Chapter 8: A dignified big celebrity, and you're eating this?

In an office of the Folk Music Department at the Longguo Conservatory of Music, the door was suddenly pushed open.

A young girl ran in hurriedly.

"Teacher Hu, there's a new suona tune!"

An old man with gray hair pushed up his glasses and said calmly.

"You're in folk music; what's with this flustered behavior?"

"Did you write a new tune?"

"No, no!" The girl waved her hands repeatedly.

"It's not me, it's Su Meng. He wrote a lot of suona tunes!"

Teacher Hu frowned and asked suspiciously.

"Su Meng? Who is that? What kind of tune did he write?"

The girl didn't know how to explain, so she quickly turned up the volume on her phone.

"Teacher Hu, Su Meng is a traffic celebrity, but the tunes he writes are really great! Listen!"

Following her action, a cheerful suona sound rang out in the office.

Teacher Hu squinted, listening carefully, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk.

Even the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.

Before long, the tune finally finished playing.

Teacher Hu nodded, his face full of smiles.

"Good! The tune is good! The performance is also good! This technique is masterful; it's not inferior to mine."

What? This statement of his shocked the girl.

Her own teacher is the number one suona player in the country!

Su Meng's suona technique could actually be mentioned in the same breath as her teacher's?

Teacher Hu sighed for a while, then suddenly paused.

"What did you just say? The person who wrote this tune is a traffic celebrity?"

The girl nodded vigorously, her face also full of disbelief.

"Yes, he's the hottest 'little fresh meat' in the entertainment industry over the last two years, known as the representative of the 'deadpan' acting style, only playing roles like domineering CEOs."

"But no one expected that he could play the suona? And play it so well?"

"And he also wrote so many suona tunes?"

So many suona tunes? Teacher Hu's expression suddenly became serious.

"What other tunes has he written? Do you have them here?"

The girl nodded, but then suddenly hesitated.

"I recorded the tunes he played, but Teacher... maybe you shouldn't listen to them?"

What? A flash of displeasure crossed Teacher Hu's face.

"Bai Bai Bai Xiaoling, those in folk music should be open-minded and willing to learn. How can you be like this?"

Bai Bai Bai Xiaoling was stunned, then suddenly realized.

Did the teacher think she was jealous of talent?

Wasn't this a case of good intentions being treated as malice?

She sighed, pulled up the video recorded on her phone, and handed over a pack of tissues.

"Teacher, listen for yourself. Um... you must hold on!"

Hold on? Teacher Hu looked at her suspiciously, then clicked on a video.

A moment later, a heart-wrenching cry suddenly came from the office...

Hua Hua Chenyu frowned, his face full of displeasure.

"Busy all day, and earned this little money? Not even enough for a meal."

The number of people in the livestream room had dropped significantly; after all, many had run off to listen to Su Meng play the suona.

"Who told you to work for a bit and then rest for a bit? Real delivery guys work non-stop, one order after another."

"It's still dozens of yuan, how is that not enough for a meal? At worst, a pack of instant noodles would do, right?"

"Hua Hua is so hardworking. He's been busy all day; he must be exhausted."

"My heart aches for Hua Hua. He can't even eat a proper meal while filming."

After hesitating for a long time, Hua Hua Chenyu finally made up his mind.

"Forget it, I'll reluctantly just have a simple steak."

In a restaurant, Liu Liu Liu Tianxian wiped her hands and sat down at a table with the others.

Several dishes were already laid out on the table.

Liu Liu Liu Tianxian smiled and said to the camera.

"Working in a restaurant has this one benefit: at least meals are included, and the food doesn't look bad."

"Much better than the boxed lunches I sometimes eat while filming."

In the livestream room, many people also sent bullet comments.

"Unexpectedly, Liu Liu Liu Tianxian is quite capable of enduring hardship."

"This is enduring hardship? So many people in this restaurant have eaten this, and I haven't heard you say they are enduring hardship. Why is it 'enduring hardship' when it comes to Liu Liu Liu Tianxian?"

"Brothers, who knows which city and which restaurant Liu Liu Liu Tianxian is in?"

"I'm also drunk. I watched someone wash dishes all day, but it seems Liu Liu Liu Tianxian's dishwashing technique isn't as good as mine. Hahaha."

"I've discovered now that big celebrities are about the same as ordinary people."

"Master Su, time to eat. You've worked hard today!"

Wang Wang Laowu brought over a full bowl of stewed vegetables, topped with two large steamed buns.

This is also a local custom.

When holding a funeral, the lunch on the day of the funeral procession is a banquet.

But for the days before and after the funeral, they just cook a big pot of stewed vegetables with steamed buns; whether it's the host family or the workers, everyone is treated the same.

Su Meng had been busy all afternoon, and his stomach was hungry. Smelling the fragrance of the food, he couldn't hold back anymore.

He said thanks, took the big bowl, and started eating heartily.

While eating, he said vaguely.

"Today's stew is not bad. The master chef hired by the host family really has skills!"

He was eating happily, but for those in the livestream room, countless people were dumbfounded.

Aren't you a big celebrity?

Shouldn't you be eating delicacies every day? Why are you eating this?

And why are you eating it so... so happily?

You big celebrity, why are you so... down-to-earth?

New book setting sail, begging for all kinds of data!

In the livestream room, seeing Su Meng eating the stewed vegetables in big mouthfuls, bullet comments immediately flooded in like a waterfall.

"No way, a 'little fresh meat' like him actually eats rural banquet food so happily?"

"When I was a kid, I loved eating this kind of stewed vegetables; it was truly delicious. Who would have thought Su Meng eats this too?"

"Oh my god, seeing Su Meng eat so happily, the big crab in my hand suddenly doesn't taste good anymore."

"I always thought celebrities ate delicacies every day, especially 'little fresh meat' like him, who couldn't endure any hardship. Who would have thought Su Meng would be so down-to-earth?"

"Hua Hua Chenyu next door is picky about eating a steak, and then look at Su Meng. Alright, I admit I've become a fan."

"Forget about the eating part, does anyone know the name of the tune Su Meng played just now? Why did it sound so happy?"

"Didn't you hear? That tune was written by Su Meng himself!"

"Release an album, he must release a suona album! No, wait, if Su Meng releases an album, wouldn't it become a funeral music album?"

The cameraman at the scene, having received instructions from the director, walked over with his bowl.

"Brother Su, why are you eating so happily?"

Su Meng took a big gulp and said vaguely.

"I've been working, so of course I eat happily!"

"Besides, this kind of stewed vegetable isn't just about the taste, it's about the human connection. That's what makes it flavorful."

"Oh right, you haven't done anything at all. Don't you feel guilty eating this?"

"How about tomorrow for the funeral procession, you help carry the coffin?"

Guilty? Carry the coffin?

The cameraman looked at the fragrant stewed vegetables and suddenly felt they didn't taste good anymore.

For the afternoon's work, Su Meng finally had it much easier.

He was promoted from a suona master to a guiding teacher.

No choice, who let his lethality be so high?

The several suona players from these two families kept coming over, calling him Master, Master, and Su Meng didn't hesitate to give them some guidance.

He even taught them a few tunes.

The netizens in the livestream room also got smart.

Seeing Su Meng pick up the suona, they immediately turned off the sound, and only turned it back on when he put the suona down.

For the entire afternoon, the popularity in the livestream room remained high.

In Su Meng's system, the notifications of "Popularity +1, +1, +1..." were endless.

Seeing this, Su Meng felt wonderful inside.

"I'm going to the restroom."

On the other side, Hua Hua Chenyu waved his hand and chased the cameraman away.

He slipped into the restroom, opened his phone, and dialed his manager's number directly.

"How is the popularity of my livestream room? Am I far ahead of the others?"

The manager hesitated for a moment and said vaguely.

"Um... the popularity of your livestream room is okay."

"Okay?" Hua Hua Chenyu immediately blew up.

"I lowered my status to deliver food, and the popularity is only 'okay'?"

"Then whose popularity is the highest right now? Is it Boss Yang? Or Liu Liu Liu Tianxian?"

The manager's tone was also full of disbelief.

"You might not believe it, but the one with the highest popularity is actually Su Meng."

"Su Meng?" Hua Hua Chenyu's voice went up an octave.

"How could it be him? Didn't he go to be a musician?"

"Just based on him, does he understand music?"

The manager was also a bit dazed.

"He seems to really understand it, and it's the suona!"

"You might not believe it, but he carried a suona to the countryside to take a funeral job!"

What? Hua Hua Chenyu was instantly numb.

After the manager explained it, Hua Hua Chenyu also fell silent.

Who would have thought that a traffic celebrity would go to take a funeral job?

After a moment of silence, Hua Hua Chenyu said viciously.

"No, absolutely cannot let him steal all the traffic."

"Isn't he playing the suona? Arrange some internet trolls to smear him properly!"

Putting down the phone, a cold smile appeared on Hua Hua Chenyu's face.

I don't believe that anyone really likes this tacky suona stuff?

In Su Meng's livestream room, suddenly there were many other voices.

"No way, no way, such a tacky thing as the suona, does anyone really like it?"

"Su Meng is a celebrity after all, running to the countryside to take a funeral job. Does he know what it means to be shameful?"

"I always thought Su Meng had high standards, so I became a fan. Who knew he was so tacky? Fan to hater!"

"Forget about playing the piano, Su Meng could at least play the guitar. Playing the suona? Isn't that tacky?"

"Other artists are doing art; what is Su Meng doing?"

"Leaving, leaving. Who would like a celebrity who plays the suona? It's shameful enough to talk about!"

Influenced by them, many netizens in the livestream room slowly changed their stance.