The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

Zhao Qianfan's sudden "Pah!" drew laughter from the audience. The handsome guy cursing himself reminded them of the ugly contest in the previous "Peach Blossoms Bloom" MV. He's truly a talented idol who doesn't care about his image.

Actually, he had initially refused to play the ugly role, but he did it because Li Zichun insisted. Once you do something like that once, you'll want to do it again; you just wish your handsome face could be even uglier.

Li Zichun's trembling face almost made him blurt out, "Can you hear me? Can you speak human language?!"

Zhao Qianfan smiled and said, "Sorry, sorry, little kids, don't imitate me. The flower I'm going to introduce next is the plum blossom from the Ice and Snow Pavilion. As you all know, the plum blossom is the first of the ten famous flowers of the Great Zhou Kingdom. This queen of flowers, along with orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, is listed as one of the 'Four Gentlemen,' and is also known as one of the 'Three Friends of Winter' along with pine and bamboo. It is the first of all flowers, bringing spring to the world."

With a proud tone, Zhao Qianfan listened and applauded as he spoke: "The plum, as a traditional flower and fruit unique to the Great Zhou Kingdom, has a history of use for over 3000 years. Many literati have written books about it, as the saying goes, 'The plum tree by my inkstone-washing pond, each blossom a faint trace of ink. It doesn't need praise for its beautiful color, only its pure fragrance fills the universe.' Books such as 'Plum Manual,' 'Plum Variety,' and 'Plum History' all have specific records of its cultivation and application."

Many people at the scene couldn't help but laugh; the book title was truly indescribable. But the poem seemed quite well-written, showing some skill; I'll have my child memorize it when we get home.

Zhao Qianfan continued, “The plum tree is a treasure trove. Its flowers can be used to extract essential oils, and its flowers, leaves, roots, and kernels can all be used in medicine. The fruit can be eaten, salted, or dried, and can also be smoked into dried plums for medicinal use, which have the effects of relieving cough, stopping diarrhea, and quenching thirst. Plums can also resist root-knot nematode damage and can be used as rootstock for stone fruit trees.”

Everyone present was stunned. They only knew that this thing was useful, but they didn't expect it to be this useful.

Zhao Qianfan continued, "When ancient people appreciated plum blossoms, they generally focused on aspects such as color, fragrance, shape, charm, and timing. The first three—color, fragrance, and shape—are easy to understand; they are literally color, fragrance, and form. But what about charm? Do any of you children know?"

The children in the stands looked at each other, shaking their heads with innocent, silly expressions. Their adorable faces were reflected on the big screen, making them incredibly cute.

Zhao Qianfan continued, "The charm of plum blossoms naturally refers to their flavor and style, which is the opposite of their shape, such as horizontal, slanted, sparse, and slender. The standard for appreciating the charm of plum blossoms is nothing more than sparseness and density, old and young, plump and slender, and open and closed. That is, sparseness is valued over density, oldness is valued over youngness, slenderness is valued over plumpness, and closed and open is valued. This is called the 'Four Valuations of Plum Blossom Charm'."

The people present looked at the pictures behind them and listened to his explanation, their faces showing an "I see" expression, as if they had learned something.

Zhao Qianfan seemed quite pleased and continued, "Then the last 'time' is next. The so-called time is naturally the time of year, and it is important to be timely. Too early, and the buds haven't opened; too late, and the petals have fallen. Generally, the best time to visit and appreciate them is about 10 days before and after the Awakening of Insects."

Everyone nodded, as if it were indeed the case; it was around this time every year.

Zhao Qianfan continued, "As for how to appreciate plum blossoms in a poetic and picturesque way, the book 'Plum Blossom Appreciation' specifically lists twenty-six suitable times, which are: light clouds, dawn sun, thin mist, drizzle, light smoke, beautiful moon, sunset, light snow, evening glow, rare birds, solitary crane, clear stream, small bridge, bamboo grove, pine tree, bright window, graceful fence, cliff, green moss, bronze vase, paper tent, playing the flute in the forest, playing the zither on one's lap, playing chess on a stone table, sweeping snow and brewing tea, and a beautiful woman wearing light makeup and hairpins."

Each time Zhao Qianfan introduced a particular style, a scene appeared on the screen. The beauty on the screen was none other than Li Zichun, who played "Li Yuehe". She wore various ancient Chinese costumes made by Jin Dili, with a veil on her face. Sometimes she was sitting or lying down in the plum grove, sometimes she was dancing and singing softly under the plum trees on the cliff, sometimes she was waiting for her lover to return under the plum trees, sometimes she was playing the zither and drinking tea in the plum blossom sea, and sometimes she was dancing with a sword and smelling the plum blossoms. Her smile was captivating as the plum blossoms fluttered in the air. She was truly a vision of beauty, like "sparse shadows slanting across the clear, shallow water, and a faint fragrance drifting in the twilight".

The audience was stunned. With such beautiful features and a graceful demeanor, it was amazing how a flower show commentator could be so entertaining.

Looking at the stunned crowd, Zhao Qianfan glanced at Li Zichun beside him and muttered to himself, "I told you not to do so much. Now nobody wants to hear me sing."

Li Zichun said with a smile, "Everyone comes to the flower fair to listen to songs just for fun and enjoyment, so there's no need to take it too seriously."

Zhao Qianfan nodded in agreement and said, "Okay."

Li Zichun smiled but didn't speak. Zhao Qianfan then went on stage and continued, "Alright, as for the 'Four Virtues' and 'Five Blessings' of plum blossoms, you'll have to learn about them yourselves. Next up is the singing segment. I'll be singing 'A Spray of Plum Blossoms' for everyone. I hope you enjoy it."

Zhao Qianfan cleared his throat, and a clear, jade-like voice flowed from it:

True feelings are as vast as the grasslands; no amount of wind or rain can sever them.

There will always be a time when the clouds part and the sun shines.

The bright sunshine shines upon you and me

True feelings are like plum blossoms in bloom; the cold ice and snow cannot bury them.

Blooming on the coldest branch

Seeing spring approaching you and me

Snowflakes fluttered, the north wind howled, and the world was shrouded in a vast expanse of white.

A lone plum blossom stands proudly in the snow, its fragrance offered only for her.

I love what I love, without regrets.

This feeling will forever flow in my heart.

......

I love what I love without regret; this love will forever flow in my heart.

Under Li Zichun's tutelage, Zhao Qianfan's voice became warm and pure like crystal, with clear pronunciation, long breaths, and a composed and upright demeanor. He even playfully stuck out his buttocks at the end. He didn't quite understand why he had to do that, but with Li Zichun's insistence, he still finished the song that way. And sure enough, his breath control did seem to be more rounded.

Everyone was moved by the beautiful emotions and sentiments conveyed in the song. The value of a sprig of plum blossoms is not just the ornamental value of that small bunch of flowers, but also the deep affection and connotation it contains, and the spirit of daring to bloom on the coldest branches in the snow, and blooming proudly in the world.

The audience was captivated, and even the children were amused by Zhao Qianfan's flamboyant buttocks, clapping and laughing.

Li Zichun originally wanted to tell a few dirty jokes about "the King of Dirty Demons," but seeing so many student groups from various schools visiting the site, he decided to give up and say he'd do it another time.

PS: Data is from the internet.

"Yi Jian Mei" is a song sung by Fei Yu-ching, with lyrics by Wawa, music by Chen Xinyi (some say it was composed by her father, Chen Peter, but credited to his daughter), and arrangement by Chen Xinyi. It was first included in the album "Yangtze River Water, This Love Never Ends," released on April 21, 1983. The song was the opening theme for the 1984 TV series of the same name, "Yi Jian Mei," and was subsequently used in many films and television series, such as "New Yi Jian Mei" and "Goodbye Mr. Loser." In 1984, Hong Kong singer Cheung Ming-man performed the song at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, achieving instant fame.