Chapter 41

While eating, Tao Meng told Yang Jingxing to be more polite: "It's a good thing my grandmother said your name is nice."

Yang Jingxing was delighted: "Your grandmother has good taste."

Tao Meng said: "My grandmother likes to come here for tea, we'll go later."

After finishing their meal in an hour, they went upstairs to have coffee. Tao Meng asked Yang Jingxing: "Do you remember my grandmother?"

Yang Jingxing nodded: "I remember, she was very kind and healthy. She must have been a beauty when she was young."

Tao Meng laughed: "My grandmother remembers you because you called her grandma the first time you met."

Yang Jingxing said: "That's how we do it where I'm from."

Tao Meng asked: "How is your grandmother?"

Yang Jingxing said: "She's over sixty and says she'll live to be a hundred."

Tao Meng said: "My grandmother is seventy-four. She had my father when she was thirty... What about your grandfather?"

The two of them talked about family matters for a long time. Tao Meng's grandfather had passed away three years ago, and her father was an only child. Tao Meng used to have an aunt who doted on her and an uncle, but they don't keep in touch anymore.

Yang Jingxing, on the other hand, had a large family with uncles, aunts, and cousins. Some were a bit more distant, but they would always visit during holidays.

Tao Meng's grandmother was quite a figure. Before liberation, she was the third daughter of the Chen family in Puhai. Tao Meng's grandfather, before liberation, was the second son of the Tao family in Puhai, three years older than the third daughter. They were childhood sweethearts and had been betrothed since childhood. Despite being only teenagers at the time, they had a very good relationship.

However, in the early days of liberation, the Tao family and the Chen family had a falling out. The Tao family stayed and became national capitalists, while the Chen family moved to Hong Kong. A few years later, the Chen family split up, with the third daughter staying behind and many others moving to the United States.

But the feelings between the second son of the national capitalists and the third daughter of the comprador capitalists were not affected by politics and war, and remained strong and deep.

After much hardship, the third daughter finally returned to the country, and the second son, despite all the obstacles, married the third daughter. This was in the 1960s.

As national capitalists, the Tao family's capital belonged to the nation, so Tao Meng's father was born into a very difficult time. Fortunately, the third daughter was a high-achieving graduate of the Chinese Department at the University of Hong Kong, and she provided her son with excellent home education. The second son was a capable man who did his best to protect his family during the turbulent years.

Later, with the reform and opening up, the national capitalists and the comprador capitalists both rose to prominence, and their business flourished.

Yang Jingxing's grandparents, on the other hand, were farmers. They were said to have had landlord status, but it wasn't significant.

It was clear that Tao Meng and her grandmother had a close relationship, and she admired the fact that her grandparents had never had a quarrel in their lifetime.

Yang Jingxing said: "I heard my grandparents argued all their lives, but now they're too old to argue."

Tao Meng said: "At least they argued all their lives. I think that era had its merits."

Yang Jingxing said: "Your great-grandfather must have had a concubine."

Tao Meng was annoyed: "That's just one aspect."

Yang Jingxing said: "Everything is just one aspect. You have a happy life, be content. Yu Xinting, the girl from the piano department this morning, was preparing for an exam. She lives alone in Puhai in a tiny room, with a piano and a bed, sharing a bathroom with others. She didn't go home for the New Year. If something happens, she has no one to turn to and can only cry."

Tao Meng was a bit surprised: "I didn't notice."

Yang Jingxing laughed: "What could you notice? The world is so big, with so many joys and sorrows, you can never see it all. You should focus more on your own happiness and beauty, but don't be arrogant."

Tao Meng huffed: "When have I ever been arrogant?"

Yang Jingxing looked at Tao Meng.

Tao Meng was annoyed: "This doesn't count, you set a trap!"

Yang Jingxing said: "You have to fall for it."

Tao Meng changed the subject: "What's the happiest thing that's ever happened to you?"

Yang Jingxing said: "There are many, happiness comes in different forms and can't be compared."

Tao Meng was curious: "Just name a couple."

Yang Jingxing said: "Opening my eyes for the first time and seeing the world was very happy..."

Tao Meng was annoyed: "Who remembers that... let's say it's true."

Yang Jingxing added: "Being happy when I bought a game console as a child, being happy when I went home on holiday, being happy when I did good deeds..."

Tao Meng didn't believe him: "What good deeds did you do?"

Yang Jingxing said: "I'm not arrogant."

Tao Meng, frustrated, poked the plate with a spoon: "Tell me!"

So the two of them changed the subject and talked about their childhoods. Tao Meng had a good friend in elementary school, and they both practiced the piano. The girl even visited Tao Meng's house, but Tao Meng went to Shangpu for junior high and they lost touch. Tao Meng was also a skilled shuttlecock player, unbeaten in her grade, and was good at flying kites and spinning tops.

Yang Jingxing laughed: "We should revisit your elementary school days sometime."

Tao Meng sighed: "Those were the days, when I didn't know what worries were. I could play house with Xiang Xuan for hours, cooking, making clothes..."

Yang Jingxing asked: "What grade were you in when you played house?"

Tao Meng said: "Second or third grade, but I remember it clearly."

Time passed quickly as they chatted idly. By the time Yang Jingxing received a call from Zhang Jiahe, it was already four o'clock. Zhang Jiahe said there was a dinner party and asked if he wanted to go, with several famous musicians attending. Yang Jingxing declined the offer, saying he was busy.

Tao Meng also had to go home for dinner. Yang Jingxing said: "Let's go, I'll take you."

Tao Meng said: "I'll be back by five, I have time."

Yang Jingxing said: "Then let me take you out to show off a bit."

Tao Meng was immune: "A walk would be good, I've been sitting for too long."

The two of them walked around Jinmao twice, and then Yang Jingxing took Tao Meng home. When they were about a hundred meters from her house, Tao Meng asked him to stop and pointed to the eighteen-story building: "My home is on the twelfth floor."

Yang Jingxing was considerate: "Goodbye."

Tao Meng nodded: "Goodbye... send me a text when you get back to school, I'm getting off here."

Yang Jingxing reminded her: "Take your sheet music."

"Oh... goodbye."

After returning to school, Yang Jingxing went to the practice room and called Liu Miao and Xia Xue. The two girls were no longer as playful and didn't hang out on weekends, which wasted Yang Jingxing's phone bill.

It seemed that Yang Jingxing was really becoming a campus celebrity. When he arrived at the practice room, even the administrator welcomed him and asked a student to move to another room, but Yang Jingxing quickly said it wasn't necessary.

On Sunday morning, when Yang Jingxing went to school, he met Yu Xinting. Yu Xinting handed him an apple and smiled: "You won't finish this in three bites."

Yang Jingxing asked: "Where's An Xin?"

Yu Xinting said: "She's at a friend's place."

Yang Jingxing suggested: "You can go with her."

Yu Xinting clenched her fists: "I need to practice the piano. I joined the piano club, which helps find private students and select pianos, so I can earn money."

Yang Jingxing lectured: "Why do you need to earn money? Focus on your studies!"

Yu Xinting was determined: "I can do both! Are you going to practice now?"

Yang Jingxing nodded: "Want to have hotpot tonight?"

Yu Xinting asked: "Is your girlfriend coming?"

Yang Jingxing said: "Not my girlfriend, just the two of us."

Yu Xinting didn't believe him: "It must be, you're lying! I'm going to practice too, bye."

Yang Jingxing had a full day of band practice. Before starting, Zhang Jiahe gave him a lecture, saying he should make more friends. Li Yingzhen was still dissatisfied with the band and regretted her hasty decision.

On Monday noon, after practicing, Yang Jingxing met Yu Xinting and An Xin in the cafeteria. The three of them sat together, but An Xin soon spotted a classmate and went to sit with them.

Yu Xinting said while eating: "I left my bag in the dorm, otherwise I would have given you an apple."

Yang Jingxing said: "I can't keep eating your apples."

Yu Xinting had a serious expression: "I said I would buy you a cartload! I'll give you one every day, Monday to Friday, an apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Yang Jingxing laughed: "But you can't give me all at once, just one a day."

Yu Xinting said: "Sure, I can give you two on weekends, one for you and one for your girlfriend."

Yang Jingxing said: "How many girlfriends do I have?"

Yu Xinting widened her eyes: "Ah! Are you serious?"

"Joking. She's not my girlfriend, just a high school classmate."

Yu Xinting turned her head to the left: "I don't believe you." Then to the right: "I don't believe you!"

Yang Jingxing said: "Why would I lie? I can have an extra apple."

Yu Xinting whispered mysteriously: "You're probably afraid Professor Li will find out."

Yang Jingxing laughed: "Do you think I'm still in elementary school, not allowed to date?"

Yu Xinting looked at Yang Jingxing: "Professor Li said you're going to be a world-renowned pianist..."

Yang Jingxing didn't believe her: "She wouldn't praise me that much."

"Anyway, that's what she meant... But I know you must have a girlfriend, don't worry, I'll keep it a secret." Yu Xinting looked very loyal.

Yang Jingxing nodded: "Alright, I'll give you a good impression."

Yu Xinting was curious: "How long have you been dating?"

Yang Jingxing shook his head: "I don't know, maybe since negative infinity."

Yu Xinting shook her arm, as if to hit Yang Jingxing, accusing: "You're a bad person, you said you'd keep it a secret."

Yang Jingxing said: "You say I have a girlfriend and call me a bad person, I don't feel guilty eating your apples."

Yu Xinting giggled and said: "I saw your friends during the National Day holiday, are they all your high school classmates?"

...

From that day on, Yu Xinting really did give Yang Jingxing an apple every day, usually around lunchtime.

On Thursday noon, Yu Xinting was quite happy: "I helped distribute tickets this morning, and everyone wanted them."

Yang Jingxing laughed: "Of course, they're free."

Distributing tickets was definitely arranged by Li Yingzhen, and Yang Jingxing himself was quite relaxed.

Yu Xinting added: "An Xin secretly took two for her classmates."

Yang Jingxing reminded her: "Keep one for yourself!"

Yu Xinting pulled out a simple ticket from her book and waved it, asking: "When is your girlfriend coming?"

Yang Jingxing said: "She's not coming."

"Why?" Yu Xinting was almost angry.

Yang Jingxing said: "I don't know where she is."

Yu Xinting was anxious: "I'm serious, is she coming or not?"

Yang Jingxing was annoyed: "I explain this to you every day, just consider me your boyfriend, ask yourself!"

Yu Xinting lowered her head, seemingly eating.

Yang Jingxing apologized: "Just joking, don't be scared, don't be scared."

Yu Xinting looked up, seemingly really scared: "Are you annoyed with me?"

Yang Jingxing quickly said: "How could I be? Do you think I'm here just to annoy you?"

Yu Xinting giggled: "Then I won't mention your girlfriend... Is she focusing on her studies?"

Yang Jingxing was angry: "Slap yourself!"

Yu Xinting lightly slapped her cheeks.

On Friday morning, after practicing with the band, Yang Jingxing went to eat and saw Yu Xinting handing out tickets at the cafeteria entrance, telling people: "Come, you must come." She was cute, so most people didn't refuse.

Yang Jingxing went over and said: "Give them all to me!"

Yu Xinting, perhaps afraid of hurting Yang Jingxing's pride, quickly hid the tickets behind her back: "There are only a few left."

Yang Jingxing said: "If they don't come, it's their loss. Let's eat."

"Okay." Yu Xinting nodded, "It's only eleven, why didn't you practice longer?"

At seven o'clock that evening, Yang Jingxing's first piano concert was held at the He Luting Concert Hall of the Puhai Conservatory of Music. The conductor was Zhang Jiahe, the orchestra was the Puhai Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, and the instructor was Li Yingzhen. The guests included several leaders of the conservatory, several professors from the piano department, and the head of the composition department. Zhang Jiahe also invited a few friends, all with impressive titles, whom Yang Jingxing respected.

By seven o'clock, only about a hundred of the seven hundred seats on the first floor were empty. Among the five or six hundred audience members, Yang Jingxing recognized about thirty or forty, mostly from the piano department. Free seating allowed Yu Xinting and An Xin to secure front-row seats early.

At ten past seven, Zhang Chujia, a friend, went on stage to introduce the orchestra and conductor, and then introduced Yang Jingxing. There wasn't much to say about Yang Jingxing, so they just mentioned that he was a student of Professor Li Yingzhen and had received praise from many people. What made Yang Jingxing uncomfortable was that Zhang Chujia mentioned his college entrance exam score, which was embarrassing.

Yang Jingxing went on stage and received a lukewarm applause. He said thank you and sat down at the piano. Then Zhang Jiahe came on stage, waving to the audience.

After a brief preparation, the concert began with Chopin's First Piano Concerto. The orchestra's performance was flawless but lacked highlights, so it was up to Yang Jingxing.

Li Yingzhen had once said that Yang Jingxing lacked Chopin's temperament and had given him a thorough critique. The critique wasn't entirely successful, as Yang Jingxing still wasn't a pure Chopin, but he had his own style, a slightly more lively and joyful Chopin. After all, who could be universally recognized as the perfect Chopin, even if Chopin himself were to come back?

The concert hall was a bit noisy until halfway through the first movement, when it finally became quiet. The audience, focused on the music, watched the calm Yang Jingxing, in stark contrast to the passionate Zhang Jiahe.

Chopin's First Piano Concerto is shorter than Rachmaninoff's Third but still lasts about thirty minutes. The applause started slowly, gradually becoming enthusiastic over about a minute, clearly with many people following the crowd.

Yang Jingxing wanted to start the next piece quickly, but Zhang Jiahe insisted on standing up with him to accept the applause. After bowing twice, Yang Jingxing sat back down at the piano and turned to smile at Yu Xinting and An Xin's friends. An Xin's friend, a thin and dark girl, was so excited she almost stood up.

Next was the main event. Zhang Jiahe, with a powerful gesture, led the orchestra into the next piece. Yang Jingxing's expression remained calm, but his hands were the opposite.

The conductor seemed to be fully engaged, moving from one movement to the next without pause. An Xin's friend, a layman, asked, "Is playing the piano that tiring?" A slight tremor in Yang Jingxing's body sent sweat flying from his forehead.

This was how Director Sun described Yang Jingxing: calm on the outside, but his movements and emotions were full of immense power.

As the third movement approached its climax, some audience members couldn't resist clapping, and a few even stood up. They had to wait another minute, as the powerful ending was quite long.

Finally, it ended. Zhang Jiahe turned sharply, raised his baton high, and accepted the enthusiastic applause, looking as proud and joyful as a victorious general.

Yang Jingxing, who had been fierce at the piano, was now more gentle, almost bashful, as if he had just played something soft and sweet.

Being music students, they all appreciated the performance, and the applause was both enthusiastic and long-lasting. Even Li Yingzhen, in the second-floor box, was clapping, perhaps the first time she had applauded for Yang Jingxing. Yang Jingxing bowed in gratitude and stood there, waiting for the applause to end, which took about two minutes.

Those who had heard of Yang Jingxing but were skeptical would no longer doubt his talent.

Originally, they had planned to have hotpot with Yu Xinting, but Yang Jingxing wanted to end the concert early. However, the audience wouldn't let him, continuing to cheer and shouting for an encore.

Zhang Jiahe and Yang Jingxing discussed and decided to do an encore. Yang Jingxing had no choice but to comply, performing Chopin's Second Piano Concerto.

Another thirty minutes passed, followed by even more enthusiastic applause. The audience demanded another encore, but Zhang Jiahe let Yang Jingxing off, and Zhang Chujia went on stage to announce the end of the concert.

Recognition from the audience was essential. The professors and leaders who had heard Yang Jingxing play before came to congratulate and praise him. Zhang Jiahe, who enjoyed socializing, offered to treat everyone to a meal.

Yang Jingxing, who was not good at socializing, said: "Conductor Zhang, I have plans, I need to go."

Zhang Jiahe, smiling, glared: "Who? Bring them along!"

Yang Jingxing, embarrassed: "Several friends, they're shy."

Zhang Jiahe was a bit angry: "No, you must come today!"

Yang Jingxing pleaded: "Can I skip it?"

Li Yingzhen asked: "Is it Yu Xinting? Bring her, you talk to her, we'll talk to each other."

Zhang Jiahe urged: "Go, go, go!"