sbdcsierra Chapter 1919 The Curtain Falls
Chapter 1919 The Curtain Falls
Chapter 1919 The Curtain Falls
Lin Xiuqing walked onto the stage with a smile.
She wore a dark red cotton-padded jacket today, her hair was neatly styled, and she wore light makeup, looking dignified and capable.
She pulled a handful of number plates from the box, counted them, and handed them to Ye Chenghu.
Ye Chenghu took them and read them out one by one: "Now we're drawing 10 lucky draw prize sheets. The first one is for table 38, number 6!"
A cheer erupted from the audience, and a middle-aged woman stood up, holding up her seat card, and ran onto the stage.
"Table 45, seat number 9!"
"Table 17, seat number 5!"
……
After the ten lucky draw winners were announced, the winners happily carried their bedding off the stage.
Ye Chenghu picked up the remaining five number plates: "Next up are five 500 yuan cash prizes! Please, ma'am, continue drawing!"
Lin Xiuqing took out five more bills from the box and handed them to Ye Chenghu.
"The first 500 yuan—Table 3, number 22!"
A young man jumped up, his face flushed with excitement, and almost tripped when he ran onto the stage.
The next four were even more excited than the last.
A middle-aged man received a red envelope, opened it on the spot, glanced at it, and his eyes immediately welled up with tears. He kept saying thank you.
Ye Xiaoxi watched from below the stage, thinking, "I don't really want to win this round. I need to save my luck for a bigger win. I should win in the next round."
Pei Yu laughed heartily, "Is it the Bodhisattva who blesses you, or Mazu?"
"May all the gods and Buddhas protect me!" She clasped her hands together, smiled, and bowed towards the stage.
After the third round of the lucky draw, Ye Chenghu ran up to the stage to announce: "Next, please welcome Zheng Yuanxiang, our factory's electrician, to bring you a magic show!"
Old Zheng walked onto the stage, also dressed in work clothes, holding a few ropes and some papers in his hand.
He first conjured a rope to thread a needle, then a piece of paper to create a flower, and the workers below the stage gave him a round of applause.
Then came the second magic trick. He held a torch, lit it, and the flames danced brightly as he showed the audience that his hands were empty.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, the torch streaked through the air before extinguishing instantly, and a bright red rose steadily appeared in his palm.
The audience below the stage stared wide-eyed and exclaimed in surprise. Those who were close by enjoyed the minimalist visual effect, while those who were far away simply watched the spectacle.
The next performance was a face-changing act unique to the Sichuan and Chongqing regions, which was even more spectacular.
The actors on stage followed the music, and with a flick of their sleeves, they revealed different painted faces, eliciting gasps of amazement from the audience.
Ye Xiaoxi's eyes widened, and her hands were almost swollen from clapping.
"This is great, this is great, this is amazing! I never expected there to be such talent in the factory!"
Ye Chengyang clapped continuously, "The factory is full of people from all over the country, so it's not surprising that some talented people have emerged. It's just that he seems a bit rusty when it comes to face replacement, and it's been a bit long."
"That's already amazing, that was fantastic!"
Pei Yu nodded in agreement, "We're dreaming if we think we can win an award. There are so many great shows, it seems like it's going to be difficult."
"Indeed, it's okay if I don't win an award, just let me win a big prize of a thousand yuan, haha."
"It seems like it'll be your turn soon, cousin."
"I'm the last one to go!"
The program continued, and soon it was Ye Chengyang's turn.
The song he sang was "Friendship Years," and as soon as the intro started, the workers in the audience became excited.
This song is an interlude from the hit movie "Young and Dangerous" this year, and almost every young person knows it.
The factory canteen still broadcasts the same thing every day, and every employee can hum a few lines. The boatmen also watch the Young and Dangerous movies on the boat every day.
As soon as that familiar song started playing, the atmosphere in the venue went wild again.
Many people stood up and sang along, "The vanished time is scattered in the wind, as if we can't remember facing it again..."
"Wow, my second brother is amazing, he speaks Cantonese."
"My second cousin is usually locked in his room and doesn't do his tests properly."
"That's right. Mother always praises my second brother for how hard he studies. He must spend most of his time listening to songs and learning to sing."
Ye Xiaoxi felt she had figured out the truth!
Otherwise, how could my second brother sing so many songs? He must listen to them every day.
Ye Chengyang's voice is clear and slightly magnetic, giving this song a unique flavor, although his Cantonese may not be very standard.
But for everyone else, it was already very good. Most people wouldn't notice that everyone's singing was not standard, and even their Mandarin was not standard.
The young people in the audience started singing along. At first, it was just a few scattered individuals, but by the climax, it had become a full-audience sing-along.
"Let's forget right and wrong, let's cherish the past, there's always joy in the days we shared through thick and thin—"
Dozens of people were shouting at the top of their lungs, some of them so loud their faces turned red.
Ye Chengyang stood on the stage, looking at the group of people below, and sang with increasing passion.
When the song ended, he bowed slightly.
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
Ye Chenghu walked onto the stage with a smile, "Comrade Ye Chengyang sang so well! All the performances are over! Next is the final round of the lucky draw! And the most exciting round yet!"
His voice rose, and the workers below the stage became excited, all shouting, "Color TV! Color TV!"
"A grand prize of 1,000 yuan! A grand prize of 1,000 yuan!"
After Ye Chengyang stepped down and returned to his seat, Ye Xiaoxi praised him enthusiastically and gave him a thumbs up.
"Second brother, you sang so well! You can even sing in Cantonese! That's amazing!"
Ye Chengyang patted her head: "Alright, stop making a fuss. It's because the song was well-chosen and everyone is familiar with it, so it can liven up the atmosphere."
Ye Chenghu smiled and gestured for the audience to quiet down a bit before continuing, "In this final round, we'll draw a first prize color television and three cash prizes of 1,000 yuan each!"
"In addition, vote for the three best shows of the evening! The show with the most votes will receive a cash prize of 1,000 yuan, the second-best will receive a cash prize of 800 yuan, and the third-best will receive a cash prize of 500 yuan."
"Thank you for your hard work in bringing such a wonderful performance tonight. Everyone who participated in the performance can pick up a participation prize from the logistics department."
"There are a total of 30 ballots. You can select three of your favorites on each ballot. If you receive a ballot randomly, you can select your favorites in advance. The results will be tallied and announced after the draw."
"I'll draw the grand prize in this final round. I can't just stand here all night for nothing. I need to feel involved. The boss will have to listen to my orders tonight."
The audience below the stage laughed good-naturedly.
Lin Xiuqing smiled and shook her head, "This child, he must have added those lines himself."
Ye Xiaoxi clasped her hands together and muttered, "May all the gods and Buddhas protect me, may all the gods and Buddhas protect me..."
Pei Yu was amused by her, but also whispered, "Bless me, bless me."
Ye Chengyang sat beside them, looking at the two girls, and shook his head helplessly.
"In this round, I'll draw three grand prizes of 1,000 yuan each! Who will be today's lucky winner? Number 8 at table 50!"
Cheers erupted from the middle table as a young employee shouted ecstatically, "Me! It's me! I won! I won the grand prize of a thousand yuan! I won!"
He yelled at the top of his lungs, overjoyed, and stumbled toward the stage, his joy almost overwhelming him.
When it came time to read the second number, it felt somewhat familiar. He paused, then looked uncertainly at his own table.
"Table 5, seat number 3..."
When everyone heard the number, they all looked in the front row. The people at table number 5 were stunned. They really didn't expect to be drawn at their table.
"Who at our table won?"
They all looked down to check the numbers on their hands.
"Sister Xiaoya?"
Zheng Shuya looked at the tickets in her hand and never expected that she would be selected.
She was overjoyed but also a little unsure whether to accept the prize. "It seems like I was chosen? But I'm not a full-time employee. Should I do what Uncle Ye did and cancel it and draw again?"
Ye Xiaoxi screamed excitedly, "Ah! Sister Xiaoya, you won! This is so lucky!"
Ye Yaodong and the others at the table in front turned around and realized that Zheng Shuya had won.
Zheng Shuya looked at them nervously and said, "Am I considered a family member? I'm not a full-time employee. So, like Uncle Ye just did, we have to cancel the draw and draw another one?"
Ye Yaodong said with a smile, "It's your luck to be selected. You'll definitely have amazing luck next year. Go up and claim your prize. It's yours to be selected. But tell Cheng Hu to draw another one as compensation."
Ye Xiaoxi gave him a thumbs up, "My dad is so generous!"
"Don't be naughty."
Lin Xiuqing smiled and said to Zheng Shuya, "Hurry up and go up to receive your award, everyone else has already gone up."
During their discussion, Ye Chenghu had already read out all the winners, and the cheers grew louder and louder.
The winners were already excitedly walking up to the stage one after another, while Zheng Shuya was still hesitating about whether or not to go and claim her prize.
Zheng Shuya held the number tag with a joyful expression, "Shall I go up and claim my prize?"
Ye Xiaoxi urged, "Hurry up, hurry up!"
"After I receive the award, I'll treat you to dinner tomorrow and take you shopping for gifts!"
Pei Yu smiled and said, "Then we'll be waiting! You go quickly."
Zheng Shuya went on stage happily and told Ye Yaodong what Ye Chenghu meant.
Ye Chenghu nodded and then said loudly, "Next up is the biggest prize tonight, a color TV worth two thousand yuan."
"Color TV! Color TV!"
The audience was shouting for a color TV.
"Table 81, seat number 9!"
"I won! I won!!"
Everyone sighed, turned around, and left, discussing among themselves as they went.
"Comrades, there's a surprise! One of the winners this round is a family member of a leader. The boss said the family member can still claim the prize, but we need to give you another winning spot! We're returning the spot to everyone!"
People who thought they hadn't won anything and that all the prizes had been drawn were now gone, and that there was no hope left, rushed back to cheer.
"Come on, let's see who the last lucky one is!"
"Table 58, seat number 8!!"
"It's me! Ahhh! It's me!!" The lucky winners shouted until their voices cracked, jumping onto their stools and waving their tickets.
After all the prizes were drawn, Ye Chenghu took a moment to compose himself during the awards ceremony and continued hosting.
"Next up is the voting! We'll be choosing the best performance of the night!"
Thirty voting tickets had already been distributed to randomly selected employees, who then ticked off their favorite shows.
The vote counting was conducted openly on stage, with the names of all the programs and performers written on a large whiteboard, and the votes were counted in tally marks.
To ensure that all randomly released votes are cast and not wasted, they also set up prizes; employees who cast their votes could receive a gift bag.
After voting began, Zheng Shuya received a generous red envelope and returned to her seat, happily sharing it with the others.
"So many! I've never received such a big award in my life! Even the school scholarships aren't this much!"
"You're so lucky! Let me touch your hand, so I can share in your good fortune next year..."
As Pei Yu spoke, Ye Xiaoxi rushed over and hugged Zheng Shuya.
"I want to hug you and share in your good luck."
"Haha, everyone gets a share, here's one for each of you..."
Ye Chengyang calmly replied, "No need. What you won is yours. You don't need to share it with us. Just treat us to dinner tomorrow."
"Yes, just treat us to dinner tomorrow."
Everyone burst into laughter and was overjoyed.
"We're already very lucky to have one person at our table who is a middle school student."
"Many people have left. Let's wait for the final voting results."
"Of course we have to wait. What if we actually win an acting award?"
After the prize draw, everyone gradually left. The subsequent performance prizes were irrelevant to everyone except the participants and voters.
In no time, the venue was more than half empty. Only a few tables in the first two rows were still occupied, and only a few scattered tables remained in the back. Nobody seemed to care much about the performance awards anymore.
There were only 30 votes in total, and the vote count was quick. Ye Chenghu was waiting for the results to come out before announcing the answer.
"Best Performance of the Evening Award, Solo Dance – Pei Yu!"
Wow!!! I knew it, Xiaoyu, you were sure to be number one!
Pei Yu looked at the stage with surprise!
Lin Xiuqing turned around and said, "Congratulations, you earned this through your own hard work."
"I went to collect my award?! What a surprise!"
"Go!"
"Second place, the song 'We Are Soldiers'!"
"Third place, the song 'Friendship Years'!"
Ye Chengyang was also pleasantly surprised, "Me too?"
Ye Xiaoxi looked on with envy, "Why are you all off to receive awards? All my prayers and divination aren't working anymore?"
"We're off to receive our award, hahaha..."
"There was also an unexpected surprise. The boss said that a fourth place would be added, with an encouragement prize of 300 yuan. The fourth place winner was the program 'Sichuan Opera Face Changing'."
Ye Yaodong: "?"
He didn't say that! This brat is falsely claiming imperial orders!
Lin Xiuqing looked at him questioningly, "Did you say that?"
"What nonsense! Do you think I can transmit my voice over a thousand miles?"
"This child acted on his own? Well, that's good, otherwise it wouldn't be good if two of the three awards were taken by family members."
"It's just that our child is too outstanding. He won it based on his own merit. Tonight, I gave up one prize and added another grand prize of 1,000 yuan as compensation. I'll have Ye Chenghu pay 300 yuan out of his own pocket to make up for it later."
Lin Xiuqing covered her mouth and laughed, "Then he should be wailing. He worked hard all night and didn't get any benefits. He even has to pay out of his own pocket 300 yuan!"
"You want him to make decisions on his own?"
"He really improvised. After all, you gave up your prize when you won, and Zheng Shuya got an extra thousand-yuan prize. Now that we have two more, he probably thought he could add another prize to make up for it."
Ye Yaodong actually agreed with Ye Chenghu's actions, but he also needed to let him know that he had to pay for his words.
"We will ban our own people from participating in the lottery next year."
"It's fine to ban our own prize draws, but we still have to give prizes to children who win based on their performances."
(End of this chapter)