A major overhaul and a reopening with red envelopes for Yingying, you want to come to the Central Ballet...
Chapter 126
As soon as Meng Yingying finished speaking, Yang Jie looked over in surprise. She didn't understand why her apprentice, who was so smart, would ask such a question at this time.
Because anyone with eyes can see that Gu Xiaotang's health is like this; let alone participating in a competition, even getting out of bed is very difficult for him.
Yang Jie thought Gu Xiaotang would refuse decisively, but to her surprise, Gu Xiaotang suddenly struggled and said, "Go, I want to go."
"I want the teacher to personally present the awards to me and my senior."
Even if it means crawling, she'll crawl there.
She has worked so hard all these years just to stand in front of Yang Jie.
If Yang Jie could present her with the award, Gu Xiaotang would be content even if she died right now.
Seeing that she had regained her spirits and had hope, Meng Yingying breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to look at Doctor Li and asked, "Doctor, can the patient attend the award ceremony in this condition?"
She added, "It will only take an hour at most. We will definitely be back, and I guarantee she won't have to exert any effort or suffer any accidents during the award ceremony."
Dr. Li didn't speak; she went to ask Gu Xiaotang, "Can you get up?"
Gu Xiaotang nodded, "I have the energy."
This is anger. She was so weak she could barely stand before, but how long has it been?
She not only wanted to go to the venue to receive the award, but she also wanted to walk with Yang Jie.
Seeing her like this, Doctor Li probably understood why Meng Yingying had asked that question before.
She sighed softly, "Since you can walk, let's finish this IV drip."
After saying that, she called the nurse and put the needle back in Gu Xiaotang's mouth.
To be honest, Meng Yingying felt her heart pound just looking at the long needle piercing her blood vessel, but Gu Xiaotang seemed to have no reaction at all.
She didn't even flinch, and didn't even glance at the nurse after she finished giving her the injection.
It seems as if there is no pain.
Meng Yingying's heart sank, but she remained outwardly calm. "Xiao Tang, aren't you in pain?"
Gu Xiaotang subconsciously said, "It doesn't hurt."
This was a conditioned reflex response. After saying it, she was afraid that her answer was too strange and that her senior sister would dislike her, so she immediately added, "It still hurts a little, but I'm used to it, so it doesn't hurt anymore."
No.
In the later stages of depression, patients may lose their sense of taste and pain, and even experience pleasure from pain.
She was terrified that Gu Xiaotang would take this step.
Meng Yingying squatted down and looked into Gu Xiaotang's eyes. "Xiaotang, look at me. Are you really in pain?"
Gu Xiaotang's eyes were somewhat flustered. She lowered her eyes and murmured, "Senior sister, I haven't felt pain for a long time."
When pain becomes a habit.
Then you won't feel any pain.
The moment Meng Yingying heard these words, she felt a sharp pain in her heart.
Honestly, it hurts terribly.
Yang Jie was the same; tears streamed down her face instantly. She touched Gu Xiaotang's hair but couldn't utter a single word.
Meng Yingying was the first to calm down. She said softly, "It's okay. Painlessness is great. Your senior sister is quite envious of you."
Gu Xiaotang looked up uncertainly, "Really?"
Her eyes were timid and hesitant.
Where can you find people going crazy on stage anymore?
Meng Yingying nodded, "Of course it's true. Go out and ask people outside, how many of them aren't afraid of pain? So Xiao Tang, it's really cool and unique that you're not afraid of pain."
Gu Xiaotang smiled shyly, pursing her lips.
Meng Yingying accompanied her to get the injection, while Yang Jie went to the hospital cafeteria to buy food. Gu Xiaotang couldn't eat much like that.
She then bought some plain porridge.
However, feeding them was a bit of a challenge.
They fed him a bite, and Gu Xiaotang ate a bite, but soon he started vomiting again.
She was a little lost. "I'll eat some more. I promise I won't throw up anymore."
Meng Yingying waved her hand, "If you don't want to eat, then don't eat. Xiao Tang, no one will force you to do anything."
Upon hearing this, Gu Xiaotang froze, and without warning, tears streamed down her face again.
This made Meng Yingying uncomfortable, so she simply stopped watching and quietly stayed with Gu Xiaotang until the injection was finished.
Yang Jie found a car, and Meng Yingying helped her into it, which finally got them to the auditorium.
When they arrived, there were already quite a few people in the auditorium. Since the awards ceremony was scheduled to begin at 2:30, almost all the contestants who had participated in the morning were already there.
The National Ballet of China had the fewest members; Zhou Lanxiang was taken away, and the other students were also taken for interrogation.
Therefore, Gu Xiaotang was the only person from the National Ballet of China who actually attended the award ceremony.
As soon as she arrived, everyone turned to look at her.
Clearly, a single noon was enough time for the scandal involving the National Ballet of China to spread until everyone knew about it.
At this moment, Gu Xiaotang became the focus of the entire audience as soon as he appeared.
Gu Xiaotang didn't dare to look at everyone's gaze. Meng Yingying held her hand and said, "It's okay, Xiaotang. You are the victim, not the perpetrator. You have nothing to hide."
The voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone else immediately looked away and stopped watching. Meng Yingying took Gu Xiaotang's hand and led her into the Capital Song and Dance Troupe.
When Han Mingbing saw Gu Xiaotang sit down, she was dumbfounded. Several times she wanted to ask Meng Yingying, but looking at Gu Xiaotang, who was like a porcelain doll, she was afraid that if she asked one more question, she would shatter.
Han Mingbing kept enduring it.
She didn't understand why Meng Yingying, who had gone to the hospital to visit Gu Xiaotang, brought Gu Xiaotang back with her.
They brought them here, and now they're even sitting on the territory of their Capital Song and Dance Troupe.
Isn't this like throwing lambs to the slaughter?
"Stop looking."
Meng Yingying didn't even turn her head, but it was as if she had eyes in the back of her head. "Gu Xiaotang is my junior sister now, and she's with me for the time being."
"She'll go back to the hospital after receiving the award."
Han Mingbing opened his mouth in shock. What?
Is Gu Xiaotang Meng Yingying's junior sister?
Does that mean she's her junior sister?
Unfortunately, before she could ask anything, Commander Chen on the stage had already started presenting the awards.
"I know everyone is very interested in who the top three are."
"Now I will announce the list."
As soon as he said that, everyone's attention immediately turned to the stage.
"The individual champion of the Red Star Cup competition is Meng Yingying."
Thunderous applause erupted instantly, and even Han Mingbing forgot what she was going to ask earlier.
She was the first to react, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Meng Yingying!"
"Meng Yingying!"
"You are the best."
"You are the best."
"You are the undisputed champion."
Even Meng Yingying couldn't handle the barrage of praise. She turned to look at Han Mingbing, her face flushed with embarrassment, and whispered, "Please, shut up."
Han Mingbing was stunned. Good heavens, she never expected Meng Yingying to ask her for help in this regard.
Her eyes and brows radiated smugness. "Meng Yingying, you've finally met your match."
Even a genius champion sometimes needs her help.
Han Mingbing was secretly overjoyed.
Her voice became increasingly strained as she said, "Meng Yingying, you are the pride of our Capital Song and Dance Troupe."
"Everyone in our Capital Song and Dance Troupe is proud of you."
Meng Yingying was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig her toes into the ground, because if it had been someone else who said it, she would have pretended not to hear it on stage, but it was Han Mingbing who said it.
She ignored her and turned to go on stage.
She then turned to Commander Chen on the stage and said, "Commander Chen, may I help Gu Xiaotang up with me?"
Commander Chen glanced at Gu Xiaotang, hesitated for a long time, and in the end, his emotions prevailed over his reason.
She thought back to when they had previously selected the champion, runner-up, and third-place winner.
The content of an argument with someone.
“Gu Xiaotang is capable. Even without taking this medicine, she can still compete for the championship.”
This is common knowledge.
"But the truth is that Gu Xiaotang did take the medication, and if she did, her assessment spot should be canceled."
Commander Chen remained silent for a long time, thinking of the thin, sickly girl she had seen in the hospital bed.
“Even if Gu Xiaotang doesn’t take the medicine, she still has the ability.”
Given Gu Xiaotang's abilities, winning a runner-up title would be a piece of cake.
"But she took the medication."
"She also violated the eligibility requirements."
To be honest, at this moment, Commander Chen was in a dilemma, because the judges wouldn't let her give the runner-up spot to Gu Xiaotang.
However, considering various factors, Commander Chen withstood the pressure and nodded to Meng Yingying, "Please bring Gu Xiaotang up."
She didn't say it was the runner-up, nor did she say it was the second prize.
This made Meng Yingying's heart skip a beat. Her worst fear had come true: Gu Xiaotang's medication might become the biggest hidden danger in this awards ceremony.
Meng Yingying subconsciously turned to look at Gu Xiaotang. Gu Xiaotang was already somewhat regretful at this moment; perhaps she shouldn't have come with Meng Yingying.
Things had gotten to this point, beyond her expectations.
Meng Yingying instantly understood her meaning. She didn't say anything, but instead gave the choice to Gu Xiaotang.
After hesitating for a moment, Gu Xiaotang finally made a decision.
When they saw Meng Yingying supporting Gu Xiaotang on the right, while Yang Jie was on the left, the two of them helped Gu Xiaotang onto the stage, one on the left and one on the right.
The moment Gu Xiaotang came up, Commander Chen made a decision in her heart. She looked at the girl who couldn't even walk.
For the first time, I felt pity.
She took a deep breath and said to Ning Lu in the audience, "Ning Lu, come up here too."
Ning Lu was still a little confused. She thought she had won the third prize, so it would be a while before it was her turn. But since Commander Chen had called her, she naturally had to come up.
Ning Lu bowed to everyone before going up onto the stage.
This wasn't the end of it. Commander Chen glanced at the list of award recipients and then called out again to the crowd, "Please invite Comrade Yi Cailing up here."
Yi Cailing looked stunned. "?"
She even thought that Commander Chen might have mispronounced the name, or rather, that she had misheard him.
"They're calling you, hurry up and go upstairs."
Yi Cailing's teammates nudged her from behind, and she suddenly realized what was happening, then ran all the way to the stage.
"Commander Chen, am I just here to make up the numbers?"
She really didn't understand why she, the second to last place, was on the podium.
Commander Chen shook his head. "Stand still, and you'll see in a moment."
When a group of young, beautiful, and poised girls stand in a row to receive an award, to be honest, their appearance alone is enough to catch anyone's eye.
"I know you must be very curious why I didn't announce the winners and just called you all up here."
Commander Chen had a round face, and as people get older, they tend to develop some extra fat around their chin. However, this extra fat was actually quite good, giving Commander Chen a kind and compassionate look.
As soon as she finished speaking, Ning Lu and Yi Cailing looked over, both of them completely bewildered.
Only Meng Yingying glanced at Gu Xiaotang with a subtle look in her eyes. Her heart was heavy. She didn't know what Commander Chen was going to announce next.
Is this a new blow to Gu Xiaotang?
Commander Chen was surprised by Meng Yingying's keen insight. She smiled and said, "Alright, I won't keep you in suspense any longer."
"I'm sure everyone knows what happened at noon."
The people below reacted instantly, including Gu Xiaotang. Her face turned pale, and she even felt like she was being publicly executed.
Anxiety and unease instantly overwhelmed her, making every minute feel like she was living a life worse than death.
Meng Yingying held Gu Xiaotang's hand, shook her head, and whispered, "Xiaotang, keep listening."
“I don’t know about others, but Commander Chen is a very good person. She wouldn’t use this kind of thing to hurt you.”
Otherwise, Commander Chen wouldn't have personally led his men to arrest Lin Rujuan.
Meng Yingying's words may have had a comforting effect, which helped Gu Xiaotang calm down.
Seeing this, Director Chen felt somewhat relieved. She then slowly said, "An unpleasant incident occurred at noon at the National Ballet of China, which resulted in the disqualification of one of the National Ballet of China's contestants."
The worst fears have come true.
Gu Xiaotang was trembling. She clung tightly to Meng Yingying, and Meng Yingying even doubted what would have happened without her.
Gu Xiaotang even fainted on stage.
Meng Yingying supported Gu Xiaotang, holding her tightly, "Now that you're up here, face it, Xiaotang. If you plan to continue in this line of work, you won't be able to escape this sooner or later."
Gu Xiaotang nodded hesitantly, standing there with Meng Yingying's support.
Commander Chen continued, "But after understanding what happened, we can confirm that Gu Xiaotang is the victim."
Someone asked a question below.
Where is Zhou Lanxiang?
More than half of the members of the National Ballet of China did not come, and Zhou Lanxiang, who was there before, was also completely gone.
"Let me finish," Commander Chen said calmly. "Lin Rujuan has been feeding Gu Xiaotang medicine all these years, as for Zhou Lanxiang—"
When the other party was mentioned, Commander Chen's voice was also somewhat unacceptable, "She was an accomplice."
These words immediately caused an uproar in the audience.
"How could that be? Zhou Lanxiang isn't a genius; she's just an ordinary student. How could she be an accomplice?"
Commander Chen had her own reasons for choosing to announce this at this awards ceremony.
"The drugging incident is no small matter. Lin Rujuan has been doing it for so many years without being discovered, only because she had an informant among the students, and Zhou Lanxiang was that informant."
"Over the years, the drugs administered to the National Ballet of China were obtained by Lin Rujuan from outside, while Zhou Lanxiang was responsible for supervising everyone's consumption of the drugs. Those who did not drink them would be reported to Lin Rujuan by her."
This is no longer a personal matter.
Everyone was stunned after hearing this; they clearly hadn't expected Zhou Lanxiang to be so ruthless.
"No wonder her spot was canceled. What about Gu Xiaotang? Didn't she also take the medicine? Will she still be able to go on the awards stage?"
Commander Chen, "Gu Xiaotang—"
This is what's really putting her in a difficult position.
“Gu Xiaotang’s score will also be cancelled, but—” she changed the subject, “she participated in the competition but also took drugs. Although she is a victim, the fact that she took drugs cannot be denied, so she will not be eligible for any of the Red Star competition’s rewards.”
"But I, Chen Nan, think it would be a real shame for Gu Xiaotang to be eliminated with her talent. So even though she didn't get a top-three finish in the Red Star Cup, I will personally give her an award."
This can be considered the result of Commander Chen's careful consideration.
She was afraid that Gu Xiaotang would be discouraged and never recover, so she came up with a compromise.
However, the judges had some objections, but Team Leader Chen made the final decision: "Gu Xiaotang's reward will be borne by me, Chen Nan."
It's clear that Commander Chen really favors and pities Gu Xiaotang.
Now, even the judges stopped objecting.
Seeing that everyone was in agreement and no longer objected, Commander Chen continued to announce, "The champion of the Red Star Cup is Meng Yingying, this is an indisputable fact."
"The runner-up is Ning Lu."
"The third place winner is Yi Cailing."
To be honest, Yi Cailing was a little surprised. She didn't expect that she, who was second to last, would actually make it into the top three of the Red Star Cup competition.
And he was the third-place winner.
She felt she was the luckiest person in the world.
Fortunately, she didn't compete with Lin Jiaojiao for last place; otherwise, she would never have been able to get the third place spot.
Ultimately, people shouldn't be too lazy or complacent.
Meng Yingying was not surprised by the result; it was a foregone conclusion that she would be the champion. However, she was surprised by how Commander Chen handled Gu Xiaotang's situation.
Perhaps this is the best solution for now.
It doesn't take up a prize spot in the Red Star competition, but it gives a reward to Gu Xiaotang.
Even Commander Chen didn't want Gu Xiaotang to be crippled.
She must not lose her love for dance.
That's why a separate reward was set up.
Because without this passion, Gu Xiaotang couldn't go on living.
Rather than saying that Commander Chen gave Gu Xiaotang a separate award out of his own pocket, it would be more accurate to say that Commander Chen gave Gu Xiaotang a new chance to survive.
This is the most crucial part.
At this point, Meng Yingying was sincerely grateful to Commander Chen.
When Commander Chen discovered Meng Yingying and saw through her actions, she thought to herself, "No wonder Meng Yingying was able to stand out; this child is truly remarkable."
She smiled and got back to the point, "Alright, now that the winners have been announced, let's invite Comrade Yang Jie to present the awards to the winners."
This marks Yang Jie's return to the official stage in this capacity more than a decade after leaving the capital.
Everyone knows that Yang Jie, who had left, has returned to the center stage in the capital.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be the award presenter for the Red Star Cup competition.
Yang Jie seemed unsurprised to receive the title of award presenter again. She let go of the hand, and the quick-witted Yi Cailing swiftly took her place.
She even winked at Gu Xiaotang.
Gu Xiaotang didn't speak. She had a very strange feeling in her heart. Her former rivals were all accommodating her in their own ways.
This was the first time Gu Xiaotang had shifted her gaze away from the National Ballet of China. She suddenly realized that most people outside the National Ballet of China were good people.
Of course, that's not entirely true.
Yang Jie moved aside and went to Chen's side, marking her return to the center stage in the capital after many years.
She took a deep breath, calmly looked at everyone in the audience, and smiled, "Let me introduce myself first, I am Yang Jie."
This introduction is a bit too simplistic.
As a result, many people have never even heard of Yang Jie.
Director Chen also wanted to promote her, so he added, "Most of the newcomers here may not know Yang Jie, but you should know that she was the former head coach of the National Ballet of China and the one who planned the first Red Star Cup competition. Without Comrade Yang Jie, there would be no Red Star Cup competition."
Now everyone instantly understood the true value of Yang Jie's achievements.
When Yang Jie was in charge, she brought the National Ballet of China to new heights. After Yang Jie left, Lin Rujuan took over, and she wanted to maintain the previous achievements.
He needs to keep his position as head coach.
That's why she gave the drugs to those students back then. She didn't have Yang Jie's talent and ability, so she could only resort to crooked methods.
It is indeed useful.
It almost ruined a large portion of the promising young talents of the National Ballet of China, but in return, it brought the National Ballet of China ten consecutive years of championships.
Therefore, this is where the difference between Lin Rujuan and Yang Jie can be seen.
After learning Yang Jie's true identity, she was going to present awards to the winners of the Red Star Cup, and no one present objected.
Because everyone knows that Yang Jie is qualified.
Under everyone's gaze, Yang Jie walked to Commander Chen's side, who was holding a simple enamel plate.
Inside the enamel plate were three medals.
They are respectively gold medals, silver medals, and bronze medals.
Yang Jie picked up the gold medal first and walked up to Meng Yingying.
Looking at this student who, despite not having received much formal education, ultimately amazed everyone.
Yang Jie felt proud. She raised her hand and personally pinned the gold medal on Meng Yingying's head. "Meng Yingying, congratulations on winning the championship."
Meng Yingying smiled at Yang Jie, her eyes crinkling into crescents, "Thank you, teacher."
Her journey was inextricably linked to Yang Jie.
Without Yang Jie and Director He's protection and support, she wouldn't have made it to the capital, let alone won the Red Star Cup.
Yang Jie smiled, quite frankly, "Actually, I'm not of much use to you; the most important thing is your own hard work."
Meng Yingying was very talented, even more so than her. Yang Jie only taught Meng Yingying for a short period at the very beginning.
At that time, Yang Jie felt that Meng Yingying lacked common sense about dance in this era, and even felt a sense of unease about her.
She seems to belong to a different era.
But soon, that thought was put aside.
Because Meng Yingying had a particularly strong ability to learn and accept information, Yang Jie's initial strange feelings quickly subsided.
"Your teacher hopes that you will go higher and further in the future."
This is Yang Jie's most sincere blessing to Meng Yingying.
Meng Yingying nodded, "I will, teacher."
Yang Jie walked up to Gu Xiaotang again. Looking at the apprentice she had rejected years ago, she wondered if she could do it all over again, would she still reject Gu Xiaotang?
Yang Jie didn't know.
All she knew was that if she were to return to this crossroads in her life, she would likely make the same choice again.
Personality issues.
She would never compromise; if forced to, she would rather die a glorious death than live a shameful life.
This is the real Yang Jie.
Gu Xiaotang clearly became a casualty of the fight between the two sides.
So much so that when Yang Jie faced Gu Xiaotang again, she actually felt guilty, because that child shouldn't have grown up in such an environment.
If it weren't for her, Lin Rujuan wouldn't have targeted Gu Xiaotang alone.
And Gu Xiaotang wouldn't have been driven from a bright child into a madman.
Thinking of this, Yang Jie's hand trembled slightly. She took off a special reward, which was just a ribbon without any medals attached.
This is an empty reward.
Yang Jie hung the ribbon around Gu Xiaotang's neck. "Xiaotang, this is a ribbon without any reward. As for whether a gold medal, a silver medal, or a bronze medal will be hung on this ribbon in the future, that depends on your own abilities."
They all gave Gu Xiaotang a chance to survive.
Tell her not to give up.
This is the real reason why Gu Xiaotang was able to appear on stage.
This empty reward ribbon will support Gu Xiaotang for a long time.
Just a few words were enough to bring tears to Gu Xiaotang's eyes.
She felt that was enough.
Over the years, she has faced many difficulties, but she has never given up.
Finally, after many years, Gu Xiaotang stood before Yang Jie again and said softly, "Teacher, I will not give up."
With so many people wanting to save her, she wouldn't easily give up on herself.
She didn't ask Yang Jie why she hadn't accepted her back then.
Yang Jie didn't mention it at all.
Years later, the two of them finally became master and apprentice again.
Next were Ning Lu and Yi Cailing. Yang Jie presented them with medals and offered words of encouragement.
"In addition to the medals, there are also prize money in this Red Star Cup competition."
As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Yingying suddenly looked up.
While honor is important, she needs money even more.
Seeing her apprentice's reaction, Yang Jie couldn't help but chuckle. "The prize money for the champion is three hundred yuan, the prize money for the runner-up is two hundred yuan, and the prize money for the third place is one hundred yuan."
Three hundred yuan is not a small amount.
Meng Yingying instantly felt that this trip had not been in vain.
When Meng Yingying held those thirty ten-yuan bills in her hand, she finally had a real feeling that this was almost a year's salary for her.
Who wouldn't like it?
"You like it that much?"
Yang Jie couldn't help but ask a question.
Meng Yingying nodded, "Teacher, you don't know the value of money until you're in charge of the household." Since she started managing her own household, she has come to understand the benefits of money all too well.
Yang Jie seemed thoughtful, "Then you can participate in more competitions in the future. The prize money for these large-scale competitions can be quite substantial."
"However, the prize money is secondary when it comes to participating in such competitions; the most important thing is the hidden benefits."
At this point, Yang Jie changed the subject, looking at Meng Yingying and inviting her with a hint of sincerity, "Yingying, would you like to come to the Central Ballet?"
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Author's Note: Sorry, this chapter has been heavily revised. There will be a red envelope for rereading, and all comments will receive a red envelope.
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