novelraw Chapter 8 Is this what genius is?
Chapter 8 Is this what genius is?
Perhaps because his parents knew Xie Anran was in poor health, they did not take him around to visit relatives for the New Year as they had in previous years. Instead, many relatives took the initiative to visit him. Among them were Xie Anran's grandparents, whom he had never met before.
"Wow, Dad wasn't exaggerating!"
The moment Xie Anran saw his grandfather's face, he was completely stunned, his heart filled with shock. In his previous life, his grandfather had passed away when his father was young, leaving behind not even a photograph. He could only imagine what his grandfather looked like based on his father's description.
According to his father, his grandfather was 1.8 meters tall, a tall and strong man, handsome and dashing, and one of the few college graduates in the village back then. Xie Anran had secretly wondered at the time, how come his father was only a little over 1.7 meters tall when his grandfather was 1.8 meters tall? But now, seeing him with his own eyes, he realized that his grandfather really was 1.8 meters tall! He was tall and robust, and even though he was over sixty years old, his features still exuded handsomeness, showing no signs of aging.
"My dear grandson!"
The old man strode forward, picked Xie Anran up in his arms, his voice booming like a bell, his face full of undisguised joy.
"Grandpa." Xie Anran endured the pungent smell of smoke emanating from the old man and obediently called out, a hint of unfamiliarity and curiosity hidden in her eyes.
"Hey! My good child, look what good things Grandpa brought you!" The old man smiled and shook the small gift box in his hand, his tone full of pride.
Xie Anran glanced at the gift box, unable to discern its contents, and simply adopted a bewildered and confused expression, mirroring the child's demeanor.
"I heard our little one likes music, so Grandpa asked a friend to buy it from Hong Kong." The old man said as he carefully unpacked the package.
In an instant, a finely crafted, pure white vertical flute appeared before everyone's eyes. The flute was smooth and delicate, with a faint luster, and it was clearly not an ordinary object.
"Here you go, my dear grandson, take this." Grandpa gently placed the recorder into Xie Anran's arms, his smile as bright as a child's.
"Thank you, Grandpa," Xie Anran said with a smile. After landing, she picked up the recorder and tried playing a couple of notes. The sound of the recorder was clear and resonant, and it felt heavy in her hand, clearly indicating the solid materials used.
Seeing this, the elders nearby laughed and sat together, chatting happily about everyday things. Xie Anran sat quietly on the sofa in the corner, his fingertips gently caressing the recorder, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes—in his previous life, he had actually learned to play the recorder, his fingering was skillful, and he could play several simple pieces, such as "Ode to Joy" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."
Not long after, the grandfather pulled his son Xie Weimin to the corner of the sofa, lowered his voice and asked softly, his tone full of worry: "Weimin, what exactly is the condition of Anran's health?"
Xie Weimin hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "The symptoms are somewhat similar to leukemia. It's an immune system problem. There are no mature treatment options in China right now, so we'll have to go abroad to see what's available."
"So troublesome?" Grandpa's expression instantly turned serious, his brows furrowing deeply. "Is Anran's health alright? Is she feeling unwell?"
"There doesn't seem to be any major problem at the moment, but we still need to follow the doctor's orders and take good care of him." Xie Weimin sighed heavily, his tone full of helplessness and heartache.
"Well, you and A-Yun will have to pay more attention." Grandpa paused, hesitated, and after a few seconds of silence, tentatively asked, "Wei-Min, could you... have another child?"
"Dad, what do you mean by that?" Xie Weimin's face darkened instantly, his tone carrying a hint of displeasure.
"That's not what I meant," Grandpa quickly explained, speaking earnestly, "Anran's health is like this, if you have another child, you'll have someone to take care of her in the future, and Anran won't be too lonely."
Xie Weimin was stunned for a moment, and the displeasure on his face gradually faded, replaced by deep contemplation. For a moment, he did not know how to respond.
Just then, a melodious recorder tune suddenly broke the silence of the living room. Everyone turned to look at Xie Anran, who was sitting in the corner—he was holding a recorder and playing it slowly, his expression focused and calm. The melody was ethereal and gentle, like a feather floating in the clear sky, seemingly light, yet containing an indescribable heaviness, slowly spreading throughout the living room.
The living room fell silent instantly. Everyone held their breath, listening intently, as if the noise in the air had been soothed by the flute music. Only when the music ended and the lingering notes faded did everyone slowly come back to their senses, their eyes filled with a subtle mix of surprise and astonishment as they looked at Xie Anran.
Just then, a knock came at the door. Xie Weimin snapped out of his daze and immediately got up to open it.
"Happy Chinese New Year, Uncle and Aunt! Wishing you prosperity!" A sweet, childlike voice rang out as Qianqian, dressed in festive little clothes, hopped and skipped over.
"Xixi, come here, take this red envelope!" Xie Weimin said with a smile, handing over a red envelope.
Sisi happily accepted the red envelope and stuffed it into her pocket. She skipped and hopped into the house, bowing and wishing each of the elders a Happy New Year, saying "Hello, Grandpa and Grandma!" and "Hello, Uncle and Aunt!" with such sweet words. Seeing this, the elders smiled and handed her red envelopes one by one. Sisi accepted them one by one, carefully stuffing them into her little pocket. Her little face smiled like a blooming peach blossom, and her eyebrows and eyes curved into crescent moons.
Xie Anran sat to the side, watching in a daze, secretly thinking to herself: This little girl is too cunning, she knows how to take the opportunity to ask for a red envelope.
After receiving her New Year's money, Qianqian remembered Xie Anran. She ran to his side, grabbed his hand tightly, and asked excitedly, "Anran, did you miss me?"
"We've only been apart for two days." Xie Anran rolled her eyes helplessly, her tone full of complaints.
"I don't care, you have to miss me!" the little girl pouted, hands on her hips, and said stubbornly, "Otherwise I'll be unhappy!"
"Alright, alright, I missed you, okay?" Xie Anran readily compromised; he didn't want to get entangled with the little girl.
"Haha, I missed you too!" Sisi immediately burst into laughter through her tears, grabbing his hand and shaking it back and forth.
After the adults finished exchanging pleasantries, Liu Xiaoli, upon hearing that Xie Anran could play the recorder, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Qianqian, have you started teaching the recorder at school yet?"
"No, the teacher said the instruments will be taught later," Sisi replied without looking up, still fiddling with the red envelope in her pocket.
Upon hearing this, the adults in the living room were stunned, their faces full of doubt—how could Xie Anran play it without having been taught?
"Anran, where did you learn to play the recorder?" Xie Weimin was the first to react, asking in astonishment.
"I taught myself," Xie Anran replied calmly. Since he dared to play in public, he had already prepared his explanation—the school textbook had basic instructions on how to play the recorder, and he could easily say that he learned it by following the textbook.
The recorder is a very basic beginner instrument and a common instrument for children to learn. Although it may seem unbelievable that a child can learn to play it on their own, it is actually not as difficult as you might imagine.
The adults in the living room exchanged subtle glances. Liu Xiaoli frowned, her fingertips lightly tapping the sofa armrest, seemingly lost in thought.
"Anran, what was the name of the piece you just played?" Zhang Yun asked, breaking the awkward silence.
"Castle in the Sky." Xie Anran raised her head, her tone tinged with pride. "The teacher played it many times at school, and I memorized it after listening to it."
Sisi, standing to the side, looked up at Xie Anran with a blank expression—Anran could actually play the recorder? And even "Castle in the Sky"? How come she didn't know that?
The adults exchanged glances, their eyes filled with a mixture of amazement and doubt as they looked at Xie Anran. They secretly thought to themselves: This child's musical talent seems to be far more remarkable than they had imagined.
"Come on, Anran, perform another song for your Aunt Xiaoli and your grandparents, so everyone can hear it." Xie Weimin quickly came to his senses and said with a hearty laugh, his tone full of pride.
"Oh..." Xie Anran nodded, picked up the recorder, and brought it to her lips again.
He already knew the sheet music for "Castle in the Sky" by heart. He had taught himself the harmonica in his previous life, and now, with the musical talent he had gained after his rebirth, he could play it with even more ease. The melody was melodious and graceful, even more delicate and moving than the previous piece.
Sisi, standing beside Xie Anran, stared in disbelief, her mouth slightly agape. Her round eyes were fixed on Xie Anran as she listened to the familiar and moving melody, her eyes gradually shining with undisguised admiration.
As the music ended, applause erupted in the living room once again. This time, the adults were finally convinced that Xie Anran's musical talent was indeed astonishingly extraordinary.