Chapter 58: Confirming the Competition Songs (First Update + Second Update...)
Chapter 58
As soon as he said that, the small room fell silent, so quiet that only the pounding of their hearts could be heard.
"What did you say?"
Meng Yingying thought she had misheard, so she asked again.
Qi Donghan stared intently at her. "You heard me."
"Meng Yingying, you heard that."
Meng Yingying wanted to say that she hadn't heard, but Qi Donghan's gaze was too intense, so intense that she couldn't ignore it even if she wanted to.
She lowered her eyes and spoke her true thoughts, "Qi Donghan, I came to this blind date because I don't reject you, but I don't want to get married right now."
Let's start dating.
She is willing to date first, rather than get married first.
Although Qi Donghan was somewhat disappointed, for him, this was already an excellent result.
After all, they were friends at the beginning.
Qi Donghan said, "But you should date with marriage in mind."
Meng Yingying neither agreed nor refused; she simply looked at him.
Qi Donghan felt uncomfortable being stared at, so he could only take a step back and say, "Let's date first, and get married whenever you want."
“I know your concerns. The female soldiers in the cultural troupe have such short dancing careers that you are worried you won’t be able to continue dancing after you get married. Don’t worry, that’s not going to happen with me.”
“Your dancing is like my military service; it’s our personal career, and I won’t stop you.”
This was the answer Meng Yingying wanted. What she feared most was that marriage would restrict her career development.
This would force her to give up her beloved dance career, which is why she is afraid to get married.
However, after hearing Qi Donghan's words, Meng Yingying suddenly felt that marriage wasn't so scary after all.
She smiled and extended her hand, "Commander Qi, let's start by dating and getting to know each other better."
Only after the adjustment period is over will she know whether Qi Donghan is someone she can marry.
She was too frank, which made Qi Donghan somewhat discouraged.
He lowered his eyes to stare at those slender hands, and the moment he reached out to clasp them, he visibly let out a long breath, as if he had completed some solemn ceremony.
His thumb unconsciously rubbed against the back of her hand, the rough calluses scratching her until she felt itchy and numb.
Meng Yingying couldn't help but curl her fingers, but he held them even tighter.
"Meng Yingying." He called her name, his voice so low it was almost a coaxing, as if making a promise, "This is my salary."
He took out a receipt from his pocket and handed it over, saying, "Here, take this first."
Meng Yingying's face was still a little hot, but she instantly sobered up when she heard these words, "Salary?"
“Qi Donghan, we’re still dating, so you don’t need to give me your salary.”
Qi Donghan's gaze instantly darkened. "You don't want it?"
"still--"
Seeing that he was about to overthink it, Meng Yingying sighed, "You're giving me your salary so early, aren't you afraid I'll spend it or run away with it?"
Qi Donghan sat up slightly, looking towards the direction where she was closer. "Don't worry, since I'm giving you my salary, it's for you to spend."
"As for running away?"
He stared at her, his dark eyes unfathomable. "Will you run away?"
Meng Yingying choked for a moment, unsure how to answer.
Qi Donghan's gaze also gradually tightened.
Meng Yingying suddenly smiled and asked in return, "Can you run away?"
Qi Donghan subconsciously shook his head, "That's definitely not the case."
"Me too."
There was a knock on the door.
"Commander Qi, Comrade Meng, lunch is ready. Shall we eat first?"
It was Xia Huilan's voice.
Meng Yingying went to see Qi Donghan, and Qi Donghan nodded, "Okay, sister-in-law."
He got up to open the door, and Xia Huilan peeked in, her face showing a hint of gossip, but when she looked at Qi Donghan and Meng Yingying, her expression remained unreadable.
This disappointed her somewhat.
"Did you two succeed or fail?"
She saw neither the shyness of unmarried men and women on Meng Yingying's face, nor the joy on Qi Donghan's face. Could it be that the two of them had broken up?
Qi Donghan turned to look at Meng Yingying, who felt embarrassed by his gaze and glared at him, "What do you say?"
The tone of his voice was more intimate than before.
This made Xia Huilan breathe a sigh of relief. Judging from the two of them, it seemed that they had made it.
Qi Donghan was actually quite happy to be scolded by her. He coughed lightly and said, "It's done, sister-in-law."
"We're dating now."
Upon hearing this, Xia Huilan exclaimed and slapped her thigh, "That's great! Does that mean there will be another couple in our family compound?"
"When you move in, the whole residential compound will probably be a bit brighter."
These two are just too good-looking. If they were to go out as representatives of the team stationed in Harbin, people would probably think that everyone in the team is this good-looking.
Xia Huilan smiled and said, "I'll go get the dishes. I won't disturb you two young people spending time together."
Meng Yingying blushed with embarrassment and quickly stood up. "Sister-in-law, I'll go help you."
She left the house, and Qi Donghan watched her retreating figure, a smirk playing on his lips. "I'll help too."
The Chen family's kitchen wasn't large; it was a separate room outside, and it looked rather cramped when many people came in.
"Oh, what brings you all in?"
Xia Huilan was somewhat surprised.
"Come and serve the dishes." Knowing that Meng Yingying was shy, Qi Donghan answered for her. Moreover, he didn't let Meng Yingying serve the dishes. The enamel plates were a bit hot, so he carried one in each hand and made two trips to serve them to the main room.
Xia Huilan was serving rice nearby. She whispered to Meng Yingying, "I think Commander Qi is a hardworking man."
"It will be suitable for marriage and daily life in the future."
This is the honest truth from someone who's been there. You only really get to suffer after you get married if you encounter a man who's both chauvinistic and lazy.
Meng Yingying tilted her head, her cheeks dimpled when she smiled, "Sister-in-law, I wouldn't want someone who isn't diligent."
Xia Huilan was taken aback by these words, but couldn't help laughing. "What you said is quite interesting. It's true. If all women were as clear-headed as you and screened out potential partners before marriage, there wouldn't be so many troubles after marriage."
Meng Yingying nodded and helped get the chopsticks. When they arrived at the main room, the dishes on the table were already laid out.
Stir-fried green peppers with eggs, stir-fried pork skin, braised pork with potatoes, plus a stir-fried cabbage and loofah and egg soup.
To be honest, this table of food is truly impressive. It's much better than the meals Meng Yingying and her friends used to eat in the cafeteria.
"Sit down, everyone, and try your sister-in-law's cooking."
Meng Yingying nodded, but was a little embarrassed because the senior leader, Division Commander Chen, had not yet sat down. Qi Donghan pulled her aside and whispered, "Sit down, it's alright."
Commander Chen smiled as he watched this scene. "Listen to Xiao Qi. There are no superiors or subordinates here today, only elders and juniors."
Seeing that Meng Yingying still had some doubts.
Qi Donghan then explained, "Uncle Chen was my father's comrade-in-arms back then."
Later, his father passed away, while Commander Chen rose to a high position. When he saw the children of his former comrades, he was reminded of his old comrades.
So, in a sense, Commander Chen was like a father to Qi Donghan. Everyone else said that Qi Donghan was Commander Chen's confidant and his trusted subordinate.
But no one knew that there was an old acquaintance involved.
In fact, many times, when Commander Chen looked at Qi Donghan, it was as if he were looking at an old comrade-in-arms from back then, as if the days when they fought side by side, ate, slept and carried guns together were still right before his eyes.
After Qi Donghan lost his father, his mother quickly remarried, taking only her eldest son with her when she left, leaving her younger son with her elder brother in her maternal family.
Commander Chen had always been dissatisfied, but he couldn't interfere in Qi Donghan's family affairs, which was why he took extra care of Qi Donghan's life.
He even introduced potential partners to Qi Donghan ten times, and was rejected ten times, but he was not discouraged. It was nothing more than that.
He thought his old comrade-in-arms underground probably wanted to see his unwanted youngest son get married, have children, start a family, and have a home of his own.
Meng Yingying felt as if she had discovered some earth-shattering secret.
She didn't dare to utter a sound.
“You’re such a coward,” Commander Chen said, opening a bottle of wine. “Since I’ve brought this up, it’s because I don’t consider you an outsider.”
“I’m happy that you and Xiao Qi can be together, and his dad is happy too.”
"Come on, let's have a drink at noon today."
Qi Donghan refused decisively, directly covering the rim of Meng Yingying's cup with his hand, "Uncle Chen, Yingying doesn't drink alcohol."
"I have to do training this afternoon, so I can't drink. As for you, you have a heart condition, and Dean Li has told you many times that you can't drink alcohol either. So we'll have tea instead of alcohol for lunch."
Commander Chen said awkwardly, "Today is a great day."
Xia Huilan came over and took the wine bottle from his hand. "That's a big day for Xiao Qi, not for you. Why are you drinking like that?"
"Listen to Xiao Qi, everyone has important business this afternoon, so let's not drink."
The operation was swift and decisive, leaving Commander Chen no chance to regret it.
Meng Yingying looked at Qi Donghan and Xia Huilan, one controlling verbally and the other controlling in practice.
The coordination was seamless.
Seeing her shocked expression, Qi Donghan couldn't help but smile. "Uncle Chen is very capable outside, and your wife is very capable at home."
This title seems a bit strange.
Xia Huilan laughed, "I'm thirteen years younger than Lao Chen, and I don't want Xiao Qi to ask me to call him 'Auntie'."
"Just ask me if I call you sister-in-law. Everyone in the family compound calls you sister-in-law anyway."
Meng Yingying hummed in agreement, and after three rounds of tea...
Commander Chen then said, “There’s another house behind ours, a north-facing house with three bedrooms and a living room. The yard is also quite big, and it’s backed by a mountain. According to rank, only regimental-level officers can apply for it. The other three regimental commanders in our unit all got married early, so the house was able to stay.”
"After Xiao Qi and Xiao Meng get their marriage certificate, I will approve the purchase of this house for you."
This was one of the few times that Commander Chen had a personal motive.
He thought that Lao Qi hadn't seen his child get married and have children, nor had he seen him have a family.
It doesn't matter.
He helped him take care of things, keeping Xiao Qi under his watchful eye. After taking notes, he would go and chat with Lao Qi whenever he had free time.
Pour a cup of wine at his grave, and you can talk to him for three days and three nights.
He said his youngest son, whom he was most worried about, is now married and has a career, and is doing very well.
Meng Yingying was surprised that Commander Chen had even prepared a house for her. She went to see Qi Donghan.
Qi Donghan said nonchalantly, "The house is indeed nice, I've seen it." Then he turned to Meng Yingying and said, "Once we get our marriage certificate, we can use it to apply for the house."
Meng Yingying didn't reply; she just gave a vague "hmm."
Qi Donghan sensed something and ladled a bowl of loofah and egg soup for her with a spoon. "Eat first."
Commander Chen was about to ask a question when Xia Huilan bumped into him.
And that's how the meal ended.
When it was time to leave, Commander Chen wanted to give Meng Yingying some advice, but he didn't know how to say it.
He stood up, smiling as he looked at the two young people standing together like a perfect couple.
"They're both perfectly fine."
Find a good partner and live a good life.
Meng Yingying seemed to know what he hadn't said. In front of Commander Chen, she took Qi Donghan's hand and said, "Uncle Chen, I know that Qi Donghan had a hard time in the past."
She smiled, her lips pursed, looking both obedient and earnest, "I will feel sorry for him."
"We'll both be fine."
Qi Donghan's heart had been pounding ever since she held his hand in front of Commander Chen, and after hearing Meng Yingying say those words to Commander Chen...
He felt a sharp pang of sadness, as if a missing piece was slowly being filled in.
The subtle, persistent itch made him truly feel Meng Yingying's presence.
Commander Chen hadn't expected Meng Yingying to be so perceptive, able to immediately discern his unspoken words and even give him the answer he wanted.
Commander Chen couldn't help but smile and patted the hands the two men were trying to shake. "Xiao Meng, thank you."
If he initially had some ulterior motives in trying to bring the two together and act as a matchmaker for Meng Yingying...
At this moment, all those calculations were completely washed away.
He looked at Meng Yingying's face and thought that even if Meng Yingying wasn't a member of the Song family, as long as she treated Xiao Qi well...
He was also willing to bring them together.
Because Xiao Qi's past was too bitter, he has finally found someone who can understand him and treat him well.
That was really tough.
That's so precious.
Division Commander Chen also said to Qi Donghan, "Xiao Qi, Xiao Meng is a very good person. You should treat her well and try to win her over."
Don't let go.
This may be the closest Qi Donghan has ever been to happiness in his life.
Qi Donghan changed from holding Meng Yingying's hand tightly to interlocking their fingers, "I will."
He definitely will.
Everyone enjoyed the meal.
Even as she left, Meng Yingying was still somewhat surprised by the way Qi Donghan and Commander Chen interacted; it didn't seem like a superior-subordinate relationship.
They seem more like father and son.
When leaving, Qi Donghan said, "For a long time when I was a child, I either spent my time at my uncle's house or following Uncle Chen around."
As for his enlistment, it was also arranged by Uncle Chen. Uncle Chen and his mother even had a big argument about it.
Meng Yingying: "That leader really treats you well."
"It's Uncle Chen."
"At home, I call him Uncle Chen; outside, I call him Boss."
Qi Donghan corrected her, hoping that Meng Yingying would address him in the same way. In a sense, this would make Meng Yingying and him one of the same kind.
Meng Yingying smiled at him without saying a word.
Qi Donghan paused for a moment, then changed his mind, "Then it's the same to call him Uncle Chen after we get married."
Meng Yingying nodded, then raised her hand, which Qi Donghan still held. The two left Commander Chen's house, still holding hands.
Meng Yingying's cheeks were flushed, but she tried her best to remain calm and teased, "Commander Qi, how long do you plan to hold hands?"
Qi Donghan saw through her true thoughts. He lowered his head and whispered in her ear in a hoarse voice, "I want to hold your hand forever."
We have to hold on until the end of time.
He had been working towards this goal for a very long time.
He was too close; his hot breath brushed against Meng Yingying's ear, and her ears instantly turned red. She gritted her teeth and cursed, "Pervert!"
Qi Donghan released his grip and chuckled softly, a tremor of extreme joy emanating from his chest.
Even Commander Chen and Xia Huilan inside the room heard it.
Seeing Commander Chen in a daze, Xia Huilan said, "Now that's good, Xiao Qi has met someone he likes, and you can explain it to Lao Qi."
Commander Chen's eyes welled up with tears. "Yes, now I can explain this to Lao Qi."
"His little fierceness has someone he likes."
*
When Meng Yingying returned to the practice room, everyone was practicing their dance. Perhaps because the competition was approaching, there was a tense atmosphere throughout the practice room.
Meng Yingying pushed the door open and came in. Everyone glanced at her and then continued with their own activities.
Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu were working together. After completing a whole synchronized routine, they stopped and ran over, panting.
"Yingying, how are you?"
Others might not know, but they certainly knew what Meng Yingying did that morning.
Furthermore, Lin Qiu instructed Ye Yingtao not to tell anyone about this. Regardless of whether it succeeded or not, as roommates and friends, they had an obligation to keep Meng Yingying's secret.
Even if this matter is to be discussed or announced, it should be said by Meng Yingying herself.
Knowing that Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu had asked their questions subtly, Meng Yingying felt no longer hesitant and nodded directly.
Ye Yingtao jumped up with joy, and even excitedly hugged Meng Yingying and spun her around.
"Meng Yingying!"
I didn't dare say a word, but I was incredibly excited.
The other dancers all looked over, and Li Shaoqing recalled that Meng Yingying had gone to Commander Chen's house in the family compound that morning.
She squinted slightly, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Lin Qiu pulled Ye Yingtao to tell her to keep a low profile, and Ye Yingtao finally put Meng Yingying down.
Her cheeks were flushed. "We discussed several dance categories while you were away this morning."
Meng Yingying went to change into her dance costume, asking as she did so, "Are you sure?"
"Ode to Yimeng and the good Menba people on the snow-capped mountains".
Meng Yingying paused in her changing, her brows furrowing slightly. "The Yimeng Song is easier to dance, but the good Menba dance on the snow mountain is a bit difficult."
As soon as these words were spoken, Li Shaoqing, who had been silent until now, suddenly said, "It's the team qualifying round, and we're representing Heilongjiang Province in the competition. If we keep dancing simple pieces, are we going to make a fool of ourselves on the competition stage?"
Meng Yingying smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes before looking up at them with a sharp edge, "As someone who got in here by hitchhiking, you have no right to decide what song we should dance, do you?"
“The people who truly decide what music we dance to—” she pointed behind Li Shaoqing, “are them, and also us.”
"We participated in the Heilongjiang Province Arts Festival and won first place in both the team and individual competitions, which qualified us to enter the Northeast China Joint Performance Competition."
"So, Comrade Li, do you really think you have the authority to decide what music the team should perform?"
This was the first time Meng Yingying had faced off against Li Shaoqing in public.
Previously, she was unwilling and did not want to cause trouble, but in the family compound that morning, Li Shaoqing's condescending criticism of her made Meng Yingying reflect on herself and wonder if she was too good-tempered.
This gave Li Shaoqing the illusion that she was easy to bully.
Sure enough, as soon as Meng Yingying finished speaking, the practice room fell silent instantly, and the girls who were dancing all looked over.
Li Shaoqing never expected Meng Yingying to use such words to criticize her in public. Her face immediately turned bright red. "Meng Yingying."
"This is a team honor, and has nothing to do with any individual."
Meng Yingying's porcelain-white face was full of coldness. "It has nothing to do with any individual? Do you dare to ask everyone else?"
Everyone had received kindness from Meng Yingying.
Especially in the last team competition, when everyone was about to lose, Meng Yingying turned the tide.
No one spoke.
Li Shaoqing took a step back, his face grim.
Meng Yingying then said calmly, "What piece you dance in the team competition isn't based on your personal preferences; you have to consider the team's level."
"Comrade Li Shaoqing, have you been away for too long and forgotten that our cultural troupe is a team?"
After saying this, she didn't even look at Li Shaoqing's expression, and turned to leave the practice room.
Li Shaoqing's face turned pale. She wanted to argue, but Meng Yingying had already gone to the horizontal bar by the wall to do stretching, completely ignoring her.
Coach Zhao came in at that moment.
Have you decided on the song for the team competition?
The practice room fell silent instantly.
Seeing that no one was speaking, Ye Yingtao raised her hand and said, "Coach, we have decided on two pieces for the team competition: Ode to Yimeng and Good Menba on the Mountain."
She paused for a moment, then added, "But now there's a disagreement."
Coach Zhao immediately understood, "The disagreement stems from which piece to choose?"
Ye Yingtao glanced quickly at Li Shaoqing, then nodded, "Yes."
She didn't say which piece Li Shaoqing had chosen, nor which piece Meng Yingying had chosen. Instead, she left it to Coach Zhao to decide.
Coach Zhao frowned. "The piece for 'Ode to Yimeng' is simpler and more suitable for securing a minimum score in the team competition. 'Good Menba on the Mountain' is more difficult, and if something goes wrong during the competition, it's like all our previous efforts have been wasted."
"From a group perspective, Yimeng Song is indeed more suitable than Haomenba in the mountains."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Yingtao glanced triumphantly at Li Shaoqing, "Comrade Li, did you hear that?"
"Obviously, Yingying and the coach are on the same page. They are considering our teamwork, while you are considering your individual honor."
"but."
Ye Yingtao changed the subject, "Personal honor shouldn't be something you should be thinking about, but rather something Yingying should be thinking about, shouldn't it?"
They really showed no mercy.
Li Shaoqing's eyes turned red with anger.
Ye Yingtao said, "Don't blame me for bullying you. I was just telling the truth, following Coach Zhao's advice."
Coach Zhao glanced at the crowd and said, "Alright."
“You are a team. If the team can’t be cohesive, it’s just a disorganized mess. Let alone going out to compete.”
Li Shaoqing remained silent.
Ye Yingtao also snorted.
Coach Zhao ignored them and walked over to Meng Yingying. "Have you chosen your solo piece yet?"
Meng Yingying was doing the splits and stretching her legs. Hearing this, she looked up, her wisps of hair falling over her forehead, her face fair and radiant. "I've chosen."
What is it?
Meng Yingying whispered, "A celestial maiden scattering flowers."
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Author's Note: Please wait for me this afternoon! My sleep schedule has been messed up lately, so my update time has been a bit irregular. Sorry, I'll try to adjust it~
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