Chapter 151: Northwestern Folk Song

Lin Ze thought to himself.

Everyone's songs flowed past one by one, singing of modern and contemporary history.

Meanwhile, Panda's song "Five Thousand Years" spanned the entire history of China.

Lin Ze narrowed his eyes, feeling the passion in everyone's music.

Song after song flowed away like running water, and finally, it was Lin Ze's turn.

In "Our Love," that was the voice he had heard over the yellow sands.

Actually, after the cameras were turned off, Lin Ze had heard that voice once more.

This time, Lin Ze followed the direction of the sound and found a man in his forties inside a small tavern. He was shirtless, wearing a sheepskin jacket, with a red headband tied around his head.

He stood in front of a large drum, beating it while roaring out a passionate folk tune of the Northwest.

Lin Ze watched him from not far away, and was reminded of a great drummer forgotten by the times.

After the performance ended that day, Lin Ze had a few drinks with him.

Unexpectedly, the man directly handed his three-stringed plucked instrument to Lin Ze.

He said the instrument belonged to his brother, and they had been together ever since they formed their band.

Carrying their dreams, they had left that small northwestern town and come to the bustling metropolis, only to return defeated and dejected after more than a decade of struggling.

A few years ago, that brother had departed forever, and this three-stringed instrument had been carried on his back ever since.

Their musical dream would probably never be realized in this small town.

He had recognized Lin Ze, and if possible, he wanted Lin Ze to take it and stand in front of countless people with it.

And today, Lin Ze wore the same attire as him, held his three-stringed instrument, and was about to step onto this stage to sing the folk songs of the Northwest.

Having just finished his song, Zhou Qiao walked into the backstage area and froze upon seeing Lin Ze's outfit.

Lin Ze smiled and nodded at him.

Zhou Qiao looked at Lin Ze, a complex look in his eyes that gradually turned into admiration.

"Good luck!" Zhou Qiao said softly.

Lin Ze nodded in thanks once more, and finally stepped onto the stage carrying the three-stringed instrument.

Seeing Lin Ze walk up in this outfit, the audience below the stage could not help it, and many of them burst out laughing.

Lin Ze did not mind. He pulled over a broken wooden stool and sat right in the middle of the stage.

Gradually, everyone felt the aura emanating from Lin Ze, and their smiles faded on their own.

At this very moment, Lin Ze took a gentle breath.

The music began!

The guzheng, the three-stringed lute, the large drum...

This intro sounded rather playful indeed.

Everyone was already seated in the large lounge, watching the screen.

"The waters of the Yellow River! Have run dry..."

Lin Ze's voice was high-pitched and immensely piercing, carrying a long, lingering tail note that pierced through everyone's ears and entered their hearts.

"Mother! Have wept..."

"The waters of the Yellow River! Have run dry..."

"My heart! Is shattered..."

Lin Ze's voice took on the accent of the Northwest.

In truth, ethnic voices always possess a unique charm that captivates everyone's ears.

Even if one were to casually hear a local dialect on the road, one's mind would likely echo it unconsciously.

Moreover, Lin Ze's voice had been adjusted by his own technique, and now it also carried a deep sense of vicissitudes.

"If I had known the Yellow River's water would dry up, oh."

"Why the hell would anyone build an iron bridge, sigh."

"If I had known my little sister's heart would change, oh."

"Why the hell would anyone fall in love, sigh."

The sounds of the guzheng and the large drum seamlessly connected with Lin Ze's vocals.

The three-stringed instrument in Lin Ze's hands did not stop either.

Listening to Lin Ze's lyrics, the audience once again chuckled involuntarily.

"Why the hell! Why the hell?"

"Oh dear, the home I can never return to!"

Gazing at the screen, the gazes of the audience slowly drifted away.

Not everyone here was a native of East Sea; everyone had come from all corners of the country.

Zhou Qiao was one of them. Originally just a person from a small place, he too had rushed into the big city back then, harboring musical dreams.

Having finally made a small name for himself, he had subsequently fallen ill.

Suddenly, he recalled that small town by the sea.

Could it be that the small river beside his childhood home has dried up by now?

If I had known I would fall ill and all my efforts would come to nothing,

Why did I even come all the way here?

"Father and mother are growing old."

"The waters of the Yellow River, have dried up..."

"The wandering soul, has finally come home..."

Although Zhou Qiao was not from the Northwest, tears streamed down his face at this moment.

Perhaps...

Should I go back for a visit?

"Elder Shi, perhaps we might still win," Xu Shenshen murmured.

"We have lost." For the first time, Elder Shi uttered these words in front of the camera.

Even knowing the theme a week in advance, even utilizing his own bonus from this genre.

Music created without sincerity is wrong at any given time, and is bound to lose.

...

"Teacher Zhou, are you really not going to participate in the finals?"

The director asked with a furrowed brow.

"I won't participate," Zhou Qiao shook his head. "Perhaps my journey ends right here."

"Perhaps the choice I made before falling ill was wrong, or maybe many things were destined by the heavens long ago."

"Teacher Zhou, you wouldn't happen to have been sung away by that song of Lin Ze's, would you?" Liang Xiang tilted her head and asked.

Lin Ze glanced at her sideways.

Good thing they weren't recording right now, otherwise making such suggestive remarks would make people think he was out here preying on elderly artists.

"I was just listening to his song and thinking about the path I've walked all these years."

"I want to go back home and take a look. The money I've saved over the years might just be enough to open a small shop and live a quiet life slowly," Zhou Qiao smiled.

Lin Ze saw the carefree look on Zhou Qiao's face. "Teacher Zhou, don't overthink it. There's no such thing as destiny. Having drifted for so many years, it's indeed time to go home and take a look."

"Only, after you've had a look, if you ever want to return to the entertainment industry, you might as well join our studio."

"I'll gift you a song."

Liang Xiang's eyes lit up, though it was a pity the song wasn't for her.

Zhou Qiao smiled and nodded. "Well, if I ever decide to come back, I'll definitely look for you."

Since the matter was settled, the director could only see him off with good intentions at this point.

That being the case, only two spots for the vote remained.

Judging by fan numbers, it would most likely be Li Xiyan and Chen Nan, right?

"Before the semifinals, I will announce the topics to everyone in advance. There are a total of four topics."

"Everyone will use these topics for two round-robin matches. You are free to decide the order of appearance for your four pieces. Once both rounds are concluded..."

"The top three in ranking will belong to the upper tier, while the bottom four will belong to the lower tier. The lower tier can issue one challenge to anyone in the upper tier."

"If the challenge is successful, the person from the lower tier can enter the upper tier."

"Finally, the top three of the upper tier will perform their remaining songs to determine the first, second, and third places."

Lin Ze nodded, though without subtitles at the moment, he couldn't quite catch everything the director said.

Still, he remembered: four songs... right?