Marry a female star at a bargain price

After I finish planting the wheat, I'll head south.
No one in this world can be free for me.
The wind ripples through the wheat fields, waving goodbye to the setting sun.
We walked all the way to the end of the sea.

After I finished planting the wheat, I headed south.
Ride a tricycle to see the autumn in the south
Wait until the wheat is fully ripe before carrying the basket on your back.
The hope of life cannot be extinguished by wind and rain…

Jiang Feng casually plucked the strings and sang the entire chorus.

His voice was hoarse, as if he were weeping and lamenting.

The person holding the zither standing in the living room was an adult, but the helplessness and struggle in his voice, and the desolation and longing in his emotions, seemed to have traveled through a time tunnel back to that village in the northern mountains more than 20 years ago, back to that desperate boy in that desolate and dilapidated mud-brick house.

Jiang Feng's expression changed.

The arrogance of a superstar, the nonchalance of a veteran, and the composure of a senior all vanished at this moment.

What appeared in his eyes was a youthful confusion and stubbornness.

A kind of youthful arrogance, overwhelmed by life's pressures, unsure of what lies ahead, yet determined to forge a path through one's own feet and ambition.

He wanted dreams, hope, and freedom!

These beautiful words, which once supported him to leave the mountains and seek a future, had long since disappeared from him after he achieved success and fame, but now they suddenly gathered in his eyes again.

Jiang Feng's eyes welled up with tears.

Having achieved fame and fortune over the years, he has long forgotten the taste of youth and the joy of tears.

Today, dreams and reality intertwine, and the past and present overlap.

His voice choked with emotion, and his fingers trembled uncontrollably as he strummed the strings. He had completely lost the level of a superstar and was like a greenhorn.

But Lin Xiao experienced an unprecedented impact.

This is the effect he wants.

Or rather, this is the effect that the song "All the Way South" is aiming for.

Only by singing out this confusion, helplessness, pain, and struggle can the preciousness of freedom be truly highlighted and the sincerity of "never underestimate the poor youth" be truly expressed.

Lin Xiao was actually quite worried before giving this song to Jiang Feng.

Jiang Tianwang's singing skills, techniques, and expressiveness are undoubtedly top-notch. He can hit any high note. Even if he didn't sing original songs and just became an ordinary pop singer, he would definitely have a place in the music industry.

However, this song is meant to evoke a sense of youthful naiveté and the fearlessness of a newborn calf.

The more skillful and controlled a singer is, the more they are at a disadvantage.

To put it bluntly, this song is all about imperfections.

A raw, unfiltered voice, even a cracked one—it doesn't matter. As long as you have the right spirit and can belt out the lyrics directly from the notes, the song is a success, enough to resonate deeply with listeners.

Jiang Feng fully understood and put it into practice.

He didn't know whether he deliberately gave up the techniques or was so moved by the lyrics and music that he forgot them.

The man who sang just now was a greenhorn, a complete novice, with a reckless ambition to break into the music scene and carve out a place for himself when he had nothing, and he was venting his emotions to the fullest.

The song ended.

Jiang Feng was covered in sweat, tears welled in his eyes, and he was panting heavily. It had been a long time since he had sung so energetically. Even his classic songs with their soaring high notes were not this strenuous when he was used to them.

Even he himself was startled by his current state.

As the last note faded away.

Jiang Feng stood there stunned for a long time before he came to his senses. His first reaction was to walk aggressively toward Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao was startled.

I thought the Heavenly King was unhappy with the song and wanted to settle scores with me.

Before he could dodge, Jiang Feng gave him a bear hug, pulling him tightly into his arms and giving him a hard pound on the back.

"Cough cough..."

Lin Xiao almost died on the spot.

Those who can hit high notes and become kings of the sky must have good stamina. Those two punches almost shattered his internal organs.

"Teacher Jiang...cough cough...it's uncomfortable!"

Lin Xiao shouted, his face flushed red.

Jiang Feng was stunned for a moment before realizing that he was still carrying a guitar on his chest, which was now lying between the two of them.

Jiang Feng laughed and quickly released his embrace: "Sorry, sorry, I got a little excited..."

As he spoke, he patted Lin Xiao's shoulder heavily, his appreciation and affection for him practically overflowing from his eyes.

"younger brother……"

Lin Xiao frowned: Younger brother?!

"Little brother, I apologize, you're absolutely a genius!!!"

Jiang Feng said warmly and sincerely.

Lin Xiao was startled. He thought the song could move the superstar, but he didn't expect the superstar to be so flexible. Last time, he criticized him in front of the camera and guests without any mercy. Now that he was in a good mood, he apologized without trying to save face!
"Are all of you in the rock scene really this real?"

Lin Xiao was completely amazed.

"Teacher Jiang, you're too kind..."

"Little brother, are you looking down on me?" Jiang Feng suddenly interrupted him, glancing sideways.

"???"

Lin Xiao was completely bewildered. What was going on here? How did it all come to the point of looking down on someone?

Jiang Feng said sternly, "I've already called you 'little brother,' and you're still calling me 'Teacher Jiang,' isn't that looking down on me?"

Lin Xiao: "???"

Fine, fine, I'll offer you respect, but you don't want it. Then don't blame me for being impolite!

"Old Deng!!" Lin Xiao shouted with a stern face.

"Um?!"

Now it was Jiang Feng's turn to be dumbfounded.

Jiang Xiaofei, who was watching the commotion from the side, was drinking tea when he heard the words "Old Deng" and immediately spat out his water, laughing so hard he almost fell over.

Fu Hanhan is a very charismatic person.

His smile made Jiang Feng lose interest in asking "Old Deng," and even Lin Xiao burst into laughter.

It took a while to return to normal.

Jiang Feng said earnestly, "Little brother, this song is really well written, I really like it... Are you really going to give me such a good song?"

Lin Xiao shrugged, as if to say, "Of course."

Jiang Feng was still incredulous: "As a musician, what I cherish most is my own work. To be honest, I keep my favorite songs for myself to sing, and only give away the ones I don't like as much. Although you're not a formal singer, you have released songs, so you're not just a pure songwriter who doesn't perform on stage! In that case, why don't you keep such a good song for yourself to sing? With your singing skills and popularity, singing this song would definitely make it a huge hit!"

Jiang Feng's words made a lot of sense, and Jiang Xiaofei looked over curiously as well.

Lin Xiao calmly shrugged: "To truly cherish your work is to find it a suitable owner! Popularity, singing ability, and whether it can become a hit are not factors in your consideration!"

Jiang Feng was stunned by these words.

It truly felt like being hit over the head with a blunt object; I stood there for several seconds, unable to recover.

After a long while, Jiang Feng nodded as if waking from a dream.

He understood Lin Xiao's gesture of gifting him the song, and he also understood why Lin Xiao, now successful and famous, could still write such pure, natural, and moving songs without any worldly desires, while he himself could not.

Because, despite claiming to be a rock veteran and a music pioneer, he cried out in the bitter wind and rain every day.

He may seem detached from worldly affairs, but in reality, all the works he creates are aimed at winning chart positions and becoming popular, in order to solidify his position in the music industry.

Lin Xiao, however, was not.

In terms of fame and status, he is no less than a superstar in the music industry.

But he still worked diligently outside his circle, rooted in the deep mountains, without a trace of greed, anger, or delusion that could have been tainted by fame and fortune.

This purity made Jiang Feng feel inferior.

He was moved wave after wave, and was now completely defeated by Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao watched as the dignified Heavenly King almost burst into tears in front of him, and the corners of his mouth slightly curled up.

"Others get a slap followed by a sweet treat, but I'm getting one sweet treat on top of another. It's so sweet it's bound to make me sick!"

Lin Xiao already knew in his heart that he had won over Jiang Feng.

Jiang Feng said after a long pause, "Since you think so highly of me, little brother, I will definitely live up to this song. If you need any help in the future, just let me know. Whether it's for music or for your career development, I will do anything for you!"

Lin Xiao's eyes flashed.

"Let's not wait until later, let's do it now!"

"what?"

Jiang Feng was stunned, thinking to himself, "I was just being polite to you, and you're actually going to do it for real!"

"Now?!"

"Yes, now!!"

Lin Xiao's eyes were incredibly determined, carrying a hint of cunning as he tried to lure his opponent into a trap.

……

Two days later.

September 29th, Monday, with National Day approaching.

A mid-range residential community in a second-tier city in northern China.

At 8:30 p.m., 37-year-old real estate agent Sun Guisheng returned home from get off work. As soon as he entered the door, his straight back immediately slumped.

He expressionlessly took off his stinking suit and shoes and stood at the door, panting heavily.

Just as I threw my socks on the floor, the door opened, and a boy of about twelve or thirteen years old ran out excitedly.

"Dad, you're finally back!!!" the boy screamed and threw himself into Sun Guisheng's arms.

Sun Guisheng caught it, and his face immediately lit up with joy, all his fatigue vanishing in an instant.

"Son, have you finished your homework?" he asked.

"It's done!!"

Sun Junchi asked excitedly, "Dad, have you asked for leave yet? Are we going out to play during the National Day holiday?"

Sun Guisheng pinched his son's chubby cheek: "I've asked for leave! I promised you, I'll definitely go, a man's word is his bond..."

He held out his palm.

Sun Junchi excitedly clapped his hands and shouted, "A promise is a promise!!"

The father and son were very happy.

The joyful atmosphere came to an abrupt end as the woman emerged from the kitchen.

With a cold face, the hostess Zhang Qian threw a portion of leftover food that she had deliberately set aside onto the dining table.

"Let's eat!"

The father and son were already used to the woman's behavior and stuck out their tongues at each other.

Sun Guisheng told his son to pack his luggage, preparing to leave early the day after tomorrow. Sun Junchi went off happily.

Sun Guisheng sat down at the dining table to eat.

His wife, Zhang Qian, ignored him and naturally went to the entryway to tidy up her clothes, nagging as she did so: "I've told you eight hundred times, just take off your clothes and put them in the washing machine, it's a simple thing, but you just won't listen! You insist on leaving them by the door, are you not comfortable until you exhaust me?"

Sun Guisheng didn't even look up, replying while shoveling rice into his mouth: "I'll change it, I'll definitely change it tomorrow!"

Zhang Qian continued rambling on, while Sun Guisheng responded only half-heartedly.

Zhang Qian went to the restroom.

After a while, Sun Guisheng finished his dinner and stretched.

I was just about to take a shower when I suddenly heard a hysterical scream coming from my son's room: "My dad told me to pack my bags! He promised me we'd go on a trip during the National Day holiday!"

Then his wife shouted even louder: "What kind of trip is this! During the National Day holiday, everywhere is packed with people. Food, accommodation, and gas prices are all double what they are usually. Going out is just getting ripped off! Is your dad a rich kid or did you win the lottery? Earning money isn't easy these days. Can't you be a little more sensible?"

Sun Junchi wouldn't listen to a word and burst into tears on the spot.

Sun Guisheng knew what was going on as soon as he heard it.

He rushed over, shielding his sobbing son behind him, and had no choice but to confront his wife directly: "Didn't we agree last month to go on a trip during the National Day holiday? Why are you yelling at the child again?"

"What do you think I'm shouting for! Tourism, tourism, where would I get the money for tourism?"

"What are you saying? How much money can you spend on a few days of travel? Besides, don't we have savings at home?"

"deposit?"

Zhang Qian immediately became anxious, "You know that your take-home pay is decreasing month by month, and we can't even cover our daily expenses. We're going to have to touch our savings! In this situation, instead of thinking about saving money, you're thinking about going out to play?"

Sun Guisheng was speechless.

With the real estate market downturn in recent years, his income as a real estate salesman has plummeted. A few years ago, he could easily close two or three deals a day, but now it's common for him to not close a single deal in a month.

My colleagues who had good career prospects all left their jobs.

He comes from a rural area, with no parents to rely on and no relatives to help him. He has accumulated some experience and connections in this industry on his own. If he were to switch industries and start over at this age, the risks and challenges would far outweigh the opportunities, and he might end up unemployed.

Zhang Guisheng now has a family and children, and cannot afford to take any risks at all.

So he could only grit his teeth and persevere, continuing to work every day even as his salary plummeted.

Zhang Qian's shout left Sun Guisheng speechless.

When his son, Sun Junchi, saw that his father had also backed down, he knew that there was no hope left. While sobbing, he put the small suitcase he had just taken out back into the closet.

Zhang Guisheng couldn't bear to watch.

After all, I had promised my son several times that we would go on a trip, but each time it fell through due to various unforeseen circumstances. My son had previously said that he was laughed at by his classmates because he had never been outside the province, which was why he was so looking forward to going out to play.

but now……

Considering his truly depleted wallet, Zhang Guisheng couldn't bring himself to do it, so he could only shake his head helplessly and leave.

He locked himself in the study.

The computer I bought for tens of thousands of yuan back then is now gathering dust; I have no time to play games with it.

The only purpose of this room is to provide some peace and quiet occasionally, which is better than the toilet.

My wife is still outside, cursing and swearing.

Sun Guisheng was annoyed by what he heard, so he turned on his computer and suddenly remembered that he had overheard his colleagues talking about rock star Jiang Feng, who had suddenly announced yesterday that he was going to release a new song.

"You mean 8 PM tonight?"

Sun Guisheng wasn't sure, but when he checked the time, it was already past eight o'clock.

He didn't like listening to music when he was young, and he wasn't a fan of anyone's music. Children from the countryside don't have such refined hobbies.

After graduating from junior college, he was thrown into the crucible of society. With clear eyes, he faced all sorts of monsters and demons. Unexpected hardships came crashing down on him without warning, making it hard for him to breathe.

Listening to Jiang Feng's hysterical roars became his only comfort and respite amidst the exhaustion of resisting the impact of the social tide.

I feel frustrated right now.

He wanted to light a cigarette, but then he thought that his wife would scold him even more fiercely if she smelled the smoke, so he took the cigarette out of his mouth.

"Hold!"

Sun Guisheng cursed for no reason.

Then I turned on my computer, logged into Tencent Music, and the homepage featured a poster for "Jiang Feng's New Song".

As expected, it's a kingly auspicious sign.

"Heading south?"

Sun Guisheng read the song title on the poster, but didn't feel anything.

Compared to the song title, the names of the lyricist and composer, which were in larger font than the song title on the poster, attracted his attention more.

"Lin Xiao? That sounds familiar... Is he the one who's been really popular lately, the one who's the town mayor in the countryside?"

Sun Guisheng didn't have time to pay attention to things online, so he didn't care.

Upon clicking into the page, the new song was indeed already available.

He clicked play.

A unique sound effect spread throughout the room, soothing his slight restlessness.

"He picked up a hoe at seventeen or eighteen years old"
He then spent many years tending to the crops.

There are joys and sorrows in this small village.

The vicissitudes of time

Never stay for anyone

The rain in the north made me shiver.

Will the southern wind blow gently?

The faraway places I never visited in my youth

Many years later, we arrived at the crossroads where we started.

……

After I finished planting the wheat, I headed south.
No one in this world can be free for me.
The wind ripples through the wheat fields, waving goodbye to the setting sun.
We walked all the way to the end of the sea.

After I finished planting the wheat, I headed south.
Ride a tricycle to see the autumn in the south
Wait until the wheat is fully ripe before carrying the basket on your back.
The hope of life cannot be extinguished by wind and rain…

After listening to the song, Sun Guisheng was completely stunned and inexplicably burst into tears.

He quickly listened to it a second time, and a third time...

Each time I listened, the turmoil in my heart lessened by half.

The hardships, struggles, and surging expectations in the lyrics resonated deeply with him, who had left the countryside and worked hard for half his life. They were both a past experience filled with empathy and anticipation, and a present moment of weariness and helplessness, mired in difficulties.

He felt a deep sense of powerlessness, yet also an unprecedented passion.

"After finishing their meals, they don't even clean up the dishes. They just disappear into their rooms and leave all the housework to me!"

Zhang Qian burst through the door, screaming hysterically, "Am I your nanny or your old woman? You'd better work me to death! Don't you all have any conscience...?"

It was another familiar, incessant chatter.

Normally, Sun Guisheng would endure the situation and not want to argue with women.

But at this moment, he suddenly didn't want to hold back anymore.

"No one in this world can be free for me!"

He suddenly stood up, startling Zhang Qian, whose screaming mouth suddenly stopped.

"son!!"

He shouted towards the small bedroom.

Sun Junchi came over with a long face: "What..."

Sun Guisheng's face was beaming with unprecedented excitement as he shouted to his son, "Go pack your things! We'll leave first thing on the 1st!!"

Sun Junchi was stunned for a moment, overjoyed and incredulous.

"Set off...where to?"

Sun Guisheng stared directly into his wife Zhang Qian's eyes, his expression calm, firm, and unwavering.

"Go, see the autumn in the South!" (End of Chapter)