” The audience was astonished— Qi Shejiang on stage sang continuously, executing dozens of characters in a single breath, without any pause. He sang one line after another, each word urging the next, accompanied by the rhythm of the three-string instrument, the segments rolling faster one over another. Yet every word was clear and distinct! After modifications with Zhang Yue’s assistance, the singing style became more fluid and melodic. It flowed like a string of falling jade beads, with a distinct rhythm. Qi Shejiang, trained in the craft of cross-talk, changed his breath with ease, his presence on stage as commanding as any of the masters before him. Although the lines were many, they were not rapid-fire, so he not only sang clearly and cleanly but also brought out the ups and downs, the peaks and troughs that made one exclaim in delight! The joint singing only allowed Qi Shejiang less than a minute, yet he sang until the entire audience was dumbfounded, entranced. When Qi Shejiang, with a flick of his five fingers, abruptly stopped the music, he was met with thunderous applause and cheers from the stunned audience.
Chapter 28 New Year’s Eve. At this time, the atmosphere of the New Year was quite strong.
Although it was not yet the official holiday, it happened to be a weekend, and many Chinese people chose to spend it with family and friends.
The arts stage had long released a teaser, saying that Qi Shejiang would make a stunning appearance tonight with his gentleman’s book. This was already a program the audience had been anticipating for a long time; seeing the teaser sparked memories. Not to imply false advertising, but it might be that the experts were delighted while the laymen would be left puzzled. After all, previous segments had mixed in with popular songs.
At eight o’clock, the evening program of the arts stage began.
