world class art fanatic

Zhong Ying was shocked by Li Jinqiu's rhetoric, and before he could say anything, the second cup of Corpse Reviver was served on the table.

Li Jinqiu did what he said, he didn't intend to waste time tasting wine at all, and drank it all in one gulp.

The reckless drinking, directly regarded a glass of fine wine as a bet.

His eyes are as sharp as a knife, staring at Chu Mu

If it wasn't for the redness of the ears and the faint smell of alcohol in the eye sockets, it would be almost impossible to tell that he was already drunk.

It didn't take much time from making to finishing three strong cocktails.

Li Jinqiu put down his glass gracefully, still remained calm, and even tapped on the bar with his fingers.

"Boss Chu, I hope you will keep your promise."

Chu Mu smoked silently, his expression changed from leisurely to reluctant.

He is familiar with people like Li Jinqiu, who has a straightforward personality, but he is more troublesome than Zhong Ying, who is good at telling stories and reasoning.

Coming to the bar was his usual tactic.

He drank the disgusting businessmen here, and the conceited musicians. Unexpectedly, the weak and frivolous guy in front of him drank more alcohol than he expected——

Ordered the wrong wine.

"Okay, I'll go see my sister."

Chu Mu smiled, raised his hand to extinguish the cigarette, and was about to repent shamelessly on the spot, "When she dies——"

Suddenly, Chu Mu was lifted by the collar with great force, and Li Jinqiu's fierce eyes were close at hand.

"I think you owe it to me!"

The drunken anger ignited Li Jinqiu's restrained anger. It can be said that the old hatred is added to the new hatred, "looking like" and "playing a rogue" settle accounts together.

Chu Mu is not a good stubble either, he will throw a fist when he regains his senses.

In the end, before hitting the drunk man's face, Zhong Ying stopped him first!

"Mr. Li!" It was Li Jinqiu who Zhong Ying called, and it was Chu Mu who blocked him.

His thin-looking palm grabbed Chu Mu's hand tightly, trying to separate them.

However, Li Jinqiu got drunk and lifted Chu Mu's collar even more ruthlessly.

"Don't think that everyone will accommodate you. Now you still have time to put on airs. Do you know that your sister is dying!"

Chu Mu's face was ugly, and his posture was even more ugly.

He gritted his teeth and said, "If it wasn't for my sister, my mother wouldn't have died. Her death is also retribution!"

When Zhong Ying heard this, he had to remind him: "You clearly know that she just obeyed Ms. Chu Zhiya's last wish!"

His voice even overwhelmed the loud background music of the bar, causing the guests who were playing around to look over in surprise.

The three of them confronted each other awkwardly, and You Zhong Ying held him down firmly, so that no one could make a move, and no one wanted to throw a punch.

Li Jinqiu frowned and glanced at Zhong Ying, but only got Zhong Ying's soft request: "Mr. Li, let go, this is a bar."

With a soft snort, he loosened Chu Mu's collar severely in his hand.

Seeing this, Zhong Ying quickly took half a step forward, separating the two impulsive guys.

He was afraid that Li Jinqiu would attack again, and he was also afraid that Chu Mu would fight back and hurt the helper he had invited.

The dimly lit bar can also reflect Chu Mu's gloomy and unhappy face.

He ferociously wanted to hit Li Jinqiu, but his eyes swept over Zhong Ying.

With two people, he obviously has no chance of winning.

Unable to get rid of the bad breath, Chu Mu took out the money and patted it on the bar, turned around and was about to leave.

Zhong Ying stretched out his hand to stop him, and made a sound in the loud electronic sound of the bar.

"Boss Chu, the Mulan pipa is an instrument that your grandparents must protect with their lives. Ms. Chu Zhiya grew up listening to the sound of the pipa. I understand that she disagrees with selling the pipa."

His voice was extremely clear and anxious.

"Besides, your sister doesn't even know about sending the stamen lute to the auction house. It's all Godroy's own decision!"

"The pipa is her property. If you want to sell it, I don't care who sends it to sell it."

Chu Mu didn't want to talk anymore, and he didn't plan to talk anymore.

He only felt that the name "Chuzhiya" made him irritated, his sister disappointed him, and Godello, whom he didn't like since he was a child, made him even more disgusted.

Chu Mu never understood why the stubborn young man in front of him was pestering him endlessly.

Just for two Tang Dynasty pipas?

They are even targeted by the Jews, and they always try to set up a trick to buy them from him!

He smirked, feeling tired.

Since Zhong Ying is for the pipa, he doesn't want to see anything related to the pipa anymore.

Then, there is only one choice left.

"Tomorrow, I will withdraw the lawsuit. The stamen lute belongs to Fliss. If he wants the pistil lute, I will give it to him. Of course, I can give it to you, as long as you don't bother me again."

Chu Mu smiled indifferently, "Are you satisfied?"

Zhong Ying still couldn't figure out Mu's temper. If it were before, he must be full of joy when he heard such a result, and thanked Chu Mu for his profound understanding of righteousness.

At this time, he felt Chu Mu's self-defeating.

His cowardice, his evasion, and his pain all surround and linger on Mulan Pipa.

Because the stamen pipa that was mortgaged and redeemed ten years ago failed to save her mother's life.

Because the sky-high priced pipa that appeared in the auction house ten years later touched his anger and resentment.

"Chu Mu, are you afraid?"

Zhong Ying's eyes were bright, and he looked directly at the Austrian with a deep silhouette in front of him, "You are afraid to see Chu Huai, and prove yourself wrong all along."

Chu Mu looked slightly stunned, and stared at the young man who spoke his mind in disbelief.

Yes, he was afraid.

He grew up with Chu Huai, and his relationship with Chu Huai was even stronger than that of his busy mother.

All along, he refused to hear any news about Chu Huai, because he knew that as long as he saw Chu Huai, he would forgive Chu Huai for his decision ten years ago.

However, after forgiving Chu Huai, the person who mortgaged Mulan Pipa back then became extremely ridiculous.

It seems that he doesn't know the pipa, doesn't know how to inherit it, doesn't know that the Mulan pipa is far better than life, and it can't be used to save others but only himself.

Chu Mu didn't speak, he stood there quietly, staring at Zhong Ying.

However, the movement on their side has already caused the bar to be ready to move, the guests are all talking in low voices, and even the electronic music is accompanied by whispers.

The bartender couldn't understand the dispute between the three of them in Chinese. Seeing that everyone was silent, he hurriedly asked in German:

"Do you need to help you call the police?"

"unnecessary."

Chu Mu patted his collar, his voice was distorted and gloomy, and he answered Zhong Ying, "I'm not wrong."

"My mother grew up with the sound of the pipa, so why not me? When I was young, the Mulan Pipa belonged to my mother and my sister. Since I became sensible, the Mulan Pipa has belonged to me."

With a deep voice, he finally made a decision, "I will never forgive Chu Huai, you want me to see her, right? See you at the musical instrument store tomorrow."

Chu Mu sneered, not knowing who he was laughing at.

He lowered his eyes, took out the cigarette case, turned around and left a sigh-like sarcasm.

"Maybe I went to see her and she died."

The noise and dispute subsided, the bar was still filled with loud electronic sounds, the bartender silently collected the money, and asked enthusiastically:

"Want another drink?"

"No, thank you." Zhong Ying rejected the other party's kindness, and his eyes fell on Li Jinqiu.

This great and impulsive composer was already lying on the bar with his arms pillowed on his head, beating his head in pain with his head buried.

"Mr. Li, are you okay? What's wrong? Do you want to vomit?"

His gentle and eager question caused Li Jinqiu to turn his head and look at him with narrowed eyes.

"I'm fine..." If the voice had been stronger, Zhong Ying would have believed that he was fine.

He held his head in pain, "I'll sleep here...you don't have to worry about me...a small problem..."

Li Jinqiu exuded the aroma of wine, and he didn't know whether it was the original smell of the bar or the smell of alcohol in his words.

Even the bartender smiled and reminded Zhong Ying when he saw him like this, even if he didn't understand Chinese.

"Take good care of him tonight, maybe he won't be able to get up for two days."

Before it was dark, Zhong Ying carried Li Jinqiu back to the hotel.

This composer is probably Zhong Ying's lifetime, and he has seen a large number of drunks who are the most able to hold on and the most able to quibble.

While saying "I'm not drunk, I'm just sleepy", he pushed Zhong Ying away and leaned against the corner of a street in Vienna, preparing to sleep on the ground.

Fortunately, Zhong Ying half-coaxed and half-persuaded him, and threw him back on the bed.

In the room belonging to Zhong Ying, a drunk man reeked of alcohol slept in it.

As soon as he touched the soft pillow, he immediately opened his eyes slightly vigilantly, staring at Zhong Ying with his dark eyes half dreamy and half awake.

"Mr. Li?" Zhong Ying asked in a low voice, "Are you still awake?"

Li Jinqiu didn't speak. Hearing the words, he seemed to confirm who the person in front of him was, and then closed his eyes wearily.

He frowned, as if he thought the light was too bright, and stretched out his hand to cover his eye sockets.

Zhong Ying reached out and turned off the bedside lamp, laughing out loud in the dark night.

"Thank you, Brother Qiu."

Early the next morning, Zhong Ying carried the pipa case and waited for Chu Mu, who arrived late, at the gate of the Chu Musical Instrument Store.

He was wearing a sweatshirt, came empty-handed, smoking a cigarette as always, and didn't appear to be visiting at all.

Chu Mu swept his gaze and asked, "Is Li Jinqiu here?"

Zhong Ying said with a smile: "That wine is too strong, he is still sleeping."

After Chu Mu listened, most of the pent-up anger from last night finally dissipated, and the corners of his lips curled up happily, "He's really good, he didn't get dragged to gastric lavage, it's his luck."

After finishing speaking, his eyes fell on the piano box, and he asked knowingly: "What did you take?"

Zhong Ying picked up the violin case and said, "Stamen Pipa."

Chu Mu doesn't like talking about pipa, it's not that he doesn't like Mulan pipa.

The stamen pipa in Zhong Ying's hand is a musical instrument that he has learned for nearly 15 years. The pipa has long been a part of him. According to his mother's teachings, he maintains it carefully and plays it every day.

He knows every inch of carving and every string on it, if it is not for his mother, he would not be willing to mortgage it.

At that time, Chu Mu was not familiar with the musical instrument store in Vienna, only the Chinese musical instrument store at the end of Kemberser Street.

There are so many pipas and erhus inside, it's not like a musical instrument shop in Austria, but a bit like it's in China.

The boss is a man of righteousness, and when he heard that his mother was seriously ill, he immediately accepted the pipa and offered a high price of 50 euros.

He told Chu Mu, "This pipa must be very important to you. You can redeem it at any time, and I won't charge you any interest."

The kindness of the boss made them friends.

It's a pity that Chu Huai took the original 50 Euros to redeem the stamen pipa, and sent the pistil pipa to Chu's musical instrument store.

Said it was the mother's last wish.

Since then, Chu Mu still dusted and tuned the pistil pipa, but hung it high and never played it again.

Because the magnolia flower carved with the pistil is Chu Huai's pipa.

Sometimes he thinks—

Mother's last wish, perhaps because he thought that he had hurt the feelings of the instrument by taking the stamen pipa as a mortgage, so she decided to give him the pistil so that he would not dare to sell his sister's pipa casually.

The feelings of a pipa...

Every time Chu Mu thought of this, he would smile.

It far surpasses the feelings of living people like them.

Not long after, the familiar apartment appeared beside the street.

Zhong Ying walked over and rang the doorbell, appearing to be more active than he, the Chu family.

Chu Mu stood a little far away, looking up at the dilapidated walls of the apartment, familiar cracks.

This is where he grew up, but he hasn't been able to open the door for ten years, and the key has been thrown away somewhere.

Soon, the door opened.

Godroy looked at Zhong Ying in surprise, and before he could speak, he saw an unexpected person.

"Chu Mu!"

Chu Mu frowned, and didn't intend to say hello to his brother-in-law. He was thinking of pushing the door and going in when there were hurried footsteps.

"Xiaomu is back?"

The gentle Chinese is an accent he has never forgotten for ten years.

Chu Mu's back was tense, and he subconsciously wanted to turn around and run away, but his feet were nailed to the spot again.

He didn't know how to face Chu Huai.

He rehearsed the reunion with Chu Huai millions of times in his mind, and it shouldn't be him returning home and hearing his sister's expectant cry.

However, what appeared in front of the door was an old woman with a haggard look who seemed to be five or sixty years old.

Her hair was disheveled, she was wearing old and white cotton home clothes, her eyes glanced at Chu Mu blankly, and she asked in a low voice, "Where's Xiao Mu?"

Chu Mu didn't even dare to recognize this as his own sister.

In my memory, Chu Mu has smooth black hair, delicate eyebrows and eyes, and lips are always stained with beautiful light pink.

She was as beautiful as her mother when she was young. When she put on the cheongsam unique to the land of the East, she also looked like the grandmother Zheng Wanqing in the old photos.

"Sister." He called softly, his tone full of disbelief.

It's a pity that those tired and blank eyes looked at him like a stranger.

The expression on his face was completely devoid of the excitement and joy of seeing his own brother.

"Honey, let's go in and talk slowly."

Seeing this, Godero embraced Chu Huai and led him to the living room.

While walking in, Chu Huai said anxiously: "I have to go find Xiao Mu. He ran out in anger last night and hasn't come back yet. I'm worried about him."

"Let him be angry, he's just a child."

Godroy's coaxing, just like what Zhong Ying had heard, was verbatim.

"Anyway, he will be back in two days after going out to play, and he has to go to school on Monday."

He skillfully took his wife to sit down, brought her water and medicine, and repeated the lie in a relaxed tone, but the place changed from the bedroom to the living room.

Zhong Ying saw Chu Mu stunned at the door, and reminded in a low voice: "She had a car accident in three years, and her brain was left with blood clots. Half a year ago, she had headaches, memory loss, and a brain tumor was found."

Chu Mu moved slowly, he could hear every word Godro said, and he could hear Huai's answer more clearly.

"My mother and father specifically told me to take good care of him before going out."

"I shouldn't quarrel with him. It's been a night. Where can he go?"

"It's too dangerous outside. He's only ten years old. What if he encounters danger."

ten years old.

Chu Mu, who was already 30 years old, almost forgot that he had quarreled with Chu Huai when he was ten years old.

He stared at Chu Huai who was taking medicine in pain, and murmured:

"Except for blood clots and brain tumors..."

"No other symptoms, but blood clots and brain tumors compressing nerves, memory areas are damaged."

Zhong Ying looked at him and realized why Chu Huai couldn't recognize Chu Mu.

"So, her memory stays at the age of 23."

The 23-year-old Chu Huai only knew the ten-year-old Chu Mu.

A ten-year-old boy will not be like Chu Mu, who looks mature, wears a sloppy sweatshirt, is unshaven and too lazy to shave, and smells like cigarettes.

Maybe, he will keep a cool crew cut, maybe, he will wear his favorite hip-hop outfit.

She is full of energy all day long, and when she sees Chu Huai, she will call out in a high-pitched voice: "Sister!"

It made Chu Huai feel soft.

Memory can go back in time, but life can only move forward forever.

Chu Mu walked to the living room, stood by the sofa, frowned and said, "Sister, I'm Chu Mu."

Chu Huai, who had treated him as a stranger just now, was shocked and surprised.

Chu Huai didn't ask, but turned to look at her husband.

"Godero, what joke are you playing with your friend again, is today April Fool's Day?"

Godero spread his hands and sat innocently beside his wife, "Honey, I know it's hard to believe, but you have to listen to me—"

He pointed to the tall 30-year-old man beside the sofa, "He is Chu Mu, your real brother."

The apartment became very quiet, and Chu Mu saw that Chu Huai's gaze passed over his face and fell back on Godello.

Her face was pale, and she had a long-term headache and insomnia look, and she was in more and more pain.

"Are you having a headache?" Godero asked nervously, watching his words and expressions.

Chu Huai suddenly stood up from the sofa, not to say hello to Chu Mu, nor to answer Godroy's concern, and went straight to the entrance, and was about to go out.

"Chu Huai! Where are you going?" Godello hurriedly stopped her.

"I shouldn't have believed your nonsense."

She stretched out her hand to push Godro away, "Something must have happened to Xiao Mu, otherwise you wouldn't play this kind of trick! Get out of the way!"

"Chu Huai, he is Chu Mu, he is right there, listen to me."

The dispute at the door almost turned into Godroy's pleading.

He hugged Chu Huai heartbrokenly and refused to let go, fearing that his wife would run out and have an accident.

"You have a headache now. You just took the medicine. Can you wait a little longer?"

As he spoke, he promised in a compromised way: "I'll accompany you to find it, and I'll accompany you to find it."

Chu Mu was stunned, and he even suspected that Godello was acting with Chu Huai.

But Chu Huai's worry and Chu Huai's pain cannot be faked.

His old face was the evidence of suffering from illness, and he could see that Chu Huai was frowning at this moment, enduring a headache, and still stubbornly wanted to find him.

Chu Mu did not expect such a situation.

In his imagination, he just saw a patient lying on the bed, weakly attacking his conscience with words.

But Chu Huai's language was resonant.

She said: "Xiao Mu can't have an accident, he's only ten years old!"

There was not even a word of condemnation or showing weakness, but Chu Mu felt sore in his heart, his throat choked up, and he wished he could grab her hand and tell her seriously: I don't deserve you.

Suddenly, a figure ran past him.

Zhong Ying didn't know when he took out the stamen pipa and chased after it.

"Ms. Chu Huai."

The young man's fingers lightly plucked the strings, and the clear sound was enough to attract Chu Huai's attention.

"Your brother, does he always carry this pipa?"

Chu Huai held Godero's hand, and the torture of headache made her look dazed, but she still recognized the stamen lute.

"This is the stamen magnolia."

She pushed Godro away and walked in front of Zhong Ying, "Why is Xiao Mu's pipa in your hand?"

Zhong Ying is thinking about making up some lies to stabilize Chu Huai.

But a sudden remark interrupted his thinking.

"Because your younger brother said he didn't dare to come back, for fear that you would be angry."

Chu Mu said, and walked to Zhong Ying's side.

With red eyes and self-mockery, he took the stamen pipa that he hadn't seen in ten years.

"He asked us to come and see you, and he will come back when you stop being angry."

Chu Huai's haggard face glowed with a gleam of light.

"I won't be angry with him." She stared at the pipa and whispered in a trance, "I'm my sister, I have to take good care of him..."

Chu Mu sat on the edge of the sofa, looking down and adjusting the unfamiliar pipa strings in his hand.

Holding the light brown pipa horizontally, he gently plucked the melody engraved in his soul following the familiar fingering in his memory.

Standing there, Zhong Ying could hear the strings vibrating, and the pipa stumbling with Chu Mu's stiff fingers, making a unique tone.

It was not a smooth piece of music, let alone pleasant to the ear.

But this lacked the key overtones and chanting tunes, which fell into Zhong Ying's ears and awakened a clear memory.

Chu Mu played "The Song of Mulan".

Chu Shuming and Zheng Wanqing reorganized and revised the score, and recorded it in the Yiyin Yashe. It was not affected by modern fingering. The original "Mulan Song"——

His fingering is stiff, and he has to look at the pipa strings when turning notes and pressing frets.

But the tunes he played are long and profound, and he has devoted nearly 30 years of emotion. He played the pipa most familiar to him in his life.

Flicking with both fingertips, he said, "My grandfather has no older sons, and Mulan has no older brothers. I would like to be a saddle horse for the market, and I will take it for my grandfather from now on."

Then play pick, hook and wipe, and play "Sister Wen's sister is coming, and the red makeup is done at the household; younger brother Wen sister is coming, sharpen the knife to pigs and sheep."

Chu Mu's memory was revived bit by bit in "The Song of Mulan".

The elder sister's 23 years old was Chu Mu's unforgettable childhood.

He was only ten years old at that time, and he liked his sister more than his mother, because his sister would take him skiing and take him to the Danube.

I will also play nice pipa music with him.

Chu Mu played the stamen pipa sideways from the Nanpa in primary school.

Once playing with Chu Huai, he held the pipa upright like his sister, and wanted to play his part of "Mulan Song".

He said, "Why is my pipa different from yours?"

His eyes were shining brightly, and he felt that Chu Huai, who was playing the pipa vertically, had a beautiful posture.

"Sister, I want to be like you."

The intermittent melody in the apartment finally came to an end.

Chu Mu hugged the stamen pipa and said shyly: "After so many years, I can't even play "Mulan Ci" well."

When he looked up, he saw Chu Huai staring at him blankly, with tears streaming down his face.

"Xiaomu..."

Chu Huai cried sadly, as if all the lost memories came back.

She covered her cheeks, and with the pain of losing her mother and the sadness of breaking up with her brother, she howled in a low voice:

"This is the Song of Mulan that only Xiaomu and I can play."

Chu Mu's eyes were red, he put down the pipa, raised his hand and pushed Godro away.

He hugged Chu Huai and sat back on the sofa, holding a tissue to help Chu Huai wipe away his endless tears.

Chu Huai had aged dozens of years, and was no longer the young and elegant person he remembered.

Gray hair, wrinkles, smell of medicine.

Chu Huai was only 42 years old, and she was exactly the same as Chu Zhiya when she died in Chu Mu's memory.

Exactly the same pain.

Exactly the same haggard.

Worrying about him exactly the same.

Chu Mu finally realized the reason why he dared not go home.

Because his sister is more and more like his mother.

Hearing Chu Huai's unstoppable sobs, he silently burst into tears.

"Sister, don't worry about me anymore, I'm already thirty."