My Years as a Copyist in Taiwan

After enjoying her best friend's moxibustion, Aunt Xu stretched her shoulders and neck while watching the two children continue to play with a smile. Her gaze fell on Zhao Wenwen, with a hint of doubt hidden in her eyes.

Today was a peaceful weekend, and the dress she was wearing was elegant in style and made of fine fabric. The more she looked at it, the more familiar it seemed, until she suddenly realized that it was from the same high-end international brand as the dress Wenwen was wearing!

Even though Aunt Xu's family is wealthy, her husband, A Yuan, would always complain about how expensive and wasteful it was whenever he bought clothes from this brand for the children, and he would never buy anything casually.

However, Zhao Wenwen, who was raised by her brother and sister, was dressed neatly and exquisitely, with every piece of clothing being carefully chosen, in no way inferior to children from wealthy families.

Aunt Xu hesitated for a long time, and taking advantage of the fact that only she and her best friend were in the acupressure center, she turned to look at Chen Meiling beside her and asked softly:

"Meiling, tell me, what exactly does Awen do? You only told me before that his parents died early, and he and his sister were all alone, but the more I read, the more puzzled I get... Where did he get so much money?"

Chen Meiling frowned slightly upon hearing this, looking at the two children playing around, her tone tinged with confusion:

"I've always been wondering about it too. This kid is always generous, I've never seen him stingy or frugal. He spends money with ease, which is completely unlike an ordinary orphan boy."

"It's more than just stingy," Aunt Xu sighed softly. "Do you know how much Wenwen's outfit cost? Wenwen happened to be wearing the same brand today, 2800 yuan a set, not even including the shoes! With our family's financial situation, it would be a bit difficult to buy several sets for Wenwen at once."

She paused, then asked softly:

"Awen's parents, they must be around our age, right? How could such a healthy couple have passed away so young?"

Upon hearing this, the relaxed smile on Chen Meiling's face completely vanished.

She hesitated for a long time before letting out a soft sigh, her eyes filled with deep heartache and regret.

"Only a few of us old neighbors know the inside story of this matter, and Awen never talks about it to outsiders."

Her voice was even lower, filled with sighs:

"When Wenwen's mother gave birth to this little girl, she suffered from severe postpartum depression. She was obsessed with the novels written by that Golden Crown Phoenix, and would spend most of the day reading them. She would often burst into tears for no reason, and no matter how others tried to comfort her, she couldn't get over it."

"During that typhoon more than two years ago, Tainan was hit by torrential rain, and the rivers swelled. The woman who ran the convenience store, Ah Bing, saw her plunge headfirst into the Yanshui River and be swept away instantly!"

"Awen's father was a sentimental man. Hearing what Abing's woman said, he panicked completely. Ignoring Abing's attempts to stop him, he braved the floodwaters and searched along the riverbank for people. In the end, he was also swept away by the out-of-control flood..."

As Chen Meiling spoke, the tip of her nose tingled slightly.

"In just one day, the couple disappeared without a trace, leaving not even a grave or a tombstone. It's pitiful. During holidays, when the siblings want to offer incense and kowtow to their parents, they don't even have a place to pay their respects."

The acupressure room fell silent immediately.

The laughter of the two little girls still lingered, but in the hearts of the two women, only a heavy sorrow remained.

Aunt Xu remained silent for a long time before finally understanding why Zhao Wen, at eighteen, was far more mature and composed than his peers, and why there was always a hint of loneliness hidden deep in his eyes that others could not understand.

Feeling down, Aunt Xu lost interest in gossiping about why Zhao Wen was so rich.

-

Luo Xiaozuo's "Zhi Hu Zhe Ye" swept across the Taiwanese music scene like a whirlwind. His critical lyrics and rock-and-roll edge swept from university campuses to the streets, and everyone tacitly agreed that he was the top star in the Chinese music scene this year.

But no one has forgotten Mr. Snail's name.

The singles "Those Years" and "My Deskmate" have already sold out across the island, and coupled with the nationwide popularity of the novel of the same name, they have built a solid fan base.

Students, audiophiles, young office workers, hardcore music fans—everyone is waiting for his mysterious album.

The record store's pre-sale poster only listed "12 official tracks + exclusive hidden easter eggs", and there were also rumors that were half true and half false: Teresa Teng's special vocals were hidden in the disc.

The layers of suspense whetted everyone's appetite, and the popularity that was already built on the single and the novel instantly doubled.

On May 1st, just as dawn was breaking, long lines formed outside designated record stores on Chongqing South Road in Taipei.

Most of the high school students in school uniforms came for the novel's IP and the two familiar campus songs. The college students carrying canvas bags and the audiophiles with leather record cases were all there for the rumored ten brand-new A-side tracks.

Many people traveled from Keelung and Taoyuan specifically to grab a first-page copy with a high number.

As soon as the store opened, a crowd surged in, unpacking packages, checking serial numbers, paying, and giving change. The staff were busy and sweating profusely.

Within a morning, each store had used up most of its stock. Some students tore open the CDs on the spot, running their fingertips over the unique gold-embossed serial number on the inner page, turning it over and over again.

Some audiophiles even bring their discs straight to their favorite audio shops, eager to listen to the quality of the A-side.

The reaction from the student community was the most direct.

They were already very familiar with the songs on side B, such as "Those Years" and "My Deskmate," and thought they would buy them because of nostalgia. However, after listening to the first song on side A, "Love Trap," they were stunned.

This is still one of the most frequently used background music tracks on Douyin (TikTok) even forty years later!

The energetic songs have a crisp and catchy rhythm, with melodies that pierce the ears one after another. The subsequent songs, such as the melodious "Half Moon Serenade," the sharp "Sleepless Nights," and the lingering "A Thousand Songs," are a ten-song combo that completely exceeded their expectations of "campus writers crossing over to songwriting."

That afternoon, in the folk song clubs of various high schools and the guitar clubs of universities, people were already taking their guitars and starting to transcribe sheet music. Notes were passed around quickly during evening self-study sessions, with messages like, "Side A is too intense," and "I haven't heard it yet. What is the name of the song that Teresa Teng supposedly sang?"

Hardcore audiophiles and music critics were stunned by the overall production quality of the album.

The recording studio quality overseen by Weng Qingxi, the meticulous arrangement by top musicians, the almost flawless melodies, and the special contribution of Teresa Teng's tender and gentle voice in the final song "I Only Care About You"—experts can immediately recognize its quality.

The tabloid column quickly gained traction, though it wasn't very professional: I thought "Zhi Hu Zhe Ye" was the only surprise of the year, but I didn't expect Mr. Snail's album to take a different approach and take pop melodies to the extreme. One is strong and the other is gentle, which can be considered as bringing together two gems for the Taiwanese music scene this year.

Everyone was convinced that the so-called Easter egg was the pop diva's song "I Only Care About You".

Until some audiophiles are used to listening to the entire disc, and after the official tracks end, there is a ten-second silence, and then a magical and quirky melody suddenly jumps out - "How Does the Fox Say?"

There was a fanatical Zhao Wen admirer who was holding a megaphone in some square in Taipei, repeatedly shouting: "The biggest surprise in 'About Winter' isn't the diva's performance! Pay attention! Pay attention! The biggest surprise is—listen until the very end! Right to the very end!"