Chapter 272: Her Terrifying Talent in Violin
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Master Wei had come to find Qin Ran mainly to discuss joining the association. As for the apprenticeship banquet…
Master Wei would never let Qin Ran worry over this.
Most importantly, he felt like it was too difficult for Qin Ran to sit down and draw up a list.
While she talked to Master Wei, Cheng Juan glanced at Old Master Cheng and said faintly, “Let’s go, I’ll send you off.”
Old Master Cheng sat on the sofa and didn’t budge. “You should entertain Master Wei first, I’m not in a hurry.”
The two weren’t speaking discreetly, so Master Wei naturally heard them and immediately stood up. “No need to entertain me, we’re all acquaintances.”
Old Master Cheng was speechless. He had no choice but to get up.
1
Folding his arms, Cheng Juan nodded towards them. His features were defined under the warm sunlight. “Let’s go.”
After wandering around upstairs, Cheng Mu said, “Miss Qin, Master Wei, I’ll go downstairs and keep my things.”
Qin Ran gave him an “OK” sign.
When everyone in the hall was almost gone, Master Wei picked up the teacup and sighed in relief. He took a sip of tea and glanced at Uncle Hai.
Uncle Hai immediately took out a schedule from the bag beside him and handed it to Qin Ran.
“You’re very talented in the violin and you have good pitch. You’re basically talented in all aspects of skills,” Master Wei asked her to check the schedule and continued, “but you lack systematic training… Most importantly, you’re probably a fast-learner, so it should be no different for the violin. But what playing the violin needs is perseverance and persistence.”
As the top performer in the industry, Master Wei understood how difficult it was to meet a genius. A prodigy could be discovered but not sought.
In comparison to other things, talent had a greater impact on the violin.
When Master Wei met Qin Ran for the first time, he had felt her terrifying talent for the violin, but something about her had troubled him for a long time. She always harbored a carefree attitude towards the violin.
As one of the top three most difficult instruments to learn, the violin required not only talent but also perseverance.
Ever since the conflict with Teacher Xu from Ninghai Town, Qin Ran basically stopped practicing the violin seriously for several years.
But her emotions poured as soon as she touched the violin.
When she came to Beijing previously, Master Wei had asked her to play the violin once. The surging emotions she exuded was completely different from those unfeeling machine sounds.
“I’ve set two goals for you to achieve before you start school. In two months, you have to master and be proficient in the advanced finger-positioning technique, as well as the two-handed double stop technique… You’ll see some of the difficult repertoires I included as examples behind.” Master Wei pointed to the first page and said solemnly, “Two months shouldn’t be particularly difficult for you, but my expectations of you aren’t simply a domestic ninth-grade amateur, but an intermediate level of Continent M.”
The Beijing Violin Association also had its own standards.
Tenth-grade amateurs outside might not even be able to reach the third-grade in the Violin Association.
“You haven’t played the violin for more than half a year, so your standards should be about the same as the last time you played in Beijing, or maybe even worse.” Master Wei pointed at the table. “You haven’t kept up with many technical aspects, so you’re probably fifth-grade in the association.”
Qin Ran was flabbergasted after looking through the training schedule.
Seeing through her, Master Wei chuckled. “Don’t think that the fifth-grade is low. This is based on the assessment standards of Continent M’s Royal Music. Most students are only around the third-grade when they first join.
“Your sister Qin Yu was in the fourth grade when she first joined, but after learning from Dai Ran for more than half a year and training hard every day, she reached the fifth grade at the end of last year. She’s currently aiming for the sixth grade. The fifth, sixth and seventh grades are alright, but reaching the eighth grade is a huge hurdle. Very few people under the age of 25 are of the eighth grade in the association.
“I don’t have complicated expectations for you. Two months after you master the various techniques, it’ll be best if you can reach the sixth grade.” Master Wei glanced at her.
So many violin players outside had their hearts set on entering the Beijing Violin Association.
This was because they could learn exceptional skills from international teachers who used international teaching methods. Besides learning from Teacher Xu in Ninghai Town for a while, Qin Ran had basically groped about by watching videos.
Being able to reach the internal fifth grade despite this was one of the reasons why Master Wei felt like she was a prodigy.
Leaning forward, Qin Ran held her chin in her hand. “What’s the highest grade in the association?”
“Tenth grade.” Master Wei smiled.
Qin Ran raised an eyebrow. “How many people are there?”
“Only me.” Master Wei picked up the teacup again and took a sip, smiling.
1
Even Dai Ran had only just reached the ninth grade. The ninth and tenth grades were like night and day.
Continent M’s assessment was particularly stringent.
Only two people in the Beijing Violin Association had reached the ninth grade, and those above the eighth grade were all teachers.
“The exhibition competition for new members of the association is the day after tomorrow. Join it first, then I’ll let Wen Yin contact you after. You know him, right?” Master Wei thought of the exhibition competition and wasn’t very bothered.
He had to hurry back to sort out the specific schedule and date of the apprenticeship banquet.
The sky turned dark while the two of them discussed. Cheng Mu invited Master Wei to stay for dinner, but he rejected him. He still had to go back and sort out the guest list.
Cheng Mu sent them out.
Master Wei and Uncle Hai got into the car and slowly drove away.
“In the exhibition competition the day after tomorrow, Miss Qin should be able to get into the fifth grade, right?” Although Uncle Hai had never heard her play, he knew of her extraordinary talent after hearing Master Wei’s description.
Some people still remained in the fourth grade even after entering the Violin Association for two or three years…
But she was already in the fifth grade before entering…
Leaning back, Master Wei sighed. “Everything else is good about Ran Ran, but she’s too frivolous. I hope I can teach her well. The violin requires both perseverance and persistence. A genius like her who finds everything easy becomes impatient quickly. I just hope she can reach the sixth grade in two months.”
3
The new member exhibition competition the day after tomorrow was but an interlude for Qin Ran, so Master Wei wasn’t very concerned.
**
Master Wei was worried about Qin Ran’s frivolousness.
If Gu Xichi was there, he would definitely tell Master Wei that he could worry about the frivolousness of anyone in the world, but he should never underestimate Qin Ran’s patience.
1
She was a woman who could even throw herself into the black-boxing ring for a life or death match.
Once she set her heart to it, she had to reach the pinnacle.
In the hall, Qin Ran dug out a violin from among a pile of things. Jiang Hui had given it to her at the apprenticeship banquet last time. She reached out to tune it.
Holding a glass of water, Cheng Juan leaned aside and watched her tune the violin slowly. When she was almost done, he said, “There’s a soundproof room upstairs. Let’s go, I’ll bring you up.”
Qin Ran followed him after tuning the violin.
The room next to the study had been converted into a music room.
A computer, a desk, a pile of A4 papers, and pens of various colors were placed aside. Various instruments, such as pianos and violins, were also placed in the corner… They had probably been specially renovated and faced the floor-to-ceiling window, with a mat placed underneath.
“Try a few notes.” Holding a cup of water, Cheng Juan put his other hand into his pocket and followed her calmly. “Come downstairs if anything isn’t right. Cheng Jin will come later, you can tell him your requests.”
In Beijing, Cheng Jin’s status was similar to Cheng Shui’s status in Continent M.
Qin Ran had seen Cheng Jin before in Continent M, so he wasn’t considered a stranger.
And Cheng Jin downstairs was no stranger to Qin Ran. Cheng Huo had spammed the five brothers of the Cheng family with news of Qin Ran’s stay in Continent M.
“Brother.” Cheng Mu also came upstairs when he saw Cheng Jin. He bowed his head shamefully.
After he arrived in Continent M, he realized how useless he was.
Cheng Jin nodded solemnly at him, giving him a peculiar look. “I’ve already heard from Cheng Shui. Your luck… follow Miss Qin well in the future and don’t do anything stupid.”
Despite being his older brother, Cheng Jin was still puzzled about how Cheng Mu had struck such good fortune.
“I know.” Cheng Mu’s head drooped even lower.
He still remembered owing Qin Ran almost 100 million M coins.
“Did Cheng Shui tell you about Miss Ouyang?” Cheng Jin thought of something else.
Cheng Mu shook his head. “I stopped talking to her about Master Juan.”
2
“Slight improvement.” Cheng Jin nodded.
“Brother…” Glancing at him, Cheng Mu continued, “Cheng Huo and Cheng Shui are still in Continent M, what are you helping Master Juan with in Beijing?”
Cheng Jin plopped onto the sofa and squinted. “Did you think of this yourself?”
Cheng Mu: “… Yes. Butler Cheng said just now that you were very rich, even richer than him.”
“Oh, then you’ve improved tremendously.” Cheng Jin nodded. Since Cheng Mu wouldn’t leak any information to the outside world, he disclosed it to him. “I’m helping Master Juan manage the property.”
Cheng Mu once again fell into the perplexity of ignorance.
… Master Juan still had a property in Beijing?
… Weren’t all his properties given to the Young Lady?
3
**
Since Qin Ran agreed to learn the violin, she naturally wouldn’t do it perfunctorily. She locked herself in the soundproof room after arriving in Beijing.
Every time Cheng Juan went in to deliver her meals, she would have her headphones on while watching various violin performances and flipping through various textbooks.
As for other times…
Cheng Juan was afraid of disturbing her violin practice and didn’t enter.
It wasn’t until the day of the exhibition competition that the door finally opened.