Chapter 88: Grandma Said Kidnapped Deng Ziqi
A gentle melody with a strong Jiangnan charm emanated from the guitar in Shen Qing’s arms. Deng Ziqi exclaimed, “It’s… quite good!”
The song I’m about to sing, Grandma Said, was written when I was in the Super Girl top 7 to 5 competition.
But it wasn’t used then.
Today is a perfect day to bring it out!
If I can make the entertainment circle’s ‘little crybaby’ Deng Ziqi cry tonight, I’ll sleep soundly with Zhang Liangying tonight, dreaming sweet dreams until dawn.
After about 13 seconds of prelude, Shen Qing slowly began to sing.
His voice was like a cool breeze brushing past in a summer evening, causing the bar patrons to involuntarily look up.
Hearing Shen Qing’s singing, Deng Ziqi’s mother’s eyes lit up, “This young man sings quite well…”
Deng Ziqi, however, was captivated by the lyrics and couldn’t move.
“Daughter, don’t be mischievous.”
“Sit down and listen to Grandma.”
“The weather turns cool this season, and there’s a lot of rain on the ground.”
“Daughter, don’t be alarmed.”
“Come and listen to Grandma.”
“After sleeping, you can see the clouds after the thunder.”
“…”
The lyrics, full of imagery and immersion, combined with Shen Qing’s warm, confiding singing style, stirred emotions in all directions.
While some might have felt indifferent, those with deep affection for their grandmothers couldn’t help but stop what they were doing and look towards Shen Qing.
Grandma…
A familiar and warm address.
One table, filled with middle-aged people in their forties and fifties, wore the most sorrowful expressions, as if recalling events from long, long ago.
At this moment.
Deng Ziqi’s nose felt a sting…
She had lived with her grandma in the alleyways of Shanghai since childhood. When her family moved to Hong Kong at the age of four, it was her grandma who took care of her. Her bond with her grandma was extremely deep.
Now, her grandma was advanced in age, and her health was declining day by day. Deng Ziqi saw this and felt the pain in her heart.
Her parents had brought her to Shanghai to visit relatives to help ease her grandma’s homesickness.
The week passed quickly, and they were returning tomorrow. The deep reluctance in her grandma’s eyes pained her, as this was likely her grandma’s last visit.
“…”
Shen Qing didn’t notice Deng Ziqi’s emotions. He was like an old phonograph full of feeling, strumming and singing softly.
“Daughter, you will grow up, you will go far, and you will feel tired.”
“Just remember how to say ‘Grandma’ in Hepo dialect.”
“…”
“Daughter, you will be confused.”
“Slow down, don’t forget.”
“Slowly, you will understand what you have lost.”
“Life’s journey is inherently a choice between gain and loss.”
“When you are lost, think about what Grandma said back then.”
“…”
The song conveyed Grandma’s heartfelt love, which was deeply moving.
Both older and younger guests could empathize.
Huang Xiaoming rubbed his eyes, “Damn it, I brought you here to drink and have fun, not to sing songs like this.”
Deng Ziqi’s eyes also blurred, but her hands on the piano became more skilled, already harmonizing with Shen Qing’s melody.
“When you are old,”
“Grandma will be gone.”
“You must remember,”
“To teach your child how to say this dialect.”
“Teach this dialect to your daughter.”
When she reached this part, Deng Ziqi heard the words ‘Grandma will be gone’ and completely lost control of her emotions.
She slumped over the piano and wept.
Deng Ziqi’s mother quickly came over to comfort her.
Shen Qing watched the talented music girl he had successfully made cry, a faint smile on his lips, and continued to sing the rest of the lyrics.
When the strings fell silent, the bar erupted in long-awaited applause.
A young man asked, “Handsome guy! That was amazing, what’s the song called? Where can I buy the CD?”
Shen Qing replied, “This song is called Grandma Said. It’s not online yet, it’s my original work.”
The young man gave him a thumbs-up, “Awesome! Looking forward to your CD!”
Subsequently, several other artistic youths, both male and female, chatted with Shen Qing for a while.
And at this moment~
Deng Ziqi was still sobbing in her mother’s arms.
“Verification complete, she’s a crybaby!” Shen Qing shrugged, returned the guitar to the singer who had just performed, and sat back next to Huang Xiaoming.
Huang Xiaoming said, “As expected of Master Shen, you’re incredible!”
Shen Qing asked, “Were you crying?”
Huang Xiaoming laughed, “Heh, me cry? That’s hilarious, do I look like someone who cries? I’m not that fragile!”
Shen Qing asked, “Then why is this tissue wet?”
Huang Xiaoming replied, “Wiping my nose…”
Just then~
Deng Ziqi stood beside Shen Qing.
Her eyes were still red, and she politely asked, “Hello, big brother, I want to sing this song in the future… can I?”
Deng Ziqi had learned from Shen Qing’s conversation with the guests that the song had not yet been released.
Others couldn’t just sing this kind of song.
Otherwise, it would be copyright infringement.
Shen Qing turned and saw that Deng Ziqi’s mother wasn’t with her, so he said with relief, “This song of mine hasn’t been released yet… you can’t sing it…”
She immediately became a little anxious, “Handsome guy~~”
Although Shen Qing enjoyed listening to Deng Ziqi sing in his past life, he had never seen her like this. His playful side was piqued again.
“That won’t do. If you secretly sing it to make money, I’ll have to send you a lawyer’s letter, which is too troublesome.”
“I promise, I’ll only sing it myself, to my grandma!”
This girl has deep feelings for her grandma…
Shen Qing quite liked filial girls. He felt he had teased her enough, and if he continued, she would cry again.
“Singing it to Grandma is also okay!”
“Ah ha, that’s great, thank you! Can you tell me the complete lyrics?”
Shen Qing didn’t refuse.
But he set many conditions for her.
He also scared her a little, warning her not to sing it elsewhere without permission, as the copyright belonged to Shen Qing.
She returned to her mother’s side, excitedly dancing, while her mother playfully tapped her head.
Afterward.
Ms. Rong brought Deng Ziqi over to Shen Qing and said, “Excuse me, handsome guy, I apologize on behalf of my daughter if she offended you earlier. She’s young and doesn’t know any better…”
Ms. Rong bore some resemblance to Deng Ziqi. She was about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old and had graduated from the Bel Canto department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
Shen Qing replied, “It’s alright. Your daughter has musical talent, and I admire her. She can sing this song at home.”
Ms. Rong said, “Young man, thank you so much.”
Just as Ms. Rong turned to look at Huang Xiaoming, she paused for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, “Huh? Are you Huang Xiaoming, the one who acted in The Prince of Han Dynasty?”
Huang Xiaoming secretly felt pleased and smiled, “Yes!”
Not long after.
Huang Xiaoming and Ms. Rong were chatting enthusiastically.
However, he didn’t forget Shen Qing and turned to praise him profusely, “This is the music genius, Shen Qing. He single-handedly made Super Girl champion Zhang Liangying famous… He is the true god of the future music scene.”
This caused quite a stir.
Deng Ziqi was completely stunned.
She rubbed her eyes and asked in disbelief, “You, you’re Shen Qing? Zhang Liangying’s manager and stylist?”
Shen Qing replied, “Yes.”
Deng Ziqi’s expression instantly lit up with joy, “Ah… I absolutely love watching Zhang Liangying sing. I’m so envious of her. I dream of having a music genius like you write songs for me…”
Ms. Rong said, “Ziqi, calm down…”
Deng Ziqi replied, “Mom, you don’t understand, he’s different from others.”
“…”
Meanwhile.
Because the sound here was a bit loud, some guests overheard the conversation, including several Liangfen fans.
They had heard of Shen Qing’s name before but had never seen him.
At this moment.
They all walked over with their drinks.
“Shen Qing, is it really you?”
“Didn’t Liangying come today?”
“What a shame.”
“Shen Qing, when is Liangying’s first album coming out? We’ve been waiting for so long!”
“I bought ten copies of the compilation, just waiting for the album!”
“…”
After dealing with the Liangfen fans, Deng Ziqi was extremely envious.
She shook her mother’s hand and said, “Mom, Zhang Liangying is so popular! I want to be a singer too. Please, please let me sign up for Super Girl!?”
As a music professional, Ms. Rong naturally wanted her daughter to become a star singer; otherwise, she wouldn’t have trained her since childhood.
Ms. Rong herself was envious of the enthusiastic fans she had just witnessed – after all, she had once dreamed of becoming a big star herself.
Ms. Rong said, “But we have to return to Hong Kong, so we can’t participate in mainland talent shows.”
Deng Ziqi replied, “We can participate! Mom, do you remember Gu Yawei I told you about? She’s from Hong Kong, only a year older than me. She participated in Super Girl last year, the same year as Zhang Liangying… And Super Girl competitions are always on Friday nights, so I can fly over!”
Ms. Rong said, “This… let’s discuss it when we get home.”
Huang Xiaoming interjected, “Actually, Super Girl has been discontinued. This year they are holding Super Boy.”
Deng Ziqi exclaimed, “Ah?”
Her world came crashing down.
Little Deng’s debut dream was shattered.
But Shen Qing reignited her hope:
“Speaking honestly from a professional music producer’s perspective, Ziqi’s talent is indeed among the strongest I’ve ever seen, no less than Zhang Liangying’s…”
“I know you want your daughter to become a star singer admired by everyone! Just like Zhang Liangying, becoming famous overnight and appearing on the Spring Festival Gala stage…”
“Oh, right, you might not know me very well!”
“Allow me to introduce myself grandly… I am Shen Qing, the music producer who discovered and nurtured Zhang Liangying, and helped her win the 2005 Mengniu Yogurt Drink Super Girl championship with 13 original songs!”
“Now, an opportunity lies before you and your daughter. Jiangsu Satellite TV is holding Absolute Singing, which is also a singer talent show, and girls can participate!”
“…”
Deng Ziqi’s eyes sparkled.
Ms. Rong was also somewhat moved.
After all, Shen Qing had extensive practical experience and wasn’t just boasting… What should they do, participate or not?
“…”
“…”
ps: Deng Ziqi had a very close relationship with her grandma. When her grandma passed away, she posted many tributes on Weibo and often mentioned her grandma on various shows. It’s no wonder this song, Grandma Said, moved her.
