Chapter 2: Zhang Li Was Elected
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Li Yousi listened to the speech, his head feeling heavy and drowsy, almost wanting to fall asleep. In his previous life, he was an ordinary student at a 211 university, always interested in literature and the arts. He had self-taught himself several musical instruments and read many books. After graduation, he worked a typical nine-to-five job, but somehow passed away. Being an orphan, it didn’t matter much.
Reborn into a second life, his parents had died a few years ago, and as an orphan again, he relied on his extraordinary intelligence and talent to join the Cultural Troupe. After all, a secure government job was very appealing. He was literate, knew how to play instruments, and, most importantly, had a good appearance and demeanor—these three qualities easily outshone many competitors.
“Please believe in yourselves! Just a few days ago, Liu Xiaoqing came back to the troupe. Everyone here is talented! This role will definitely be won!”
While Li Yousi was still dozing, a girl beside him poked his arm. Turning his head, he saw a cute face, delicate and palm-sized, with no makeup, her hair tied back giving her an air of nobility. Zhang Li was not part of the acting troupe but the dance troupe, small and pretty. She had been to the front lines for morale visits a few years ago and was transferred back in the early '80s to join the Cultural Troupe. Coming from a wealthy family, Zhang Li naturally carried an elegant and refined aura.
Only Li Yousi knew that the troupe was full of hidden talents, and this was Sister Bao. They had known each other for over a year, so their relationship was not bad.
“Why are you here?” Zhang Li asked curiously.
“The captain asked me to come line up with them.”
“So, what’s this all about? Why are we gathering here?”
Since Zhang Li was from the dance troupe and Li Yousi from the instrumental team, unless they paid special attention, they naturally didn’t get news as quickly as those in the acting troupe.
Li Yousi glanced back. “Don’t you know? It seems the troupe wants us all to audition for ‘Dream of the Red Chamber.’ Why?”
“Nothing much, just curious,” Zhang Li said, avoiding eye contact and looking at the ground. She hadn’t cared much about this production at first; she came today just to accompany Chen Ya, her teacher’s daughter. Only upon arrival did she realize it was an audition site. She sighed inwardly: “I thought it was something else, turns out it’s an audition!”
“What about you? Do you want to try?”
“I won’t go; I’ll go with Chen Ya later,” Zhang Li said, rubbing her hands nervously.
“Okay, let’s go together,” Li Yousi replied, thinking it would be interesting to watch.
Then the leader’s voice rang out:
“All aspiring comrades from the Cultural Troupe and all comrades from the acting troupe, please proceed to the filming site together!”
...
At the entrance of the Zhanqi Cultural Troupe, inside a park, a newly fenced-off filming site had been set up for the ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’ auditions. Not only the Zhanqi troupe but other hopefuls from Jin City would come here.
After some time...
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Li Yousi, Liu Feng, Zhang Li, and Chen Ya arrived at the filming site with a group from the Cultural Troupe. Men and women mingled together, chatting and laughing, as the troupe’s atmosphere was always gentle and relaxed. Even if you weren’t selected, a monthly salary of several dozen yuan was quite decent.
Inside the filming site, representatives from China Central Television sat at the front. A man and a woman, both in Zhongshan suits, caught Zhang Li’s whispered attention.
“That’s Wang Fuling and Wang Guie from CCTV, right?” Zhang Li murmured.
“Yes, they must be the directors mentioned in the newspaper.”
After some chatting, Wang Fuling stood up, and everyone quieted down.
“Thank you to the Zhanqi Cultural Troupe for supporting our ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’ crew today. Sorry to disrupt your work!” Wang Fuling said politely.
A troupe teacher replied, “No disruption at all, Teacher Wang. Please start quickly; you have more auditions outside this afternoon!”
“Everyone’s busy, so let’s begin.”
Wang Guie, the female colleague, stood calmly and said softly, “Everyone line up! If you want to audition for a role, tell me.”
The troupe’s discipline was always excellent, and everyone quietly lined up.
Zhang Li held Chen Ya’s hand and felt her trembling slightly, gently comforting her, “Don’t be nervous. You have a dance background and good looks. You definitely won’t be rejected!”
“Thank you, Sister Zhang, for coming with me,” Chen Ya smiled faintly.
Li Yousi shook his head with helplessness. Zhang Li was there to accompany her teacher’s daughter, but if fate allowed, she might pass herself.
“Yousi, are you nervous?” Zhang Li glanced back.
“Not really. If I don’t make it, I’ll just return to the troupe. Life there is pretty easy!”
“You’re really carefree!” Zhang Li laughed.
~
First up was Liu Feng, confident as the first to audition for Jia Baoyu.
Wang Fuling looked him over, then whispered to Wang Guie, who marked an ‘X’ in her notebook.
Next was Li Yousi.
“Hello teachers, my name is Li Yousi, from the instrumental team of the Zhanqi Cultural Troupe!”
His height of about 1.78 meters and refined features immediately caught Wang Fuling and Wang Guie’s attention. They ticked his name in the notebook.
“I want to audition for Jia Baoyu!”
Li Yousi was here to watch but figured trying was no problem. After all, this era offered countless opportunities; if you don’t try, you’re already out. If you try, you stand a chance.
“Okay, try this scene,” Wang Guie smiled, handing him a passage. She asked, “Have you read ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’?”
“Yes.”
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Their curiosity about him naturally increased.
Li Yousi looked at the script and began reading:
“Don’t worry, why would I not worry?”
“I don’t understand. Tell me why I shouldn’t worry. Dear sister, don’t deceive me. If you truly don’t understand my words, not only have I wasted my heart on you, but you have also betrayed mine.”
“You always worry about me, which made me ill. If you had comforted me more, this illness wouldn’t worsen day by day.”
This was from Chapter 32, “Pouring out the heart, Jia Baoyu’s confusion and revival,” and Li Yousi remembered it somewhat.
After he finished, Wang Fuling gently shook his head, while Wang Guie nodded:
“I think it’s good—he’s a smart young man with a promising future!”
“Striving for authenticity, though handsome, I don’t think he suits Baoyu. He has the air of a great scholar…”
After some discussion, Wang Fuling asked:
“Li, have you considered trying for Jia Lian?”
After a moment’s thought, Li Yousi realized his dream of the lead role was shattered. He didn’t like Jia Lian much and shook his head. “Sorry, Teacher Wang.”
Back in line, next up were Chen Ya and Zhang Li, the two sisters.
Zhang Li was there to accompany and stood aside watching Chen Ya perform.
After Chen Ya’s audition, Wang Fuling and Wang Guie made more notes.
Wang Fuling’s gaze drifted to Zhang Li, and he said to Wang Guie, “This young woman carries a noble air. With her slender arms and legs, she’s perfect for a role in the Grand View Garden.”
Just as Chen Ya and Zhang Li were about to leave, Wang Fuling suddenly called out:
“You haven’t auditioned yet!”
Zhang Li looked confused, pointing at herself.
“Me?”
“I’m not here to audition.”
Li Yousi suddenly said, “If they want you to try, just do it. Zhang, why not?”
Zhang Li took a half step back, shyly whispering to Li Yousi, “I don’t know how to act.”
That gentle gesture made Wang Fuling even more excited—she was a natural lady.
Li Yousi reassured her, “It’s okay, Zhang Li. Just read a few lines.”
Hearing this, Zhang Li agreed and stepped forward to read.
After a while, born into wealth, with a dignified and graceful face and temperament, and a gentle, intellectual personality, Zhang Li naturally caught their attention.
Finally, Wang Fuling said, “You have great presence. I plan to have you try for Ziquan in a few days...”
...
Almost the entire troupe was eliminated. In the end, it was Zhang Li, who came just to join the fun, who was selected.