Chapter 38 The first solo performance by Qi Shejiang and Xu Siyu is about to open in the capital city, and they even invited the veteran of the crosstalk world, Old Man Meng, to perform alongside them. Once the performance information was made public, it immediately caused an uproar. Old Man Meng’s name is known by many Chinese people; he has left many classic works since his debut. He hasn’t appeared on stage for almost twenty years. His long-time partner has long passed away, and he himself is getting old and not in great health, leaving everyone to reminisce about his early recordings. Now, how big must Qi Shejiang’s or rather, his mentor’s reputation be, to actually invite the old man to perform? Even Old Man Meng joked about it; while he wouldn’t really be saying goodbye to the stage, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it “rare.”
It’s unlikely anyone else will have the face to have Old Man Meng on stage again in the future. Tickets for this show have skyrocketed in price among scalpers, leading them to think of many ways to curb ticket reselling. Whether it’s Qi Shejiang’s solo performance or Old Man Meng’s guest appearance, their intention was never to allow ticket prices to soar like this, making it so many of their fans wouldn’t be able to buy tickets and see the show. Old Man Meng is a genuine surprise; besides him, names like Mo Sheng, Qi Leyang, and Zhang Yue are all names people would expect. Since it’s his solo performance, some acquaintances in the industry also want to come to show support. Li Jing has reserved tickets for these friends and family, as this time the tickets are in high demand. As for the peers in the crosstalk community who want to attend, they are all coming for Old Man Meng. These arrangements will be done backstage, and they don’t need tickets.
