Chapter 79 : Conflict

“This is a task that every broadcaster needs to master. In ten days, I will assess how well each of you can read these tongue twisters. If you stumble over them, it will show that you didn’t pay enough attention during the training, and there will be a certain punishment. What the punishment will be, you’ll find out then,” Lin Qin said, pointing to the blackboard and leaving everyone in suspense with a particularly eerie smile.

Upon hearing this, Liang Qingqing swallowed nervously. With Lin Qin’s warning, it was clear that the punishment would be anything but simple. She definitely didn’t want to be part of that! Not only was she afraid, but most people were also trembling with fear.

“Teacher Lin has many ways to make things difficult,” Huang Yali, being an experienced person, made a face like a bitter melon.

“We’ll practice hard and study well,” Liang Qingqing tried to comfort everyone.

At this point, Lin Qin continued speaking. Her Mandarin was extremely standard, and each word sounded like it was coming from a professional radio broadcast, with perfectly timed and skillful delivery that drew everyone’s attention effortlessly.

“Technicians also have their tasks. In a moment, a corresponding teacher will assign tasks to you. Of course, if you don’t do well, there will also be corresponding penalties.”

“Today, this is the training area for broadcasters. Technicians, please follow this comrade to the second floor for training,” Lin Qin finished.

As soon as she finished speaking, a male staff member stepped forward and led the technicians to form a long line to go to the second floor, all in an orderly manner without any unnecessary noise.

Once they left, only the broadcasters remained in the room. There were both men and women, with more women, all of whom were quite attractive. At the very least, they were described as refined and elegant. Lin Qin nodded in satisfaction, scanned the room, and pointed out a few individuals.

The ones whose names were called stepped forward, including Huang Yali. Liang Qingqing guessed that these were likely the official broadcasters of the county broadcasting bureau. They were dressed more formally and elegantly compared to the others, with proper posture and an appearance that was a stark contrast to those from the village.

“Each dormitory will have a group leader. Everyone should help each other and avoid slacking off. I will conduct random checks,” Lin Qin said as she read out the group list.

Liang Qingqing and Huang Yali exchanged glances, then looked at Zhou Lilan and Wang Chunrong, and everyone smiled. It turned out that Huang Yali was the group leader for their dormitory.

After reading the list, each group leader lined up their respective team members and continued listening to Lin Qin on stage.

“As broadcasters, our job is not just to convey words but also to convey emotions and knowledge. The daily broadcast tasks in the towns can be simple or complex. Everyone must avoid being too lax or too nervous. Just as Teacher Tian said, everything requires finding the right balance.”

“You will come to appreciate these things in your future work. In just a short half-month, we can’t turn you into perfect broadcasters. We only hope that you won’t make mistakes in your future work.”

“After all, making mistakes will result in a deduction from your salary.”

At this point, everyone’s expressions visibly changed. Most of them had come here for the salary and allowances, and hearing that mistakes could lead to a salary cut made them realize the importance of this training. The idea of slacking off quickly vanished.

“Today’s task is basic skills training. Teacher Tian and I will take turns teaching you the correct pronunciation.”

Basic skills training involves fine-tuning and practicing pronunciation. Many people have developed different pronunciation habits due to their upbringing, resulting in regional accents. This can make standard Mandarin sound awkward.

While this might not have a significant impact in daily life, it’s crucial for broadcasters to speak fluent Mandarin. If important information is miscommunicated due to an accent causing a minor pronunciation error, the consequences could be dire. So, practicing the basics is essential. By mimicking the standard Mandarin pronunciation, you can continuously practice initials, finals, and tones, significantly improving accent issues and making pronunciation more accurate and clear.

Soon, Tian Fengchun and Lin Qin took their respective groups to the cafeteria for breakfast, and then began practice, which continued throughout the morning. As noon approached, Liang Qingqing was about to go to the cafeteria with Huang Yali and the others for lunch when she was stopped by someone.

Looking over, she saw it was Tian Fengchun, who was smiling warmly at her. “Do you remember me?”

“Teacher Tian, how could I forget you?” Liang Qingqing responded with a smile, her tone slightly rising at the end, sounding youthful and charming.

“You’re doing well.” Tian Fengchun stepped forward and patted Liang Qingqing on the shoulder. She had noticed this girl from the moment she arrived this morning and had been paying close attention. The girl’s serious attitude and lack of slackness were very satisfying to her.

“Alright, go have your lunch.”

Without waiting for Liang Qingqing’s reply, Tian Fengchun turned and left.

After she left, Huang Yali and the others gathered around, looking at Liang Qingqing with envy. “That was Deputy Director Tian! She praised you! Qingqing, you’re amazing!”

Liang Qingqing scratched her head, blushing slightly, and quickly changed the topic. “Stop teasing me. If we don’t go eat now, there won’t be any good food left.”

The group chatted and laughed as they headed towards the cafeteria. Just as they reached the corner of the doorway, they collided with another group. Huang Yali, walking backward, nearly lost her balance and almost fell. Fortunately, Liang Qingqing was quick to grab her and pull her back.

“Who’s the blind fool walking without looking where they’re going!” The other party, clearly agitated, spoke first. Their voice was melodious like a lark, but the sharpness of their shout made it somewhat jarring and grating.

Huang Yali instinctively apologized, “Sorry, are you okay?”

But when she looked up and saw who it was, her apologetic expression immediately collapsed, wishing she could take back what she had just said.

“Huang Yali! If you can’t see properly, you should go to the hospital. There are so many people here today, don’t embarrass our county broadcasting station.” The person wore a red and black plain dress, with her hair styled up and adorned with a pretty hair tie. Her lips were coated with lipstick, making her appear very flashy and extravagant.

Liang Qingqing found this person to be quite aggressive, as if she wouldn’t be satisfied until she had put others down. It seemed like she and Yali had some past issues.

“My eyes are just fine, and I don’t need you, Hu Peiyun, to worry about them.” Huang Yali straightened her back. Since she had already apologized, she didn’t see the need to linger on the matter. She gave Hu Peiyun a cold snort and turned to Liang Qingqing and the others, saying, “Qingqing, let’s go. We don’t need to waste any more time here.”

“Stop!” Hu Peiyun wasn’t willing to let it go. Hearing Huang Yali address her, something clicked in her mind, and her gaze shifted to Liang Qingqing. Her brow furrowed as she scrutinized Liang Qingqing from head to toe, and she bit her lower lip in frustration.

“So you’re the Liang Qingqing who was selected to the provincial broadcasting station?”

Hu Peiyun, who had always held herself in high regard, had grown accustomed to smooth sailing at the county broadcasting station for the past two years. She had hoped to gain more experience and find an opportunity to move up to the provincial city, only to find someone else had already beaten her to it. And this person was just a rural girl. How could she possibly swallow that?

She had nearly forgotten about this matter because she didn’t come to the station yesterday and had been busy with training this morning. But Huang Yali’s reminder had brought it all back to her.

Contrary to her expectations, Liang Qingqing was quite beautiful, even more dazzling than herself. Though they seemed to be of the same type of beauty at first glance, a closer look revealed they were completely different. Liang Qingqing was the kind of person who would make others envious at first sight.

After all, how could someone personally selected by Deputy Director Tian be anything less?

“That’s me.” Liang Qingqing met Hu Peiyun’s gaze calmly, her expression indifferent. Her clear disinterest in engaging further provoked Hu Peiyun, who couldn’t help stepping forward. Unable to find a good point to criticize, she decided to focus on Liang Qingqing’s attire. She sneered and said in a sarcastic tone, “What is that you’re wearing?”

As soon as she said this, several women behind her, also dressed in plaid dresses, burst into laughter. Their eyes gleamed with the same jealousy and disdain.

“It’s made from fabric bought at the supply and marketing cooperative. I’ve forgotten exactly what kind of fabric it is. If you want, I can lend it to you tonight after I take it off, and you can ask at the cooperative tomorrow,” Liang Qingqing said, feigning a troubled look. She then turned to Hu Peiyun with a pained expression, “If you want to make a matching one, we’re all here for training, so I don’t mind.”

At these words, Hu Peiyun and her group fell silent, their faces alternating between red and blue, resembling a colorful palette.

While they couldn’t bring themselves to laugh, Huang Yali and the others burst into hearty laughter, clearly delighted. Hu Peiyun’s remarks were intended to mock Liang Qingqing, but they also subtly criticized them. Most of them were from rural areas and could only afford slightly better quality fabric, with some even dressed worse than Liang Qingqing.

Moreover, Liang Qingqing’s remark about “everyone being here for training” highlighted that they were all here to learn together, fundamentally on the same level as future state employees, regardless of their status or rank.

Why should Hu Peiyun, who came from a higher place, look down on them. They understood this well, but none of them dared to confront Hu Peiyun as Liang Qingqing did.

Thus, Liang Qingqing’s words effectively silenced Hu Peiyun, making the hostility in their gazes toward her even more intense.

“You shameless bumpkin, who would want to copy your clothes? they look so shabby,” Hu Peiyun retorted, her face contorted with anger like a cat with its tail stepped on.

Liang Qingqing shrugged indifferently and even managed a faint smile. “That’s good. Otherwise, I’d worry that if you made one and wore it, you’d be even more upset if it didn’t look as good as mine.”

“You… you…” Hu Peiyun was so agitated by Liang Qingqing’s words that she nearly fainted, yet she couldn’t argue that her own attire was better than Liang Qingqing’s.

“We need to go eat now, so we won’t chat with you any longer. If we’re late for training and the teacher asks, I’ll have to report the truth,” Liang Qingqing said.

Hearing this, even though Hu Peiyun was reluctant, she had no choice but to watch Liang Qingqing and Huang Yali swagger away from her view. Gritting her teeth, she vowed silently, “Just wait. I won’t let this go so easily!”