Chapter Ten “Jesse, it’s fine.” Li Jing patted Qi Shejiang’s shoulder, “Just consider the other one as a freebie.” For the first time, Qi Shejiang experienced what it means to live in a world that judges by appearances; he was left speechless. Xia Yiwai pondered and said, “Your accent has completely gone awry…” Li Jing: “……” Xia Yiwai wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t mentioned it; he had been dealing with Teacher Meng and others for the collaboration recently, and that Beijing dialect was truly infectious. Qi Shejiang borrowed Li Jing’s phone to look at the trending topics and the keyword-related Weibo posts, and he was utterly baffled. At least he could guess his way through the news and newspapers, but these online comments were like a cipher; even more frightening were the posts calling him “husband.”
Even eight or nine decades ago, there were people who flaunted their talents; growing up in a Peking opera troupe, he had seen much more. But the lavish spending and calling someone “husband” were things he had truly never encountered; the times have really changed.
“By the way, Jesse.” Li Jing seemed to have given up on correcting him, calling him Jesse repeatedly, “You need to prepare for your new show, okay?”
Qi Shejiang nodded; through digesting what he had in his memory and the knowledge he learned from various sources, and with this experience gained in the TV station, he was cautious and thought he wouldn’t slip up while participating in activities.
He and Xia Yiwai had a clear chat; Xia Yiwai would support him in doing crosstalk, but he also needed to heed their suggestions and join some programs to maintain his exposure.
Moreover, Qi Shejiang had long realized that the current industry was in a downturn; it’s not like before when the social climate was bad and artists had low status; it’s that there were simply fewer audiences now.
He hadn’t arrived in the most prosperous era of crosstalk, but no matter what, he wouldn’t give up; this is his connection to this time and space.
Initially wanting to lament that he could clearly rely on his looks, but he insisted on doing crosstalk, everyone thought a reversal or slap in the face was coming, yet in reality, the bigger impact of that program was unexpectedly Qi Shejiang’s appearance that day. Of course, it ultimately did change the perception of Qi Shejiang quite a bit; it was just strange why he would be willing to take a vase-like script. Some media outlets interviewed professionals in the crosstalk field, and they all stated that his performance was quite good, especially for “outsiders”; no wonder he could collaborate with Meng Jingyuan.
The crowd doesn’t think it’s strange; in their minds, Qi Shujiang is just crossing boundaries to perform stand-up comedy. The performance was very successful, washing away the shame of being a flower vase, but who would believe he would eat stand-up comedy for a living? No one thought about it.
Meng Jingyuan and Zeng Wen saw this interview and couldn’t help but smile wryly. Before this, Meng Jingyuan had tried probing the reactions of some colleagues.
“Even if Qi Shujiang performs well, as long as he doesn’t have a background or a master, he’s just an amateur.”
The aftermath of the incident at the show still hasn’t been settled, and internal news has surfaced.
There was a rumor that Qi Shujiang’s rebuke of Zhang Yue was improvised, but many people didn’t believe it, thinking it must have been scripted. Now there’s another rumor that Qi Shujiang and Zhang Yue had a verbal altercation backstage before going on stage, which might have been the trigger for Qi Shujiang’s improvised rebuke.
This reason is more believable, and many people have accepted it.
Netizens are discussing whether Zhang Yue and Qi Shujiang would fight, who would win.
Some say Zhang Yue has his team, which is like having four against one, so he would definitely win, but it wouldn’t be fair.
Others laughed and said Qi Shujiang was also accompanied by his partner and mother when he went on stage.
This brings up the topic of whether Zhang Yue and Qi Shujiang could use their instruments as weapons in a fight.
Entertainment news has also picked up on this rumor and is eager to get a statement from Zhang Yue.
Zhang Yue was already under a lot of pressure and wasn’t willing to talk to the media, so he just walked away.
The reporter came back and wrote that Zhang Yue looked upset when he heard the name “Qi Shujiang”.
From now on, everyone expects that there will be a confrontation between Zhang Yue and Qi Shujiang. Will they end up fighting with their instruments? Will it be a battle of wits? The drama is unfolding.
Meanwhile, Qi Shujiang has been getting a lot of attention from the media and fans. He’s now seen as the main character in this drama.
One of Zeng Wen’s students asked Qi Shujiang if he knew any other skills besides stand-up comedy. “You have so many hidden talents,” he said. “What else do you know?”
Qi Shujiang thought for a moment and said, “Actually, I know some traditional stand-up comedy techniques that have been passed down through generations. I can teach you some of them if you want.”
The performers were all excited to learn from Qi Shujiang. They had never heard of traditional stand-up comedy before.
In the past, stand-up comedians would often start by singing traditional songs like “Peaceful Lyrics” (Tai Ping Ge Li) before performing their stand-up routines. Qi Shujiang pulled out two wooden blocks and began to play a simple melody on them. He cleared his throat and started to sing in a clear voice. The performers watched in awe as Qi Shujiang sang with such ease and confidence. Qi Shejiang tapped on the bamboo clapper and sang, “Leisurely wandering the five mountains, playing in the four seas, in the depths of smoke and mist lies a spiritual realm. Riding on a green lyre, mounted on a white crane, a lone traveler from Kunlun awakens. The immortals of the three realms all yield to him; born to transcend, a master of fire essence…” His singing was filled with charisma, especially since this was a song from his own school.
Because Qi Shejiang had a background in Peking opera, his rendition was even richer in expression. This was somewhat of a unique singing segment, but Qi Shejiang didn’t mention this, only stating that it had been lost to history. Yet, while singing, Qi Shejiang noticed that the other actors were opening their mouths and surprisingly started singing along!
“Jiao cuts two points to conquer the heroes, Lu Ya arrives to defeat Gongming.” “First battling Yu Yuan to break the fierce formation, flying daggers slay immortals with no false name.” Just like that, they harmonized four lines, growing louder and turning into a big chorus. Qi Shejiang couldn’t help but stop, a bit stunned, and asked, “How do you all know this?” The others exchanged glances and burst into laughter. “How novel! Isn’t this ‘Lu Ya Jue Gongming’?” the actor who initially questioned him said. “Bro, you should check, shortly after the New Xia era was established, Old Man Meng even sang this on the radio. Not only do I know it, my grandfather knows it too.” Qi Shejiang: “…………” Such a well-known segment, even abroad, wouldn’t those slightly interested in this field not know about it?
