Chapter 25: The Official Match

Turning over, Yun Shu cast her worries aside and turned her thoughts to the competition tomorrow.

After the rehearsals and the positive feedback received throughout the day, her friends' confidence in her bid for the broadcaster position had soared, and even Yun Shu felt that a larger audience wouldn't be much of a problem.

Everything was ready; now it was just a matter of waiting for the official contest. She wondered how many team members would vote for her.

Regardless, she had put in the effort and given it a try. If she had no regrets, that was enough. At worst, she would just go pick pigweed like Jingjing.

Yun Shu habitually mapped out her fallback plan, then closed her eyes, wrapped herself tightly in her quilt, and prepared to sleep with a peaceful mind.

…

Waking up, the day of the competition had finally arrived.

The heavens were generous; looking up, one could see a sky of endless, crystalline blue, clear as water.

Yun Shu and her group arrived at the venue early, only to find that Captain Xie had arranged the setup quite grandly. It was held in the square in front of the brigade headquarters, marked by the red flag and surrounded by colorful pennants.

The equipment from the brigade’s broadcasting room had been moved out as well. That made sense; after all, this was a contest for a broadcaster position. The ability to use the microphone and speakers to make the team members enjoy listening to one's voice was the most important criteria for extra points.

Some team members had arrived early with their families to secure spots, and Jiang Xiucheng and the others followed the crowd to claim their own. Lin Jingshu accompanied Yun Shu to the waiting area. Looking around, she saw that Yun Shu was the only educated youth; the other five girls were all from the Fengsheng Brigade.

Fortunately, there was no atmosphere of cutthroat competition. Yun Shu smiled and nodded at them, and the girls responded with bright, generous smiles.

One girl with slightly dark skin even ran over to strike up a conversation. She was incredibly outgoing, complaining incessantly that her parents had forced her to compete. She said that if she were selected, she wouldn't have to work in the fields and could stay in the broadcasting room to stay warm.

Then, if she could just hibernate through the winter, she might be able to regain her fair complexion. That would make it easier to find a husband—if she could marry into the city, that would be ideal.

Then, the dowry would be higher, and she could save up money for her younger brother to find a wife.

Both "Shus" were left speechless.

To find a husband, to trade for a dowry for a younger brother—it was a reason so blunt and realistic that it left one unable to say a word.

At least, that was the case for the two modern women.

It even stirred a sense of helplessness and panic in both of them, as they realized that in this era, everyone considered it a woman's destined mission to marry a good man, find a good family, and bear many children.

Such thinking had nothing to do with love, nor would it be denied by any ideas the women themselves held, because even the women themselves believed it to be true.

…

Yun Shu suddenly recalled her own mental journey in her previous life. In high school, she had clamored about marrying and having children early; even in college, she would discuss with her roommates whether to have a son or a daughter.

But after graduating and encountering more of the harsh realities of society, the desire to marry and build a family had faded, eventually turning into a sense of resistance.

Yun Shu knew that it wasn't that good men who were faithful, who could grow old with their wives and support each other through life's trials, didn't exist in this world—after all, her father was exactly that kind of man, having supported her mother for decades.

But she had also read news stories about men stepping on their wives' fresh graves to marry new ones three months later, or cases of men killing their wives for insurance payouts…

However, one cannot see a person's life from beginning to end, a fact Yun Shu was able to face with equanimity.

No one knew if she would one day eat her own words. What if she suddenly became "love-brained" one day? Or what if she was truly lucky enough to meet that fated man who could handle the parlor, work the kitchen, warm the bed, and happen to have no overbearing in-laws?

Pushing aside these complex emotions, the two Shus chatted a bit more with Xie Cuicui, the dark-skinned girl, before Captain Xie began his opening remarks.

…

Perhaps because this was the last lively gathering before the busy farming season and the winter hibernation, everyone in the Fengsheng Brigade took it very seriously and were filled with enthusiasm.

Hundreds of people were packed tightly in front of the brigade headquarters; looking out, one could see nothing but a sea of heads. This was far more people than the onlookers at the educated youth camp the day before, and the tension in Yun Shu's heart began to rise again.

Lin Jingshu couldn't stay by her side forever. After cheering Yun Shu on, she hurried back to the audience area. From a distance, she and Jiang Xiucheng’s group watched Yun Shu, winking and gesturing to encourage her.

Fortunately, the order of appearance was determined by drawing lots. Among the six, Yun Shu was the very last one. She was lucky to be the grand finale, giving her more time to prepare and the chance to see how the other competitors performed.

The first to take the stage was a tall girl with delicate features and a clear, resonant voice. Her performance was the "red song" that Yun Shu had previously discarded. To be honest, she was quite talented; even though she was the first to go up, she didn't show much stage fright, just a hint of nervousness, and the audience erupted in applause.

It was clear that this girl had likely received some schooling.

The pressure was on; she was a formidable competitor.

The next three girls did not perform as well as the first, and their overall skill was not outstanding. One girl was so nervous and shy that she ran off the stage halfway through her performance.

However, the audience members were, for the most part, the elders of these girls. Having lived as neighbors for so many years, almost every family had some connection, so no one mocked her.

After she left the stage, she ran shyly to her family, and the whole group gathered around her with warmth and humor to comfort her.

…

After the shy girl came Xie Cuicui, who had just been chatting with Yun Shu and Lin Jingshu. Compared to the first girl, Xie Cuicui's performance was authentic Northeast Errenzhuan.

Since the First National Folk Music and Dance Festival in 1953, the name "Errenzhuan" had become widely known. It was one of the folk arts native to the Northeast that combined song and dance, concentrating the essence of Northeast folk songs, folk dances, and oral literature, and was deeply loved by people in both cities and the countryside.

The most unique aspect of Errenzhuan was that, regardless of whether you were tone-deaf or had never encountered it before, you could hum along after listening to just two lines; it was incredibly infectious.

Just like now, Xie Cuicui unfurled a red silk fan on stage, spinning a colorful handkerchief in her hand. Relying on the charm of Errenzhuan—which could bring the house down even without instrumental accompaniment—she heated up the atmosphere that had been somewhat subdued just moments before.

The audience, as well as the girls backstage, including Yun Shu, couldn't help but start bouncing and dancing along, performing their own clumsy versions of the Yangge dance.

It was so exhilarating that for a moment, they forgot it was a competition.

The dark-skinned girl, who had been so generous and lively during their chat, now looked as bright and dazzling as a little sun on stage. She seemed to be glowing!