Chapter Ninety-Eight: A New Song
Chen Long shook his head. “I’m fine, everyone, don’t worry!”
A collective sigh of relief swept through the set.
Chen Long punched Jiang Yun lightly in the chest and laughed, “You brat, you’ve got a ridiculous amount of strength!”
“Hey hey.” Jiang Yun gave an awkward grin.
“Director, that counts as finishing the task, right?”
The director nodded. “Congratulations, you have completed the task!”
“Where’s my baijiu?”
A staff member brought over a bottle and handed it to the director.
“Teacher Chen Long, your liquor.”
“All right.” Chen Long took it. “Jiang Yun, keep eating. I’m fine!”
Jiang Yun and the others sat back down and continued their meal.
The little mishap was soon forgotten by everyone.
About forty minutes later, dinner was over.
“Girls do the dishes!”
“Huh?” Zhao Mai said dejectedly. “But I’m the only female guest in this episode.”
“No problem, I’ll help you!” Huang Kang said, pulling on an apron.
“Old Huang didn’t cook today, so the dishes are his job!”
“We’re going to have tea!” He Ling said.
So Jiang Yun, Chen Long, Cai Kun, and He Ling sat on the living room sofa and drank tea.
“This Pu’er tastes pretty good. Where did you buy it?” Chen Long asked.
“It was given by nearby villagers. They made the tea cakes themselves.”
Chen Long nodded. “Got any more? I’ll take some home.”
“Yes, I’ll get it for you.”
He Ling went into the kitchen, opened a cabinet, and took out a brand-new box of tea cakes.
He returned to the living room and handed them to Chen Long.
It was already eight o’clock in the evening.
“Jiang Yun, your egg waffles were really authentic! Even more authentic than the local ones!”
“You’re too kind, Brother Chen!”
“Haha!”
Huang Kang and Zhao Mai came into the living room, taking off their aprons and rubber gloves.
“You’re done already?”
“Done!”
“That fast?” Chen Long exclaimed.
“Since you’re done, you two sit down and have some tea, then we’ll start playing games!”
“Woohoo!” Zhao Mai cheered. “Finally, we get to play games!”
Huang Kang flopped down on the sofa and leaned back against it. “Let me rest a bit. Dishwashing wore me out!”
Zhao Mai and Huang Kang sat down, and the two of them joined the tea-drinking crowd.
“Hm—this tea is so bitter!” Zhao Mai’s face instantly turned into a comic expression.
“Haha!”
He Ling chuckled.
Huang Kang lifted his cup and downed it in one gulp. “Not used to it, huh?”
Zhao Mai shook her head. “Nope, not at all!”
Everyone sat in the living room, chatting and laughing.
“All right, it’s half past eight!” He Ling called out. “Let’s play a little game, then go back to our rooms and sleep!”
“Okay!” Zhao Mai was full of energy. “Is it that game where you pass around a few horses? I know the pattern!”
He Ling shook his head. “Since you know it already, we can’t play that one.”
Jiang Yun and the others asked in unison, “Then what do we play?”
“You all know the drum-and-flower-passing game, right?”
“Yeeees.”
“Then we’ll play that. The loser has to perform!”
“Okay!”
“Let’s find some open space!”
He Ling led them to a spacious clearing. “How about here?”
Everyone sat cross-legged on the floor. To He Ling’s left was Huang Kang, then Jiang Yun, then Chen Long, and beside Chen Long were Zhao Mai and Cai Kun in turn.
They formed a circle.
He Ling found a plastic water bottle and filled it with water.
“All right, we’re starting. Ready?”
He Ling closed his eyes. “Begin, one, two...”
He Ling passed the bottle to Huang Kang. Huang Kang deliberately held onto it for a moment before handing it to Jiang Yun.
“Faster, Jiang Yun, faster!” Chen Long was nervous beyond measure.
Jiang Yun copied Huang Kang and lingered with the bottle too.
“Jiang Yun, hurry up...”
“Eleven, stop!”
Jiang Yun flung the bottle straight into Chen Long’s arms!
“Jiang Yun, you...” Chen Long was left speechless, unable to find words to describe him.
Cai Kun said, “Teacher Chen, do you mean Brother Jiang Yun is way too good at screwing people over?”
After the incident at dinner, when Chen Long had swatted Cai Kun’s hand away, Cai Kun had become much more polite. If he were still acting overly familiar, he might well annoy the others.
“Yes, yes, exactly—he screwed me over right at the end! That was just too much!”
“Heh heh.” Jiang Yun laughed. “No choice. That’s what makes it fun.”
“True.” Chen Long said, “Honestly, I was so nervous just now my heart was in my throat.”
“Hehe.”
Everyone laughed.
He Ling asked, “Teacher Chen Long, have you decided what you’re going to perform?”
“I’ll sing a song.”
“Great, everyone, let’s applaud!”
The five of them clapped, and even the camera crew joined in.
“Director, put on the music!”
“What music?”
“Drunken Fist!”
“Coming right up!”
“Cough, cough!”
The rhythm began, and Chen Long stood up.
“I reel and stagger, up and down, like rolling waves.”
As he sang, Chen Long grew more and more energized and rose to his feet, beginning to throw out punches.
“A thousand grievances, brushed away with a smile,
Up I go, then down I fall,
Swaying and staggering, refusing to collapse.”
...
“Come on, then,
Keep your feet steady and relax.
When you’ve had your fill of wine, don’t sneak away.
A stick beats the tiger; the chicken eats the worm.”
...
“Good!”
Everyone applauded.
“Woohoo!” Zhao Mai clapped enthusiastically. “That got my blood pumping—I want to find someone and fight them!”
“Haha!”
Chen Long sat back down.
“No, no, wait a second!”
He Ling asked, “What’s wrong, Teacher Chen Long?”
“I want to switch places with Jiang Yun!”
“No need. This time we’ll pass counterclockwise!”
“That works too!”
“We’re starting. Ready!”
“Begin, one, two...”
He Ling passed the bottle directly to Cai Kun. Cai Kun held onto it on purpose.
Zhao Mai reached out to snatch it.
Cai Kun raised the bottle high. “Hey, you can’t reach it, can you? You can’t reach it!”
“Seven, stop!”
Whoosh!
Cai Kun hurriedly tossed the bottle to Zhao Mai, and in the instant before He Ling could react, Zhao Mai threw it straight to Chen Long.
Chen Long reacted quickly and sent it right into Jiang Yun’s arms.
“Stop! Jiang Yun!”
Jiang Yun rolled his eyes. “Fine.”
“Jiang Yun, what are you going to perform?”
“I’ll sing a song too.”
“No, I don’t want to hear a song!” Zhao Mai shook her head. “Teacher Jiang Yun, I’m tired of your songs. I hear people playing them all the time!”
“That...”
He Ling’s eyes lit up. “Oh? How about this—why don’t we have Jiang Yun sing a new song?”
“Huh? Right!” Zhao Mai realized it too.
With He Ling’s reminder, everyone started chanting for Jiang Yun to sing something new.
“New song! New song!”
“New song!”
“Everyone, say it with me: Jiang Yun!”
“New song!”
“Jiang Yun!”
“New song!”
Jiang Yun was at a loss for words.
“All right, then. I’ll sing a new song.”
“Woohoo!”
The five of them cheered, and the camera crew cheered along with them.
A member of the crew brought over a guitar.
“We get to see Jiang Yun play his clumsy guitar again!”
Jiang Yun took the guitar and began to play.
The music started.
“Woohoo! Rock and roll!”
“I’m as free as the wind.”
Clap!
Everyone applauded warmly.
“Just like your tenderness, which cannot be held back.
You push away the hands I’ve reached out,
Go on, then—better not look back.”
...
“I give you tenderness, and you refuse to take it.
I give you my hands, and the true feeling.
I give you freedom, and memories that last.
I give you everything, but I cannot stay.”
In the quiet mountain village, the song drifted through the air.
...
“I have to say, Jiang Yun’s guitar playing is really terrible!”
“All right, it’s ten-thirty. Let’s rest!”
“Woohoo, bedtime!”
Everyone hurried off to wash up, while the cameras recorded their ordinary, unguarded moments.
P.S. Thanks to Gaga-- for the one monthly ticket and nine recommendation votes!