Returning to the county opera troupe in 77

Backstage at the theater, in a certain room.

Chen Xiangdong, Han Zhengkui, and a few others gathered around the table, watching Hu Xiaolian, wearing his reading glasses, squatting in front of the table with his obese body, cutting and snipping away at the cardboard with a pair of scissors.

Several finished drawings were laid out on the table, with a piece of wooden ruler pressed down on one corner.

Liu Dezhu watched for a long time, seeing Hu Xiaolian measuring and cutting, cutting and measuring again, working hard for ages with no progress. He couldn't help but mutter, "Old Hu, are you even capable? If it doesn't work, should I go find Xiao Guo and have him fix it?"

"What kind of talk is that!" Hu Xiaolian glared at him. "When I was a set designer, that little Guo wasn't even born yet! Back then, I personally designed all the sets for those big productions like 'The Crossroads,' 'The Orphan of Zhao,' and 'Picking the Chariot'!"

Seeing that the old man was about to get angry, Liu Dezhu quickly shut his mouth.

Feng Zhengxiao grinned and said, "That's why I say, we still need to get Lao Hu to handle the set design for this old play. I can't trust any of the other young people."

Upon hearing this, Fang Zhengsheng, Han Zhengkui, and the others exchanged smiles.

Hu Xiaolian felt comforted and hummed twice, not arguing with Liu Dezhu, and continued to cut cardboard: "Don't worry, although my eyesight is not good anymore, my art skills are still there. At worst, I can stay up for two nights and definitely finish the set for 'The Thief of Armor'."

This old man usually seems to be able to joke around with anyone, but when it comes to professional skills, he won't tolerate being fooled by a single joke. He's a typical stubborn mule.

Chen Xiangdong quickly offered a compliment, giving a thumbs-up: "With an experienced general like him on the field, one is worth two! With Master Hu personally handling the set design, there's no reason this play shouldn't be a success!"

Hu Xiaolian grinned widely, clearly pleased with the flattery, and waved his hand at them: "Alright, you guys go rehearse your play, you don't need to worry about the set design."

Seeing that Old Hu had given them the order to leave, Liu Dezhu curled his lip, gave Chen Xiangdong and the others a wink, and the group turned and left the house, heading towards the theater stage.

On the stage of the theater, there was a simple beam made of tables and chairs. As soon as Liu Dezhu’s drum sounded, Han Zhengkui, wearing a practice uniform, walked out from the side curtain. As if Shi Qian had possessed him, his whole spirit and energy suddenly changed.

He took a few quick steps to the table, as if lifted up by an invisible hand, his body sliding across the tabletop and silently landing on the armrest of the chair.

The moment her toes touched the edge, she twisted her waist slightly and flipped herself under the table, then popped out from the opposite side of the table with a "whoosh," landing without her clothes moving!

Chen Xiangdong stood in front of the stage, his eyes shining. Han Zhengkui's portrayal of the flea on the drum was absolutely brilliant!

Whether flipping over, standing upside down, climbing, or reaching the top, her movements are as light as a weightless flea.

"good!"

Suddenly, a cheer came from the audience.

Chen Xiangdong looked over in astonishment and saw that Zhu Zhengwei had arrived at the theater at some point and was standing in the aisle in the middle of the audience seats. He was watching Han Zhengkui's clean and neat flipping movements on the stage, his eyes were shining, and he was clapping his hands incessantly.

The drumming continued, and the rehearsals on stage did not stop. Chen Xiangdong strode over to Zhu Zhengkuo's side and lowered his voice, "Secretary Zhu, what brings you here?"

Zhu Zhengkuo then reluctantly looked away for a moment, nodded at him, and his eyes were immediately drawn back to 'Shi Qian' on the stage, who spun around and caught a gun from behind.

His hands were red from clapping, and his face was filled with undisguised excitement and exhilaration: "I haven't seen such a wonderful play in so many years! It has to be an old play, a traditional play!"

Zhu Zheng pointed at the figure leaping and tumbling among the tables and chairs on the stage, then suddenly turned to Chen Xiangdong and said, "With skills like this, if the show doesn't become a hit, I'll change my name! This is what a show should be like, this is what a show should be like..."

Chen Xiangdong was taken aback, and actually thought for a moment about what the character "朱" should be pronounced backwards.

He then nodded solemnly: "Secretary Zhu, rest assured, Han Shi and the others have been holding back their passion for so many years, all for the sake of revitalizing Qinqiang opera and reviving the banner of our Dongping County Opera Troupe!"

Zhu Zhengwei did not respond, and his gaze returned to the stage.

The drumbeats suddenly intensified, like a sudden downpour hitting tiles. Han Zhengkui was then seen leaping into the air, delivering a clean and swift flying kick over his head. His body twisted into an arc in mid-air, landing steadily on the highest point of the table-framed beam. His feet hooked onto the edge of the beam, and with a "whoosh," he was suspended upside down!

This one dangerous move alone gave Chen Xiangdong and Zhu Zhengkuo, who were sitting in the audience, a real fright.

"oops!"

Zhu Zheng suddenly widened his eyes. Before he could even exclaim in surprise, Shi Qian, who was hanging upside down on the crossbeam, hooked and flicked his finger, and the rope knot that tied the "precious armor" was easily and loosely untied.

The moment the "treasure armor" was in hand, the drumbeat suddenly changed. Han Zhengkui lost his footing and tumbled off the roof beam. He then performed a beautiful "cloud somersault" in mid-air and landed steadily on his toes.

"good!"

Chen Xiangdong was the first to shout out, his hands clapping until they were numb. Zhu Zhengkuo also clapped vigorously, his eyes slightly red.

Han Zhengkui stood on the stage, his chest rising and falling slightly, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, yet he smiled calmly: "Secretary Zhu, what do you think of this play?"

Zhu Zhengkuo gave a thumbs-up from afar, grinning broadly: "Hahaha, great! Our Dongping County Theater Troupe is about to rise!"

Fang Zhengsheng, Feng Zhengxiao, and Liu Dezhu came out from behind the side curtain one after another, and the group smiled at each other.

Back then, Dongping was a renowned Qinqiang opera troupe in the entire Northwest, but it fell into obscurity for ten years due to various reasons... Now, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, it will eventually wash away the past and usher in a new era of glory!

.........

Li Mancang and Lin Gouwa had just tidied up the prop box and were about to wash their hands by the pool in the front yard when they saw a man and a woman pulling and tugging at each other as they walked towards the gate from the staff dormitory in the distance.

"Mancang, look who's that!"

Lin Gouwa may not have big eyes, but they are incredibly sharp and piercing. He hurriedly tugged at Li Mancang's sleeve and gestured with his chin forward.

"What?"

Li Mancang followed his gaze and suddenly exclaimed in shock: "Isn't that Aunt Lu? And the man pulling her is... Sun Zhandou?!"

Lin Gouwa stood on tiptoe, craned his neck, and peeked again. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Oh dear! That guy's trying to steal Liu Shi's girlfriend again!"

Li Mancang rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

Lu Meiyin was being half-pulled, half-dragged towards the door by Sun Zhandou. Her face showed obvious resistance, and she leaned back as if trying to break free. Sun Zhandou, however, grinned and refused to let go.

"What should we do?"

Li Mancang broke out in a cold sweat and said urgently, "Brother Xiangdong has always taken good care of me, and Master Liu is his master... No, I have to go and tell Brother Xiangdong."

As soon as he finished speaking, he left Lin Gouwa behind and ran towards the theater.