Chapter 69: The Showcase Has Arrived

"Sweets! Sister Xiaoli, when are we going to have your wedding sweets? I think Brother Kaiyan is such a great match for you. He's tall, handsome, well-read, and has such a gentle and easygoing temperament."

Wang Danping’s eyes lit up as she eagerly pursued the topic.

"Indeed, Comrade Xiao Cheng is quite remarkable. He might not have any towering flaws, but above all else, he brings good fortune to his partner! We're expecting your wedding sweets very soon. Now that you're an item, you can't even skip out on the sweets. Come on, Xiaoli, don't be so stingy!"

Xiao Caiyun and Zhang Yi exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

Hearing her roommates tease her, Liu Xiaoli felt a warm flush creep up her cheeks. She gave a light cough and said, "We'll see about that."

She and Cheng Kaiyan had known each other for less than ten days. Even though they were officially dating, things certainly weren't moving that fast!

To be honest, she hadn't even prepared herself for all of that yet, and somehow, she still felt like something was missing.

Besides, what did they mean by saying he didn't have any major strengths?

Nonsense!

He actually had an abundance of wonderful qualities, thank you very much!

Liu Xiaoli was well aware that her friends didn't quite understand why she had chosen to date Comrade Xiao Cheng instead of Professor An, who possessed far superior conditions.

They all believed that Professor An surpassed Cheng Kaiyan in every possible aspect, both personally and familially...

Well, perhaps only Danping thought that Cheng Kaiyan was wonderful, simply because he constantly bought her armfuls of snacks.

It wouldn't be long before they all came to understand, though... Comrade Xiao Cheng was an absolute nugget of gold!

A treasure she had discovered all by herself, a golden secret known to her alone! Liu Xiaoli thought to herself with a smile.

"How was Xiaoli's singing today? Sounded good?"

"It sounded wonderful."

"Can you sing it for us?"

Liu Xiaoli's dark, bright eyes rolled playfully. "No can do. You'll have to wait until the fifth. It's strictly confidential, but you'll find out when the time comes!"

***

Time flew by in the blink of an eye.

Before they knew it, it was February 5, 1980, the beginning of Spring.

With only eleven days remaining until the Lunar New Year, the entire city of Jiangcheng had draped itself in festive crimson, and even the Yangtze River Bridge was adorned with glowing red lanterns.

Early in the morning, Cheng Kaiyan, accompanied by several editors from the editorial department including Editor Chen Shanshan, arrived at the Jiangcheng Municipal Committee building located on Jiefang Park Road.

Ah, yes, the Municipal Committee offices were situated right here.

This explained why Leader Wang always managed to find the time to sit at his desk in the Fangcao Magazine office.

It was simply because it was exceptionally close.

He stepped into the auditorium, a massive hall spacious enough to accommodate over a thousand people.

Tonight, artists from Jiangcheng's major literary and artistic institutions would gather here to perform, and leaders from both the municipal and provincial governments would be in attendance.

With government workers and family members from various large and small units across Jiangcheng coming to watch the performances, absolutely no room for error could be tolerated.

A group of staff members wearing red armbands were bustling about, passionately decorating the auditorium.

Enamel teapots, nameplates for the dignitaries, and small pastries were placed in meticulous order across the first four rows of leadership seating. Staff members even used rulers to measure the exact distances and angles, ensuring absolute uniformity.

As for the seventh and eighth rows further back, sunflower seeds, candies, and other light refreshments were placed at every other seat, anticipating the many children who would be attending the gala.

The stage was laid with a crimson carpet, and the iron overhead scaffolding blazed with brilliant stage lighting. Several people stood aloft, seemingly coordinating the rehearsal schedule.

Performers from various organizations were also rehearsing on stage to shake off any last-minute stage fright.

In short, the entire daytime schedule was dedicated to familiarizing the participating groups with the flow of the program and running rehearsals, with the possibility of leadership inspection visits sometime in between.

By six o'clock in the evening, representatives from all notable units, large and small, in Jiangcheng would arrive to enjoy the show.

***

Meanwhile, in the backstage dressing room of the Jiangcheng Song and Dance Theatre:

The heads of various divisions were actively briefing the theatre's performers on today's schedule, important precautions, and arrangements following the conclusion of the performances.

There was Teacher Jiang Ling, head of the Dance Troupe; Teacher Dai, head of the National Orchestra; and Teacher Wang, head of the Opera Troupe.

The Song and Dance Theatre's lineup consisted of three main pieces: the Dance Troupe's *The Dying Swan*, the National Orchestra's pipa solo *Thoughts at the Qin Terrace*, and the Opera Troupe's *The Morning Star*, with the final item being Liu Xiaoli's solo performance of *Xiao Fang*.

"Alright, comrades, you train for a thousand days to use what you've learned in a single hour. Today is the day of the literary gala, and I don't need to emphasize its importance. Just keep yourselves relaxed. This is the first major hurdle in your dancing careers. Once you cross this threshold, it means you have truly adapted to the grand stage, and you will no longer be green novices in the theatre..."

Teacher Jiang Ling stood before the twenty young dancers, most of whom she had watched grow up.

This Spring Festival literary gala was their very first encounter with such a massive stage. Nervousness was inevitable, but the greater the nerves, the more important it was to conquer them. The Jiangcheng Song and Dance Theatre enjoyed a stellar reputation throughout Hubei Province and even the entire nation. Not only would they participate in provincial and municipal galas like this one, but national-level stages would also be well within their reach in the future.

Elder revolutionaries and Premier Zhou had visited Jiangcheng many times, and the Jiangcheng Song and Dance Theatre had hosted and performed for them on numerous occasions.

"Understood, Teacher Jiang!"

The girls answered in unison.

"Very well, take some time to familiarize yourselves with the surroundings. We will begin rehearsals at ten o'clock."

Teacher Jiang Ling nodded with satisfaction and beckoned to Liu Xiaoli.

The two of them sat down side by side.

"Are you nervous, Xiaoli? I checked the program list, and your song *Xiao Fang* is scheduled right after *The Dying Swan*, fourth from the last. That's practically headliner territory."

"I'm alright, Teacher. I'm not feeling nervous at all inside," Liu Xiaoli replied softly, adjusting a lock of hair by her ear while wearing a white ballet costume with a military greatcoat draped over her shoulders to keep warm.

"I know that even though your temperament appears gentle and composed, you possess a remarkably bold and confident core. Keep it up, and make sure to rest adequately after your dance later so it doesn't affect your singing afterwards. Understood?"

Teacher Jiang Ling nodded approvingly, then asked with a hint of curiosity, "What about that young man you're seeing? Is he coming today?"

"He's coming. When he arrives, I'd appreciate it if you could arrange for him to sit next to me, Teacher," Liu Xiaoli requested with a nod.

"Alright, alright. As long as you're happy."

Teacher Jiang nodded, though a quiet resignation lingered in her heart. Truly, a daughter grown up cannot be kept at home.

In Jiang Ling's eyes, Liu Xiaoli was more than qualified to marry a municipal-level cadre.

Still, since she had already chosen her partner, she might as well give it a serious go.

Over the past few days, she had also observed the young man named Cheng Kaiyan. He was indeed quite pleasant, with a gentle and mild disposition and a courteous manner that made everyone feel at ease. Come to think of it, he seemed well-suited for marriage.

Though his professional prospects didn't particularly stand out... well, he was still young, after all; one couldn't set their standards impossibly high.

"Don't worry, Teacher. Kaiyan is a wonderful person," Liu Xiaoli said with a gentle smile, thinking to herself, *Wait until tonight, and you'll all see for yourselves!*

In the dressing room, the girls rested in their own ways—some chatted in pairs while touring the room, while others buried themselves in books to pass the time.

At that moment, a theatre staff member hurried inside and whispered a few words into Jiang Ling's ear. Teacher Jiang Ling's expression shifted drastically as she exclaimed in anxiety, "What? Old Wang, the pianist from the orchestra, drank himself into the hospital? Then what are we supposed to do about our ballet today? Are we seriously going to rely on a pre-recorded accompaniment? If we do that, the theatrical impact will be severely compromised!"