An extraordinary life journey through old Beijing courtyard houses

Chapter 199 Interview - Justifying One's Own Explanation (Part 1)

Qin Huairu: "Are you looking for Binzi? He's not home; he's out working in the fields."

Hu Hongjun: "Are you experiencing life?"

Qin Huairu grinned; she only half-understood the words.

Old Zhu interjected, "Then why don't you take us to visit his work site?"

Qin Huairu smiled and nodded, then took the initiative: "Which newspaper do you work for?"

"Our family subscribes to a lot of newspapers, including the *Min Ri Bao*, the *Gong Ri Bao*, and also—"

Moreover, she talked about it quite animatedly, as if she knew how to read.

When they arrived at the first place, Jiang Baobin was no longer there.

Qin Huairu explained, "Now that everyone is almost finished, he helps them finish quickly."

Old Zhu praised at the opportune moment, "Your wife is a kind-hearted person and is also willing to work hard."

This was the first time Qin Huairu had heard the word "lover," but she liked it.

The girl felt a surge of secret joy: She had to remember that word.

Ask him in bed tonight; that'll definitely stump him.

Hmph, you always laugh at me, this time I'll make you laugh too.

Jiang Baobin: I'm rolling my eyes.

Therefore, Qin Huairu was particularly enthusiastic towards Lao Zhu, hoping to learn two more new words.

Hu Hongjun didn't mind; he was quite happy looking at the bountiful harvest.

This is much richer than northern Shaanxi, where she grew up.

When they arrived at the second house, they finally saw Jiang Baobin in the center of the field, wielding a sickle as if flying.

Far behind him was a rural woman.

Beside her were three girls and a boy, ranging in age from three or four to ten, who were splitting corn cobs.

Old Zhu, a discerning man, praised Jiang Baobin, saying, "Excellent skill!"

This also sparked his enthusiasm: "Xiao Qin, Xiao Hu, you two chat, I'll go down and help out."

As he spoke, he bent down and began to roll up his trouser legs.

Hu Hongjun chuckled and said, "Since I'm here, I might as well stay."

Qin Huairu, I can't slack off anymore.

Many hands make light work, and just as dusk was falling, the job was finally done.

The woman was naturally very grateful; if it were her, she would have needed at least another week.

Jiang Baobin then extended his hand to greet the newcomer.

Old Zhu laughed and said, "I've always wanted to strike up a conversation with you, but I just haven't had the chance."

"You're there every time I look up; you're as fast as lightning!"

"You flatter me. I just exercise regularly."

Then, turning to Hu Hongjun, he said, "Your surname is Hu, so you must be the editor of that article, right?"

Hu Hongjun extended his hand generously: "It's me. It's an honor to meet you, lyricist and composer Jiang."

"Oh! No, no, I'm just an enthusiast."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Jiang Baobin invited, "Let's go, let's go to my father-in-law's house for a visit."

The woman who had been smiling obsequiously nearby quickly said, "Come to my house, it's nearby."

Jiang Baobin replied directly, "No, Auntie, they need to talk to me about something."

The woman relaxed and said politely, "Then, then come again next time."

"Okay."

Back at the Qin family home, dinner was already prepared, with the main dish being braised duck with potatoes.

The side dishes are seasonal vegetables such as cabbage and radish.

The group knew they couldn't leave today, otherwise they would have to endure another hundred miles on empty stomachs.

By the time I got home, I was barely alive.

The children at home had long since disappeared; those accompanying them were Qin's parents and several of Qin Huairu's uncles.

There are also several prominent figures in the village.

That's the current trend: when one family has guests, a whole bunch of people accompany them.

They hadn't even started any formal work yet, so when offered drinks, Lao Zhu and the others resolutely refused.

Although the Qin family was very disappointed, they also knew that these were high-ranking officials who had come in cars, and they couldn't force them to stay.

They ate quickly, leaving the food and drinks for the Qin family, and then moved to the house next door.

That's the good thing about the countryside; when one family is in trouble, everyone helps each other.

The family lent them their house, and the man chatted with the driver in the yard.

The driver, of course, can't rest; he also has to provide security.

Hu Hongjun cut to the chase and asked, "Xiao Jiang, how did you come up with the idea to create 'My Motherland and I'?"

"Or where do your inspirations come from? Is it from accumulated knowledge over time, or from a sudden burst of inspiration?"

Jiang Baobin pretended to be deep in thought, but he already had a draft in mind: "You could say it's the result of my usual accumulation of knowledge, or you could say it's a burst of inspiration."

Hu Hongjun didn't reply, but smiled and waited for him to continue.

"As an active member of the Military Control Commission, I was fortunate to participate in the city cleanup project last March."

"I was deeply moved at the time; you journalists should understand."

"At that time, we shoveled away all the garbage that had accumulated during the Ming and Qing dynasties."

"It can be said that several mountains were cleared, turning Beiping into a clean city."

"This is something that neither the Ming nor the Qing dynasties, which were respectively known as the Celestial Empire, could accomplish, but only now they have done it."

"I believe this is not just something happening in Beiping, but something the whole country is doing."

"Eliminate long-standing problems and revitalize flower cultivation!"

"To be honest, from that moment on, a fire burned within me!"

"It keeps burning, but there's no outlet, which makes me very—"

"How should I put it, I just feel suffocated, really, really suffocated."

Hu Hongjun jotted down the notes quickly, inwardly praising: "He truly deserves to be called a lyricist and composer; he spoke so well."

Just copy and paste these words verbatim onto the page. If you embellish them yourself, they will lose their impact.

Jiang Baobin paused briefly, and only continued after Hu Hongjun had finished taking notes: "Until a little over a month ago, I left the city, passed through fields, and crossed rivers."

"Arriving in this vibrant village, I saw the villagers overjoyed after receiving their land."

"The young men were full of energy and high spirits, while the young women were beautiful and just as capable as any man."

As Jiang Baobin finished speaking, his wife, who was listening intently, smiled brightly.

Qin Huairu immediately understood that everything else was just an excuse; what Jiang Baobin really wanted to say was that only she was beautiful.

My heart instantly felt sweeter than if I had eaten honey.

Jiang Baobin continued, "At that time, I thought, this is the best of times! The most passionate of times."

"This marks the beginning of our motherland's path to prosperity and strength, and I must do my utmost to sing its praises."

"Once I made this decision, everything I saw and felt along the way came flooding back."

"Furthermore, the song was inspired by the idea that our motherland is as vast and profound as the ocean."

Hu Hongjun nodded repeatedly and then asked several more questions about the creative process.

Then, changing the subject, he asked, "So, Xiao Jiang, have you ever seen the ocean?"

"I've been there. I used to work for a foreign-owned company and I went to Tianjin."

"Have you ever studied music systematically?"

"no."

"So you taught yourself?"

"It can't be considered self-taught."

"Because I started out as an assistant, someone who carried bags for others."

"Later I became a driver, and both of these jobs involved working alongside the boss."

"And my foreign bosses are all very passionate about music, and I'm being honest."

"They were all very warm-hearted people. They saw that I was very talented, so they taught me whenever they had time."

Hehe, since all the foreigners can't find this person, I can say whatever I want.

Jiang Baobin continued his nonsensical ramblings with a straight face: "I myself am very interested in music and songwriting."

"I study whenever I have time, whether it's sheet music or lyrics, I study very seriously."

"I've tried creating things, but they weren't very successful; they were too childish."

"So what's your educational background? I'm guessing it's at least high school, right?"

Jiang Baobin quipped, "I'm really sorry, you've guessed wrong about my eccentricity, because I've never been to school."

"Ah! How is this possible?" Hu Hongjun was shocked and lost his composure for once.

Not only her, but even Old Zhu and Qin Huairu on the side were astonished!

The fact that someone who could write such a masterpiece claims to have never been to school completely overturns their understanding of culture.

Qin Huairu had been thoroughly humiliated during this period, and her mind was simply not up to the task.

I never even considered what Jiang Baobin's educational background was.

Jiang Baobin grinned smugly: "Why is it impossible?"

"Hehe, okay, I'll confess."

"I actually learned it from my second son, who was a top student at the police academy."

"Because my family was poor, we were able to support my eldest and second children through school, so I had to figure out how to support them myself."

"But I'm actually the smartest in the family. When the second child was studying, I would secretly learn from him."

"He has a habit of reading everything aloud, and I have an excellent memory."

"You can memorize it all after listening to it once or twice."

"Then, while he was asleep at night, I would steal the books and secretly study on my own—"

Hu Hongjun quipped, "Are you a genius? Can you learn everything without a teacher?"

This statement already carries an element of doubt.