1978: A Literary Giant Who Began His Military Service

Chapter 89 Signing up for the cultural troupe

August……

Ruian, Zhejiang.

At this moment, Tao Huimin's big eyes sparkled as she looked at the notice board in front of her, a little excited.

These are small news items that have recently been posted at the Armed Forces Department, the Yue Opera Troupe, and the park entrance, saying: "The Cultural Troupe is recruiting new trainees!"

Generally speaking, one can serve in the military once they turn eighteen, but students who are seventeen years old after graduating from junior or senior high school can serve a year earlier.

However, special skills can be an exception, such as those of students in performing arts troupes! Many of them are trained from a young age.

That means they will recruit people aged twelve to sixteen... basically teenagers.

The smallest children's arts troupes may also recruit children aged seven and above.

For example, Zhang Li, who played Xue Baochai, studied dance from a young age, and then went to the cultural troupe as a trainee when she was twelve or thirteen years old. She even went to perform in the border areas! Later, she stayed with Zhanqi and was selected to play Xue Baochai.

However, this big-character poster stated that teenagers aged 12-14 with a foundation and interest could apply to become trainees in the performing arts troupe.

Tao Huimin's eyes lit up as she looked at the big-character poster. Upon receiving the news, she immediately ran home.

"What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?" Tao's mother looked at her and said with a smile.

Tao Huimin told her mother her thoughts: "Mom? Can I join the army?"

Tao's mother listened to her nonsense for a moment, then laughed and said, "You want to join the army? What nonsense are you talking about? How old are you?"

Tao Huimin said, "I read in the newspaper that thirteen-year-olds can sign up to join the performing arts troupe's trainee team! Mom, I want to sign up!"

"Student?"

“There’s a monthly allowance of 7.75 yuan!” Tao Huimin knew what her mother valued most.

She is now a trainee in a Yue Opera troupe, receiving a monthly stipend of one yuan, which is barely enough to make ends meet.

However, even the most ordinary trainee in the cultural troupe receives a higher monthly stipend than a conscript.

Tao Huimin's parents were factory workers, and their family seemed to be doing well. However, Tao Huimin also had older brothers and sisters, and supporting several children to go to school made the family's financial situation worse and worse, and her parents also felt that they were not able to make ends meet.

When Tao Huimin was admitted to the Ruian Yue Opera Troupe last year, her family agreed to let her study Yue Opera because of the subsidies and the fact that she could be directly assigned a job after graduation.

So now, becoming a trainee in a performing arts troupe is equivalent to regular military service. Upon completion, you're guaranteed a job, even a better one than those in the Yue Opera troupe! Those are public jobs!!

Thinking about this, even Tao's mother was slightly tempted. For the sake of the family and for Tao Huimin's future, becoming a trainee in the performing arts troupe was a good choice.

She thought for a moment and said, "When your dad gets back, why don't you ask him? I can't decide for myself!"

A little while later.

When Tao's father returned home from get off work at the factory, Tao Huimin told him about her desire to join the army.

Tao's father sat on the doorframe, took a drag of his cigarette, and said slowly, "Huimin, it's not that our family can't afford to send you to school. Don't join the army just because you're thinking about your parents!"

Tao Huimin shook her head frantically and immediately said, "No, no!"

"But being a soldier must be tough, right? Even tougher than being in the Yue Opera troupe?" Tao's mother glanced at Tao's father.

After enlisting in the army, less than 10% of those who complete their mandatory service can actually stay in the military. This is not only because there are very few slots, but also because it is too tough. Many new recruits, after only three months in basic training, are already thinking about going home after three years.

This kind of suffering is indeed unbearable for most people, and it also involves a lack of freedom.

"..." Tao Huimin shook her head: "No, I think the Yue Opera troupe is also a lot of fun, and the army will be a lot of fun too."

Tao's father looked at Tao Huimin again and asked very seriously:
"Huimin, do you really want to join the army? If it's your wish, Dad won't stop you. I'm just afraid you'll suffer."

Tao Huimin, who has always been a little girl surrounded by love, nodded emphatically:
"After seeing Comrade Zhou Xu's newspaper, I thought about enlisting in the army! This is my dream. I also want to be an art troupe soldier to perform for the soldiers and contribute my share!"

"Good! You really are my good daughter!" Mr. Tao waved and said to Mrs. Tao, "Did you hear that? It's Huimin's own wish, so we shouldn't worry about her. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings."

In the 1970s and 80s, there were very few family gatherings, after all, after a few years, some families had scattered and lost contact.

After Tao's parents made their decision.

The next day, her family took her to the city hall auditorium.

The cultural troupe was assigned to the municipal government, while those who enlisted normally went to the armed forces department.

Upon arriving at the city hall auditorium, the judges seated in the center were all men and women in military uniforms, teachers around thirty years old.

Those queuing up to register with Tao Huimin and the others were mostly girls around twelve or thirteen years old; there were fewer boys.

Many parents share the same thought: joining the performing arts troupe is also a way to join the army, and it will be easier to arrange a job after graduation. So this place is unusually busy today!

They quickly lined up and arrived at their home.

Tao Huimin's information was also handed over.

Needless to say, their family background was that of ordinary working-class and peasant families... Political vetting is very important.

For example, Chen Xiaoxu, who played Lin Daiyu, started learning ballet at the age of 10. She applied to a ballet company and passed the professional assessment, but was ultimately rejected by the political review teacher because he said she was a "capitalist seed".

"What's your name?"

Tao Huimin!

"What about your height and weight?"

"Now I'm 1.56 meters tall and weigh 76 kilograms."

"Why do you want to join our performing arts troupe?" the female teacher asked.

Tao Huimin replied timidly, "I want to join the army to 'boost morale' the soldiers!!"

"Oh!" The female teacher slowly ticked the box.

The male teacher asked, "What talents can you perform?"

Tao Huimin said, "I studied Yue Opera for a year, so I have a foundation in singing and dancing."

"Then why don't you dance a short piece for me to see?" the female teacher asked. Tao Huimin danced a familiar Yue Opera excerpt; she was very talented at dancing.

In 83, Hong Kong invited Zhejiang to a social event. Zhejiang selected more than ten beautiful girls to form the "Little White Flower" group. Tao Huimin was one of the thousands of girls who stood out from the crowd, and she was one of the leading actresses.

The male teacher nodded and said, "This girl is not bad."

"Want to look at the others?"

The female teacher turned around and continued with a smile, "You can sing, right? Could you demonstrate your singing skills for us right now?"

After thinking for a while, Tao Huimin chose a simple one, which is also a well-known piece in Yue Opera, "Tea Picking Dance"!
"The stream is clear and long, the scenery on both sides of the stream is so beautiful..."

After the song ended, the female teacher put a checkmark on the list.

After all, they didn't have high requirements for the trainees they selected; they would try to recruit anyone with talent into the performing arts troupe.

"Well, you've almost passed the initial review. As for the follow-up... we'll notify you of the final result before October. If you don't receive a notification, it means you haven't passed..."

"Thank you, teacher." Tao Huimin bowed deeply.

Then she left and ran to find her parents.

"How about it?"

Tao Huimin nodded: "It's alright..."

"Not nervous?"

"I'm not nervous."

"Let's go home and cook for you first!!"

-

The Victory Cultural Troupe at this time.

After attending the wedding, I returned to my dorm the next day.

Zhou Xu felt a sore back and aching back, probably because he laughed too hard yesterday.
However, that's a possibility.

The next day, he returned to the archives and continued writing. Writing a book is indeed a very time-consuming activity.

If there were computers now, Zhou Xu could write 10,000 to 20,000 words a day. Of course, there are typewriters now, but those things are not easy to get started with.

So now he writes about three to five thousand words a day and then takes a break. Zhou Xu doesn't want to get tenosynovitis at such a young age. Many writers are unable to continue producing works in middle and old age because of tenosynovitis.

I wrote for another month or so.

During this period, the cultural troupe also took a trip to Henan, because the military region of Wuhan has troops stationed in Henan, and they make up the majority of the troops there.

As for Zhou Xu, he went there purely as a vacation, since his own tasks weren't heavy.

A group of people were singing in the field.

After several days, Zhou Xu didn't meet a single girl he could fool... for example, someone who would just make empty promises and then run off with a soldier.

Isn't it said that girls from Henan are silly...and very simple-minded? That must be from a TV drama.

"Is it a hit or not?"

"No...no, that won't work."

"I'll make sure you fail! I'll make sure you fail!"

"Mother, mother, my dear mother!"

"Is it a hit? Is it a hit?!"

"Mother, it's a success! It's a success!"

Yes, Zhou Xu's song is really good, so a group of soldiers from Henan clapped very loudly!
After the applause ended.

This performance to comfort and entertain the crowd has now come to an end.

Having just finished their performance, Mai Sui and the others called Zhou Xu over: "Zhou Xu! Zhou Xu, come here for a second."

Zhou Xu walked over to the group.

"What's the matter?"

"The scenery here is beautiful!"

A group of people stood on a small hill.

The land beneath our feet is no longer cramped by hills, but stretches out flat to the horizon. The fields where the new wheat has just sprouted ears are a pale green velvet carpet, rippling in the wind and making the squares marked by the field ridges soft and fluffy.

In the distance, tributaries of the Huai River meander across the plain like silver ribbons, with white birds hiding among the reeds along the banks. Clumps of mud-brick houses cluster together in the village, their red tiles peeking out from among the green trees.

Zhou Xu looked at the vast plains. What does it mean to "compete for supremacy in the Central Plains"? This is the Central Plains! His hometown is all mountains.

"The scenery is indeed beautiful."

Chen Yong said, "I have something to tell you!"

"What's the matter?"

"The three of us are going to the Arts Academy! We'll be leaving soon after we get back."

"Huh?" Zhou Xu was slightly surprised, looking at the wheat ears...

"That's right. Mai Sui received a second-class merit award, which would have guaranteed her admission to the Academy of Arts. I had completely forgotten about it. But where is your partner?"

Mai Sui smiled and said, "Him? He also received a second-class merit award, but he didn't go to an arts academy; he went to a military academy."

"Congratulations to you all!"

(End of this chapter)