House Dad's Literary Life

HDLL Chapter 22 – Tianxiang Records’ Chen Yijie

Today’s weather in Hong Kong is very good. Sunshine shuttles between high-rise buildings, hardy spraying warm light on this international metropolis.

In front of a small western-style white building, Hu Songnan is watering flowers in the yard.

This is his son’s home. It didn’t look big, didn’t look luxurious, and even have a bit of an aged feeling. But don’t underestimate it. Those who can live in such a villa in Hong Kong, where an inch of land is an inch of gold, are not ordinary local tyrants!

Hu Songnan came to his son’s home and lived for nearly a week now, but he did not go out to “see the world”. it was mainly because he had a quiet personality. He just played the piano and raised the flowers, which became the only thing he could do.

Although his grandchildren are very well-behave, but after all, young people also have their own lives. Naturally, they don’t have that much time to accompany him.

“Dad, let’s go!” A well-maintained middle-age man of nearly 50 years old came out and said respectfully.

This is his eldest son, Hu Yongxiang, the boss of Tianxiang Records, which ranks fourth in Hong Kong Record Company. Despite his aloof status, he still showed great respect in front of his father.

“You said that you need some advice from this old man?” Hu Songnan sat in his son’s car and said, “I’m not in pop music. I’m afraid I can’t handle your young people’s stuff!”

Hu Yongxiang personally drove for his father, he smiled lightly, “Where? Dad, you have been a teacher for so many years, with rich experience. You can help me train the musicians in the company! I can’t think of anyone who would be more suitable for the position of general music director!”

In fact, he is just talking nonsense.

Record companies have music directors, but there has never been a position of general music director! It was just set up by Hu Yongxiang for his father. He wanted his father, who was still physically strong, to move more. Otherwise, if he stayed at home all the time, his health might be affected.

When he arrived at the company, Hu Songnan did not tell him what to do. He kept a kind smile, greeted people and had a gentle conversation with the company’s executives called by his son.

“Grandpa Hu, you actually know how to speak in vernacular (Cantonese)? “Hu Yongxiang’s secretary, Ye Xiaofeng, is a young girl. She is the daughter of a shareholder in the company. She has been sent to gain experience in the company. She is also relatively straightforward and asks a little bluntly. (In order to make it easier for everyone to understand, the following Cantonese dialogue is automatically adjusted to Mandarin.) (TN: All the words within the parenthesis is in the raw)

“Well, when I was young, I also studied in Hong Kong.” Hu Songnan did not care, he nodded and smiled in response.

“Xiaofeng, although my father is from the mainland, you should not underestimate him!” Hu Yongxiang was somewhat dissatisfied. He always felt that his father was his idol all his life, so he tried to show off like a child. “When he was young, he traveled and taught in many places, such as Hong Kong, Germany, WYN in Austria, and many other places. Before my father was 55, he was invited to perform at WYNJSDT almost every year or two.” (TN: WYNJSDT is Vienna Music Association Golden Hall)

Although Hu Yongxiang’s musical talent is not high and his accomplishments are limited, looking at his excited appearance, anyone can see how much influence the old man has on him!

“So fierce?” Ye Xiaofeng’s eyes seem to be blooming with small stars.

“No, no, these are all empty. Now I want to talk to you young people and talk about pop music. I want to ask you for advice on this!” Hu Songnan smiled and said modestly.

After talking for a while, Hu Yongxiang asked his secretary to accompany his father. As the boss of a big company, he has a lot of things waiting for him to deal with.

Ye Xiaofeng didn’t know how to arrange it, so she took the old man around and introduced the various departments and interesting places of the company, making them look like tourists.

“……This is our recording studio. The fifth and sixth floors are all recording studios. There are eight studios altogether. Sometimes they are rented out. Of course, most of the time they are used by our company’s singers.”

Although Ye Xiaofeng is not very proficient in business, she is still a fairy fellow. She slowed down when she saw Hu Songnan showing a rare expression of interest.

“Grandpa Hu, why don’t I check it out and see which studio is empty? why don’t you try it?” Ye Xiaofeng took out her mobile phone and smiled.

Hu Songnan was really interested. He nodded and said, “Then ask, but don’t ask which is studio is empty, but ask which studio is in use. If they don’t mind, I’d like to watch.”

“Hehe, of course they don’t mind. Your guidance is their good fortune!” Ye Xiaofeng said sweetly.

She quickly found out that Chen Yijie, the company’s flagship male singer, was the one using the studio, and it was okay for them to watch. The boss’s father wanted to watch. Who dared say no?

Of course, Chen Yijie himself is also a modest person, he also put down the work at hand, and introduced his current situation to Hu Songnan, “…Recently, I have been preparing for this year’s new album.”

Chen Yijie is the most popular male singer under Tianxiang, and has the ability to create his own work. He can also stand side by side with Hong Kong’s four great song kings in his peak period.

However, the singer-songwriter also has his difficult time. His songs in the past few years have not been as popular as before, and gradually fell behind! This also makes Tianxiang’s ranking slide from the original third place to the fourth place.

So, this year Chen Yijie is going to release a new album. The company decided to help him collect the songs, which also means the album will no longer be a completely personal style album.

“The songs I wrote and what the company have collected are basically enough to produce an album! But there’s still one master song missing!” Chen Yijie said with a bitter smile. “You see, I’m going to sleep here. I don’t have a clue at all.”

“Eason, you’re asking too much for yourself!” Ye Xiaofeng has a deep background, so she carelessly cut in and said, “BIg Sister said, it’s very difficult to meet!” (TN: That Eason was in the raw.)

Chen Yijie shrugged helplessly.

“It’s good to be strict with yourself!” Hu Songnan smiled slightly. “Without painstaking efforts, how can any fans have the joy of listening to songs? Young men should listen more to classical music when they are free. Those masterpieces are all made by masters who have spent half of their lives in poverty or even a lifetime!”

“That is what you say but the current society is very impetuous. If I don’t produce an album in a year, I will be caught up by others. There is no chance to turn over.” Chen Yijie said sadly.

Hu Songnan was very tired after standing for a while. He sat down on the back sofa and smiled, “Originally, I just wanted to see how you young people record songs. You don’t have to accompany me. This held up your work. Xiaofeng and I will just listen and watch quietly behind here.”

Chen Yijie was not pretentious either. He quickly went back to work and really regarded Hu Songnan and Ye Xiaofeng as invisible people.

Chen Yijie’s working condition is actually very dull. He repeatedly plays the music he wrote before, carefully consider the structure of the lyrics word by word, stops to sketch on the paper from time to time, and sometimes crosses out the things he just wrote down, pushes them over and redo them!

Hu Songnan can accept it because he is familiar with the situation, but Ye Xiaofeng was bored.

“How boring! Grandpa Hu, let me take you somewhere else to play!” Ye Xiaofeng said restlessly after staying for less than 15 minutes.

Hu Songnan waved his hand to motioned Ye Xiaofeng not to influence Chen Yijie. He listened attentively to the song sung by Chen Yijie.

Ye Xiaofeng helplessly covered her face.

It wasn’t long before she became more restless.

It’s so boring!

With this time, it would be better to sneak out with the front desk girl on the first floor and talk about the latest trends.

This idea, like weeds, grew in Ye Xiaofeng’s heart and was difficult to control. Within a few minutes, her eyes were looking around, thinking of sneaking around!

But suddenly, Hu Songnan stood up.

“Hmm? Are you leaving? “Ye Xiaofeng was overjoyed and stood up with him.

However, Hu Songnan went straight to Chen Yijie. He patted Chen Yijie on the shoulder and said with a smile, “Your voice is very recognizable. It’s sentimental and reserved!” “As it happens, just the other day, I heard a song that suits you very well. Would you like to try it……”