Returning to the county opera troupe in 77

The band played their instruments methodically, and Lu Meiyin, keeping time with the drumbeats, took a few quick steps onto the stage.

She stood in the center of the stage, raised her left hand and flicked her right, striking two clean and crisp starting poses. Then, she revealed her beautiful and melodious voice.

"The fertile plains of Qinchuan stretch for eight hundred miles to the horizon"

The Wei River flows gently, its waters turning into fields for millennia.

The loess slopes hold within them a spirit passed down through generations.

The three consecutive lines of singing immediately set the stage ablaze, drawing cheers from the audience.

Chen Xiangdong's mind was now filled with only the drum score, and his eyes were fixed solely on the drum.

"Dulu langcai—"

After the opening, he quickly moved into the second section, and the drumbeats he struck were like a dense, impenetrable downpour, driving the rhythm of the entire drum ensemble forward.

As the cheers grew louder, actors took to the stage one after another. Whether it was Pan Lanxiang's impassioned recitation or He Jianshe's thunderous singing, both drew thunderous applause from the audience.

Zhu Zheng's mouth was wide open. Although the play was only halfway through, it was clear to anyone with eyes that this performance of "Ode to Qin Chuan" had already firmly established itself.

The audience, who were applauding enthusiastically, were completely captivated by every movement and every note sung on stage.

Jia Dafang and Han Wenxue finally relaxed their tightly clenched fists, their faces showing a relieved ease.

As the applause and cheers rose higher and higher, Chen Xiangdong's drumsticks struck the drumhead again and again, and in a daze, he seemed to enter a state of complete self-forgetfulness.

It felt as if the sound of his drumming blended into the strings of the erhu, into the ending notes of Lu Meiyin's singing, and into the pauses and inflections of Pan Lanxiang's recitation.

The entire play transformed into a rushing river, and he, immersed in it, became a swimming fish, clearly feeling the rhythm of the flowing water washing over his entire body.

This sudden realization allowed his drumming skills to be elevated once again, finally breaking through the invisible and intangible constraints.

[Instrument Proficiency (Banggu/Cymbals): 80/100 (Proficiency reaches Level 2 Drummer)]

The moment the system panel popped up, Chen Xiangdong's eyes lit up. He had finally broken through!

As the final transition began, the drumbeats slowed down, and the drumsticks struck one after another with a solemn air before the finale, causing the rhythm of the entire drum ensemble to soften.

On stage, Lu Meiyin raised her arm, channeling all the energy accumulated throughout the entire play, and shouted the line in a high-pitched and resolute voice: "Qin Chuan, never yield!"

That sound, like a pebble thrown into water, created ripples that quickly spread outwards, penetrating everyone's hearts. From somewhere, an excited cheer rang out first.

Immediately afterwards, countless voices surged up simultaneously, converging into a torrent that rushed towards the stage from all directions:

"Qin Chuan, never surrender!"

"Qin Chuan, never surrender!"

Some people stood up, some waved their fists and shouted. The voices went from being sparse at first to being as unified as a chorus at the end, and the sound waves almost lifted the dome of the entire theater...

After the performance ended and the audience gradually left, several members of the judging panel took the initiative to come forward and shake hands with Zhu Zhengkuo and Jia Dafang one by one, congratulating them.

The entire performance was undoubtedly a great success. From the accompaniment and the lyrics and singing to the audience's reaction, there was nothing to criticize. The huge weight that had been hanging over everyone in the Dongping County Troupe for so long finally lifted; this was a resounding success!

"Well done, Dongwa!" He Jianshe strode up from behind, laughing and slapping Chen Xiangdong on the shoulder, making him stumble. "Your first time on stage, such a big performance, and you didn't make a single mistake! You're even more composed than your master was on his first stage."

"Not bad, not bad," Chen Xiangdong replied with a grin.

Just as Liu Dezhu was about to boast about how well he taught him, Lin Datou, who was holding cymbals, chimed in with a half-smile: "Even if Liu Dezhu goes blind again, he won't have to worry about you anymore, as long as you're there to protect him."

"Get out! Get out!" Liu Dezhu stopped abruptly upon hearing this, glaring at Lin Datou through the slit he barely opened behind his sunglasses: "Can't you even speak properly? If you can't, then shut up."

Lin Datou wasn't angry at all after being scolded; instead, he laughed even louder: "Oh? You're not blind after all."

A group of people returned to the guesthouse from the theater, making a lot of noise. Jia Dafang, unusually, ordered two extra dishes from the canteen, and it was clear that he was in a very good mood.

Everyone sat around a makeshift table set up in the third-floor corridor. Jia Dafang, beaming, cleared his throat and said mysteriously, "Comrades, I just asked someone to speak with a leader of the provincial judging panel and privately inquired about the score for our performance. Guess what it was?"

Liu Dezhu was the first to blurt out, "How much?"

Immediately afterwards, a group of people started shouting, "Commander Jia, hurry up and tell us!"

"If you keep keeping us in suspense like this, we won't enjoy this meal."

"That's right!" Lu Meiyin and Pan Lanxiang urged, their eyes crinkling with laughter. "We're all waiting!"

Seeing everyone craning their necks and staring expectantly at him, Jia Dafang finally smirked and said smugly, "Overall score: 9.7!"

When the number "9.7" was announced, a cheer suddenly erupted in the briefly quiet corridor.

Chen Xiangdong was somewhat surprised; he was quite taken aback that the performance had received such a high rating.

I remember hearing in my past life that among the county theater troupes participating in the performance, one troupe won first place with a high score of 9.8.

If there are no ties, then 9.7 points is a sure second place.

At the top of the stairs, Zhu Zhengwei and Han Wenxue, each carrying a cardboard box, trudged up from the second floor. They put the boxes down, and Zhu Zhengwei straightened up, laughing heartily, "The performance was a great success! To thank everyone for their hard work these past few days, I bought two boxes of red scarves in my own name as a reward!"

Another round of cheers erupted from the crowd, but it made Jia Dafang's smile freeze. He had used the troupe's funds to buy food for everyone, but Zhu Zhengkuo had gone all out to win people's hearts, instantly overshadowing him.

A bottle of Red Scarf liquor costs 1.2 yuan, and a case contains 12 bottles. Two cases contain 24 bottles, which is almost equivalent to a month's salary for a theater troupe employee.

Jia Dafang's lips twitched, and his smile became somewhat unnatural. But everyone present was now gathered around Zhu Zhengkuo, and no one paid any attention to him. Some were patting boxes, some were bringing wine, and some were shouting "Secretary Zhu is generous," creating a lively and crowded scene where no one noticed him at all.

Seeing the atmosphere getting lively, Han Wenxue laughed and said, "We're happy today, so I'm making an exception and letting everyone have a good drink. This won't happen again. For actors, protecting their voices is the most important thing."

Chen Xiangdong chuckled and teased him, "Deputy Troupe Leader Han, since you're not performing on stage and don't need to protect your voice, does that mean you don't have to follow this rule?"

Han Wenxue was taken aback by his words, then pointed at Chen Xiangdong and laughed, "You little idiot, you always know how to take advantage of my weaknesses..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Datou had already brought over a half-bowl of wine: "Come on, Deputy Regiment Commander Han, is half a bowl enough? If not, I'll fill it up for you."

Han Wenxue took the wine bowl with one hand, hurriedly waved his hand, and complained, "That's enough, that's enough! I can't possibly fill it up! I don't have that much alcohol to drink!"