Chapter 390: Never Even Heard of It

The night curtain hung low, the cold moon shining with a chilly glow.

Yan Zhidong walked into the residential compound with his hands behind his back, unhurried. Just as he was about to reach the building entrance, he suddenly paused.

Not far away, right next to the unit door, a black Geely was parked.

Li Jingting was leaning halfway against the car door, the cigarette butt flickering, smoke curling and drifting, his haggard complexion looking all the more melancholy.

Is Old Li... feeling slighted?

In fact, Yan Zhidong had anticipated this long ago: could someone who made the principal personally pull strings and use connections be an ordinary person?

More importantly: could a layman who basically understood nothing, yet dared to run to the Central Song and Dance Troupe to lock horns with the top experts in the industry, be easy to get along with?

But since the principal had personally brought the person to him, and he couldn't push the matter away, Yan Zhidong could only think of ways to minimize the factors that might lead to unfavorable consequences. For instance, while getting the job done as much as possible, try not to clash with the other party.

After choosing back and forth, he felt Li Jingting was the most suitable: his personality was gentle and honest, his ability was strong enough, and he was professional enough.

Of course, Li Jingting would definitely have to compromise his conscience, so he had specifically reminded him in advance and worked on Li Jingting's mindset. In Yan Zhidong's view, Li Jingting's ability was not much worse than Lan Laotaitai's. For a greenhorn, Old Li could provide clear guidance with his eyes closed.

But he hadn't expected that, on the very first day, Li Jingting would be left this hesitant?

Thinking about it, there was only one possibility left: the other party was pretending to understand when they didn't, and Old Li might not have been able to hold back from lecturing them a few times, leading to a conflict... Thinking of this, Yan Zhidong sighed again: a perfectly good senior professor and renowned Expert, yet he went off to suffer this kind of indignity?

He wouldn't go tomorrow no matter what; if the principal didn't agree, let him go himself.

Secretly changing his mind, Yan Zhidong walked up. Just as Li Jingting was about to say something, he smiled and waved his hand: "Let's go, let's go up first!"

Li Jingting nodded and followed Yan Zhidong upstairs.

The apartment was not large, and the renovation was quite ordinary. After entering the living room, Yan Zhidong turned on the light and helped him brew a cup of tea.

Li Jingting looked around: "Where is your wife?"

"The grandson has a bit of a cold, and I was afraid my daughter-in-law couldn't handle it, so she went to help!"

Li Jingting nodded vigorously: "Oh, oh..."

He had forgotten that the director's son had just had a baby this year.

He picked up the Tea Cup and took a sip, and Yan Zhidong handed him a cigarette: "Did you argue?"

Li Jingting shook his head: "We didn't actually argue, just had a couple of disputes when I first arrived this morning!"

They started arguing as soon as he arrived, so how did the day pass?

Yan Zhidong looked puzzled: "How did you start arguing?"

Li Jingting sighed: "The young man is too young, only in his early twenties. I asked a few questions and felt that while he knows quite a bit about history and classical music and dance, he doesn't have a comprehensive grasp of modern dance structure, choreography processes, or even basic theory..."

"On the contrary, he is extremely stubborn, and in his words, everything must be done according to his way. So, we started arguing..."

Yan Zhidong nodded: As expected?

Although the principal hadn't said it, and that very young Professor Wang hadn't said it either, they just blindly praised how deep this student's research into ancient history was and how thoroughly he understood ancient music and dance. But Yan Zhidong could judge for himself:

He is only a Graduate Student Year One this year, and he studied Cultural Relics and archaeology in college, and is studying the same for his master's. So how much could he know about dance studies and the art of dance and music? Since he doesn't understand, and since there is an expert providing guidance, shouldn't you listen?

Since you won't listen, then why did you invite him? Is it because you have too many favors to burn, or too much money to throw away?

"And then, it reached a stalemate?"

"Yes! Two students were assisting him with the storyboards, and he demanded that the distance between limbs be precise to the centimeter, and the orientation of the joints be precise to the degree. I felt it was a waste of time, so I tried to persuade him for a bit—..."

Pausing for a moment, Li Jingting sighed, "It's my fault too, I was quick-tongued and said: every minute is money..."

Yan Zhidong was stunned for a moment: Isn't this making things difficult for people?

Precision to the centimeter for distance and to the degree for orientation—even when choreographing for CCTV, they don't go to such lengths.

And Li Jingting wasn't wrong: five hundred yuan an hour, this price is top-tier even for guiding at a central state-owned enterprise. Li Jingting didn't compromise his conscience to waste time with him, but instead reminded him, and he was unhappy about it?

And it was only the beginning, and it was already this difficult, so how could they cooperate later?

Yan Zhidong sighed: "No need to go tomorrow!"

"Right!" Li Jingting sighed, "They don't want me there anyway!"

What right does he have to not want him, just because he offered some different opinions?

Yan Zhidong was thoughtful: "What about today then?"

"Just consider it gaining experience!"

Yan Zhidong was stunned for a moment, "So today was all for nothing?"

Li Jingting nodded: Wasn't it all for nothing?

He actually wanted to keep working for nothing, but unfortunately, the other party didn't need him at all...

Seeing Li Jingting dispirited and looking desolate, Yan Zhidong's thoughts went completely off track, and a surge of anger flared in his heart:

That Professor Wang might have a big background, and presumably his student's background isn't simple either. But no matter how strong the connections are, you can't bully people, right? Not to mention that Beijing Dance Academy is the number one ranked institution in the country, nor mentioning that Li Jingting is an Expert renowned in the industry, let alone that the kid is a layman. Just consider one point:

Since Li Jingting went there to provide guidance, isn't it normal to point it out when he finds something wrong, especially when he was genuinely looking out for you? You can't listen, you don't appreciate it, that's fine. As the saying goes, if the deal doesn't go through, the friendship remains; let's part on good terms.

But instead, not only was the day wasted, he didn't even get a meal out of it?

This isn't about how much money or a meal, but that the other party looked down on people, and didn't put him, Yan Zhidong, or Beijing Dance Academy in their eyes at all.

He suppressed his anger and calmed down for a while: "It's fine, better to break it off early. It can also be considered an explanation to the principal: it's not that we didn't provide guidance, but that he wouldn't listen."

As he spoke, Yan Zhidong picked up the lighter and helped Li Jingting light his cigarette, "It's better not to go, so you don't have to suffer this indignity. Leave the rest to me!" Taking a puff with the flame, just as the cigarette left his mouth, Li Jingting was suddenly stunned: Suffer indignity... I didn't suffer any indignity?

Subconsciously looking up and seeing Yan Zhidong's expression looking rather unpleasant, Li Jingting realized belatedly: The director thought he had been bullied by Lin Sicheng? Recalling carefully: the two of them asking and answering, it seemed normal, but in reality, from beginning to end, they were not on the same wavelength...

How could Li Jingting have time to care about smoking?

He hurriedly stubbed out the cigarette: "Director, I didn't suffer any indignity..."

Before he could finish, Yan Zhidong waved his hand: "Old Li, you don't need to swallow your pride, and don't worry about the big picture. I will definitely get this back for you!" Li Jingting was caught between laughter and tears: How did it suddenly reach this point?

He blamed himself: his mind was full of dance postures, and for a moment he was dazed and looked melancholy, leading the director to misunderstand.

"Director, it's my fault for not explaining clearly: I didn't suffer any indignity, and it's not what you think." Li Jingting hurriedly opened his bag, "I just regret it!" Yan Zhidong was stunned: Regret what, eight hundred yuan an hour?

Li Jingting is not that kind of personality...

While he was suspicious, Li Jingting handed over a Folder: "Director, you might not believe me if I say it: take a look at this, you'll understand once you finish reading!" Understand what?

Yan Zhidong did not understand the reason, but he took it.

He flipped it open, and a line of the title caught his eye: "Six Yao Score" Restoration Draft, Section One, Entering the Break.

"What does this mean? Has the translation already started today?" Yan Zhidong paused for a moment. "Didn't that kid say he didn't need your guidance?"

"Director, with his ability, he doesn't need my guidance at all!" Li Jingting pointed at the Folder. "On his own, he can translate the 'Six Yao' score."

Impossible, are ancient scores that easy to translate?

Let alone by a layman?

Suspicious, Yan Zhidong opened the draft.

The so-called Entering the Break is a part of the three stages and twelve movements of the Tang Dynasty Yan Music Grand Suite: the first stage is the Scattered Prelude, which is purely instrumental. The second stage is the Middle Prelude, with singing as the main focus and music as the accompaniment. The third stage is the Break, where singing, dancing, and music are performed together, with dance as the main focus.

Entering the Break is when the dance segment just begins, and it is usually a solo dance. If one were to make a comparison, Entering the Break should be the easiest and most accessible part of the entire ancient score restoration process.

In a flash of thought, Yan Zhidong turned the cover and flipped to the second page; he squinted his eyes again: A dance posture diagram?

Next to it was a note indicating the name of this movement: "Folding Waist Meditation."

The name was slightly too professional and not easy for the audience to understand, but professionals would certainly know: it was named after the Bodhisattva Meditation mural in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. The posture was also considered correct, but the artistic conception was worlds apart: the original mural was solemn and respectful, while the dance posture diagram was full of charm...

After reading it carefully several times, he flipped to the third item, and Yan Zhidong secretly said "as expected": this page was full of index notes, and the first one was the Meditation Bodhisattva from the Dunhuang Murals.

The second image was a photograph of a dancing girl statue from the Dazu Beishan Rock Carvings of the late Tang Dynasty, the third was a Cizhou Kiln dancing girl porcelain pillow from the Song Dynasty, and the fourth was a Tang Dynasty lady dancer figurine unearthed from the Famen Temple Underground Palace.

Without exception, they were all Cultural Relics related to this dance posture.

After looking through it, Yan Zhidong flipped to the fourth page; this page was literature research: Ming Dynasty; Zhu Zaisheng's "Lingxing Small Dance Score," Toad Peering Mirror: imitating a toad crouching by the water's edge looking at its reflection...

Song Dynasty "De Shou Gong Dance Score; Drunken Makeup Record," Red Algae Knock: like a wind-blown lotus leaning against the Water Cloud...

Qing Dynasty "Nishang Sequel Score; Volume Seven": Sick Xishi...

Seeing this, Yan Zhidong secretly praised: regardless of whether the translation is correct or not, this kid's research work is truly comprehensive. It seems that it is indeed as that Professor Wang said: he has a deep study of history and classical music and dance, otherwise, just looking up these materials would probably take several days.

While praising him inwardly, he continued to flip back, and when he flipped to the fifth page, he paused again.

It was a photocopied classical dancer figure, but it was very blurry: both hands looked as if they had been cut off, and one could only see one hand raised and one hand hanging down. It was estimated that it had been damp, the ink was smudged, the clothing was extremely bloated, and the area below the knees was a mess.

There were no facial features, and most of the body was blurry and indistinguishable, but one could barely make out that the dancer's upper body was leaning forward, her head and neck slightly turned, one hand raised, and one hand hanging down. After identifying it for a long time, Yan Zhidong could not determine what this posture should be.

Because there were too many possibilities.

If he were forced to fit it in, he could fit in at least a hundred or eighty dance postures.

He flipped back to the first page, to the drawn dance posture diagram, and a few traces of suspicion flashed in Yan Zhidong's eyes: Then how was this "Folding Waist Meditation" determined?

Suspicious, he flipped back again, and when he flipped to the seventh page, he suddenly realized: behind the diagram, there was still a score.

But it was simplified to an outrageous degree, just three symbols: "", "heart", and "|".

Come on, who has the ability to choreograph a set of dance postures based on these three symbols?

But the problem is, some people really can, otherwise how did the dance posture diagram on the first page come about?

Yan Zhidong flipped back to the first page, to the dance posture diagram he had been staring at without blinking.

First look at the hands, then the neck, waist, and feet, then the expression, and finally the overall comparison.

After watching for about five or six minutes, he flipped back to the second page, staring at the photos of those Cultural Relics:

Dunhuang Murals, Beishan Rock Carvings dancing girl statue, Cizhou Kiln dancing girl porcelain pillow, Famen Temple Underground Palace Tang lady dancer figurine.

Yan Zhidong looked for a long time, and very seriously, as if he wanted to carve these photos into his mind.

Finally, he flipped back to the third page, the literature index page. Then, the expression on his face became more and more strange, more and more strange. Back and forth, over and over, he read it at least four or five times before he raised his head.

His expression was filled with a few traces of suspicion, as if he were half-believing and half-doubting, and then, it was as if he had suddenly realized, showing a "so that's how it is" look. He finally knew how this posture "Folding Waist Meditation" was translated:

, one one Dunhuang Murals one one Ming Dynasty; Zhu Zaisheng "Lingxing Small Dance Score," Toad Peering Mirror: imitating a toad crouching by the water's edge looking at its reflection one one this is the rubbing hand lead in the Tang soft waist dance.

?? one Beishan Rock Carvings dancing girl statue Song Dynasty "De Shou Gong Dance Score; Drunken Makeup Record," Red Leaf Drum: like a wind-blown lotus leaning against the Water Cloud... this is the hanging hand beckon. | one Cizhou Kiln dancing girl porcelain pillow Qing Dynasty "Nishang Sequel Score; Volume Seven": Sick Xishi... this is the treading step.

Only when the three postures are combined is it the dancer figurine in the Famen Temple Underground Palace:

If it were sculpted more finely, and if the hanging left arm were not broken, the restored lady should be like this:

Yan Zhidong could even guarantee: up to now, Li Jingting had not figured out how that kid translated the final diagram and the final dance posture.

Because he had only studied the Dunhuang Murals, and he had an impression of the Dazu Rock Carvings dancing girl and the Cizhou Kiln dancing girl porcelain pillow, but it was limited to just having an impression.

As for the last Famen Temple dancer pottery figurine, he had never even seen it.

Furthermore, among the historical materials in the literature index, Li Jingting had only studied the Song Dynasty "De Shou Gong Dance Score." But if you asked him what was specifically recorded in the "Drunken Makeup Record," he would definitely not be able to answer.

As for the remaining two, he certainly knew about the Ming Dynasty; Zhu Zaisheng's "Lingxing Small Dance Score," but he had absolutely never even heard of that Qing Dynasty "Nishang Sequel Score."

At first glance, "Nishang Sequel Score" sounds ancient and elegant, but in fact, it is the exact opposite: it is a collection of folk lewd lyrics and popular songs from the Qing Dynasty, without even a score. Come on, how could you ask him to guide?

It is no wonder that Li Jingting regretted it: based on this one diagram and this one dance posture alone, one can infer: the Tang Dynasty "Six Yao" score has not truly been lost in the sense of the word.

Not only are there dance posture remnants from the Ming Dynasty, but there are even some from the Qing Dynasty.