Chapter 901

Mencius, a small county town located in the southeast of Yunnan Province, near the China-Vietnam border.

It has a profound history, with over ten thousand years of human reproduction and activity history and over 2,100 years of county establishment history. It is one of the few millennium-old counties in Yunnan Province, and also an important birthplace of Yunnan civilization and the starting point of its opening to the outside world. China's first private railway, Yunnan's first customs house, the first foreign bank, and many other "firsts" were born here one after another. It possesses three cultural calling cards: "Centennial Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, Centennial Port Opening and Trade, and Centennial Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles."

This is, of course, a later introduction to Mencius; at this time, the concept of cultural calling cards did not yet exist.

Mencius's landform is composed of basins, mountains, and karst, and the population is naturally concentrated in the more comfortable basins. In the river valley areas below 500 meters above sea level here, the annual average temperature is 21°C, and the number of days with temperatures above 10°C is over 340 days, with no frost all year round.

This climate is still very comfortable, but it gets hot when it should be hot, and when it should be damp and cold, one will also feel uncomfortable. Moreover, natural disasters occur frequently here, such as frost, late spring cold, spring drought, floods during the rainy season, scattered summer droughts, low temperatures and overcast rain in autumn, as well as localized hail and strong winds, etc.; there is almost no year without disaster.

The so-called "gains must have losses"—having enjoyed many days of ease in a year, one must always suffer for a few days. This explanation is, of course, not quite right, but there must always be a saying so that the losses brought about by the disasters suffered have a place to go.

This is Wang Yan's own thought and cannot represent the inner voice of the people living on this land. He treats the four seasons fairly, and treats weather like rain, snow, wind, and frost fairly.

But now, he quite dislikes rain.

For something to be disliked, it must be that this "something" brings some harm or inconvenience. Wang Yan is the same, so he dislikes rain now because he is the one being drenched.

He is wearing a Type 65 military uniform and a hat with a red star; the distinct military green has already been drenched into different colors by the rain—some parts are still bright, while others have faded.

Although the Art Troupe unit is just over a hundred meters away from him, Wang Yan still ran to the eaves of the nearby supply and marketing cooperative to hide from the rain.

The Art Troupe over there has a tall gate, with signs reading "Art Troupe of the Military Region Political Department" in black characters on a white background hanging on both sides. Above the gate is "Serve the People" handwritten by Comrade Instructor, in yellow characters on a red background. Two soldiers holding guns stand solemnly on guard opposite each other.

In the center, twenty meters inside the gate, surrounded by flowers and plants, is an independent high wall mural. On it is Comrade Instructor, also wearing a Type 65 military uniform, standing with his hands behind his back looking at the landscape, with the background being the fluttering crimson flag, dotted with the red sun of the East, the Tiananmen of the capital, etc.

Some later people attribute this to the characteristics of the era and criticize the cult of personality.

There are many people hiding from the rain here. Wang Yan leans against the wall, smiling as he watches a man and a woman standing not far in front of him.

That male comrade is dressed like him, but he has a military green shoulder bag on his body, as well as a military canteen, and is carrying quite a few things in his hands. That female comrade is wearing a thick military raincoat, with two large braided pigtails, and is also carrying things.

Liu Feng puts down the things in his hands and takes two steps forward with He Xiaoping, observing the gate of the Art Troupe.

He says: "Your mother told me that once you receive your military uniform, you must take a photo and send it back, so that the neighbors in the street know you have become a soldier."

He Xiaoping nods repeatedly, smiling extremely happily. She looks around; this is a strange place, and she has never walked such a long distance. Being about to become a member of the Art Troupe makes her excitement unable to subside.

Liu Feng looks around, sees Wang Yan leaning against the wall with a smile, is stunned for a moment, then waves to Wang Yan, gets closer to He Xiaoping, and says in a low voice: "When handling the political review for enlistment, the police officer at the police station told me that your biological father is still undergoing labor reform, but you have drawn a clear line with him and changed your surname to your stepfather's surname, so I filled in 'Revolutionary Cadre' for your family background. Don't tell others about this after entering the troupe, and I won't say anything either."

He Xiaoping naturally knows the difference, nods happily, and salutes Liu Feng happily.

"Come, let me introduce you to our comrade-in-arms."

Just as it was originally, after Liu Feng corrected how He Xiaoping should salute correctly, he brought He Xiaoping to Wang Yan's side: "Wang Yan, this is Comrade He Xiaoping, who just arrived at our troupe. She dances exceptionally well and was specifically named by our squad leader to come over.

Comrade He Xiaoping, this is Comrade Wang Yan, who is in our troupe's orchestra. Suona, erhu, trumpet, flute, violin, etc. —he can play them all, and he can even practice medicine; he's more capable than our troupe's medic."

"Hello, Comrade He Xiaoping."

"Hello, Comrade Wang Yan." Feeling the kindness in Wang Yan's smiling face, He Xiaoping salutes Wang Yan, smiling very brightly.

"Liu Feng just taught you in vain; your hand shouldn't be so stiff—just level with your eyebrows. Like this."

As he speaks, Wang Yan stands straight and salutes.

"Like this?" He Xiaoping learns it again.

"That's the idea; just look in the mirror and practice." Wang Yan nods with a smile.

Liu Feng asks: "Why are you outside?"

"There's no suona in the rehearsal today, so I came out for a stroll while I was free. Who knew I'd be heading back soon and get caught in such a big rain. Where are you returning from?"

"The capital; I brought some things back from home for the comrades in the troupe along the way."

"Why are you always arranged for this kind of thing? Change to someone else next time. You run from south to north every time; it's so tiring. You can't always be the one getting tired, right?"

Liu Feng waves his hand with a smile: "The other comrades in the troupe aren't familiar with the situation, and I've walked a lot outside, so I'm familiar with everywhere. Besides, it's a sleeper berth back and forth, and there's a travel allowance; the troupe is taking care of me. Taking advantage of the convenience of business trips, I can be considered to have traveled south and north and seen many fresh things; it's a good thing."

"Your consciousness is high; you are worthy of being our troupe's pacesetter."

Wang Yan smiles and raises his hand for a punch, with a "clatter" sound, lightly hitting Liu Feng's chest with his knuckles, showing their good relationship.

His mission this time is to be a nanny for Liu Feng. Truth be told, he has always been a nanny for others; after all, the so-called missions are all the wishes of the characters in the drama. Even in the several ancient worlds he experienced, in the end, he was also a nanny, only he was protecting all the people under heaven, and he had to make the decisions himself, which is why he had to fight for the world. In the origin of why he went, there was no essential difference.

So Wang Yan has always been a nanny for people from beginning to end, or to use a nicer term, "mentoring the characters in the drama." After all, he is equivalent to a "golden finger," a character like an "old grandfather." If you convert the category, he is the "Living Father" of the characters in the drama.

Of course, it's not that there haven't been accidents. In the millennium until now, there has only been one Ding Qing. That kid was ignorant and didn't know who was the person who was good for him, so his end was quite bad. However, precisely because of this, he made Wang Yan remember him for a longer time; he hasn't forgotten him for a thousand years.

Liu Feng's life is indeed not very good. Usually, he helps others and is kind to people. When he confessed to the girl he liked and couldn't help but give her a hug, he ended up with a disciplinary action, was transferred away from the Art Troupe, and went to a local logistics unit. Then he caught the outbreak of the Vietnam War, was ambushed on the way to transport supplies to the front line, and eventually lost an arm. Of course, compared to soldiers who lost their lives, he is naturally lucky.

Later, he was disabled and discharged. The comrades-in-arms of the former Art Troupe who received much help from him—including one whose military academy spot he gave up—none of them reached out to help him. His wife ran away, he was bullied by others, and he lived a miserable life.

However, one cannot compare misery in this world. If that were really the case, there are plenty of people whose encounters are more miserable than Liu Feng's. Liu Feng helped this one and that one, did this and that, and in the end, no one reached out to help him or pull him up; it's somewhat unreasonable.

After all, for that group of people in the Art Troupe, it was really just a matter of lifting a finger, and they could easily change Liu Feng's situation. No one helped, and no one cared about Liu Feng; for Liu Feng, this is very sad.

Of course, having said that, giving shouldn't really require a return; after all, no matter what others say, that is ultimately one's own choice. Whether it's out of kindness or embarrassment, or not knowing how to refuse, it's ultimately one's own choice to give. Then, having said that, as the saying goes, "put yourself in another's shoes"—one side gives, and the other side accepts happily, feeling at ease and taking it for granted—this is also very unreasonable.

Liu Feng is exactly that kind of problem; his actions and deeds have become taken for granted in the eyes of others.

Wang Yan smiles and says: "I heard the words you just told Comrade He Xiaoping."

He Xiaoping immediately becomes nervous and subconsciously looks at Liu Feng; this relates to whether she can enter the Art Troupe, otherwise she might be sent back. She has no warmth at home, so naturally, she doesn't want to go back.

Liu Feng, however, looks at others first; it's easy to talk to his own people, but others might not be.

"It's my ears that are sharp; they didn't hear it." Wang Yan looks at the nervous He Xiaoping: "Don't worry, I'm not a gossipy person. Where is your father?"

"Northwest." He Xiaoping replies gloomily.

"The environment there is relatively harsh. Once you join the troupe, you will have a stipend. Think about saving some money and coupons; otherwise, if you get sick, you might have to tough it out, and if it gets serious, that would be bad.

Don't forget to send it to your father after taking the photo. I remember when the new comrades came last time, they said there was only one large-sized summer uniform left; you might have to wait a while to receive the winter uniform directly. But I guess you must be in a hurry; just see who is easy to talk to and borrow it from her. Don't think about just taking a photo and being done with it in a moment, and then running away with someone else's clothes."

"Thank you, Comrade Wang Yan."

"You're welcome."

Liu Feng smiles: "I knew you were also concerned about your comrades-in-arms."

"Why would comrades-in-arms need my concern? She is young, only seventeen or eighteen, right? And unlike those in our troupe, half of whom have connections above, all being children of cadres. If she is reckless, it will be hard for her in the future."

"You can't say it like that; they are all good comrades." The current Liu Feng sees good people everywhere.

"Let's go, the rain is lighter. This rain, you never know when it will fall; sometimes big, sometimes small, it's hard to endure." Wang Yan smiles: "Come, let me help you carry some."

The three of them talk and laugh, stepping on the rainwater on the ground in the drizzle, walking toward the Art Troupe...

Wang Yan's words were indeed many, but it can be considered helping He Xiaoping; if she really listened, it would save some trouble.

Originally, it was He Xiaoping who stole Lin Dingding's military uniform and ran to a photo studio to take a photo, and was discovered by a group of people. They didn't like He Xiaoping much to begin with, and this time, they naturally ostracized her even more. For this kind of thing, just opening one's mouth to ask would have been enough; if others didn't lend it, Xiao Suizi would likely not have said much.

Of course, if one insists on explaining, it can actually be explained.

Because He Xiaoping's own encounters were not very good. Since she was a child, her father was undergoing reform, and her mother remarried with her; she was not liked in the new home, and she might be beaten or scolded at any time. Her childhood was miserable, which made her cautious and silent. Because it was useless for her to speak, and no one would care.

She is not stupid, so she naturally felt the dislike those people in the Art Troupe had for her; moreover, their dislike was undisguised, which made her afraid to open her mouth to borrow, because she was afraid of being rejected, which would hurt her self-esteem that was already shattered into pieces.

Taking a photo is just a "click" thing; she thought that as long as she was fast enough and careful enough, she wouldn't be discovered. So compared to being rejected and having her self-esteem trampled on again, it was better to just secretly take it and use it. To her, stealing it seemed to be the best choice.

As for He Xiaoping sewing two sponges into her bra, it was likely not to look bigger as those people mocked. Maybe she was relatively flat and it was uncomfortable to wear, maybe it was to make dancing look better and show a woman's beauty, or maybe it was because she sweated a lot and wanted to absorb sweat to cover up the smell.

Of course, it's also possible it was to look bigger; she was ostracized, and secretly padding it with sponges to be better than those women—that's also possible. However, this is indeed a bit far-fetched; after all, she dances quite well and practices hard, and dancing better than others is also a kind of victory that belongs to her; there's no need to do this.

And it's not necessarily He Xiaoping's, although everyone defaulted to this matter...

Wang Yan follows Liu Feng and He Xiaoping, salutes when passing the soldiers on guard, and walks into the Art Troupe talking and laughing. Of course, it's Liu Feng talking and laughing with He Xiaoping, introducing the buildings inside to He Xiaoping, while Wang Yan just watches from the side.

The Art Troupe is a very large unit, so the space here is also very large. There is a playground, as well as various buildings for administration, accommodation, etc., a large auditorium, and even more rehearsal venues, etc. Of course, there is no shortage of bathrooms, swimming pools, and the like. There is also a platoon of soldiers responsible for some security work.

The buildings are naturally the common five or six-story small buildings of this time, nothing unique. It's nothing more than having various slogans, flags fluttering in the wind on the playground, and the overall look is cleaner and tidier, a standard military style.

Wang Yan has already accepted various environments with huge gaps, and he has been to this era several times, so there is no big difference; it's a perfect transition.

The three of them don't stop and go directly to the large indoor rehearsal venue. From far away, they can already hear the music coming through. Entering the gate, the music is even louder, and it also makes people's eyes light up.

Because inside, a group of girls with exquisite figures are dancing in unison; they are wearing the same half-sleeved shirts and the same half-length tight shorts. Looking at them, it's all white legs, and they all seem to be smiling very sweetly.

The age of the Art Troupe is relatively young, generally in their twenties, all under thirty, which can be called young and beautiful.

Uniformity is monotony, and it is also beauty. For example, at this moment, for example, the military formation.

This is what Wang Yan wants to criticize. Although this era is not really that rigid, and it has definitely not reached the degree of strict separation between men and women, it has also not reached the openness of decades later. Dressing like this now, with the band not far away—mostly male comrades, and even some idle ones hugging their arms and watching legs nearby with a look of wild imagination—this is obviously inappropriate, even if it is an Art Troupe.

Especially on the wall of this rehearsal room, behind these girls, there are photos of the Instructor and several other foreigners hanging.

And the later scene of men and women wearing swimsuits together, swimming and playing—this is obviously also inappropriate. In general, this movie is actually not very good.

Wang Yan is cursing Feng Kuzi here, but it doesn't delay his appreciation. He is, of course, appreciating; what kind of women or scenes could make him have wild imaginations? He has no way not to appreciate it, and besides appreciating, he can't do anything else.

On the other side, Liu Feng gets hot water for He Xiaoping, and He Xiaoping holds the hot water in her hands, looking at the dancing girls with yearning.

When the dance is finished, the squad leader introduces He Xiaoping and asks He Xiaoping to show her skills. Liu Feng helps explain, saying she took the train for a long time and hasn't moved around. However, He Xiaoping doesn't refuse; she naturally knows she needs to perform, so she immediately takes off her raincoat, coat, backpack, etc.

At this time, the squad leader also praises He Xiaoping, saying she dances well and that the spot was specially approved.

Seeing He Xiaoping foolishly not expressing anything, Wang Yan smiles: "Comrade He Xiaoping, you should thank our squad leader."

"Thank you, Squad Leader." He Xiaoping salutes again with a not-very-standard military salute.

The squad leader also returns a military salute with a serious face, then pats He Xiaoping on the shoulder: "Don't listen to his nonsense; although I asked the leadership for special approval, it's also because you are promising yourself and are a good seedling for dancing."

As she speaks, she glares at Wang Yan, who is smiling.

This squad leader is the one who manages the song and dance team, named Su Huilan; she is a proper leader, and at the same time, she is responsible for rehearsals and other matters, and she is also an artist who has skills in her hands.

Su Huilan smiles kindly: "Come on, show me your skills and let me see if you have made progress."

"Yes." He Xiaoping responds, walks to the center of the field, moves around a bit, and begins her movements.

Beside Wang Yan, Hao Shuwen still takes the clothes for He Xiaoping; she was close just now, so she took them over casually. Why was she close? Naturally, to get close to the leadership. Although her father is a high-ranking military officer with a lot of energy, she still needs to get close to them; she can't always bring up her father, as that would be embarrassing.

So unsurprisingly, looking at He Xiaoping in the field and feeling the dampness of the clothes in her hand, she leans closer and sniffs, a look of disgust appearing on her face.

Watching Wang Yan hugging his arms and watching He Xiaoping doing flips and turns, she leans over and brings the clothes to the tip of Wang Yan's nose...