Huayu 1992: Starting with the CCTV Young Singers Competition

Chapter 63 Generous Chapter 1, Heading to the General Political Department Song and Dance Troupe

I walked out of Teacher Jin Tielin's house.

The hot wind of early summer blows in.

Lin Hanjiang fanned himself with his hand, but stopped when he didn't feel any coolness.

Zhang followed half a step behind him, head down, his steps somewhat dragging.

Her eyes, which were usually always smiling, were red and swollen, like a little sparrow that had been drenched in rain.

The two walked in silence for a while, through the quiet paths of the faculty and staff residential area, until they were almost at the main gate.

Lin Hanjiang slowed his pace, turned his head, and tentatively asked:

"Senior sister, how are you?"

That's a rather dry question, and even inappropriate.

But there are some things that must be clarified, and there are some hurdles that must be watched over with our own eyes.

Especially the emotional entanglements, which are difficult to sever and untangle.

This poses a threat to my senior's future plans and to her own career prospects.

Zhang Ye suddenly raised her head, her eyes even redder, glaring at him, her voice filled with an inexplicable anger:

"Lin Hanjiang, are you just hoping I'll break up with you? Huh? You feel better seeing me suffer, don't you?"

As soon as she said it, she paused for a moment, seemingly realizing that her anger was completely unreasonable.

But unable to bring herself to back down, she could only turn her head away angrily, looking at a clump of listless grass by the roadside.

Lin Hanjiang was a little stunned by her shout, but then he felt relieved.

Being able to yell it out shows that emotions are being released, which is better than keeping them bottled up inside.

He touched his nose, trying to keep his tone calm:

"Senior sister, that's not what I meant. I just want to know if they broke up or not. We need to know the truth about this."

Zhang Ye's shoulders slumped, and his previous bluster vanished instantly.

She was silent for a few seconds before muttering in an almost inaudible voice:

"We broke up, we broke up yesterday. Today, I'll go to the teacher's house and cry about your crimes, okay?"

"It wasn't my fault, Senior Sister, you've been wronged!"

"Hmph, it's you anyway."

Zhang said angrily, after all, he had invested his feelings, and breaking up must be painful.

Lin Hanjiang nodded, without offering any platitudes of comfort.

At this moment, any words seem inadequate.

Lin Hanjiang glanced at the sky, then at his senior sister's distraught appearance, and suddenly spoke:

"There's still some time before tonight's rehearsal. How about I treat you to something to eat?"

Zhang Ye suddenly turned to look at him, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Surprisingly, her junior brother wasn't angry with her.

"Eat something? What should we eat? The cafeteria hasn't finished cooking yet."

Lin Hanjiang thought for a moment and uttered three words: "KFC".

In Beijing in 1992, KFC was still considered a luxury.

The first KFC in China near Qianmen always had long queues.

It's a trendy place for young people to date, families to reward their children, or to experience the Western lifestyle.

The price is indeed quite high, making it an occasional luxury for most working-class people and students.

Zhang blinked, as if intrigued by the suggestion, but said instead:

"KFC? It's ridiculously expensive! A single chicken nugget costs 6 yuan, and a small serving of fries costs 5 yuan. It's highway robbery! And it's all deep-fried, so it'll make you fat."

She subconsciously touched her waist; as a singer, maintaining a good figure is one of the professional requirements.

"Once in a while, you won't gain weight."

Lin Hanjiang's unusual persistence can be seen as a small compensation for breaking up his senior sister.

"Consider it a celebration that you're single again and starting a new life."

That's a rather clumsy attempt at mockery.

Zhang also rolled her eyes at him, but the gloom in her eyes seemed to dissipate a little:

"Celebrate my foot! You're treating? How generous!"

"My treat."

Lin Hanjiang said decisively.

He had just received a large sum of money, so treating his senior sister to a fast food meal was nothing unusual for him.

"That's more like it."

Zhang muttered to himself, which was taken as an agreement.

The two went to the school bus stop and took a bus to Qianmen Street.

About half an hour later, we arrived at the KFC on Qianmen Street.

It wasn't lunchtime yet, so there weren't many people in line.

Sitting in a KFC restaurant, you can smell the unique aroma of fried chicken.

Wearing red and white striped uniforms and boat-shaped hats, the waiters moved briskly through the crowd, taking orders from customers.

Most of the people sitting around were young people.

There were also children and their families with excited expressions.

Zhang also watched as Lin Hanjiang brought back the tray piled high with food.

There are crispy chicken leg burgers, original recipe chicken nuggets, spicy chicken wings, fries, chicken gravy mashed potatoes, shredded vegetable salad, and two large cups of bubbly Coke with straws.

She wrinkled her nose: "Ordering so much? This is really revenge spending, what a waste!"

"Eat up, senior sister. Please have some, I can't be stingy."

Lin Hanjiang pushed a hamburger in front of her and picked up a piece of original recipe chicken for himself.

"Only when you're full do you have the energy to be sad, and also the energy to start over."

Zhang Ye was finally amused by his somewhat comical yet philosophical remark, and the corners of his mouth curved into a smile.

They ate and chatted, enjoying their meal immensely.

Zhang Yeye seemed to be in a much better mood than when she arrived.

Eating delicious food can temporarily suppress a sad mood.

Lin Hanjiang's treat to KFC wasn't in vain.

The final bill came to 53.5 yuan.

When Lin Hanjiang took out his money to pay the bill, his heart skipped a beat.

This is equivalent to almost half a month's wages for an average worker.

Zhang, watching from the side, muttered, "Really expensive."

"Let's go, senior sister. We've already eaten, it's almost time for rehearsal."

Lin Hanjiang put away the change, took Zhang Ye's hand, and walked out.

As I stepped out of KFC, the city lights began to twinkle.

Qianmen Street was bustling with activity and filled with a cacophony of sounds.

Afterwards, the two hurriedly traveled by bus to the location of the General Political Department Song and Dance Troupe.

This is a tranquil area, quite different from the hustle and bustle of the commercial street.

There were guards at the entrance who checked their identification before letting them in.

The rehearsal time is scheduled for 19 p.m.

They arrived at the rehearsal hall ten minutes early and could already hear the sounds of various instruments being tested and the chorus practicing.

"Luckily, I wasn't late."

Zhang patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

In such a national-level performing arts group, discipline is extremely strict, and being late is a major taboo.

Pushing open the door, you enter a huge rehearsal hall.

Tall and spacious, brightly lit.

On stage, what appears to be a segment of a large-scale opera is being rehearsed, with actors dressed in military uniforms, forming a large cast.

The band was in the orchestra pit, and the conductor was gesturing to a certain section, indicating its name.

Several people were watching from the front row of the audience.

The tall, upright figure in military uniform is none other than Li Shuangjiang.

He stood with his hands behind his back, watching intently.

Lin Hanjiang and Zhang Ye quietly walked over, not daring to disturb them.

Hearing footsteps, Li Shuangjiang turned around and saw them, a slight smile appearing on his serious face.

He nodded to them, gesturing for them to stand aside and watch together.