mentors visit the trainees with red packets & dumplings!

                                    

                                          
ㅤ
ep 6: behind the scenes.
mentors visit the trainees with
red packets & dumplings.

                          
ㅤ
ㅤwe entered the room where the trainees were about to eat. as soon as we walked in, they were surprised to see us there but immediately greeted us. we greeted them back, congratulating the new year again.
                          
ㅤwe stood in front of the tables where they were and ronghao told them to sit down, as they had stood up to greet us.
                          
ㅤ"are you guys relaxed now?" mc jin asked them. they all nodded with a smile on their faces. "you guys are done with the performances"
                          
ㅤ"because today is lunar new year, let me first wish everyone a happy new year" ronghao then spoke. "because i'm more a traditional person, last time i came here i thought i would eat dumplings for lunar new year. so i went to beijing to hire four shifus here" he said, pointing at the tables behind us. the trainees started clapping and shouting, thanking ronghao. "no problem, no problem" he said. "treat you all to a meal. eating dumplings also represents everything will be well for us next year. i hope next year all of you will become better and better and everyone will be well, okay?"
                          
ㅤ"okay" the trainees answered in unison, thanking ronghao again.
                          
ㅤ"having food to eat" mc jin spoke this time. "is of course a happy thing, but there are also other presents. are you guys interested?" the boys answered 'yes' while screaming excited. "i really agree with what teacher li just said, that is you guys working really hard. you stayed here even during this year's new year, practicing, preparing for your performances. so i hope you guys will continue to enjoy this stage, this process. i prepared a small present for everyone, okay?" the trainees screamed once again. "this present is so good..." he then took something from the table and showed it to the trainees. suddenly, everyone stood up and it became a enthusiastic atmosphere. mc jin started handing out the red packets to each trainee while wishing them prosperity in the new year. 
                          
ㅤthe boys were too excited and i started laughing as soon as i saw them like that. mc jin even gave one red packet to the mentors, which surprised me, but i thanked him. he also approached the staff and cameramen to give them one. 
                          
ㅤ"today xinyue and i didn't prepare anything" cheng xiao said once mc jin had finished. "so we will help everyone wrap and cook more dumplings for you, okay?"
                          
ㅤ"okay!" the trainees answered screaming, again. 
                          
ㅤ"is anyone willing to wrap dumplings together?" cheng xiao asked them.
                          
ㅤ"just four" i said.
                          
ㅤsome trainees raised their hands and approached us to help us make dumplings. yanlei, zimo, zuo ye and ruibin. justin had also raised his hand, but he had not been chosen by cheng xiao.
                          
ㅤi looked at him laughing. "honestly i don't think they would have turned out very well with you making them" i joked. he played the offended one and chengcheng, who was next to him, started laughing.
                          
ㅤthen we started making the dumplings together. cheng xiao made dumplings with different shapes, even a flower, which surprised me because i didn't know how to make them like that.
                          
ㅤ"wow" i said, looking at the dumpling she was holding. "how can you do that?"
                          
ㅤ"use four dumpling skins and then stack them together" she explained to me. "then put in the filling and it'll stick together. then it's a flower!" she said, excited about what she had made.
                          
ㅤ"i'm clumsy" i said, laughing. "i would probably make a total botch"
                          
ㅤthen i went back to ruibin and we both continued making the dumplings. he was good at it while i wasn't that great. he laughed many times at my dumplings, in fact. a few minutes later, we finished making them and went over to the other trainees to give them to them.
                          
ㅤi handed out some plates to the trainees and then i went over to the yuehua boys to give them one of the plates. as soon as i put it on the table they started laughing.
                          
ㅤ"what?" i asked them.
                          
ㅤ"and you said i would probably do it wrong" justin said, laughing.
                          
ㅤ"okay, i'll take it back then" i said, taking the plate back to get out of there. "someone will appreciate my work"
                          
ㅤ"wait, wait! don't!" zhengting exclaimed, making me stop. i smiled and put the plate on the table again. "justin, apologize"
                          
ㅤi started laughing again.
                          
ㅤ"i won't" he said. he took his chopsticks and picked up one of the dumplings to eat. "at least it's tasty" he added later.
                          
ㅤ"as expected" zeren said, getting up from his chair and approaching the plate to pick up one of the dumplings. "xinyue made it"
                          
ㅤ"that's my bro" i said. i raised my hand and showed him my fist and he hit mine with his. "i'll keep handing out. enjoy my dumplings" i said, saying goodbye to them.
                          
ㅤi walked away from there and looked for the mentors. cheng xiao was still giving the dumplings and i joined her.
                          
ㅤ"who was the lucky one who got your rose dumpling?" i asked her.
                          
ㅤ"qin fen" she answered me. "he's showing off over there" she said, laughing as she pointed to qin fen, who was next to xikan. i laughed as i looked at them. qin fen had cheng xiao's dumpling on his chopsticks and was showing it to xikan. "i am going to give these out" cheng xiao added, pointing to the plate in her hands. i nodded and she left again.
                          
ㅤi approached chaoze, zhangjing and yanjun, who were sitting in the first row, right next to the yuehua boys.
                          
ㅤas soon as they saw me they smiled at me and i greeted them.
                          
ㅤ"how many dumplings have you eaten already?" i joked, asking zhangjing.
                          
ㅤ"countless" chaoze answered, taking a dumpling from his plate.
                          
ㅤ"whose mentor did you get?" i asked them, looking at the plate.
                          
ㅤ"cheng xiao's" yanjun answered.
                          
ㅤ"it shows" i added. "good thing you didn't get mine" i laughed.
                          
ㅤ"what a relief" yanjun replied. "just seeing them made me lose my appetite" he added and the others laughed.
                          
ㅤ"hey!" i complained, but i was laughing too. "in my case, just seeing you guys eating made me hungry" i added, looking at the plate on the table.
                          
ㅤ"eat this one" yanjun told me. he had picked up one of the dumplings with the chopsticks and was giving it to me. i looked at him for a few seconds, but then i opened my mouth and he put the dumpling in it.
                          
ㅤ"it tastes great" i murmured, as i chewed it. "i should go with cheng xiao now" i said, looking at cheng xiao who seemed to be looking for me.
                          
ㅤ"okay" zhangjing said. "let's meet tomorrow before you leave" he added.
                          
ㅤ"of course" i answered him. zhangjing smiled and then looked back at the dumplings on the plate.
                          
ㅤi looked at yanjun, who was looking at me intently. as soon as our eyes met, he started smiling. i couldn't figure out what he meant by his expression, so i just smiled back at him.
                          
ㅤthen i said goodbye and left, although i could still feel someone's eyes on me.