More and more people gathered around the bonfire by the riverside. It felt as though every single herdsman from the entire hunting ground had come. The blazing flames illuminated face after face, as if forming a massive oil painting, yet one filled with vivid life.
Like a jade ribbon, the Shuiquan River flowed quietly across the grasslands. The shimmering ripples reflected the moonlight, while the distant neighing of fine horses echoed across the night. A gentle breeze drifted by, carrying with it the fragrance of earth and fresh grass.
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Lu Chen strode up to an elderly herdsman and bowed respectfully as he asked, "Sir, may I borrow your morin khuur for a moment?"
The old herdsman was already very advanced in years. The dark skin on his face was deeply cracked by the marks of time, his hair gray-white, and his eyes cloudy with age, yet his morin khuur playing was extremely skilled.
Hearing Lu Chen ask to borrow the instrument, he grinned broadly, revealing a mouthful of uneven yellow teeth. His wrinkled face crinkled like a chrysanthemum as he generously handed over the morin khuur he had been holding in his arms.
"Here!"
"Thank you!"
Lu Chen accepted the instrument and bowed once more in gratitude.
The morin khuur looked very old, probably not much younger than the elderly herdsman himself, but it had been exceptionally well maintained. The materials used for the horsehead, neck, and soundbox were all of remarkable quality, and the dark reddish-brown surface carried the obvious sheen of age and careful handling.
Only someone with discerning eyes would understand the value of such an old instrument steeped in history.
Everyone was astonished.
Whether it was Uncle Qiyan and the herdsmen from the hunting grounds, or Zhang Ke, Shi Lang, and the other crew members, nobody had expected Lu Chen to use a morin khuur for accompaniment.
Quite a few people present knew that Lu Chen played guitar extremely well, but the guitar and the morin khuur were entirely different instruments. Surely he was not planning to use guitar techniques to play a morin khuur?
That would turn into a joke very quickly!
Lu Chen sat down on a small stool, held the morin khuur in his arms, and briefly tested its feel before saying:
"This is my first time visiting the Mongolian Great Steppe. It's truly beautiful here, it feels exactly like the homeland of my dreams."
"At the same time, I'm very grateful for the warm hospitality of my Mongol friends, so I'd like to dedicate this song to all of you."
Although a great crowd had gathered around them, everyone politely kept quiet while Lu Chen spoke, allowing his voice to carry clearly into every ear.
Hearing Lu Chen praise the Mongolian Great Steppe, the herdsmen all revealed proud smiles. And the moment he finished speaking, the enthusiastic herdsmen immediately rewarded him with thunderous applause.
Smiling, Lu Chen waited for the applause to settle before continuing:
"The title of this song is…"
"Beautiful Grassland, My Home!"
Beautiful Grassland, My Home?
Zhang Ke, Shi Lang, and the other crew members could not help exchanging puzzled glances, because none of them had ever heard of such a song before.
The Mongol herdsmen, meanwhile, could all understand Chinese fairly well. Naturally, they had no idea that this was an original composition by Lu Chen. The title alone already felt perfectly suited to their hearts, wasn't the beautiful grassland precisely their home?
So another round of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted.
Among everyone present, only Chen Fei'er understood the truth. She gazed deeply at Lu Chen, her eyes overflowing with gentle love and pride.
"Big Sister Fei'er…"
At that moment, a petite figure quietly slipped over to Chen Fei'er's side.
Chen Fei'er immediately smiled. "Little Sister Gegen Tana!"
The young Mongol girl's face carried an expression of embarrassment as she stammered softly:
"Big Sister Fei'er… I gave my whip to Brother Lu Chen."
The daughters of the grasslands dared to love and hate openly. When they met someone they liked, they had the courage to confess directly. They would never hide their feelings away and expect others to guess. Gegen Tana was no exception.
She had never before seen such a handsome Han Chinese man as Lu Chen, which was why she had given him her whip.
But afterward, she realized that Lu Chen was Big Sister Fei'er's boyfriend. What she had done felt wrong, so after an intense inner struggle, she finally came over to apologize to Chen Fei'er.
"…Please don't be angry."
"Silly little sister…"
Chen Fei'er smiled as she pulled Gegen Tana into her embrace and said, "Big Sister won't be angry. Because Big Sister knows Gegen Tana is a good girl, so… let's listen to the song together!"
She genuinely liked Gegen Tana, so how could she possibly become jealous or angry over the innocent stirrings of a young girl's heart?
For a man like Lu Chen, it was only natural that many girls would like him!
Meanwhile, Lu Chen had already begun his performance.
The sound of the morin khuur rose melodiously, carrying a beautiful tune.
"Beautiful grassland, my home,
Wind blows through green grass and flowers everywhere bloom,
Colorful butterflies dance while birds sing in chorus,
A ribbon of clear water reflects the evening glow,
Fine horses drift like colorful clouds,
Cattle and sheep scatter like pearls across the land.
Aahh ha he yi~
The shepherd girl sings aloud, her joyful voice echoing across the horizon!
..."
In Lu Chen's dream world, Beautiful Grassland, My Home was a classic song sung far and wide. With its graceful pastoral melody, it praised the picturesque beauty of the Mongolian grasslands and the happy lives of the herdsmen, and had been covered by countless wandering singers.
Using the morin khuur as accompaniment, Lu Chen's rendition could truly be called authentic to its roots. The ascending phrases in the opening two bars were like a herdsman climbing to a high vantage point, gazing out over the endless prairie where yurts bloomed like lotus flowers and cattle and sheep were scattered across the pastures like pearls.
Without even realizing it, people found themselves immersed in the atmosphere created by the song.
The melody then rose naturally to a higher emotional level, expressing the herdsmen's boundless love and praise for their homeland. The continuously undulating yet progressively deepening narrative feeling made the song's lyrical quality even richer.
At this moment, in this place, with this instrument and this song, who could possibly resist becoming intoxicated by it?
"...
Beautiful grassland, my home,
I love its clear waters and beautiful grasslands,
The prairie is like a boundless green sea,
The felt yurts are like white lotus blossoms.
The herdsmen paint scenes of happiness,
Spring stretches for thousands of miles, beautiful as a painting.
Aahh ha he yi~
The shepherd girl sings aloud, her joyful voice echoing across the horizon,
The shepherd girl sings aloud, her joyful voice echoing across the horizon!"
The structure of the second verse was completely identical to the first, developing steadily through four musical phrases. Yet beyond elevating the musical imagery to another level, it also carried an even stronger lingering lyrical resonance.
Especially the sustained final note, it carried intense attachment and longing. It was the composer's love and devotion toward the beautiful grasslands, a reluctant and heartfelt confession of affection.
The music and singing lingered in the air, drifting among the yurts, crossing over the Shuiquan River, and floating endlessly across the boundless prairie.
Even after Lu Chen finished singing, nobody spoke.
The surroundings were so silent it felt as though time itself had been frozen by magic. Only the crackling sounds of burning firewood from the bonfire reminded people that the world was still moving.
Many of the herdsmen were utterly entranced by the performance. Quite a few even had shimmering tears glistening in their eyes.
Born here, raised here, singing and weeping here, and one day destined to die here as well.
Perhaps they did not know such words, yet their love for their homeland had long since fused into their very bones and blood. And at this moment, the passionate and burning emotions buried deep within them had been completely awakened by Lu Chen's singing.
Beautiful Grassland, My Home!
(End of Chapter)
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