On the afternoon of the third day of the Lunar New Year, Lu Zhixian accompanied Song Min to the supermarket.
The supermarket was not far from home, a ten-minute walk.
Song Min carried a cloth bag and walked in front.
Lu Zhixian pushed the shopping cart behind her.
"What do we need to buy?"
"New Year's goods. Your dad said we're running low on melon seeds."
"Then we'll just buy melon seeds; we don't need anything else."
"What do you mean we don't need anything else?"
Song Min turned back to look at him.
"Peanuts, walnuts, candies—your second uncle and the others are coming to pay a New Year's visit today, what are we supposed to put on the table?"
Lu Zhixian didn't say anything.
He pushed the cart and followed.
There weren't many people in the supermarket, and the festive atmosphere hadn't faded yet; red lanterns were still hanging at the entrance.
Song Min spent a long time in the nut section, examining every type of melon seed, and finally chose a bag of the original flavor.
"Mom, don't you like the caramel flavor?"
"The original flavor is healthier."
"It's fine to have some for the New Year."
"What do you know?"
Song Min tossed the melon seeds into the shopping cart.
"Your second uncle has high blood sugar; he can't eat the caramel ones."
Lu Zhixian smiled.
He pushed the cart forward.
When they reached the candy section, Song Min slowed down.
Her gaze fell on a box of crisp candies. She reached out, picked it up, checked the ingredient list, and then put it back.
"Let's buy a box."
Lu Zhixian said.
"It's too sweet."
"It's fine to have some for the New Year."
"Why are you talking just like me?"
Lu Zhixian didn't respond.
He picked up two boxes of crisp candies himself and put them into the shopping cart.
Song Min glanced at him but didn't say anything.
She continued walking forward.
When checking out, Song Min took money out of her pocket. Lu Zhixian reached out to stop her.
"I'll get it."
"You just got back; there's no reason for you to be spending money."
"Are you being polite with me?"
Song Min glared at him and put the money away.
Walking out of the supermarket, it was a bit windy outside.
Lu Zhixian carried two shopping bags, and Song Min walked beside him.
After walking for a while, Song Min suddenly spoke up.
"Don't keep sending those nutritional supplements home; your dad and I have no use for them."
Lu Zhixian, carrying the shopping bags, glanced at her.
"If you don't need them, just keep them. Don't skimp on yourself."
Song Min didn't answer. After a while, she said,
"You're out there on your own; remember to eat on time."
"I know, Mom."
"Don't just say you know."
"Mm."
Song Min didn't say anything else. The two continued walking forward. On the side of the street, children were setting off firecrackers, which crackled and popped.
As they were almost home, Song Min spoke again.
"I watched that program on the Spring Festival Gala several times."
Lu Zhixian's footsteps faltered for a moment.
"Your dad watches it every day. He watches it once after every meal."
"...He doesn't get tired of it."
"He doesn't," Song Min said. "I've watched it several times too."
Lu Zhixian didn't speak. His grip on the shopping bags tightened slightly.
Entering the house, Lu Jianguo was reading a newspaper in the living room.
Seeing them return, he stood up to take the shopping bags.
"What did you buy?"
"Melon seeds and peanuts."
"Why did you buy so little?"
"It's enough."
Lu Jianguo carried the items into the kitchen and started putting them into the cabinets.
Lu Zhixian stood in the living room, watching his father's busy back.
"Dad."
"Hm?"
"Don't work too hard."
"What do I have to be tired about?"
Lu Jianguo turned back and smiled.
"I'm idle at home every day; it's nice to finally have something to do."
Early on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Lu Zhixian carried his suitcase downstairs.
Lu Jianguo insisted on seeing him down to the ground floor.
The two walked down the stairwell for a while without speaking.
When they reached the entrance of the apartment building, Lu Jianguo stopped.
"Be careful on the road."
"Mm."
"Give me a call when you arrive."
"I will."
"That thing about the Spring Festival Gala..."
Lu Jianguo rubbed his hands together.
"I told all your old classmates; they couldn't believe it."
"Dad."
"Hm?"
"Don't go showing off everywhere."
Lu Jianguo was stunned for a moment, then smiled.
"I'm not showing off. I'm just happy."
"I know."
Lu Jianguo patted his shoulder. He had a firm grip.
"Go on."
Lu Zhixian carried his suitcase toward the entrance of the residential complex.
After walking a few steps, he looked back. Lu Jianguo was still standing at the entrance, watching him.
He waved at his father.
Lu Jianguo waved back.
The car drove quite a distance away, and Lu Zhixian could still see Lu Jianguo standing in the same spot in the rearview mirror.
He turned his head and looked ahead.
At the highway entrance, Brother Zhao's car was parked on the side of the road. Lu Zhixian opened the passenger door and threw his suitcase into the back seat.
"Get in."
"Coming."
Brother Zhao started the car.
"Did your dad see you down?"
"All the way to the ground floor."
"What about your mom?"
"At home."
Brother Zhao didn't ask any more questions. The car merged onto the highway.
"How were the past few days at home?"
"Pretty good. Eat and sleep, sleep and eat."
"That's good."
Brother Zhao smiled.
"But as soon as you returned, the internet got lively again."
He unlocked his phone and handed it to Lu Zhixian.
"Look."
On the trending list, the entry "Lu Zhixian returns to his hometown for the New Year" was still in the top five.
Local netizens had taken photos of him accompanying his mother to the supermarket, and the comment section was full of praise like "down-to-earth" and "good son."
Some people also dug up the sentence he said on the night of the Spring Festival Gala, "Happy New Year to all the people of the country," calling him a true artist of the people.
Lu Zhixian scrolled a couple of times and returned the phone to him.
"Don't worry about it."
"Can we really just ignore it? With your current popularity, even if you do nothing, the search trends will skyrocket on their own."
"Then we'll ignore it."
Brother Zhao glanced at him and didn't say anything more.
"Straight back to Jingzhou?"
"Mm."
"Not staying here for a couple more days?"
"No. It's time to go back."
Brother Zhao nodded and didn't ask again.
The car fell quiet. The fields on both sides of the highway swept backward, with scattered villages in the distance.
"Brother Zhao."
"Hm?"
"What work is there after the New Year?"
"A lot."
Brother Zhao said.
"Brand events, interviews, show invitations... My phone is about to blow up."
"Don't accept any for now."
Brother Zhao's hands paused on the steering wheel.
"Accept none of them?"
"Right."
"Zhixian, you just finished the Spring Festival Gala. If you don't capitalize on this heat while it's fresh, it'll cool down once it passes."
"I know."
"Then why are you—"
"I have something I need to do."
"What thing?"
Lu Zhixian didn't answer.
Brother Zhao waited for a few seconds; seeing he wouldn't speak, he didn't ask again. The car continued forward.
By the time they returned to his place, it was evening.
Lu Zhixian put down his luggage and took a shower first. Then he sat on the living room sofa.
The room was cleaner than when he left—Brother Zhao must have had someone come to clean. There was a bouquet of fresh flowers on the coffee table; he didn't know who had sent it.
The system panel lit up before his eyes.
popularity points: 47,210,358.
He looked at this string of numbers and tapped his finger in the air.
[Perform a lucky draw?]
"Yes."
[Consume 5 million popularity points to perform an advanced lucky draw.]
The wheel began to spin.
Golden light particles flowed across the virtual interface like a small stream.
Finally, it stopped.
[Congratulations to the host, you have obtained the complete arrangement files, lyric manuscript, and studio-grade backing track for the classic Chinese song "Blue and White Porcelain".]
Lu Zhixian looked at the familiar song title and was stunned for a moment.
Then he smiled.
He leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes. In his mind, the melody was already playing.
The piano in the prelude went ding-dong, like raindrops falling on bluestone slabs. Then the strings came in, spreading out a thin layer of Jiangnan misty rain.
"The plain clay outlines the blue and white, the brushstroke turns from thick to thin—"
He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling.
His phone vibrated.
It was a message from Brother Zhao.
"Are you home? What are your plans for tomorrow?"
Lu Zhixian thought for a moment and replied, "I'm here. Starting to record a song tomorrow."
"A new song? What song?"
"《Blue and White Porcelain》."
The other side was silent for a few seconds. Then a string of question marks came through.
"? What are you up to now? The New Year just finished, brother!"
Lu Zhixian typed with a smile, "Inspiration struck; can't stop it."
Brother Zhao sent a face-palm emoji.
"Fine, I'll go with you to the studio tomorrow."
"No need, I'll do it myself."
"By yourself?"
"Yes, from arrangement to vocals, I'll do it all myself."
Brother Zhao didn't reply immediately this time. After half a minute, he sent: "Are you sure? Do you know how long that will take?"
"I know."
"Arrangement, recording, mixing, mastering... You'll need at least over a month on your own."
"I know."
The other side was silent for a while again.
"Are you serious?"
"Serious."
Brother Zhao replied with one word: "Okay."
Lu Zhixian put down his phone, got up, and walked to the desk.
He took a blank sheet music notebook out of the drawer and found a pencil.
He sat in the chair and opened the first page.
Outside the window, the night deepened. The city lights in the distance were sparse.
He lowered his head and wrote the first note on the paper.
After finishing one line, he stopped his pen and looked at that string of notes.
Then he turned on his computer and pulled up the arrangement files. He listened to them track by track.
Every instrument had its place.
He took out his pen and began to take notes in the sheet music notebook. Chord progression, section structure, emotional ups and downs.
As he wrote, the sky outside the window was about to brighten.
He stood up and walked to the window. He looked at the horizon in the distance, which was just beginning to turn white.
His phone vibrated again.
It was a message from Lin Shiya.
"I heard you've gone into seclusion again?"
"Mm."
"What are you up to now?"
"A song."
"What song?"
"《Blue and White Porcelain》."
The other side paused for a few seconds. Then she sent a message.
Lin Shiya didn't reply immediately this time. After about a minute, she sent a voice message.
Lu Zhixian tapped to play it.
"You must be crazy."
He smiled. He typed back, "No."
"If you do it by yourself, it'll take at least over a month."
"About that."
The other side was silent for a while again. Then she sent a text message.
"Good luck."
"Mm."
Lu Zhixian put the phone down. He sat back down at the desk.
The sky outside was completely bright.
Sunlight filtered in through the gap in the curtains.
He picked up his pen and continued writing.
On the sheet music notebook, the notes increased line by line.
He knew this song would take a long time.
He also knew it was worth it.