Starting with Super Girl, he began to train the Chinese entertainment industry.

Chapter 59: Father is Seven Years Old
The beginning is simple, like a daughter reading her father's diary, without any complicated techniques involved.

But even with such a lack of skill, the singing captivated the audience.

Just moments ago, many people were laughing and joking, but now they are all quietly watching the television and listening to Zhang Liangying 'read' the prose poem written by her father.

Upon hearing the words, "I need to borrow some more money from my neighbor tomorrow; my child has been crying all day, begging for cookies," an indescribable emotion welled up inside me.

This scene feels familiar even if you haven't experienced it yourself.

Those fathers and daughters, fathers and sons watching the game together at home remained silent, not daring to look at each other, for fear of losing control of their emotions.

Some daughters hid in the bathroom or bedroom, trying to hold back their tears, but still secretly leaned against the door, listening to Jane Zhang's heartfelt singing.

Some sons deliberately changed the subject, talking to their elderly fathers about work or studies.

Those daughters and sons who go out to work think of their fathers who are thousands of miles away, and silently shed tears in their rented rooms.

"My father, he must be seven years old now..."

"I want to call him."

"No matter whether I make money or not this Chinese New Year, I will definitely go home!"

"Zhang Liangying, I didn't really like you before, but this song of yours has changed my opinion of you a lot. You are definitely a good girl."

"..."

Chengdu.

Zhang Liangying's mother sat at the mahjong table, her thoughts drifting back to before 1998, when Old Zhang was still alive, the family was happy, and Liangying was still a child with a father.

The mahjong game stopped, and the three mahjong players and the neighbors watching quietly turned to the television, no one wanting to break the silence.

The room was quiet except for the music coming from the television.

Everyone's thoughts seemed to fly back to the distant past they had experienced.

Before she knew it, Zhang Guiying was already in tears, but she didn't notice at all. She watched her daughter singing into the microphone, and her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

……

Why are there so many people who can empathize with this?
Actually, besides emotional ties, it's all about economics!

In 2005, countless people in China were struggling to make ends meet, hundreds of millions were still living in poverty, and many earned only a few hundred yuan a month.

Borrowing money is a common thing that many fathers have done in this era.

You lend me money today, and I'll lend you more when you're in trouble tomorrow. The few coins in your pocket circulate among relatives, friends, and neighbors year after year, but no one's pockets ever seem to get fuller.

Also.

The images in the lyrics, such as crops, open-air movies, sewing machines, and a daughter crying for cookies, are all things that most ordinary people experience in their lives.

It's real, and that's why it's moving.

At this moment.

on the stage.

Zhang Liangying is still singing the simple and unadorned lyrics, coupled with her sincere, profound, and heartfelt singing, making the whole song exude a strong sense of nostalgia.

"The verse is over, the chorus is coming!"

"Ah ah ah..."

"Zhang Liangying!!!"

……

"These are words from my father's diary."

"This is what his youth left behind."

"The Prose Poems That Have Been Remained"

"Decades later, I looked at this and couldn't stop crying."

"And my father has become, a shadow in a photograph frame."

"..."

With a buzzing sound, a chilling feeling spread and surged, quickly permeating the studio and the living room.

Whether it was the host, judges, fans, or the other 7 contestants and 35 audience judges, everyone was deeply moved by the singing.

"Does a song really have that much power?"

"I used to think that songs were just for entertainment, but I never imagined that songs, like ancient texts, have the power to transcend time and space."

"The lyrics are amazing, absolutely brilliant."

"If Zhang Liangying doesn't win the championship, Hunan TV can just go bankrupt."

"With this song out, who can arm wrestle with her tonight?"

"..."

In this chorus, Jane Zhang's voice carries a hint of crying and a hint of shouting, like the mountain-splitting axe in Chenxiang's hand, splitting open the last line of defense in everyone's hearts.

Everywhere you could see, everyone looked tormented.

The emotions welled up uncontrollably, and despite their efforts to restrain themselves, the nerve signals couldn't be suppressed, causing some audience members' facial muscles to twitch.

Especially for those viewers who had experienced the life described in the lyrics, tears welled up in their eyes, as if the image of their father was right in front of them.

Even some rebellious teenagers can't help but shed tears when they think of their fathers' silent sacrifices for them. This song is like a steaming bowl of late-night snack made by your father on a winter night; it suddenly appears before you when you've worked overtime until midnight and dragged your tired body back to your cold, empty rented room.

In the quiet of the night...

You took a sniff, and it stirred up endless memories.

You took a bite, and it felt like you were talking to your father.

You took a sip of the soup and instantly understood the pressure on your father's shoulders.

"The chorus is amazing! The melody and the lyrics really make me want to cry."

"This song is so moving, it makes me cry."

"That last part was absolutely divine!"

"No skill, all emotion."

"Both songs tonight have the same feel. Jane Zhang is very thoughtful. Even before the album is released, she knows that the style of the songs should be consistent."

"..."

On the judges' panel, He Jiong thought of his father.

His father's health is not good, and He Jiong worries about that day whenever he thinks about it.

If that day really comes, and he's hosting a show and can't go back, what a huge regret that would be!
Can't think about it!
Don't think about it!
He Jiong took a deep breath and then exhaled forcefully, trying to calm himself down, but Zhang Liangying's hoarse singing voice made it impossible for him to ignore it.

Xia Qing, standing beside her, kept wiping away her tears. Already a very sentimental person, she had long since become a sobbing mess—she was thinking of her grandparents.

As for Li Xiang and Wang Han, they both remained silent.

The emotional impact they experienced at that moment was far greater than that of "Farewell".

……

"By 1998, the crops had already been harvested."

"My body was so weak last year, it was on the verge of collapse from illness."

"My daughter, with her hair in a ponytail, ran into the school."

"But lately, she's been a bit worried; she's lost a lot of weight."

Think about the future.

"I've become an old photograph."

"My daughter will be stunningly beautiful then."

There's a man who loves her and wants to marry her.

"But when I think of this, I can't bear to look at her."

"..."

By this point in the song, Zhang Liangying's eyes were completely blurred with tears, and she could only vaguely see a boy standing in the audience.

Is he the man who's supposed to marry me, as mentioned in the lyrics?
Yup!

It must be him.

Since he wrote all the lyrics, how could he not marry her?

If I ever get the chance to hold a concert in the future, I will definitely propose to him in front of tens of thousands of audience members!
……

at the same time.

The audience's hearts were once again pierced by the song.

Each lyric is so vivid, bringing to life the image of a sick father.

It was a feeling of reluctance and helplessness at not being able to see her daughter grow up, get a job, or get married.

During the final chorus, almost all the audience members waved their light sticks along with the melody.

The other contestants also looked at Zhang Liangying with mixed feelings; the gap in their abilities made them unable to muster any competitive thoughts.

"These are words from my father's diary."

"This is what his life left behind."

"The Prose Poems That Have Been Remained"

"Decades later, I looked at this and couldn't stop crying."

But my father has become nothing more than a shadow in a photograph frame.

The music stopped abruptly.

……

After the original lyrics ended, the music slowly faded away, but Shen Qing felt that only an abrupt end would leave people more bewildered.

With red eyes, Li Xiang walked onto the stage and handed Zhang Liangying some tissues. Liangying wiped away her tears and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you everyone!"

……

Your father may not be able to write prose poems or keep a diary, and he may not even know many words, but for you, he has worn out the dictionary of life.

(End of this chapter)