hooklinebooks Chapter 9 School Activities
Chapter 9 School Activities
After the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, people from all walks of life gradually returned to work and got busy. Xie Anran's parents, Xie Weimin and Zhang Yun, however, were completely idle. With two days left before the start of the music training class, the couple's faces were no longer relaxed as they pondered a serious issue concerning their son's future.
Seeing Xie Anran's amazing musical talent, the couple made up their minds—their son could definitely pursue a career in music, and even his frail health wouldn't significantly hinder his passion and talent. After some discussion, they reached a consensus with the older generation in the family: to fully support Xie Anran's music studies and not let his talent go to waste.
As luck would have it, just as the couple made up their minds, good news came from the music training school, bringing Xie Anran a new opportunity.
In the living room, Xie Anran was being pestered by Qianqian—the little girl was insisting on learning the recorder, and he could only patiently explain the fingering and pitch techniques step by step. The recorder is a beginner-level instrument, and with Xie Anran's detailed explanations, Qianqian had only been learning for a few days, yet she could already play the tune of "Ode to Joy" intermittently. The little girl was so happy that she jumped up and down, her eyes full of joy, and her mouth almost stretched to her ears.
In another corner of the living room, several parents were sitting together, seriously discussing something—the Lantern Festival cultural performance.
"The training school has a partnership with the local TV station and plans to hold a Lantern Festival gala for teenagers at the Youth Palace, giving the children the opportunity to perform on stage," Liu Xiaoli said calmly, holding a water glass. "Anran is the most outstanding student in the training class, and the school specifically requested that he receive a short-term stage training program so that he can perform a program on stage by himself."
"The school would like to ask for your opinion," Liu Xiaoli paused, her tone hesitant, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't, "because we need to temporarily increase the training time, which may put a burden on An Ran, and I'm not sure if his body can handle it."
Xie Weimin and Zhang Yun exchanged a glance, their gazes falling on their son, who was playing the flute with Qianqian not far away, their expressions full of hesitation.
"I want my son to give it a try." Zhang Yun paused for a few seconds, then gave her answer with a firm look in her eyes, her tone revealing her appreciation for her son's talent.
"But what if the training is too tiring and the child has to be hospitalized again?" Xie Weimin frowned, looking conflicted. In his heart, more than his son's talent, he hoped that Xie Anran could grow up safely and healthily. In this era, Xie Weimin's thinking was already considered ahead of its time—not insisting that his child follow the old path of exam-oriented education, but valuing his child's safety more.
But Zhang Yun's thinking was more direct and "advanced": her son had this talent and genuinely loved music, so this passion shouldn't be easily stifled. "Ask him himself," Zhang Yun said decisively. "Anran is more sensible than we thought; we respect his decision."
So, Xie Anran finally managed to get rid of Qianqian's entanglement and obediently sat down in front of the three adults, Liu Xiaoli, Xie Weimin, and Zhang Yun, waiting for them to speak with calm eyes.
"Anran, the school wants you to perform on stage alone, but you'll need to attend a short-term stage training course, which will be a bit busier than usual. Are you willing?" Liu Xiaoli softened her tone and asked softly, her eyes filled with curiosity, wanting to see how this exceptionally composed child would choose.
"Oh..." Xie Anran instinctively wanted to refuse—performing on stage wouldn't bring him any real benefit; it would just feel like he was supporting the school. But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he suddenly realized: this was actually a rare opportunity! An opportunity for his talent to be seen by more people, thus gaining more autonomy. No matter how good his talent was, only by monetizing it and gaining external recognition could he have more confidence to do what he wanted in the future, and also gain more support from his parents.
Having figured this out, Xie Anran immediately nodded, her tone decisive: "Sure."
"Since Anran says so, then I'll reply to the school." Liu Xiaoli nodded with a smile. This answer perfectly matched her understanding of Xie Anran—she was indeed a child who genuinely loved music.
"What about me? What about me?" Just then, a small figure suddenly jumped out. Qianqian tugged at Liu Xiaoli's clothes, tilted her head up, and shouted with bright, sparkling eyes, "I want to perform on stage too!"
Looking at her daughter's anxious expression, Liu Xiaoli was both amused and exasperated: "You've only been learning for a few days, and you can't even sing a song completely. You're not at the level where you can perform on stage yet."
"No! I want to go! Anran can go, so can I!" Qianqian became anxious as soon as she heard this, her little mouth pouting so much it could hang an oil bottle, stubbornly shouting without giving in, her eyes instantly reddening. Xie Weimin and Zhang Yun couldn't help but chuckle, exchanging a glance—this little girl's stubbornness was exactly the same as Liu Xiaoli's, even their tone was identical.
Xie Anran looked at the little girl beside him, who looked aggrieved and with red eyes, as if she was about to cry at any moment. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind: with his current musical talent, he could completely reproduce some simple songs that he was familiar with in his previous life.
He would be in charge of composing and arranging the music, and he would let Xixi sing it—rather than let someone else benefit, he would rather fulfill the wishes of his childhood sweetheart and make the little girl happy.
"Xixi!" Liu Xiaoli's smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression. She called out in a low, authoritative voice. Xixi immediately fell silent, her lips pressed tightly together, her head bowed low. Her face was full of resentment, but she was afraid of her mother's temper, so she could only endure it. Her pitiful, downcast look was particularly endearing.
"Actually... we can have Xixi perform with me." Xie Anran suddenly raised her small hand and said calmly and confidently.
Xie Weimin and Zhang Yun were both taken aback, and subconsciously took a deep look at their son—could this kid really be clinging to that girl? But there was a hint of a smile hidden in their eyes.
Liu Xiaoli paused for a few seconds, her gaze shifting between Xie Anran and Qianqian, before slowly saying, "Anran, you were able to go on stage because your performance met the standards. If Qianqian can meet the teacher's requirements, then she can go on stage too."
"I think Xixi can meet the standard, at least we should let her try." Xie Anran raised her little head, her tone firm, her childish voice echoing clearly in the living room, without the slightest hesitation or awkwardness.
The adults' expressions became subtle—in fact, Liu Xiaoli also wanted her daughter to have this opportunity to perform on stage; to her, it was just a matter of making a small request, after all, it was just a youth arts performance opportunity. But she was worried that Qianqian's skills weren't up to par, and that she might embarrass herself on stage, damaging her child's confidence. Xie Anran's confident demeanor at this moment, however, made them seriously consider: perhaps, Qianqian really could give it a try?
At this moment, Xixi secretly looked up at Xie Anran. Seeing him meet the adults' gazes without any unease, remaining calm and composed, a sense of security welled up in her heart, as if she had found someone to rely on. She subconsciously reached out her little hand and tightly grasped Xie Anran's hand.
This small gesture naturally did not escape Liu Xiaoli's notice. She frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment in silence, and finally softened her heart: "Alright, Qianqian, Mom will give you a chance to train, but whether you can go on stage or not ultimately depends on the teacher's arrangement."
"Okay!" Hearing this, Sisi nodded vigorously, her eyes shining like stars, all her previous grievances vanished. She immediately turned to Xie Anran, leaned close to his ear, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Anran, you'll help me, right?"
"Huh?" Xie Anran leaned back slightly, somewhat helplessly—this little girl certainly knew how to take advantage of situations. The little girl didn't speak, but just stared at him with her round eyes, her gaze full of expectation and dependence.
Seeing that feigning ignorance was useless, Xie Anran chuckled and said in a low voice, "Let's talk later, the adults are still here."
Sisi immediately understood, a sweet smile playing on her lips as she nodded vigorously, "Yes!"
The adults watched as the two little ones huddled together whispering, their expressions varied, and they couldn't help but exchange glances, sensing a subtle harmony.