Afternoon.Lunch boxes were being given out.
Other than some people with special circ.u.mstances, even an list celebrity would not go back. They would have to collect their lunch box and make do with it.
Zhang Ye was also eating alone. Zhang Xia and Zhang Yuanqi had gone off somewhere, likely to practice for tonight"s song. After all, it was their first time hearing it today. If they wanted to sing it well, especially as a duet, it wouldn"t be easy for them. They would need a lot of practice. When Zhang Ye gave this song to them, he had already heard it more than a hundred times, but as he was not a music professional, he could not possibly dare to give them guidance by his standards. They were professional singers, so they definitely knew better than him. It was better for him to just sit around and have his lunch.
Ring, ring, ring.
His father was calling.
"Where are you?"
"Dad, I"m outside."
"Are you coming back for lunch?"
"Oh, maybe not. There are some matters over here. Are you at aunt"s place? Please apologize to everyone on my behalf. I might not be able to go to maternal grandma"s place either."
"Something important?"
"Yes, it"s important."
"Alright then, I won"t say anymore. Go and do what you need to."
In the afternoon, Zhang Ye received quite a few calls from Zhang Yuanqi and Zhang Xia"s teams. They discussed with him regarding the musical composition. Earlier, they had only let the gala directing team listen to the draft version, which still had its flaws, so they had to discuss further with him. Zhang Ye found a quiet corner and spent the entire afternoon on the phone to help them sort out this matter. When Zhang Xia called him, he would go and listen to Zhang Yuanqi and her singing practice. He was no professional, but at least he had the standard of this song in mind from his previous world, which he used as the marker to point out the problems with their version. With that, he had corrected some of their problems which had arisen from their unfamiliarity with the song.
An hour.
Three hours.
Five hours.
It was already 7:40 PM in the evening.
After finally busying himself with them, Zhang Ye was exhausted. He did not have a good night"s sleep last night, and had, at most, four hours of rest, so he really could no longer stay awake. The Spring Festival Gala was about to begin and everyone was busying themselves for the moment they appeared on stage. Zhang Ye spotted an opportunity, looked for an empty room and found the makeup room that Zhang Yuanqi had been in earlier that day. It was a mess inside as random makeup and accessories lay strewn on the floor as well as some unused costumes, but since there was no one around, Zhang Ye switched off the lights and went to a corner where there was a sofa. There were a few part.i.tioned s.p.a.ces, which were covered by curtains, probably a s.p.a.ce for changing. He pulled a curtain to cover himself and sat on the sofa. Ah, it was rather comfortable. Zhang Ye did not care about anything anymore since he had already done all that he could. He just lay down and fell asleep, not even moving an inch.
...
The sounds of firecrackers thundered!
There was jubilation everywhere!
The annual Spring Festival Gala had begun!
The first program was the opening dance, a performance that mainly junior and middle school students partic.i.p.ated in. Although they were young, their movements suggested that they were very well trained. The dance was beautiful and the music was very vibrant. From this opening performance, it could be seen that this year"s Spring Festival Gala was indeed putting its focus on the younger generation. Those old songs or old recital performances of yesteryear, which had been rejected by the younger generation, could possibly even be canceled and replaced with the ever enjoyable language performances or popular song and dance routines. It was going the way of popular demands, as traditional programs were becoming too old fas.h.i.+oned. Those programs did not make money and also could not attract viewers. Another way to call the lively and energetic Spring Festival Gala was to call it the business opportunities Spring Festival Gala!
At Zhang Ye"s maternal grandma"s house.
Cao Mengmeng was anxiously sitting on the sofa saying, "It"s starting, it"s starting!"
Zhang Ye"s mother was nagging and saying, "There"s nothing good to watch on this year"s Spring Festival Gala!"
Second Uncle said depressingly, "They"d already planned for Little Ye"s song to be performed, but why did they have to go and cancel it!"
Third Auntie said, "That bunch of directing team people don"t have any foresight. All they want is to attract viewers and find a chance to make money by suggesting a Spring Festival Gala for the young. They have already forgotten about us elderly!"
Maternal Grandma said, "Change the channel. If Little Ye"s song isn"t going to be performed, then I don"t want to watch it! Zhang Xia and Sun Ying"s not slated to perform this year too, so what"s the point of watching it?"
Maternal Grandpa said, "I heard this year only has one Peking Opera performance lined up. It"s even combined with other types of opera as a single performance. What"s that called?"
Cao Tong said, "Hehe, those are called mashups."
"What sort of thing is that?!" Maternal Grandpa said, "A tradition pa.s.sed down from our ancestors has been messed up by them!"
Cao Mengmeng clung onto the remote control saying, "You can"t change channels. I still want to watch my Lee Anson perform."
The eldest, Cao Dan looked at her, "Didn"t you say that you wouldn"t chase after Korean stars anymore? Our brother is an ultrnationalistic. It"s not like you don"t know that. If he knows that you are still chasing after them, he will definitely give you a beating."
Cao Mengmeng cheekily said, "I"m not chasing after him. I only have one idol and that"s our brother. About Lee Anson, I"m just a casual listener, hehe."
Cao Dan prodded at her sister"s head, "You!"
Maternal grandma said, "Is Little Ye really not coming back for the new year?"
Zhang Ye"s mother said angrily, "I don"t even know what he"s busy with! Don"t care about him!"
Zhang Ye was the most doted on by his maternal grandma. She said, "Little Zhang has his own career. He"s famous, that"s why he"s busy. We need to understand that."
The Spring Festival Gala continued on.
The second program was a group singing event.
Followed by the third, a magic show. This was something that rarely occurred in previous galas. The magician was a 19 year old rookie who had come from Hong Kong. If it were based on seniority, he definitely could not compare to other 30 or 40 year old magicians. Yet he somehow managed to get invited to perform.
"The magic tricks are just normal."
"Yea, it"s not interesting."
"It"s alright, I think it"s fine."
"It"s far from the standard of the old timers. They really aren"t letting the veterans perform this year? I do support their efforts in creating a lively and energetic gala promoting the young ones, but they still need to ensure the quality of the event! If they aren"t good enough, why should they be allowed to perform on stage? They had to cut off the older people"s programs, even if their skills are better? That"s so unfair. Besides, a forty-year-old magician can"t even be considered old."
"I wonder how they even think!"
"This is a decision for the future, to groom new talents."
"But they can"t just abandon the older generation like that!"
"But they really are getting old and will only go downhill from where they are. The young ones, however, have a lot more chances, so they will definitely keep improving."
Discussions like the one happening in Zhang Ye"s maternal family right now was also happening in other families all over the country. Some objected, some understood, and some supported. Everyone had their own views on the issue.
Finally, the language performances started.
First off was a cross-talk, followed by a skit.
Cao Mengmeng was falling asleep, "What is this rubbis.h.!.+ The cross-talk and skits in recent years are getting from bad to worse! It"s not even as funny as our brother"s talk show!"
Cao Tong however was enjoying the show. She said, "Your standard of humor is too high. I find it to be quite alright."
Cao Dan gave an objective point of view saying, "It"s just because you are easy to humor. Language performances have really suffered a drop in quality. There aren"t any good works, even though some are quite OK, but they are unable to stand out and are not as funny as those performances from 10 years ago. Didn"t you read those negative comments online in recent years?"
First Aunt said, "It"s really falling in standards, year after year."
First Uncle said, "Easy for you to say, but cross-talk and skits are the hardest to perform. They encompa.s.s art and humor, as well as needing the audience"s affirmation. To produce a good skit or crosstalk is really difficult."
...
At the scene of the gala.
The location was fully packed.
Officials, workers, white collars, students, family, etc. There were all sorts of people in attendance. If there was something in common about them, it was that they had "connections". Everyone who attended had depended on their connections to their company or friends to secure tickets. It was not so easy to get it. Even Zhang Ye needed Tian Bin"s pa.s.s just to sneak in.
"Splendid!"
"It"s so great!"
"It"s not interesting this year."
Some people were giving their kudos, while others had no expression or were dozing off.
Master Zhou and Master Wei from the calligraphy world did not spend the new year at home with their families too, and instead came to the gala. Master Zhou brought his wife and daughter along. Master Wei brought his grandson and granddaughter. They were all seated in the 5th row at the left.
Mrs Zhou said, "Since Big Sis Zhang is not going to make an appearance, we have come in vain."
She had been a friend of Zhang Xia for more than a decade.
Master Zhou, who also knew Zhang Xia, said, "You know the health condition of Big Sis Zhang too. She recently had an operation for cerebral thrombosis last year. At her age, she should think of retiring and enjoying herself."
Mrs Zhou shook her head, "Singing and the stage is Big Sis Zhang"s life, so she would never want to leave it, not in her life. If they really force her to retire, she would definitely be unhappy. When people are unhappy, their health will only end up suffering."
Master Wei said, "I heard that Zhang Xia has heart problems and high blood pressure? When people get old, their problems also increase. If I weren"t concerned with my children and grandchildren"s futures, I would have sealed my brush long ago. At our age, especially at Big Sis Zhang"s age, which is probably a few years older than me, we need to admit that age is catching up. Performing on stage all the time, that"s something for the young ones to do. As we grow older, we need to wrap up at some point."
Master Wei"s grandchildren were not listening to their conversation.
Suddenly, the MCs on stage announced something.
After the announcement, Master Wei"s granddaughter screamed, "Lee Anson"s coming up next! My idol!"
Master Wei asked, "I thought your idol was grandpa?"
"Of course you are." His granddaughter smiled and said, "But Lee Anson"s my second idol. I like him so much, he"s too handsome!" If she didn"t know that Lee Anson was slated to appear in the gala, she would not have attended the gala. In fact, she had to beg her grandpa to bring her along today.
Master Wei"s grandson was also paying full attention, "Don"t talk anymore. Watch the performance, watch it!"
At this moment, the music started playing and Lee Anson appeared on stage singing. He was not singing in Korean, but Chinese! His. .h.i.t song had been translated into a Chinese version!
Countless screams rang throughout!
"Ah!"
"It"s in Chinese!"
"He"s too good-looking!"
"I love you, Lee Anson!"
It was the same on scene and on TV!
Countless young fans were excitedly chanting Lee Anson"s name. The atmosphere was so pa.s.sionate compared to the earlier performances!
Lee Anson had a slight smirk as he sang on stage, "Love....is the only....Love....can"t avoid heartbreaks...." He probably did not know how to speak Chinese and maybe just had some basic lessons. Some of his p.r.o.nunciation and articulation of words were too stiff, but it still won the cheers of those who were watching him!
The song had ended!
The applause from young people was thundering!
Lee Anson smiled as he bowed and left the stage.
Master Zhou looked to his left and right and saw the excitement of the young generation. He helplessly commented, "Old Wei, did you understand the song?"
Master Wei laughed, "Not at all."
Master Wei"s granddaughter said, "It was such a good song!"
Mrs Zhou touched the child"s head, "You youngsters feel that it"s good, but we are old and unable to keep up with the times."
Master Zhou sighed, "Hai, we are really becoming old-fas.h.i.+oned. This world belongs to the young ones already. Hur Hur, we should just step aside."
At the gala, many other members of the older generation had similar thoughts.
Suddenly, the stage lighting and background changed. A light melody drifted throughout the place as it signaled the start of the next performance. It was supposed to be a simple transition, but when everyone saw who appeared on stage, those who were attending the live event, and those who were watching TV, were all stunned!
"Grandma Zhang?"
"Heavenly Queen Zhang Yuanqi!"
"Holy sh*t! Didn"t their performance get canceled?"
"What"s going on? They have a performance? And it"s the two of them together? Are they going to do a duet? A vocalist and a popular singer? There shouldn"t be any common songs for them!"
"Why didn"t the directing team inform anyone?"
"The program list was changed at the last minute?"
...
At Zhang Ye"s maternal grandma"s house.
"Ah!" Cao Mengmeng shouted.
"Little Meng, what are you shouting for?" Maternal grandma had a slight shock.
"Quick, take a look! Hurry!" Cao Mengmeng hurriedly shouted to Zhang Ye"s parents.
Zhang Ye"s mother said, "I"m making dumplings, I don"t want to watch."
Cao Dan, who looked up to glance at the TV also shouted, "Zhang Yuanqi"s on! And so is Grandma Zhang Xia!"
Zhang Ye"s mother exclaimed, then threw the half made dumpling out of her hands and ran out of the kitchen, "That"s impossible! Didn"t their programs get cut by the directing team!?"
Everyone in the house was now staring at the TV.
...
At another house.
"Mom! Don"t prepare dinner first!"
"What do you want me to do if I don"t prepare dinner? That d.a.m.ned Spring Festival Gala is not worth watching."
"Zhang Xia and Zhang Yuanqi are appearing together to do a duet!"
"What? Let me take a look!"
...
A certain phone call.
"h.e.l.lo, Sis."
"Bro, why did you call me again? Didn"t you just called to send me new year greetings?"
"Are you watching the Spring Festival Gala?"
"I"m not watching it this year, Zhang Yuanqi"s not on it."
"Then go and watch it now, quick! Zhang Yuanqi has made an appearance! There"s a new song!"
"Impossible!"
"It"s true! She"s appearing together with Zhang Xia! It"s an unfamiliar tune. Definitely not "Wis.h.i.+ng We Last Forever" or any of Zhang Yuanqi"s old songs!"
"There"s a new song? What the heck! Then I"m gonna hang up now! I"m going to take a look!"
...
Throughout the country, scenes like this kept playing out.
It was the opposite of what happened a little bit earlier. This time, many of the older generation"s attention perked up.
As for the younger ones, all of them had an expression of disinterest, like nothing much was happening.
"Why is it Zhang Xia again!"
"It"s always her every year!"
"Zhang Yuanqi too. She comes for this every year, isn"t it annoying!?"
"Sister Zhang"s movies are great and her old songs are nice as well, but in recent years, her songs are terrible. They are all out of date!"
"Looks like this will be boring."
"No need to watch this, it"s definitely going to be a recycled performance!"
Mrs. Zhou"s eyes shone brightly, "Big Sis Zhang"s really appearing up there!"
Master Zhou smiled bitterly, "What for? This year"s gala is focusing on energy and youth. If it were me, I would not have gone on stage. That"s unnecessary."
Master Wei"s granddaughter said, "Yes, Grandma Zhang Xia is already so old. Even Auntie Zhang Yuanqi is not young anymore. She can"t be more popular than my Lee Anson, so why bother to come at all. I"m talking about it in terms of music, but for movies, Zhang Yuanqi"s definitely still at the top."
Master Wei"s grandson also said, "Sister Zhang shouldn"t come here to sing. She should just concentrate on acting in movies. Her songs are no longer suitable for this era."
Master Wei frowned,"That Korean kid was introduced on stage by the MCs. but why aren"t they announcing Zhang Xia and Zhang Yuanqi? They are just going to move directly into the singing?"
His granddaughter pursed her lips and said, "It shows that the directing team does not place importance on them."
The older people looked at the two women onstage, listening to the lukewarm atmosphere from the audience. They had the sudden feeling that maybe it was true that the time for the younger generation had come. Zhang Xia was old, Zhang Yuanqi was getting old. The stage for music....probably did not need them anymore. Maybe they shouldn"t have gone on stage this time and just retired at their peaks, so what if they kept working hard to stay on it?
The only thing that felt strange to them was the clothes that Zhang Xia and Zhang Yuanqi wore. They were dressed in extremely bright colored evening gowns. There was red, green, yellow, purple, and blue. The colors were very glaring and they even had a red rose in their hair to go along with. This sort of getup was very gorgeous, a style that Zhang Yuanqi had never done before, nor had Zhang Xia!
What"s going on?
What were the two of them going to do?
Peng Yiyu and the directing team were looking at the screen backstage!
Millions of people around the country were also staring in doubt at the two of them on their television screens!
At the next moment, Zhang Yuanqi raised her microphone and took a light breath and smiled.
"I have a flower."
"It grows within my heart."
"A bud waiting to bloom.....for the longest time."
"Every moment, waiting for a sincere person to come to me in my sleep."
A song t.i.tled "Woman Flower" by Anita Mui was portrayed with vividness by Zhang Yuanqi. Her voice was not youthful, nor was it lively and there wasn"t even a hint of clarity and lingering in her voice. Zhang Yuanqi"s voice was the type that sounded a little husky, but it was exactly this type of voice that suited the song. Only a woman"s voice at this age could transmit the feelings and mood of "Woman Flower"! This wasn"t a song written for young women! This was a song that belonged to them!
When everyone heard that part of the song, they were all stunned!
Flower?
A bud waiting to bloom?
In the context of movies, TV, or literature, these lyrics were often used as a symbol of young women, but today, Zhang Yuanqi and Zhang Xia had gone to use these words to sing about flowers. They even came onto the stage dressed in a flowery theme. They had portrayed themselves as flowers!
Blooming?
That was the rights of the young people!
Only the young should bloom!
But at your age, how do you qualify? Why?
Zhang Yuanqi was holding onto Zhang Xia"s hands, smiling at her as if the whole world was invisible:
"Woman Flower, swaying in the red dust."
"Woman Flower, wavering softly in the wind."
"Only hoping for a pair of gentle hands."
"To sooth the solitude in my heart."
A middle-aged woman seated in the front row suddenly held her daughter"s hands, as tears rolled down her cheeks without her even knowing why!
"Mom, why are you crying?" The little girl asked.
The woman was smiling and crying at the same time, "You"re still young, but when you grow up, you"d understand."
Mrs. Zhou stood up, her eyes had turned red, but she kept an unblinking stare at the two women on stage!
Zhang Yuanqi"s voice seemed to have carved each and every word into the hearts of all the matured women. Her voice was a like a pair of hands, holding them by the shoulders!
Master Wei also had a look of being touched, "This song...."
The melody changed.
Zhang Yuanqi lowered her microphone as Zhang Xia raised hers.
Grandma Zhang Xia held Zhang Yuanqi"s hand and smiled at the audience. Even though her hair was grayed and her skin was wrinkly, her smile was ageless!
It was like a flower!
Like it had suddenly bloomed!
"I have a flower."
"The flower scent from the branches."
"But who would devote himself to tracing the scent back?"
"A flower blooms not for long, treasure what you can have while you have it."
"Women are like flowers, flowers are like dreams."
When most of the women heard this, their faces were already covered with tears!
But Grandma Zhang Xia still smiled vibrantly:
"Woman Flower, swaying in the red dust."
"Woman Flower, wavering softly in the wind."
"Only hoping for a pair of gentle hands."
"To sooth the solitude in my heart."
Mrs. Zhou was also crying now. For this stage! For this Spring Festival Gala! For the audience! They had given so much of their time! They had given so much of their youth and time to the stage!
Who said that they were old!
Who dared to say they were old!?
They could still sing! They could still sing for the rest of their lives! !
Even if 10 years had pa.s.sed! Even if 50 years had gone by! They would still be the most brilliant and bright woman flowers on stage!
They would never be old!
We would never be old! !
At this moment, even the men had faces of shock. Sometimes, men understood women more than women understood themselves. Everyone"s heart seemed to have been struck by something at that moment!
A middle-aged man in the last row looked at his wife and reached out his hand to hold hers tightly. With a grip that felt like he did not want to ever let go, he said, "Yan"er, I"m sorry about last time. I called you old and haggard, I....." his voice choked, "You"ve done so much for the children, for me, and for our family!"
His wife smiled happily, "I"m willing to do all of that no matter what."
The middle-aged man"s grip tightened, "To me, you"re forever an ever blooming flower!"
"The duet!"
Zhang Yuanqi and Zhang Xia held their hands and walked forward. As they walked, the two did a little dance to the music. It couldn"t be considered dancing per se, but were light movements that seemed to emanate from their mood. With some nifty hand movements their fingers sometimes touching the flower on their heads!
"Woman Flower, swaying in the red dust."
"Woman Flower, wavering softly in the wind."
"If you"d ever smelled the flowers."
"Don"t ask me who this flower is blooming for."
"Having loved, you"d know what it"s worth. Only when you are drunk, would you understand the strength of wine. Flowers bloom and wither all for naught."
Fate does not wait, it"s like the spring breeze that comes and go, women are like flowers, flowers are like dreams."
Their voices harmonized. This made many in the audience stand up. The feeling that jolted their souls was very difficult to describe. All they knew was this:
This is a woman!
This is what a woman is!
A woman is like a flower! It would never wither!