The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

Li Zichun seemed completely unconcerned about the uproar his performance caused online. In his view, since he was wearing a mask, sunglasses, and a baseball cap, anyone who recognized him could simply say it wasn't him. Moreover, the sudden appearance of junior brothers and sisters was just a whim of his. Now that he had the identity of "Li Yuehe," it was only natural that he would have other junior brothers and sisters. It was just a matter of whether they could step into the spotlight.

Li Zichun also conducted a test: whoever appeared in front of him first when he returned home would be asked to sing "I Just Like You". When he opened the door, he saw Zhao Qianfan who had just returned. Okay, you can sing this song.

Li Ke entered a few minutes later, and Li Zichun clicked his tongue in regret, saying, "You were a little late, otherwise I would have sung that song for you."

Li Ke was speechless. They actually used this to make the decision. If I had known, I wouldn't have gone back.

Li Zichun yawned and said, "Now that everyone is back, let's begin the next training session."

Li Zichun handed a stack of song lyrics to Li Ke and said with a smile, "Practice hard, I'll check your work."

Li Ke was also taken aback by the sudden workload. Looking at the few thin sheets in Zhao Qianfan's hand, she asked in surprise, "Why do I have so many?"

Li Zichun said calmly, "To prevent those eight major companies from resorting to underhanded tactics like recording multiple episodes, your preliminary rounds of the National Singing King Competition are unlikely to be peaceful. So, I'm giving you a few extra songs just in case. Since it was a free-for-all performance without a theme before, you can choose whatever you like. Use these few days to familiarize yourself with these songs. Even if you don't end up using them, you can still put them on your new album. We'll come and meet you after we finish our performance at the International Flower Festival. Until then, don't lose."

Li Ke nodded, thinking that made sense. Who knew what tricks the national competition would pull? It was better to be careful.

After Li Zichun demonstrated the accompaniment to him, he told him to practice more on his own and that he would check his practice regularly.

Zhao Qianfan waved the few thin pages in his hand and said with a smile, "Practice hard, runner-up."

Li Ke couldn't be bothered with him, thinking to herself, "Once I win the national singing championship, I'll smash the trophy right in your face."

Zhao Qianfan directly entered the national finals because he had won the championship before, and the finals were a themed competition.

The songs he has now are about flowers, and he doesn't even know what some of the flowers look like just from their names.

While the three were discussing, Lin Ruhai's people called, saying that they needed to move in earlier to ensure the best performance tomorrow. Li Zichun and Zhao Qianfan had no choice but to rush over as soon as possible, leaving Li Ke to practice on his own, since he would be going to the mainland for a competition in a few days.

The entire event lasted a month, with their three performances scheduled for the beginning, middle, and end of the month. Li Zichun couldn't help but feel that these shrewd businessmen really knew how to do business; the effect of performing three separate shows versus three consecutive shows was completely different.

It's important to know that these kinds of grand flower shows require tickets, and tickets are categorized into single-entry tickets, half-monthly tickets, and monthly tickets, with prices increasing accordingly. Given the popularity and influence of the "Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust," tickets are undoubtedly in high demand, but not to the point of being impossible to obtain. Their fans naturally buy monthly tickets, but the general public will likely buy single-entry tickets—it's just a show, no need to attend every day. However, if the songs are good, it's still worth coming to see it, since we don't know where this grand event will be held next year.

A month-long residency was unprecedented. Lin Ruhai and Li Zichun agreed that, in addition to the fixed ten songs per performance, each additional song would be charged 200,000 yuan, with shared copyright.

Li Zichun readily agreed. Compared to letting the songs gather dust in his hands, a large and wealthy family like this would understand better how to maximize the value of the songs. He had also considered whether to sing all the songs about flowers, but then decided against it. He couldn't just make easy money; he needed to maintain quality and quantity to preserve his reputation.

The second day of the live performance arrived quickly, and the top three most popular flowers, as voted by the public, were already placed on the side of the stage: rose, peony, and orchid.

Although each performance only required three theme songs about flowers, Lin Ruhai hoped to have more songs about roses today, because it was the opening ceremony and many VIP guests were in attendance. The wealthy ladies accompanying them mostly loved the fiery red, exquisitely beautiful roses, and many even owned their own rose estates. This was why the rose was ranked before the peony, which he himself found laughable—the number one flower wasn't Kowloon's city flower or its national flower.

Is this list really just based on personal preference? It's really a case of money talks, and people listen to the masses. I guess only people in Kowloon dare to be so free and unrestrained.

As for the song about roses, that's a piece of cake for me. Just wait and see.

Soon it was time for the official performance, and the venue was packed with guests. It goes without saying that those who were able to sit at the performance venue on the first day of the opening were people from wealthy and influential local groups in Kowloon.

Most of them were able to come because they were invited by Lin Ruhai, while some of the people sitting in more remote seats were small-time tycoons who insisted on coming, hoping to get some benefit from his presence.

Li Zichun and Zhao Qianfan were also dressed to the nines. Lin Ruhai had prepared an international professional team, and the event was as lavish as a large-scale concert. He silently scanned the stage in front of him. Wow, good heavens, judging by the number, there must be more than 100,000 roses.

He smiled but didn't speak, though in his heart he was thinking, "They really have money to burn." Judging by this scale, Lin Ruhai had probably closed a huge deal. Like the Netherlands, the "flower kingdom" famous for its tulips in his previous life, one of the world's most renowned flower trading centers, hosting a series of international flower exhibitions and markets every year. In 2021, the Netherlands exported 680,000 tons of cut flowers, totaling $57 billion, placing it in a leading position in the global cut flower market. And he had taken advantage of his free time yesterday to tour the surrounding area extensively, conservatively estimating that the Lin family's transaction this time was no less than 300 million.

Don't be fooled by the small amount; keep in mind that this is just one company, and Kowloon Port is not dominated by one company. However, this amount is still quite considerable when compared to the entire Hong Kong Island.

Li Zichun took the stage first to sing the theme song "Please Listen," followed by the much-anticipated song "Rose."

He asked Zhao Qianfan to sing "Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Roses" first:

Past events are like the wind; unrequited love is simply hard to understand.

I offered wine as a farewell gift, but could not see his figure disappear into the hazy distance.

The candlelight projection cannot reflect your face.

I still only see you alone in the photos.

The night wind is cold; recalling the past is like a dream.

My heart is frozen; how can I bear to know you but never meet you again?

It's hard to let go of the heartache, hard to let go of the love that has faded like the wind, hard to let go of the lingering affection you hold in my heart.

I have already planted nine hundred and ninety-nine roses for you.

Nine hundred and ninety-nine roses from the day we broke up

Flowers wither, and people grow weary.

A thousand vows and ten thousand promises have vanished with the passing of time.

The night wind is cold; recalling the past is like a dream.

My heart is frozen; how can I bear to know you but never meet you again?

Heartache and reluctance, love has faded like the wind.

I can't bear to part with the indulgence you hold in my heart.

......."

The melody of the main song "Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Roses" comes from "Moonlight" by the Japanese rock band B&Z in 1988. The chorus melody comes from "Yi Dance" composed by Wang Huiran in 1960. The arranger widened the rhythm of "Yi Dance" by half and made changes to some notes.

Lyricist Lin Linan originally wrote "9,999 roses" for Tai Zhengxiao, but Tai Zhengxiao felt that 9,999 was too many, so he changed it to "999 roses".

Zhao Qianfan was previously known as the "Prince of the Ephemeral Flower," so this kind of flower song is a piece of cake for him.

Next, it was Li Zichun's turn to shine. He danced to the music with a flamboyant air, singing "Rose, Rose, I Love You" in a languid, sexy, and melodious voice:

Rose, rose, the most delicate and beautiful / Rose, rose, the most vibrant and gorgeous

Long summer blooms on the branches / Roses, roses, I love you

Roses, roses, deep affection / Roses, roses, strong affection

Long summer blooms amidst thorns / Roses, roses, I love you

The oath of the heart, the affection of the heart

Holy light shines on the earth

A vow from the heart, a sentiment from the heart, a sacred radiance shines upon the earth.

Rose stems are slender / Rose thorns are sharp

Today's wind and rain have ravaged the tender branches and delicate buds.

Rose, rose, heart firm / Rose, rose, thorns sharp

The storms of the future may destroy them, but they cannot destroy the intertwined branches.

"Rose, rose, I love you"

"Rose, Rose, I Love You" features a light, cheerful, and uplifting melody that cleverly blends urban sentiment with folk tunes. The lyrics are vivid and poetic, expressing the sentiment that "even wind and rain cannot destroy a pair of intertwined flowers." On many occasions, this song, along with "Night Shanghai," has become a symbol of old Shanghai. "Rose, Rose, I Love You" is considered one of the greatest works of Chinese pop music.

This song has had many versions, covered by singers such as Fong Fei-fei, Anita Mui, and Huang Ling. Among them, Fong Fei-fei's version is the most talked about. She changed only one word in the entire song, the last line, to "destroying many intertwined branches," thus transforming the rose's identity into that of a "social butterfly" who specializes in destroying other people's families. One has to admire the clever tricks of the writers and composers of that time; if you don't listen carefully, you won't even notice the satire.

Li Zichun kept dancing, and the band started playing the original song again. Many people in the audience were a little confused; was this a repetition? But how could Li Zichun make such a basic mistake? He sang the English version of the song, "Rose, Rose I Love You," along with the music:

Rose, Rose, I love you

with an aching heart

What is your future?

Now we have to part

Standing on the jetty

as the steamer moves away

Flower of Malaya, I cannot stay

Make way, oh, make way

for my Eastern Rose

Men crowd in dozens

everywhere she goes

In her rickshaw on the street

or in a cabaret

\"Please make way for Rose\"

You can hear them say

......

(Rose, Rose I love you,I cannot stay)”

Li Zichun originally didn't plan to sing this English song, but if he doesn't sing it now, he probably won't have the chance to sing it again. The most ironic thing about this song to him is that while it was earning a lot of royalties in the United States, the composer Chen Gexin starved to death in China... Singing this song now is a tribute and respect to this "song immortal".

Li Zichun's performance of the song was playful and cute, which noticeably heated up the atmosphere at the scene.

After finishing his song, Li Zichun, slightly out of breath, said, "I'm very happy that everyone has come to the World Flower and Horticulture Exhibition to listen to our Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust's performance. We were a bit too playful and enthusiastic just now, so let's have two calmer songs next, which are also everyone's favorite songs with two lyrics. Please welcome Zhao Qianfan to the stage."

Zhao Qianfan went on stage, nodded to the bands on both sides, and began to sing "Red Rose":

A dream within a dream from which I cannot wake / Red, imprisoned by the red thread

All stimulation left only the numbing pain, which no longer affected her.

When she hugs you from behind, what you long for is her face.

It's ironic that I don't understand much, yet I desperately want you to.

Is happiness too light to bear? / Is it too easy to feel numb and painless?

Overripe, red, hollow pupils / Finally emptied, finally without end

What you can't get is always in turmoil

Those who are favored are fearless

The red of roses is a dream of being easily hurt.

It was held in my hand, yet slipped through my fingers and vanished into thin air.

Red is the mark of a cinnabar mole on the heart.

Red is as mediocre as mosquito blood.

Time softens that fleeting feeling and smooths out the excitement.

When someone hugs you from behind...

Is saying "I love you" too heavy a burden?

Overuse causes no itching or pain

Burning red, the snake coils around my heart

Finally frozen, finally unfinished...

The dream of a rose blooming from its red wound, held in my hand yet slipping through my fingers, vanishes into nothingness.

After Zhao Qianfan finished singing, he slowly recited the classic lines from Eileen Chang's novel "Red Rose and White Rose" that Li Zichun had asked Uncle Qi to read in a variety show. This was the same performance that Qin Yuzi gave before singing "White Moonlight".

PS: Data is from the internet.

"Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Roses" is a song with lyrics by Lin Linan, music by Tai Zhengxiao, and sung by him. It was included in Tai Zhengxiao's album "Find a Word to Replace" released on November 1, 1993. In 1994, the song won the Gold Award for Best Mandarin Song of the Year at the first Golden Love Song Awards Ceremony.

"Rose, Rose, I Love You," originally titled "Rose, Oh Rose," was originally sung by Yao Li, a famous singer in Shanghai during the 30s and 40s. The lyrics were written by Wu Cun, and the music was composed by Chen Gexin.

"Rose Rose I Love You" is a song performed by Frankie Laine and included in the album "Roses of Yesterday -o".

"Red Rose" is a Mandarin song by Hong Kong pop singer Eason Chan, with lyrics by Li Zhuoxiong and music by Liang Qiaobo. It was included in Eason Chan's 2007 album "Accept It".