Burying Flowers
"Yi? Liu Qingyan?"
Li Qingshan also turned his head seeing her, astonishingly opening his mouth.
"You know her?" Chen Ling asked.
"Have seen a few times, she is also from our Willow Town." Li Qingshan slightly nodded, "Her family before was doing silk business. Although not considered immensely wealthy, but life passing also wasn't bad. However heard later seemingly had some matters occurring... After her father died, the family owed huge debts. The relatives and friends previously attaching to their family all ran away, all at once falling into the abyss.
I remember last year winter time, she still one person dragging a cart, braving the heavy snow going door to door knocking doors selling silk. At that time she was only sixteen or seventeen years old?
Sigh... at that time our family's living situation also wasn't too good, otherwise, I more or less had to buy a little."
Chen Ling slightly nodded, looking at the young girl's moving forward back figure, thoughtful.
Liu Qingyan kept her head lowered, seemingly fundamentally didn't dare lift head to look at people. Staggeringly passing through the aisle, silently sitting down on the most marginal audience seats.
"Number 16? Where is the person of number 16??"
Liu Qingyan's body slightly trembled, both hands supporting the chair again slowly stood up. Holding that plate of "number 16", taking strides with both legs as much as possible fast running towards the Stage.
"I... I'm here." She said softly.
"Why so slow-moving? Quickly go up to Performance, don't waste everyone's time."
A judge coldly opened his mouth.
Liu Qingyan step by step walked On Stage. At this moment she wore a dark bluish-black wide-sleeved upper garment, lower body was a piece of over-knee black pleated skirt. Hair was braided into slender few wisps scattering on shoulders, along with her paces slightly fluttering.
She walked to the Stage center. Her gaze sweeping across the front row judge seats, seeing the appearance of a few people among them. Her body slightly trembled, immediately lowering her head down.
"Number 16 Liu Qingyan, what are you still waiting for??" Seeing her delaying not starting, the judge became increasingly irritated.
Liu Qingyan took a deep breath, forcing herself to close both eyes... The next moment, she moved.
Her slender arms lightly swayed, like peeling open the lotus flowers in the water, swaying producing postures in the gentle breeze. The black pleated skirt along with light footsteps rotated On Stage. As if an elf lightly dancing on the bluestone slab road, tugging the hearts of all Audience.
Completely different from number 15's coquettishly showing off. Even if it was Chen Ling, could also see out this girl's dancing talent was absolutely excellent. Every dance step falling down, all naturally formed. At this moment the entire audience seats were all attracted by her movements, even breathing all lightened down.
Hazy black braided hair scattered in movements, Liu Qingyan seemingly was already intoxicated within. Her figure softly fell backwards, naturally outlining a young girl's curves. Not impetuous not enchanting, yet had a kind of soul-hooking aesthetic feeling.
"Such beautiful dance." Even Li Qingshan couldn't help but praise, "She simply was born for dancing... Even in the Red Dust Main City, people able to jump as good as her, should also not be many right?"
Applicants on the side also started whispering, seemingly all shocked for Liu Qingyan.
The few judges Off Stage, also blanked on the spot. Seemingly didn't expect Liu Qingyan's dance was actually jumped this well. But subsequently their gazes looking towards that young girl On Stage then became increasingly fiery up.
Along with Liu Qingyan's dance steps gradually speeding up, more and more high difficulty movements joined within. Just when she prepared to lightly leap, a burst of powerlessness then transmitted from her legs,
Plop——!
The fluttering young girl under the greedy and lascivious gazes of a few people, ultimately still failed to leap up, heavily falling headlong onto the ground.
This muffled sound awakened everyone from immersion. They shockingly looked at the young girl's figure falling On Stage, exactly like an injured small deer curling into a ball. Under the messy black hair strands, that pale face under the lamplight didn't have the slightest trace of blood color...
Even so, nobody went up to support her. The few judges sat at the very front. Fiery gazes exactly like bone-scraping knives cutting past her body. After seeing her fall down scattered, instead became even more excited.
Liu Qingyan took this entire scene into her eyes. Her hands supporting her body unconsciously grabbed tightly. In her eyes surfaced thick unwillingness and anger,
She pursed her lips, with difficulty climbing up from the ground. Her knees had already been smashed black and blue, but still staggeringly completed the Performance... She ultimately full body of injuries standing On Stage, deeply bowing to the crowd below.
Applause sounded!
"Comprehensive score 6.5. Congratulations on passing."
Along with this sound sounding, Liu Qingyan silently walked Off Stage down. She kept her head lowered, still didn't dare look at anyone eye to eye. Only when passing by Chen Ling's side, the two people's gazes converged for an instant.
Chen Ling looking at Liu Qingyan's leaving staggering back figure, fine lights flickered in his eyes.
Liu Qingyan's passing, didn't exceed Chen Ling's expectations. Compared with applicants like Li Qingshan who hadn't seen clearly the situation, this girl not only herself possessed talent, but also had insight into the darkness within, even had courage to take this step... Chen Ling didn't have the slightest contempt or disdain towards her. Exactly on the contrary, he very much admired this girl.
Talent, intelligence and decisiveness, simultaneously appearing on the body of a seventeen-year-old girl. But this also meant, she will endure painful torture far exceeding ordinary people.
The next few contestants all had nothing to look at. Li Qingshan also because it was about to be his turn, continuously nervously reviewing on the side. Every line of dialogue, every movement, all strove for perfection.
Finally, he walked On Stage amidst the judges' shouts.
Seeing his full body of Theatrical Robe, and exquisite "Sheng Role" makeup modeling. The few judges then lowered their eyelids, fundamentally didn't have the meaning of looking directly.
"What era is it already, who still watches traditional opera..."
"Yeah, now it's all singing and dancing holding sway, facial appearance holding sway. Not many people love listening to people babbling and crooning anymore."
"This year's headquarters quota has come down. Among the twelve quotas, the quota for traditional opera only occupies one... even can have none. I see this time other people also have not a few good seedlings, how about..."
"I also have this view. Now walking this road, very hard to become a famous star, earning money is even more don't think about it."
"Those few old fellows in the Main City, are all also fast not gonna make it..."
"This Li Qingshan, has already continuously come for four years right? Why still so ignorant?"
"I see his appearance is also not bad, Xiaosheng Role ma, hehe... It's a pity I hinted to him before, he seemingly fundamentally couldn't understand. Truly a fool, giving him opportunities is all useless."
"Right, why hasn't Supervisor Sun come yet? What time is it already..."
"..."
Li Qingshan standing On Stage, couldn't hear clearly what these people were saying. Only setting up a good posture, taking a deep breath. Bright and sonorous Opera Vocals were extremely penetrating, clearly echoing in every corner of the venue.
"Flowers fade and flowers fly, flying fulling the sky,
Red disappears and fragrance breaks, who will take pity;
Hand holding the flower hoe going out of the embroidered curtain,
How can bear to again step on the fallen flower sky fallen flower sky..." (Note 1)
The judges had no one listening. Off Stage also only had very few sparse people watching. Other people's casual chatting sounds and opening voice sounds were rising and falling outside the door, incomparably noisy.
But even so, Li Qingshan still straightened his back. Eyes full of tender feelings, voice after voice clear and bright. One person's penetrative power suppressed all noises. Performing On Stage as if there was no one else, intoxicated within.
Among the busy crowd, Chen Ling draped in a suit of Great Crimson Theatrical Robe, quietly looked at Li Qingshan, in his eyes flashed past a smear of complexity.
Along with Li Qingshan's performance exhausting his emotions ending, a cold voice also followed sounding up:
"Comprehensive score 3, next one."
Li Qingshan On Stage slightly trembled.
Above the Stage without anyone paying attention, that suit of blue clothes stood for a long time,
He self-mockingly laughed, not fast not slow, facing the crowd Off Stage bowing a bow...
...
Note 1: Taken from "Song of Burying Flowers"