Liu Quanhai nodded, “Alright then, what shall we perform? I’ll support you with a segment?”
But Qi Shejiang shook his head, “No time to coordinate lines; I’ll just do a solo act.”
…
Qi Shejiang took a moment to prepare in the backstage and borrowed some “equipment.”
After twenty minutes, it was time for Qi Shejiang to go on stage. Liu Quanhai and the others led Xia Yiwei into the private box to watch.
Someone was announcing from the front, “Solo comedy performance, performer: Jesse.”
Staff moved a table forward, with props like clappers and folding fans placed on it.
Qi Shejiang was still in his usual outfit, walking steadily to the front of the stage.
They were supposed to be announcing a solo performance, but could this person really do a solo act?
He was young and handsome, with a foreign name; it seemed a bit strange for him to perform comedy.
As they exchanged whispers, they knew all about his performances on TV.
In the box, Liu Quanhai and Xia Yiwei observed the audience, who were all murmuring quietly, holding their breath as they watched Qi Shejiang; they could anticipate the difficulty for Qi Shejiang in performing comedy—it was because he was too good-looking!
Then Qi Shejiang stood still, scanned the audience, and opened his mouth to recite: “Lonely mountains move, wine brings sorrow, frost fills the night that keeps me awake. A mud man speaks of ghosts, let’s discuss these… right and wrong!”
With a crisp “bang!” the clapper hit the table, and the venue fell silent, no more clamor.
This was called a grounding poem, recited by performers of solo comedy or storytelling right after they took the stage to gather the audience’s attention, usually prefacing a few lines of poetry.
The content could be lyrical, introduce the story later, or even come with jokes, making it entertaining.
Qi Shejiang enunciated clearly, his voice melodious and resonant, yet not harsh, with a very steady stage presence; as he spoke word by word, the audience could not help but stop their chatter, slowly quieting down as Qi Shejiang finished the verse, one by one falling silent.
With a final clap of the clapper, a sharp sound pierced the silence, and the poem captivated the whole audience!
Chapter Six
