The Second World in Ancient Times

When news of the talent show competition at the family banquet spread, the entire family was in an uproar. The young people were meticulously preparing, hoping to shine at the banquet. Si Qing was no exception. She practiced day and night in her small courtyard, striving to display her talents to the fullest.

Si Qing's friend A Ling excitedly ran up to her and said, "Si Qing, this talent show is going to be super fun! I've prepared a new magic trick that's sure to amaze everyone." Si Qing smiled and replied, "I'm looking forward to it too. Your magic tricks are always so amazing. I'm also going to show off my music, chess, calligraphy, and painting skills. I won't let everyone down."

However, beneath this seemingly cheerful atmosphere, an undercurrent surges. Si Qing's cousin Si Wan has long been jealous of Si Qing's talent. She secretly allies with some of the boys who are dissatisfied with Si Qing and plans to trip her up in the talent competition.

Si Wan said to her accomplices, "Hmph, Si Qing always steals the show. This time, I'm going to make her look bad in front of everyone. We have to find a way to ruin her performance." One of them suggested, "We can tamper with her strings so she can't play the song." Si Wan gave a sinister smile and said, "That's a good idea. Let's do it."

Finally, the day of the family feast arrived. The family banquet hall was ablaze with lights and overflowing with guests. In the center of the hall stood a magnificent stage, surrounded by tables and chairs, all laden with fine wine and delicious food.

The talent show began amidst the crowd's anticipation. First up was a young man performing acrobatics. He tumbled and leaped nimbly across the stage, executing each challenging move with a fluid flow. The ribbons in his hands danced through the air like colorful elves, earning rounds of applause from the guests.

"Wow, his acrobatics are so amazing!" The audience in the audience exclaimed.

Then, several young people showed their talents with graceful dancing and moving singing, creating an extremely warm atmosphere.

It was Si Qing's turn to perform. Dressed in an elegant white gown, she looked like a fairy descending from the heavens. She walked to the guqin (Chinese zither) placed in the center of the stage, bowed slightly, and then gracefully sat down. As her fingers gently touched the strings, a melodious sound flowed out.

Si Qing played an ancient tune, the notes seemed to have traveled through time and space, like ethereal music. The guests were immersed in this wonderful music, closing their eyes, as if they were in a fairyland.

"This music is so beautiful! Miss Siqing is truly talented," a guest exclaimed.

However, just as Si Qing reached the climax, a string snapped. The music abruptly stopped, and Si Qing was startled, but she quickly regained her composure. She tried to continue playing with another string, but the broken string disrupted the harmony of the piece, making it sound disjointed and chaotic.

The audience began to whisper. "What happened? Why did the string break?" "Is Miss Si Qing not well prepared?"

Si Wan was secretly proud in the audience: "Humph, Si Qing, let's see what you can do this time."

Si Qing stood up and bowed to the audience to apologize: "Sorry, everyone, there is a problem with the strings. I will continue to perform other talents."

She walked to a nearby desk, ready to demonstrate her calligraphy. She picked up her brush, dipped it in ink, and began to write. Her calligraphy was powerful yet graceful, each stroke revealing a profound skill. But just as she was about to finish, a bird flew in from nowhere, knocking over the ink bottle and spilling the black ink onto the rice paper, ruining her work.

Si Qing frowned, she knew that this was no accident, someone must be deliberately making trouble.

At this time, Si Qing's friends stepped forward. A Ling walked onto the stage and said to the audience, "Dear guests, Sister Si Qing has been framed. We cannot let this conspiracy succeed. I will perform a magic trick to buy Sister Si Qing some time."

A Ling began to perform magic. The props in her hands kept changing shape as she manipulated them, sometimes turning into flowers, sometimes into ribbons. Her magic was so magical that it attracted the audience's attention and the atmosphere on the scene became lively again.

The other students also expressed their support. One student who was good at chess said to Si Qing, "Don't worry, Si Qing, we'll handle this together. I'll be there to help you when we play chess later."

Si Qing nodded gratefully: "Thank you, we can't let them ruin this feast."

The talent show continued, and it was Si Qing's turn to demonstrate her chess skills. She sat at the chessboard, her expression calm. Her opponent was a well-known chess player in her family.

At the start of the game, Si Qing made her moves with incredible speed, each one a masterful and precise move. Her skillful moves amazed the other players present. However, just as Si Qing was about to win the game, the chessboard was suddenly tampered with, and the pieces began to shake, throwing the situation into chaos.

Si Qing stood up angrily: "You again! Why are you doing this?" Si Wan stepped forward and sneered: "Humph, it's your fault for always being so prominent. We just can't stand it." Si Qing: "You are ruining the family feast like this and damaging the family's reputation." Si Wan: "I don't care, I just want to embarrass you."

The two sides were deadlocked, and the scene was in chaos. The guests looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

At this moment, a mysterious old man appeared on the stage. He was dressed in a black robe, with a kind face, but a look of majesty in his eyes.

The old man said slowly, "Your actions are a blasphemy against the family. I've already ascertained the truth: Si Wan and the others were jealous of Si Qing's talent and deliberately disrupted her performance." Si Wan and the others' expressions changed drastically: "Who are you? What gives you the right to spout nonsense here?" The old man smiled faintly: "I am one of the elders of the family, and I have always lived in seclusion behind the scenes. I came to this banquet hoping to see the younger generation's talents, but I didn't expect to see such a farce."

He produced evidence, showing the letters and physical evidence of Si Wan and others' conspiracy. Seeing that their conspiracy was exposed, Si Wan and others collapsed to the ground.

Si Qing looked at Si Wan and the others, a trace of pity in her eyes: "Cousin, we are family, why did you do this? I never thought of competing with you, I just wanted to bring honor to our family." Si Wan burst into tears: "I... I was wrong, I was blinded by jealousy."

Si Qing did not blame her anymore, but turned to face the audience: "Dear guests, although I have encountered some setbacks, I still want to continue to show you my talents."

She picked up her brush again and quickly painted on the new rice paper. Her painting was vivid and lifelike, the flowers seemed to emit fragrance, and the birds seemed to take flight. Then she played a new piece of music, this one even more moving than the previous one, as if it spoke of her resilience and tolerance.

The guests were deeply moved by Si Qing's performance, and the audience burst into thunderous applause. The other students also continued to show off their talents, and the wonderful performances amazed the guests.

This talent show not only allowed the young members of the family to showcase their talents, but also enhanced the family's reputation through their unity and resilience. Si Qing's wisdom, courage, and tolerance during this crisis became a family legend, inspiring the younger generation to strive for the family's honor.

After the talent show, the family dealt with the matter seriously. Si Wan and the others received the punishment they deserved, but Si Qing pleaded for them.

Si Qing said to the family elders: "Elders, my cousins ​​have realized their mistakes. I hope you can give them a chance to reform. What our family needs is unity, not hatred." The elders considered Si Qing's suggestion and decided to give a lighter punishment to Si Wan and others, but asked them to apologize to Si Qing and make some compensation for the family.

Si Wan walked up to Si Qing and bowed deeply. "Si Qing, I'm truly sorry. Thank you for forgiving me. I will definitely work with you for the development of our family in the future." Si Qing smiled and took her hand. "We are a family. As long as we unite as one, our family will surely prosper."

After this incident, the younger generation of the family became more united. They realized that the family's honor was above all else, and only by abandoning jealousy and hatred could the family achieve glory.

After the turmoil of the talent show, Si Qing's position in the family has become more solid, but she also knows that this is just the beginning. The family faces more challenges and needs the younger generation to continue to grow and take on more responsibilities.

Si Qing started organizing young people to study together and share their talents and knowledge. She invited scholars and artists from the family to teach everyone and improve their overall quality.

At a study and exchange meeting, Si Qing said to his friends, "We cannot be satisfied with the status quo, we must keep improving. This talent show has allowed us to see the power of unity, but it has also allowed us to see our own shortcomings. We must work hard to make up for these shortcomings and prepare for the future of our family." The friends nodded in agreement.

Throughout this process, Si Qing herself continued to grow. Not only did she improve her skills in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but she also learned more about management and leadership. She knew that she would need to be able to shoulder the responsibility of the family's future.

As the talents of the younger generation of the family improved, the family's reputation spread. Other families invited the young people of the Siqing family to participate in their activities and exchange talents.

Si Qing led his friends to participate in a cross-family talent show, where they presented their wonderful talents on behalf of the Si Qing family.

The music played by Si Qing mesmerized the guests from other families, and the acrobatics, magic and other performances by the little friends also opened everyone's eyes.

An elder from another family exclaimed, "The Siqing family is truly filled with talented individuals! These young people are not only exceptionally talented, but also possess noble character. They are truly admirable." Siqing smiled and replied, "Thank you for the compliment. We simply hope to enhance family friendship and achieve common progress through the exchange of talents."

This cross-family talent show further enhanced the reputation of the Siqing family. Many families hoped to establish closer ties with the Siqing family for business cooperation and cultural exchange.

As her family's reputation grew, Si Qing also began to focus on the inheritance and innovation of family talents. She discovered that although the younger generation had many talented people, some traditional talents were in danger of being lost.

Si Qing sought out some veteran artists in her family and asked them for advice on the essence of traditional arts. Seeing Si Qing's passion for traditional arts, the veteran artists were delighted and offered to teach her their skills.

While learning traditional arts, Si Qing also tried to innovate. She incorporated modern elements into traditional music, chess, calligraphy and painting, creating a new artistic style.

At a family talent show, Si Qing showcased her innovative skills. She used a new fingering technique on the guqin, creating a piece that blended classical and modern styles. Her paintings also incorporated new colors and compositions, creating a truly eye-catching experience.

The friends were all very excited to see Si Qing's innovation. "Si Qing, your innovation is amazing! It breathes new life into traditional talents." "Yes, we can also try this kind of innovation to make our talents more exciting."

Seeing everyone's enthusiasm for talent and innovation, Si Qing proposed a new idea - to hold a family talent competition. This competition would not only showcase everyone's talents but also encourage innovation.

Si Qing proposed this idea at the family meeting: "Elders, I think we can hold a family talent competition. This can inspire the younger generation's love for talents, and at the same time promote the inheritance and innovation of talents. The competition can set up different awards to reward young people who are talented and innovative." After discussion, the family elders thought this proposal was very good and decided to support Si Qing in holding a family talent competition.