Chapter 15

"Thank you, Teacher Zhang." Hu Yiqing handed a tissue to Zhang Chujia to wipe her hands.

Zhang Chujia took the tissue and carefully wiped her hands, then asked Hu Yiqing, "I heard from the professor that you just took over this student?"

Hu Yiqing nodded, "I used to teach their class, but I didn't know much about them."

Zhang Chujia smiled, "He's a star material."

Hu Yiqing was puzzled, "He doesn't want to be a star, does he?"

Zhang Chujia laughed, "Or learn from us and become a teacher?"

Hu Yiqing emphasized, "Yang Jinghang has a lot of talent, really."

Zhang Chujia nodded, "Otherwise, you wouldn't bother." She had seen too many talented students, and she herself had been told that since she was young. Who had the right to evaluate someone's talent!

Halfway through the second class, Li Yingzhen arrived. Hu Yiqing quickly stood up, "Professor Li, hello." Although Yang Jinghang also stood up, she still nudged his arm.

Li Yingzhen gestured for them to sit down and went to attend to the three little ones. These children had much more experience playing the piano than Yang Jinghang, and the pieces they practiced sounded much better, but they couldn't play "Don Juan" because their hands weren't big enough.

Li Yingzhen spent about fifteen minutes with each child, pointing out one or two issues for them to correct or practice. She was gentle with the children, "How many times have you practiced... There's improvement, but it's still not good enough." The little boy she was talking to was a bit chubby and was struggling with a small sonata.

Finally, it was Yang Jinghang's turn. Li Yingzhen called him, "Come with me."

Zhang Chujia also brought the flowers to the teacher, "Yang Jinghang wishes you a happy holiday."

Li Yingzhen didn't take the flowers, just nodded, and led Yang Jinghang and Hu Yiqing upstairs to her office, where there was also a piano.

"Sit down." Li Yingzhen poured a cup of water for both of them and gave Yang Jinghang two sheets of manuscript paper. She sat at the piano and asked Yang Jinghang, "How is your ear training?"

Hu Yiqing said, "He hasn't practiced it, but his musical sense is good, so it should be fine."

Li Yingzhen said, "Then I'll play, and you write it down."

Yang Jinghang nodded and prepared himself.

Li Yingzhen first played a few simple melodies, and after seeing Yang Jinghang quickly write them down, she moved on to original and inverted chords, then to more complex syncopated and chromatic two-part melodies.

Hu Yiqing was worried for Yang Jinghang; this was quite a difficult test.

But Yang Jinghang quickly handed the manuscript paper to Li Yingzhen, "Professor, please take a look."

Li Yingzhen looked at it for a few seconds, nodding and tapping the paper with her fingers, "Look, this is wrong, the slur mark."

Yang Jinghang quickly admitted his mistake.

Li Yingzhen was puzzled, "Your absolute pitch is fine..." She didn't know that Yang Jinghang's hearing was extremely sensitive; she thought he had practiced ear training.

But Li Yingzhen continued from her own suspicion, playing a few more phrases and asking Yang Jinghang, "Do you know what they are?"

Yang Jinghang shook his head, and Hu Yiqing didn't dare to remind him. Li Yingzhen continued playing, some typical phrases from pieces that most people don't often hear, but Yang Jinghang didn't know their origins.

Li Yingzhen clapped her hands and declared triumphantly, "Do you know what your biggest problem is?"

Yang Jinghang, of course, couldn't be presumptuous and shook his head.

Li Yingzhen loudly scolded, "You listen too little! What do you practice when playing the piano? Your brain, not your hands. If you listen so little, what's the point of pressing the keys so fast!"

Yang Jinghang admitted, "You're right."

Li Yingzhen continued to criticize Yang Jinghang, saying he lacked understanding of music, played without emotion, was impatient, and was barely at the beginner level...

Of course, Li Yingzhen didn't forget about Hu Yiqing and said to her, "This isn't your responsibility, but you need to take responsibility. From now on, you must listen to the pieces before playing them! Listen more, whenever you have time, and listen with understanding." Sigh, she was a famous piano professor, and she hadn't taught such a beginner in years.

Hu Yiqing didn't dare to question the expert and could only agree.

After assigning the listening task, Li Yingzhen asked Yang Jinghang to play, specifically the most difficult sections of "Don Juan." Then she scolded him again, pointing out that his hands were always tense, his hand shape was completely off when playing black keys, and he used the wrong fingers in many places. To ensure speed, his wrist was always at the same height, which actually severely affected his hand shape and finger changes.

Li Yingzhen herself played a few sections, though at a slower speed, but it sounded much better. She criticized Yang Jinghang, "Do you know why your sound is so stiff and dry? It's because you're not relaxed. You're using your wrist and arm, not your fingers, and it's tiring to listen to..." The more she talked, the more agitated she became, and it looked like she was about to kick Yang Jinghang out.

Next, Li Yingzhen gave Yang Jinghang targeted training, requiring him to completely relax his hand and wrist after playing each note, preparing for the next note, rather than keeping his hands tense as he had been doing.

Breaking bad habits is a difficult task, but since Yang Jinghang hadn't maintained his bad habits for long, he quickly learned to relax.

"Tension doesn't help you do anything well." Such a simple truth, why hadn't Yang Jinghang thought of it before? After fifteen minutes of learning to relax, although he wasn't completely relaxed, he could already hear that his playing sounded smoother and clearer, with each note more rounded and full.

Li Yingzhen asked Yang Jinghang to maintain that feeling and play "Don Juan" again. This time, Yang Jinghang played much slower, but a smile appeared on his face as he finally experienced the feeling of "playing." This way of playing made him feel much better, even though he hadn't felt any discomfort before. After tasting sugar cane, he realized it was sweeter than watermelon.

Li Yingzhen and Hu Yiqing also smiled. Li Yingzhen's right hand made a playing gesture in the air and finally praised Yang Jinghang, "Yes, that's it, that's how it should be."

"Thank you, Professor Li!" Yang Jinghang's face was full of joy, and he knew experts were different.

Li Yingzhen said, "That's it for today. Remember these points. You can go now, and I'll talk to Teacher Hu."

After Yang Jinghang left, Li Yingzhen asked Hu Yiqing seriously, "Didn't Yang Jinghang attend Shangpu in junior high?"

Hu Yiqing nodded, "He only came in high school." This had been mentioned before.

"Have you seen him play the piano in the past two years?"

Hu Yiqing shook her head, "No, really not." She understood Li Yingzhen's meaning and said, "He wasn't very serious in music class before, and his homeroom teacher said he changed a lot this semester. At first, he really seemed to know nothing, and I didn't have much hope."

Li Yingzhen nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "Don't let him get arrogant, and don't let him get carried away. The road is long, and the true strength of a horse is known over a long journey."

Hu Yiqing nodded, and they chatted for a while before going downstairs together.

The three little ones had already finished their class, and the classroom was left with Yang Jinghang and Zhang Chujia. Yang Jinghang was practicing, and Zhang Chujia tried to please her teacher, "After half an hour upstairs, he's already changed."

Li Yingzhen directly arranged without asking Yang Jinghang's opinion, "You come to the north building of the music college at 9 AM tomorrow, and Chujia will give you a lesson. Chujia, you pick him up."

Yang Jinghang and Zhang Chujia both nodded in agreement.

Li Yingzhen didn't forget the key point, "Chujia charges 200 yuan per lesson for private lessons. You can discuss it yourselves, and come back here in the afternoon." She also told Yang Jinghang, "When you go back to school, listen more and practice less, or it will be useless. I've already told Teacher Hu."

Yang Jinghang thanked her again.

Li Yingzhen looked at her watch, "I'll leave first. You can chat for a while. Chujia, today and tomorrow, just practice finger techniques and hand shapes, nothing else. Treat him like a kindergartener."

Zhang Chujia and Hu Yiqing both laughed, and Yang Jinghang felt embarrassed.

After Li Yingzhen left, Hu Yiqing asked Zhang Chujia how many lessons per week would be appropriate and when to have them. Zhang Chujia looked at Yang Jinghang provocatively, "I have standards for my students... Let's see for two weeks first."

Yang Jinghang nodded, "Okay, I'll stay at the music college for these two weeks."

Zhang Chujia pointed to the piano, "Then let's get started."

After watching Yang Jinghang practice for half an hour, Zhang Chujia concluded, "You're really a unique one."

Yang Jinghang looked at Hu Yiqing for help, "Teacher, he said you're a unique one!"

Hu Yiqing chuckled, "He's praising you."

It was almost six when they finished the class. Yang Jinghang wanted to pay Zhang Chujia, but she refused, "I said I'll observe you for two weeks."

Yang Jinghang pleaded, "Can you observe me for two more weeks?"

Zhang Chujia laughed and asked, "Are you going back to school now?"

Hu Yiqing told Yang Jinghang, "Go back to school first. I'll go home to get some CDs. Do you have your MP3 with you?"

Yang Jinghang said, "I'm really hungry, let's eat first." He pleaded, "Please, please."

So the three of them went to eat, and Yang Jinghang let Zhang Chujia choose the place since she was familiar with it. Zhang Chujia asked what kind of dishes they liked, and Hu Yiqing said it didn't matter.

Zhang Chujia said, "There's a hot pot place on Nanjing West Road, it's pretty good."

Hu Yiqing's eyes lit up, "There's one near my house too."

Yang Jinghang decided, "Let's go then."

Although it was close, they still took a taxi. The two women sat in the back and soon got into a lively conversation.

Hu Yiqing seemed to be drooling, "Yes, I love their shrimp balls, they're really delicious."

Zhang Chujia nodded vigorously, "The desserts are the best here, better than the one on East Road. You must try them."

When they arrived, Hu Yiqing reached for her wallet in the back seat and stopped Yang Jinghang, "I'll pay, Yang Jinghang, I'll pay, driver..."

The driver was already annoyed by this situation and took the money from Yang Jinghang.

The restaurant had a nice environment, but the seats were tight. The waiter wanted them to wait, but Yang Jinghang insisted, "I can wait, but can you make them wait? Beautiful women never wait!"

The two teachers stood behind Yang Jinghang, not showing any authority.

The waiter gave in and led them to a seat. The two women sat together, and Yang Jinghang sat opposite them.

Zhang Chujia said, "We usually have to wait at this time, sometimes for almost an hour."

Hu Yiqing said, "The one near us is the same, there are many people."

Yang Jinghang said, "Waiting for a minute is enough for me to practice dozens of arpeggios."

Hu Yiqing and the others chuckled.

They started ordering, and the two women were excited and happy, discussing this and that, finding it hard to decide. They wanted everything but were afraid they couldn't finish. So Yang Jinghang ordered everything they had considered but abandoned, promising not to waste anything.

When the dishes were served, they started eating, and Yang Jinghang raised his glass, "Thank you, Teacher Hu, thank you, Teacher Zhang, to you both."

Zhang Chujia said, "Wishing you success in your exam."

The three of them ate quite enthusiastically. Yang Jinghang was filial and helped Hu Yiqing with the food, but she quickly stopped him, "I can do it myself, stop."

Zhang Chujia was not shy, "I don't want the meatballs, you eat them... Your hands are so long!"

They chatted while eating, and Zhang Chujia said she was from Hebei but loved seafood and sweets. Hu Yiqing had the same preferences and recommended a pastry shop to Zhang Chujia, saying it was very delicious. Yang Jinghang said he was open to everything.

Zhang Chujia asked Yang Jinghang, "Are you really seventeen?"

"Doesn't it look like it?"

Zhang Chujia laughed, "You look more mature... There's a student at the conservatory who lied about his age to get in, he's probably fourteen or fifteen but says he's eleven!"

Hu Yiqing was more concerned with the main issue, "Is it hard to get into the composition department of your school?"

Zhang Chujia glanced at Yang Jinghang, "It's really hard."

Yang Jinghang said, "I have such good teachers, I'm not afraid."

The two women actually didn't have much appetite, and later they watched Yang Jinghang eat with great enthusiasm. After a break, they gathered the courage to discuss and decided to share a dessert.

When the dessert came, the two women divided it, and they laughed awkwardly, looking at Yang Jinghang.

Yang Jinghang said, "I didn't say teachers can't be greedy."

The teachers felt even more embarrassed.

After finishing, they rested for a while, and it was almost eight. Yang Jinghang called for the bill, and this time Hu Yiqing was serious, not letting Yang Jinghang pay.

The waiter looked awkward. Hu Yiqing said, "He's still a student."

Yang Jinghang was angry, "I'm a man." He said to the waiter, "You're a man too."

The waiter laughed and took the money from Yang Jinghang. Zhang Chujia was laughing so hard, grabbing Hu Yiqing's hand and saying "ha ha ha."

After leaving, they parted ways at the subway station. Hu Yiqing took Line 2 home and told Yang Jinghang to be careful on the way and to call or text her when he got to school.

Zhang Chujia said, "You don't need to worry about him."

Yang Jinghang said, "Actually, I'm more worried about you two."

Hu Yiqing sounded more like a teacher, "Rest early, follow Professor Li's advice, and don't over-practice. Don't be late tomorrow morning."

Zhang Chujia and Yang Jinghang took Line 1 together, but she only had a few stops. She asked about Yang Jinghang's academic performance, if he knew anyone in the composition department, and about his background, as most people who enter the composition department have been working towards it since they were young and have been influenced by it.

Yang Jinghang was scared and said, "Can't you encourage me a bit?"

Zhang Chujia thought for a moment and said, "The modern department has a lot of beautiful girls."

Yang Jinghang asked excitedly, "Can I switch to the modern department now? Is it too late?"

Zhang Chujia laughed, "Really, the composition department is the most boring and dull."

Yang Jinghang wasn't scared off by Zhang Chujia and sent a text to Hu Yiqing after returning to school, then continued practicing in the practice room until late at night.

On Sunday morning at 9 AM, Yang Jinghang arrived at the music college on time to meet Zhang Chujia. Hu Yiqing also came, though it wasn't really her business; she might have come to learn. The three of them went to the north building, where Li Yingzhen usually gave private lessons, and Yang Jinghang could use the room.

Hu Yiqing brought several CDs, mostly piano pieces, and lent her own MP3 player to Yang Jinghang. She also loaded many piano pieces onto his MP3.

They practiced finger techniques all morning and listened to music during breaks. At noon, Hu Yiqing met her classmate Bai Yue, who brought some materials and past exam questions, saying it was hard to find them.

Lunch, of course, was on Hu Yiqing, and Yang Jinghang and Zhang Chujia joined in. Hu Yiqing took the opportunity to remind Yang Jinghang not to insist on paying. Yang Jinghang listened to his teacher.

Bai Yue was interested in Yang Jinghang and watched him practice in the afternoon, curious about how he had connected with Li Yingzhen. After watching him practice finger techniques for a while, she was confused.

Around 3 PM, Li Yingzhen came and spent half an hour checking Yang Jinghang's practice results, giving new requirements, and assigning three pieces and a few exercises from 599 for him to practice back at school.

Li Yingzhen reminded him, "You need to integrate what you've learned over the past two days into all your future practice and even performances. I'll visit your school next week if I have time."

Around 5 PM, Yang Jinghang and Hu Yiqing returned to Shangpu. Yang Jinghang got a seat on the subway, and Hu Yiqing politely declined before sitting down.

Hu Yiqing was happy for Yang Jinghang, "You're really lucky. Look at what you've learned in just two days."

Yang Jinghang disagreed, "If you hadn't taught me, I wouldn't have had this luck."

As they approached Xujiahui, Yang Jinghang suggested getting off to try the cake shop Hu Yiqing had recommended. Hu Yiqing happily agreed.

It was indeed a very good pastry shop, and a small cup of mousse cost several dozen yuan. Yang Jinghang picked two randomly, and Hu Yiqing chose two as well. Yang Jinghang insisted on paying and even lectured Hu Yiqing, "How can you have no sense of being a teacher? Accepting gratitude is a virtue."

Hu Yiqing didn't know how to respond, folding the bag of pastries awkwardly.

After leaving, Yang Jinghang took all of Hu Yiqing's bags and hung them on his arm so they could walk and eat. Hu Yiqing said the pastries were better while still a bit cold and ate happily, not feeling it was inappropriate to walk down the street like this.

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