Chapter 179

"The peach leaves are pointed at the tips, the willow leaves cover the sky, the eminent Mr. Ming who sits in his place, listen carefully as I tell my tale..."

As the singing rang out, it scalded the ears. It was as if the ears were being soaked in hot water, with white steam rising before the eyes.

In an instant, you were brought to the Beijing West Indigo Factory, surrounded by coarse cloth-wearing old men with large tobacco pipes.

"In the firearms camp of the Indigo Factory, there is a San Lao Three who sells tobacco rolls. Speaking of that San Lao Three couple..."

Then you see the daughter Chan Juan of the couple selling tobacco rolls, with an oiled braid and red cheeks, seemingly giving a shy smile as she walks towards you.

But when you look up, it's just a handsome singing girl in a long robe.

She continues singing:

"Little girl, sixteen years of age, given the pet name Da Lian, girl called Da Lian, beautiful in looks and temperament..."

"This fresh flower remains unplucked, the pipa strings are unplucked as well, I'm like Diao Chan longing for Lü Bu, and also like Yan Po regretting Zhang San up in her tower..."

On stage is still that singing girl, whose eyes suddenly brim with gentle passion, giving a little shake of her head, making you think you were seeing things, as the singing girl on stage just continues singing calmly.

But Da Lian has walked over.

"The Sixth Brother I think of day and night has come to my door...we made a date for midnight tonight to meet, shy Da Lian bows her head not knowing what to say..."

You inexplicably feel a thief's guilty conscience, as if you've come to a secret tryst, feeling a bit anxious.

But the white smoke disappears.

There's no secret meeting before your eyes, the girl on stage pauses, her expression very serious.

Then suddenly opens her mouth to continue singing: "At the first watch, the girl weeps copiously, most pitiful are her parents, addicted to opium, delaying my marriage prospects..."

This time your heart is suddenly scalded.

As if hearing the night watchman bang the drum.

Seeing Da Lian in tears, lovesick and melancholy, not daring to speak loudly, afraid to disturb young Miss Da Lian.

"At the second watch, Six climbs the wall, startling those in the upper room, the infatuated young maiden hastily opens the double doors, I grab her hand, my dear tormentor..."

Beauty surrounds you, seeing the impassioned woman, her brows and eyes tangled in silken threads of spring.

Unlike seeing the exposed looks of Wu Xinyue the bunny girl earlier, with the whole venue going crazy, shouting along, now it's quiet, but hormones have you entangled.

The singing girl on stage seems to merge with Da Lian, passion in her eyes, shy, hot, endless spring in the air...

Gently, the young boy and girl are aroused, no shouting or clamor, as if shrouded in moonlight, blurry, vaguely aware of something.

The singing girl on stage continues:

"At the fifth watch daylight breaks, the shameless parents find out, determined to beat you today, soak the leather whip in cool water..."

Suddenly you're whipped harshly out of the tender romance, as if caught by your parents doing something bad, even feeling a bit ashamed.

But listening to the next part of the story, you see the girl Da Lian actually jumped into the river...

That placid clear water river, and Da Lian's figure disappears.

Then following that, seeing Sixth Brother leap in after her...

"Autumn rain falling in sheets, frost descends on that clear water river, what a passionate pair of lovers, both jumped in the river, the lovesick woman and infatuated man, made into a song to search the clear water river..."

Everyone listening to the song has a "wtf" moment in their hearts...turns out it's a tragedy, and tears actually fall...is this listening to a song? It takes you to heaven then drags you to hell.

The singing girl on stage remains calm, voice resounding in the beams and rafters, last line: "made into a song to search the clear water river."

In the image on the big screen her eyes have no tears, but on the judges' panel, School Trustee Mrs. Su's eyes are actually moist.

There is no applause from the audience, only when they react do the judges start clapping to prompt for scoring.

President of the Music Club Du Xinyan's eyes open wide, nearly crying...she just now felt those heartless parents were just like her own parents. Little pop diva Ding Nan has already reacted, giving a frightened jump, thinking the little girl on stage is more formidable than the number one contestant she'd seen in the talent competition she'd participated in, other people singing songs can be praised as good or not, but this little girl's singing can actually arouse empathy, transporting you right into that scene, she just now felt she was Da Lian, childhood sweetheart with the boy next door, but the manager doesn't allow it, saying she has to give up personal relationships if she wants a future in the business...

School Trustee Mrs. Su is usually restrained emotionally, always presenting herself as a strong woman, elegant and magnanimous no matter where she is, like a flawless perfect person, but just now her eyes moistened, no one knows what she thought of.

Veteran musician Yi Zhou's eyes shine brightly, impatient to do something, feeling this evening was worthwhile coming, having been in the music business so many years, the little girl before him, not to mention her looks, just that voice and vocal gifts, even if she looked like a pig he could promote her into a huge star.

And the Deputy Chairman of the Business Federation, his usually stern face is actually a bit red, he was just immersed in the second watch, third watch, fourth watch, fifth watch situations, seeming to see first love, ultimately without results, at that time he was without prospects or backbone, let alone jumping in the river, he'd simply run off, his current success makes him never want to recall the past, but this moment, he gives a score of 10.

Little Seven does not immediately get off stage, waiting for the judges to score.

She sits in her seat, adjusting the mic stand height again, because the next contestant would probably not need to sit on a high stool like her.

But when she's adjusting the mic, some girls actually go on stage to give her flowers.

Also female students.

Bringing up a bouquet of roses, face red, hurriedly running off stage after putting them down.

And so in the middle of the judges' scoring, 4 or 5 more girls run up to bring flowers.

All with red faces running off stage afterwards.

Male students below the stage: ...

Wake up, the one on stage is a girl, a girl...

Li Weijin's face isn't red, but it feels hot, he wants to give flowers too, but because earlier Grandpa Li said he'd be giving flowers to cheer on Wu Xinyue, Weijin was ridiculed by them and too embarrassed to go buy any himself, so he has no flowers in hand now.

He finally stands up and goes to the doorway, where there are many flower baskets for the gala event, and shamelessly grabs a bunch from a basket, not even checking clearly what they are, just hugging them in a dash back inside.

Then with an expressionless face he goes on stage to give flowers too, the spotlight shines on his face and the flowers in his hand, that damn flower basket actually had a bunch of leaves and clover flowers and marigolds...luckily it didn't look too bad clumped together.

But so embarrassing, Weijin's first time actively giving a girl flowers, and it's a bunch of clover and marigolds...he says in serious face: "I'm giving these on behalf of the class committee."

Then just as seriously goes off stage, thinking he was quite graceful.

But after getting off stage, Li Taiping whispers: "Brother Weijin, you looked a bit unsteady on your feet just now getting off stage."

Weijin: ...serious face finally red...

White with red showing through.

Extremely red.