The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

After Zhao Qianfan finished singing, he slowly recited the classic lines from Eileen Chang's novel "Red Rose and White Rose," which Li Zichun had asked Uncle Qi to read in a variety show: "Perhaps every man has had two women like this, at least two. If he marries the red rose, over time, the red becomes a smear of mosquito blood on the wall, while the white remains the bright moonlight before his bed; if he marries the white rose, the white becomes a grain of rice stuck to his clothes, while the red is a cinnabar mole on his heart. Now, I'll sing you 'White Rose.'"

Your glory must not be tarnished by others. Perhaps you yourself don't care, but as your supporter, I cannot. To have love insulted is to show one's own incompetence. I will reclaim the glory you have lost.

This part was added by Zhao Qianfan himself. The band didn't know how to react. They just listened as he slowly finished reading it, and then, along with the music, he slowly sang "White Rose" in Cantonese:

White teeth, passion swallowed up / Champagne long since evaporated.

White as a white moth, it slips back into the mortal world, overlooking the spirit tablet.

But once love turns into resentment, it's like filth that shouldn't be mentioned.

A silent, smiling rose; a thorny return gift; trust only in self-defense.

How can one be cold yet still beautiful? What is unattainable is always precious.

How to avoid using psychological tactics when at a disadvantage

Showing reverence tests your regulations

Even nightmares are still beautiful.

Willing to be at the bottom to highlight your nobility

A sprig of roses is undoubtedly a heartbreaking funeral.

Past events are null and void, love has already faded away, in the next life...

Bai Ru's busy work was inexplicably destroyed / What he gained was no longer the one he had hoped for.

White as sugar, mistakenly cast into the mundane world, consumed and lost.

.....

How can one be cold yet still beautiful? / What is unattainable is always precious. / How can one remain unswayed when at a disadvantage? / Showing reverence and testing the laws of love. / Even in nightmares, one remains enchanting. / Willingly bearing the brunt is the most beautiful posture. / A sprig of roses is undoubtedly a funeral for the heart.

......

The past is null and void, for I have already passed away in another lifetime.

Every man has two women in his heart, one innocent and the other alluring. Li Zichun had arranged for him to put "Red Rose" at the back, but he insisted on putting "White Rose" at the back for this performance, simply because of the line "I am willing to be at the bottom to highlight your nobility."

Li Zichun wasn't sure if he understood or not. In his opinion, these wealthy people in the audience were just having fun; who would really care about the flowers and plants? "Human relationships and capitalism" were their guiding principles. So no matter how Zhao Qianfan sang, it wouldn't have much impact on the performance.

The crowd watching from afar reacted enthusiastically; they were the ones who had actually paid to listen to the song, and they were all wondering if this was a subtle confession. "Loving you is as pure as a white rose; I would rather be a noble white rose, so that what I cannot have will forever remain precious."

The red rose symbolizes my love for you, passionate love, and the hope of igniting a passionate love with you. The white rose symbolizes purity, nobility, innocence, respect, and the heartfelt expression of love and sincere devotion. The reason I sang "Red Rose" before performing "White Rose" is that I hope you understand that you are my pure and noble beloved. I respect you, revere you, and test you. My love will fade and perish with you in this mundane world.

Li Zichun, focused solely on his career, paid no attention to such trivial matters. He stood aside, deep in thought, deciding which song to use next. He reasoned that he couldn't sing only classic songs; he needed a few popular ones as well, otherwise the public would become "spoiled."

So he went on stage, thought for a moment, and then sang "The Camellia Can't Understand the White Rose":

A kind and pure girl lit a match on a snowy winter day, holding a warm light in her hands as she walked towards you. How could you underestimate her love for you?

There was an innocent and romantic boy who woke up the sunlight with his white shirt. His voice, though from a different era, proclaimed, "I am worthy of you."

Camellia cannot understand white rose

The wind from the north mountain doesn't reach the south mountain.

You envy my pure solitude.

I envy that you always have someone to accompany you.

Camellia cannot understand white rose

It's a pity that the flowers can't wither together.

I just want you to lean on when I'm tired.

From then on, I was no longer afraid of the darkness of the night.

......

Camellias cannot understand white roses / The wind from the north mountain cannot reach the south mountain's end.

You envy my pure solitude / I envy that you always have someone to accompany you.

Camellia cannot understand white rose / It's a pity that flowers cannot wither together.

I just want you to lean on when I'm tired / From now on, I'll never be afraid of the dark of night again.

After finishing the song, Li Zichun wondered if he had been careless. Why did he suddenly choose to sing this song? Oh well, he had already sung it, could he take it back?

Zhao Qianfan, seeing him still in a daze, coughed lightly to remind him. Li Zichun snapped out of his reverie, gave him a reassuring look, turned around, and smiled at the audience, saying, "Sorry, I spaced out while singing just now, and I imagine everyone else did too. Because my junior sister Li Yuehe no longer accepts live performances, she specially taught me female vocal techniques, so next I'll be performing a song she wrote and composed, 'The Shy Rose Quietly Blooms,' and I hope you all enjoy it."

Li Zichun sang slowly to the rhythm:

The shy rose quietly blooms / Slowly unfolding the feelings she left me with.

Spring's hand turns the pages of her waiting.

I was secretly wondering whether I should gently pluck it.

The shy rose blooms quietly / Slowly burning with feelings she refuses to acknowledge.

The gentle breeze's hand tentatively probed her waiting.

I hesitated silently, wondering whether I should gently pluck her.

How could I bear to accept your love like this?

Love that is always liked will turn into sorrow.

How could I bear to hold you in my arms like this?

The deeper my love, the worse my temper becomes.

The shy roses bloomed quietly.

Slowly withering and blooming at the same time

Love's hand caressed her waiting.

I felt a pang of regret that I hadn't gently picked her.

......"

Li Zichun's singing voice was gentle and melodious. Just then, Zhao Qianfan also walked onto the stage. The music suddenly changed, with piano sounds interspersed, followed by drums, bass, guitar, and violin. He smiled gracefully and continued singing:

The shy rose quietly blooms, slowly revealing the feelings it holds for me.

Spring's hand turns the pages of her waiting, and I secretly ponder whether I should gently pluck her.

The shy rose blooms quietly, slowly igniting the feelings it refuses to acknowledge.

The gentle breeze tentatively touched her waiting hand; I hesitated silently, wondering whether I should gently pluck her...

This is a reinterpretation by Lin Zhixuan at the "Time Concert," where a tough guy's tender side is also a kind of emotion.

The last sentence refers to the eye contact between Li Zichun and Zhao Qianfan and their fingertips gently touching each other, referencing the gesture in Michelangelo's immortal masterpiece "The Creation of Adam" in the Sistine Chapel.

Li Zichun casually raised his hand and nodded, while Zhao Qianfan nodded very solemnly. The two of them sang the last line together: "The hand of love caressed her waiting, I was secretly saddened, I never gently picked it."

After they finished singing, they smiled and bowed. Li Zichun jokingly said, "I feel like my junior sister would hate me to death if she knew that her shy 'Rose' had been rearranged live by you, a tough guy."

The audience burst into laughter, and he continued, "Alright, we've already sung seven songs without even realizing it. Time really flies. Alright, even the best rose has to be put down. Now it's time for the second place, Peony, as voted by everyone. Let's hand the stage over to Zhao Qianfan."

Zhao Qianfan nodded and said, "The peony in the courtyard is charming but lacks elegance, the lotus on the pond is pure but lacks passion. Only the peony is truly the national beauty, its blooming season stirs the capital. I present you with a poem, 'Ode to the Peony,' and I hope you enjoy it."

Zhao Qianfan cleared his throat discreetly, coughed a few times, signaling that the band could begin. He slowly raised his head to the music, standing there as dignified and noble as a peony, and sang loudly along with the music:

Ah, the peony, the most vibrant among all flowers.

Ah, the peony, the most magnificent in the land of fragrances.

Some people say you are charming

How could a delicate life be so full?

Some people say you are rich

Little did I know you had endured so much poverty.

Ah~ peony, oh peony~

Little did I know you had endured so much poverty.

Ah~peony~

The most vibrant among all the flowers

Ah~ Peony

The most spectacular sight in the Land of Fragrance is when the land is frozen.

You are brimming with vitality.

When the spring breeze blows, you bring beauty to the world.

Ah, peony, oh peony, you bring beauty to the world.

The lyrics of "The Song of the Peony" take a unique approach, focusing on the peony's journey through poverty to bring beauty to the world, thus offering extraordinary praise for the "national flower." The music is novel and unique, appealing to both refined and popular tastes, with a melody that combines a rich national style with a fresh contemporary feel.

Zhao Qianfan's voice has a high-pitched and bright tone like metal, with a strong penetrating power that can captivate people in an instant.

After the song was finished, the atmosphere seemed to change. The highly recognizable voice sang of the splendor of a prosperous era, which seemed out of place with the previous pop songs. This kind of song should be performed in large-scale, high-end venues such as galas and banquets. This opera-like performance was stunning and left the audience stunned for a while. After the performance, everyone spontaneously applauded.

Zhao Qianfan and Li Zichun exchanged a satisfied glance. No matter who you are, there is no one that our golden duo cannot conquer.

The audience was quite excited about what songs would be played next, since there was no setlist for the entire performance. Just like the number of songs Lin Ruhai gave Li Zichun, it was no less than ten, so everyone assumed it would be ten songs.

This gave them a great deal of freedom. Just like Zhao Qianfan could easily decide whether to sing "White Rose" or "Red Rose" first, everyone was free to improvise, as long as it sounded good. Only someone like Lin Ruhai, who trusted them immensely and had a keen eye for talent, would dare to do this kind of performance without a setlist. This was an international event, and if they messed up, they would lose face and even affect their business.

After Zhao Qianfan finished singing, he said with a smile, "Thank you, thank you everyone for your support. For the next song, we'd like to invite our special guest to sing. Let's give a round of applause to Zhao Jinmai."

Zhao Jinmai sang in children's voices in her previous songs "Sheng Sheng Man" and Cheng Xinghe sang "Moonlight". Singing this song in children's voices is the most in line with the original meaning of the song.

Zhao Jinmai was brought to us by Zhao Qianfan at Li Zichun's request. Since everyone was in Kowloon Harbour and had nothing better to do, they figured they might as well come and have some fun, a way to relax. Li Zichun thought this six-year-old boy had a good singing voice, especially with a foster father like Zhao Qianfan providing instruction and a sophisticated mother like Jin Dili taking care of him. He might even become a superstar someday if he wanted to.

The little girl, dressed in a cute blue-purple tutu, began to play as the band started performing at Zhao Qianfan's nod. She then slowly began to sing "Orchid Grass":

I came from the mountains, carrying orchids.

Planted in the small garden, hoping it will bloom early.

I read it three times a day, and the flowers have faded away.

The orchid, however, still had no buds.

Autumn arrives in the blink of an eye; orchids are moved into a heated room.

I cherish you morning and night, and never forget you.

Hoping that spring flowers will bloom and fulfill my long-cherished wish.

The garden was filled with clusters of flowers, adding much fragrance.

......"

This song is taken from the poem "Hope," originally written by Mr. Hu Shi in his early years. In the summer of 1921, Hu Shi visited Xishan, where his friends, Mr. and Mrs. Xiong Bingsan, gave him a pot of orchids. He happily took it home and carefully tended to it while reading and writing, but it didn't bloom until autumn. Moved by this, he wrote this short poem. Later, it was revised and set to music by Chen Xiande and Zhang Bi in Taiwan, and renamed "Orchid Grass," which led to its widespread popularity.

Musically, this song breaks away from the limitations of old Shanghai and traditional folk songs, highlighting its simple, catchy melody. It also incorporates a large number of Western instruments, creating a new form of Mandarin folk song. The lyrics use the orchid as a metaphor for an unfulfilled wish, with each line evoking anticipation, longing, and questioning.

The original singer of this song is Yin Xia (Zhang Jiaxing), who first sang it in 1979. It has been covered by many people since then, with the most widely circulated and well-known version being that of Liu Wenzheng and Zhuo Yiting. In 2020, GAI Zhou Yan rewrote the lyrics and music for this song and performed it at the 2023 "Flowers Bloom Across the World: National Rhyme New Year Concert".

PS: Data is from the internet.

"White Rose" is a Cantonese song by Hong Kong pop singer Eason Chan, with lyrics by Li Zhuoxiong, music by Liang Qiaobo, and sung by Eason Chan. It is included in the album "What\u0027S Going On...?", released on November 23, 2006.

"Camellia Can't Understand White Rose" is sung by Lil Xiaoxiao, with lyrics and music by Chenchenchen, and arrangement by Kaqimo Luoyang and Wang Hao. It was released on February 5, 2023.

"The Shy Rose Blooms Quietly" is a song sung by Meng Tingwei, with lyrics and music by Liang Wenfu. It was included in the album "Whose Tears Are Flying," released on February 6, 1993. The version sung by Lin Zhixuan here is a new version rearranged by Musa Min Martin and produced by Arai Juichi.

"The Song of the Peony" is a song with lyrics by Wu Dawei, Wei Baogui, and Qiao Yu, music by Tie Yuan, Lü Yuan, and Tang He, and sung by Jiang Dawei. It is the theme song of the film "Red Peony." Released in 1980, it was included in Jiang Dawei's album of the same name, released on December 1, 2002. In 1989, "The Song of the Peony" won the first China Golden Record Award.

"Orchid Grass" is a song originally sung by Yin Xia, with lyrics by Hu Shi, music by Chen Xiande and Zhang Bi. It was released on September 1, 1979, and included in the album "Answer." In 1979, Liu Wenzheng's version of "Orchid Grass" topped the Hong Kong Dragon and Tiger Chart. Gai Zhouyan's version, with lyrics and music by himself, and arrangement by Huang He and Lao Dao, was released on May 8, 2020.