Chapter 59 (Bug Fix) Temporary Training Camp Departure (...
Chapter 59
As soon as he said that, the huge practice room fell silent.
Coach Zhao thought he had misheard. "What did you say you were going to jump?"
Meng Yingying pulled her legs back, stood up straight, and spoke clearly, "The Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers."
She changed into a V-neck dance costume, which only made her neck appear slender and fair, her collarbones delicate and slender. This dance costume looked absolutely stunning on her.
Coach Zhao was momentarily stunned. "Yingying, have you thought this through? The 'Scattering Flowers' move is quite difficult. If you jump it, there really won't be any turning back."
Just like when she talked about why she chose "Ode to Yimeng" for the group competition, it's clear that the difficulty level is lower than that of "Good Monpa on the Snow Mountain".
The difficulty of the "Scattering Flowers" performance was even greater than that of the Red Detachment of Women.
Because the Red Detachment of Women was only gentle yet firm, while the Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers incorporated model operas and ballet into classical dance.
This isn't double the difficulty; it's triple the difficulty.
Because neither model operas nor ballet are simple, let alone integrating them into classical dance.
"No way." Before Meng Yingying could speak, Coach Zhao rejected the piece himself. "This piece is too difficult, Yingying. You're taking a huge risk by dancing to this piece. I don't agree."
"This piece is too difficult; it completely knocked me down."
"If something really goes wrong, you'll have no hope left."
Seeing Coach Zhao's strong opposition, Meng Yingying stopped what she was doing, stood up and walked over to Coach Zhao, and said softly, "Coach, if the team competition selects relatively conventional pieces, then the individual competition pieces must be highly difficult."
"One minimum and one final push, that's the most basic thing."
"Only in this way will our winning rate be higher."
Meng Yingying wasn't thinking about individuals at all; she was looking at the big picture. In fact, her vision was even ahead of Coach Zhao's.
Sure enough, Coach Zhao was taken aback when she heard Meng Yingying's words. She paced back and forth, clenching her fists. "This method is good, but Yingying, yours is too difficult."
Meng Yingying thought for a moment, "How about I do a high-difficulty jump in the team competition and a low-difficulty jump in the individual competition?"
"Coach, if it were you, what would you choose?"
That definitely won't work.
Choosing a high-difficulty team competition increases the chances of making mistakes, since there are 22 people in a team competition and any mistake by any one person can lead to the failure of the entire competition.
If Meng Yingying chooses a more difficult piece for her individual competition, then the key will be her, and the result will be much more controllable.
"But--"
Coach Zhao was clearly persuaded by Meng Yingying, but she still hesitated, saying, "If you do that, the pressure on you will be too great."
"Coach, if you want to win, don't be afraid of difficulties."
Meng Yingying's voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear, and no one else spoke.
Li Shaoqing glanced at Meng Yingying with a complicated expression.
She thought to herself, if we're talking about perspective, Meng Yingying is definitely better than her.
Ye Yingtao went even further, saying, "Coach, I think Yingying's method is the best because she has high talent. She can take on high-difficulty challenges, and all we need to do is make sure we don't hold her back."
Jiang Li and the others agreed with this. They might scheme against each other on a daily basis, but when it came to making important decisions...
At the very least, we must maintain aligned interests and not hold each other back.
The most basic thing is to work together with one mind and ensure they win awards.
Coach Zhao had also made up her mind. In her eyes, Meng Yingying's talent was superior to that of the team.
With that in mind, she said frankly, "I will submit the repertoire to Director Fang for review. After confirming that there are no problems, we will submit it to the joint performance competition unit of the three northeastern provinces according to this repertoire."
However, before Coach Zhao could find Commander Fang, Commander Fang came looking for them, appearing to be in a hurry.
He asked as soon as he arrived.
"Has the song selection been finalized?"
Coach Zhao handed over the program list. After Director Fang took it and looked at it, she frowned slightly. "How come Meng Yingying knows how to dance 'The Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers'?"
Didn't you tell her how difficult the piece was?
Everyone else was still at the first level of the competition, but Meng Yingying's move directly raised the difficulty from the first level to the third level.
This isn't just doubling; it's leaping to a higher level.
Coach Zhao glanced at Meng Yingying before saying, "I did say that, but Comrade Meng Yingying has her own considerations."
She repeated Meng Yingying's words. After listening to her, Director Fang pondered for a moment before she went to the center of the stage and walked to Meng Yingying, who was practicing with great enthusiasm.
"Yingying, are you sure? Do you really want to do the 'Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers' dance?"
Coach Fang put it bluntly: "This will be very difficult, and you will be under a lot of pressure."
Meng Yingying nodded, her relaxed brows revealing determination. "This is it, sir."
"One sprint and one safety net, that's our best combination."
Commander Fang gave her a deep look. "Meng Yingying, on behalf of everyone in the cultural troupe, thank you."
Once this list was submitted, everyone knew that the biggest pressure in this competition would fall on Meng Yingying.
Meng Yingying smiled, pursing her lips, "No need."
"I chose this piece not only for the team, but also to guard against Shen Qiuya. Shen Qiuya's team is participating in the competition as substitutes, so whether it's her solo or group piece, it definitely won't be bad. In that case, let's raise the bar for the competition from the start."
As for who will win, that depends on their abilities.
Director Fang nodded, "I will also keep an eye on the Jilin City Cultural Troupe."
"I've submitted the song list, and I'll let you know as soon as I have any updates."
However, neither Commander Fang nor the others expected the news to arrive so quickly. Commander Fang handed over the music score.
Less than two hours later, the latest notification came down.
The call went to Commander Fang's office. After Commander Fang hung up, he got up and looked at the calendar hanging on the wall.
I glanced at the clock again.
He immediately called over Secretary Xu and said, "Have everyone gather in the practice room within five minutes. I need to tell them something very important."
Officer Xu immediately saluted and jogged to the practice room to inform them.
In the practice room, Meng Yingying and the others had just finalized their competition pieces, so they were all familiarizing themselves with their own pieces.
The group dance was "Ode to Yimeng," while Meng Yingying danced "The Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers." Others only needed to be familiar with one piece of music.
But Meng Yingying was different; she participated in both the team competition and the individual competition.
She only needed to familiarize herself with two pieces of music. Fortunately, Meng Yingying had a good memory. After listening to all the pieces once, she could remember almost all the important rhythms and melodies.
Therefore, her biggest advantage is that she is very familiar with the music, and she only needs to match the dance with each part of the music.
It sounds simple, but it's really not easy to do.
Otherwise, Coach Zhao and Commander Fang wouldn't have reacted so strongly when Meng Yingying suggested the "Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers" dance.
"Attention everyone." As soon as Secretary Xu entered, he called out the assembly call, "Assemble in the practice room within five minutes. Anyone who needs to leave, go to the restroom, change into dance clothes, or go out for some fresh air, please assemble in your promotional positions."
The performing arts troupe hadn't been this serious in a long time.
So when Officer Xu said those words, the girls who were practicing all stopped what they were doing.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Come here, everyone, gather at the entrance."
Meng Yingying reacted and called out, and everyone else followed her down from the stage and went to their seats.
The practice room is large, and besides practice, meetings are usually held at the entrance on stage.
“We’re still missing a few people. You all need to count them yourselves. If you know where they are, call them over.”
"Five minutes later, Commander Fang will come over to hold a meeting and hopes that everyone in the cultural troupe will be present."
After Secretary Xu finished relaying the message, the girls went to find their respective ladies, and everyone arrived within three minutes.
Meng Yingying, as the team leader, scanned the room and said, "We're still missing Coach Zhao."
She was about to go out to look for him when Officer Xu called her back, "Coach Zhao is discussing something in Commander Fang's office, she'll be coming over in a bit."
With these words, Meng Yingying felt relieved.
Everyone's gathered, except for the leaders. Ye Yingtao couldn't contain her gossip and whispered to Meng Yingying, "Do you know why Commander Fang is so serious about meeting with us?"
Meng Yingying shook her head. Standing under the light, her face was illuminated, making her features appear soft and beautiful, her skin clear and radiant. Even her voice was gentle. "I don't know yet."
When speaking to Meng Yingying like this, Ye Yingtao felt she had to soften her tone to avoid startling her.
She wanted to say something more.
Hearing a voice outside in the corridor, Meng Yingying tugged at Ye Yingtao's sleeve, "Alright, stop talking."
Ye Yingtao then swallowed the rest of her words.
When Commander Fang arrived, he brought Coach Zhao with him. The previously noisy practice room instantly fell silent.
Commander Fang stood on the podium and first glanced at the people below. "Let's take attendance. Are all twenty-two people here?"
"yes."
It was Meng Yingying who answered. She stood at attention, her posture ramrod straight, and her voice was powerful.
"Now that we're here, I'll tell you something important."
"The rules for this year's joint performance competition of the three northeastern provinces have been changed."
As soon as these words were spoken, the people in the practice room erupted in excitement. "Huh? Boss, what are the new competition rules?"
Faced with everyone's doubts, Director Fang waved her hand, and the crowd immediately quieted down. She then said, "The notice I received is for this year's joint performance of the three northeastern provinces, and we need to enter the venue in advance."
"ah?"
They can understand every single word in this text, but they can't understand it when they put them together.
"To put it simply, the provincial song and dance troupe has secured a benefit for everyone. For the next month, you will need to go to the training venue in advance. Together with the people from the performance office, they will organize a closed pre-competition training session for you. Everyone will gather at the training venue."
The huge practice room instantly fell silent.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. "Why did they go so far in advance?"
"Yes, sir, where is the training ground? We're not familiar with it."
"Nowhere else can compare to our own performing arts troupe."
At least they were familiar with every person and every corner of their performing arts troupe.
Going outside means entering an unfamiliar place and starting all over again.
Commander Fang said, "The order has been given, and everyone must obey it. Not only our cultural troupe, but other cultural troupes will also have to go."
Meng Yingying asked a pointed question, "Where is the training camp? When do we leave?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Commander Fang gave her an approving look. "The training camp will be held at Changchun Film Studio."
Meng Yingying had never heard of this name before. She subconsciously looked at Ye Yingtao. Clearly, Ye Yingtao, who had been in the cultural troupe for many years, was more familiar with every place in the troupe than she was.
Ye Yingtao frowned as she thought, "Changying Studio is Changchun Film Studio, right?"
"yes."
Director Fang said, "Changchun Film Studio has the largest stage among the three provinces. It can also be used as a rehearsal hall. Most importantly, your training period is quite long. When Changchun Film Studio was built, a lot of money was spent. The floor is made of spring pine wood, so at least your feet won't feel shaky when you practice dancing."
This shows just how much money was spent on this joint performance competition among the three northeastern provinces.
They even found such a good and expensive place.
Meng Yingying immediately understood the benefits. She thought of her feet, which were almost blistered from practicing until the end of each day, and then she thought of the springy wooden floor.
She thought that training in a different location wouldn't be a bad thing.
"When do we leave for the training camp?"
"Now."
The moment Commander Fang uttered those two words, the scene erupted in chaos.
"It's already 3:30, how are we supposed to get there?"
"Yes, leader, it's not far from Harbin to Changchun."
Commander Fang said, "It's not far, but it takes five hours by train, so everyone should hurry and get out before August 1st."
"Today is the 31st, we don't have time."
"This is way too rushed! What kind of bastard gave this order?"
Ye Yingtao couldn't help but mutter to herself, and Meng Yingying tugged at her, but Commander Fang still heard her.
She glared at him. "I'll pretend I didn't hear you spouting nonsense inside our company, but if you go outside and keep spouting nonsense and cause trouble for the cultural troupe..."
"Ye Yingtao, don't blame the boss for not protecting you later."
Ye Yingtao immediately fell silent, her eyes reddening. Meng Yingying noticed this but couldn't speak because they were still in the assembly period.
"Alright, you have half an hour to pack up. In half an hour, everyone should gather at the entrance of the camp and take a car to the train station."
It seems that when they received this order, Commander Fang and her team had already arranged for a train.
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately dispersed, grabbed their dance clothes and shoes, and ran back to their dormitories.
This training camp will last for a month, so I need to pack my things in advance to avoid running out of things to use when I get there, which would be a real problem.
On the way back, I noticed that Ye Yingtao seemed a little down.
Meng Yingying comforted her, "Cherry, what's past is past, don't think about it anymore, look forward."
Ye Yingtao was climbing the stairs of her dormitory building, feeling somewhat annoyed. "I can never control my mouth. I've learned my lesson before, and I forgot again this time."
Forgetting that the big boss was still in front of her, she dared to shave her head and was even called out by name in public.
"Alright, this time it happened to one of our own. We've learned our lesson. Next time we go to the training camp, just remember not to talk about it outside."
Ye Yingtao gave a soft "hmm" before dejectedly heading to her dormitory.
"I promise I won't do it again next time, Yingying. If I'm ever so foul-mouthed again, just stop me."
How was Meng Yingying supposed to answer this? She thought for a moment and said very seriously, "I will try my best, but I can't guarantee that I can definitely stop them."
Ye Yingtao, "..."
Ye Yingtao was still sulking and annoyed.
Seeing Meng Yingying's serious expression, he immediately felt better. "My Yingying, don't be so obedient next time."
"You can't stop this kind of thing, so you should just refuse me yourself."
Meng Yingying smiled slightly, looking obedient and adorable. "If I reject you, you'll feel even worse, so there's no need for that."
"And I can indeed keep an eye on you."
Ye Yingtao was at a loss for words. She turned and hugged Meng Yingying before packing her things.
Because the training camp will last for a month, we need to bring a lot of things.
Dance costumes, baby clothes, towels, toothbrushes, and lunchboxes all need to be brought. There's even a military-style blanket, folded into a neat square and placed in the pack.
In just three minutes, the three roommates had almost finished packing up.
Meng Yingying had the fewest belongings. She packed everything neatly, tied a knot in her backpack, and then turned to ask them, "Are you done?"
"immediately."
The one who answered was Lin Qiu, who was also an expert in housekeeping; her packing bag was practically a template.
As for Ye Yingtao, she was a bit lacking. She loved to dress up and had a lot of things. In the end, Lin Qiu couldn't stand it anymore, so he slung his own pack over his shoulder and went to help Ye Yingtao pack.
In less than a minute, Ye Yingtao's pack was packed.
The three of them carried their luggage down the stairs.
As they reached the door, Meng Yingying suddenly paused. Ye Yingtao turned to look at her and asked, "Missing your Commander Qi?"
They all knew that Meng Yingying and Qi Donghan had only confirmed their relationship today.
Meng Yingying looked a little embarrassed. "It's not that I wanted to, it's just that I'll be gone for a month, and he probably doesn't know."
When I was alone, I didn't need to tell anyone where I was going, or at most I would tell my parents.
But now that she has another partner, Meng Yingying feels as if she has an extra burden to worry about.
"That's easy."
Ye Yingtao looked around but didn't see anyone she recognized, though she did see some soldiers passing by.
Seeing that the other person was taking a break, she didn't care whether she knew them or not, and stepped forward to grab them, "Comrade, can I ask you for a favor?"
The young soldier had never been in contact with female comrades before, and when Ye Yingtao grabbed him, his face instantly turned red. "You, you, you, just say it."
Ye Yingtao turned around and pointed at Meng Yingying, "Do you see this comrade? Her surname is Meng. Could you please pass on a message to Commander Qi of the Third Regiment?"
"Just tell him that Comrade Meng has gone out for training and probably won't be back for a while. Tell him to stay home and behave properly, and not to do anything reckless. We'll check on him when he gets back."
The young soldier, "?"
The young soldier was still confused, but Meng Yingying came up. She was much more capable than Ye Yingtao. "Just one sentence: the people in the art troupe are all away on business."
"Just tell Commander Qi."
Judging from the other person's young age and dark complexion, he was probably only seventeen or eighteen years old.
Meng Yingying smiled and said gently, "Did you remember?"
The young soldier nervously replied, "I've got it."
"By the way, my surname is Meng, and my name is Meng Yingying." She took out two candies from her bag, which were fruit hard candies she had bought earlier.
"Could you please run this for me? Thank you."
Liu Mang's face immediately turned red. Then, after Meng Yingying had left, he realized, "Meng Yingying?"
"Is she Meng Yingying?"
This is completely different from the burly, strong, and robust Meng Yingying that Qi Changming described.
It turned out that the person Ye Yingtao randomly grabbed was Qi Changming's former roommate. However, after Qi Changming left, the empty seats in their dormitory were filled again.
Thinking of this, Liu Mang didn't go to the canteen for dinner and ran straight to the training ground.
He had a day off today, which is why he was able to sneak out early to queue up at the cafeteria and grab a seat, even though it was supposed to be training time.
Liu Mang was physically fit; he was a sprint champion, running from the troupe's dormitory to the training ground.
It was a full half-mile.
He ran over in one breath. At this time, everyone in the training ground was still training, while Qi Donghan was the regimental commander.
It was also a rare opportunity for him to go out for training.
The soldiers below were running, chanting slogans like "one, two, one." As far as the eye could see, there was a sea of black heads and men.
Especially his dark face and strong body, he looked like he was stationed in the army.
Liu Mang arrived and happened to run into Qi Donghan training with him; that team had announced its disbandment.
Gao Chunyang's team disbanded early because after a day of training, everyone was exhausted, lying on the ground, drenched in sweat.
Gao Chunyang and Liu Mang shared a dorm room. Seeing Liu Mang running over, he was a little surprised. "Liu Mang, weren't you off today? Why are you at the training ground?"
Liu Mang was a typical country boy, with dark skin and a tall, thin build. He was reluctant to use the grain coupons issued to him by the troop he was stationed in, and saved them all to send back to his hometown.
As for himself, he ate cornbread and coarse rice every day and never ate a single grain of refined grain. Over time, he became as thin as a stick.
Liu Mang nodded to Gao Chunyang and said in a simple and honest manner, "I'm looking for Commander Qi."
Gao Chunyang asked in bewilderment, "What do you want with Commander Qi?"
Because Liu Mang was born in the countryside, he was very self-conscious. He focused on training and didn't flatter or try to build relationships.
He gets incredibly nervous just saying a single word in front of his superiors, so it goes without saying that he would be even more nervous coming to see Qi Donghan.
This is like the sun rising in the west!
Liu Mang stood on tiptoe, looking around. When he saw Qi Donghan giving a speech, he breathed a sigh of relief and said to Gao Chunyang, "I can't tell you."
"I was entrusted by someone to do something for them."
Gao Chunyang scoffed and said, "With your pathetic appearance, who would want to ask you for a favor?"
Liu Mang was mocked, but he didn't get angry.
Of course, he's gotten used to it.
Just then, Qi Donghan finished training and dismissed his men. He loosened his collar and strolled over.
He was tall, and wearing a uniform, his long legs gave him an imposing presence.
I watched him approach.
Liu Mang immediately rushed up to him, looking proud and imposing, and said, "Reporting to the leader."
The sound was so loud that everyone could hear it.
Qi Donghan loosened his collar, revealing his prominent Adam's apple. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead and disappeared into his collarbone.
"explain."
His voice was also cold and stern.
Liu Mang saluted, combined Ye Yingtao's and Meng Yingying's words into a report, his voice loud and clear, full of energy, "Comrade Meng from the cultural troupe asked me to bring you a message. She's away on a business trip and won't be back for a while. She wants you to stay home and behave properly, and not do anything reckless. She'll check on you when she gets back!"
Qi Donghan, “…”
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Author's Note: Commander Qi: My wife really cares about me! [Sunglasses]
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