Chapter 111 I Want to Challenge You
Chapter 111
Harbin-based team.
This was Qi Donghan's fourth consecutive day at the post office. "Comrade, please check if there's any registered mail for me."
The postman looked down and rummaged through the items, then shook his head. "Nothing."
"Commander Qi, your letter was only sent five days ago. Even if you want to receive a reply, you'll have to wait several more days."
Qi Donghan knew this all along, but he just wanted to ask, as if that would give him something to look forward to.
Qi Donghan thanked the other party. As he left, he took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He was about to smoke one, but then he remembered something and handed the cigarettes to Political Commissar Xiao and Xu Wenjun.
"Old Qi, I remember you used to be a heavy smoker, why don't you smoke anymore and give all your cigarettes to us?"
Qi Donghan had even given away all his cigarette packs. He said in a flat tone, "Yingying doesn't like me smoking."
"Oh."
Xu Wenjun couldn't help but glance at him, a cigarette between her index and middle fingers. "People who are married are just different."
"You used to be such a heavy smoker, but now you've quit without a second thought."
"Can you quit this?"
He doesn't understand.
Few people who go to the battlefield don't smoke. When the pressure is high, they feel like they're hanging by a thread, ready to die at any moment.
Without a cigarette, a person really can't hold on.
Especially after seeing blood, the red all over his body and eyes is an inescapable shadow.
And the best way to release this pressure is through smoking.
Xu Wenjun reached out to press her hand, which was still smoking, but Qi Donghan disdainfully pushed it away. He frowned with a cold brow and said, "I said I wouldn't smoke anymore. Stay away from me."
This is even annoying to smokers.
Xu Wenjun was truly aggrieved. "You didn't say that when you used to smoke."
Commissar Xiao interrupted him, "Alright, Lao Qi used to be a bachelor, but things are different now. He's married now and has a wife, so he naturally has to consider his wife's feelings."
"However," he changed the subject, "Old Qi, I remember your Meng Yingying went to the capital on the day of her wedding, right?"
"Nobody's home here, so no one will say anything if you smoke."
Qi Donghan took two steps forward, distancing himself from the group of smokers. "Whether someone is here or not has nothing to do with whether I smoke or not."
"Now that I've decided to quit smoking, I'm going to stick to it and not deceive myself."
As soon as he said that, everyone around him looked at each other in bewilderment.
"To be honest, Xu Wenjun, if Comrade Ye asked you to quit smoking, would you quit?"
Xu Wenjun thought for a moment, "I think I'll agree."
"But if Comrade Ye is not here, I might still secretly smoke, but if she is by my side, I definitely wouldn't dare."
Ultimately, it's all about human nature, and he couldn't be as resolute as Qi Donghan.
"Old Qi."
Xu Wenjun finished her cigarette in a few puffs and ran towards Qi Donghan, asking, "Will your Meng Yingying come back after she goes to the capital?"
As soon as he said that, the surroundings fell silent.
Everyone instinctively perked up their ears, knowing that Meng Yingying had gone from the Harbin Cultural Troupe, a small place, all the way to the Capital Song and Dance Troupe.
Will she come back?
This is truly a question that everyone is concerned about.
Anyway, as far as they knew, Li Shaoqing had never returned. After leaving the Harbin Cultural Troupe, she joined a unit in the capital. Later, she returned to participate in the Northeast China League to gain experience and win an award before going directly to the Capital Song and Dance Troupe.
Anyway, it's obvious to everyone that Li Shaoqing's future lies in the capital, and she's unlikely to come back.
What about Meng Yingying, who was even more outstanding than her?
This question hit the nail on the head. Qi Donghan didn't speak, but looked up in the direction of the capital. He quickly gave his answer.
"She will come back."
“Our Yingying will come back.”
Here you'll find him, Zhao Yueru, Ye Yingtao, Coach Zhao, and Commander Fang.
These women were all once the most important components of Meng Yingying.
She couldn't bear to leave them.
After hearing Qi Donghan's words, everyone felt that he was being too naive, especially after seeing the colorful world outside.
Does Meng Yingying really want to come back to this remote mountain village?
Nobody knows.
*
Meng Yingying has become completely familiar with the learning pace of the Capital Song and Dance Troupe. To be honest, the intensity here is much higher than that of her local cultural troupe.
Moreover, these people are truly hardworking. The practice room is filled with people as early as 5 a.m. every day, and the lights in the practice room are still on until 11 p.m.
The coaches here play a more supervisory role, unlike the Harbin Cultural Troupe of the past.
Every day, the coach patiently urges everyone to practice dancing more.
That's the difference.
While Meng Yingying was practicing, several people wanted to challenge her, but when they saw the high intensity of her practice, they were all stunned.
Isn't it said that people in local cultural troupes are all good at slacking off?
How come when it comes to Meng Yingying, she practices for more than ten hours a day? She's talented and hardworking. How can anyone else survive like that?
Even Han Mingbing fell silent. She was about to go find Meng Yingying when Teacher Li called out, "Comrade Meng, come here for a moment."
During this period, Meng Yingying has been eagerly learning new things, things that the Harbin Municipal Cultural Troupe does not offer.
If she learns it, she can teach everyone when she returns to the Harbin Cultural Troupe.
When she heard Teacher Li call her, Meng Yingying was stunned for a moment. She then stopped what she was doing, nodded to the dance instructor, and said, "Teacher, I'll go over there first."
Teacher Chen liked Meng Yingying very much, but in just one week, she was impressed by Meng Yingying's talent and diligence.
"Go ahead, and come back soon."
Meng Yingying nodded and left. When she came out, Teacher Li was waiting for her at the door of the practice room. Meng Yingying asked in confusion, "Teacher Li, did you look for me?"
She didn't think that Teacher Li was just joking around when he contacted her.
"Commander Wu asked me to call you over, saying he has something to tell you."
Meng Yingying seemed lost in thought. She followed Teacher Li's steps all the way to the office. To be honest, the Capital Song and Dance Troupe's territory was really big. It took her more than ten minutes to walk with Teacher Li to reach Director Wu's office.
When she arrived, she thought that only Commander Wu was in the office, but she didn't expect that there were quite a few people sitting inside.
This surprised Meng Yingying. "Commander Wu."
"teacher."
Even her teacher, Yang Jie, was among them, as were several other people she didn't recognize, but judging by their age, they seemed to be teachers as well.
"Comrade Meng, you've arrived. Come and sit down."
They were very polite, which made Meng Yingying feel a little uncomfortable.
She nodded, pulled out a chair and sat down. Wu Yanzhou then began to inquire about her well-being, "Comrade Meng, how have you been feeling this past week?"
Meng Yingying thought for a moment, "The competitive atmosphere at the Capital Song and Dance Troupe is very good, and I have learned a lot in the past week."
Seeing that she was satisfied, Wu Yanzhou breathed a sigh of relief and then changed the subject, "So, do you think there's anything we need to improve here? Or do you have any suggestions?"
Meng Yingying paused, somewhat taken aback. "Commander Wu, isn't it a bit inappropriate to ask me this kind of question?"
"I'm asking you."
Wu Yanzhou said, "From your outsider's perspective, what suggestions does our Capital Song and Dance Troupe have?"
It's clear that the arrival of Meng Yingying and Yang Jie not only created a crisis among the students, but even a big shot like Wu Yanzhou saw the crisis.
Meng Yingying sat at the lower end of the table, but fortunately Wu Yanzhou was right next to her. She didn't know whether Wu Yanzhou's words were true or false.
Meng Yingying looked up at Yang Jie, who nodded. "Go ahead and say it. The Capital Song and Dance Troupe really needs some fresh blood and fresh suggestions to change the current situation."
Meng Yingying thought for a moment, then said, "Then I'll tell you."
Wu Yanzhou nodded.
Meng Yingying truthfully said, "I think the rules of the Capital Song and Dance Troupe are very bad now."
Seeing that everyone was looking over, Meng Yingying took a deep breath and poured out everything at once, "The Capital Song and Dance Troupe does not recruit new students from outside. This is essentially regional protectionism, protecting the students in the capital from having their spots taken by outsiders. The consequence of doing so is that it is like draining the pond to catch all the fish."
"The Capital Song and Dance Troupe has not had any fresh blood joining for a long time. Relying solely on the efforts of the existing students will not achieve the results you want."
After saying this, everyone looked at each other in confusion. Finally, Wu Yanzhou asked her, "Just tell me your opinion."
She had already realized that Meng Yingying's elaborate setup was clearly a roundabout way of putting things in.
Meng Yingying looked up and stared directly at her, "Relax regional protectionism, allow local cultural troupes and provincial song and dance troupes to compete upwards, absorb the freshest blood from all over the country, and thus achieve the goal of providing blood transfusions to the capital's song and dance troupe."
As soon as these words were spoken, someone nearby couldn't help but slam their fist on the table and say, "Outrageous! If regional protectionism is relaxed, then our Capital Song and Dance Troupe's advantage will be gone."
“This is very unfair to those students who have been nurtured since childhood.”
Meng Yingying, with her strong-willed mindset, immediately retorted, "Where is it unfair? They occupy the resources of the Capital Song and Dance Troupe, have been trained for over a decade, yet have failed to bring honor to the troupe. On the contrary, they occupy positions, preventing other talented dancers from getting in. Isn't this itself a systemic problem?"
This question left the other person speechless.
Meng Yingying looked directly at Commander Wu and said, "Commander Wu, you should know that there are quite a few geniuses in local cultural troupes and provincial song and dance troupes, but most of them are just one opportunity away from success."
"Your previous decision to stop recruiting students from local performing arts troupes directly cut off the fresh blood of the Capital Song and Dance Troupe."
Wu Yanzhou said subconsciously, "But that's exactly what the National Ballet of China does."
Moreover, by doing so, they can maximize the protection of the interests of the talented members of the National Ballet of China, and make everyone work together towards a common goal.
Meng Yingying shook her head. "I don't know why they did that, but I feel it's wrong."
"If you want high-quality students, you must expand the scope, because only with a large number of promising students can you find the better ones."
"On the contrary, if there are too few seedlings, you can only choose the tallest among the short ones."
This is a fact, and this is reality.
Wu Yanzhou seemed to be deep in thought. After a long while, she said, "We have to admit that what Comrade Meng Yingying said makes sense."
"Our Capital Song and Dance Troupe currently has 32 students in the dance class alone."
"It's been many years since we've had any new blood."
These students were all trained from a young age, almost one student per position.
The arrival of Li Shaoqing and Shen Meilan in early October was a rare addition to the Capital Song and Dance Troupe, bringing new members to the troupe.
However, since the two were not very strong, their actions did not elicit a significant reaction.
Until Meng Yingying arrived.
No one else spoke when Meng Yingying made the suggestion.
“If we increase the number of students we recruit from outside, then our funding will have to increase, because we don’t have enough staff and we don’t have enough funding.”
This is the root cause.
"Moreover, if we want to select people from below, we must hold competitions to select them. Otherwise, this kind of talent transfer will become a means for some people to send their own children to the Capital Song and Dance Troupe."
"That's their backyard."
They're no different from them now.
Wu Yanzhou didn't say anything, but stood up and looked at the calendar. "If I remember correctly, it's almost the end of the year."
It's almost November already.
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone looked over sharply. "Commander Wu, are you talking about the national grand finale at the end of the year?"
Meng Yingying had never heard of this person before. She subconsciously looked at Yang Jie, who then explained, "Normally, after the Northeast Three Provinces League, you should come to participate in the national finals."
"But for various reasons, it was delayed."
“However—” Yang Jie said, “I’m afraid there won’t be time this year either. It’s almost November. Even if you want to select from the national league, you’ll have to wait until next year.”
That's the crux of the problem.
No money, no people, no time.
Therefore, even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice.
Wu Yanzhou pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's all we can do for now. Let's wait until next year."
"We can write this suggestion down first."
Meng Yingying was still unwilling to give up. She asked, "Could we draw the champion, runner-up, and third-place winners from the previous competitions?"
"Send them directly to the Capital Song and Dance Troupe?"
She was advocating for Tong Jialan. Yang Jie glanced at her and instantly understood what she meant.
She shook her head slightly.
Sure enough, the next second, Wu Yanzhou said, "It's difficult, Comrade Meng. You come from a local cultural troupe, so you should know that once these quotas are opened up, they can be changed at any time."
At this point, she said meaningfully, "There will be even more people like Li Shaoqing in the future."
It turns out that the students below were not unaware that they had taken a shortcut to the Capital Song and Dance Troupe.
However, since there weren't any major violations and the number of spots was limited, everyone turned a blind eye.
Meng Yingying wanted to say something more.
Wu Yanzhou shook his head. "I know what you mean, but this quota is too flexible. If in the end it's all people with connections who are sent here, then the Capital Song and Dance Troupe's recruitment of local students is meaningless."
This is compromise and balance.
It was at this moment that Meng Yingying understood why the Capital Song and Dance Troupe was no longer recruiting students from other regions.
She paused for a moment, somewhat disappointed.
"Okay, don't be disappointed." Wu Yanzhou even comforted her, "It's already moving in a positive direction. It's just that we can't accomplish things overnight, or get fat in one bite."
"Come on, let me introduce you."
Wu Yanzhou stood up. "These are some of the teachers from our Capital Song and Dance Troupe, but they had all retired before. Now that you're here, Comrade Meng, their focus will shift to you."
Meng Yingying subconsciously looked at Yang Jie.
Yang Jie is quite open-minded. "I am good at ballet, but the teachers here know model operas, ballet, folk dance, and various special dance styles."
"Yingying, it's not a bad thing for you to learn from them for a while."
For Meng Yingying, if she could seize this period of time, it would mean that she would receive training from the top teachers in the national dance industry.
Meng Yingying instantly understood Yang Jie's meaning. She bowed to the teachers present and said, "Thank you, teachers."
Everyone shook their heads.
Wu Yanzhou then introduced, "This is Teacher Kong, who teaches ethnic dance."
"This is Teacher Lin from the model opera."
"This is Teacher Jin, who is most skilled in revolutionary dance and contemporary dance."
It can be said that after seeing Meng Yingying's talent, Wu Yanzhou immediately provided her with the fullest educational resources.
Whether it's Teacher Kong, Teacher Lin, or Teacher Jin, they were all leading figures in their respective dance styles when they were young.
It was only later, as he got older, that he gradually withdrew from the front lines and began teaching students in a secondary role.
But to be honest, the Capital Song and Dance Troupe has a limited number of students, and they know almost everything about each student's talents.
Over time, one naturally becomes tired and lazy.
If they couldn't teach him, they simply gave up.
Meng Yingying had a rough idea of the other party's identity, which made her attitude very good afterwards.
With these teachers joining, Meng Yingying's time was immediately filled up, with almost twelve to sixteen hours of classes every day.
This frenzied schedule surprised even Li Shaoqing and the others. "Who can withstand this kind of high-intensity training?"
The one who asked this question was Shen Meilan.
Li Shaoqing murmured, "Meng Yingying can take it."
"Only she could stand it."
They were outsiders, so they didn't know the importance of these teachers, but the older students did.
Hu Hongying even ran to Han Mingbing to report, "Mingbing, did you see that? Even Teacher Jin was brought out."
Teacher Jin hasn't taught students for a long time.
Han Mingbing felt a little uneasy. She had been apprenticed to Wu Yanzhou since childhood, and although her talent was not as good as Gu Xiaotang's from the Central Ballet Troupe.
However, within the National Ballet of China, it ranks among the top.
She had been used to preferential treatment in terms of resources, but at this moment, Han Mingbing realized this more clearly than ever before.
The resources that were originally allocated to her began to be allocated to Meng Yingying.
This made Han Mingbing feel uneasy, to the point that she could hardly hear what Hu Hongying was saying next.
"Mingbing, do you think that if Commander Wu and the others continue like this, are they planning to groom Meng Yingying as their star performer?"
But they all knew that Han Mingbing was the leading performer of the Capital Song and Dance Troupe.
Han Mingbing had to admit that these words stung her heart. She took a deep breath, and all the pent-up grievances turned into anger at that moment, overwhelming her completely like a tidal wave.
She took a deep breath, wanting to go up and ask Meng Yingying, and to ask Teacher Jin.
But that's not right.
Her procedure was wrong.
A disciplined student, even when she throws a tantrum or acts impulsively, will consider the rules and procedures.
So, instead of rushing to Meng Yingying to question her, Han Mingbing went to her master Wu Yanzhou's office.
In fact, Wu Yanzhou had been waiting for Han Mingbing for the past few days.
When Wu Yanzhou saw his apprentice walk in with an angry look on his face, he knew that the boy had finally lost his temper.
"Mingbing".
Wu Yanzhou got up and went over to pour her a cup of tea. "Have a sip first to calm down."
Han Mingbing shook his head, "Teacher, I didn't come here to drink water."
She didn't want to say it, but she had to at this moment, "I saw Teacher Jin, Teacher Lin, and Teacher Kong. They all went to teach Meng Yingying."
Han Mingbing sounded somewhat aggrieved when she said this.
Wu Yanzhou paused, holding an enamel mug, and walked up to Han Mingbing. She asked, "Mingbing, if I give you all these teachers, can you beat Gu Xiaotang from the National Ballet of China in the Red Star Cup competition next month?"
Han Mingbing's face turned pale instantly. She had been suppressed by Gu Xiaotang for more than ten years, and she had never won against him even once.
Even Wu Yanzhou was unwilling to personally shatter his students' self-esteem and hopes, but now there was no turning back for either of them.
"Okay, then let's compromise. If I don't let you beat Gu Xiaotang in an individual competition, what if it's a team competition?"
"Can you lead your teammates to victory against the National Ballet of China?"
Han Mingbing was also speechless.
Because she knew she couldn't.
Over the years, their Capital Song and Dance Troupe has been consistently outperformed by the National Ballet of China.
Neither she nor the team competitions below have won a single one.
“Look, Mingbing, we’ve brought in outside help to do what you couldn’t do. If you’re still hostile to our helper and benefactor, then go and take her place and lead our team to win the championship.”
Han Mingbing remained silent, biting her lip. "Teacher, I can't do it."
If she could do that, she wouldn't have been suppressed by the ballet company all these years.
"If you can't do it, then be more open-minded."
“I know it’s difficult, but you have to learn to adjust, Mingbing. There are too many geniuses in this world. We can’t suppress everyone. What we can do is learn from these geniuses and improve ourselves.”
"So that I can also improve myself."
"Only in this way can it be a positive outcome."
Han Mingbing didn't know how much she had taken in, but she murmured, "Teacher, is this why you won't let me play with Gu Xiaotang?"
Wu Yanzhou paused for a moment, "Ever since Yang Jie was ousted from the Central Ballet Troupe, her junior sister Lin Rujuan has become the head coach. She is eager for quick success and very competitive, so it is easy for her to go astray."
"And her student Gu Xiaotang was trained by her, and her personality is very similar to hers."
"Therefore, I don't want you to get too close to her. On the contrary, Teacher Yang Jie is upright, clean and pure, and her student Meng Yingying can't be too bad."
At this point, Wu Yanzhou looked at Han Mingbing and said, "Mingbing, when making friends, you should go and hang out with people of good character. That way, what you get will be good too. Such people may not necessarily help you, but at least they won't harm you at crucial moments."
“If I were you, I would think it through and try to get close to Meng Yingying. Your talent is not as good as hers, so you might as well follow someone with more talent. In the future, when she has a high status, as her friend, your position will not be low either.”
So, please stop overthinking it.
Han Mingbing didn't speak; she was struggling, "Teacher, are you asking me to hug Meng Yingying's leg?"
She murmured, "I can't do it."
Wu Yanzhou knew she was being opportunistic, so she backed down, saying, "It's okay if you can't do it, but at least don't harbor jealous or harmful thoughts."
"Mingbing, you are a rough gem. Don't let the outside world affect your character."
"There are plenty of talented people in the world. We can't ruin someone just because they're talented."
Han Mingbing pursed her lips and said softly, "I understand."
She turned and left, not knowing how much of what Wu Yanzhou said she had taken to heart.
When Han Mingbing returned to the practice room, Teacher Jin's instruction of Meng Yingying had already come to an end.
Meng Yingying sat down to rest and drink water.
Han Mingbing walked over and stood in front of Meng Yingying, her expression stubborn. "I want to challenge you."
"Can you defeat me?"
-----------------------
Author's note: Defeat me!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
