Now that the conductor was present, the rehearsal officially began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tan Zheng Hui was the conductor of this orchestra. He had an excellent reputation in Huaxia as a whole. Since he took over as conductor ten years ago, he led them to perform both at home and abroad. His interpretation of Dvorak\u2019s, in particular, amazed people in the West, who couldn\u2019t quite believe that a conductor from the East who understood the work of Dvorak existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tan Zheng Hui turned 56 this year, but his hair was already white. Although he appeared very spirited and lively, he couldn\u2019t hide the signs of aging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the death of Qi Mu\u2019s mother 8 years ago, he suddenly began aging quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu\u2019s mother grew up in B City before she got married and relocated to S City. She didn\u2019t have a good family environment as a child. While at university, her parents died of illness at the same time. She was a very talented young woman who was also very caring towards Tan Zheng Hui. She was his concertmaster before she went to the S City Symphony Orchestra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such a great and talented person in the younger generation suddenly died in an accident, of course, Tan Zheng Hui was heartbroken by it. And with Qi Mu being the way he was, he was even more distraught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSecond violin group, drop the vibrato to mp!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThird french horn? Slower!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSecond violin group, you entered too fast!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStop! The trombone is one tone off. Li Cheng, start again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
. . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first rehearsal was always the most difficult. Each type of instrument consisted of more than a dozen people. To play with consistency and controlling your own rhythm was already difficult. Not to mention they had to play in combination with other instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though B City Orchestra had played Dvorak\u2019s songs many times over the past years, it was inevitable that minor mistakes would occur. This was also a test for the conductor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the past, Qi Mu was the deputy concertmaster of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. So he too could hear the mistakes such as the pitch of the instrument, the rhythm, vibrato, tremolo, etc. Sometimes he could also distinguish the minor mistakes in the string section, and the larger ones from the woodwind section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, after a while, the conductor suddenly stopped and yelled, and even Qi Mu was a bit surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After all, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra was one of the world\u2019s top orchestras. The mistakes that occurred were few and far between. When the ensemble reached the late stage, even a single mistake couldn\u2019t be heard. By then, only the conductor would be able to notice the subtle mistakes that were hidden in the intense sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLi Cheng! Did you stay out late last night? Have you eaten? Your play is a mess! Do it again!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the towering podium, Tan Zheng Hui\u2019s face was already flushed red with anger. The second trombone he reproached was also embarrassed and hastened to play it again. Seeing this, Qi Mu shook his head and smiled. He sympathized with the man a little.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cXiao Qi, do you think he played as badly as Tan Lao said?\u201d the young man beside him asked in a low voice. Tan Zheng Hui was already angry enough to go straight for the trombone group. So it was hard for him to hear their whispered conversation at the front. \u201cI think Li Lao didn\u2019t play any differently from before, so how can he be so bad today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hearing this, Qi Mu chuckled and explained, \u201cThere is no problem with the intonation and the pitch of the second trombone. But when he entered, it sounded louder than the first trombone, overwhelming it. By the end of the paragraph, he exited too fast and didn\u2019t hold the horn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The young man was shocked and asked in confusion, \u201cIs that really true?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cChen-ge, don\u2019t you think so?\u201d Looking up to the other party, Qi Mu\u2019s light-colored eyes seemed to reflect a smile. He then calmly said, \u201cIf he still doesn\u2019t get it right this time, Tan Lao would. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDisproportionate! It\u2019s too heavy at the top! Did you not play the \u300aSixth\u300b for the past few months? Or did you forget how to play trombone entirely? Tell me, Li, when did you start making such a mistake? You\u2019re in too much of a hurry, you shouldn\u2019t rush the Horn!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu hadn\u2019t finished speaking when Tan Zheng Hui\u2019s angry voice rang throughout the practice room. Qi Mu froze slightly, but then he smiled and closed his mouth, and he didn\u2019t say anything else. But the young man didn\u2019t let him go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo way! That was such a subtle mistake! Xiao Qi, you could hear it? Your ears are really sharp!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu smiled modestly, his beautiful eyes moved a bit, thinking of what to say, \u201cMy parents really liked listening to Dvorak\u2019s \u300aSixth\u300b, so they often talked to me about it, explaining it. Even though Tan Lao\u2019s style is not the same as my father, in this aspect, it is identical.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The young man nodded and didn\u2019t ask anything more, but Qi Mu smiled meaningfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had been able to slowly grasp the notes that were constantly emerging in his mind, courtesy of his hearing. Because there were too many sounds, he couldn\u2019t control it all at once. And he also had to trouble himself with the need to use a tuner. But now, although he wouldn\u2019t dare to say that his hearing was better than Tan Lao, it should be almost the same, if they were to compare it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a conductor, the most important thing was their ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even Beethoven, the music maestro himself who had written his own symphonies despite being deaf, was faced with opposition from orchestras when he wanted to be the conductor of his own songs. And the musicians who heard the news all shivered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He can\u2019t hear and yet he wanted to lead an orchestra? That was an impossible mission!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu knew, with the gift that this body had, it wouldn\u2019t be hard for him to climb up in the industry. This talent was suited best for being a conductor, not a violinist. But. . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Was perfect pitch the only thing needed to be a conductor?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every world-renowned conductor had an ear that, through training alone, was no less than having perfect pitch. The achievements they had earned could not be imagined by someone without absolute sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu had heard about something similar in Vienna. It was also because of this that he met the modern king of classical. Since then, he could only concede defeat to Min Chen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was said, that when he was conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, he once heard a violin change strings after an ensemble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What kind of hearing was that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Either way, even at Qi Mu\u2019s current talent, he still couldn\u2019t imagine it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAh, this is barely okay. You will play it again later. If you are passable, you can go home for dinner!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tan Lao snorted then walked back to his podium. Before he picked up his baton, his gaze swept across the auditorium to meet Qi Mu\u2019s. The young man was surprised, but he quickly smiled\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just now. . . was he heard?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the rehearsal ended, Qi Mu had not stood from his chair when he suddenly heard an old man\u2019s voice coming from the podium, \u201cQi Mu. . . With me. Come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu startled, then set down his violin, and followed. He passed the others, and everyone gave him looks that said \u201cXiao Qi, you\u2019ll still be a hero eighteen years later\u201d or \u201cXiao Qi, you worked hard. The revolution needs you!\u201d It made him want to both laugh and cry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When he caught up with Tan Zheng Hui, the old man was standing in the corridor outside the hall, and his hands were tucked behind him. He did not turn to look at him. Instead, he stared out the window. Qi Mu walked up to him quietly and followed his gaze down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The wooden window sill was touched by age and beyond it was a garden blessed by the autumn wind. Most of the flowers had begun to succumb to the cold, and only the golden shade of the ginkgo tree leaves scattered across the ground like a thin blanket. It resembled the sun in full bloom from a distant, glaringly bright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTan Lao,\u201d Qi Mu said respectfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAh,\u201d Tan Zheng Hui sighed. After a long time, he said, \u201cHow many years has it been since I\u2019ve seen you. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu thought for a moment then said, \u201cThree years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tan Zheng Hui shook his head. His old, upright face showed a trace of grief as he said, \u201cThree years and two months. Last time, you had yet to grow into adulthood and still wanted to grasp hold of that \u2018Edith.\u2019 Those of us old guys got together to meet you, and yet you only saw one side of it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His eyebrows rose slightly, then after a while, Qi Mu sighed, \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEdith\u201d was the name of the violin his paternal grandmother had in a Swiss bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The original was eager to take Xiao Gongzhu from the bank to sell it for cash. Therefore, the old friends of his parents gathered together to change the conditions for taking out the violin. So far, Qi Mu was not interested in selling the violin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you just want to play, this circle is not for you.\u201d Tan Zheng Hui said without feeling. \u201cIn my orchestra, if you\u2019re going to rely on your background to climb, it\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu naturally understood Tan Lao\u2019s meaning. He was worried that he was still unrepentant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He looked down at the halo reflected on the floor, and this movement had the hair on his forehead falling naturally to obscure his eyes. He said, \u201cTan Lao, I am very serious about wanting to start over. In the past, I was ignorant and young. In the future. . . please rest assured.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tan Lao was surprised, and he turned to look at Qi Mu in amazement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The setting sun on the horizon rendered the clouds in the sky a gorgeous purple, and it made everything look softer. It poured in through the window and cast across the young man\u2019s white face, refining the appearance of his handsome features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This made him resemble his mother twenty years ago!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a long while, Tan Lao sighed, \u201cThis weekend. . . There is an international violin competition. Go participate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu heard this and was shocked. He stared up at Tan Lao for a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking at this old man\u2019s helpless compromise, Qi Mu\u2019s mouth slowly curled into a smile. Then he solemnly nodded and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n