Chapter 94: The Selection from a Foreign Land

  As a student of the Central Conservatory of Music, Li Xuejiao, who had studied the yangqin for twelve years, was beautiful and slender in appearance. Whether at school or at work, she was always the center of attention, but this attention usually focused on her looks rather than her professional skills as a yangqin player.

  Li Xuejiao also has her own dreams.

  Want to make money, want to stand out, want to see a wider world and broader sky.

  But reality often doesn't live up to expectations.

  China has its own music system, Erhu Pipa Dizi Yangqin Guzheng... Although Li Xuejiao thinks that her professional skills are not inferior to those who study Western music, the reality is cruel. Folk music can only be played in a small area at home, and if it relies solely on strength, it would be a good result for them to become national first-class actors before retirement. As for going abroad and competing like those who study Western music? It's better not to dream about it.

  Li Xuejiao has won the gold medal in the annual folk music competition of the Central Conservatory of Music. At her age, she is almost unbeatable on the yangqin. Her teachers and seniors at school also have high expectations for her, predicting that after graduating from the conservatory, she will earn a high income of at least 1,000 yuan.

  For a folk music worker who has just graduated from school and joined the workforce, this treatment is already a very high category.

  But Li Xuejiao wasn't too happy, because people are afraid of comparisons. She knew a boy about her age who studied the violin. When Li Xuejiao won the city's Yangqin championship, that boy's violin only got seventh place in the city competition. When Li Xuejiao entered the national music academy, that boy went to a provincial-level music academy. When Li Xuejiao won the gold medal at the national competition, that boy... barely passed the preliminary round. In the final round, he was almost eliminated in the first batch.

  Although the competition for violin is more intense than traditional instruments, in any case, Li Xuejiao is not on the same level as that boy.

  But a few days ago, after seeing that boy, he was hit by cruel reality.

  The boy had already found a job in the province with a monthly salary of about 1,000 yuan. From this point of view, there is no gap between the two people, but the boy said he also found two part-time tutoring jobs! Four times a week, two hours each time, one hundred yuan per hour, and four weeks would be 1,600 yuan for just eight hours of tutoring! Li Xuejiao was envious when she heard this, but she had no way to do the same, as she is currently learning violin. There are too many children learning piano, but how about those learning guqin? From previous information from school, the guqin class in school is almost impossible to continue!

  "Why? Why should I lose to him just because he studies Western music, while I study folk music? It's not fair! With such great folk music, why do we have to chase after the so-called Western music invented by foreigners?" She was indignant, but she had no way out.

  At home, there is no lack of burden either. From the moment they graduate from school, they must participate in work. As for the content and location of the work, it's simple, just various provincial and national orchestras. Their path has been 100% determined since they chose to play folk music.

  "Graduation... work... marriage... having children... taking the kids to the youth palace... the kids graduate... the kids get jobs... the kids get married... taking care of the kids' kids..." Li Xuejiao leaned on the table, listlessly plucking at the strings, thinking about her own miserable future.

  But even so, she never thought of giving up the piano in front of her.

  Because she likes it, she likes folk music, likes the pleasant and melodious rhythm that comes from plucking the strings. She actually wants to introduce this melody to others. She had done so before, when she was in school, a boy became interested in what she was learning, and she enthusiastically played the piano for him, introducing the instrument, introducing how it coordinates with other instruments... The feeling of meeting someone who understands at that time made her unforgettable.

  But soon she discovered a problem, what the other party was really interested in was not the yangqin nor folk music, but actually herself...

  That boy is quite handsome, fair and slender, but Li Xuejiao still has a kind of uncomfortable feeling as if she accidentally ate an insect. If you like me, just come and tell me directly, why bother flirting with me? Do you know how much happiness and expectation I paid for your hypocritical liking?

  Leaving the boy's choice, Li Xuejiao made a very decisive and ruthless move, slapping him with a loud and clear slap, which attracted the attention of many classmates around her. However, she had no regrets at all, she wanted to make those who dared to desecrate the most important thing in her heart pay their own price!

  Yes, she is such a strong girl, although now she just found out that her strength seems to be of little use. No matter how hard she tries, it seems that the trajectory of her life has already been determined. Her mother was like this, she is like this, and her child will also be like this. She doesn't want to be like this, but she can only be like this, because from childhood to adulthood, all she ever learned was how to play the yangqin.

  She can't go into business, she can't sing and release albums, and she can't work in an office.

  "My life seems to have been carved out already, and my future... also seems to be predetermined." Li Xuejiao thought sorrowfully.

  "Hey, what's wrong with your legs!?" someone shouted. Li Xuejiao is 174 cm tall and weighs only 99 pounds, her legs are white and straight, the nickname given by her friends is more like envy than teasing.

  "What's going on?" Li Xuejiao asked.

  "It seems like someone has come to pick up the actors for Min Le's performance." The friend replied.

  "Pick an actor? What for?" Li Xuejiao asked curiously.

  "I don't know either, if it was in the past, someone should have told us."

  Li Xuejiao, with a head full of fog, followed her friends to the classroom. At the entrance of the classroom, she first saw three men with different expressions.

  A middle-aged man with marks of the years on his face, a man less than forty years old standing in the middle seems to be the leader, and another young man holding a notebook is ready to write something at any time.

  "Let me introduce you, these three comrades are from Japan. The purpose of this visit is to select a few students to go to Japan for performances. In terms of salary and benefits, it's absolutely unimaginable wealth, everyone must seize this opportunity." said the school teacher.

  Going to Japan? The salary is very generous? Li Xuejiao's heart warmed up, this seems like a great opportunity.

  It was Mr. Inoue and others who came to the school to select people, and newcomer agent Zhang Yu followed Inoue to Beijing to handle contract matters, while another "man in his 40s", naturally, was Wang Guanghai, a very powerful Japanese folk music artist.

  The three people who arrived in Beijing had already selected half of the members of the Twelve Girls Band, but they still couldn't find a girl who was satisfactory to all three and pretty enough to be the face of the band. This kind of girl was someone that Zhou Xiao had taken special care of when he brought the three people over. As for Wang Guang Hai, after spending several years in Japan, he had already become accustomed to the Japanese way of thinking. It was clear that making the Twelve Girls Band was not about Zhou Xiao wanting to promote his country's folk music, but rather just about making money or gaining fame.

  So, he also understands why Zhou Xiao must choose a beautiful one to come out, of course, Zhou Xiao has also taken care of him specially. Being beautiful is a must, but if there's no level, it's absolutely not okay. And his role, of course, is to help the two Zhou Xiao company personnel present who are ignorant of music decide which person is enough to go to Japan.

  In fact, they have been to many places and selected many people. The troupes of various regions and countries are their focus, but disappointingly, although they have visited many such places, there are very few people who can satisfy them. Now the music academy may be their last stop.

  "Nowadays music academies don't know what level they are at, hopefully can find someone who is up to the task..." Wang Guanghai thought as he looked at the girls entering in a line.