The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

The two smiled and bowed in thanks, and everyone lingered, waiting for the next song.

Li Zichun said with a mix of helplessness and amusement, "Luckily, I prepared an extra chapter. After singing these three farewell songs, it will really be over. There won't be any more."

After he finished speaking, Zhao Qianfan, noticing his gaze, continued, "A song, 'Flowers in the Water,' is dedicated to the finale of this grand Flower Festival."

Zhao Qianfan stood on the stage, a smile in her eyes. The melody, which was originally melancholic and somber, became warm because of your presence:

In the cold rain and wind

How much prosperity is but a dream

Once vibrant and colorful

blown away by the wind

Looking back suddenly

Love is like smoke and clouds.

Time flows like water

Without leaving a trace

I saw flowers in the water.

Desperate to preserve a touch of red

Unfortunately, I wandered through the dust and wind

No longer has the colors of the past

I saw myself through my tears.

Unable to hold onto anything

Only in a daze of drunkenness

Some old dreams

The falling petals have already settled.

The deep affection of the past has long since vanished.

The flowing water passed by swiftly.

Who can hold it back even for a moment?

Feeling sorry for the fallen flowers

There is nowhere to find solace in this mortal world.

Remain silent despite the rain and wind.

It seems like it's me.

The song was written using the Chinese six-tone scale, and the melody is very smooth. The instrumental arrangement is also very distinctive, featuring both a popular and individualistic electronic band and the erhu (a two-stringed bowed instrument) in the interlude and coda. This pop music foundation gives the song both Hong Kong and Taiwan pop music elements and the charm of Chinese national characteristics.

The beautiful lyrics, the tender melody, and Zhao Qianfan's deep affection create an exceptionally beautiful atmosphere for the song.

However, Zhao Qianfan prefers the Cantonese version of the song that Li Zichun asked him to record, because the ending of that song is "However, when I see you, I don't want to hide from you many times. I am not afraid of the wind and rain, but only want to get drunk together."

After Zhao Qianfan finished singing, the audience was mesmerized. The subtle sadness and sorrow in her voice touched everyone present.

Li Zichun waited until the applause subsided before saying, "This song of mine is for all those who have come to participate in the World Flower Fair and Horticultural Exposition. May your future be bright and your path be filled with flowers."

Li Zichun sang "A Journey of Blossoms" along with the music:

The sunset over the sea is like a painting from my childhood.

Spread it out in the sky and wait for the seagulls to carry it away.

Distant sails battered by wind and waves

I will not be afraid of pain for my dream.

To whose horizon does the departing sandstorm go?

Where have you seen him in spring?

Time's hand caressed my cheek

They all remained silent.

I hope that the wishes I've made will blossom along the way.

Protecting those dreams from the wind and sand

The cherry blossoms at your fingertips, like poems, depict whose fleeting youth?

A passionate love mixed with elegance

I hope that the wishes I've made will blossom along the way.

Hide the person in the rain under the eaves

Time washes away the clamor of adversity and vicissitude.

Who are you thinking about on this quiet night...?

Who are you thinking about on this quiet night?

Li Zichun's firm and warm voice is like a lighthouse at the highest point of these nine interconnected islands, offering comfort to those returning home, guidance to those who have lost their way, and confidence to those who are on the move to return.

After the two songs were sung, the audience erupted in applause, for it was finally time for the last song. Although it was hard to say goodbye, all good things must come to an end, and this once-popular, month-long floral extravaganza came to a close.

Looking at the reluctant farewell crowd, Li Zichun said, "It's already the limit to get all the trees that shouldn't be blooming to bloom in an orderly manner within a month. Perhaps what awaits them next is death, and even if they survive, they will need a long recovery period. A grand event of blooming flowers, followed by the withering of petals covering the ground—we have all experienced it, and that is enough. When the morning flowers fall, they are scattered and crushed into dust, but their fragrance remains. I dedicate the song 'Spring Mud' to this land."

Zhao Qianfan and Li Zichun exchanged a glance, and then slowly began to sing "Spring Mud" as the music began:

A cacophony of words fell upon my ears.

You and I remain silent and do not respond.

Holding your hand, but your eyes are red from crying.

The journey is long and endless.

I so want to muster the courage to cherish you properly.

I'm willing to endure any hardship to prevent you from suffering.

Those painful memories fall into the spring soil.

It nourished the earth and brought forth the next flowering season.

Your tears in the wind, each drop falling into my memories.

Let's name it Cherish

The fog cleared, and everything finally became clear.

Love and pain have both become memories.

Forget the past, and let the flowers bloom in the sky.

The wait has come to an end.

I will muster my courage and cherish you.

I'm willing to endure any hardship to prevent you from suffering.

......

A shower of petals fell from the sky onto the spring soil.

It nourished the earth and brought forth the next flowering season.

Your tears fall in the wind, dripping into my memories.

Let's name it Cherish

Those painful memories fall into the spring soil.

It nourished the earth and brought forth the next flowering season.

Your tears fall in the wind, dripping into my memories.

Let's name it "Cherish," and let's learn to cherish it.

Harlem Yu's "Spring Mud" music video was directed by Lin Jinhe, and the female lead in the music video was Lin Chi-ling, who was still looking for a chance to make a name for herself at the time. It has to be said that she succeeded. Lin Chi-ling's youthful eyes in the music video were a pleasant surprise for many viewers.

The song's title, "Spring Mud," is believed by some to be derived from the line, "Fallen petals are not heartless things; they turn into spring mud to protect the flowers."

Those who are interested tend to cite the lines from Tang Yanqian's poem "Spring Rain": "Butterflies dance in the cold, startled crows do not perch in the twilight. Yu Lang rides his horse on the ground, but fears there may be spring mud." When Harlem Yu sang it, he only thought it was the former line. It wasn't until many years later, when he learned the latter line, that he understood Annie Yi's good intentions. He sang it and tears welled up in his eyes. No one knows what he was thinking at that moment.

But as time passed and years went by, everyone found the right person, and it became a regretful memory from the past.

After Li Zichun and Zhao Qianfan finished their performance, they bowed in gratitude, and the audience stood up and applauded. The three concerts naturally didn't cover all the major themes, but it was enough for this stage.

Three songs, addressing events, people, and the current situation.

Li Zichun still has about a dozen classic flower-related songs left, but he doesn't plan to sing them all at once. After all, Lin Xuehua's offer was only "200,000 yuan for each additional song sung, with shared copyright," which he felt was a bit stingy.

Two hundred thousand for a song, plus copyright sharing? That's absurd. I only agreed because of your local bigwig father, Lin Ruhai. What about other people?

Li Zichun understood that Lin Ruhai was actually helping Lin Xuehua build momentum; after all, they were both businessmen, and he understood the ins and outs of the business. In his view, Lin Xuehua was good at maintaining the status quo, an excellent housekeeper, but lacked ambition. However, it seemed the Lin family didn't need to be ambitious anymore; further ambition would lead them in that direction...

The audience erupted in cheers and thanks, and a shower of flowers poured down from above the stage, scattering across every corner of the stage.

Zhao Qianfan pulled Li Zichun, who was still lost in thought, aside from the audience, and they took a photo together in this dreamlike scene. The two smiled radiantly in the photo, their features exquisite, a moment frozen in time.

Although the audience was reluctant to leave, they knew it was really over when they saw the two people on stage dismantling the equipment, and they began to leave in an orderly manner.

After taking several group photos with each of the staff, Li Zichun and Zhao Qianfan dispersed. Lin Xuehua had originally planned for the two of them to attend the celebration banquet, but Li Zichun declined, saying he was "too tired and wanted to rest." Zhao Qianfan naturally went with him.

The two returned to the Fan Flower Manor and enjoyed their last night of service.

The next day, she slept until she naturally woke up, and Lin Xuehua was already downstairs quietly drinking tea and waiting for her. Qitong was playing happily with her on a bench nearby.

Seeing Li Zichun come downstairs, Lin Xuehua also calmed down and began her work. The two exchanged pleasantries and said they would cooperate again if the opportunity arose. After some back and forth, a series of delivery notifications followed.

Then Li Zichun received a notification that 15 million had been deposited into his account, with the extra amount considered a reward.

Li Zichun smiled calmly, neither surprised nor pleased. He really thought of himself as an actor, and that if he amused you, he would give you a couple of coins.

Looking at Li Zichun's calm face, Lin Xuehua felt that if the man in front of her were to go into business, he would definitely be a shrewd businessman. She also remembered her father's instructions and thought that he was indeed worth befriending and should not be treated as just an actor.

As the two left, Lin Xuehua reminded them with a smile, "Fifteen million is before tax, so remember to pay your taxes properly. It seems like the capital is going to make some big moves against the entertainment industry. Even though you three are few in number, you still need to remember to pay your taxes and not sleep around inappropriately. Keep yourselves clean and be careful not to get caught out."

Seeing her sudden kindness, Li Zichun smiled and replied, "Of course, we Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust are the most law-abiding."

The two bid farewell to the Lin family and returned to their three-story villa with Qi Tong.

The two slumped onto the sofa on the third floor, looked at each other and laughed self-deprecatingly, only to realize that their one-month luxury experience card had already ended.

Normally at this time, the butler of Fanhua Manor would have already arranged for people to come and massage you. Within easy reach, there would be people carrying fruits and snacks, and others carrying wine and drinks. With just a few gestures, they would know what you wanted. Some would give you a massage, while others would give you a report. It couldn't be more comfortable.

Indeed, it is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frug

Li Zichun wondered if he had been too reckless. Looking at his bank balance, it seemed that it was indeed time for him to be reckless.

After a month, the earnings from the songs released during the national music company ranking competition and the songs performed during the Kowloon Port King of Singers selection were all due to be credited to the account.

After a series of operations, plus this ten million, their company's revenue is almost close to a small goal, and he believes that these songs will continue to generate revenue in the future.

Li Zichun nodded in satisfaction, feeling it was time to move on to the next step.

He actually wanted to film TV series and movies, but before that, he had to prepare for the finals of the singing competition with Zhao Qianfan and win the title of singing king first.

Judging by the time, it's time to prepare to set off and see those "old friends".

Zhao Qianfan reached out and rubbed his temples, saying seriously, "Don't frown, it'll give you wrinkles."

Li Zichun pushed away his outstretched hand and said helplessly, "Stop messing around."

Just as he was preparing his next move, Li Zichun received a call from Yi Zhichun. It seemed there was news, though he wondered if it was what he had thought.

Zhao Qianfan also received a message from Jin Dili: after things are settled here, we'll meet in the capital.

Since Zhao Qianfan was going to a place close to the tax bureau, Li Zichun told him to go and pay his taxes there as well. Jin Dili happened to be there and could help them with anything they didn't understand. Zhao Qianfan nodded.

Li Zichun said with a smile, "Remember to get an invoice and a receipt."

The two left the house, each lost in their own thoughts.

When Li Zichun arrived at Youjian Detective Agency again, the male and female doormen smiled at him and said, "Welcome to Youjian Detective Agency."

The female doorman smiled and asked, "Does the guest have a reservation?"

Li Zichun looked at the smiling but strangely unsettling female doorman and said, "Yes, Yi Zhichun."

The female doorman nodded and said, "Okay. Duan Sheng, lead the way."

The male doorman smiled and said, "Guest, please follow me."

Li Zichun followed closely behind the male doorman. He found the name strange and asked curiously, "Your name is Duansheng, so what was that girl's name?"

Duan Sheng chuckled and continued, "Her name is Qiu Suo. Our names represent the degree to which the matter has been resolved, so I'm sure you already have an idea. Because Yi Zhichun is a senior detective, you need to go to the payment counter to pay the remaining amount before you can find out the answer you want."

Although Li Zichun knew there would be a charge later, he didn't expect it to be so direct, but he still went along. After a while, looking at the bill for 300,000 yuan in his hand, he fell into deep thought.

This thing is really expensive. Even though the matter I'm investigating is from twenty years ago, it shouldn't cost this much.

Although Li Zichun had his own plans, he still readily paid the money.

Duan Sheng noticed his confusion and explained with a smile, "Our fees are determined based on the difficulty, time, and cost of the project you are investigating. Because the clues we provide are limited in terms of authenticity, and the time requirement is 'the faster the better,' the case has reached the point where a senior detective is needed. The fees for a senior detective are more than ten times that of an ordinary detective, so our fees are relatively high."

Li Zichun nodded and said, "I see."

Soon the two arrived at Yi Zhichun's office. Duan Sheng, being of low status, was not allowed to enter, so he obediently withdrew.

PS: Data is from the internet.

The song "Flower in the Water," sung by Alan Tam, composed by Kan Ning, and arranged by Lau Yee-tat, was included in Alan Tam's Cantonese album "Embrace," released by Universal Music on August 18, 1988. The Mandarin version, with lyrics by Wawa, was included in Alan Tam's Mandarin album "Hand in Hand," released by Universal Music on September 27, 1988. In 1991, Alan Tam performed the Mandarin version of the song at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala.

"A Journey Through Flowers" is a song with lyrics by Song Puzhao, music by Zhang Bowen, arrangement by Li Shijue, and vocals by Wen Yixin. It is included in the album of the same name, "A Journey Through Flowers," released on January 19, 2021.

"Spring Mud" is a song with lyrics by Annie Yi and music and vocals by Harlem Yu. It was included in Harlem Yu's music album "Harlem Paradise," released on June 6, 2003. In 2003, the song won the Top Ten Singles Award at the Chinese Pop Music Media Awards.