Chapter 1022: 'Life's More Than the Grind'!
Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
This result shocked many people!
Sunflower's expression darkened!
Assistant Xu was dumbfounded!
Spinach was so astonished that she nearly screamed out loud!
Yesterday's Daylily and the employees on the Beijing Television program team nearly laughed out loud!
She won?
She really won!
What a release! This was a great way to vent their anger!
"Li Yu lost?"
"That's impossible!"
"Who on earth is Petal Shower!"
"Sunflower revealed himself, yet he still couldn't win?"
"Why didn't he sing a Cantonese song!"
"If he sang a Cantonese song that he's skilled at, he would definitely have won!"
"Yeah, Sunflower probably intended to save that song for the battle for the Masked King? How could he have known that he would run into a freak like Petal Shower! And make an early exit?"
"It's over! Li Yu can't fight for the crown of the Masked King in this episode!"
"He'll definitely make it through the elimination round, though, so he has to wait until the next episode."
"Ai, he underestimated his opponents!"
"But there's really nothing to argue over about this win by Petal Shower!"
"If Li Yu had sung a Cantonese song, Petal Shower probably wouldn't have won."
A lot of the audience members were giving their objective evaluation of the outcome.
But a lot of Li Yu's fans did not accept this result.
"What the heck!"
"There's a conspiracy!"
"Do they even understand music? How did they vote?"
"It was clear that Li Yu sang better! Why does it seem like no one understood that?"
"Just like Teacher Li Yu had sung in his song, life really is like an abyss. We're surrounded by so much darkness that even if we try our hardest, no one gives us any recognition!"
"I'm pissed off!"
"How could Petal Shower win?"
"My heart aches for Brother Li Yu!"
Seeing that Li Yu had lost, some of his female fans were heartbroken for him and crying!
Crestfallen, Sunflower left the stage in a terrible mood!
A few of the judges looked at each other, finding it rather funny.
Executive Director Hu Fei felt very happy!
Deliberately planning for this to happen? To checkmate everyone? And even spending money on a PR campaign in the media? And openly soliciting votes on Weibo? But as it stood?
He had lost in the first round!
This was truly a slap to the face!
This was truly painful!
Zhang Ye laughed. That was beautifully done. Leave the rest to me.
The uproar in the studio lasted for five minutes.
After Dong Shanshan finally maintained a semblance order, she said, "Let's welcome the next contestant—The Clown."
The Clown was the third to appear and was matched up against Spinach.
This dragged everyone's attention back to the stage.
Petal Shower did not return to her waiting room. She stood with Spinach, Yesterday's Daylily, and the others in the wings and waited to see The Clown's live performance. They were all very curious about this mysterious singer who had taken the throne of the Masked King twice before, curious about his unguessable identity. There was not even a candidate they could think of. It was as though this godly person had suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the music industry, so much so that even Petal Shower dreaded him a great deal.
Amy clapped. "It's The Clown's turn!"
Yao Jiancai had been looking forward to this and said, "Is he going to sing yet another original?"
"I'm not sure." Zhang Xia stared at the lyrics teleprompter but did not yet see the title of the song displayed.
The audience looked to the stage.
Spinach was nervously observing The Clown.
The Clown walked over to the house band and exchanged a word with them.
Bai Yuanfei was taken aback. "You're really going to choose this song to perform?"
The Clown gave a determined, affirmative grunt.
The guitarist said, "This song is too monotone and isn't a good choice."
The Clown smiled. "It's fine. I'm choosing it."
The house band replied, "OK."
This song was one of the four songs Zhang Ye had chosen. Before this, he was still undecided on which to perform, but he could now make a decision.
Looking at the stage.
Zhang Ye's mother exclaimed in surprise.
His father turned to her. "What's the matter?"
His mother pointed at The Clown. "Nothing much, but Little Ye also seems to have that pair of shoes he's wearing."
His father said, "Oh, really? I hadn't noticed."
His mother said, "I bought them for our son. They're pretty expensive."
His second sister added, "Of course, celebrities usually wear brand name stuff since they're all loaded."
None of them cared, nor did they think anything of it.
The studio quieted.
One second.
Two seconds.
The lights slowly dimmed.
A nursery rhyme-esque melody played by a harmonica floated into the air.
Zhang Ye stood at center stage with his eyes closed and smiled. He did not know why he was smiling. Thinking about Sunflower's "Mother Said," which Zhang Ye had heard for the first time, he could honestly say that he really didn't like the song. Life was an abyss? Life was about suffering? Be wary of others? Get used to loneliness?
Why was it like that?
This wasn't what life should be about.
This isn't what a mother's love should be like.
At least, my mother's love is not like this.
Zhang Ye thought of how his mother was stingy, long-winded, and loved bragging. He would never forget his first day at university when his mother went with him to report to the campus. She carried so many big and small suitcases along with her while looking for Zhang Ye's dorm room with him and even helped him fit the bed sheets, pillowcase, and blankets. When she realized that the bed sheets were not properly fitted, she took them off and fit them again.
After that, his mother's eyes inexplicably reddened.
Zhang Ye had attended Media College in Beijing and he would be back home every weekend. It wasn't actually that bad since he was allowed to go home. Even Zhang Ye himself was looking forward to his time away from home and did not feel unsettled by having to stay away from home for the first time in his life.
But his mother very nearly cried.
Study hard—she left after saying those words.
At that time, Zhang Ye felt that his mother was just making a fuss.
Zhang Ye did not understand what his mother had felt even when he was in his final year at university. But just now, as he stood on this stage, realization dawned on him. Zhang Ye understood what had gone through his mother's mind at the time and understood what his mother had meant by "study hard."
The guitar strummed.
It drifted through the air with a youthful spirit.
Zhang Ye opened his eyes and sang in a gentle voice 1 that resonated through the studio.
"Mother sat at the door,
"Humming to flowers and kids she'd cared for.
"Although it has been years,
"I still recall her tears.
"Those dark and gloomy years,
"That tenacity and those fears.
"At the door before departing,
"Mom looked into my eyes, imparting."
The drums kicked in.
Zhang Ye sang.
"'Life's about more than just the grind; poetry and distant fields we can find.
"'You were born into this world with bare hands; to strive for that sea you cast off from lands.'"
In the audience, his mother was stunned!
The judges were stunned!
The audience was stunned!
You're singing a song related to your mother as well?
Life's about more than just the grind? Poetry and distant fields we can find?
These lyrics…
His third sister put a hand over her mouth. "Oh my god!"
His eldest sister said excitedly, "This song is so beautiful! How can this type of song exist!"
During the rehearsal, The Clown had just hummed through it. So the house band was hearing The Clown sing the lyrics for the first time as well. They were instantly moved!
The Clown smiled.
"She sat across from me,
"Head down, bidding farewell.
"Although it has been years,
"I still recall her tears.
"Times of those joyful beams,
"Times of those vows and dreams.
"Parting beside the street,
"She hugged me tight and said,
"'Life's about more than just the grind; poetry and distant fields we can find.
"'You were born into this world with bare hands; to strive for that sea you cast off from lands.'"
His mother's eyes suddenly reddened!
Amy looked deeply touched!
Zhang Xia was affected by the images conjured by the song!
An audience member was half-listening to it when all of a sudden, she covered her mouth and started crying. She had been brought back to her teenage years when she insisted on coming to the capital city to chase her dreams. Her father had strongly disagreed and locked her up at home. Not even a hunger strike could change his mind. But she would never forget when her mother quietly unlocked her door one night and handed her an already packed suitcase along with 2,000 yuan. She told her, "Your dad fell asleep, so hurry and leave. If you don't make it in Beijing, just come home."
This was what a mother was!
The greatest person in the world!
The Clown had a very gentle tone that was not intended to show off his singing. It was as though he were reading a story, narrating at an appropriate clip. But it was exactly this plain singing, coupled with those poetic lyrics, that somehow managed to bowl them over and make their hearts flutter a bit!
The story was still moving forward.
The Clown was still singing.
"I've traveled far and alone."
"Now I have a kid of my own.
"He is growing day by day,
"And will leave home someday.
"Watching as he grows up,
"Watching him toughen and look back.
"I know that there will be a day,
"I'll smile to him and say."
All of a sudden, The Clown jumped octaves.
"'Life's about more than just the grind; poetry and distant fields we can find.
"'You were born into this world with bare hands; to strive for that sea you cast off from lands.
"'Life's about more than just the grind; poetry and distant fields we can find.
"'You were born into this world with bare hands; to strive for that sea you cast off from lands!'"
Faith.
Hope.
Dreams.
Love.
Legacy.
They were all mentioned in this song!
Spinach smiled bitterly.
It was her turn next, but could she win?
With this guy singing this song, how could she possibly win!
Many people were even more astonished because they had thought that Sunflower's defeat by Petal Shower was already quite face-smacking, but none of them expected for The Clown to take the stage after that and give another vicious faceslap! Sunflower's song had been about life's abyss, darkness, loneliness, and hurt. But The Clown had outright rejected him by attacking him with his song!
Life's about more than just the grind!
Poetry and distant lands we can find!