The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

Zhao Qianfan nodded slightly to Li Zichun and said loudly, "Let's sing this last song. May everyone's lives be prosperous and better and better. Here's a cheerful song, 'Picking Pomegranates,' hoping everyone will eat more fruit, maintain a good mood and figure, and be dazzlingly lovable."

The two exchanged a glance and nodded, then nodded to the band leader. Li Zichun slowly closed her eyes, and soon, with a smile, she looked at Zhao Qianfan and began to sing "Picking Pomegranates":

Li Zichun: My sister is picking pomegranates in the South Garden.

Which debt collector threw bricks over the wall?

It just happened to hit my head!

If you want to eat pomegranates, take two with you.

If you want to have a heart-to-heart talk, come with me to the upper floor.

Why throw a brick at me over the wall?

Ya er yo ya er yo yi de yi de ya er yo

Why bother throwing a brick at me over the wall?

Zhao Qianfan: I won't eat your pomegranate, and I won't go upstairs either.

How can we have a heart-to-heart talk at your home?

I'm throwing bricks so I can invite you out for a stroll!

Zhao Qianfan: I got beaten up for you yesterday.

I got scolded again today because of you.

Even if I get beaten or scolded, it's all for my little nemesis!

Ya er yo ya er yo

Yide yide ya er yo

Even if I get beaten or scolded, it's all for my little nemesis!

Zhao Qianfan: I felt bad when I heard you were scolded.

My sister being beaten felt like my own flesh was being cut.

Why don't you come with me to Yangzhou?

Li Zichun: Hearing about going down to Yangzhou is exactly what I've been looking for.

I'll pack a bag and go with you.

Once you leave Yangzhou, you'll never look back.

All: Ya er yo Ya er yo

Yide yide ya er yo

Once you've left Yangzhou, you'll never look back.

......"

The beautiful melody of "Picking Pomegranates" is cheerful and bright. The two performers' generous performance won unanimous praise from the audience. Zhao Qianfan's bright and broad male voice and Li Zichun's cheerful and bold female voice sang a duet, which was humorous and interesting.

The entire show was melodious and upbeat, with stunning stage effects, making it a perfect ending. Even though the people of Kowloon have little exposure to this type of performance, they were still captivated by the duo's flamboyant stage presence. Lee Chi Chun's versatile voice alone made the ticket price well worth it.

Even after the performance ended, some people were still shouting "Encore!" or "One more song!" But Li Zichun and Zhao Qianfan didn't care. This wasn't a concert, so why were they yelling like that? Soon, the staff started clearing the stage.

While everyone was still captivated by the duo's versatile singing, they had already started to lie down.

Li Zichun was genuinely exhausted after her performance. After showering, she lay down on the bed, took the juice Zhao Qianfan handed her, and the two called a masseur to rub their shoulders. They then turned on the satellite TV to watch Li Ke's preliminary rounds of the National Singer Competition. While watching the competition progress, they also checked in on the other singers.

Because Kowloon Television is a separate channel from the Great Zhou Kingdom, although the International Flower and Horticulture Exhibition was broadcast live, its ratings were still slightly lower than those of a star-studded program like the King of Singers preliminary round. However, this time, thanks to the performances of Li Zichun and Zhao Qianfan, the ratings have far surpassed those of the previous program.

Kowloon Television's entertainment influence is now showing signs of approaching and even surpassing that of the Great Zhou National Television.

Meanwhile, two of the main creators of everything were comfortably drinking juice, watching Li Ke on TV singing "A Game, A Dream":

Let's not talk about separation.

I won't cry because of this.

That was just a dream from last night.

Don't say whether you're willing or not.

I won't care about that.

That was just a game last night.

That was just a game, a dream.

Although your image still appears in my eyes

You are no longer in my songs.

That was just a game, a dream.

Don't leave incomplete love here.

You shouldn't be in our world.

Oh, why say goodbye and then say you'll be together?

Even without you, I am still myself.

Saying "this love will never change" and "I love you" are just empty words.

Even now, without you, I am still myself.

......

Why say goodbye, yet say we'll stay together?

Even without you, I am still myself.

Saying "this love will never change" / Saying "I love you"

Even now, without you, I am still myself.

Li Ke on TV seemed more charming. Li Zichun nodded silently. With his own songs, getting nominated shouldn't be too difficult.

But after only a few people, just as he was about to relax, he heard a female singer on TV singing another song. And this song was the one Li Zichun had given to Li Ke.

Li Zichun and Zhao Qianfan exchanged a glance, suppressed their doubts, and continued watching all the matches.

Besides Li Ke, there were actually two female singers singing their own songs, and their voices were only so-so.

For a moment, Li Zichun didn't even know who to complain to. What a load of rubbish he sang! It had absolutely no emotion or appeal. Moreover, he always hated it when people disposed of his work without his permission.

Seeing Li Zichun's displeasure, Zhao Qianfan knew he was angry but didn't say much. This matter was indeed a bit unethical, and it would be good for him to learn a lesson, so he didn't speak up for him.

Li Zichun wasn't angry that he gave the song to someone else. After all, he had a complete list of all the songs he had listened to in his life, so losing one or two wouldn't make a difference. What bothered him was that the classic was sung so badly. Was it fair to the hard work of the lyricists, composers, producers, and a whole host of other people?

And this guy was all smiles, clearly captivated by those two women. The honey trap really works all the time!

Li Zichun remained silent, watching the three preliminary rounds. Good heavens, he had given him ten songs, and nine of them had already been used up. Heh, I'd like to see how he's going to end up in the final round this month.

Just as he was fretting, his phone rang. He knew without a doubt that it was Li Ke calling. Without being coy, he answered to see what she had to say.

After Li Ke rambled on for a while, he finally got to the point: "We've run out of songs."

Li Zichun said without any mercy, "Isn't there one more song? Just enough for us to finish recording and go over there."

Li Ke asked anxiously, "What... you watched the competition?"

Li Zichun yawned and said, "Otherwise what? There are only three of us in the company. How can I not keep an eye on you when you're gone?"

Li Ke hurriedly explained, "They are both my friends of many years, but they have never been given important roles, and they recently terminated their contracts. They participated in this competition hoping to gain more attention, and I lent them some songs because I had some extra..."

Li Zichun interrupted, "Whether they're friends or just casual sex is none of my business. As for the extra songs? Li Ke, have you investigated them carefully? Who participating in a national competition like this doesn't have one or two hit songs? Besides, they sang so badly yet still made it to the preliminary rounds of the King of Singers competition. They obviously have connections. Use your brain. I won't give you any more songs before the finals. You can decide how to allocate the remaining two songs yourself. Whether it's for others or for yourself, you need to make the decision. I'll also let you see the true colors of those two women."

Li Zichun hung up before he could react. Following the names on the TV, he quickly searched for information about the two women. After doing so, he sent messages to Cheng Xinghe and Zhong Lingling, with whom he had previously been in contact.

Are they from Seagate Media and Happy Storm? Let's wait and see.

Soon, Cheng Xinghe messaged first: "Brother Li, you're not into her, are you? Don't be! We newbies all know she knows the company name. This woman is a master of 'pleasure storms,' everyone in the company says she climbed to the position of little diva all thanks to one word: sleeping. We won't comment on that, but being able to seduce everyone she meets is a skill in itself. Besides, she has no bottom line in her behavior, she even recruited her cousin into the company, and the two of them... you know..."

Li Zichun almost spat out his juice when he saw it; the rest of the story is about the bizarre antics of the siblings.

The content is so bizarre that it requires payment to watch; use your imagination.

As for why Cheng Xinghe was so knowledgeable, he was not bad-looking, so naturally he had been harassed by this pair of eccentric siblings in the workplace many times. Fortunately, he was determined and did not succumb, but he could not avoid being groped from time to time.

Li Zichun actually felt a little "sympathy" for him. Such a good thing, ugh, it's good that such a thing is not for him.

Li Zichun took the tissue Zhao Qianfan offered and wiped his mouth. This kind of person is just someone who loses themselves for fame and fortune; it's not a big deal.

Just as he was pondering a solution, Zhong Lingling replied: "This woman's name is Luo Feiyu. She was specially recruited by Seagate Media. She previously worked at Feng's Group and Yixin Entertainment, but was poached after two or three years at each company. She seems to have connections with high-ranking executives at these companies. The most famous incident was the rivalry between the executives of the three companies over her. I'm not high enough to get close to her, but it's said that everyone who has been in contact with her, regardless of gender, is completely devoted to her and would be willing to do anything for her. This kind of thing is no secret in the industry. Brother Li, you'd better be careful when you come back, or you might fall under her control."

When Li Zichun heard her say that, he couldn't help but look at Luo Feiyu's photo again. Really? Is this woman so shrewd?

After thinking about it for a while, he showed it to Zhao Qianfan and asked him how he felt.

Zhao Qianfan frowned and said, "Um, should I have feelings for her? She's not even that good-looking."

Li Zichun thought to himself, "She's really not that beautiful, not stunning at all, but she's pleasing to the eye and easy on the eyes. But a woman who can attract such a high-ranking and knowledgeable person from the three major companies must have something special about her."

Since I can't figure it out, I might as well stop thinking about it.

Li Zichun was also eager to know what choice Li Ke would ultimately make. However, these things were temporarily irrelevant to him; he should focus on his current tasks.

The two took a relaxing bath, enjoying the top-notch entertainment arranged by Lin Xuehua: villa, hot spring, gourmet food, beautiful women, handsome men... What's outrageous is that there were actually several people in this Fan Hua Manor whose looks were no less than Zhao Qianfan's. Li Zichun was stunned. Wow, are all the butlers and servants in these rich people's homes so beautiful and handsome?

Zhao Qianfan glared at them, telling them to stay away or he would replace them all.

Li Zichun rolled her eyes at his petty nature. "You're so good-looking, can't people even look at you?" After thinking about it, she felt she was being weird and finally shut up.

Lin Xuehua's arrangements were impeccable, and the top-notch luxury was undoubtedly due to the sensational effect of the first two performances. All tickets for the entire Flower and Horticulture Expo were sold out, and many people even suggested increasing the scale of visitor flow and the number of performances. Some flower gardens even started to implement a 24-hour shift system, but tickets were still in short supply.

This would never have happened at previous expos; even she herself felt that this year's flowers were exceptionally beautiful, each one a piece of money.

The influence of the World Flower and Horticulture Expo is no longer limited to Kowloon Port, but has begun to radiate to other surrounding areas.

From the first Rose Festival, with its switching between Chinese, English, French, and Cantonese, and the breathtaking piano music, to the second live a cappella performance featuring a Beijing accent, the audience's expectations were already at their peak.

Lin Xuehua even moved the final concert outdoors for setup, with a venue that can accommodate up to 10,000 people. It all depends on whether your influence can fill the seats.

This final performance of late spring, a spectacle worthy of a grand occasion, ignited fans worldwide, leaving the surrounding hostels in short supply. Such a local event was so successful that even the nation had to issue commendations.

Inside the official propaganda department of the Great Zhou Kingdom, Yi Ziqiang glanced at Gu Quan, who was waiting to be reprimanded, but remained silent. He simply watched quietly for a long time before finally saying in a low voice, "The entertainment industry needs some regulation."

Fortunately, he only pushed things to Kowloon Port, leaving room for redemption. If he had forced them to leave the country, the situation for the country's music scene would have been even more dire, and the head of the Ministry of Culture would have had to step down.

PS: Data is from the internet.

"Picking Pomegranates" is a local folk song popular in Wuhe County, Anhui Province, and is a representative work of Wuhe folk songs. In the early 1950s, Huo Jintang, an elderly man from Xiaoxi Village, Xiaoxi Town, Wuhe County, adapted a local folk tune that had been sung for over a hundred years into a three-person short play called "Picking Pomegranates." Performed by folk artists An Huazhi (playing the younger sister-in-law), Zhang Xiangqian (playing the young man), and Wang Wanxia (playing the sister-in-law), the play tells the story of a young couple dissatisfied with their arranged marriage, pursuing free love and a better life. In June 2008, Wuhe folk songs were included in the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. On March 30, 2010, Zu Hai sang the traditional Anhui folk song "Picking Pomegranates" with the Vienna Men's Choir at a concert in the Vienna Golden Hall.

"A Game, A Dream" is a song with lyrics and music by Wang Wenqing, arrangement by Chen Zhiyuan, production by Li Shouquan, and sung by Wang Jie. It was included on Wang Jie's debut album of the same name, released on December 19, 1987, by UFO Records. It is the theme song for the film *Yellow Story*, directed by Sylvia Chang, and is considered Wang Jie's classic representative work and breakthrough hit. Its Cantonese version, "A Few Bits of Sadness, A Few Bits of Infatuation," was also sung by Wang Jie and was featured in the Hong Kong television drama *Looking Back in Anger*. In 1988, the song won the "Best Original Film Song" award at the 25th Golden Horse Awards. In April 2019, it became the end-credits song for Lou Ye's film *The Shadow Play*.