Chapter 89 The Sisters Meet
Chapter 89
Meng Yingying looked down at the school badge, naturally aware of its value. She was somewhat surprised. "Arkhipova, thank you for the school badge."
She quickly accepted it, seeing that she had taken it.
Arkhipova's expression softened considerably, and she raised her chin with a haughty air, "Although I consider you a rival and hope to surpass you."
"But at the same time—" she said somewhat shyly, and was not used to saying such soft words, "I will also consider you my only friend."
He just can't be proud anymore.
Meng Yingying thought that Arsipova was so proud that it was cute. She stepped forward and gently hugged Arsipova, saying, "I will also consider you my friend."
“Arkhipova, the biggest gain from my exchange program at Moba School is getting to know you.”
Arkhipova paused, touched by these words, and hugged Meng Yingying tightly, "Meng, I will remember you too."
"Although you really annoy me professionally, I have to say, you are very capable."
Meng Yingying smiled gently, said goodbye to Arkhipova, and with four hours left before their train departed, everyone went their separate ways to buy some things.
Meng Yingying followed Qi Donghan without hesitation. Whenever Qi Donghan had free time, he would come out to check out the surrounding area.
So much so that on the day he left, when he went out to make purchases, Qi Donghan was very knowledgeable about the area.
He only told Yang Jie, "Teacher Yang, there's a state-owned store a hundred meters ahead, a vegetable market outside, and two restaurants. If you want to go, then go now."
After saying this, he raised his hand to check the time, "We'll meet here in two hours."
After saying that, he looked at Gao Chunyang and said, "Gao Chunyang, you can go with them."
“The team can also be divided into two groups.”
"I'll lead one wave, and Gao Chunyang will lead another."
Everyone consciously followed Gao Chunyang and didn't want to be a third wheel with Meng Yingying and Qi Donghan.
Qi Donghan, familiar with the area, led Meng Yingying to exchange rubles before heading to the state-run store.
How do you know so much?
Even these hidden paths and extremely secluded places could be found by him through twists and turns.
Qi Donghan said, "A few days ago, when you were practicing, Gao Chunyang and I went out for a walk."
"I'm basically familiar with this area." He wore a stand-up collar coat over a thin white sweater, which softened his cold demeanor and made him appear more gentle.
Despite his gentle demeanor, his upright face, tall stature, and large eyes exuded an undeniable masculine aura.
"Alright, I was just thinking of going to get a gift for Yue Ru and Ying Tao, and I wanted to bring one for each of them. I just don't know what's available here. It would be good to go and take a look around first."
Meng Yingying looked around, and Qi Donghan followed beside her, saying, "You'll know once you go and see for yourself."
He led the way; he was tall and had long legs, and he could easily leave Meng Yingying behind several times by following his pace.
But not even once.
Each time he noticed Meng Yingying slow down slightly, he slowed down as well. They continued until they reached the entrance of the state-run store, where they both stepped forward simultaneously.
Meng Yingying took another step back, looked up at the gray three-story cement building, the building was already open, and murmured, "This building is quite similar to the state-run stores in Harbin."
Qi Donghan looked up, his clothes billowing in the wind, revealing a pair of excessively thin hands. "Many of the buildings in Harbin were built after people came to the Soviet Union to study. Some buildings even had architectural design talents directly introduced from the Soviet Union, so many buildings have similarities."
Meng Yingying nodded and then followed her up the steps again. To be honest, this was the first time she had come out for a proper stroll since she arrived in Moscow a month ago.
So she looked very carefully, wanting to know what the differences were between Moscow in the 1970s and Moscow in later years.
October in Moscow is already quite cold, so even the doorknobs feel extra icy.
Meng Yingying was startled by the cold and subconsciously withdrew her hand. Qi Donghan took the opportunity to push her hand away. The door of the state-owned store was heavy, so even pushing it open required a lot of strength.
After pushing her away, he glanced back at Meng Yingying's hand and saw that her fingers were red from the cold. Her hands were very beautiful, with slender, white, and delicate fingers. The cold wind made her fingertips red, and her pink nails were round and clean.
Qi Donghan's eyes darkened, and he pushed the door a little wider. "There's heating inside, just come in."
Meng Yingying nodded, tightening her coat. She had come in a hurry and hadn't expected to stay this long.
So the clothes I brought were a bit too thin. I didn't feel it when I was in the dance studio all day, but now that I'm out in the cold wind, I feel unusually cold.
Upon entering the state-run store, just as Qi Donghan had said, the heating was on. No, it should be said that a huge fireplace was burning inside the wall of the main hall.
The bright red flames rose up, and just looking at them made you feel like the temperature around you had increased a few degrees.
"It's really warm in here."
However, the smell was unpleasant. Raw meat and cheap disinfectant were mixed together, along with the smell of burning firewood, which was somewhat pungent. Meng Yingying frowned slightly, but still followed them inside.
Qi Donghan knew what she cared about, so he turned around and whispered, "We'll leave after we buy what we need. We won't stay too long."
Meng Yingying nodded and began to carefully examine her surroundings. The ground beneath her feet was painted with dark green paint, and the cracks were filled with old black mud.
Looking up, several milky-white glass lampshades hung from the ceiling above. The light wasn't pure white; it even had a bluish tint, making people's faces look bloodless.
Directly opposite her was a vertical counter running through the entire store, covered with white ceramic tiles at chest level, with a row of glass partitions above it, like a transparent city wall separating customers from the merchandise.
Behind the counter stood two or three female sales clerks wearing white coats and triangular headscarves, their hands either holding abacuses or adjusting small scales.
When they saw guests coming in, they looked up and seemed to rarely see people with black hair, black eyes, and yellow skin, and their eyes were filled with surprise.
Meng Yingying's Suzhou dialect wasn't very good. She knew more ballet-related Russian, which consisted of professional terms. She knew Suzhou dialect for everyday communication and shopping, but she couldn't speak it fluently.
Fortunately, at this moment, Qi Donghan stepped forward and communicated with the other party in fluent Su language.
After getting the information he wanted, he switched to Chinese and had Meng Yingying translate. "She said the most suitable and convenient things to take away are Red October chocolate, stewed meat cans, and this kind of grinding wheel lighter."
Meng Yingying thought these were all suitable, so she said, "I'd like a little of each, but what about the price?"
Qi Donghan asked the salesperson again, who said, "Red October chocolate is 1 ruble 10 kopeks a bar is 150 grams, a grinder lighter is 1 ruble 50 kopeks, and a can of stewed meat is 45 kopeks."
After listening, Meng Yingying calculated the money she had and ended up asking for five bars of Red October chocolates, a flint lighter, and five cans of stewed meat.
Aside from giving them away, she could keep some for herself to eat.
After spending almost all of her rubles, when it was Qi Donghan's turn, he walked around but didn't buy anything.
Finally, they went to the daily necessities counter, picked out a pair of sheepskin gloves for Meng Yingying, and asked for five rubles.
It's really not cheap.
Meng Yingying didn't want it, but Qi Donghan insisted on buying it for her. In addition, he also bought her a cashmere coat.
That's even more expensive, thirty-eight rubles.
They spent all the money they had on them.
Meng Yingying wanted to refuse, but Qi Donghan didn't say anything and directly draped a cashmere coat over her shoulders. "It's been cold all the way here, and even when we get back to Harbin, it will be winter in October, and the temperature will probably only be one or two degrees. If you don't buy clothes, you might easily catch a cold."
The white cashmere coat is very beautiful, and the best part is that it doesn't require cloth coupons; you only need to pay in rubles.
Wearing a warm coat, Meng Yingying pursed her lips and said, "After we get back—"
Before she could finish speaking, Qi Donghan raised his hand and covered her mouth, "Yingying, you don't need to say anything or pay back."
"I earn money so that you can spend it."
Taking care of his partner is something he should do.
Meng Yingying didn't speak. Her cashmere coat was radiating warmth, which even seemed to weaken the cold wind outside.
"Qi Donghan".
She called out softly.
Qi Donghan turned to look at her, "Hmm?"
The two walked along the streets of Moscow, the autumn wind rustling the leaves, pedestrians hurrying by. When he turned to look at her, his eyes held a subtle glimmer of light, a tenderness that seemed to penetrate to the very core.
This is no longer the living devil that others used to see.
Meng Yingying swallowed her words, looked at him and smiled, "I'll tell you when we get back."
She was wearing a white cashmere coat, her hair was tied up high, and her nose was red from the cold, but her eyes were surprisingly bright.
Qi Donghan's heart nearly skipped a beat. He wondered what Yingying was going to say.
However, that's not important.
Most importantly, his Yingying is really beautiful.
It's as clean and beautiful as crystal.
*
Two and a half hours later, the group gathered at the designated place on time, and Tong Jialan immediately noticed Meng Yingying's cashmere coat.
"Yingying, did you buy new clothes?"
She reached out to touch it, quite liking it.
Meng Yingying smiled and nodded. She turned to look at Qi Donghan. Although she didn't say anything, everyone understood instantly.
"very nice."
Tong Jialan even felt like she wanted to find a boyfriend after seeing that dress, not because of the dress itself, but because someone cared about her.
She buys clothes when it's cold and ice cream when it's hot; she just wants to be remembered.
Li Shaoqing and Shen Meilan, who were standing nearby, didn't say anything, but their eyes revealed a hint of envy.
Li Shaoqing had just spent all his rubles on a watch.
Although Shen Meilan's circumstances were not as good as Li Shaoqing's, she still bought some Moscow specialties.
Yang Jie was quite decisive; she didn't buy anything. At her age, she no longer cared about material things.
However, she admired Meng Yingying's cashmere coat. With her fair skin and white coat, she looked as clean and beautiful as glass.
"This coat suits you very well, you made a great choice."
Meng Yingying glanced back at Qi Donghan, feeling a little embarrassed. Qi Donghan, however, was quite straightforward, "When I first came here, I thought this coat would suit her perfectly."
In full view of everyone, he made no attempt to hide his admiration for her.
Meng Yingying raised her hand and pinched Qi Donghan. Qi Donghan smiled, neither refuting nor retaliating, but instead exuding an extremely ambiguous feeling.
Gao Chunyang, who was standing next to him, watched the entire thing from beginning to end without saying a word as Moscow was about to leave.
At 6 p.m., the train arrived on time, and the group boarded the train, beginning their eight-day journey.
Yang Jie didn't say much on the way back, but in the evening, she specially gathered Meng Yingying, Li Shaoqing, Shen Meilan, and Tong Jialan together.
"Now that you have received your exchange and study certificates in the Soviet Union, you should start preparing for what will happen after you return."
As soon as he said that, everyone looked over.
Yang Jie sat on the edge of the lower bunk, the soft light shining on her face, making her look very peaceful. "You should know what going to the Soviet Union for exchange and study represents."
Meng Yingying did not speak.
Li Shaoqing and Shen Meilan nodded hesitantly.
Seeing that Meng Yingying and Tong Jialan were still confused, Yang Jie then said, "To get into the National Ballet of China, you generally need to have a local household registration in the capital or a military status in the Capital Art Troupe. Yingying and Tong Jialan don't have either of these, so this condition alone is enough to block your entry into the National Ballet of China."
This is why it's difficult for people from other regions to travel to the capital, because regional protectionism has existed from the very beginning.
"And the Moba School graduation certificate is a stepping stone for you to enter the National Ballet of China."
Without this step, local people would never have had the chance to get in.
Meng Yingying lowered her eyes, the flickering light in the carriage casting a shadow on her face. "Teacher, what do we need to do now?"
That's where the key to the question lies.
Yang Jie gave her an approving look, "After you go back this time, you will receive an invitation from the National Ballet of China."
"We'll be heading to the capital then."
“But this is not the end,” Yang Jie said. “The National Ballet of China is full of talented people. You entered through special channels, so you may need a period of adjustment.”
Or rather, it's a process of being suppressed.
This is a place that is even more brutal than a local cultural troupe.
Meng Yingying didn't speak, but Tong Jialan said, "I really want to go to that place and see what a genius looks like."
As soon as these words were spoken, Li Shaoqing and Shen Meilan looked at Meng Yingying at the same time. In fact, they had both seen geniuses before.
That's a talent that's no less than that of the National Ballet of China.
"Simply put, the exchange program in the Soviet Union and the graduation certificate from the Moba Affiliated School are your ticket to the National Ballet of China and the Capital Song and Dance Troupe."
As for which unit it is, that depends on what arrangements are made by higher authorities.
It was also a warning, to keep them from becoming arrogant.
Meng Yingying nodded, "Teacher, I know."
Shen Meilan said, "Teacher Yang, I may not go to the National Ballet of China."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked over. The previous competition had turned into concern for each other after the game ended.
They may have had their share of dirty tricks and struggles, but at least for now, after they have all obtained the certificates they wanted, they are temporarily united.
Seeing everyone looking at her, Shen Meilan felt a little uncomfortable. She tugged at her hair before saying, "My talent isn't good enough for the Central Ballet, so I'm thinking of staying with the Capital Song and Dance Troupe."
The National Ballet of China is a higher and more sacred entity than the Capital Song and Dance Troupe.
Yang Jie thought for a moment, "I can understand, but will they recognize this graduation certificate?" She came from the Central Ballet Troupe, so she didn't really know much about the provincial song and dance troupe.
Shen Meilan nodded, "Yes, my mother asked someone to inquire about it."
A single sentence can reveal a great deal of information.
Everyone fell silent for a moment, and then Li Shaoqing said, "I might not go to the National Ballet of China either."
Now, everyone was a little surprised, wondering why none of them were going.
The graduation certificate from Mingming Moba Affiliated School is a testament to everyone's hard work and dedication.
Seeing everyone looking over, Li Shaoqing said, "My goal from the very beginning has been the Capital Song and Dance Troupe."
Her grandfather was a big shot in the local area, but he wasn't enough in the capital. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to take a roundabout route back to the Harbin Cultural Troupe. He won the prize pool in the Northeast China League and got a spot to go to the Soviet Union for an exchange program. He also received a graduation certificate from the Moba Affiliated School.
Ultimately, every path in this story was planned out for Li Shaoqing by her family.
One wrong step is all it takes, and of course, ordinary people don't know how to follow this path.
That's what they all said.
Meng Yingying and Tong Jialan exchanged a glance. Instead of making a decision right away, she asked Yang Jie, "Teacher, will this graduation certificate guarantee that the Central Ballet Troupe will accept us?"
Even Yang Jie wasn't sure after hearing this question.
She has been away from the National Ballet of China for ten years and hasn't been back for ten years, so much so that she doesn't know what the current conditions are for her to be accepted by the National Ballet of China.
She wasn't sure either.
Yang Jie did not give a direct deduction, but thought for a moment and said, "I need to discuss this with Director He when I get back."
"Only then can a decision be made."
*
After settling down in the family compound, Zhao Yueru, stationed in Harbin, made it a point to visit the performing arts troupe every day.
Let's see if Meng Yingying has returned.
This trip lasted for more than twenty days, almost without fail, rain or shine. To be honest, every time I saw Zhao Yueru with her big pregnant belly, walking briskly, it was quite a sight.
Everyone was scared.
On the twenty-second day of Zhao Yueru's continuous visits, Ye Yingtao couldn't bear it any longer. She even stopped practicing her dance and ran out, saying to Zhao Yueru, "The weather is getting colder every day. Don't come to the art troupe with your big belly."
"If Yingying comes back, I swear, I'll be the first one to tell you, okay?"
Zhao Yueru smiled and shook her head, "No, I just want to be the first to see her."
"Then you might as well go to the train station."
Ye Yingtao muttered something to herself, which gave Zhao Yueru an idea: "You're right."
"How could I be so stupid? I didn't expect Yingying to come out of the train station first, instead of arriving at the station first."
She turned and was about to leave.
Ye Yingtao immediately realized something was wrong. Zhao Yueru had taken her casual remark seriously. She rushed forward and grabbed Zhao Yueru's hand, saying, "Don't go! Do you know when Meng Yingying is returning to China? Do you know what day and time she'll arrive at the train station?"
"Look, you don't even know."
Ye Yingtao's voice became a bit more anxious, "You don't know anything, what are you doing at the train station?"
“Our cultural troupe is more than 20 miles away from the train station. What are you doing running around like that, you're pregnant?”
They were getting extremely anxious.
Zhao Yueru said, "I will ask, I will ask." She was not in a hurry, "I will definitely ask before I go."
"And I will also find out the routes we took in the past."
At this point, she became animated, "Cherry, don't worry about my belly. I just went to the hospital for a checkup, and the baby is developing very well. I'm fine too, and it doesn't affect my ability to go out at all."
As soon as these words were spoken, Ye Yingtao couldn't hold on any longer. Zhao Yueru ran to Coach Zhao and found out the approximate time when Meng Yingying would return to China.
She went to the train station again to ask about the travel time from Manzhouli back, and then started going to the train station an hour earlier every day to wait.
Even Zhou Jingsong himself couldn't stop her. He was worried about Zhao Yueru going alone, so he could only ask his comrades who were off duty to take Zhao Yueru to the train station every day.
This continued for a week.
Finally, on October 9th, Zhao Yueru's left eyelid started twitching uncontrollably early in the morning. After tidying herself up at home, she hurriedly prepared to leave. "Zhou Jingsong, I have a feeling that Yingying is coming back today."
She grabbed an IV drip bottle, put it in her pocket, turned around and went out, saying, "You should cook more meals at home."
"I might bring Yingying back for dinner."
Despite her large pregnant belly, she walked briskly towards the train station.
3 PM on October 9th.
After a train journey of more than a week, Meng Yingying and her companions finally arrived at Harbin Railway Station. Harbin in October was also very cold; as soon as they got off the train, a blast of cold air hit their faces.
Meng Yingying subconsciously pulled her coat tighter. Qi Donghan walked in front of her, carrying her luggage in one hand and blocking most of the pedestrians with the other to prevent her from being bumped into.
Seeing the familiar house and the familiar black hair and eyes again, Meng Yingying sighed with emotion, "I'm finally back."
Even the familiar voices around her sounded somewhat endearing to her.
Qi Donghan, who had been tense, relaxed a little.
This is the sense of security that comes from returning to China.
"We'll be back at our base soon."
He said to Meng Yingying, "Hang in there a little longer." He knew that everyone present was exhausted, from the hardship of a long journey.
Meng Yingying nodded, "I know." She thought about the gifts in her luggage, which she could give to everyone who was stationed at the team.
Only Yue Ru's was unacceptable.
Because the two people were too far apart.
Outside the train station.
Zhao Yueru was already used to the huge passenger flow around 3:10. She stood on tiptoe, her big pregnant belly protruding, watching the pedestrians at the exit.
Disappointment after disappointment led her to wonder if today was simply not the right day.
Just as Zhao Yueru was about to leave, she suddenly saw a group of people carrying luggage coming out.
The most outstanding was Qi Donghan. He was extremely tall, half a head taller than the average person, standing out from the crowd. His handsome face made him hard to ignore.
Beside him stood Meng Yingying, wearing a white cashmere coat, her face pale, but her eyes were exceptionally bright.
Zhao Yueru thought she was seeing things, so she rubbed her eyes and rubbed them again.
It really is Yingying.
At that moment, Zhao Yueru even forgot that she was pregnant. She jumped up and waved, her voice cheerful, "Yingying."
"Meng Yingying!"
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