Step by step, a gentle breeze leads to a smooth path

"What? You want to be filial to your master? Go, make me another 12-jin quilt, and then get me 10 jin of grain liquor." Liu Dayong couldn't bear to see his apprentice with his head hanging low.

"Alright, Master, I'll go order some quilts for you first. I know a place that specializes in distilling grain liquor; their craftsmanship is excellent, and they don't dilute it. Master, if you need anything else, just tell me." Hearing Nan recover, he realized that filial piety meant "obedience."

"No need for anything, you always bring food and wine. Don't worry, Listen to Nan, I have my old buddies here to keep me company." Liu Dayong was very easygoing; in the past, only Gao Haoran would come to visit him.

Now, Nan Lei comes every two weeks without fail, bringing delicious food and wine each time. He spends most of the day with her, and he's content.

I have to thank Gao Haoran for forcing me into this role; some things really can't be approached with too much hesitation, it's all about fate.

After Liu Dayong's daily test, he said to Tingnan, "Tingnan, you've been consistently practicing your lip reading and vocal techniques, that's great! Now that school is on holiday, you have more time. You need to improve your lip reading speed. Observe the people around you and practice continuously to improve your recognition."

“Yes, Master!” Ting Nan nodded in agreement.

Liu Dayong continued to assign tasks: "In terms of ventriloquism, we need to conduct sound combination and expression training. Ventriloquists need to learn how to combine different sounds, including imitating animal sounds, musical instrument sounds, etc. This requires long-term listening and recording, as well as independent research into the tricks of vocalization." Liu Dayong imitated the sound of a horse neighing, accompanied by the sound of a guqin, and "Fighting the Typhoon" made Tingnan feel a sense of tension and joy.

"Master, should I learn to play a musical instrument?" Ting Nan was tempted and wanted to touch those instruments she had never seen before and see how they made such beautiful sounds.

“If you have the chance, you can learn about it. You don’t need to be an expert, just listen to more music in this area,” Liu Dayong said. “Then there is expression training. In addition to imitating voices, ventriloquism also includes the expression of emotions. You need to learn how to express different emotions through your voice, such as joy, sadness, anger, etc. This requires a deep understanding of the tone and intonation of various emotions.”

"Yes, Master!" I have to practice all the emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness—there's so much homework!

"You can come over again before the New Year. It's freezing cold, so try to avoid outsiders while you're practicing at home," Liu Dayong finally advised.

"Okay, Master, I'll tell everyone I meet that I'm just learning acting for fun." Since Nan practiced at home and told everyone this, no one suspected anything. Kids love to play, and he used to practice his singing quite often.

Ting Nan even asked them if it looked like the real thing, treating it as a practical exercise, and then received feedback from the audience. Everyone they met said it did.

Hearing Nan's skillful approach, Liu Dayong admired it. Living among people, it's impossible to completely avoid them. Sometimes it's like that; the more openly you show yourself, the less people suspect you, and the less they gossip or inquire, eventually taking it for granted.

After arriving home, Nan told Song Wanli why Liu Dayong didn't want to come. Song Wanli didn't say anything, he understood!

All for the sake of the children, he turned around and ordered a large pork knuckle from the butcher. He would steam it with some of his own dried sauerkraut, and Master Liu could eat it for several meals. He would also stew a chicken and have Tingnan deliver it over.

Song Xiuying was very comfortable staying at her parents' house, but she missed home a little. Fortunately, Yang Qingzhou would stay with her that night, but she also had to go home to buy New Year's goods.

The Zheng brothers, however, were not in a hurry at all. They practiced with Master Gao and made rapid progress. They practiced with great enthusiasm and were so envious of Tingnan for having such a good master that they were reluctant to go back.

Ting Nan only went over once to deliver some vegetables, and both brothers were determined to practice. Zheng Xiangqian took the time to talk about building a factory, but Ting Nan didn't care at all, saying that he didn't know anything about it and that he could leave it to him to handle. He even gave him the hundred-plus yuan he earned in the second half of the year.