Chapter 40 - New Beginning…
Qing was a teacher of the National Music Department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Her mother died very early. She lived with her grandparents at a young age, and then her father died inexplicably. She first met Jiang Xianbang at that time. This uncle handled everything about her father’s funeral.
She remembered when she was in the fourth grade of elementary school, Uncle Jiang came to sweep her father’s tomb. In the past two years, he also took time to come. Every time he came, he would give grandparents and her a lot of gifts. When he left, he would give her grandfather a lot of money. Grandpa said that uncle Jiang was a good person, and required her to greet uncle Jiang every year and festival.
That year, after she accompanied uncle Jiang to sweep the tomb, uncle Jiang asked if she would like to follow him to Shanghai. She asked stupidly, “Where is Shanghai? Is it a fun place?”
“Shanghai is a big city, and of course, it’s fun.”
Then she agreed, her grandparents agreed later. After all, they were too old to take care of her. Even though they were reluctant, they knew that their little granddaughter would live a better life with Jiang Xianbang. They knew that because of their son’s relationship with Jiang Xianbang, he would take good care of Qing.
So Qing followed Jiang Xianbang to the big city, Shanghai. When she came to Shanghai, she was shocked by the city. It was far more bustling than their small county. She was sent to the best aristocratic school in Shanghai, and began to get in touch with a variety of new things.
When she was a child, her father liked to listen to music played by guqin, guzheng, pipa, etc., and uncle Jiang liked to listen, too. So she told uncle Jiang that she wanted to learn. Jiang Xianbang was very fond of this niece, and agreed without hesitation. But he did not expect this girl to have a musical talent, going further and further on way of music.
During her university and postgraduate time, she stayed in Shanghai, and did not want to go too far. She knew that uncle Jiang had no wife and children, so he needed someone to take care of. She had already regarded herself as the daughter of uncle Jiang.
Uncle Jiang liked to drink tea. So she studied tea art. During that time, uncle Jiang liked to listen to piano music. She began to learn piano again. As long as uncle Jiang liked it, she was willing to learn.
Qing took everything lightly, because of this, her temperament was getting more and more extraordinary, more and more otherworldly. It was what made Jiang Xianbang felt headache, because he really didn’t know what kind of man could match with this girl.
After asking a few servants, Qing knew that uncle Jiang should wake up quickly, so she ran to the kitchen and made two bowls of sour noodle with soup. Uncle Jiang used to eat sour noodle with soup when he woke up from a drunk. Her cooking skills had already been professional.
She put on the apron, tying up her hair. Such an otherworldly beauty cooked in the kitchen, so many people could not believe it. Maybe in the eyes of men, such a woman was only suitable for baking tea and talking about music. Letting her go to kitchen would be so sorry and misusing something.
When Qing put two bowls of sour noodles with soup in the living room, Qin Sheng and Jiang Xianbang woke up, not knowing they were awakened by noise or smell of soup. Qin Sheng stumbled and said, “It smells good.”
“Qing, you are back,” Jiang Xianbang got up and saw the Qing, who was sitting at the opposite side and smiling, said with hands massaging on his head.
Qing said with resentment, “Uncle, how much wine do you drink? Don’t you know that you are in poor health?”
Jiang Xianbang was very witty. He pointed at Qin Sheng and said, “You can’t blame me. You have to blame him. This boy is pushing me to drink. Just tell him I’m not at home if he come here next time.”
Qin Sheng glanced at Qing, and looked at Jiang Xianbang. He was confused. This old man was too shameless. It was unjust for him. At this time, Qing had already looked at Qin Sheng with anger. Qin Sheng was mentally disturbed. He had already offended such a beautiful woman at noon. Now he was messed up by Jiang Xianbang. Maybe he had already been in her blacklist.
“I don’t take this responsibility. You asked me to drink two cups of wine with you.” Even so, Qin Sheng still had to tell the truth.
Jiang Xianbang got up and stretched his waist. “Don’t forget your current identity. Don’t you take the responsibility?”
Qin Sheng immediately understood what Jiang Xianbang meant—he was threatening. But he was the boss, Qin Sheng could only take the responsibility helplessly.
Jiang Xianbang was like a general who had won the victory and laughed unscrupulously.
Qing said tenderly, “Okay, uncle, I have made sour noodles with soup for you, just eat something to make yourself better, and I will make you a pot of Pu’er tea to sober you up.”
“My favorite sour noodle with soup, just eat it, Qin Sheng, taste the food cooked by Qing, you kid is taking advantages of me, others even don’t have the chance to eat it.” Jiang Xianbang squatted directly on the ground and ate.
Qin Sheng was also hungry, so he just ate it rudely. These old and young people were really interesting.
Later, a bowl of noodles was eaten up by Qin Sheng. Qin Sheng even drunk all the soup. He said gladly, “It’s delicious; it’s really delicious; it’s sour and hot at the right level.”
“Want more? We still have some in kitchen,” Qing asked out of courtesy.
Who knew that Qin Sheng was very shameless. “Yes, I need it, give me more hot peppers.”
The servant next to him immediately took the bowl and went to take another bowl for Qin Sheng. Jiang Xianbang smiled and said, “You kid really doesn’t treat yourself as an outsider.”
After eating two bowls of sour noodle with soup, Qin Sheng was completely full. Then drank some tea and finally recovered. He was going to leave.
Jiang Xianbang said that he could stay here tonight. Qin Sheng said there was still something that required him to go back. He would go to work on time tomorrow. At the dinner table, Jiang Xianbang had already noticed others, and at the same time he gave Qin Sheng the phone number of the person in charge of Shangshan Ruoshui, Qin Sheng could directly contact him tomorrow morning.
Obeying the rule of not drinking to drive, unless there was something emergency, so the car was put in Jiang Xianbang’s place. He asked the driver to send the car back to Qin Sheng tomorrow, so Qin Sheng took a taxi to leave.
The city was too big, and it was difficult for a stranger to find a sense of belonging. Qin Sheng was more special. He didn’t know where he was born. He grew up in Xi’an and developed in Shanghai. However, compared with the blank feeling when he first came to Shanghai for studying, had neither friend nor relation, he would not feel strange when he came back to Shanghai again.
Walking alone on Middle Huaihai Road, Qin Sheng moved forward without any purpose. Even it was the early morning, there were still many people on the road. It was very close to Hengshan Road. Qin Sheng did not want to go back and walked to YOUNG Bar.
The YOUNG bar tonight was a bit more lively than that day. Qin Sheng was too familiar with this place. He just found an unknown place to sit, and still bought a bottle of beer. There was still a singer on the stage, but it was not that artful man who sang Chengdu anymore. It was a band singing the song of the Escape Plan.
Qin Sheng was sipping the beer and listening to the song quietly.
At this time, a man with a bottle of red wine, came sitting next to Qin Sheng. He wore black short sleeves, a little bit fat and bearded. he looked only thirty years old, smiled and said, “Alone tonight?”
“You are?” Qin Sheng asked inexplicably, in fact, he did not want to be disturbed.
The man said happily, “My name is Kang Zi. I am the person in charge of this bar. Last time you came to sing a song of Spring Breeze, it was very nice, so I remember you.”
“Oh,” Qin Sheng understood and said, “Thank you, just singing.”
“Have some drink?” Kang Zi said straight forwardly.
Qin Sheng nodded with a smile, and then Kang Zi told the waiter to take two cups and a decanter.
After pouring the wine, the two cheered with two cups. Kang Zi smiled and said, “How do you find us, or is it recommended by a friend?”
“No.” Qin Sheng shook his head and explained. “I used to come here a few years ago. I have a friend who is here to sing. I don’t know if the boss is still Uncle Qi?”
“Oh, it turned out to be an old guest, but Uncle Qi is no longer here. Two years ago, he had already transferred the bar to other, and went to the United States to reunite with his daughter,” Kang Zi said with a smile.
Qin Sheng said thoughtfully, “No wonder there is no acquaintance I know.”
“You sing very well. Are you interested in singing in our bar?” Kang Zi asked with interest.
Qin Sheng laughed and said, “No, just come here when I have time.”
“It’s a pity.” Kang Zi sighed.
At this time, the band finished their performance. When they left, the bar was back to quiet. Kangzi half-joked and said, “Do you like to sing again? I think your voice has a story. After that, you and your friends come here could have 20% off.”
“No.” Qin Sheng rejected politely.
Kangzi insisted on it. “Just sing one song, you are also an old guest, just try to attract some customers to come in our bar. Last time many guests said that you sang well, and asked if you are here to sing.”
Qin Sheng must come here often later. Kangzi was so stuck to it, and it was difficult to reject it. Qin Sheng also wanted to let off his emotion, so he nodded. “Okay, just one song.”
“Only one.” Kang Zi laughed.
Qin Sheng slowly walked to the stage and took the guitar from the side. After Kang Zi said hello to the stage, he sat back in the same place. Qin Sheng adjusted the tuning, and then faintly said, “A song ‘Paloma Blanca Parade’, for everyone.”
Kang Zi took the lead to shout. Those guests who had just heard Qin Sheng’s Spring Breeze last time, saw it was Qin Sheng, they also started to scream and shout.
When Qin Sheng came to the stage, Kang Zi picked up the phone and dialed a number. When he connected, he whispered. “Boss, he is coming again, and he is ready to sing, do you want to listen to it?”
“Take the video,” a gentle voice of a woman over the phone said.
Kang Zi hung up the phone and voluntarily dialed the video, then filming at Qin Sheng.
Qin Sheng cleared his voice and started to sing. He did not need a band, just needed a guitar with him, quietly.
“I came to a strange place from distant place,
It’s like sleeping for many years,
I will come to this place at any risk,
Looking around, the spring is no longer ordinary,
Ah, time is flowing like water.
Ah~ Yesterday’s road is already far away.
Paloma blanca, paloma blanca.
Flying over the moment when rainbow appears,
She is in the distance,
Don’t stop chasing her,
Paloma blanca, paloma blanca.
Flying over the watery significant world,
Until I have everything,
Still flying to the north.”
It was still a folk song, and that kind of style. It was still full of vicissitudes. A man without a story couldn’t sing in such a feeling.
After this song was finished, from quiet to lively, everyone cheered and applauded.
However, Qin Sheng did not like excitement. This song was just a portrayal of his mood at this time, so when he returned to the position, he only had a drink with Kang Zi and then left the bar.
The woman on the other side of the phone, not someone else, would only be Su Qin. She smirked and didn’t know what to laugh at?
When Qin Sheng returned to the Tomson Golf Villa, everyone was already asleep. Qin Sheng did not bother others and went directly back to the room to sleep.
The next morning, Qin Sheng got up early. He didn’t have breakfast, and after greeting with Han Bing and others, he left in a hurry.
New work, new beginnings…