Chapter 78 : Trainings Begins

The silence in the dormitory was suddenly interrupted by someone speaking. Liang Qingqing looked up in surprise, instinctively glancing at the other beds and realizing that they were all empty. Only then did she realize that Zhou Lilan was talking to her.

Seeing Zhou Lilan’s face turn completely red because of her own series of actions, Liang Qingqing quickly straightened up, forcing a smile and said, “Thank you so much. I was just looking for something to read to pass the time.”

She really didn’t like reading this kind of book! But if she didn’t go along with Zhou Lilan’s conversation, she’d probably make her so embarrassed she’d want to find a crack in the ground to hide in and never speak to her again.

“Really?” Zhou Lilan, who had been looking down awkwardly a moment ago, suddenly lifted her head, her large eyes sparkling as if they were illuminated by firelight.

“Really,” Liang Qingqing said with a smile, finding Zhou Lilan’s reaction unexpectedly cute.

Hearing the affirmative response, Zhou Lilan adjusted her glasses to hide the smile at the corner of her mouth, took a deep breath, and then walked over to the cabinet while continuing, “I’ll get them for you.”

In a short while, Zhou Lilan returned with three thick books, placing them on Liang Qingqing’s desk with a thud sound. Liang Qingqing looked at the stack of books, which were more than half thicker than the one she was holding, and her temples twitched. She started to feel a headache and a wave of regret washed over her.

“I’ve read all of these several times. If you want to discuss them after you finish, I’d be happy to chat,” Zhou Lilan said, still looking at Liang Qingqing with bright, expectant eyes.

Seeing this, Liang Qingqing forced a laugh, “Definitely.”

“My mother made some sweet potato chips. Would you like to try them? They’re quite sweet.”

“I’m seventeen, a little younger than you. Can I call you Sister Qingqing ?”

“I didn’t interact much with you in the village. To be honest, you’re quite different from what I imagined. I really want to be friends with you. Can we be friends?”

Actually, Liang Qingqing wanted to say that Zhou Lilan was also quite different from what she had imagined. On the surface, she appeared gentle and quiet, but she had harshly criticized Ding Aixia last time…

She was very reserved before becoming familiar but once she did, she talked so much it was overwhelming and a bit noisy.

In short, Zhou Lilan was a very contradictory yet adorable girl. Liang Qingqing liked her a lot and decided to be friends with her.

After their conversation, the two of them checked the time and decided to go together to the bathroom. In this era, the bathroom wasn’t private, and there weren’t even partitions. Liang Qingqing faced this situation for the first time and felt momentarily stunned.

Seeing Zhou Lilan naturally undressing, Liang Qingqing instinctively turned away, thinking, “No way, this can’t be happening, are we really going to be so exposed?”

“Qingqing, why are you just standing there?” Zhou Lilan, who had finished taking off her top, noticed Liang Qingqing standing with her back turned and frozen in place. She asked, puzzled.

Liang Qingqing hesitated for a while, feeling a bit pretentious. However, she just couldn’t bring herself to undress completely and bathe with Zhou Lilan and the other girls. She could only flee in embarrassment.

“You go ahead and wash. I forgot something.”

Zhou Lilan furrowed her brow in confusion but didn’t dwell on it and started washing on her own.

Liang Qingqing returned to the dormitory, looked around, and after some hesitation, decided to remove her duvet cover. She then borrowed a clothes rack from Huang Yali’s dorm before heading back to the bathroom.

“Qingqing, are you shy?” Zhou Lilan realized Liang Qingqing had set up a private washing area for herself and understood, “I wasn’t used to it either at first, but after a few years in high school in the country, I got used to it. All dorms have these large bathrooms.”

Liang Qingqing gave Zhou Lilan a grateful smile, but the comfort didn’t ease her awkwardness. She felt she might never get used to it.

“Hey, isn’t this your duvet cover? If you shower now, it’s going to get wet. How will you sleep tonight?” Zhou Lilan looked at Liang Qingqing with concern but didn’t insist she adapt, knowing everyone has different tolerances and offering unsolicited advice might just make things awkward.

In the past, there were also students from the city in their high school who, like Liang Qingqing, could not accept taking a shower with everyone and had to cover themselves with a cloth every time, so she was not surprised.

“It’s fine. It’s summer, so the water will dry quickly,” Liang Qingqing reassured her.

Hearing this, Zhou Lilan nodded and, after a quick wash, returned to the dormitory.

Liang Qingqing carefully avoided the duvet cover, took a speedy shower, and washed and hung her clothes before heading back to the dorm. Seeing that Zhang Xiaoyue and the others were already asleep, she moved quietly, carefully tidying up her toiletries before getting into bed.

In a new environment, Liang Qingqing felt a bit unsettled but soon fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, she was still sound asleep when Zhou Lilan called her awake. After yawning and remembering the day’s agenda, she quickly got up, changed clothes on the bed, and put on her shoes.

The bathroom was already crowded, but since they had filled their basins with water the night before, she only needed to find a corner to wash up without having to queue.

During this time, Huang Yali came over. Since she hadn’t collected water, Liang Qingqing shared half of hers and introduced her to Zhou Lilan.

“Our names both have the character ‘Li’—what a coincidence! You’re younger than Qingqing, so you must be younger than me too. Let’s hear you call me ‘sister’,” Huang Yali joked, her mouth still full of foam.

Zhou Lilan, not used to such a lively and familiar personality, was momentarily at a loss. Without much thought, she shyly responded, “Sister.”

Huang Yali was amused by Zhou Lilan’s endearing and awkward reaction, laughing so hard that she had to hold her stomach. Zhou Lilan, embarrassed and blushing furiously, was at a loss, unsure whether to use her towel to wash her face or not. She was caught in a dilemma and could only cast a desperate look towards Liang Qingqing for help.

Liang Qingqing, observing the scene with a speechless expression, noticed Zhou Lilan’s gaze and helplessly patted Huang Yali on the shoulder. “Alright, stop teasing her. She’s shy.”

“Got it,” Huang Yali said with a smile, spitting out the foam from her mouth. Her pure and innocent-looking face made the smile a bit out of place, but it was not annoying.

“By the way, where is that Wang Chunrong from our village? I haven’t seen her.”

“She said she had a stomachache and went to the restroom.”

Liang Qingqing nodded and didn’t ask further. After they finished washing up and waited for Wang Chunrong to return from the restroom, the group headed to the Broadcasting Bureau together.

When they arrived, the place was already packed with people. Men and women had instinctively separated into two groups, creating an invisible line down the middle.

Liang Qingqing quickly spotted Su Jinchuan among the crowd. The reason was simple, he was tall and had a striking appearance, making him stand out among the ordinary people. She could even hear several nearby girls whispering about him.

However, Liang Qingqing only glanced at him before shifting her focus to the high platform in front.

The platform was currently empty, but there was a tall rack on it covered with a red cloth, obscuring whatever was underneath. The thickness suggested it might be a blackboard or display board.

Fortunately, the mystery didn’t last long as someone soon revealed the answer.

At the designated time, two middle-aged women stepped onto the stage. Liang Qingqing’s eyes flashed when she recognized the woman in the white shirt on the left. It was the deputy director of the Provincial Broadcasting Bureau who had selected her.

“Comrades, good morning. I am Tian Fengchun, the deputy director of the Provincial Broadcasting Bureau. Welcome to the bureau and to becoming part of our team.” Tian Fengchun’s presence was commanding. Even though she held a large, mismatched loudspeaker, her exceptional demeanor immediately silenced the crowd, making everyone attentive to her words.

As Tian Fengchun’s words concluded, the audience erupted in applause. Faces were flushed, eyes gleaming with excitement as they gazed at the once-unreachable figures on the stage. The grueling interview process had made them acutely aware of how hard it was to get to this point, so their emotions were understandably stirred.

After the initial excitement, they made a silent vow, to study diligently and climb the ranks step by step. The thought of possibly occupying Tian Fengchun’s position one day filled them with renewed determination and energy.

“To become a qualified broadcaster or technician requires professional training. To become an outstanding one, you need diligent practice. If you put in more sweat and tears than others, you will grow faster,” Tian Fengchun said, watching the young people below who were listening intently, their faces upturned. A smile briefly appeared on her lips, but it soon faded as her expression turned serious.

“Of course, everything has its limits. We do not advocate for mindless or around-the-clock practice, which only results in futile effort and harms your health. Your health is the foundation of your career. I hope you take my words to heart and commit to the upcoming half-month of training.”

Another round of applause followed as Tian Fengchun handed the loudspeaker to someone beside her.

“Hello, comrades. I’m one of your training instructors. My name is Lin Qin, so you can call me Teacher Lin,” Lin Qin introduced herself with a stern expression. Her serious demeanor, combined with the natural fear students have of teachers, made some people gulp nervously just hearing her introduction.

“I’m sure many of you have noticed this,” Lin Qin said, walking over to the red cloth, grabbing its edge, and pulling it away to reveal what was underneath.

Liang Qingqing’s eyes widened as she recognized the item and smiled in understanding. It was indeed a blackboard, with three extremely difficult tongue twisters written on it in white chalk. Even though her Mandarin was quite standard, she struggled with a few sentences and couldn’t help but stumble over her words. Considering that most of the others had regional accents, they were likely to find it even more challenging.