Chapter 61 Arrival at Changchun Film Studio (First and Second Updates...)
Chapter 61
The air fell silent.
Coach Zhao couldn't answer either. The wind howled outside, crashing against the train car with a clanging sound.
It took her a while to find her voice again. "To be honest, I didn't expect everyone to win this time."
"For the Harbin Art Troupe, and even for the entire Heilongjiang Province, this is the first time in many years that we have officially participated in a competition. My expectation for you is not to win, but to participate and experience what it is like to participate in a joint performance competition of the three northeastern provinces."
To be honest, this isn't Coach Zhao exaggerating; it's his most genuine thought.
After she finished speaking, everyone in the carriage fell silent, heads bowed, their faces grim.
Ye Yingtao was unwilling to accept this, "Are we really that bad?"
Lin Qiu also said, "At least we won first place in the Heilongjiang Provincial Cultural Troupe competition."
"That's right. Even the previous genius Shen Qiuyue has been crushed by us. We are the main players, and they are the substitutes."
"If even we have no hope, then Shen Qiuyue and the others have even less hope."
"Yes, Coach, you can't be too dismissive of us and boost the morale of the others."
"We're no worse than them."
Coach Zhao looked at this group of young calves and thought to himself, "Great, young calves are not afraid of tigers, that's all."
She smiled and didn't argue with them. "Then I also hope you win the championship."
Seeing everyone's optimistic attitude, Meng Yingying was a little worried. She glanced at Coach Zhao, but Coach Zhao shook his head at her.
He gestured for her to stop talking.
The layman sees the spectacle, the expert sees the details; clearly, apart from Coach Zhao and Meng Yingying, everyone present was a semi-layman.
Although Ye Yingtao has been with the performing arts troupe for more than ten years, most of the time, they are just like chickens fighting each other in their own unit.
Before Meng Yingying arrived, they even came in last place in the Heilongjiang Provincial Cultural Troupe's performance competition, let alone compete in other events.
That was a much larger space that they had never seen before.
Because they have never seen it before, ignorance is bliss.
As for those formidable opponents, they have only heard of them so far, and are still approaching them with a degree of reckless courage.
Contempt for the opponent, and high regard for oneself.
After everyone had settled down to rest in their chairs that evening, Meng Yingying couldn't sleep. She beckoned to Coach Zhao, and the two of them tiptoed away from their seats.
The train carriage was packed with people, and even the aisle was filled with people sleeping so as not to step on them.
Meng Yingying and Coach Zhao practically tiptoed out of the aisle and reached the carriage door. Although it was crowded, at least it was spacious and people had room to stand and talk.
Can't sleep?
Coach Zhao asked her.
Meng Yingying nodded, leaning against the carriage door. Her face was somewhat obscured in the darkness. "Coach, please reintroduce to me the mainstays of these teams and their specialties in dance."
"I want to be familiar with each one."
She wasn't as optimistic as Ye Yingtao and the others.
As a pillar of the performing arts troupe in later generations, she had heard about the deeds of her predecessors.
In later generations, the Fengtian delegation's Manchu court dance and ballet foundation was established.
This is almost a textbook example. Even Meng Yingying, who came from a later era, had seen old videotapes when she was researching history before she entered the profession.
The people of that era possessed exceptional talent, along with firsthand information and dance skills passed down from above, which have not yet been lost.
Therefore, even the genius Meng Yingying of later generations, when watching the videotapes from that time, had to admit that every era produces a great number of talented people.
Now, she is about to encounter the progenitor of Manchu court dance in this era, and it would be a lie to say she is not excited.
Even when Meng Yingying heard this word, she trembled all over; it meant she had met her match.
That was real contact and interaction, unlike in later generations where people would stand in front of a DVD player and watch these masters' videotapes over and over again.
Those blurry figures, the blurry dance, the superb movements.
They will no longer be historical records, but living, breathing people.
Thinking of this, Meng Yingying couldn't help but clench her fists. "Teacher, I want to know what each of them is good at, so that I don't miss anything."
Knowing your opponent before the match is the most basic rule.
"You want to learn about the Fengtian team?"
Meng Yingying nodded, "It's them."
In her past life, when she was learning court dance and ballet, she had intentionally looked up information on these subjects.
She had also seen clips of her predecessors dancing on videotape.
Truly exquisite.
Coach Zhao actually knew a little. Seeing that everyone around her seemed to be falling asleep, she lowered her voice a few decibels and said, "I once participated in the Northeast China Friendship Competition."
In the darkness, seeing Meng Yingying's eyes widen slightly, she chuckled, "Of course I'm not participating. I'm not qualified for this kind of competition. I came three years ago with the Jilin City Cultural Troupe. Back then, I was a coach there. My senior sister—"
Realizing that it was no longer appropriate to use the term "senior sister," she changed her words, "Shen Qiuyue, led by Qin Mingxiu, has always been the champion of our Heilongjiang Provincial Art Troupe, which is why she has the qualifications to go out and broaden her horizons."
"However, at that time, even the Jishi Cultural Troupe was facing a shortage of young talent. Shen Qiuyue was only seventeen years old that year, not yet meeting the standards for the competition, so she only went to observe. She was young and ambitious at that time, and indeed had great talent. She even spent half a month with the contestants from the three northeastern provinces."
“Yingying, don’t think I’m speaking up for Shen Qiuyue. Shen Qiuyue was indeed amazing three years ago. Back then, there were many talented people from the three northeastern provinces participating in the competition. At the age of seventeen, Shen Qiuyue used a song called ‘Red Silk in the Snow’ to shock everyone.”
"Even Tong Jialan from the Fengtian delegation considered her an opponent and challenged her to a match, to meet again three years later at the joint performance competition of the three northeastern provinces."
Speaking of which...
Meng Yingying and Coach Zhao both sensed something. "Coach, do you think this is the reason why Commander Cao was willing to spend over seven thousand yuan in cash to sponsor the entire cost of this competition, just to make Shen Qiuyue a substitute?"
Shen Qiuya's Jishi Cultural Troupe was the runner-up in the original competition, and the runner-up was not qualified to participate in the joint performance competition of the three northeastern provinces.
However, Commander Cao had the financial power to force Shen Qiuyue and the others to join.
Even if they are substitutes, at least they have the right to play.
Unlike Huang Yamei's cultural troupe, which won third place in the competition, they didn't even qualify to participate in the joint performance competition on behalf of Heilongjiang Province.
Coach Zhao pondered for a long time before saying, "It's possible."
"That's quite possible."
“We’ve all forgotten about this. Three years ago, Shen Qiuyue stood out, and many participating teams even pointed out that they wanted to challenge Shen Qiuyue again three years later.”
"Back then, Qin Mingxiu even predicted that as long as Shen Qiuyue practiced diligently for the past three years and did not neglect her basic skills, she could still advance to the next level. She was not without the ability to compete with these geniuses."
"I'm thinking."
Coach Zhao lowered his voice slightly, "Is this why Commander Cao was willing to give up Qin Mingxiu and push Shen Qiuyue up?"
Meng Yingying seemed to be thinking, "It's possible, but I don't think we have enough chips, Coach, we don't have enough chips."
"You have to understand, Commander Cao spent over seven thousand yuan to sponsor the entire competition. Tell me, there's only one reason why she would spend so much money to get Shen Qiuyue to participate."
"That means the benefits Shen Qiuyue received after participating in the competition were definitely higher than seven thousand yuan."
Otherwise, why would Commander Cao have been willing to accept those humiliating terms in the first place?
For example, even though they are the sponsors and the ones who pay the money, they still contribute to the expenses, whether it's the travel, the costumes, the props, or the food.
They are far inferior to Meng Yingying and the others, who are part of the regular team.
What is it?
Coach Zhao murmured.
Meng Yingying shook her head, "You're asking me the wrong question, how would I know?"
She's currently a low-ranking soldier in the cultural troupe, though if there's anything special about her, it's that she's a squad leader.
But even a squad leader is just a soldier, and all he can see is what's in front of him.
As for the interests of those at the top, she truly couldn't see them.
Coach Zhao pondered for a moment, "I'll ask Commander Fang privately and try to get his opinion."
Meng Yingying nodded and tiptoed back to her seat with Coach Zhao.
She looked around but didn't see anyone from the Jishi Cultural Troupe, so she asked curiously, "Isn't Shen Qiuyue and her troupe riding in the same car as us?"
We were all heading to the same destination: the Changchun Film Studio training camp.
Coach Zhao shook his head. "The information I received is that they are not taking the train."
If they were to take the train, they would be a head shorter than her team, which they probably wouldn't want.
"If they don't take the train, what will they take?"
Whether it's Harbin or Jilin, the distance to Changsha is not short.
"It should be a long-distance bus."
Meng Yingying, “?”
"Aren't the detachments usually stationed in tarpaulin-covered trucks? How come they have long-distance buses?"
This shocked Meng Yingying. During the months she was stationed in Harbin, all she saw were tarpaulin trucks and jeeps.
As for long-distance buses, there are none.
Expensive beyond belief.
The team stationed in Harbin can't afford it.
Coach Zhao coughed lightly, "The long-distance bus was purchased by the Jilin City Cultural Troupe as a special benefit for the female members of the troupe."
"Of course, this kind of car isn't usually taken out."
Meng Yingying was puzzled. In the darkness, her eyes gleamed brightly. "Coach, they're all stationed in the military, so why is the Jilin City Cultural Troupe so rich? They can even afford to take long-distance buses!" But their Harbin City troops are so poor.
As units at the same level, shouldn't everyone receive the same amount of government funding?
This involves the secrets of the Jilin City Cultural Troupe, or rather, the stationed troops.
Others may not know, but Coach Zhao, who spent more than ten years in the Jilin City Cultural Troupe, does.
She glanced around and, seeing that everyone was fast asleep, lowered her voice and said, "The Jilin City garrison has its own business, and it's a legal one at that."
"The money they earn is then used to support the stationed troops, so their cultural troupe always has money."
Unlike the Harbin garrison team, which honestly receives government funding, that amount of money, when divided among everyone, is really not much.
Meng Yingying, “!”
Meng Yingying: "Does our stationed team know about this?"
His tone was urgent and rapid, "Does our garrison know that they have ways to make money?"
"have no idea."
Meng Yingying, “???”
"How could we not know about something so important??" It's like they found money and forgot to take it with them.
She was so worried.
Coach Zhao scratched his head. "Knowing it won't help. The Jilin City Cultural Troupe has the advantage of its location; they are stationed with the mountains behind them."
"September is harvest season every year, Yingying. You should know that the mountains in Heilongjiang Province are full of treasures when the harvest season begins."
"And these things only require the team to spend a month collecting them in the mountains to earn back the team's subsidies."
"And I guess the sponsorship from the Jilin City Cultural Troupe this time was probably earned back from this source."
"Otherwise, with the meager funding and subsidies provided to the stationed team, it wouldn't even be enough to make a living, let alone receive a sponsorship of seven thousand yuan at once."
For the team stationed in Harbin, seven thousand yuan is enough to kill them.
Meng Yingying breathed softly, "Why doesn't our team know how to generate revenue?"
"The food in the cafeteria is so bad now."
And everyone's clothes are the same; they're new for three years, old for three years, and patched up for another three years.
Coach Zhao flicked her head and said, "Our team stationed in Harbin is too close to the city, and unlike the team stationed in Jilin, which is backed by Changbai Mountain."
"Yingying, you may not understand the meaning of Changbai Mountain."
It is a natural treasure, a resource given to people by the mountains.
However, because the team stationed in Harbin is far away, it naturally has a weaker supply.
Meng Yingying had an idea, but she didn't say it; that would be too unkind.
She leaned back in her chair, thinking that once the competition was over, she would definitely get Qi Donghan and his men involved in making money.
If you don't know, that's fine. But if you do know and don't go, it's like ignoring money that's fallen on the ground.
That's going too far!
Thinking about the resources in the mountains and her opponents in the competition, Meng Yingying felt dizzy and finally fell asleep.
4:30 in the morning.
The train arrived in Changchun. It was only July, but Changchun was actually a bit cooler than Harbin. As soon as we stepped out of the station, a gust of wind blew.
It even made people feel cool.
"We've arrived. We're all waiting at the entrance. Commander Fang arranged for our team's tarpaulin truck to pick us up and take us to Changchun Film Studio."
The train station is a forty-minute walk from Changchun Film Studio, which isn't exactly close.
Meng Yingying and the others hummed in agreement, looking at the dimly lit morning light, feeling a sense of disorientation.
They moved to a different location.
"Are you eating?" Ye Yingtao asked in a low voice.
Meng Yingying touched her stomach and realized she was indeed a little hungry. She had boarded the train last night, and it had been a whole night.
"There's a place over there selling steamed buns, shall we go buy some?"
"However, this isn't at work, so we might have to pay for it ourselves."
Ye Yingtao spoke in a loud voice, and everyone else heard her.
They all went to look at Coach Zhao. Coach Zhao raised his hand to check the time. "Three minutes. Come back in three minutes after you've finished buying. Everyone, don't run around. Otherwise, when the tarpaulin truck comes to pick you up, it will be troublesome if we can't find you. That would be a real problem."
To be honest, Meng Yingying found Coach Zhao's nagging instructions somewhat amusing.
You should know that when Coach Zhao first came to their art troupe, he was both talented but unappreciated and bullied. He had nowhere else to turn, which is why he came to the Harbin Art Troupe.
At that time, she was still strict and emotional, and her subordinates did not respect her, so the two sides were constantly at odds.
But how long has it been?
She immediately became a protective mother figure to her child.
Seeing Meng Yingying smile, Ye Yingtao asked on her way over, "What are you laughing at?"
Meng Yingying said that Ye Yingtao turned around to look at Coach Zhao standing in the morning light. They had all come to buy steamed buns, but Coach Zhao was like an old woman, staying in the same spot and not daring to move, watching their luggage.
And all of their children have come out to forage for food.
"really."
Ye Yingtao murmured, "Coach Zhao has changed a lot, and haven't we changed a lot too?"
If someone had told her three months ago that her Harbin cultural troupe could actually represent Heilongjiang Province in the Northeast China competition, she would never have believed it.
But not long after, they not only represented [the province], but also moved to Changshi, representing Heilongjiang Province in the competition.
That's something I wouldn't even dare to dream of doing.
Meng Yingying smiled as she gazed at the distant morning light. The sun gradually rose, breaking through the clouds and casting dappled rays that illuminated the earth.
Just like them.
He slowly walked from behind the clouds to the front of the stage.
Meng Yingying said softly, "Cherry."
"Um?"
Meng Yingying stood in line on the steps, gazing into the distance with a determined expression. "This is just our first stop."
"The first stop on the journey."
"In the future, we will have countless stops, and we will go to even more distant places to compete."
Ye Yingtao didn't dare to think about it, she had never thought about it before, but when she turned around and saw Meng Yingying covered in a layer of gold.
She was shrouded in mist, her body shimmering with golden light, her face fair, and her eyes gleaming with unwavering determination.
Meng Yingying possessed a confidence that none of them had.
No one in the Harbin Municipal Cultural Troupe, from top to bottom, believed they could win this competition.
Except for Meng Yingying.
She seemed to have been so determined from the very beginning, just like when she participated in the competition in Heilongjiang Province last time.
They led their team to a comeback victory and won first place.
This kind of Meng Yingying is captivating.
Ye Yingtao, who had always lacked confidence, now felt more ambitious. "Yingying, you will definitely be at the forefront."
Meng Yingying turned around, and the sun broke through the clouds, its light shining on her face. She smiled brightly, "It's not me, it's us."
At that moment, Meng Yingying seemed like a fairy descending to earth.
Ye Yingtao was stunned for a moment.
"Comrade, what do you need?"
It turned out that when they reached the front of the queue, an old man with a steamer in front of them was asking them questions.
Ye Yingtao suddenly realized that she had returned to the mortal world. Oh, even if Meng Yingying was a fairy in heaven, she still had to eat and sleep with them.
This actually makes it feel more real.
Seeing that Ye Yingying hadn't spoken, Meng Yingying spoke first, "Comrade, what do you have here?"
The old man opened the steamer, "There are refined grain vegetable buns, meat buns, steamed buns, cornbread, and mixed grain steamed buns."
Meng Yingying was picky and couldn't eat coarse grains. She ate coarse grains while stationed in the army, to the point that she was desperate.
"I want two vegetable buns and two meat buns."
As for plain steamed buns and cornbread, she doesn't like them!
"Meat buns are two cents each, and vegetable buns are one and a half cents each."
"Four of them would cost seven cents, plus four ounces of grain coupons."
Meng Yingying reached into her pocket and touched the money Qi Donghan handed her. She put her own money and tickets into her travel bag.
This will be inconvenient to retrieve in the past.
She took the money and coupons that Qi Donghan had given her and handed them over, saying, "This is seven mao, and this is four liang of grain coupons."
The old man put it away and then asked Ye Yingtao. Ye Yingtao wasn't as generous as Meng Yingying, so she asked for a white flour vegetable bun and a cornbread.
He turned back and asked Meng Yingying, "Why did you buy so much?"
Meng Yingying pointed to Coach Zhao, who was standing at the door watching their luggage, and said, "Buy one for Coach Zhao too."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Yingtao realized, "I had forgotten that the coach not only didn't buy it, but he also didn't eat it."
"It's okay, I'll buy it."
Meng Yingying and Ye Yingtao walked over, and she put a vegetable bun and a meat bun into separate paper bags and handed them to Coach Zhao.
"Coach, that's yours."
Coach Zhao paused for a moment, looked down at the steaming, warm white buns, and instinctively refused, "I don't want them, I'll go buy them myself."
Meng Yingying shoved it at her, saying, "The car is coming soon, we'll be late."
"Moreover, when our group of more than twenty people bought them, we bought all of the old man's steamed buns and mantou. He didn't have many left."
Even if you queue up, you might not be able to buy it.
Coach Zhao accepted the gift, feeling a warmth in his heart. "Yingying, thank you."
These are meat buns and vegetable buns, and they're not made from whole grains, but from high-gluten flour, so they're probably not cheap.
Meng Yingying shook her head, took a bite, the meat bun's skin was soft and delicate, the meat filling was fresh and fragrant, the meat inside was steamed and the juice flowed into the corner of her mouth, her whole tongue trembled.
"It's delicious."
"The steamed buns here are really delicious, even better than the ones in our army canteen."
Coach Zhao also took a bite. "The old man works at the train station. He set up a stall at the entrance specifically to provide food for people who have just gotten off the train."
No wonder Meng Yingying said, "How can a private person set up a stall?" It turns out the other party wasn't private, but public.
Seeing this, Li Shaoqing, who was standing next to her, lowered her head and bit into her steamed bun, squeezing the wrapper until it turned white.
Why didn't she think of that?
I also went to buy a steamed bun for the coach.
Clearly, she's not short of money.
Unfortunately, before Li Shaoqing could think it through, Coach Zhao saw the tarpaulin truck approaching from a distance, immediately stood up straight, and called out, "The truck is here."
Everyone quickly put away their buns, lined up, and boarded the bus in an orderly fashion.
The car sped along, kicking up a cloud of dust.
After getting into the car, Ye Yingtao asked nervously, "Yingying, what is Changchun Film Studio like? What kind of competitors are we facing?"
Meng Yingying shook her head with a smile, "I don't know either, but I suppose all organizations in the world have gates, so in a sense, Changchun Film Studio and our organization are not much different."
This is to prepare everyone mentally, so don't be nervous.
Coach Zhao gave her an approving look. "Yingying is right. We're all in the same workplace, just ordinary people with noses and eyes. Everyone should relax."
About forty minutes later.
The tarpaulin-covered truck carrying the Harbin Cultural Troupe arrived at the Changchun Film Studio gate on time.
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Author's note: There's more this afternoon~ Wait for me, my darlings!
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