socalfunplaces Chapter 242 The Two's Stunned
Chapter 242 The Two's Stunned
The two hurried into Chinatown, heading to the location of the flag-raising ceremony.
But it was still too late.
"Hey, Linzi, we're still too slow."
Xiao Yuan looked at the flagpole, which had already been lowered, and slapped his thigh in frustration.
"The flag-raising ceremony is over. I should have finished that fight quickly when I was arguing with that black guy."
Yang Yang seemed quite relaxed about it. He took a deep breath of the air, which carried the scent of his hometown, and smiled:
"It's okay. Even though I missed the moment the flag was raised, it's still nice to experience the excitement."
"Look around here, you see relatives and compatriots everywhere."
Along both sides of the street, props for dragon and lion dances were neatly arranged on the roadside, and several strong young men were testing the drums.
Everywhere you look, there are Chinese compatriots with yellow skin and black hair.
Although they missed the morning flag-raising ceremony, the two did not plan to go back so early.
In the evening, Chinatown also offers various traditional opera performances and acrobatics. They plan to spend the whole day there, just like celebrating National Day.
I wandered around here and there.
After walking around for a while, the two got tired and decided to find a place to rest.
Right now, I see a tea restaurant called "Old Friends" next door.
Pushing open the somewhat heavy glass door, a mixture of steaming shrimp dumplings, the rich aroma of Pu'er tea, and the smell of cheap dish soap wafted out.
This familiar, homely atmosphere brought a slight pang of sadness to Yang Yang, an international student who had just been upset on the street and missed the flag-raising ceremony.
"Please, sit wherever you like. It's warm here."
My roommate, Xiaoyuan, casually pulled out a shiny plastic stool and plopped down on it.
Yang Yang looked up and found that the small shop, which was only a few dozen square meters, was packed with people.
They all had uniformly black hair, and most of them were elderly overseas Chinese. There were almost no young people among them.
Everyone was craning their necks, staring at a large LCD TV hanging in the corner of the wall.
"The real Voice, the real brutality! The top ten have assembled, the ultimate showdown is about to begin!"
The television broadcast Hua Shao's signature rapid-fire delivery, and even though they were separated by the Pacific Ocean, the familiar rhythm still made Yang Yang pause for half a second.
"Wow, this show is also broadcast in New York?"
Yang Yang curled his lip. As a second-year graduate student who pursues individuality, he had long lost interest in this kind of "outdated" talent show.
In his opinion, talent shows are just scripted and sentimental, and it's better to watch some technical videos instead.
At this moment, the television camera panned across the stage, where ten contestants dressed in various outfits lined up under the spotlight.
Just then, the previously noisy tea restaurant suddenly erupted into an extremely enthusiastic cheer!
"She's out! She's out! Jiang Baizhi is out!"
"Oh my, look at this girl! She has such an upright and dignified appearance; just looking at her makes me feel at ease!"
"Old Zhang, turn the volume up! I didn't get enough of that song. I saw online that this girl is going to sing again later!"
Several elderly men in t-shirts gathered around the counter and clapped excitedly, just like young fans.
Yang Yang and Xiao Yuan exchanged a glance, their faces full of confusion.
Angelica dahurica?
Who is it?
Yang Yang looked at the screen, and the camera gave him a close-up shot.
At that moment, even Yang Yang, who prided himself on being "aesthetically fatigued," couldn't help but have his pupils slightly contract.
She was a very pretty girl.
She wore a retro plaid dress with a Peter Pan collar that made her face look as clean as if it were spotless.
Her long hair cascaded down her back, and the double-layered pearl necklace around her neck shimmered softly under the cool light.
Among the contestants dressed in outlandish costumes and heavily made up, she was like a white flower blooming in the wasteland, so pure that no one dared to harbor any thoughts of desecration.
"His looks... are definitely top-notch."
Yang Yang murmured something, her heart skipping a beat.
But he quickly regained his composure, and looking at the group of enthusiastic elders around him, he began to have doubts:
"The songs that can get these old folks so excited are probably just some corny, rustic tunes, right?"
He turned his head and whispered to an elderly man in a traditional Chinese suit next to him, whose face was flushed with excitement:
"Sir, is Jiang Baizhi... very famous? What songs does she sing that you all like so much?"
The old man turned his face, a look of disgust on his face, and said earnestly:
"Young man, you just arrived, right?"
"That young lady just sang 'Gently Tell You,' and wow, her voice... it reminded this old man of my first love when I was working at the Guangzhou docks!"
"It's like it took me back to the 80s and 90s!"
"The singing was so pure, without a single impurity!"
"Let me tell you, this is real art, a million times better than all that messy rap you guys listen to!"
Yang Yang: "......."
really.
The 1980s and 90s.
I'll tell you gently.
Yang Yang sat on a red-lacquered bench, looking around at the group of middle-aged men and women who usually walked with a shaky gait, but now seemed to want to stand on the table and wave their dentures at the girl on TV.
He could already picture those saccharine, cloyingly sweet retro hits with extremely simple melodies and lyrics that were all about "brother and sister."
Yang Yang gave Xiao Yuan a wry smile.
"Well, it seems like another one that relies on nostalgia and good looks to gain popularity among older generations."
"I don't think I'd appreciate this kind of 'outdated' style."
"It's a pity about this girl's looks. If she sang modern pop songs, she would probably be a hit."
Xiao Yuan, who was standing to the side, did not answer. She was looking down and frantically swiping on her phone.
"Holy crap... Linzi, look!"
Xiao Yuan shoved his phone screen in front of Yang Yang, displaying a photo of Jiang Baizhi.
"This girl named Jiang Baizhi has caused a sensation in the country!"
"This isn't just a friend to middle-aged and elderly people, she's a goddess of a new generation!"
Yang Yang glanced at the screen and saw that the trending topics were all incredibly exaggerated:
#Sweetheart goddess Jiang Baizhi's rendition of "Gently Tell You" has made parents all over the internet fall in love!#
#Is the nation's first love back? No, it's the first love of the 80s!#
The first victims have appeared in "Gently Tell You"!
The comments below were all unanimously "wife", "I'd give you my life", and "I want to find my first love again".
Xiao Yuan muttered to himself, looking completely bewildered:
"This...this reputation is not right."
"Young people in China have gone crazy, calling her the 'sweet ceiling' and saying she's the most beautiful girl of this century."
"But why do our older overseas Chinese here look at her like she's one of the 'Top Ten People Who Moved China'?"
Yang Yang was completely dumbfounded.
I don't understand, I really don't understand.
Logically speaking, it's normal for a new generation artist who takes the "sweet" route to be able to win over those anime-loving otaku and college students who spend their days online.
Why?
Even these elders, who usually only focus on "the health regimen of red dates and goji berries" and "the great prediction of the Huamei relationship," can show this kind of fanaticism that is almost like a pilgrimage?
The two exchanged a glance, both puzzled, but chose to stay.
I watched the television with the other elderly overseas Chinese in the room.
One reason was that their feet were tired from walking, but more importantly, they also wanted to admire Jiang Baizhi's beauty for longer.
After all, it is indeed pleasing to the eye!