sbdcsierra Chapter 1918 Performance
Chapter 1918 Performance
Chapter 1918 Performance
As darkness fell, the stage lights came on, illuminating the entire open space.
The helpers moved between the tables, carrying steaming dishes to them, including various seafood such as crabs, shrimp, and octopus, as well as various kinds of beef, lamb, and chicken, filling the entire place with their aroma.
Ye Xiaoxi picked up a piece of braised beef and stuffed it into her mouth, squinting her eyes in satisfaction: "Delicious! It's been so long since I've had a big meal!"
Pei Yu ate in small bites, glancing up at the stage every now and then, looking a little nervous.
Ye Chengyang picked up a piece of fish for her: "Don't be nervous, just think of it as a performance at school."
"Ah."
Ye Chenghu's mouth was already greasy from eating, and he said between chews, "When I go on stage to host later, you all have to applaud me!"
Ye Xiaoxi rolled her eyes at him: "You didn't perform, why are you clapping?"
"I'm the host! The opening remarks, the introductions, the raffle—it's all me!" Ye Chenghu said confidently. "Think about it, without me, how would the program be connected? Without me, who would announce the raffle winners?"
"Okay, okay, I'll give you a round of applause," Ye Xiaoxi said dismissively.
At 4:30, most of the dishes had been served. Ye Chenghu put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, straightened his clothes, and walked towards the stage.
He was wearing a new jacket today, and his hair was neatly combed; he looked quite presentable.
Zheng Shuya looked at him, smiled, and waved to him.
Ye Chenghu walked onto the stage, picked up the microphone, and cleared his throat: "Dear colleagues and leaders, good afternoon!"
A round of applause erupted from the audience.
"I am Ye Chenghu, today's host. We've eaten for a while and are warmed up, so it's time to watch the show! But before we go on stage, let's warm up a bit with a few prizes to liven things up."
"Good~"
The atmosphere below the stage was lively, with the men shouting excitedly. Everyone was full and waiting for the lucky draw, hoping to win a grand prize of a thousand yuan!
Ye Chenghu grinned, holding the program in his hand, but he didn't need to look at it. "How about we draw three washing machines for the first round of the lottery?"
"Good~"
The crowd below the stage immediately cheered and applauded, never expecting that as soon as they stepped on stage, they would draw all three second-prize winners.
"Okay, it's settled then. We'll draw three second-prize washing machines and twenty 100-yuan cash prizes!"
Wow!
The cheers rose higher and higher, and before the meal was even finished and the performance had just begun, the atmosphere had already reached its peak.
"Now, let's invite our boss, Mr. Ye Yaodong, to come up on stage and draw a prize! Let's see who will be the lucky winner!"
Ye Yaodong walked onto the stage with a smile, and a staff member carried a large box to him.
"We'll draw 20 cash prizes of 100 yuan each to see who the 20 lucky winners are. When their seat numbers are called, they can come up on stage to receive their prizes and take photos. Other prizes that are inconvenient to carry can be collected by the support staff after the event, by showing their number tags."
He drew 20 seat number plates from them.
"Table 6, seat number 10..."
The audience erupted in cheers. A young female worker stood up excitedly, holding up her seat tag and shouting, "It's me! It's me!"
"Please come up to the stage when your seat number is called. Next up is table 27, seat number 3..."
Every time Ye Chenghu called out a number, gasps of surprise would rise from the corners of the audience.
After he finished calling out 20 numbers, the stage gradually filled with 20 people, all of whom were smiling and extremely excited.
They won in the very first round—it was like a windfall!
After Ye Yaodong and the others arrived, he gave each of them a red envelope containing a 100-yuan note.
Everyone clutched their red envelopes tightly and posed for a group photo with bright smiles.
"Congratulations to the lucky winners! We're going to draw three more washing machines next!! Boss, please continue drawing!"
Ye Yaodong then pulled out three more slips of paper and handed them to him.
Ye Chenghu was surprised when he saw the note, then looked at Ye Yaodong with a wry smile.
Ye Yaodong looked at him questioningly, asking what was wrong.
He smiled and showed the note to his father.
Ye Yaodong was also at a loss for words, chuckling as he avoided the microphone and said, "Your dad's luck is too amazing. You tell everyone that I was chosen, so I'm just discarding it and drawing someone else."
Ye Chenghu smiled and turned to the audience, "These three seat numbers are for the washing machine draw, but I just glanced at one of the seat numbers and it's interesting. It's table number 1, seat number 1. That number belongs to the boss, Ye Yaodong."
The audience gasped in surprise, saying the odds were too low and they never expected to draw Ye Yaodong.
Ye Xiaoxi's table was pleasantly surprised.
"Wow, Dad actually won the second prize—a washing machine! That's incredibly lucky!"
Ye Chengyang was extremely envious, "Dad is slapping himself."
Ye Xiaoxi craned her neck, "Dad, I hope you can let me win a grand prize of a thousand yuan. If that's not possible, 500 yuan will do."
"I'm not greedy, just give me 200."
"Damn, you even have to compare this?"
The siblings bickered for a bit, and Ye Chenghu continued on stage, "Everyone was quite surprised by this result. No one expected Comrade Ye Yaodong to have such good luck, drawing his own card. I just asked him, and he said his was invalid and he'd draw another one!"
"Oh wow~"
The crowd cheered again; another spot had been created, and there was another chance.
The numbers were normal after drawing them again.
"Alright, three washing machines. Please come up to the stage to claim your prize when I call out the numbers: table 15, number 2; table 79, number 1..."
The person who won the draw was so surprised they almost fainted. They shouted excitedly, waving their tickets and staggering through the crowd to walk onto the stage. The short distance took them a long time, and they were covered in sweat, extremely excited.
Everyone ate at the free dinner, and basically everyone came, so there was no situation where no one claimed the prize.
The washing machine was too big to carry up, so the awards ceremony only included three instruction manuals for the washing machine, which they were told to pick up from the logistics department after the event.
Ye Chenghu said with a smile, "Let's congratulate the three lucky winners who have taken home today's second prize—three washing machines! They're so lucky; the event has only just begun and they've already won the grand prize."
"But the event has only just begun, and there are still many big prizes to come, such as a grand prize of a thousand yuan and a color TV, which are still waiting for everyone."
"Before the next round of the lucky draw, let's watch a few performances. These are all performances by our factory workers who have signed up to entertain us."
"Let's give a round of applause to welcome our first performance, a clapper talk! Old Li from the processing workshop will be bringing you a clapper talk entitled 'Praising Our Factory'!"
A middle-aged man in his forties was already waiting in the audience. He walked onto the stage with a big smile, wearing a blue factory uniform, holding a clapper in his hand. He stood in the center of the stage and started clapping away.
"Clap your bamboo clappers, the sound echoes to the heavens, let me sing the praises of our factory—"
Old Li's clapper talk is fluent, and his lyrics are also well-composed.
Phrases like "Fishing boats return from the sea laden with catches, and processing workshops are busy day and night," "The factory director leads the way, and the workers are full of energy," and "Dongsheng Fisheries has a great reputation, and next year will be even better than this year" drew continuous applause from the audience.
"Old Li's got some skills!"
When the song ended, thunderous applause erupted.
After Lao Li finished his clapper talk, Ye Chenghu ran up to the stage again: "Thank you for your performance, Lao Li. Next, please welcome Xiao Wang from the packaging workshop to perform a harmonica solo of 'Jasmine Flower'!"
A young man walked onto the stage, picked up his harmonica, and began to play. He played the tune very smoothly, and everyone applauded enthusiastically.
The third person to sing was a middle-aged female factory worker. She sang "My Chinese Heart." Her singing wasn't very good, but when she sang "Yangtze River, Great Wall, Mount Huangshan, Yellow River," she received thunderous applause.
What everyone is really experiencing is the atmosphere. No matter how well they sing, having the courage to go on stage and perform for everyone deserves applause.
The fourth performance was a crosstalk routine, and after that, the second round of prize drawing, which everyone was most looking forward to, took place.
Because they have a larger number of slots available, they naturally draw more frequently.
"The exciting program has come to an end. Next up is the second round of the lucky draw that everyone has been looking forward to. In the second round, we will be giving away 5 bicycles and 10 cash prizes of 200 yuan each!"
"Wow~"
The crowd erupted in cheers again, the atmosphere was incredibly enthusiastic.
"For the second round, please welcome our Manager Qi to the stage to draw 15 spots for everyone..."
Ye Xiaoxi gripped Pei Yu's hands tightly. "I feel a little nervous."
Pei Yu grasped her hand in return, "I'm a little nervous too. I feel like we're going to win the lottery."
"Hahaha~ I'm waiting to win the grand prize of a thousand yuan!"
"I'm not picky, as long as I can win."
Ye Chengyang looked helplessly at the two who were dreaming, and reminded Ye Xiaoxi, "The next program is singing military songs, followed by stand-up comedy, and then it's your turn."
"It's nothing!"
"After Xiao Jiu finishes playing the erhu, it's Xiao Yu's turn to dance solo."
"We'll go to the entrance together and wait in line later."
"Second brother, why doesn't this lottery just draw names? Why do we draw seat numbers instead? Isn't that more complicated?"
“There are people with the same name in the factory. There are two or three people named Chen Jianguo, and there are also homophones like Lin Jun and Lin Jun. If we call out the same name and several people come up, wouldn’t that be even more disappointing? Besides, some people have gone back to their hometowns, so we have to remove those names, which is quite troublesome. Anyway, we’ve already made number tags for the tables, so we can just tear off the back pages and draw lots.”
"Oh fine."
They whispered among themselves, and cheers erupted all around them. Every time Ye Chenghu called out a seat number, there was a burst of cheers.
After the second round of awards, it was time for singing again. This time, it was Jun Ge's "We Are Soldiers," which brought the atmosphere to its peak and was sung by the entire audience.
All the soldiers stood up and sang the song loudly, joining the people on stage in a chorus with red eyes.
Every soldier knew this song, and they all sang it with great force. The applause after they finished singing was the most enthusiastic.
The three siblings, Ye Xiaoxi, were deeply moved to hear so many people singing military songs together.
"Second Brother, Xiaoyu, are you getting goosebumps? We admire them so much! The soldiers sang so well, and it's amazing how united they were to sing together like that."
Pei Yu nodded repeatedly, "Yes, I got goosebumps too, I was a little excited."
"You two hurry backstage and wait to go on stage. You're about to do a stand-up comedy routine."
"immediately."
Ye Xiaoxi, carrying her erhu, quietly left her seat with Pei Yu and walked towards the actors' seating area on the side of the stage, where a simple tent had been set up and people waiting to go on stage were gathered.
The two of them wouldn't leave the table until the very last moment, because there was just too much delicious food.
"Are you nervous?" Ye Xiaoxi asked.
Pei Yu nodded, then shook her head: "A little, but it's alright."
"Don't be afraid, just think of those people in the audience as cabbages," Ye Xiaoxi chuckled. "That's what my dad told me when I first went on stage as a child."
Pei Yu was amused by her: "Do they look like cabbages to you?"
Ye Xiaoxi glanced at the audience and said, "It doesn't look like that. It looks like a group of children waiting for candy, cheering and clapping."
The two burst into laughter.
With military songs preceding it, the stand-up comedy seemed much weaker, and the atmosphere was noticeably less intense than before.
"We just listened to the harmonica tonight, and now for the second instrument, please welcome Ye Xiaoxi to perform an erhu solo, 'Step by Step Higher'!"
Good-natured laughter and applause rang out from the audience. Some people knew who she was, but most did not, and could only hear about her from others and receive the information.
Ye Xiaoxi took a deep breath, picked up her erhu, and walked onto the stage.
The stage lights shone on her, making her bright red cotton-padded jacket stand out. Her high bun made her look graceful and poised, a grown woman. Her cheeks were flushed from the stage lights.
She settled into her chair and glanced down at the audience.
In the center of the first row, Ye Yaodong was smiling at her, and Lin Xiuqing was also smiling at her. Ye Chengyang in the back row gave her a thumbs up.
She twitched the corner of her mouth, composed herself, picked up the erhu, and began to draw the bow.
A cheerful melody flowed out.
She practiced "Step by Step Higher" countless times; she could even play it with her eyes closed.
The bowstrings flew, the notes leaped, and the festive and enthusiastic energy instantly enlivened the atmosphere in the audience.
Some people nodded slightly in rhythm, and someone at Ye Yaodong's table complimented, "The boss's daughter is really something."
Ye Yaodong said politely, "She learned it by accident. When she was a child, she saw the lively music and drumming at the Tianhou Temple, so she went to find an old master who played the erhu and became his apprentice. She never expected that she would be learning for almost 10 years."
"It's not easy. One minute on stage requires ten years of practice off stage."
Ye Yaodong then smiled and said to everyone, "When we vote for the program later, don't give me face. Let's be realistic, otherwise it won't be fair to everyone."
"Of course, it's only right. Your little girl doesn't lack those prizes, so we'll definitely be fair and impartial."
"Yes, it has to be fair and just, and we should choose everyone's favorite program for the evening."
As she played the second half, she found it easier and easier, her body swaying slightly as she became completely absorbed in the movement.
When the music ended, she put down her bow, stood up, and bowed to the audience.
The applause was thunderous, louder than the previous performance.
Ye Xiaoxi ran off the stage, her face flushed, and bumped into Pei Yu, who was about to go on stage. The two gave each other a high five, and Ye Xiaoxi whispered, "Good luck!"
Pei Yu nodded, waiting for Ye Chenghu to finish his lines. She took a deep breath, took off her down jacket, and walked onto the stage.
The music started; it was classical music.
Pei Yu was wearing a light green dress today, her hair was styled in a bun with a few silk flowers, and she wore heavy makeup. Under the light, she looked like she had stepped out of a painting.
She gently raised her arms, touched the ground with her toes, and began to dance.
Her dance was graceful and flowing; as she twirled, her skirt billowed like a blooming lotus. The clear and melodious tune of the guzheng, combined with her light and graceful steps, was so beautiful that it made one's eyes widen in amazement.
This is the first and only dance of the evening.
70% of the factory workers were men, and the remaining female workers generally didn't know how to dance. In those days, it wasn't something that ordinary families could afford to train their children to dance.
If someone truly had the ability to raise a multi-talented daughter, they wouldn't be working in this factory.
Everyone stared wide-eyed and exclaimed, "This girl dances so well..."
"We never expected to have someone in our factory who could dance..."
After the dance ended, Pei Yu bowed, slightly out of breath.
There was a two-second silence.
Then, thunderous applause erupted.
It was louder and longer-lasting than the applause Ye Xiaoxi had given earlier.
"it is good!"
"That was a fantastic jump!"
"One more!"
Pei Yu blushed and ran off the stage. Ye Xiaoxi put a down jacket on her and hugged her tightly, saying, "Xiaoyu, you danced so well! So well! First prize is definitely yours!"
Pei Yu shook her head and whispered, "Don't talk nonsense, there are other people involved."
Ye Chengyang walked over and, unusually, praised someone: "You really danced well."
Pei Yu smiled, pursing her lips, "If I really win the award, I'll treat you all to dinner."
People waiting in line backstage to perform saw Pei Yu and wanted to come up and talk to her, but Ye Chengyang blocked them and led them out by the hand.
They were worried that someone might try to chat them up, so Ye Chengyang came directly backstage to pick them up, to avoid being rude to others.
Having two outstanding younger sisters is a happy problem.
"Let me tell you, if anyone tries to chat you up from now on, just ignore them and say you're still young, understand?" Ye Chengyang felt like he was going to break his heart.
Ye Xiaoxi linked her arm with his and said with a smile, "When I said I had a boyfriend, it was you!"
Ye Chengyang gently pinched the bridge of her nose. "You can't say that. People will laugh at you if they find out."
"It's okay, you're the best shield."
"That's fine too. At least this way you won't get entangled with shameless people. You're both still young, you can't be in a relationship too early. You should focus on your studies. You should learn from me, and not be like your older brother. Your older brother is a boy, so it's not a big problem for him, but girls are more likely to get taken advantage of..."
"Okay, okay, you're so long-winded, just like Tang Sanzang, you always have to talk whenever you get the chance."
"I'm doing this for your own good. If I don't tell you, you won't know the true nature of men and how treacherous their hearts can be."
"Okay, okay, hurry up and eat something else. There's a performance coming up, and then the lucky draw is about to start. I want my 1,000 yuan prize!"
Pei Yu also said, "I didn't dare to eat much just now, for fear that I wouldn't be able to move if I ate too much. I'm so hungry now."
After their performances concluded, Ye Chenghu announced on stage that the third round of the lucky draw would begin.
"The wonderful solo dance performance has ended, and everyone's eyes were glued to it. This was the first dance performance of the evening, and there will be even more amazing performances to come. Let's start with the third round of the lucky draw! What should we draw this time?"
"I have a feeling I'm going to win the lottery."
"I had a feeling too!"
"Hahaha……"
Someone in the audience shouted, "A grand prize of 1,000 yuan!"
"A color television!"
Ye Chenghu smiled and gestured with his hand: "Don't rush, don't rush, we're saving the grand prize of 1,000 yuan and the TV for last. This round, we'll draw 10 lucky winners for four-piece bedding sets, and 5 winners for 500 yuan cash prizes!"
Another round of cheers erupted from the audience.
"Please welcome our factory's boss lady, Lin Xiuqing, to the stage to draw a prize!"
Ye Xiaoxi muttered, "Big brother is really enjoying himself. He keeps calling out Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing all night. Normally, he wouldn't dare to call his parents by their names directly."
"Would you like to take this opportunity to make a sound too?"
Am I that kind of person?
"Yes."
Ye Xiaoxi glared at Ye Chengyang, "I can call out to him secretly."
“If you call out secretly, no one will hear you. But if you stand on the stage and openly call out Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing, it feels pretty cool.”
"Haha, you can try to become a host next year, and I'll call you then."
"The lottery results are in..."
"Forget it, I'll give up on winning. I'll save it for the grand prize of a thousand yuan later."
(End of this chapter)