Chapter 50: The Three Brothers Take the Stage Together

  Things were put on hold like this, and unexpectedly, Lei knew in advance that the class leader had a crush on Wang Huating. What's more unexpected is that Lei actually sneaked a peek at the class leader's diary. This guy is clearly a love-hate person. That night, he couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks before bed, and the next day, he was very unfriendly during dinner. Luckily, Shan Yong intervened, and luckily, the class leader didn't argue back, or else they would have gotten into a fight.

  It's good that Ding Yizhi moved out of the dormitory this morning, and it's unlikely that these three people can live in the same room. He was arranged by Shan Changgen to live in a small office, and Shan Changgen couldn't help but scold his nephew and Sha Lei again.

  This incident, on the contrary, brought Wang Huating and the class leader closer together. It's likely that they were trying to persuade the class leader, fearing a collective split. They had no choice but to believe in the beauty effect. The class leader not only didn't get depressed after being wronged, but also stood up straighter than before. Perhaps in his eyes, he only cared about Wang Huating, and as for others, since their paths were different, he simply didn't bother with them.

  This somewhat discordant collective barely managed to hold on, others went through the motions of attending classes without that extra thought, Lei Dapeng took on two jobs as a physical education teacher and chef, but didn't do very well in either, instead preferring to fool around with these middle school kids, meals were either delayed or saw a drastic decline in quality, Shanyong also didn't dare to train anymore, silently shouldering this burden. Fortunately, it won't be for much longer.

  On June 8th, with only two or three days left until the end of the internship, after finishing two classes, Wang Huating was startled as soon as she walked out of the classroom. A group of seventh-grade students were noisily moving tables and chairs, rushing out of the schoolyard like a flock of sheep. It wasn't clear what had happened, but then it became apparent that Lei Dapeng was directing them from behind. Not only did he get the seventh-graders to move things, but also called upon the eighth- and ninth-graders to help. As soon as Lei "Big Brother" gave an order, those students were more than happy to obey, abandoning their classes and studies.

  "What's wrong? Lei Dapeng, what else are you going to do?" Wang Huating scolded, since the two of them had broken off their fake boyfriend-girlfriend relationship and she had returned to her usual proud and arrogant attitude as a branch secretary.

  The woman can be ruthless and unscrupulous, but Lei Ge still has some tenderness towards her, without using foul language, smiled and said: "A family in the village is getting married, borrowing things to use."

  "Getting married can't affect classes, right?" Wang Huating said displeased, this guy, only knows how to disrupt the normal teaching order.

  "Haha, this isn't my doing, it's Principal Shan's arrangement." Lei Dapeng said, turning his head and shouting in a loud voice: "Uncle Shan, is that enough? If not, we'll move the 9th graders too!"

  "It's almost done, no need to say more... Where's Shanyong?" Shan Changgen came forward with a smile, calling out to Shanyong. Shanyong responded and rushed down from upstairs. When explaining, he said that the 9th grade graduating class was still okay, but as for the 7th and 8th grades, they were let off early in the last two periods. It's not lively without the kids making a fuss. Wang Hua heard this and couldn't help but purse her lips. This is the current state of rural education, it can't be helped.

  Shan Yong rushed up and Uncle had another task: "Remember you can play the suona?"

  "You can talk nonsense." said Dan Yong.

  "Come on, let's go quickly, we're short of a suona player, you fill in the number." Uncle Shan pulled the person to leave immediately.

  "Hey, I said uncle, isn't there a village, and they're still calling me?" Dan Yong asked in confusion.

  "The town came to shoot a TV show, took away half of the drummers, and suddenly there weren't enough people. We didn't even have time to invite others." Shan Changgen explained that it was a crew shooting some special program, through the township government and village committee, gathering all the old artists to perform together. The ones who were serious about their work were actually short-handed. Lei Dapeng heard this and immediately volunteered: "Uncle, why didn't you call me? I'll go beat the gongs and fire the cannons."

  "Go, let's go." Single Changgen waved his hand, and Lei Dapeng didn't forget his younger brother. He shouted loudly, calling down Si Mu Xian as well. The three of them happily followed Single Changgen onto a tricycle parked outside the school. With a series of loud bangs, it emitted a burst of black smoke and drove away...

  "Don't expect them to still have their minds on teaching, it's over."

  A voice sounded from behind, Wang Huating suddenly turned her head and saw the class monitor Ding Yizhi's neat attire and that mature-looking face. Perhaps finding an opportunity to mock those three, Ding Yizhi said seriously: "Huating, our internship is about to end soon, I suggest we remove the seventh-grade performance situation from our internship report, otherwise, if it's presented in front of the department, they'll laugh at us."

  "Do you think this is... suitable?" Wang Huating asked in surprise, finding it strange that the class leader could never fully integrate into this small group.

  "There's nothing wrong, we were a group of five when we first came, now that Single Yong is teaching seventh grade, the results have nothing to do with us. Lei Dapeng teaches physical education, barely passable." Ding Yizhi said, seemingly considering the bigger picture, losing one grade level would drag down the overall trend, which was an upward trend for eighth and ninth grades.

  This means that Dan Yong is excluded. Wang Hua Ting was stunned, didn't nod or shake her head, and looked in the direction of the tricycle going away. This internship place has changed a lot: the walls and outdoor toilets are neat and tidy, the playground has a self-made basketball hoop, ping-pong table, and a bright and clean kitchen, as well as students who are cheering and excited. Many things have changed, but it seems that the role of their own few substitute interns is very small.

  "Class monitor, he never cared about our opinions, why are you so concerned, is it necessary?"

  Wang Hua Ting inexplicably gave Ding Yi Zhi a sentence, and Ding Yi Zhi was stunned. She turned around and left. Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, Liu Cui Yun rushed down, saying that Shan Yong had returned her call, saying that no one would be cooking at noon, so Cui Yun should shout to the class leader and branch secretary to go eat at the wedding venue.

  At this sentence, Wang Huating turned her head to glance at the class monitor, and in her heart, it was a complicated feeling.

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  "Stop for a moment, adjust the angle, don't stand in the way of the backlight, there's a shadow... recording, are you ready?"

  "Alright, got it."

  "Take a picture."

  "Higher by one meter..."

  On the lift, the cameraman squinted one eye and saw through the lens a simulated scene of a circle of people watching a traditional opera performance. The old artist wrapped in yellow satin was packing up his things. The cameraman made a gesture, and the director below, wearing a waistcoat, holding a score, with half-long hair, raised his hand and shouted: "Last minute preparation... everyone get ready, prepare to start recording."

  Not far away, four vehicles of various sizes were parked with the words "Charm Lu Zhou" folk culture seeking roots photography team. A group of more than 20 people organized a local Nuo opera performance through the township government, and it was not during the festival season, but fortunately, the township government came forward to gather these scattered old artists from various villages together.

  "Director Wang, this lineup is still a bit short. If there were a few hundred more onlookers, it would be lively." The director turned his head and handed over a cigarette. The stout-headed and big-eared Village Chief sucked on the wine-stained nose and said with difficulty: "It's not possible, Director Qin. The wheat harvest just ended, the second crop was just planted, and there's both fertilizer to spread and land to till. How can we spare the manpower? Today is someone's wedding day, and I had to force these musicians to come. Even so, Old Big isn't happy about it."

  The village head wouldn't come if there was no benefit, even if the cultural bureau had made arrangements, the film crew still didn't give fewer benefits, otherwise this kind of rural self-performed opera, you can't even see its face.

  "Alright, just this one request, I won't ask for anything else. Today's rehearsal, and if we still need to record formally, we should at least give the audience of over a hundred people something to watch, right? Otherwise, there's no atmosphere. Mass art can't be without the masses, after all?" The director persisted, and the village head thought for a moment before nodding in agreement: "Alright then, I'll get the school to take a day off, and we'll have over a hundred people gathered."

  "Then I'll thank you first." The director made a thanking gesture with his fists, turned around and shouted the countdown. The artists held their suona, bangzi drum, and cymbals in hand, and as the countdown sounded - 10, 9, 8... - they began to play, and the music filled the air.

  But unexpectedly came out, with a loud noise, the old man who was playing the flute was startled, his mouth skewed, and the sound went off-key. The whole scene was thrown into chaos.

  Just stopped, another loud noise, the recording engineer's hand shook, and a piercing sound came from the amplifier. The director was furious, turned around and glared at the village chief, who nervously glanced around and quickly comforted the scene: "It's okay, it's okay, when we marry a daughter-in-law in our village, one shot enters the village, two shots open the road, and firecrackers are only set off at the door. Let's start again..."

  It's another rush to get ready, and when the director yells "start", they somehow manage to put on a show. This is a rural opera troupe, very simple, with only two performers besides the band, one wearing a big fake beard and a ghost mask. The photographer aims his lens at the performer who's about to go on stage, but just as he does, there's another loud bang, which startles him so much that his hand shakes and the image blurs. Furious, the photographer yells: "Director, it's chaos! How can we shoot like this?"

  "Wait, wait a bit, let's start again after the funeral procession has passed by..." The village head repeatedly comforted the people on site, those old artists who were blowing and drumming couldn't help but laugh with their few teeth, their faces wrinkled up in a mess.

  "Stop..."

  Just less than twenty meters away from the shooting scene, the wedding procession stopped. The temporary host, Shan Changgen, raised his hand and shouted: "The suona doesn't sound loud, the team won't go on stage, the suona sound is not high, the two mouths are not good... Young men, blow it up!"

  With one blow, this conductor is even more powerful than the director. With a wave of his hand and a loud, sharp, metallic sound, like a knife cutting through the air, the sound shoots up to the sky. Many people in the audience are stimulated, their spirits suddenly rising, while the four trumpet players on stage subconsciously tremble with fear. The pitch has reached high B, stirring people's hearts to soar upwards.

  Every time it's mentioned again, the tone takes a turn at its highest point, making waves around the highest note, and the sound is like birds chirping in unison, like hearty laughter, stirring people's hearts to follow the ups and downs. Wang Xiang was delighted and shouted: "Good, good, play well! Old Shan, whose kid is this?"

  The sound was too loud, and the village chief's shout couldn't be heard at all. Director Qin's gaze, however, was fixed on the person playing the suona, his eyes bulging and his cheeks puffed out, using almost as much energy as it takes to nurse a baby. The suona is more exhausting than any other instrument; don't underestimate its simple tune - you can't master "Lifting the Flower Palanquin" in just three to five years. And what's surprising is that the person playing the suona was clearly very young, like an unmarried young man from the village.

  The tune, when it reached its climax, saw Shan Yong, the suona player, pause for a moment, raise his head, and turn around. This was the signal for everyone to start playing together. With a sudden burst of sound, the drums, cymbals, gongs, and other instruments joined in, playing the "Lifting the Flower Palanquin" tune. Lei Dapeng's cymbals rang out with energy, while Si Muxian played his erhu with gusto, walking and blowing at the same time. As they passed by the film crew, Shan Yong made funny faces and flirtatious eyes at the pretty girls among the production assistants, then puffed out his cheeks again, leading the lively and stirring tune. He walked along with a squatting gait, his legs bent and his arms shaking as he played, looking like an overweight duck that couldn't bear its own weight, causing everyone to burst out laughing. They were even more eye-catching than a newlywed couple.

  After the band, there was a groom leading a horse with a red veil covering his head, and behind him were the bride's family members sending off the dowry. The sound of drums and gongs grew more exciting, and the groom took small steps backward, foolishly lowering his head to peek at the bride under the veil, making her giggle. The groom glared and shouted, "What are you looking at? Do you want to go into the bridal chamber or not?"

  "Nonsense, of course I want to go in." Lei Dapeng chuckled, causing a burst of laughter from the front and back. The female family member hastily came up, packed a pack of cigarettes, and gave each side an earplug before sending this troublemaker away.

  The wedding procession flashed by, and when Wang Xiangzhang turned his head, he was stunned. The percussion band for the Nuo opera was also stunned. The staff on site, including makeup artists, sound recorders, and camera operators, were all stunned. The obviously hastily assembled band was surprisingly lively. It was the director who remained the most clear-headed, shouting with wide eyes: "Quickly... follow up with the camera, record everything, this is what we call folk customs... film that young man playing the suona."

  One word wakes up the dreamer, and everyone is afraid that they were all hooked by those few unusual suona sounds. This thing understands a bit of music, and the suona relies on the reed to control the pitch. The skill is all in the mouth. The eighteen pitches of the high-pitched suona are not even guaranteed to be blown to high B with added keys, let alone the ordinary copper instrument held by this young man from the village. The camera crew rushed forward with their equipment, followed by the sound recordist and the field recorder, chasing after the wedding procession. Director Qin turned back and said discontentedly: "Village Chief Wang, you've been hiding a treasure! Why didn't you call this talented young man to us?"

  "He's not from our village." Wang Xiangzhang was stunned for a moment, and Director Qin had already run after him, making him feel annoyed for half a day.

  No matter where people come from, today there are no outsiders, even those who rush to take photos don't feel surprised. As we approach the groom's house, a big red wedding character is already posted on the door, a big red paper-cut of mandarin ducks playing in water is hung on the window, and two rows of big red firecrackers are lined up. Along with the sound of suona getting closer, the wedding procession comes into view, and the crackling sound of firecrackers fills the air nonstop. Little kids run back and forth, covering their ears and picking up firecracker debris. On both sides of the village road, big girls and young wives, old ladies and grandmothers point and chat, occasionally squeezing and laughing together. The old men and young people gathered at the groom's house are preparing like they're going into battle. When the suona music stops, the bride gets off her horse, and a crowd rushes up to congratulate her.

  According to the customs of the countryside in Xunzhou, the bride has to pass through three gates. Each gate is more difficult than the last. The first gate is when the groom carries the bride into their new home. The relatives from the bride's side squeeze and those from the groom's side block, neither giving way to the other, just like they are fighting a war. This makes things tough for the groom carrying the bride, who is being squeezed back and forth by the crowd. Young people of the same age as the newlyweds think this isn't enough fun, so they force the bride to ride on the groom's shoulders, her red skirt covering her eyes. They spin around several times, saying "no peeking allowed", you have to find your own sense of direction.

  Someone laughed and asked the groom covered with a skirt: Don't put your head in yet, it's not time yet.

  Some people pulled the bride's legs and curled up on the groom's head, shouting: "Tighter, the tighter he is, the more comfortable he is."

  The younger generation laughed loudly, the toothless old lady and old man smiled with joy, their wrinkles gathered together; The hairless little kid was delighted, peeking at the new bride's appearance in the crowd; The newlyweds were teased, laughing loudly as they watched the newcomers' awkward appearance.

  At this moment, another urgent, playful and refreshing suona sound rose, like a chirping bird fluttering, like a galloping horse rushing forward, and also like a person laughing uncontrollably. It perfectly matched the atmosphere at that time. Suona player Shan Yong turned his head back, and Shi Muxian and Lei Dapeng exchanged knowing glances with each other. The cymbals and small drum suddenly sounded, filling in the gap of suona's breath change. Thus, these three instruments formed a harmonious melody, with the rapid string resonance of the erhu, the crisp sound of the cymbals, and the suona's tune blending together, pushing the atmosphere that had burst into the door to **.

  This tune is a common rural tune "Really Fun", that high-pitched B note that suddenly rises and falls with the crowd entering the courtyard, was played really well. The elderly people from the groom's family immediately came out, stuffing box after box of cigarettes into Xian Yu and Si Mu Xian's pockets. Even more enjoyable were the people from the film crew, who effortlessly captured a vivid folk scene, Director Qin was also delighted by the footage he shot, but when he turned around to find this drum and horn band, unexpectedly, as soon as the wedding ceremony began, the crowd was too dense, and in the blink of an eye, they were all gone in the throngs of people congratulating the newlyweds...

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  Wang Hua-ting and Liu Cui-yun were also present. As soon as the students were let loose, the teachers had nothing to do, so they even let go of the ninth graders. Anyway, with a loud noise, everyone couldn't sit still anymore. It's rare for the countryside to be lively, and country people love to join in on the excitement. What surprised her was that those three became the main attraction at the wedding scene, making the whole atmosphere very festive.

  The music stopped, and as she watched the three of them squeeze into the crowd to join in the excitement, Wang Huating turned back with a smile and asked: "Didn't you see that these three still have this trick?"

  "You don't know, do you? Dan Yong's mother was originally a famous actress in Bangzi Opera, and Simu Xian's father was also a researcher of folk culture. He told me that they often accompanied Dan Yong's mother to perform at Xiangma Village, listen to this excerpt of the famous actress singing 'Yang Qiuniang', haha, you didn't see it, even Lei Dapeng's drumming sounds just like the real thing." Liu Cuicloud said with a smile.

  "Let's go, this place is too chaotic. We still have a while before dinner." Wang Hua-ting watched as the villagers surrounded the newlyweds and teased them, smiling slightly, but not really liking the noisy environment. As she walked, she looked around at the surroundings, and the two months of internship time had passed in an instant, leaving her with a lingering attachment to this place.

  "What's on your mind, Hua Ting?" Liu Cuiyun said casually, walking to a distance outside the two houses. Everyone was rushing to the wedding scene, and other places were actually quiet.

  "It's nothing, I just thought of someone," said Wang Huating.

  "I guess it's him." Liu Cuicui said with a smile.

  "You guessed it, he's definitely not the one I thought... I remembered Professor Zuo just now." Wang Huating said with a smile, as if she had some feelings about her internship life: "Now I think his lectures on Taoist philosophy are very interesting. He talks about how the universe has its own inherent and natural way, and that's what he calls 'the way of nature', not intentionally changing anything... It's quite interesting, no matter what things or environment, as long as they exist, there must be a reason for their existence and continuation, just like here."

  "Huh? What's making our head teacher so sentimental?" Liu Cuicui didn't quite understand Wang Huating's meaning. Turning to look, Head Teacher was smiling all over her face, as if she had suddenly realized something, and then she explained: "It's very simple. We few people have worked hard, deliberately changing and trying to improve the teaching quality here. But the result is far from what we expected. On the contrary, those who don't do their job properly, eating, drinking and having fun, are actually more popular than us. Now I think we're the odd ones out."

  "Haha, that's right, Hua Ting sister, it seems your insight is justified, isn't it because of him?" Liu Cuicui smiled and said.

  "Who are you, stop talking nonsense, or I won't be polite to you!" Wang Huating made a gesture as if she was going to hit her, and Liu Cuicui dodged while answering the phone in her pocket. After responding with a few words, she smiled mischievously at Wang Huating, who looked puzzled and asked: "What's wrong?"

  "He's still not letting me tell you, but he's quite concerned about you. He asked me to bring you and the class leader out for dinner, let's go."

  Liu Cuicui smiled and pulled Wang Huating away, rushing towards the wedding banquet without giving her a chance to say anything.