The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

The first half of the performance has come to an end, receiving rave reviews from the audience and generating unprecedented buzz online. The live stream reposts by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Propaganda of the Great Zhou Kingdom directly pushed the number of viewers past 50 million, and it continues to rise.

On the last day of the National Day holiday, there was such a wonderful live performance that rivaled a gala, making it a nationwide celebration.

After Uncle Qi and Liu Xueqi's duet and interview, the host Li Fei received instructions for the next program: "Next, please enjoy the shadow puppet dance 'Charming Sunset'."

A large white checkered cloth appeared in the center of the stage, and a group of children dressed in red zodiac costumes rushed forward carrying small stools. The lights dimmed, and a group of elderly women dressed in green made a charming and cute entrance from the left side of the stage.

Li Xian watched the children on the small screen backstage, then looked at Li Zichun, tears welling in her eyes. She patted his head with a sigh of relief: "That's wonderful, you've grown up so much. Remember not to overwork yourself, take care of yourself..."

He found the children from an orphanage. Li Xian thought he was just messing around and started scolding him. But when Gu Quan, who couldn't stand it anymore, revealed his identity, she immediately became amiable and praised Li Zichun enthusiastically. She could change her attitude in a second.

Hey, woman.

Seeing him roll his eyes, Li Xian slapped him on the head and said, "It's rare for people to think so highly of you, so you'd better do well this time, understand? Don't embarrass us."

Li Zichun was beaten up for no reason, and the little kids watching were overjoyed. It turns out that no matter how old you are, you will still get beaten by your mother!

As for the grandmothers, they were naturally selected from Jin Dili's costume team. Those who volunteered to participate, were lively and self-recommended, and were physically strong, flexible, and able to endure hardship were given priority.

The elderly and children formed a temporary team, working overtime every day to intensify their training, and no one fell behind.

Li Zichun also demonstrates and checks the movements every day, using the shadow puppet steps of leaning forward and backward, striving to present a perfect performance within the limited time.

"Charming Sunset" is a dance performed by retired employees of the Tangshan Retired Cadres Activity Center, based on Tangshan shadow puppetry. As a key performance of the 2006 Spring Festival Gala, the dance is wonderfully charming, and the visual impact of red and green is impressive.

Li Zichun put this program here not only to lighten the mood, but also to give himself an explanation. They came from all over to help him, so naturally he should give back and let them get some exposure as well.

Throughout the performance, the cameras flashed continuously, and at the end, thunderous applause erupted. The elderly, along with the children, bowed in gratitude and left the stage, all beaming with joy.

Netizens felt like they were watching the Spring Festival Gala from over a decade ago. This is a program that's suitable for all ages! Finally, someone understands the public's aesthetic. Everyone is calling for it to be on the Spring Festival Gala.

Backstage, Gu Quan and Fan Liwen were constantly on the phone, bombarded by calls from big shots. They wanted to hang up but couldn't pretend they didn't see the calls, so they had to be on high alert and deal with them carefully.

The rest of the program consisted entirely of songs. Zhao Qianfan, dressed in simple blue robes, seemed to have returned from the misty, rainy Jiangnan region. Her appearance was gentle and refined, her expression serene and graceful, and her voice clear and pure as she sang: "The wind here clings/clings to the thoughts of passersby/the rain here weaves into threads/entwining us as we linger in this world..."

"Jiangnan" is JJ Lin's signature song, written in his hotel room facing the Xi'an City Wall after visiting the Terracotta Warriors. It blends Western rhythm and blues with distinctly Chinese instruments like the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) and guzheng (Chinese zither), creating a sense of temporal shift and disorientation in the interlude. As one of JJ Lin's representative works, Zhao Qianfan's rendition naturally received a standing ovation.

Netizens have already cleverly turned on their phones to screen record this, as it's the first live performance of a famous song, and it'll be gone after just one viewing.

Li Zichun nodded in satisfaction backstage. As expected of the person he had his eye on, she could handle any voice. It would be a disservice to such a good voice if he didn't make her a superstar.

"Circles and circles, day after day, year after year, I gaze intently at your face."

An angry yet gentle face, a face that reproaches gently.

Unaware of the torment of love, hate, and passion, we all thought love was as fickle as the weather, believing that one day of love was worth forever, freezing time in that instant.

Not knowing how to express tenderness, we thought that dying for love was just an ancient legend. How painful can separation be? How intense can the pain be? When dreams are buried in the misty rain of Jiangnan...

Only when your heart is broken will you understand..."

After the song was finished, it was Liu Xueqi's turn to take the stage.

She appeared in a cheongsam embroidered with the famous Shu embroidery design of "Hibiscus and Carp," causing many men in the audience to stand up and stare wide-eyed. Her exquisite curves were captivating, her beauty both alluring and delicate. The smooth, transparent fabric, combined with the glimpses of her tender flesh, created a look that was both elegant and dignified, yet also subtly sexy and alluring. She was simply a walking work of art, a sight to behold. Indeed, our ancestors knew exactly what women should wear and what men liked to see—it has always been this way.

When Li Zichun asked for the garment, Gu Quan almost cursed aloud. It was one of the three treasures of the Rongcheng Shu Embroidery Museum; he couldn't afford to pay for it even if he sold it if it got damaged. But when the museum owner heard that it was for promoting Shu embroidery culture and that Li Zichun guaranteed it would be a classic, he readily agreed to lend it out for three days.

Because the clothes were already made, alterations would take a long time. The original choice for Li Jiawei was slightly larger in stature, and there was a fear that a large movement would damage them. After comparing the clothes, it was found that they lacked a certain charm. So, the petite Liu Xueqi was chosen instead, and the song naturally fell to her.

Li Jiawei was incredibly frustrated to see the beautiful dress she had just gotten slip away, but she quickly adjusted her mindset. "Hmph, I'm not going to be a flashy, cheap woman!" No one knew what she was thinking: "I finally had a chance to be sexy openly, but they didn't even give me a chance. It's so annoying! I'm not angry, I'm not angry. Getting angry will only make me sick, and no one can take my place."

Liu Xueqi was actually a little constrained by her outfit. This thing made her feel a bit nervous. She was afraid that if she took even a slightly larger step, it would tear or a loose thread that she wouldn't be able to afford to pay for. So she walked very carefully, which actually made her look more ladylike.

She walked gracefully to the microphone and began to sing: "In Chengdu, the rain falls in March, and in April, embroidery needles are used / Feather fans point to a thousand troops, and brocade is cut into inches / Watching iron horses tread on icy rivers, and silk threads sew up youthful days and dusty worlds / A journey through mountains and rivers, and another journey through wind and snow..."

There are very few songs about Shu embroidery, and Li Zichun naturally chose those that had been performed on big stages. He only remembered this one because he and his wife were together at the 2015 Spring Festival Gala, snuggling together in their big bed. Looking back now, he probably should have realized it then. The children weren't coming home for the New Year, and their relationship was definitely strained. To take care of his sick wife, he hadn't paid much attention to his children's and grandchildren's family life and their relationships, which foreshadowed their later falling out. Sure enough, old age makes you useless. There were so many opportunities in those years to lay things out and do things better.

Li Zichun sighed deeply as he thought about it. Zhao Qianfan, who was waiting in the wings, noticed his dejected expression and gently patted his shoulder: "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with your health? Do you want to rest for a while?"

Upon hearing this, everyone around him tensed up. Gu Quan, Fan Liwen, and the others rushed forward, but before they could speak, Li Zichun, who had regained his senses, shouted loudly, "It's alright, go back to your positions."

Seeing his imposing presence, the others assumed he was alright and were somewhat relieved.

Li Zichun quickly adjusted her mindset, concealing the weariness on her face, and said with a smile, "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired. It looks like I'll need to rest for a long time after this performance."

Fan Liwen nodded and said, "Don't worry, leave it to me. I'll make sure you get a few variety shows that you don't have to put in any effort to get some exposure."

Li Zichun rolled his eyes a few times after hearing this. Those evil capitalists really exploit people whenever they can. Zhao Qianfan also smiled and chimed in, "Wherever you go, I'll go."

Fan Liwen nodded and said, "Then let the two of them participate in the program together. It's a good deal for them."

Li Zichun said irritably, "What a vampire manager, not giving anyone a chance to be lazy at all."

Fan Liwen retorted with a laugh: "You guys are on the rise right now, just one award away from becoming legends. Look at Gu Quan, he's in meetings and doing publicity all year round, and he hasn't had a single day of rest in over ten years to climb to that position."

Gu Quan couldn't help but roll his eyes. What does this have to do with me? You're using me as an example, aren't you? He snorted coldly, "Yeah, look at President Fan. He's either searching for talent or inviting singers to listen to music all year round. He's afraid of falling behind the aesthetic trends of young people. Young people should work hard. If you all lie down, you'll only be able to eat your own arms and legs when you get old."

Unlike the lively atmosphere backstage, Liu Xueqi had already finished singing and was being interviewed by Li Fei on stage. Uncle Qi hurriedly stepped forward to prepare: "Excuse me, gentlemen, please make way."

Then everyone slowly stopped watching the play and resumed everything according to the rehearsed plan.

Uncle Qi took the stage, and behind him appeared four lines of calligraphy, a poem by Wang Wei: "The wind startles the bamboo through the window, the snow fills the mountain when the door is opened. The deep alley is quiet with snow falling, the spacious courtyard is leisurely with snow piled up."

Li Zichun wrote the poem in the "Slender Gold" style, and the poem was accompanied by the title "Snowy Landscape on the Riverbank." He had intended to indicate the location, but fearing a mistake, he specifically checked and discovered that this painting didn't exist in this parallel universe!

Li Zichun was stunned when he found this out. "Ha, so this counts as original work? If not, then I'll start randomly attacking. I'll just throw together a 'Three Hundred Tang Poems' to teach this generation's elementary school students what traditional culture is."

Unlike Li Zichun, who was completely bewildered, Gu Quan and the others were stunned when they saw his calligraphy and paintings: "This is a prodigy! How can he be so awesome in every field?"

Uncle Qi stood beneath the large scroll painting, singing Xu Song's "Snow on Paper": "The shadow of the wall flickers like a candle, I pick up my pen but it's clear / On the white paper, I write in running script, dipping my brush in ink for several lines / In the dark night, the wind startles the bamboo, who is dancing outside the window / And the cold wind blows through the window, I quietly read..."

Although Uncle Qi's singing skills have improved, they have not yet reached the ideal state that Li Zichun wanted, but they cannot be called amateurs either. After giving him some pointers a few times, he finally reached the state he wanted, unlike Zhao Qianfan who got it done in one go without any trouble or effort.

Indeed, when people reach their limit, it all comes down to talent and aptitude. If he can't achieve a qualitative breakthrough, he'll be stuck here for life. The King of Singers can't be crowned a legend without a spectacular performance, and with only three years to spare, he can't patiently cultivate a healing prince.

Seventh Uncle stepped down, followed closely by Li Jiawei.

When she received the lyrics, she was practically glowing. After reading the last few lines and looking at Li Zichun, her eyes practically lit up with admiration. "My god, is this guy some kind of celestial being who has descended to save me?"

She wouldn't let others see the lyrics, but after getting Li Zichun's permission, she secretly saved them by herself. Her attitude towards him changed from respect to awe, and she wished she could bow to him three times a day.

Li Zichun told her to relax and sing well, and she nodded solemnly, adjusted her skirt, and went upstairs. Zhao Qianfan and the others were also curious about what she would sing, as they had never heard her sing this song before. During rehearsals, she only sang it for Li Zichun until she was satisfied with him.

After Li Jiawei went on stage, her whole demeanor changed. She didn't know if other people's performances would be remembered for eternity, but she was determined to soar to new heights.

She exuded confidence, tinged with a hint of secret delight and shyness, and walked with ease. What did she care about the Shu embroidery cheongsam?

With her head held high, she calmly began to sing "Wishing We Last Forever": "When will the moon be clear and bright? I raise my cup to ask the heavens. I wonder what year it is tonight in the celestial palace. I long to ride the wind and return, but I fear the jade towers and crystal palaces are too cold at such heights. I dance with my shadow, how can it compare to being in the human world?"

Her voice is different from Teresa Teng's gentle and moving style. After Li Zichun's revisions, it is more like Faye Wong's cool and melodious voice, clear and ethereal.

"The moon turns through the red pavilion, shines low through the embroidered window, illuminating my sleeplessness. There should be no resentment, yet why is the moon always full when we are apart? People have sorrow and joy, separation and reunion, just as the moon has its phases of waxing and waning; nothing in this world is ever perfect. I only wish that we may live long and share the beauty of the moon, even though we are thousands of miles apart."