Chapter 222 I Am Truly A Master
The sound of a guqin drifted from the adjacent room, its notes chiming like playful sprites weaving a musical rainbow.
The guqin’s melody pierced the heart, each vibration of its strings tugging at everyone’s thoughts.
Liu Ran’s eyes lit up. She held her teacup, forgetting whether to drink or set it down, simply holding it aloft, ears perked, listening intently.
Listening to the chiming guqin, hearing the musician’s inner thoughts.
Chen Yang sat beside Liu Ran. Seeing his wife’s engrossed state, he couldn’t help but chuckle. The music was indeed beautiful, and the player’s skill was considerable, but for Chen Yang, it wasn’t particularly captivating.
Chen Yang had listened to guqin for nineteen years. His master was the little-known, nameless Old Doctor.
Though nameless, he was proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and his medical skills and Daoist arts were unmatched.
During his tutelage in medicine, Chen Yang had listened to his master play the guqin daily. Compared to his master’s guqin skills, the music from the next room seemed somewhat vulgar and contrived.
The same piece, Guangling San, was played. Ordinary people did not know the true melody of Guangling San, so errors were inevitable, making it appear unpolished.
After the "ding ding dong dong" of the guqin notes, the music concluded with a final "weng" sound.
Liu Ran finally closed her mouth. She put down her teacup and couldn’t help but clap, exclaiming, "Wow, I never knew the guqin could sound so beautiful! Why didn’t I notice it before?"
"I always thought the guqin could only produce simple vibrating sounds, but I never imagined its notes could stir the soul so profoundly."
Su Ya and Liu Xiao Mei beside her nodded repeatedly.
Su Ya, clapping, said, "It’s truly beautiful. I once attended a concert by a guqin master, but compared to the player next door, that concert was a bit lacking."
"This must be Guangling San, right? I never expected Guangling San to sound so wonderful. I’m impressed, truly impressed."
Zheng Yanqiu couldn't help but smile. She said, "The person playing is my father-in-law. He probably heard our conversation and wanted to express his gratitude to President Liu!"
"As you know, my father-in-law is too proud to openly show his appreciation. Although he wants to thank you, he’s seeking a favor, so he doesn’t want to show his face."
Hearing this, Liu Ran couldn't help but chuckle, "He sounds like a very interesting person."
Then, Liu Ran turned to Chen Yang with a smile and asked, "Chen Yang, is this the first time you’ve found guqin music so beautiful and moving?"
Chen Yang smiled and shook his head. "No. The zheng pleases others, the guqin pleases oneself. A truly skilled guqin player is communicating their inner thoughts to themselves."
Liu Ran was taken aback by Chen Yang’s words. She looked at him curiously and said, "The way you speak, it sounds like you know a lot about the guqin."
Chen Yang chuckled and nodded. "I do have some knowledge."
Liu Ran’s eyes brightened. She immediately grabbed Chen Yang’s arm and exclaimed, "Wow, Chen Yang, I didn’t know you knew about the guqin! Can you play? Why don’t you find an opportunity to apprentice with Master Wu next door! If you learn the guqin well, you’ll truly be an artist, and no one will dare call you just a security guard anymore."
Chen Yang chuckled and scratched his head. "There’s no need to apprentice. While my skills aren't peak, they're still superior to the player next door. At least, my rendition of Guangling San is more pleasing to the ear."
Liu Ran was stunned. She looked at Chen Yang in disbelief. Su Ya beside them burst into laughter and said to Chen Yang, "Chen Yang, you're going too far! I’ve never heard you brag so much. If you truly play better than old Mr. Wu, then you’d be a true guqin master and wouldn't have to make a living delivering food."
Chen Yang scratched his head and mumbled, "I'm telling the truth! I don't understand music too deeply, but I'm quite proficient with the guqin, and I do play quite well."
Su Ya burst into hearty laughter. She quickly called out to the next room, "Mr. Wu, Mr. Wu, please don’t be angry! Chen Yang likes to joke around. He’s our company driver and speaks without regard for rank. Please don’t take it to heart."
Liu Ran also became flustered. She quickly said, "Yes, yes, let’s not talk about the guqin anymore. Let’s discuss something else. Let’s sign the contract first. We need to plan how we will promote and generate profits for the clothing factory."
Liu Ran and Su Ya didn't dwell on the guqin topic any further. Chen Yang sat aside, rubbing his head in frustration, feeling a slight sense of disappointment.
He had been hoping that if Liu Ran doubted him further, he could step forward and demonstrate his skill. After all, his wife didn’t know that besides delivering food, he could also play the guqin.
But now, these two women clearly thought he was boasting and had deliberately changed the subject, leaving him with no opportunity to show off.
Next, Liu Ran, Su Ya, and Zheng Yanqiu gathered around the table and began discussing the specific details of their cooperation.
Liu Ran tapped her finger on the table and said, "Actually, to sell fabric and clothing, the most important thing is design."
"I’ve seen your Hanfu products before. While they are retro and exquisitely made, they are too complicated and uncomfortable to wear. To put on a set of Hanfu like that would take an hour, and it’s not easy to maintain."
"Furthermore, their aesthetic appeal isn’t sufficient to wear out without attracting undue attention and stares."
"Therefore, I’ve decided to start with clothing design."
"We will integrate the design department, rethink the Hanfu concept, and ensure that Hanfu is designed to be retro, beautiful, and elegant, while also being wearable without feeling out of place – understated yet luxurious."
"In short, design is the first step. Once we have good designs for the Hanfu products, our company, Yang Yang Yang’s reputation, and our livestream hosts will be enough to launch this product."
Su Ya nodded in agreement. "Liu Ran, you’re right. However, the quality of a design shouldn’t be judged solely by appearance. I suggest we participate in some fashion design competitions."
"If we win first place in a fashion design competition, we’ll gain prestige. With prestige, people will trust us, and selling will become much easier."
"Additionally, typically, the first-place winners of fashion design competitions are not short of orders. Through the design competition, we can complete our first large-scale order, allowing the factory to start operating."
Liu Ran’s eyes lit up. She immediately said to Su Ya, "Ah, Sister Su Ya, you truly are adept at promotion and management! This approach is spot on."
"We will start with fashion design competitions, just as our Yang Yang Yang company gained traction from Qingzhou University's centenary celebration. Our brand, Yang Yang Yang Qian Yi Hanfu, will also establish its reputation through fashion design competitions."
Zheng Yanqiu on the opposite side said, "Everyone, there’s a fashion design competition coming up soon. In three days, the Six Cities of Jiangnan will jointly host the Newcomer Fashion Design Competition. The venue is apparently the Qingzhou City Stadium. Why don’t we participate in this competition!"