Chapter 90: Chapter 90 Singing Before the Meal
Returning to the dorm from the bathroom, Sheng Ning found that everyone previously at the training ground had already returned. As soon as they saw her, the room fell silent.
Everyone looked at her with surprise.
Sheng Ning acted as if she hadn’t noticed and grabbed her enamel mug to pour some boiled water. She couldn’t hope for brown sugar water; she had no money to buy it.
“What’s your relationship with Captain Xu?” Chen Huaying asked, hands clasped behind her back, voicing the question everyone was curious about.
“Fellow townspeople,” Sheng Ning replied without looking up, her answer simple and direct.
“I don’t believe it; are you trying to fool a ghost?” It was simply impossible that the Living Yama himself had carried her to the infirmary.
“I remember now, the last time at the gala, she seemed to have also been carried to the hospital by Captain Xu after falling off the stage,” someone suddenly realized.
Sheng Ning kept her head down, paying no mind to the others’ chatter.
Wu Youli probably understood her character; if she didn’t want to talk, nobody would get her to. So she stepped forward to smooth things over, “Let’s not be so nosy, I believe what Sheng Ning says.”
“It’s time for dinner, let’s hurry up and eat! I heard that the War Wolf Rescue Team’s canteen only gives you ten minutes to eat. If you’re late, there’s nothing left,” Zhang Hongmei quickly changed the subject.
“Alright then!” Chen Huaying was just asking out of curiosity; she really had no right to interrogate. If she truly wanted to know, it was faster to ask her brother.
Upon hearing there was only ten minutes to eat, the dorm’s occupants, regardless of their exhaustion, quickly hastened to the canteen.
Sheng Ning, too, put down the enamel jar and ran shoulder to shoulder with Wu Youli to the canteen, where they encountered a sea of people. They were the first wave; the comrades from the other dorms of the Song and Dance Troupe hadn’t arrived yet.
The dining hall was very large, and all eyes sparkled when they saw them. Most gazes fell on Sheng Ning. Her bright eyes made Wu Youli’s cheeks turn red and left her feeling awkward. In contrast, Sheng Ning remained calm and expressionless.
“Sheng Ning, aren’t you the least bit nervous?” Wu Youli whispered, “Why do I feel even more anxious than when I perform?”
“Just treat them as if they are air.”
“But, that’s impossible to ignore.”
Sheng Ning thought for a moment, then encouraged, “Right now is a great opportunity to train your stage presence. Once you can stay calm, you’ll perform steadily during important shows.”
That was true. They had joined the Song and Dance Troupe for less than a year, always underperforming during significant events. If they could train well, it would lead to unexpected gains.
Wu Youli’s eyes brightened as she followed Sheng Ning, muttering to herself in a quiet voice, the specifics unheard.
“The Song and Dance Troupe, gather here!” Dai Bin shouted from a central position.
In just a short while, all the female comrades had arrived, their youthful beauty and cheerful laughter attracting many sidelong glances.
Many envied and admired Dai Bin’s gaze.
With so many people in the dining hall, queuing to get their meals was unrealistic, so self-service was adopted. Pots of food were laid out along tables for more than ten meters.
Everyone lined up with their respective teams, ready to follow the rule of singing before the meal. This was a routine for every dinner.
Sheng Ning stood in the line for the Song and Dance Troupe, surrounded by members of the different rescue teams.
Today, with the presence of the Song and Dance Troupe, someone in the crowd suggested, “We have the comrades from the Song and Dance Troupe here today, let’s have them perform for everyone!”
“Yeah! Dai Bin, you’re the chief instructor, why don’t you say something?”
“Have you gone soft from looking at the female comrades too much?”
The people from the First Squad were the most lively, like monkeys, always enjoying rivaling the Fourth Squad. This was an opportunity they wouldn’t miss to provoke Dai Bin. The crowd’s back-and-forth banter made Dai Bin’s face turn red and his neck swell.