Chapter Eighty-Three: The Town Performance

Le'er had been truly miserable lately. Matchmakers kept coming one after another, and women like Sister Tao Hong were everywhere. In the countryside, it was common for girls to be engaged at fourteen or fifteen, ordinary at sixteen or seventeen, and married by seventeen or eighteen. If a girl was still unmarried at twenty, it meant there was something wrong with her; if she was twenty-one or twenty-two and still had no husband lined up, then trouble had truly begun.

In the countryside, an engagement did not mean marriage. As a rule, a couple had to keep seeing one another for two or three years before tying the knot. Lan, the girl from Sister Tao Hong’s family, was just over fourteen. If she could become engaged now and then keep company for another two or three years, marrying at around seventeen would be perfect.

The sooner you raise children, the sooner you enjoy life; that was the country folk’s belief, unchanged to this day. Le'er was seventeen, exactly the age for an engagement. Even his uncle had urged him to find a match, and had come to his door several times to speak on his behalf. But Le'er simply would not agree. The one he could not forget was Li Ying. Though he refused to admit it himself, deep down that thought clung stubbornly to him and directed his heart.

Lately, Tao Haiying had also been making trouble for him, always lingering at his side, talking to him in a sweet, intimate way, as if they were lovers. Le'er wanted to keep away from her, but she was like sticky burdock that would not come off.

"Le'er, have you taken up with Tao Haiying? Does she feel good to the touch?"

Tao Youneng seized every chance to joke with him.

"Take you, you damn fool!" Le'er laughed and cursed, half annoyed. "What would I be doing with her?"

"Then you two..."

Tao Youneng was about to go on when Tao Haiying suddenly appeared in their line of sight.

"Le'er, what are you two talking about?" Tao Haiying asked with a bright smile, looking at Le'er tenderly. "Your clothes are dirty again. Shall I wash them for you tomorrow?"

"Uh... it’s only a little dirty. I can wash them myself."

"Why be so polite? You men don’t know how to wash clothes anyway. You end up with patches of black and white all over them; might as well not wash them at all."

"Teacher Feng is calling me over there..."

Le'er fled toward Feng Shuyah as if escaping for his life. Behind him, Tao Youneng burst out laughing, while Tao Haiying shot him a hateful glare.

"What are you laughing at, you damn fool?" Tao Haiying snapped, eyebrows raised. "If you keep running your mouth between me and Le'er, see how I deal with you."

"What, are you some kind of tigress?" Tao Youneng did not want to tangle with her. Without looking back, he walked off, muttering as he went, "Damn fool... as if I’m afraid of you."

The date of the town performance was drawing closer and closer, and Feng Shuyah grew busy. She phoned the county, and two days later Secretary Luo personally brought over nearly half a truckload of costumes and props from the county troupe. The performance team from Taosha Village officially began rehearsing in costume, and they even invited Village Secretary Tao and about a dozen others to watch.

The performances won over every spectator. When Village Secretary Tao watched the stage play Under the Same Blue Sky, tears of age actually rolled down his face.

"Wonderful, absolutely wonderful," he said, his old heart almost unable to bear such excitement. "Especially Yinxiang—she acted just like the real thing. Mm, I even shed tears myself. How embarrassing."

"Le'er, is it really that hard and humiliating to work outside as a laborer?" Director Tian Sihua’s eyes were misty too. "Heavens, such work is far too miserable. It would be better to start a business at home."

"It really is even harder than that. Like my Aunt Ma in the garment factory—when there’s plenty of work, it’s normal for workers to put in sixteen or seventeen hours. As for being mistreated, that’s just everyday life."

"Good heavens, if the work is like that, why would anyone still do it?"

The real life of migrant labor had its bitterness and its joys. Of course, when it was bitter, it could be even harsher than what was shown onstage, and being bullied was an everyday matter. Yet when this bitterness and joy were acted out onstage, it made the suffering feel all the more stark.

Besides that short play, the dance was excellent as well, full of its own distinctive flavor. In a cheerful rhythm, everyone danced wildly and joyfully, fully capturing the delight village boys and girls found in farm work. Those plain, ordinary motions of doing field labor, once exaggerated and reshaped, became both beautiful and authentic, with something of a professional quality to them.

The success of the rehearsal only strengthened Feng Shuyah’s confidence. She was determined to win first place. The first blaze of a new official’s tenure had to burn brightly, and this first one of hers certainly would.

"Le'er, did I act well?"

On the way home, with no moon in the sky, Le'er was carrying a flashlight while Luo Yinxiang clung to his arm. The yellow dog trotted happily beside them, running ahead and back again.

"Of course you acted well. Didn’t you hear the old secretary praising you?"

"Tomorrow we’re going to the town for the performance, and my heart’s pounding. Feel it."

"Feel your fool of a backside. Stop letting your mind wander and get ready for tomorrow’s show. If we do well, we’ll go on to perform in the county too."

"You don’t like touching mine, then do you like touching Tao Haiying’s?"

Luo Yinxiang giggled. These past few days, every move Tao Haiying made had fallen into her eyes, though she simply could not be bothered to interfere, nor dared she. She was afraid Le'er would scold her.

Sure enough, Le'er slapped her hard on the backside.

"If you say another word, I’ll smack your bottom swollen," Le'er said irritably. "You’re driving me crazy."

"Mmm..." Luo Yinxiang nearly moaned aloud. "I won’t say it anymore. Next time, hit a little softer, all right, good man? Do you want me to go curse her for you and help you vent your anger?"

She giggled again.

"Don’t go provoking her. That’ll only make things more annoying."

That night nothing else happened, and the two went home separately. The next day, with no surprises at all, Taosha Village’s two programs stole the show at the town performance, pushing aside the acts prepared by the township government. The performance was held in the town cinema, and when Under the Same Blue Sky was staged, no one could count how many people wiped their eyes.

Under the Same Blue Sky won the first prize without question, while Country Girl, Mud-Legged Boy took second. Both programs were to advance to the county competition.

There was only one first prize. Besides the certificate, it came with a bonus of two thousand yuan. The second prize carried a thousand yuan. Le'er went onstage to accept the first prize, while Luo Yinxiang accepted the second. The two of them drew all the attention.

Village Secretary Tao was moved to tears.

"Good heavens, this is the first time our Taosha Village has ever stood so proudly in the light. I’ve been village secretary for nearly twenty years, and this is the first time I’ve really shown my face."

He held the framed certificate in his hands, touching it again and again.

Secretary Huang came as well. First he shook hands with Feng Shuyah, then with Village Secretary Tao, and then he walked over to Le'er and gave his shoulder a heavy slap.

"You little rascal, you really do have some skill," Secretary Huang said with a hearty laugh. "Tonight’s on me, and I’m treating everyone from Taosha Village. Heh, you’re still going to perform in the county too. I’m sure you’ll win again and take first prize, bringing honor to our Twin Bridge Town."

As he spoke, his eyes searched among the crowd.

"Hmm? Where’s that Luo... Luo Yinxiang girl who acted the best? Where did she go? She made me cry."

Everyone looked around, and sure enough, Luo Yinxiang was nowhere to be seen.

"Uh... where did Luo Yinxiang go?" Village Secretary Tao frowned too. "Le'er, do you know?"

"Damn it, she didn’t tell me where she went," Le'er said, growing worried himself. "I’ll go look for her. You all go ahead and wait for me."

"Le'er, I’ll go with you to look."

Tao Haiying stepped up beside him.

"Don’t go. I’ll manage alone. I walk fast."

Le'er hurried off to find Yinxiang, while Tao Haiying pouted behind him. The group set off in a grand procession toward the restaurant, Secretary Huang chatting and laughing with Village Secretary Tao and Feng Shuyah, delighted beyond measure. The young performers carried the framed certificate behind them, thrilled to the point of buzzing. Not only had they won prizes, they were even going to eat with the township party secretary—what an honor that was.

Le'er searched every street, but he still could not find Luo Yinxiang. In his heart he cursed her bitterly.