Surprise: Can I give him a surprise?
“Yes, Xiaoman, you can give it a try. If you get in, we’ll have someone to keep us company,” Qin Chunxiu chimed in from the side.
Although she said this aloud, Qin Chunxiu was confident that she herself would pass. But as for the pretty girl sitting in front of her, Su Xiaoman, that was not necessarily the case.
She was just a young country wife from the countryside. Where would she have learned singing or dancing?
“Yes, Xiaoman, do you want to go with Xiuxiu and keep her company?” He Qingmei also said with a smile.
Wang Feifei said, “There’s no harm in signing up.”
“There are still a few days before the exam. You can learn something quickly.”
…
With each of them adding a sentence, Su Xiaoman really did start thinking about it. She asked what kind of people the art troupe was recruiting. It was mainly those who could sing, dance, or play instruments; they were not recruiting people to make clothes.
Dancing…
Su Xiaoman’s heart suddenly paused for a moment. She had secretly learned dance before, but she had never been on stage. Should she try? It was now 1975, still two years before the college entrance examination would be restored. Should she choose to become an art soldier for two years?
Su Xiaoman knew she would not achieve anything major in dance, nor was her obsession with dancing that deep. But performing on stage had once been a small childhood wish of the former Su Xiaoman.
Should she try what it felt like to dance on stage?
Since she had the chance, she might as well try.
Su Xiaoman asked in detail about the specific matters for signing up for the art troupe selection. When the others heard this, they realised she had truly been persuaded and were all very surprised, including Wang Xuanxuan, who had only said it casually as a joke.
Seeing that Su Xiaoman really was willing to go, Wang Feifei told her what she knew.
“The registration place isn’t far. You just fill in a form there… It’s nothing major. The exam location is… the art troupe compound isn’t far from here. Once you go in, there’s an auditorium…”
He Qingmei and Qin Chunxiu exchanged a glance, both finding it somewhat funny. Although they had been surprised today by Su Xiaoman’s beauty after being called over by Grandpa Wang, they did not really think highly of her. She was merely a countryside wife from a rural village.
She could not compare to city girls like them. He Qingmei felt proud in front of her. Qin Chunxiu’s family background was a little worse, but she still looked down on Su Xiaoman somewhat. She was also a little jealous of Su Xiaoman’s beauty. Among these girls before, she had been considered the best-looking. Now Su Xiaoman had arrived and was even prettier than her.
This village girl was really too foolish. After Xuanxuan said a few words, she actually wanted to take the art troupe exam too. She truly overestimated herself.
He Qingmei teased, “Xiaoman, are you going to sign up too? Do you want Xiuxiu to teach you for a few days and learn a few simple dances?”
Wang Xuanxuan said, “Yes, let Sister Xiuxiu teach you.”
Although Qin Chunxiu felt disgusted inside, thinking that she herself had to prepare for the exam and had no spare time to teach her, she still said aloud, “You want to learn from me? Sure. I can teach you a few simple things. But I don’t really have time these few days. I need to practise my solo dance, and I don’t know what your talent is like.”
Su Xiaoman shook her head. “No need. I’ll practise by myself. Back in the countryside, I also liked dancing in the mountains and fields.”
He Qingmei and Qin Chunxiu secretly laughed, thinking that such dancing could never be presented in proper company.
When the two left the Wang family, they were still chatting on the road.
“That Su Xiaoman really is from the countryside. She has no knowledge at all.”
“With her like that, how is she going to take the art troupe exam? Does she think it’s like a village primary school test, where she can pass just because she wants to?”
“She’s pretty, that’s why she’s confident.”
“She definitely won’t pass.”
Su Xiaoman told Grandpa and Grandma Jiang her plan, and both of them were very supportive.
“Xiaoman, just go and try. It doesn’t matter if you don’t pass.”
“Our Xiaoman is so pretty and capable.”
“Go sign up.”
Su Xiaoman went to fill out the registration form. She walked around the art troupe compound and glanced at the information on the noticeboard. Unexpectedly, she saw something that made her freeze: a performance for new recruits in two or three months.
This…
Could she give him a surprise?
Su Xiaoman knocked herself lightly on the head, thinking she was thinking too far ahead. First of all, she did not even know whether she could pass. Even if she did pass, it might not be her who went to perform.
But if there was truly such a possibility, why not try? Even if there was only a one percent chance, she still wanted to fight for it.
Su Xiaoman could not help smiling. She really missed him. She wanted to give him a surprise. She wondered how he was doing these days. After three months, how much would he have changed?
Would he, as he had said, have a stronger body and be able to hold her even more easily in his arms?
Well, even when his body had not been that strong, he could already hold her easily.
Would he have matured a lot? Would he become steadier? Would he still foolishly call “Manman, Manman” and circle around her?
…
For a moment, many thoughts filled Su Xiaoman’s mind, with all kinds of sweetness, sourness, and bitterness intertwining in her heart.
She became even more serious about this art troupe selection exam.
Every day, besides embroidering, making clothes, and watering the vegetable garden with Grandma, she practised dancing at home, picking up the basic skills she had once learned. Fortunately, she had practised at home before, and this body’s flexibility was excellent.
Backbends and splits were effortless.
…After being handled by that rough dog, her body seemed even easier to stretch out.
When Wang Xun’an heard that the youngest granddaughter-in-law of the Jiang family next door was also going to take the art troupe exam, he found it very strange.
“Xiaoman is indeed pretty, but what talents does she have?”
“Dancing,” Yang Meixing replied. “I heard Yang Yu say her granddaughter-in-law dances especially well.”
Wang Xun’an said, “Can the judgment of us old geezers be accurate?”
The Jiang family said their granddaughter-in-law danced beautifully, but he did not quite believe it. Back when they organised propaganda teams, that scene had been…
“Why wouldn’t it be accurate? Xiaoman is already so beautiful. She must be even prettier when she dances. Isn’t Xiuxiu also both pretty and graceful?”
Wang Xun’an clicked his tongue. “Pretty is pretty. Graceful is graceful.”
“If Xiaoman can get in too, she can keep Xiuxiu company.”
When the day of the art troupe selection exam arrived, Su Xiaoman went very early. Grandpa and Grandma Jiang said they would send her together, but Su Xiaoman refused…
Having both grandparents send her to an exam was far too grand.
And if anyone asked carefully, they would learn it was grandparents sending their granddaughter-in-law to an exam.
Just imagining that scene… was a little too much.
“Grandpa, Grandma, wait at home peacefully for my news.”
“Alright, Xiaoman. Don’t be afraid if you don’t pass.”
“Grandpa and Grandma are cheering you on!”
Those who came to take the exam today were all young girls and boys around sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen. Su Xiaoman did not look out of place in the crowd, but she was extremely eye-catching. Many people cast their gazes toward her.
She was too beautiful, and her bearing was lovely too.
Quite a few young men nearby felt their hearts stir for her. They wished they could ask about this girl’s family background after the exam, or imagine the two of them entering the art troupe together, getting close to this girl who was as beautiful as spring flowers and autumn moonlight, and having an unforgettable romance.
Several young girls whispered among themselves:
“Do you know that long-haired girl?”
“She’s really beautiful.”
“Her temperament is so good. Does she come from a particularly good family? Maybe a cadre family. I’m so envious.”
He Qingmei had accompanied Qin Chunxiu to the exam, and they also heard the people around them discussing Su Xiaoman. Among this group of young and beautiful girls, Su Xiaoman did not fade into the background at all. Instead, she was the most outstanding one.
Her hair was black and beautiful, her figure graceful, and her eyes bright and lively. Every frown and smile drew people’s attention. She held an umbrella in her hand, and simply standing quietly by the wall, she looked like the most beautiful painting.
Her beauty was not only in her appearance, but also in her refined, otherworldly aura, like the bright moon in the sky.
Many people wondered what kind of family could raise such a beautiful girl.
He Qingmei found it funny. She thought Su Xiaoman’s appearance was truly deceptive. The phrase “natural beauty is hard to abandon” fit her perfectly. In the end, heaven had given her that face.
But she was still a poor, inexperienced countryside girl.
A poor family, yet a face that looked noble and wealthy. Her heart was higher than the sky, her fate thinner than paper. Still, she had caught a lucky ride: the poor boy she married had become a cadre’s child, and her status had risen overnight.
He Qingmei looked around. Among these girls taking the art troupe exam, quite a few had come with hopes of marrying into a “good family” later. But Su Xiaoman had a natural advantage.
As for Qin Chunxiu beside her, she was always running to He Qingmei’s grandfather’s house. Did she think He Qingmei didn’t know what little schemes her parents had?
“She’s just a village girl from the countryside,” He Qingmei said casually.
“Really?”
“She’s only a countryside girl? She doesn’t look rustic at all.”
Qin Chunxiu thought, she’s very good at pretending. She served Grandpa and Grandma Jiang so well—how could she not know how to pretend?
As for He Qingmei, Qin Chunxiu could also see through her thoughts. Wasn’t she just jealous that both she and Su Xiaoman were pretty? He Qingmei was only lucky to have been born as the Wang family’s real granddaughter. As a person, she was terribly mediocre.
Su Xiaoman saw He Qingmei and Qin Chunxiu. The three of them greeted each other briefly. They were not particularly warm, and then they waited for the assessment.
“Xiuxiu, after you pass, I’ll give you a dress.”
“Alright, then I’ll thank you in advance.”
…
Although He Qingmei and Qin Chunxiu looked down on each other inwardly, on the surface they still acted like close, harmonious sisters. From their words, it sounded as if Qin Chunxiu had already passed.
He Qingmei had come to watch the show. Not only did she think Su Xiaoman would fail, she also thought Qin Chunxiu would fail. She had seen Qin Chunxiu dance before—stiff and rigid. How could that possibly meet the art troupe’s requirements?
So she deliberately said things like, “It’s so simple, Xiuxiu, you’ll pass easily,” “There’ll definitely be a place for you,” and “After you pass, I’ll celebrate with you like this and that”…
She made a pile of empty promises just so she could watch Qin Chunxiu make a fool of herself. When Qin Chunxiu found out that not only had Su Xiaoman failed, but she herself had failed too, how ugly would her expression be?
Then He Qingmei would offer a few fake words of comfort from the side, and they would still be good sisters.
Qin Chunxiu smiled on the surface, but inwardly she was uncomfortable too. Although He Qingmei seemed to be comforting her by saying she would definitely pass, that it was simple and so on… the teasing meaning in her words was impossible to hide.
If she really failed, He Qingmei would definitely say, “Oh my, it was so simple. Xiuxiu, how did you not pass? You must have been too unlucky…”
“You clearly practised so hard for so long. The examiners must have bad eyesight.”
“You worked so hard, so why didn’t you pass?”
“…”
Qin Chunxiu sneered inwardly. She had deliberately danced only average in front of He Qingmei to hide her ability. She had practised so hard for so long just so she could shine this time.
When He Qingmei saw her name ranked first, her face would probably turn green. No matter how unhappy she felt inside, she would still have to force a smile and congratulate her.
Once she went home, who knew how much sulking she would do?
Su Xiaoman listened to their back-and-forth exchange and found it rather entertaining. Before long, it was time to draw lots. Su Xiaoman drew number eight—not too early, not too late. Qin Chunxiu drew number two, and a hint of joy leaked into her eyes.
“Qingmei, I’m second.”
“Number two. Near the front.”
“Xiaoman, what about you?”
“I’m number eight.”
“That’s also quite near the front.”
Not long after the first person went in, it was Qin Chunxiu’s turn. She took a deep breath. Her heart pounded, and she kept imagining what would happen afterward. She was second. If her performance amazed everyone, then the dances after hers would seem dull by comparison.
Qin Chunxiu went in excitedly, and when she came out, she was still excited. Seeing her expression, He Qingmei felt uncomfortable, but still smiled and went forward.
“Xiuxiu, how was it?” Heaven knew He Qingmei most wanted to hear that she had made mistakes. But seeing Qin Chunxiu come out so happily, could it be that she had performed quite well inside?
Could Qin Chunxiu really possibly pass the art troupe exam?
He Qingmei felt uncertain. Qin Chunxiu, however, had a smile on her face.
“Not bad. I didn’t make any mistakes. I even saw the examiner nod at me.”
Hearing this, many people looked toward Qin Chunxiu.
Some already felt that Qin Chunxiu would pass and take one of the selected places.
Qin Chunxiu herself also felt that she had performed normally this time and would definitely pass. The joy in her eyes and brows could not be hidden.
Once she passed, relying on the Wang family connection, she would definitely be able to find a very good match and marry into a good family.
“Congratulations, Xiuxiu. You’ll definitely pass. Now you just need to wait for the result.” He Qingmei thought inwardly, you’re happy too early. The results haven’t even come out yet, and you already look like you’ve passed.
If your name isn’t there, you’ll become a joke.
The smile on Qin Chunxiu’s face could not be concealed. She turned back to Su Xiaoman and said, “When you go in later, don’t be nervous. I heard the people inside chatting just now. They said the first person was too nervous and made several mistakes.”
She only said it casually, but in truth, she believed Su Xiaoman definitely would not pass. Once Su Xiaoman went in, she would surely make endless mistakes and make the examiners laugh.
Su Xiaoman smiled and nodded.
Soon, it was Su Xiaoman’s turn. A few minutes after she went in, she came out. He Qingmei and Qin Chunxiu both asked with concern, “How was it? How was it?”
Su Xiaoman said, “It was alright. I didn’t make any mistakes. I finished the dance.”
Qin Chunxiu nodded. “It’s good that you didn’t make mistakes.”
He Qingmei joked, “If you two can both pass, you’ll have each other for company in the future.”
Qin Chunxiu nodded. “Yes, it would be good to have you as company.”
It would be strange if she could pass. Unless the examiners accepted her because she was pretty. But what use was just being good-looking? If she was a stiff wooden beauty, then there would be nothing interesting about her.
The three left together. As soon as Su Xiaoman returned home, Grandpa Jiang and Grandma Jiang eagerly surrounded her.
“How was it? How was it?”
“I did pretty well.”
“That’s good.”
Grandma Jiang said they should celebrate and made another table full of dishes, leaving Su Xiaoman both amused and helpless. The results had not even come out yet, and Grandma was already rushing to celebrate.
Su Xiaoman also knew that Grandpa and Grandma probably did not have much expectation about her passing the art troupe exam.
She herself was casual about it too. She had done her best.
If she could make that surprise happen, that would be wonderful.
She wondered what that silly dog was doing now.
At this moment, Xie Mingtu was holding a pen and writing rapidly.
In the past, in order to please Manman, he had memorised many love letters and love poems from both ancient and modern times, Chinese and foreign, just to make Manman happy. Who knew that after he had recited only one love poem to her, Manman almost laughed until her stomach burst. So Xie Mingtu held back and stopped reciting them.
In his mind, he automatically packed all those love poems and letters into the rubbish bin.
After memorising so many, Xie Mingtu had once wondered why those people could write so many words and think up so many deeply affectionate sentences, while his own feelings for Manman were sincere and passionate, yet when he tried hard to express his love, his mind seemed to get stuck, and he could never force out many words.
But now, after being separated for a while…
He discovered that he did not need to think hard at all. Countless sentences automatically surfaced in his mind. He had so, so, so many things he wanted to say to Manman, and it was unbearably difficult to hold them in, yet Manman was not by his side.
With no other choice, he could only pour them onto paper. He wrote every day, and soon accumulated a thick stack of letter paper. It was just that these letters could not be sent out.
Late at night, many people missed their families. As they talked to one another, their longing grew stronger. Some even secretly shed tears.
Xie Mingtu had never cried. He simply held those letters in his arms, missing that person’s figure.
After the initial venting passed, Xie Mingtu became much calmer than before. His emotions were more restrained, no longer igniting at the slightest spark. Looking at himself changing day by day in the mirror, he seemed increasingly unfamiliar. There was now more of a young man’s confidence and unruliness between his brows.
Of course, every time he thought of Manman, that confidence decreased by three or four points—no, seven or eight points.
His confidence dropped to the lowest level.
Manman had to like him!
When he woke from dreams at midnight, only in dreams could he smell the faint fragrance in her dark hair.
With each passing day, the day they would meet drew one day closer.
The day after the selection exam, the results were posted on the noticeboard. He Qingmei eagerly pulled Qin Chunxiu to see them.
“Over there, look.”
“There are quite a few people gathered.”
“Move aside!”
Qin Chunxiu was full of anticipation, searching hard for her name on the large red noticeboard.
There were not many names on it, each written in black brushstrokes.
…Qin Chunxiu… Qin…
She searched the entire red paper, but did not see her name.
He Qingmei’s gaze, however, landed on another name:
—Su Xiaoman.
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