After finishing breakfast, Mengmeng hopped out of the dining room, her steps light and bouncy.
"My dear little granddaughter, are you full?" Jiang Haiyan, who was sitting in the living room, asked as he saw her come out.
"Grandpa, Mengmeng is full! Did you eat too?" Mengmeng ran over and took his hand.
Seeing his thoughtful granddaughter, Jiang Haiyan felt even more tender. "Grandpa woke up earlier than you and already ate."
He then lifted Mengmeng onto his lap. "Mengmeng, are you happy here with Grandpa?"
"Happy!" Mengmeng answered in her sweet, childish voice. "Hmm, what's that?"
Mengmeng pointed at the erhu hanging on the wall, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Grandpa, Grandpa, what is that?"
"That's an erhu, Mengmeng."
"What's an erhu?" Mengmeng pressed.
Jiang Haiyan smiled. "An erhu is a musical instrument."
"Grandpa, what's a musical instrument?"
"A musical instrument is something that can make sounds."
Jiang Haiyan hesitated, unsure how to explain the concept of a musical instrument to Mengmeng.
"Mengmeng, an instrument is something that can produce musical tones and rhythms. For example, a piano is also an instrument; when you play it, it makes all sorts of music. The erhu is the same."
Just then, Jiang Ning and Su Meng walked out, rescuing Jiang Haiyan from his predicament.
"Grandpa, Mengmeng wants to learn the erhu too. Can she?" Mengmeng asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"Of course! Grandpa will teach you how to play the erhu, my dear."
Jiang Haiyan's face lit up with joy. He quickly rose, retrieved the erhu from the wall, and eagerly prepared to demonstrate his skills to his granddaughter.
Mengmeng immediately crouched before him, cupping her cheeks in her hands, her expression one of rapt fascination.
"Mengmeng, this is called the qin tube. This is the qin rod. These are the tuning pegs. The inner peg holds the inner string, and the outer peg holds the outer string..."
Jiang Haiyan patiently explained the erhu's structure and how to play it.
Mengmeng listened intently, occasionally asking clarifying questions.
"Mengmeng, this is called the bow. When we move the bow across the strings, they vibrate and make sound. Watch how Grandpa does it..."
In a few minutes...
*Ding!*
"Congratulations, Host! You have acquired the Grandmaster Erhu Skill."
A torrent of erhu knowledge, techniques, and songs flooded Jiang Ning's mind.
His hands transformed, as if he were a master who had been playing the erhu for decades.
"Mengmeng, Grandpa will play you a classic song, 'Moon Reflected in the Erquan Spring.' How about that?" Jiang Haiyan said with a confident smile.
It was rare for his granddaughter to show interest in the erhu, so he was determined to showcase his skills and impress her.
*Clap clap*
"Yes, yes! Grandpa, play it quickly! Mengmeng can't wait to hear it!" Mengmeng clapped her hands joyfully.
She had never seen anything like this before, and she was utterly fascinated by how it could produce music.
Soon, Jiang Haiyan entered his zone. He closed his eyes, and the erhu's melancholic, resonant tones filled the living room.
The room fell silent, save for the erhu's mournful melody. Mengmeng crouched before her grandfather, like a devoted little listener.
Jiang Ning and Su Meng sat on the old wooden chairs in the living room, fully immersed in the music.
Four minutes later, Jiang Haiyan opened his eyes, and the erhu's song came to an end.
His face glowed with the afterglow of the music, clearly relishing the moment.
*Clap clap*
Mengmeng clapped her hands happily. "Grandpa, that was wonderful! Mengmeng loved it!"
Then she turned to Jiang Ning. "Daddy, you play a song too! Mengmeng wants to hear you play the erhu!"
"Mengmeng, your daddy doesn't know how to play the erhu," Jiang Haiyan quickly interjected, eager to impress his granddaughter and earn her admiration.
"Hmph, Grandpa, my daddy is the greatest dad in the whole world! He's a super big hero. He knows everything and can do anything!" Mengmeng pouted, unhappy that her grandfather claimed her father couldn't play.
"Alright, alright, alright. If Mengmeng's daddy is a big hero, then he can play a song." Jiang Haiyan thought to himself, *You may be a big hero, but I'm still his big hero of a father.*
Su Meng looked at Jiang Ning with worry. "Honey, can you play the erhu? If you can't, Mengmeng will be so embarrassed. It will really tarnish her image of you as the all-knowing, all-capable super big hero."
"I know a little," Jiang Ning replied with a smile.
"Tch, honey, I've heard your 'I know a little' too many times," Su Meng rolled her eyes at Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning stood up and approached Jiang Haiyan, taking the erhu.
Jiang Haiyan stared at him in astonishment. "Ning'er, you can play the erhu?"
"I know a little," Jiang Ning replied with a smile, nodding.
"No, Ning'er, when did you learn to play the erhu? I've never seen you play it before!"
"That's because every time I came home and saw you playing with such passion, Dad, I didn't want to steal your thunder," Jiang Ning fabricated on the spot.
"Fine, fine! Then I'll see what kind of bizarre sounds you can produce, Ning'er!" Jiang Haiyan retorted, huffing.
"Later, Dad, please give me your guidance. I'll play the classic 'Moon Reflected in the Erquan Spring' too."
"Tch, I don't believe you can play 'Moon Reflected in the Erquan Spring' at all, Ning'er," Jiang Haiyan countered skeptically.
He had originally intended to show off in front of his granddaughter, but his son had stolen the spotlight. Now, to be forced to play the same piece? How embarrassing!
He had been playing "Moon Reflected in the Erquan Spring" for years, and few in the surrounding villages could match his current level of mastery.
Jiang Ning settled into his position, closed his eyes, and tentatively drew the bow across the erhu a few times.
"Hic, creak."
"Hahaha!"
Jiang Haiyan heard the sound and burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.
Mengmeng turned her head to look at her grandfather, who was laughing heartily. Her brow furrowed, and she pouted in displeasure.
Seeing his granddaughter's unhappy and angry expression, Jiang Haiyan immediately stifled his laughter, daring not to laugh again.
Su Meng also frowned, thinking, "Did Jiang Ning deliberately pretend to know how to play the erhu just to make a fool of himself? No, that doesn't make sense. If he didn't know how, he should have just said so. Jiang Ning is such a good parent; he wouldn't put on such a show."
However, before anyone could react,
In an instant, a melody flowed from the erhu in Jiang Ning's hands—a melody that seemed to weep and yearn, to lament and long.
The sound seemed to meander from the abyss of time, carrying endless weariness and solitude.
At first, it was like a mountain spring struggling to flow through the cracks in the rocks. Each note was like a splash of water against stone, crisp yet stubborn.
Jiang Ning's fingers danced nimbly across the strings, sometimes caressing them gently, sometimes pressing them firmly. The bow moved through his hands with fluid grace, as if he and the erhu had become one.
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)