Entertainment: Starting with a Song of Rice Fragrance

After the song ended, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

"Wow, this guy is amazing! His stage presence is even better than many singers!"

"Zheng Ning, I heard you damaged your voice when you were little, and it's only now that you've recovered, is that right?"

"You wrote this song yourself? I'm such an idol! It's so much better than all those lousy songs these days!"

"Hey bro, do you remember me? I was in the third row when you were busking on Chundong Road, and I even gave you 50 yuan as a token of my support!"

If it were Zheng Ning, who hadn't seen much of the world before, she would probably have already suffered a social anxiety attack and hidden offstage.

But with the support of Kai and his sister twice, and a last-minute performance at a department store, he has gradually become more confident, so he can now wave and greet the audience with ease and confidence.

"Hey friend, does Zheng Ning come here every day?"

The out-of-town customer who had just asked who Zheng Ning was nudged the person next to him with his elbow and asked in a low voice.

"I'm not sure, but I think so. Didn't they just say he's the boss's friend? He should come here often."

"Okay, then I'll come and see him every night while I'm on this business trip. I'll be looking for a place to drink anyway."

"You like this song that much?"

"Of course! I grew up in the village, and sometimes I can still smell the rich aroma of rice in my dreams... Hey waiter, could you please bring a flower basket to the stage for me?"

The middle-aged man stopped a passing waiter and spoke to him magnanimously.

"Okay, may I ask your surname?"

"plum."

"Okay, Mr. Li from booth number 22 will present Zheng Ning with a large flower basket!"

The waiter shouted loudly, and a female waitress immediately took a flower basket from under the table, held it up, and placed it at Zheng Ning's feet.

"Wow, 500 yuan for a flower basket? You made that much money so easily?"

Zheng Ning was still interacting with the audience when she noticed something at her feet. Looking down, she saw it was 500 yuan!

"Thank you, Mr. Li. You are very welcome to my friend's pub."

He picked up the microphone and politely thanked them, which earned him a cheer of affirmation and encouragement in return.

"Boss, I want to send him a flower basket too!"

"I'll give him one too!"

"Waiter, could you please bring him five roses?"

Mr. Li inadvertently enlivened the atmosphere, and soon other guests at other seats also presented gifts to Zheng Ning.

Most of them had seen him perform live on Chundong Road before, or they had been enthusiastically recommended by their friends and had come to like the person who performed in the street music videos.

After all, he's a local internet celebrity, and judging by his momentum, he seems to be doing more than just being an internet celebrity.

In less than ten days, they surged into the top twenty of the newcomer champion rankings, leaving tens of thousands of places behind.

This was all achieved without any company promotion or packaging.

Who else can do this?

Before long, a large pile of flower baskets and roses had accumulated at Zheng Ning's feet. A rough count would show that it must have cost at least 3000 yuan.

"hiss……"

Looking at the valuable gifts at his feet, Zheng Ning couldn't help but gasp. He looked up at Gangzi in the booth not far away, who raised his glass and gave him an approving smile.

"Fine, I earned this money through my own abilities. I just didn't expect it to be so easy to make money as a celebrity, especially since I'm not even a celebrity yet..."

"Hey, what's going on in here? Why is it so noisy?"

Suddenly the bar door was pushed open from the outside, and several stylishly dressed young people peeked in.

"Wow, there's a performance here, huh? That pile of flower baskets and roses on the stands might belong to a minor celebrity. Shall we come in and listen, guys?"

As they spoke, these people called to their friends and went inside.

The passersby walking along the bar street behind them, seeing people going in one after another, curiously followed suit. After all, they were drinking somewhere, so they just liked to join in the fun.

Before long, the tavern, which had only been half-opened, was packed with people, becoming increasingly noisy and bustling. Zhao Gang was so happy that he grinned from ear to ear.

"Hey, since there are so many people here today and the atmosphere is just right, I'll bring out this surprise."

Zheng Ning picked up a cup from the small table next to her, took a sip of mineral water to moisten her lips, and the idea in her mind was about to emerge.

"Alright everyone, please be quiet."

He coughed lightly twice into the microphone, then spoke softly.

The audience immediately fell silent, eager to hear what this young man, who sang so well and wrote such great songs, had to say.

"Tonight, to celebrate the opening of my friend Zhao Gang's bar, I have a special surprise for everyone."

As he spoke, he gave Gangzi a look that said, "Just you wait and see."

"Oh? A surprise? What surprise?"

The audience was already very happy because of the appearance of Zheng Ning, the internet celebrity, and felt that they had hit the jackpot tonight.

But to my surprise, the other party said there was another surprise!

So their anticipation grew even stronger.

"Hey, everyone knows that our Shuncheng was called Chengdu in ancient times, right?"

"Of course I know! When the ancients migrated here, their settlements grew into villages in one year, towns in two years, and cities in three years!"

"Not only was the city's construction process incredibly smooth, but it also enjoyed favorable weather and abundant harvests afterward, hence the name Shuncheng (meaning 'smooth city'), while it was also popularly known as Chengdu!"

"Hey, this customer is really knowledgeable, he must be a local from Shuncheng!"

Zheng Ning gave him a thumbs up, a big thumbs-up.

Hehe~

The customer he called out immediately smiled, feeling both embarrassed and very proud.

"Then the song I'm about to perform is closely connected to our city."

Please enjoy my new work, "Chengdu".

As he spoke, Zheng Ning got into position and gently plucked the strings.

"What?! This kid actually wrote a new song?! He didn't even tell me!"

Zhao Gang, holding a wine glass, was initially watching this harmonious scene with a happy expression.

To my surprise, the other person gave me a surprise, and I almost spilled my wine on the table.

"And the song is titled Chengdu. Could it be that he wrote a new song using the city's name?"

The audience erupted in chatter, but gradually quieted down as Zheng Ning played the piano.

His singing voice is ethereal and serene, like a clear stream flowing gently through a desolate mountain forest.

"What made me cry"

Not just last night's wine,

What I'm so reluctant to leave is...

More than just your gentleness…

The song is melodious and soothing, like a lyrical ballad, calming people's restless and uneasy souls.

The audience, who were still somewhat excited and hadn't quieted down, stopped whispering and focused intently on the performance on stage, holding up their phones.

How much longer will the rest of the journey take?

You held my hand,

What makes me feel awkward is...

It is the freedom of struggle.

Zhao Gang stared blankly at the half-finished cocktail, having long forgotten the taste of the liquor.

His gaze was fixed on the stage, on his childhood friend who was singing with deep emotion. Unconsciously, his feet began to tap along to the rhythm of the song, as if he were immersed in a beautiful memory of the past.