Zheng Wang

Chapter 2 Etudes

Seeing this, Xu Zhendong smiled in his heart, walked over and pulled a branch nearby, picked a few plump and red apricots and handed them to Guan Zan, then casually introduced: "The apricot trees here are all more than 20 years old. The former old man planted it by himself and never used pesticides. If you don’t mind, you can eat it directly after rubbing it.

He raised his wrist to look at his watch, noticed that it was getting late, and said, "In the future, if you want to eat, you can pick it yourself. Now go in first, the sun is hot outside, don't get heat stroke." After speaking, he turned and walked towards the house.

Guan Zan held a handful of small white apricots for two seconds, and was flattered when he realized it: "Thank you, Uncle Xu." He quickly walked a few steps to catch up with Xu Zhendong, remained silent for a few seconds, and couldn't help explaining in a low voice, "Actually... I I didn't want to eat it..."

Xu Zhendong smiled indifferently when he heard the words: "You can take it if I give it to you, don't be embarrassed, don't look at the many apricots in the fruit forest, but it's not something everyone can eat, and the old man likes it Just do it."

Guan Zan was taken aback for a moment, but he didn't understand what the words meant. In the end, he just accepted it as a polite gesture, and at the same time, he was a little secretly happy.

Do nannies have this kind of treatment?It's nice to have money... While Xu Zhendong's attention was not on him, Guan Zan picked up a small white apricot and sniffed it, thinking, anyway, this job is hard-won, he needs money, and the three-month trial The period must be passed.

It was close to noon, and the rising sun was particularly dazzling.The two walked through most of the courtyard and came to a side door on the side of the villa.

Before entering the door, Xu Zhendong pointed to a few low houses in the backyard, and said to Guan Zan: "Over there is the nanny's room, there are a few servants in this house besides you, I will introduce them to you later if I see them. "

Guan Zan glanced at the other party's signal, and before he could speak, he heard Xu Zhendong say: "But you don't live there, because the rooms are temporarily full, so you have arranged a separate residence at the main house." Knock on the door and continue to introduce, "The old man has no strict requirements, but the main entrance is for the host and guests. You should go here as much as possible when you go in and out."

"I remember." Guan Zan responded obediently.

The voice fell, and the door in front of the two opened.In the hallway, a chubby aunt wearing a plain apron smiled at Xu Zhendong and said, "Zhendong is back." She hurried to the side to get out of the way of the door, "Come in, come in, it's hot this year." It's early, I read the news that the highest temperature today is more than 30 degrees!"

Xu Zhendong said "hmm" as a greeting, walked into the side door, and said without looking back: "This is Zhang Ma, who is responsible for preparing the meals at home. They are your elders, so remember to be polite in daily contact."

The aunt looked quite young, with clear wrinkles on her face, and a little gray from the faded hair on her temples.She smiled very kindly, especially when she looked at Guan Zan, as if she was looking at her own child.Guan Zan looked a little embarrassed, bowed to her very primly, and said hello, "Hi, I'm the new nanny, my name is Guan Zan."

"I've heard it a long time ago that my husband showed me my personal information." Zhang Ma pulled Guan Zan into the door familiarly, straightened his shirt collar habitually, and looked left and right at that face, In the end, he smiled so much that his eyes curled up, "The kid is so good-looking, much handsomer than the photo! I don't know if I have had a little girlfriend or not?"

Guan Zan was caught off guard, embarrassed and surprised.He grew up so big, and the number of times he was treated warmly, let alone from strangers who met for the first time, was immediately blushed by compliments, and he didn't know how to respond for a while.

"No..." Guan Zan replied in a low voice, almost subconsciously looking at Xu Zhendong aside.

The eyes were clean and clear, the light quivered slightly, with a trace of obvious panic, he was asking for help, so that others could understand at a glance that he was really an innocent boy.He is young, introverted, and even a little unsociable, so he can't resist the care and kindness from the outside world.From this point of view, the obedience and maturity he showed all the way should be to leave a good impression on the employer, right?

Xu Zhendong remained calm on the surface, but he watched Guan Zan's every move carefully.After a while, he responded to the little guy's call for help, took the initiative to make a rescue, and asked, "Where's the old man?"

Mama Zhang let Guan Zan go, and replied, "Mr. entered the piano room after lunch, and I have to explain to Xiao Guan to go there to find him when he comes."

Just as Guan Zan breathed a sigh of relief, he suddenly felt a sudden shock in his heart when he heard the words. He thought, the salary is so good and the requirements are not low. Does this mean that he will be tested as soon as he enters the door?

Xu Zhendong nodded to express his understanding, walked over to take Guan Zan's backpack and handed it to Zhang Ma, and said: "Then don't let the old man wait, please send Xiaoguan's luggage into the room, and I will take him to the piano room .”

"Hey, okay." Zhang Ma hurriedly agreed, and then said apologetically, "I'm too confused, and I forget the business when I'm happy." On the second floor.

After the people left, Xu Zhendong said "this way", and walked into a corridor on the left first.Guan Zan followed behind with a heavy heart, his mind was full of things that might be assessed later.

Before the formal training, Karen Housekeeping will fully investigate the expertise of the nannies, and then according to personal wishes, comprehensive training will also develop in different directions.Guan Zan was too young and lacked experience in all aspects. Originally, he couldn't even get the training qualification. It was he who had been in charge of the initial test in private for a while, and the other party received a few packs of good cigarettes. Specialties, so falsely reported part of the information before reluctantly admitted.

The specialty he filled in the remarks column is Guzheng.

However, the problem we are facing now is not to fool the layman. Although the person in the piano room has never met Guan Zan, his name has been heard for a long time - he is a generation of guzheng masters in the domestic folk music circle. He has achieved countless achievements in his playing career, so Being able to aspire to the top in the industry is the famous "King of Zheng" in China.

Guan Zan sighed silently, feeling that there were only three drops of water in his bottle, probably not even qualified to oil the old man's zither...

At this moment, the sound of a piano came from far away in the corridor. The sound was like rain falling into a deep pool, clear and ethereal, with the vibrato and reverberation produced by the resonance of the piano box, pulling Guan Zan's thoughts back to reality in an instant.Immediately after that, it didn't make a tune, it seemed that it was just a piano player fiddled with nothing to do.But slowly, the monotones become tunes, and the notes are connected to each other, and it has evolved into a small etude, the timbre is agile, very pleasant and beautiful.

Guan Zan sounded familiar, and vaguely remembered that he should have played similar pieces when he was a child. Unfortunately, it has been a long time since he also put down the piano for too many years, so he really can't recall more.

After a while, the corridor came to an end.The two stopped in front of a Chinese-style sliding door. Xu Zhengdong looked back at Guan Zan, and said in a low voice, "This is the piano room, and it is the only place in the house where unauthorized access is not allowed. The last servant in charge of the piano room I have been fired, and one of your jobs from now on will be to take care of the old man's zither, prevent it from getting damp and moths, and return it to its place after the old man's use."

Guan Zan nodded and said, "Yes."

Xu Zhendong stepped aside to open the door, and said, "Go in, there is no need to knock."

Guan Zan was stunned for a moment, feeling that it was impolite to do so in his capacity, so he didn't move, but looked at the other party suspiciously, wanting to confirm again.

Xu Zhendong understood, and patiently explained: "The old man doesn't like to be interrupted, besides, he is waiting for you, so you go in directly, it's not too abrupt."

Although he thought this set of rhetoric was weird, Guan Zan obediently stretched out his hand and pressed on one of the door panels, pushing the door to one side with a little force.

As the door opened and the blockage was lost, the timbre of that little etude became clearer and more pleasant, like clear water gushing out of a spring.This piano room is decorated in Chinese style, with solemn and elegant accessories. The inside and outside are separated by screens. The ceiling and walls have obviously been specially treated, and the effect of sound isolation is excellent.

Guan Zan pulled back the door, and then slowly looked at the furnishings as far as he could see.

The outer room was arranged as a tea room, with light sandalwood burning, and a golden nanmu 21-string zither on the opposite side.Guan Zan was not a pure expert, but he could still tell that the kite was made of high-quality materials, with a touch of dark red in the pine brown, the varnish on the surface was shiny, and the patterns on the head and side of the kite were exquisitely carved. Inlaid with pure gold, it seems to be a living dragon.

This kite is priceless just by its appearance, Guan Zan unconsciously pursed his lips, feeling more and more that this job is really not easy at all.

The sound of the piano came from the opposite side of the screen. Guan Zan collected his mind, stepped lightly, and walked around from the side to the other side.

The space inside is more open, the floor-to-ceiling windows are full of light, and several white or purple Phalaenopsis orchids are placed on the flower stand.In the center of the piano room, there are two Guzhengs placed side by side. Practice song.

Guan Zan remembered the old man's habit of not liking to be interrupted, so he waited quietly for a while.Until the etude replayed for the third time, he thought to himself that the piano might not be able to stop for half a while, so he tentatively stepped forward, not disturbing, but sat down in front of the guzheng opposite.

Two guzhengs were played facing each other, so that the students could clearly see the teacher's fingering. This is a very common teaching method, which is no stranger to Guan Zan.

After sitting down, his eyes naturally fell on the hand of the old man playing the piano.

The skin on those hands was loose, the phalanges were slender and well-proportioned, and the first knuckles of the five fingers were tightly wrapped with adhesive tape, and there was a tortoiseshell nail.It has obviously lost its strength, and it looks old and not flexible enough, but the fingering that plucks the strings is surprisingly precise.For players, even if the general fingering is the same, different people have different small habits.Guan Zan stared intently for a few minutes, for no reason, he always felt that the other party's fingering seemed to have been seen somewhere.

Unknowingly, the etude ended once, but this time the piano player did not continue.The hand playing the piano was naturally raised, and then landed firmly on the head of the piano.

The lingering sound drifted away, the piano room fell silent, and Guan Zan stood up in response, not daring to raise his eyes.He bowed down to the other party in a polite manner, and said softly and respectfully: "Hi, I'm Guan Zan. If I take the liberty to come in, I'm afraid I'm disturbing you."

Opposite him, Ke Su, who was over sixty years old, leaned back in his chair, looking a little tired.With a majestic and kind face, the old man sized up the young man in front of him with a scrutinizing gaze, and finally stopped at the handsome face.In an instant, light lit up in his cloudy eyes, like foam floating in submerged water, trembling to the surface of the water, turning into a sparkle of light under the moonlit night of the galaxy.

"Look up and look at me." Finally, the old man's deep voice sounded, "Say your name again."