Chapter 290 - Chapter 290: Saving the Day
Chapter 290: Saving the Day
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
After settling the bill, Gu Zi continued her stroll with the three children. The booksellers watched her with admiration in their eyes. One of them commented, “This mother is impressive, she can teach her children a foreign language all by herself!”
Another joined in, “Indeed, just now, Boss Huo was sweating bullets. The translators at the radio station we’re collaborating with are not up to par. We don’t even know how to start the event at the rooftop later!”
Upon hearing their conversation, their supervisor hurried over and said, “Why didn’t you try to retain such a talent to help out? Quickly, you go find Boss Huo, and you go find the lady with the children!”
The supervisor in charge of book sales was efficient. He quickly located Boss
Huo.
He informed Boss Huo about the customer who could speak a foreign language. Although Boss Huo didn’t hold much hope that this person could handle the fast and fluent translation needed, he was willing to give it a shot. Any hope was better than the current despair.
Xinghua Department Store had the most advanced broadcasting system. As long as Boss Huo agreed, finding someone in the mall was not a problem.
So, the staff immediately made an announcement over the broadcast system, and Boss Huo quickly found the language expert in the boutique shop.
Seeing the lady and her children, he was taken aback at first, then greeted her warmly, “Gu Zi! So you’re the one who might save the day with your language skills! ”
Gu Zi had been located by the staff earlier and had understood the situation from their explanation.
Today, an important music tea party was to be held on the top floor of Xinghua Department Store. A music tea party is a cultural entertainment venue set up by the people, with tea tasting as the main attraction.
This form of cultural entertainment, which combines tea tasting and music appreciation, began during the Tang Dynasty.
However, in the late 1950s, due to the arrival of a new era, music tea parties were criticized as a “lifestyle of the petty bourgeoisie” and a “place for the idle class”. It was considered shameful, leading to the decline of music tea parties.
But with the advent of reform and opening up, music tea parties began to revive, even leading a wave of cultural entertainment across the country.
Boss Huo had set up a special venue on the top floor of Xinghua Department Store for music tea parties. He regularly invited famous opera singers, singers, and performers for performances. People could enjoy the show by buying tickets.
Today’s tea party was not open to the public. It was specially held to entertain important guests from abroad for business cooperation. Boss Huo had also invited some urban business and political celebrities.
Therefore, Boss Huo attached great importance to it. He had even specially invited a bilingual host from the radio station to handle the translation work, to showcase the charisma of Chinese hosts to the foreign guests and celebrities, showing them the changes under the reform.
However, the hired bilingual host suddenly developed an allergic reaction, with red rashes all over her face and a swollen mouth. It would be too disgraceful for her to go on stage in this condition.
Then, Lin Miao from the radio station, who claimed to be fluent in a foreign language, volunteered to take over.
Boss Huo recognized her. Wasn’t she the biological daughter of the Gu family he had met at the Su Shen wedding?
He hadn’t expected her to be fluent in a foreign language. His impression of her improved slightly.
To test her proficiency, Boss Huo immediately asked her to converse with the foreign guests.
However, she stumbled after only a few sentences. She was not up to the task of instant translation, and she was probably overwhelmed by the grandeur of the occasion, which left her unable to react.
Boss Huo was utterly embarrassed. His impression of Lin Miao worsened.
He didn’t dare let her go on stage anymore, to continue being a laughing stock for the foreigners. He questioned Chen Jie, the person in charge at the radio station. Couldn’t they find a few more language talents in such a big radio station?
Chen Jie was also very apologetic. In this era, language talents were scarce. She herself only knew a little, not even enough for fluent conversation.
She thought that although Lin Miao’s pronunciation wasn’t very standard, she should be able to handle the translation. Who knew that Lin Miao would fail due to stage fright!
Chen Jie’s solution was, if they really couldn’t find anyone to host in both languages, they would have to let Gong Xin go on stage wearing a mask.
Just as Boss Huo finished his greeting and before Gu Zi could respond, Chen Jie walked up to Gu Zi, her face full of surprise, “What a coincidence, Gu Zi, you’re the savior we’ve been waiting for! Boss Huo, she used to be our radio station’s best foreign language broadcaster!”