Chapter 136
This was the distinctive voice of a teenager; compared with the original tone of the song, it lacked the flavor of rich experience, but it carried a youthful air which existed only in one"s salad days .
The song which w.a.n.g Ling was playing was from another world line . It was a cover song t.i.tled "Old Boys" and sung by a music duo called Chopstick Brothers 1 .
This song was about a guy"s inability to confess his feelings to the girl he liked for fear of being rejected . It expressed the sentiment of being unable to go back to one"s youth, and that while things might remain the same, people did not .
w.a.n.g Ling liked this song very much .
He remembered when he had first reached p.u.b.erty, and he had had a crush on a girl . But due to personal reasons, he hadn"t said anything, right up until the year they had graduated .
He had been afraid that he would hurt her .
At that moment, there was a special kind of feeling in the air as w.a.n.g Ling stood in this rundown restaurant and played "Old Boys" on the guitar . Once he opened his mouth, both Boss Tan and Tang Youning were straightaway intoxicated by his voice . . .
That is the girl I deeply love and miss day and night~
But how should I profess my heart~
Will she accept me~
Perhaps I will never be able to say those words to her~
I am destined to wander the world alone~
How can I have such cares~
Dreams are always just dreams~
Perhaps I should give up~
Flowers bloom and fade in yet another rainy season~
Where is spring~
Youth is like a swift current~
Gone, never to return, and too late to say goodbye~
Only leaving me behind numb~
Without the pa.s.sion of before!
Looking at a sky full of fallen flowers~
Fading at the most beautiful moment~
Who will remember it had once been here in this world . . .
This was the first part of the song, but w.a.n.g Ling put the guitar down after singing up to this point . Boss Tan was already totally dumbfounded — there was actually such an operation 2 ?!
While w.a.n.g Ling had been playing the song, Boss Tan had casually checked for the lyrics, but discovered that there was no relevant search record for it on the Internet . That was enough to prove that this was an original song!
This was only a Senior Grade One youngster, but he was actually capable of writing such a moving song full of youthfulness . . .
At the end of w.a.n.g Ling"s performance, both Boss Tan and Tang Youning in that moment were moved in their hearts .
They instantly felt that this youngster had to have a story behind him!
This was a song that they had never heard before; just listening to one small part of it had been lethal!
Boss Tan had already completely become a fan of this youngster . This was probably the legendary prodigy, right?
w.a.n.g Ling: " . . . "
Only w.a.n.g Ling himself knew that he wasn"t a prodigy of any sort at all . . . he didn"t create music, but was just a music porter!
Putting the young man"s guitar back in its corner, he quietly went back to his seat to eat his noodles; from his light and easy att.i.tude, it was as if he had just done something pretty ordinary, which was a crus.h.i.+ng blow to Tang Youning .
. . . Who on earth was this person?
Tang Youning was shocked . He dropped his head, feeling like he had been completely defeated . . . back then, in his quest to learn music, he had abandoned everything, and behind his parents" backs, had stolen the family"s chaiqian funds 3 and given it all to a music teacher . The money had initially been set aside for when he got married . When his misdeed had been exposed, his family had cut off all his living expenses . And so, he officially became a street singer .
It looked like he really wasn"t cut out for this business . . .
If he had listened to his parents" urging back then and hadn"t used the chaiqian funds, he might happily have had a wife by now; he could be living in a brand new house and maybe playing with his kids . . . he might have found a steady job and would be living a stable life .
For the first time, Tang Youning felt that something was wrong with the way he was living his life .
Was he going to stick to it?
After listening to w.a.n.g Ling play, he began to seriously question himself .
"How much can a street singer like you earn in one day?" asked Father w.a.n.g .
Tang Youning"s arrogance
Youning"s arrogance at having studied music formally had completely disappeared . He scratched his head somewhat embarra.s.sedly . "It depends . . . when it rains, there"s no money at all . I sing everywhere, and I just hope everyone can appreciate me for my music, not because they pity me . "
" . . . " There was dead silence in the shop .
Tang Youning stroked his guitar, his eyes a little wet . "I thought that given my abilities, I"d have no problem pa.s.sing the audition . . . now, this is the only thing I have . "
"Then will you continue down this road?" Father w.a.n.g asked once more .
Tang Youning shook his head . "I don"t know . "
"You don"t know means you still want to . "
Father w.a.n.g raised an eyebrow, feeling that this young man was still very persistent . Anyone else would have surrendered early on under the onslaught of his poisonous tongue, but often these were people who weren"t trying to do big things . On the other hand, the way this young man was hesitating just proved that he didn"t want to give up so easily .
"What do you think about my son"s song just now?"
"That song was really good!"
Tang Youning was excited and depressed at the same time . "I don"t think I could ever write a song like that . . . "
"Have you considered that the reason why you failed the auditon might have to do with the song you chose?" Father w.a.n.g asked again .
w.a.n.g Ling raised his eyebrow slightly in his seat . He felt that Father w.a.n.g"s att.i.tude toward the young man was a little different now, as he had switched from poisonous words to talking sense into him . Father w.a.n.g had always been a man good at telling stories; he had a very strong grasp of different subjects and also first-cla.s.s leaders.h.i.+p skills . . . w.a.n.g Ling had once seen him unconsciously lead over ninety percent of a two thousand strong group of readers who read pirated books back to reading genuine versions again .
Tang Youning blinked as he looked at Father w.a.n.g . "What is teacher"s meaning?"
"Don"t call me teacher, it just sounds awkward . Just call me uncle . " Father w.a.n.g waved his hand . "I mean, if you didn"t detest my son"s song, how about I sell it to you?"
Tang Youning instantly stood up . "Uncle . . . you"re saying you want to sell this song to me?"
But very quickly, his expression turned deeply bitter . "But uncle . . . I have no money . "
An original work of excellent quality was truly rare nowadays! Tang Youning felt that w.a.n.g Ling"s song would be able to command a whopping copyright price from any record company!
Father w.a.n.g silently lit a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth . "How much do you have?"
Tang Youning fumbled around in his pockets and pulled out loose change which, when pooled together, amounted to thirty three yuan and seventy cents .
Anxious, Tang Youning looked at Father w.a.n.g, gritted his teeth, then tightly hugged his guitar and gave it a kiss before holding it out to Father w.a.n.g . "Uncle . . . if you don"t dislike it . . . "
"No . " Father w.a.n.g straightforwardly rolled his eyes .
Boss Tan was speechless . " . . . " This was a bit too frank!
Father w.a.n.g: "Why would I want your guitar? Can it be eaten? Isn"t this your lifeblood? How can a man walk through life without a partner by his side?"
With that, Father w.a.n.g turned to look at the boss . "Boss Tan, do you have pen and paper?"
Boss Tan nodded . "Yes!"
Father w.a.n.g had always had a good memory, and he also had some musical knowledge . Hence, he had basically already memorized the lyrics and the melody after w.a.n.g Ling"s single rendition of it . Even if he left out something, w.a.n.g Ling would help him fill in the gaps telepathically . . .
In a smooth and flowing style, Father w.a.n.g swiftly wrote down the complete lyrics of "Old Boys" on paper, then wrote another note before putting the pen cap back on .
Finally, he gave the piece of paper to Tang Youning . "The most precious thing about a dream is that it can be rebuilt, no matter how big your setback!"
Tang Youning gripped the paper with shaking hands .
Father w.a.n.g exhaled smoke like a dragon and flicked ash from his cigarette . He stood up, picked up that thirty-three yuan and seventy cents from the table and put it in Boss Tan"s hand . "Two bowls of beef noodles, thirty yuan in total . Keep the change . "
After that, father and son together with Loopy Toad directly left the shop, leaving Boss Tan bewilderedly holding thirty-three yuan and seventy cents .
After w.a.n.g Ling teleported Father w.a.n.g and Loopy Toad back home, Father w.a.n.g leaned back against the sofa and heaved a long sigh . "Your mom maxed out my salary card . We have to save as much money as possible in these few days!"
w.a.n.g Ling: " . . . "
Father w.a.n.g looked seriously at w.a.n.g Ling and gave him earnest instruction . "Look, with just a little wisdom today, I was able to save money on two bowls of beef noodles! Want to know what frugality is? That"s it!"
w.a.n.g Ling: " . . . "
Chopstick Brothers is a Beijing-based Chinese duo who became famous in 2010 for a short online comedy film t.i.tled "Old Boys . " 居然还有这种操作 "There was actually such an operation" is Chinese Netspeak for expressing shock or bafflement, or to complain or praise something . "Chaiqian" translates to "demolition and relocation," and refers to the large-scale rebuilding of older urban areas in China . This has become a significant socioeconomic issue, with some people being forcibly evicted . This was the distinctive voice of a teenager compared with the original tone of the song, it lacked the flavor of rich experience, but it carried a youthful air which existed only in one 39 s salad days . The song which w.a.n.g Ling was playing was from another world line . It was a cover song t.i.tled Old Boys and sung by a music duo called Chopstick Brothers 1 . This song was about a guy 39 s inability to confess his feelings to the girl he liked for fear of being rejected . It expressed the sentiment of being unable to go back to one 39 s youth, and that while things might remain the same, people did not . w.a.n.g Ling liked this song very much . He remembered when he had first reached p.u.b.erty, and he had had a crush on a girl . But due to personal reasons, he hadn 39 t said anything, right up until the year they had graduated . He had been afraid that he would hurt her . At that moment, there was a special kind of feeling in the air as w.a.n.g Ling stood in this rundown restaurant and played Old Boys on the guitar . Once he opened his mouth, both Boss Tan and Tang Youning were straightaway intoxicated by his voice . . . . . . That is the girl I deeply love and miss day and night But how should I profess my heart Will she accept me . . . Perhaps I will never be able to say those words to her I am destined to wander the world alone How can I have such cares Dreams are always just dreams Perhaps I should give up Flowers bloom and fade in yet another rainy season Where is spring . . . Youth is like a swift current Gone, never to return, and too late to say goodbye Only leaving me behind numb Without the pa.s.sion of before . . . Looking at a sky full of fallen flowers Fading at the most beautiful moment Who will remember it had once been here in this world . . . This was the first part of the song, but w.a.n.g Ling put the guitar down after singing up to this point . Boss Tan was already totally dumbfounded there was actually such an operation 2 While w.a.n.g Ling had been playing the song, Boss Tan had casually checked for the lyrics, but discovered that there was no relevant search record for it on the Internet . That was enough to prove that this was an original song This was only a Senior Grade One youngster, but he was actually capable of writing such a moving song full of youthfulness . . . At the end of w.a.n.g Ling 39 s performance, both Boss Tan and Tang Youning in that moment were moved in their hearts . They instantly felt that this youngster had to have a story behind him This was a song that they had never heard before just listening to one small part of it had been lethal Boss Tan had already completely become a fan of this youngster . This was probably the legendary prodigy, right w.a.n.g Ling . . . Only w.a.n.g Ling himself knew that he wasn 39 t a prodigy of any sort at all . . . he didn 39 t create music, but was just a music porter Putting the young man 39 s guitar back in its corner, he quietly went back to his seat to eat his noodles from his light and easy att.i.tude, it was as if he had just done something pretty ordinary, which was a crus.h.i.+ng blow to Tang Youning . . . . Who on earth was this person Tang Youning was shocked . He dropped his head, feeling like he had been completely defeated . . . back then, in his quest to learn music, he had abandoned everything, and behind his parents 39 backs, had stolen the family 39 s chaiqian funds 3 and given it all to a music teacher . The money had initially been set aside for when he got married . When his misdeed had been exposed, his family had cut off all his living expenses . And so, he officially became a street singer . It looked like he really wasn 39 t cut out for this business . . . If he had listened to his parents 39 urging back then and hadn 39 t used the chaiqian funds, he might happily have had a wife by now he could be living in a brand new house and maybe playing with his kids . . . he might have found a steady job and would be living a stable life . For the first time, Tang Youning felt that something was wrong with the way he was living his life . Was he going to stick to it After listening to w.a.n.g Ling play, he began to seriously question himself . How much can a street singer like you earn in one day asked Father w.a.n.g . Tang Youning 39 s arrogance at having studied music formally had completely disappeared . He scratched his head somewhat embarra.s.sedly . It depends . . . when it rains, there 39 s no money at all . I sing everywhere, and I just hope everyone can appreciate me for my music, not because they pity me . . . . There was dead silence in the shop . Tang Youning stroked his guitar, his eyes a little wet . I thought that given my abilities, I 39 d have no problem pa.s.sing the audition . . . now, this is the only thing I have . Then will you continue down this road Father w.a.n.g asked once more . Tang Youning shook his head . I don 39 t know . You don 39 t know means you still want to . Father w.a.n.g raised an eyebrow, feeling that this young man was still very persistent . Anyone else would have surrendered early on under the onslaught of his poisonous tongue, but often these were people who weren 39 t trying to do big things . On the other hand, the way this young man was hesitating just proved that he didn 39 t want to give up so easily . What do you think about my son 39 s song just now That song was really good Tang Youning was excited and depressed at the same time . I don 39 t think I could ever write a song like that . . . Have you considered that the reason why you failed the auditon might have to do with the song you chose Father w.a.n.g asked again . w.a.n.g Ling raised his eyebrow slightly in his seat . He felt that Father w.a.n.g 39 s att.i.tude toward the young man was a little different now, as he had switched from poisonous words to talking sense into him . Father w.a.n.g had always been a man good at telling stories he had a very strong grasp of different subjects and also first cla.s.s leaders.h.i.+p skills . . . w.a.n.g Ling had once seen him unconsciously lead over ninety percent of a two thousand strong group of readers who read pirated books back to reading genuine versions again . Tang Youning blinked as he looked at Father w.a.n.g . What is teacher 39 s meaning Don 39 t call me teacher, it just sounds awkward . Just call me uncle . Father w.a.n.g waved his hand . I mean, if you didn 39 t detest my son 39 s song, how about I sell it to you Tang Youning instantly stood up . Uncle . . . you 39 re saying you want to sell this song to me But very quickly, his expression turned deeply bitter . But uncle . . . I have no money . An original work of excellent quality was truly rare nowadays Tang Youning felt that w.a.n.g Ling 39 s song would be able to command a whopping copyright price from any record company Father w.a.n.g silently lit a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth . How much do you have Tang Youning fumbled around in his pockets and pulled out loose change which, when pooled together, amounted to thirty three yuan and seventy cents . Anxious, Tang Youning looked at Father w.a.n.g, gritted his teeth, then tightly hugged his guitar and gave it a kiss before holding it out to Father w.a.n.g . Uncle . . . if you don 39 t dislike it . . . No . Father w.a.n.g straightforwardly rolled his eyes . Boss Tan was speechless . . . . This was a bit too frank Father w.a.n.g Why would I want your guitar Can it be eaten Isn 39 t this your lifeblood How can a man walk through life without a partner by his side With that, Father w.a.n.g turned to look at the boss . Boss Tan, do you have pen and paper Boss Tan nodded . Yes Father w.a.n.g had always had a good memory, and he also had some musical knowledge . Hence, he had basically already memorized the lyrics and the melody after w.a.n.g Ling 39 s single rendition of it . Even if he left out something, w.a.n.g Ling would help him fill in the gaps telepathically . . . In a smooth and flowing style, Father w.a.n.g swiftly wrote down the complete lyrics of Old Boys on paper, then wrote another note before putting the pen cap back on . Finally, he gave the piece of paper to Tang Youning . The most precious thing about a dream is that it can be rebuilt, no matter how big your setback Tang Youning gripped the paper with shaking hands . Father w.a.n.g exhaled smoke like a dragon and flicked ash from his cigarette . He stood up, picked up that thirty three yuan and seventy cents from the table and put it in Boss Tan 39 s hand . Two bowls of beef noodles, thirty yuan in total . Keep the change . After that, father and son together with Loopy Toad directly left the shop, leaving Boss Tan bewilderedly holding thirty three yuan and seventy cents . . . . After w.a.n.g Ling teleported Father w.a.n.g and Loopy Toad back home, Father w.a.n.g leaned back against the sofa and heaved a long sigh . Your mom maxed out my salary card . We have to save as much money as possible in these few days w.a.n.g Ling . . . Father w.a.n.g looked seriously at w.a.n.g Ling and gave him earnest instruction . Look, with just a little wisdom today, I was able to save money on two bowls of beef noodles Want to know what frugality is That 39 s it w.a.n.g Ling . . . Chopstick Brothers is a Beijing based Chinese duo who became famous in 2010 for a short online comedy film t.i.tled 39 Old Boys . 39 39 There was actually such an operation 39 is Chinese Netspeak for expressing shock or bafflement, or to complain or praise something . 39 Chaiqian 39 translates to demolition and relocation, and refers to the large scale rebuilding of older urban areas in China . This has become a significant socioeconomic issue, with some people being forcibly evicted .