Yan Yuanchao was transferred from the military region's art troupe to the propaganda team of the political department of the Army X Division.

In early 1980, he was moved by a lyrical song that emerged during the self-defense counterattack war in 1979 and resonated across the motherland, so he expressed his thoughts to the leaders of the art troupe and proposed to choreograph the duet dance "Goodbye, Mom."

The leaders of the art troupe immediately agreed to the suggestion from this former male lead dancer of the troupe, who is now a dance teacher.

Since 1978, 24-year-old Yan Yuanchao could no longer lead the dance due to age and physical reasons, so he stepped back to take on the role of dance teacher and choreographer.

With the support of the art troupe leaders, he immediately devoted all his energy to choreographing this program.

To highlight the touching scene of a soldier of the People's Liberation Army bidding a reluctant farewell to his dear mother before going to war. This farewell is extraordinary; the mother understands that her son has a thousand words to say goodbye, while she encourages him to bravely go to the battlefield...

Yan Yuanchao drew inspiration from the lyrics and music of the original song, allowing the later male and female leads in the dance troupe to repeatedly practice the details of each dance movement with him, carefully choreographing.

Later, this dance program achieved great success in performances both in the military and in civilian areas, and he and the two actors received commendations from the military region leaders.

Since the duet dance "Goodbye, Mom" became a hit, Yan Yuanchao found himself surrounded by praise from leaders and comrades.

He hadn't been in the spotlight for several years; in the past, he played Da Chun in "The White-Haired Girl" and Hong Changqing in "The Red Detachment of Women." He was young then, and now at 24, over a decade of military service has made him more mature.

During the creation of this dance, he was often moved by the lyrics and music, as if he were saying goodbye to his mother before heading to the front lines.

Now he really wants to go to the front lines and create more such excellent dances.

At 13, in 1967, he was admitted to the military region's art troupe, crying and shouting that he didn't want to leave his mother when he said goodbye to her, who was a teacher at a dance school. More than a decade later, he no longer dances but has inherited his mother's profession as a dance teacher, which makes him feel a bit unwilling.

One day, he heard in the military compound that various field armies would be sent to the Laoshan front line to take turns fighting. Although this was not accurate information, it stirred up waves in Yan Yuanchao's heart.

Having worn a military uniform for over a decade and danced without ever going to war, what does that mean? How can he create better and more works that soldiers like?

His father passed away early, and since he was three, his mother raised him alone. He grew up in the provincial dance school, and now that his mother is about to retire, she is particularly concerned about his future development, knowing he has transitioned from actor to teacher.

His mother knows he has high aspirations and often writes to ask if he has found a suitable partner. If not, she suggests he transfer back to the dance school to teach.

Yan Yuanchao understands his mother's thoughts, but at just 24, he is unwilling to be mediocre and wants to achieve something in the military.

Not long after, he visited the home of Deputy Political Commissar Yang of the military region.

Deputy Political Commissar Yang is an old hand in the political department of the military region and is very familiar with Yan Yuanchao from the art troupe. He learned that Yan Yuanchao's father's hometown is very close to his own and affectionately called Yan Yuanchao "little fellow townsman."

Deputy Political Commissar Yang liked him and often invited him to his home as a guest.

It was a Sunday afternoon, and upon learning that Deputy Political Commissar Yang was home, he paid a visit.

Not long after returning from Deputy Political Commissar Yang's home, he submitted a transfer request to the leaders of the art troupe, asking to be transferred to the propaganda team of the political department of a certain field army division under the military region.

When he visited Deputy Political Commissar Yang, the leader praised the art troupe's dance "Goodbye, Mom," saying it was particularly good and boosted the morale of the officers and soldiers.

Yan Yuanchao reported in detail the entire process of choreographing the program and humbly stated that there were still many shortcomings due to the lack of experience with front-line troops. He finally expressed his genuine desire to go to the troops.

Deputy Political Commissar Yang, after listening, particularly understood the young man's thoughts and inquired which unit he wanted to go to.

Having spent over a decade in the military region's art troupe, Yan Yuanchao had performed慰问演出 for various field armies and subordinate division units every year. When Deputy Political Commissar Yang asked him which unit he wanted to go to, he was a bit confused.

"Since you have this idea, I think you should go to the X Division. This division's predecessor was a main force of the Red Army that came out of the Dabie Mountains, with a glorious history and tradition. Many generals after the founding of the country came from here, and I also came from this unit."

"I will call the leaders of the division tomorrow to see if you can go there, but don't rush; wait for my reply."

As Yan Yuanchao left Deputy Political Commissar Yang's home, he still heard the leader's last words in his ears.

A month later, Yan Yuanchao arrived at the political department's cadre section of the X Division to report with his transfer order.

According to his rank in the art troupe, he was appointed as the deputy leader of the propaganda team at the political department of the division at the company level.

After arriving at the division's propaganda team, in just six months, he not only rehearsed "Goodbye, Mom," but also brought in professional performers in dance, folk art, and music from the military region's art troupe, and recruited several dance actors from local song and dance troupes, including Dong Xiaoli.

The addition of Yan Yuanchao and some external newcomers brought new changes to the propaganda team of the political department of the X Division.

The propaganda team of the political department of the X Division was reestablished in 1970, but its history can be traced back to 1938 when Peng Xuefeng, who served as the commander of the New Fourth Army's Fourth Division, created the "Dawn Newspaper," "Dawn Art Troupe," and cavalry regiment, known as the "three treasures" of the Fourth Division. Since then, the Dawn Art Troupe became an active cultural propaganda team behind enemy lines. In early 1953, the troops were ordered to enter Korea to fight, and the "Dawn Art Troupe" accompanied them. The shadows of the members of the Dawn Art Troupe can be found in the film "Heroic Sons and Daughters." Shortly after the volunteer army returned to the country in 1958, the Dawn Art Troupe was disbanded. In 1970, amid the nationwide craze for learning and performing model plays, various troops established Mao Zedong Thought propaganda teams, and the military leaders decided to rebuild the art troupes of the military and the three infantry divisions below, renaming them "Mao Zedong Thought Propaganda Teams."

Later, the propaganda teams of various military-level units were gradually disbanded after a few years, but the propaganda teams of the political departments of various field divisions were retained, becoming cultural light cavalry serving grassroots troops and local masses.

The propaganda team of the political department of the X Division, where Yan Yuanchao was located, is an excellent military art team that has long ranked ahead of other division-level propaganda teams in military and military region art performances and has won awards in several army-wide performances.

Yan Yuanchao worked in the propaganda team of the political department of the X Division for a relatively short time, only about three years, but he was very happy there. He gained a significant achievement in his life, but also left a major regret in his life.