn't help but mutter to herself, "Yingying, Shen Qiuyue is really amazing."
Just by standing there, she became the focus of the entire room; her demeanor and every movement seemed innate.
Ye Yingtao was about to scold her, but Meng Yingying shook her head and said incisively, "This is a group dance, not a solo dance."
If Shen Qiuyue shines too brightly, it will affect the entire team.
Sure enough, as soon as Meng Yingying finished speaking, some people started to make mistakes.
Shen Qiuyue's radiance was so dazzling that some people were so focused on her that they stepped forward with one foot a beat faster, while others were a beat slower with their arms.
Because Shen Qiuya was leading the way too fast, the rest of the group couldn't keep up.
Fortunately, red ribbons were introduced, but instead of the single red ribbon like Meng Yingying's, each person received a short ribbon, 1.2 meters long, tied at the end to the tip of a wooden rifle.
With each collective swing of their arms, the short red ribbons burst into a semi-circle, like a fiery cloud unfolding, then suddenly recoiled, their clean and swift movements showing no hesitation.
The audience fell silent instantly.
Meng Yingying knew that although their group dance had some mistakes, the appearance of this short silk ribbon was a positive sign.
It directly brought the grassland female militia to a climax. Despite the flaws, it also raised the difficulty of the grassland female militia's dance by two levels.
It truly deserves to be the top performing arts troupe in recent years.
"Their team championship should be a sure thing."
Ye Yingtao murmured.
They had also prepared red ribbons for their team competition, but it had already taken them a week just to fuse the wooden rifles together, so there was simply no time left to integrate the red ribbons.
They had no choice but to cut the red silk item.
So when they saw the Jilin City Cultural Troupe perform a dance of grassland female militia using red silk ribbons in their group competition, they knew what was going on.
The odds of winning are clear.
They are unlikely to win first place in the team competition.
This put immense pressure on Lin Qiu and the others. "Yingying."
Ye Yingtao gripped the hem of her dance costume tightly, her throat dry. "Their movements in the second half were three beats faster than when we rehearsed, and they still had zero mistakes."
Lin Qiu was also pale-faced, staring wide-eyed at the stage and counting, "When they were on stage, they swung their arms together four times and spun the gun in the air six times. Not a single silk flower fell off. Apart from the initial mistake, their movements were almost perfect later on."
"Yingying, I don't think we can win."
Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu both sounded hesitant and doubtful.
Only Meng Yingying remained calm. She patted their hands subtly, saying, "It's alright."
"We can do that too."
"Don't forget, we had almost zero mistakes in our rehearsals this week."
"It doesn't matter that we don't have red silk; we'll just do our best in every movement."
Coach Zhao chimed in, "Yingying is right."
"Pressure is the driving force; the stronger the competitors, the stronger you will become."
Ye Yingtao and the others hummed in agreement, but none of them spoke.
After the Jishi team competition ended, the judges began to score the results. After they finished, Qin Mingxiu went up on stage and announced loudly, "Remove the highest score and the lowest score, and the final score is ninety-two points."
This is the highest score of the game so far.
This also made everyone present feel a sinking feeling in their hearts.
However, everyone in the Jilin City Cultural Troupe had a big smile on their face.
Especially when Li Qingqing came down, she gave Ye Yingtao a provocative look.
Ye Yingtao held back her anger and didn't say anything.
Shen Qiuyue descended amidst a crowd of admirers, and she nodded to Meng Yingying.
Meng Yingying smiled at her without changing her expression.
This disappointed Shen Qiuya somewhat.
Qi Donghan, sitting on the judges' panel, glanced over with concern.
Meng Yingying winked at him, appearing relatively calm.
This made Qi Donghan breathe a slight sigh of relief.
A moment later, the loudspeakers on the stage announced, "Please prepare to enter, No. 07, Harbin 101 Art Troupe."
As soon as he said that...
Meng Yingying and the others stood up and jogged towards the stage to wait backstage.
As the red side curtain was pulled back, more than twenty beams of white light suddenly fell on the stage, enveloping each of them.
The audience was still reeling from the shock of the Jilin City Cultural Troupe's score of 92, and they were whispering among themselves.
They didn't seem to take the newly arrived team seriously.
Meng Yingying didn't care; she stood in the middle, holding a wooden rifle.
She glanced at her teammate's shoes out of the corner of her eye. The mud on the newly changed shoes had dried, and the marks weren't very noticeable.
Then, the voices of female militia members from the grasslands came through the loudspeaker.
Meng Yingying took a deep breath and began to count down in a voice only they could hear, "Three, two, one!"
As soon as she finished speaking, her toes turned outwards at the same time, and twenty-two wooden rifles were simultaneously hoisted onto her shoulder in unison.
With a sharp click, the metallic clang of the wooden rifle slicing through the crowd like a razor blade, silenced all the whispers from below.
Seeing this, Qi Donghan, who was sitting at the far end of the judges' panel, leaned forward slightly, sat up straight, tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, and smiled with a moment of relaxation.
Because he knew that Meng Yingying and the others had a great opening!
As the music played by the grassland militia women gradually reached its climax, it slowly spread.
Meng Yingying precisely followed the rhythm, leading the formation to begin a diagonal incursion.
Lacking the red silk from the Jilin City Cultural Troupe, they used the breechblocks of wooden rifles instead of silk flowers.
Each time they swung their arms in unison, they did so perfectly in unison without making a single mistake. Since they didn't have red silk flowers, they used the butts of their guns to clap their hands instead of the silk cloth, creating a sharp and clean sound that even echoed through the hall.
The judges, who had initially been relaxed and casual, suddenly focused their attention.
Qin Mingxiu held a Hero brand fountain pen, the nib hovering above the score sheet. For the first time, her eyebrows twitched slightly as she stared intently at the stage.
Those who should have left the audience, including Shen Qiuyue and her group, were no less silent. Their initial mockery, ridicule, and contempt had turned into complete silence.
Everyone stared nervously at the stage.
Li Qingqing refused to believe it. She gritted her teeth and said, "This is just the beginning. I don't believe they won't make any mistakes."
As soon as these words were spoken, the music of the grassland female militia gradually reached its climax, and the difficulty of the dance also began to increase.
Shen Qiuya used the aerial gun spinning and backhand silk scooping techniques in previous competitions.
They completely transformed the performance, turning it into a synchronized aerial split between twenty-two dancers in the middle of the stage. Upon landing, they would flick the ground with the tip of their spears, use the momentum to roll backward, and their dance boots would fall at the same time.
It was so uniform that it could be described as perfectly aligned.
There were no mistakes.
Zero errors!
The first gasp of surprise erupted from the audience.
The judges' expressions gradually became more serious. They exchanged glances and stared at the stage with increasing focus.
One judge even remarked, "The women from the Harbin Cultural Troupe are quite something."
"Yes, their level is nothing like that of someone who consistently ranks at the bottom."
Qin Mingxiu hummed in agreement, her tone indifferent, "Let's look ahead, the third stage of the grassland female militia is the most difficult."
These words had barely left his lips when, in the center of the stage...
Meng Yingying and her team began to change positions.
She stepped back from the front to the center, standing on one leg with the tip of her wooden rifle pointing to the sky. The others stood around her, forming a circle, each holding a wooden rifle at an angle, creating a new matrix.
No, they are female militia members.
They are the army!
It is both extremely gentle and extremely strong!
The drumbeats from the loudspeaker sounded again.
Twenty-two rifles were released simultaneously and exchanged in mid-air. The right hand held the rifle, the bayonet reversed, and as the wooden rifles fell from the air, they firmly grabbed the stock, controlling the time difference to within 0.3 seconds!
Comparable to on-site professionals.
When Zhang Xiangnan, one of the judges, saw that gesture that was both gentle and firm, his pen clattered to the ground.
There was a two-second silence in the auditorium, followed by an explosion of applause, more intense than raindrops.
Like the beating of drums, the sound echoed to every corner of the auditorium.
Meng Yingying and the others breathed a sigh of relief and bowed in unison. The lights flickered on and off, and at that moment, they were the most dazzling presence on the stage.
The audience.
Coach Zhao laughed heartily. She clapped along, her hands clapping so hard they went numb in no time, but she didn't seem to care.
His mouth was stretched almost to the back of his ears.
Although the group dance did not have red ribbons, their coordination and execution were almost perfect.
It was even better than during regular practice.
Every single one of them performed exceptionally well.
Shen Qiuyue stood with her arms crossed next to her. She looked at Coach Zhao's excited expression and then looked back at the team led by Meng Yingying on the stage.
Her expression was unreadable.
Li Qingqing, who had been shouting earlier, bit her lower lip and fell silent.
Offstage, on the judges' panel, the judges deliberated for three minutes.
During this period, Qi Donghan, who usually doesn't get involved in anything, argued for the first time, saying, "I think the Harbin 101 Art Troupe's performance was better than that of the Jilin Art Troupe."
Qin Mingxiu glanced at him and said calmly, "Their movements are highly executed, but they are all basic movements without any creativity or difficulty."
Qi Donghan spoke calmly, focusing on only one point: "They didn't do anything wrong, did they?"
"The Jilin City Cultural Troupe made at least two mistakes."
"That's true."
And it's an undeniable fact.
This left Qin Mingxiu speechless for a moment. She remained silent for a moment, then said, "Everyone, please raise your hands to vote."
"Each person gives a score."
Within two minutes, the judges revealed their scores.
After reading the score sheet, Qin Mingxiu knew what to expect. She took the score sheet, went up on stage herself, and waved gently to the noisy audience.
The area below fell silent instantly.
Ye Yingtao nervously gripped Meng Yingying's hand, "Yingying, what score do you think the judges will give us?"
Meng Yingying shook her head, her face flushed and her eyes sparkling. "I don't think it will be low."
"This group dance performance on stage is the most accomplished we've ever been since we started practicing."
As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Mingxiu stood up straight on the stage. Holding a megaphone, she looked down at the scores and announced them to the public little by little.
"Harbin 101 Art Troupe, after removing the highest score of 10 and the lowest score of 9.1, the final score is 9.4."
A cheer immediately erupted from below.
Ye Yingtao almost screamed; their score was higher than that of the Jishi Cultural Troupe.
She grabbed Meng Yingying's hand, "Yingying, Yingying, can you hear me?"
Meng Yingying's hands were sore from being gripped so tightly, but she didn't care. Her eyes were filled with laughter. "Our trip wasn't in vain."
"We did it!"
Being late this morning is really insignificant compared to this moment of glory.
They did it, washing away the title of last place that the 101 Art Troupe had held for three years.
Seeing their excited expressions, Qin Mingxiu gently shook her head, "Comrades, I haven't finished speaking yet. You're getting excited too soon."
Meng Yingying and the others subconsciously looked up, their expressions surprised. "Wasn't that score the final one?"
Qin Mingxiu nodded, holding up the scoring report, her voice calm and unhurried, "I've only mentioned the points you scored, not the points you deducted."
At this moment, Meng Yingying and the others held their breath and listened carefully.
Qin Mingxiu looked down at the score sheet, and her voice came through the loudspeaker: "Team No. 07, Harbin Cultural Troupe, has 2 points deducted for not using the difficult red silk during the competition. Final score: 92 points."
Ye Yingtao suddenly loosened her clenched fist, and her eyes instantly reddened.
Lin Qiu lowered his head, resting his forehead on the butt of his gun, and said in a soft, choked voice, "We were just one step away from the silk ribbon..."
Otherwise, they almost would have won first place.
They might even surpass the Jilin City Cultural Troupe.
Meng Yingying quickly recalled the Jishi Cultural Troupe's score, and she whispered to comfort them, "We're tied for first place in the team competition now, which is already beyond our expectations, isn't it?"
The countdown started, but the heavy rain in the middle caused us to take a detour, which made us late.
Now, in the team competition, they achieved the same score as the Jilin City Cultural Troupe.
For Meng Yingying, she was truly content.
"Yingying is right."
Coach Zhao came over to comfort them, saying, "I never imagined that we could tie for first place with the Jilin City Cultural Troupe."
"Yingying, Yingtao, Lin Qiu, you have done very well."
That's the truth.
On stage, Qin Mingxiu closed the scoring sheet, her voice low enough for everyone backstage to hear, "Tomorrow is the preliminary round of the solo dance. Individuals are allowed to add any props they like during the competition."
"At the same time," she said, her gaze falling on Coach Zhao, "the Jilin City Cultural Troupe is waiting for you to take on the challenge."
As soon as he said that...
The area below fell silent instantly.
Amidst the bustling crowd, Shen Qiuyue walked towards Meng Yingying. For the first time, she looked Meng Yingying directly in the eye. "From now on, you are worthy to be my opponent."
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Author's Note: I don't know if you guys like watching dance competitions, but writing about them is both painful and joyful for me.
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