With a whole summer vacation, no need to study, no need to make up classes, Zeppelin felt extremely happy. After a few days of satisfying sleep, he began searching the Internet for news of the National Guitar Competition.

There are more than a dozen national junior guitar competitions over the summer, and Zeppelin has screened them by fame and distance, and there are three in total that are suitable and willing to participate, in early July and mid-to-late August. In Beijing in July and in Shanghai in August.

Zeppelin pressed the calculator and counted the airfare, hotel, and registration fee, which was almost four figures. He usually has no habit of saving money, and his financial resources are only the New Year's money and the prize money obtained from occasional competitions, which are not enough for him as the guitar becomes more and more expensive.

"Mom." He went into the kitchen and paid his respects to his mother, who was cooking.

"Yo, my eldest young master, don't come in and make trouble for me."

Qi's mother snatched the vegetables that he had washed several times, "I've controlled the water for these, and you washed them for me again." ”

Zeppelin smiled embarrassedly and called out coquettishly, "Mom." ”

"Don't! Uncle, you call me like this, you must be short of money again. ”

Zeppelin closed the kitchen door, today is the weekend, and Qi's father is watching TV on the sofa at home. Thinking that he had only told his parents a few days ago that he would rely on the guitar to support himself, and now he was going to ask them for money in a low voice, Zeppelin still couldn't speak.

But his mother, who gave birth to him and raised him for more than ten years, knew what he was thinking from the moment he stepped into the kitchen door.

She secretly slipped a handful of money into Zeppelin's pocket and whispered, "Don't let your dad see it." ”

The corners of Zeppelin's eyes suddenly became a little sour, and he didn't know which nerve was wrong, so he returned the money to his mother. Then I went back to my room and wept myself.

Qi's mother stood in the kitchen with the money in a daze, she saw the registration information flashing on his computer screen while Zeppelin was asleep, and he couldn't even get out of Zhucheng without money.

"I said, Berlin won't want it." Dad Qi sat on the sofa and said proudly.

"Say something cool, you really don't plan to help your son?"

"It's not that I won't help this time, it's that he won't ask us to help, otherwise how can I prove myself?"

Qi's mother reluctantly put the money back in her wallet. It's not that they don't want to help Zeppelin realize their dreams, but they have seen too many examples of failure due to social torture, and there are people who play music who spend their lives starving to death on the streets, so it is better to study in college and go to work in peace to spend this life in peace.

Zeppelin covered his head under the quilt on the bed and did not hear his parents' conversation. But the thought in his heart is just like what his father said, if he takes that money, how can he prove that he can make a living from the guitar.

He glanced at the guitars that filled the room, and a thought suddenly occurred to him. These are the guitars that he grew up with, and each one has left the mark of his growth, from the original burning stick to the full brand order, there are classical guitars and electric guitars.

Of the nine guitars in all, he left his favorite guitar of all kinds, and the rest was packed into a guitar case or guitar bag.

Qi's father and mother watched him go out with his guitar on his back and return empty-handed, and couldn't help asking, "Zeppelin, where are you going with your guitar?" ”

"I'm going to sell these guitars."

These are his son's treasures, Father Qi was stunned, "It seems that this kid is serious this time." ”

The owner of the second-hand piano shop that bought Zeppelin was also a real man, and bought it for half the original price of each guitar. This is much higher than the price on the second-hand market.

But Zeppelin still felt blood dripping from his heart, "Boss, can you add some more money?" ”

"Little friend, I'm already very kind. These are not big-name limited editions, and they are not worth much as long as they change hands. ”

Zeppelin knew that his boss's words had a point, but the guitars had never devalued in his heart.

This society does not talk about feelings when it measures things, but only about values.

After selling six guitars, Zeppelin raised seven thousand dollars. Although it is a little less, it is enough to lower the specifications of the hotel a little more.

The first stop was Beijing, and in order to save money on air tickets, Zeppelin booked a 6 a.m. flight and needed to rush to the airport at 4 a.m.

Zeppelin rushed to the airport with a large bag and a guitar case, hoping not to bother his father. But Dad Qi was already waiting downstairs in the car.

Along the way, my father just drove quietly and didn't say much. When I arrived at the airport, I told a few words of precautions on the road, and then drove away. This was Zeppelin's first time going far away, and although he couldn't rest assured, there was always a day when he had to let go.

Zeppelin looked at the back of his father's car and tears flowed down his eyes.

is about to realize his dream, why does he not have the excitement and expectation that he imagined, but is uneasy and reluctant.

After bowing his head and wiping away his tears, Zeppelin walked into the airport.

At about nine o'clock in the morning, the plane landed at the capital airport. After Zeppelin reported to his parents that he was safe, he set off straight for the competition venue. Because he was reluctant to pay for a taxi, he chose to take the subway.

This was the first time he felt that there were so many people in Beijing, even on weekends, there was no place for him to sit in the subway, and he could not walk an inch in the subway station with his suitcase, backpack and electric guitar case.

None of the people around him came to help him, but held him back with blaming eyes, as if blaming him for taking up little space in the first place.

finally stood at the station of the competition venue, but he did not get off the subway, but was forced back into the carriage by the flow of people rushing to get on the train.

Missing a few stops disrupted his original plan to leave his luggage at the hotel, so he had to carry a large bag and a guitar to the competition venue.

Fortunately, he didn't miss the pre-check time, and he successfully got his race number. No. 1013. The number is randomly called by the host on stage.

It was already lunch time, but he didn't dare to leave the venue half a step, for fear of missing his number. Seeing that other players can eat hot bento boxes or fragrant burgers in the company of family or friends, Zeppelin's heart is sour.

The performance of the contestants on the stage won bursts of applause, and he looked at the reactions of the judges in the first row of the audience, most of them were expressionless, and even bowed their heads and sighed.

In his opinion, the performance of the player just now was good enough, and the price of the piano used by that player was five times that of his own.

The players around to play and the pianos used are also expensive. At this moment, he seems so ordinary. "It's a national event!"

In comparison, Zeppelin's event in Pearl City was too pediatric.

"Next, we have invited player No. 1013 to the stage!"

"Where's Player 1013?"

Zeppelin, immersed in infinite emotion, did not notice that the host was already calling his number. It was a fellow player around him who kindly reminded him. He hurriedly came to the stage and asked the good Samaritan to take care of his luggage for him.

Seeing that the attention of the people he was looking up at just now was focused on him, Zeppelin suddenly didn't know what to do. Just standing on the stage dumbfounded. Under the reminder of the staff holding the microphone on the side, I thought of connecting the sound and effects first, and tuned the tone.

The judges took his registration form and looked up at him on the stage. He recognized one of the judges, who was a director of the National Electric Guitar Association, who was only about twenty years old, but was already an authority in the field. He looked at Zeppelin on the stage with a serious face.

"It seems that our No. 1013 player is a little nervous!" The host is a native of Beijing, and Zeppelin, who grew up in Zhucheng, sounds very unfamiliar.

"Okay, we're a little nervous today, No. 1013, let's enjoy your wonderful performance. Everyone gave him a round of applause of encouragement."

There was a ceremonial cheer from the audience.

Zeppelin began to play the electric guitar, the best acousticing stage he had ever stood. But he couldn't hear the sound of his guitar, and with the memory of his brain and arm muscles, he finished playing the whole song.

He didn't know how well he was presented, and the judges in the audience were still expressionless. The trustee asked, "Are you left-handed or did you deliberately swap handballs?" ”

"Born left-handed." Zeppelin replied honestly.

The judges stopped asking anything, and it seemed that he left the impression that he was only physiologically special.

Zeppelin waited at the competition site until the last contestant finished performing, and the host announced the rankings.

Unsurprisingly, he didn't even make it into the top ten. But he didn't feel sad, just calmly packed his luggage, thanked the kind contestant who helped him, and slowly returned to the hotel.

Walking in Beijing's Second Ring Road, it is not as antique as he imagined, but one modern concrete building after another, and even the neon lights that flicker at night are exactly the same as other cities.

When Zeppelin returned to the hotel, he could finally unload his tiredness, and after lying down for a while, he made himself a bowl of classic Master Kong's braised beef noodles. His stomach, which had been empty all day, finally felt a trace of warmth, and his tears could no longer be held back, pouring out and falling into the red noodle soup.

When he returned to Zhucheng the next day, his parents were already waiting to pick him up at the airport. Sitting in his father's Buick van, with no crowds around him and no eyes of rejection, Zeppelin smiled.

When his mother asked him what the results were, he told them the truth and told them that he didn't plan to go to the two games in Shanghai and that he would study hard next semester.

Seeing her son have such an enlightenment, Qi's mother cried with joy. But Dad Qi asked worriedly, "What about the guitar?" What do you plan to do in the future? ”

"I need to get stronger!" Zeppelin replied firmly.