Chapter 122
The day before the National Day performance, the members of the Industrial Hall dance team had a formal rehearsal.
Deputy Director Guo asked everyone to wear uniform clothing to see the performance effect.
Ye Manzhi followed the dance teacher's instructions and tried her best to perform every movement perfectly, dancing very seriously.
As soon as the music stopped, she was called by Director Guo.
"Comrade second from the left, comrade third, and Jiang Xiaohui, please restrain your expressions and movements."
Ye Manzhi is the third comrade from the left!
There’s nothing wrong with being called out by the leader.
However, when the leader called out my name, he didn’t say it!
This is a bit embarrassing...
Fortunately, she had Peng Jiayin to keep her company. One of them was the second comrade from the left, and the other was the third comrade from the left.
They are all unknown people in the eyes of the leaders.
The three nodded obediently and during the second rehearsal, they deliberately restrained their expressions and movements. However, after the rehearsal, Director Guo was still not satisfied.
She asked the third person from the left to stay in the line, and then asked Jiang Xiaohui and Peng Jiayin to step out and stand next to her to watch the third rehearsal together.
"Do you see the problem?" asked Director Guo.
Jiang and Peng nodded.
Ye Manzhi stood out in the group, making the others look like backup dancers.
The teacher said that the rhythm of Xinjiang dance is very important. Ye Manzhi has been practicing pipa for many years and can grasp the ups and downs of the rhythm. Every movement is clear, and some small details in her expression can well reflect the agility of Xinjiang dance.
The three of them are considered to be outstanding performers in the dance team. They can let go of their hands and feet and their movements are in place, and they are often praised by the dance teacher.
Unexpectedly, the good dancer made the leader unhappy.
After returning to the team, the two explained the situation to Ye Manzhi. Jiang Xiaohui muttered, "Instead of asking others to improve their skills, they're asking the good dancers to catch up with the bad ones. What's the logic behind this?"
She'd been assigned to the Industry Department for three years. The provincial Party Committee didn't organize any events for National Day or New Year's Day the previous two years, so this year was her first time attending a cultural performance. A vocalist and dancer since childhood, she was determined to perform well this time, but even her impressive performance wasn't enough!
Ye Manzhi exchanged positions with the two and watched the fourth rehearsal next to the leader.
Then, during a break, he said to the two, "Jiayin and Xiaohui both danced exceptionally well, but this is a group dance after all. Not only must the movements be graceful, but they must also be uniform and coordinated. If the three of us continue to dance the way we've always done, it will indeed seem like the group isn't harmonious. 'Xinjiang is Good' is aiming for first prize, and the individual must obey the collective. I think we should follow Director Guo's instructions and be more restrained."
They are not professional dancers and have no artistic pursuits, so there is no need for them to argue with their leaders.
After the leaders have watched the unremarkable Xinjiang Good, they may realize how precious these three are!
After the three of them reached a consensus, they all danced in a restrained manner during the final rehearsal, making the team look particularly neat.
But Director Guo stood aside with his arms folded and a frown on his face, obviously still dissatisfied with the rehearsal.
She turned to the dance teacher beside her and asked, "Teacher Wang, what do you think of this rehearsal? Do you think we'll win the first prize tomorrow?"
"That depends on the quality of the other programs," Teacher Wang said subtly. "This rehearsal went well, but Xinjiang dance is passionate, unrestrained, flexible and cheerful, and the actors need to smile the whole time. Our comrades still seem too reserved."
Deputy Director Guo discussed with the other comrades for a while, and then said to the team members who were still resting, "Since you have chosen the Xinjiang dance, you must try your best to dance it in a way that reflects its characteristics. I remember when Director Hao introduced this program to me, he said that it was to respond to the Provincial Party Committee's call to mobilize the vast number of educated youth to support the border areas. In this case, our dance should show the good things about Xinjiang and the enthusiasm of its people. Everyone, don't hold back, dance with abandon!"
But dancing has something to do with one's personality and talent, and you can't just open up to others just because your leader tells you to.
Director Guo was also aware of this, so she changed the team members' formation and placed three young female comrades who were good at dancing in the middle position.
Ye Manzhi understood the leader's decision.
Letting the three of them dance restrainedly is for the sake of collective honor, and putting the three of them in the middle is also for the sake of collective honor.
However, although understanding is one thing, people who have been replaced from good positions will inevitably feel dissatisfied.
I was about to perform on stage tomorrow, but today my leader asked me to adjust my position. No one would be happy about this.
The rehearsal room was silent as the six people switched positions.
The atmosphere is a bit subtle.
When Ye Manzhi exchanged with Han Zhiying from the Finance Department, she said with a smile, "Sister Zhiying, although you are a model financial officer and a model accountant in our provincial government, you are not as good as me when it comes to dancing the Xinjiang dance! Hehe, Director Guo has a sharp eye. If he assigns the three of us to key positions, we will definitely win first prize tomorrow!"
Hearing this, Han Zhiying's expression eased slightly. He walked down the stairs and asked in a feigned anger, "You sound nice, but what if I don't win first prize tomorrow?"
"If you don't win, just keep trying next year," Ye Manzhi personally escorted her back to her original seat and said with a smile, "You can't ask me to sing another song, can you? I already speak better than you sing..."
Han Zhiying was amused by her and pushed her, saying, "Go back and stand still. I don't need you to send me off! If you don't take first place tomorrow, I'll dock your salary!"
Ye Manzhi looked at her former neighbor, Pang Ting, who was fourth from the left. "Sister Ting, you're also from the Finance Department. You have to help me keep an eye on Han Biaobing and make sure she doesn't deduct my salary!"
A few female comrades chatted and laughed, which managed to cover up the embarrassment and unpleasantness caused by the position adjustment.
*
National Day is a national statutory holiday with two days off. In addition, September 30th happens to be a Sunday, so this year's National Day can be a three-day holiday.
The National Day gala was scheduled for the afternoon of the 29th. As soon as Chang Yue'e took her seat in the auditorium of the Provincial People's Committee, she felt the joyful, expectant and restless atmosphere.
She whispered to Old Ye, "The provincial government is really different from our factory. Look at their spirits!"
"Tsk, of course it's different!" Ye Shouxin said sourly, "I have to go back to the factory to work overtime after the show, but the cadres sitting in the office don't need to work overtime to catch up with the production schedule! They can rest for three days after the show. If it were me, I would definitely be very energetic!"
"Please keep your voice down!"
Their seats were in the middle row of the auditorium, surrounded by provincial officials and their families.
In the front row sat leaders from the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee. Chang Yue'e gazed at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling and said dreamily, "If it weren't for my daughter's help, I would never have the chance to sit in the auditorium of the Provincial People's Committee in my lifetime, right?"
"Of course not!" The Ye family's confidence was inherited from generation to generation. "In the future, when I become a provincial model worker and you become an advanced cadre, we can come here to receive the award!"
Chang Yue'e thought about the meat processing factory she was in charge of, which had only ten employees.
Forget it, let’s just enjoy the show.
"Which show is Lai Ya coming to?"
"The sixth one." Comrade Wu Yuzhuo answered affirmatively.
Today she was wearing a red velvet skirt and a Xinjiang hat. She was sitting in her father's arms, holding the only program list in her hand responsibly.
Chang Yue'e tilted her head to glance at the program list and saw that the sixth program was the dance "Good Xinjiang", and the unit selecting it was the Provincial Department of Industry.
She asked in surprise, "My dear, can you read?"
"I know it!" Wu Yuzhuo pointed at the word "good" with his short finger and said, "This is 'good'. There's another program with the word 'good' behind it, but that program has five characters. My mother's program only has three characters, so it must be the sixth one!"
Chang Yue'e: "..."
It turns out that I only know one character, and the rest are all guessed.
She touched her granddaughter's little hand and thought, "Good guess. It's quite remarkable that she guessed right."
After the announcer came on stage, the auditorium gradually became quiet.
After the first secretary and the governor gave speeches respectively, the National Day art performance officially began.
Except for a crosstalk, the first five programs were all chorus or solo programs. Among the four songs, Wu Yuzhuo could sing along with two.
"Unity is Strength" and "Singing the Motherland" are the daily fixed songs of the 656 Factory Radio Station.
Comrade Wu Yuzhuo, who was only three years old, could already hum the entire song.
While people from other units were singing on the stage, she sat on her father's lap and sang while shaking her head.
Since many people in the auditorium sang along with the singers on stage, no one thought the child was disruptive.
But Wu Zhengrong, who was holding her daughter, felt complicated and couldn't tell who the child looked like.
Not like him anyway.
He doesn't have much artistic talent, and he probably wasn't so lively or supportive when he was a child.
The enthusiastic little boy Wu Yuzhuo immediately sat up straight and stared at the stage when he heard the announcement of the sixth program.
When the first performer in a red dress came on stage, she excitedly called out "Mom".
When the second actor dressed in the same way appeared, she was stunned for a moment and excitedly called out "Mom" again.
Then, the third, fourth, and more than a dozen women in red dresses came out one after another, and Wu Yuzhuo was stunned on the spot.
Wu Zhengrong ignored his daughter who was confused, and fixed his eyes on Ye Lai Ya, who appeared seventh. Although they were far away, as the person next to him, it was impossible for him to mistakenly recognize his own wife.
The first few programs were all standard singing and crosstalk. When it came to the sixth program, a group of female comrades in red skirts and small hats came on stage.
It immediately caused a sensation in the venue.
As the cheerful music sounded, more than a dozen "Xinjiang women" dispersed one after another, holding their heads high, chests puffed out, and waists straight. Just by their stretched postures, their collective appearance showed the full customs of ethnic minorities.
The audience gave a round of applause.
Comrades from the Industry Department took the lead in applauding and cheering, and some even whistled in the audience.
Wu Zhengrong stared at Ye Lai Ya, who was standing in the front row, smiling and dancing nimbly and lightly. He felt that he could not see clearly from the audience.
So he put his daughter in the chair, stood up and left the audience alone, and walked to the front of the stage.
The lights on the stage were bright, and Ye Manzhi couldn't see the situation in the audience except for the audience in the first row.
The three of them were transferred to the lead dancing position by Director Guo yesterday, and they practiced until around nine o'clock in the evening before disbanding.
The dance positions were rearranged. After she went on stage, she told herself to control her facial expressions and keep smiling, while silently recalling the positions, striving to make every movement perfect.
However, as she turned her wrist and spun on the spot, she saw a familiar figure among several newspaper reporters beside the stage as soon as she turned her head.
Wu Zhengrong was wearing a white shirt and green military pants, blending in with the crowd of reporters.
When Ye Manzhi glanced over, her eyes met his smiling one.
She completed the rotation without any delay, but she was complaining in her heart, how could this man be so embarrassing!
There wasn’t enough room in the auditorium for him to sit, so he had to run to the side of the stage to enjoy the show!
Ye Manzhi couldn't help but glare in the man's direction, but she still remembered the dance teacher's instructions to keep smiling, so the look in her eyes seemed shy and timid, as if she was angry and happy.
When Wu Zhengrong raised his camera, he happened to capture this somewhat charming expression.
Sometimes a gesture or a look can be remembered for a lifetime.
Ye Manzhi's little expression was remembered for the rest of his life by the military representative who had a good memory.
Ye Lai Ya was very beautiful in her gorgeous dress, but the glance she gave her made her whole body full of fresh aura.
After this photo was developed, the composition and light and shadow were excellent.
For many years afterwards, it was placed on the desk in his study along with the first photo of the two of them.
Looking back decades later, Wu Zhengrong's only regret in 1962 was that he didn't have a color camera and couldn't freeze the brightest and most vivid leaves and buds of that year in time.
At that time, Ye Manzhi and Wu Yuzhuo, who also witnessed the performance, had long forgotten the scene. Only Wu Zhengrong could review the memories of decades ago alone.
*
This year's National Day performance awarded two first prizes, one was the chorus program "Yellow River Cantata" by the Public Security Department, and the other was the dance performance "Good Xinjiang" by the Industry Department.
I don’t know whether they really danced well or just happened to respond to the policy, but the female comrades who had been rehearsing hard for more than a month were all convinced that they danced well.
Everyone was a little restrained during rehearsal, but when they actually went on stage, they seemed to give it their all and danced very freely, capturing the essence of Xinjiang dance.
Director Guo was very happy to receive the certificate. He not only distributed the prizes for the performance - teacups, towels, blanket tickets - to everyone, but also paid for a pen for each team member.
The pens are produced by the pen factory in this province and are managed by the Department of Industry. A lot of samples are sent here every year, so it is no big deal to reward a team member with a pen.
The pen Ye Manzhi is using is a Parker pen given to her by Wu Zhengrong. She received a prize in the hall and gave it to Wu Zhengrong.
It's a give and take relationship.
During the National Day holiday, the couple took their children to the pastoral area in the western part of the province. When Ye Manyzhi went there for research last time, she thought the grassland pasture was very beautiful.
This time, there happened to be three days of public holiday, so Wu Zhengrong and I took the children to the ranch to relax.
The three-day short trip made Ye Manzhi, who had returned to work, full of energy.
Peng Jiayin smiled and said, "Xiaoye, you look pretty good. Did you hear the good news?"
"What good news?"
"Director Guo said the dance team should be kept as an extracurricular activity organized by the office labor union. Director Guo asked us to choreograph a few more dances. She wants to take us to Beijing to participate in the National Art Festival next year!"
"Wow, really?" Ye Manzhi's face was full of surprise.
She hasn't been to Beijing yet!
The last time she went to the south, she had to change trains in Beijing, but time was so tight that she didn’t even leave the train station!
"Really?! The National Art Festival requires non-professionals to participate, and our qualifications are just right!"
Peng Jiayin was extremely excited about the opportunity to perform in Beijing. She wanted to share the latest news with Ye Manzhi, but was interrupted by He Ping who was working at the next desk.
"The director has mentioned organizing a tenth anniversary celebration many times. We might need to hold a meeting within Comprehensive Section 3 this afternoon to discuss this matter. What are your ideas? Let's discuss them first."
Peng Jiayin said, "Within our light industry system, including government offices and factories, there are tens of thousands of people across the province. I'd like to propose that the province hold an essay contest with prizes, inviting everyone to discuss the changes and experiences of the light industry's development over the past decade. The best articles could then be published in the provincial newspaper and our official newspaper."
"Not bad, not bad, this is a good idea," He Ping nodded in affirmation, then looked at Ye Manzhi and asked, "Xiao Ye, what do you think?"
Ye Manzhi was very concerned about the work that the director had mentioned many times, and specially came up with a plan this month.
She is just waiting for the leader to hold a meeting so that she can offer suggestions.
When He Ping asked her about it, she told him.
"I'm responsible for receiving letters from the public. Over the past two months, almost half of them have been about product quality. And last month, when the working group from the Ministry of Light Industry came to inspect our province, they repeatedly mentioned the problem of industrial production focusing solely on quantity and neglecting quality. So, I think our Provincial Department of Industry could organize a product quality evaluation to celebrate our tenth anniversary."
"In all industries, we will select provincial-level outstanding enterprises and products. We will issue licenses to these outstanding enterprises, award certificates or medals commemorating the 10th anniversary of the light industry to these outstanding products, and allow them to have the words 'Provincial Excellence' and '10th Anniversary Medal' printed on their product packaging. This will help the public identify high-quality products. Seeing the 'Provincial Excellence' designation is a guarantee of quality, allowing people to purchase with confidence. It will also encourage other factories to emulate these 'Provincial Excellence' standards, improve their quality, and strive to win awards in the next selection."
He Ping nodded and said, "Xiao Ye and I are of the same mind. Most of our light industry products are daily necessities, which are closely related to the lives of ordinary people. Strict quality control is also one of the important tasks of our Industry Department. As an inspector in the past two years, I have seen..."
Blah blah blah, he began to talk about his experiences at the grassroots level.
Staring at his lips opening and closing, Ye Manzhi was shocked!
Oh my god!
She racked her brains, racked her brains, and rebuilt the whole thing several times before she came up with a fairly reliable plan to improve product quality. She then managed to link the quality improvement with the tenth anniversary celebration.
Why did she think the same as He Ping?
How could they think of the same thing?
In addition to conducting research at the grassroots level, He Ping, the "researcher", is also in charge of the light industrial machinery industry. The products of this part are commonly known as "three turns and one sound".
Bicycles, clocks, sewing machines, radios.
Each one of them is extremely expensive, and none of them are likely to have quality problems.
Even if we take a step back, since He Ping could come up with such a good idea to improve quality, why didn't he mention it to the department before?
Does it have to be brought out just in time for the tenth anniversary celebration?
He is a veteran in the Department of Industry, and the generally low quality of products is not a recent problem.
What did he do before? He had to wait for her to bring it up before he said, "Xiao Ye and I were thinking the same thing."
Ye Manyi opened his mouth several times but couldn't ask a single word.
How do you ask such a question?
After listening to He Ping's profound speech, Ye Manzhi nodded with a smile and said, "Then we really think alike," and then stopped talking.
She now only felt that He Ping was nearly ten years older than Zhao Guilin, but was overshadowed by Zhao Guilin, the section chief.
Maybe it's not just a matter of academic qualifications and ability.
Except for Ye Manzhi, no one else in the office noticed anything unusual, as if the two people really had the same idea.
After all, He Ping's age and qualifications are there, and he is an "inspector" who goes to the grassroots level every now and then to understand the situation. It is actually reasonable for him to come up with such a method to improve product quality.
After Wang Qin briefly shared his plan, the matter was over.
After lunch break, Zhao Guilin held an emergency meeting in the department as He Ping said, specifically to study the planning and arrangements for the 10th anniversary celebration of light industry.
There are still more than two months to go before New Year's Day, and there will be celebrations at the beginning of the year. The director is urging the section chiefs to come back, and the four section chiefs have to come back to urge their subordinates.
"Things like those kind of cultural performances and exhibitions are all outdated ideas," Zhao Guilin said, waving his hand. "We in the Comprehensive Department III disdain to come up with such rehashed ideas. Let's hurry up and come up with some fresh proposals and submit them to the director."
As the first person after Zhao Guilin, He Ping spoke first.
The plan he introduced was the "product quality evaluation" that Ye Manzhi had just mentioned that morning. However, he was able to become a deputy section chief before and was later transferred to be an "inspector", which actually showed that he had some real skills.
He Ping improved Ye Manzhi's idea and classified the "provincial excellence" products into different categories. The provincial excellence was further divided into "special excellence", "first class", "second class" and "third class", incorporating more products of acceptable quality and allowing more companies and products to participate in the evaluation.
At the same time, it also gives products that have not reached the "provincial excellence" level a motivation to move forward. This can effectively prevent provincial-level excellent enterprises and products from resting on their laurels and not making progress.
He Ping spoke eloquently for half an hour, then added, "Xiao Ye also proposed this approach this morning. We have similar ideas, but my plan divides product ratings into more detailed categories. We each have our own advantages."
Ye Manzhi: “…”
All the good things were said by others, and they openly admitted that they had the same ideas. She was really speechless.
In a situation like this, as long as no one brings it up and it doesn't affect reporting to superiors, Zhao Guilin, as the section chief, won't delve into who came up with the idea.
Since He Ping proposed it first and improved the plan, then this plan is his.
While listening to Heping's introduction, Zhao Guilin took notes in his notebook.
This idea does have a certain degree of feasibility. The quality problems of light industrial products have not been effectively solved. The reason is that corporate leaders have not paid enough attention to it, and the entire system is stagnant.
If a large-scale, top-down "product quality evaluation" could be carried out, mobilizing all units within the light industry system, it might have a miraculous effect on improving product quality.
Zhao Guilin had a quick mind and while recording, he thought of another benefit of doing so.
Since the light industry system has many types of products and a wide variety of categories, the evaluation process will inevitably be very long, and the evaluation process can even be started this year.
This kind of activity may be able to stir up the stagnant water in the light industry system from this year to the end of next year.
Isn’t this exactly what Xia Zhuyun needs, an influential and commemorative event!
The more Zhao Guilin thought about it, the more satisfied he became. He added a few ideas he had thought of into his notebook.
Thinking of what He Ping had just said, Ye Manzhi had thought of the same idea as him, so he directly called Ye Manzhi's name.
"Xiaoye, do you have anything else to add?"
Young people have sharp minds, and Ye Manzhi is a recent college graduate, so he is willing to listen to young people's ideas.
Ye Manzhi glanced at He Ping, who was drinking tea calmly, and nodded.
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