Chapter 1343: Attack of the ‘Thousand-Hand Guanyin’!
Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
On Weibo.
A heated discussion was going on.
“This year’s Spring Festival Gala is really different!”
“The acts are all very novel.”
“Yes, I agree with this view. It’s so refreshing!”
“Many of the acts have never been seen before!”
“Yeah, it’s my first time hearing of something like cross-gender acting!”
“This year’s Spring Festival Gala is so damn enjoyable!”
“Right, only the skits and crosstalks were watchable in the past, and some were not even that interesting to speak of. But this year’s songs and dances, as well as the magic show have all left the audience in shock!”
“Zhang Ye is really quite capable.”
“I heard that there are still many new acts lined up.”
“Ah? There’s still more?”
“Yes, like that dance by the deaf-mute dance troupe.”
“I’ve seen the program list too, but what kind of a deaf-mute dance troupe are they?”
“How can the deaf-mute dance? I still don’t get it.”
“That’s true. Like that ‘Flying Apsaras’ from before, I thought that it was a rather good performance. There are so many good, able-bodied dancers in China, so why didn’t they just get them instead? Wouldn’t they dance better?”
“Eh, looks like it’s coming up!”
“It’s the next act?”
…
On TV.
The live broadcast was still ongoing.
The Central TV host, Yan Mei, stood onstage with a smile that looked slightly restrained. “Next up, I would like to introduce a teacher to everyone. Her name is Qi Xiaomei and she is the coach of the deaf-mute dance troupe from the China National Ethnic Song and Dance Ensemble.”
The cameras switched to the audience.
In the front row, Qi Xiaomei stood up nervously. She put out her hands and used sign language to greet everyone.
Yan Mei translated, “She said hello to everyone.”
The audience greeted her with applause.
Qi Xiaomei once again broke into sign language.
Yan Mei said, “Teacher Qi is saying that the children might live in a world with no sound, but the voices in their heads are the same as yours and mine.” With a pause, she observed Qi Xiaomei’s sign language and explained, “They live in a world without a spoken language, but they’ll use their way of communicating to connect with everyone, thank you.”
Qi Xiaomei gave a slight bow.
The audience applauded again.
Yan Mei faced the camera. “Now, I would like to introduce a very special act to everyone. It’s special because the performers who are taking part in this performance are all living in a soundless world. They can’t hear their parents’ affectionate voices, and of course, cannot perceive the beautiful melodies of music. But even so, they would still like to send us a new year’s greeting with their beautiful dancing. Let us enjoy this upcoming dance: ‘ Thousand-Hand Guanyin 1 .’”
…
At Old Wu’s parents’ house.
Wu Changhe said, “It’s starting.”
Li Qinqin also said, “This act feels like a very risky choice.”
“Yes, there’s huge controversy over it,” Wu Changhe replied.
…
At Zhang Ye’s maternal grandma’s house.
His eldest younger sister had her hands clasped together. “God bless, God bless!”
His other two sisters were chanting, “Please bless this act with smooth sailing!”
Zhang Ye’s maternal grandma asked, “What are you girls doing?”
His second sister said, “Grandma, you don’t know about it, but this act has been constantly criticized by people on the Internet ever since the second approval session. It has been slammed into the ground.”
…
Online.
Everyone was indeed still arguing about this act.
“I think that it’s pretty good.”
“What’s so good about it?”
“It must be a task the upper management set for them.”
“There’s a really good chance that they wanted the handicapped to be included as part of the gala.”
“But the effect of this act won’t be good.”
“I do sympathize with our disabled friends, but the Spring Festival Gala is quite different. This is not some charity gala, so there’s a need to allow only whoever is good enough to perform on the show. ”
“Well, maybe they’re really that good at dancing.”
“Come on, I don’t believe that a deaf and mute person can dance better than an able-bodied one.”
“Yeah, they can’t even hear the music!”
A lot of people had doubts about this. The deaf-mute dance troupe’s act was one of the most controversial ones ever since Zhang Ye’s program list was revealed. Some people expressed their support for it and encouraged this sort of a move. Having disabled performers on the Spring Festival Gala was also a humanistic touch. As for whether the dance would be good enough, that was secondary. It was more important that the handicapped could feel the warmth from watching the gala on Chinese New Year’s Eve. But more people opposed this move. They felt that the quality of the act couldn’t be sacrificed just because there was a need to show concern for their handicapped friends. It couldn’t become a case of moral kidnapping, as that wouldn’t be fair.
Everyone had their own opinions.
The controversy did not die down.
The act was finally going to begin.
The answer to everyone’s doubts was going to be revealed soon.
…
On TV.
The set design was still as exquisite as before.
The stage effects were still as stunning too.
A performer stood onstage, and the first shot showing her was a direct close-up from the front. The girl stood there in a beautiful gold dress.
No!
It wasn’t just one!
There were many of them!
They were standing in a column?
It looked like they were only one person.
A lot of the audience members were slightly taken aback.
The music came on as the guqin started 2 playing.
Suddenly, while everyone was still in shock from seeing this, a pair of hands appeared out from behind the lead girl. It was almost instantly followed by another pair of hands shooting out from behind. This effect really gave the feeling that there were hands “growing” out from the girl’s back. It could be passed off as real!
Three pairs of hands!
Five pairs of hands!
Ten pairs of hands!
Suddenly, the dozen-odd pairs of hands retracted back inside uniformly before slowly extending out again from both sides. The hands were adorned with long golden nails, giving it an dazzling and hypnotic look!
The entire world’s Chinese population was dumbfounded!
“What?”
“How could it be?”
“H-How did they achieve that?”
“Why are their movements so in sync?”
“This is impossible!”
“Aren’t they deaf?”
“Even normal people couldn’t do that with such precision! So how can they do it?”
“Holy fuck!”
However, it was still too early for them to be stunned!
When the dozen-odd pairs of hands retracted back again, they started slowly fluttering before opening out without warning from behind the leading girl’s back like a fan. The stunning image of Guanyin with a thousand arms appeared!
At this moment!
Counting everyone who had seen it!
The entire world’s Chinese population was screaming!
The visual impact shot into their souls!
The audience at the venue was stunned!
The TV viewers were also stunned!
“Heavens!”
“Ah!”
“Oh my God!”
“God!”
“This is too beautiful!”
“Deaf-mutes? Are they really deaf-mute people?”
“How could it be so beautiful!?”
…
At Zhang Ye’s maternal grandma’s house.
His mother was wide-eyed!
His father was gasping!
His three younger sisters were squealing!
…
Everyone had finally shut their mouths!
All of the doubters and critics were no longer talking!
At this instant, they could only feel a sense of shock. They were staring at the breathtaking beauty taking place on television that couldn’t be described with words!
The dance went on.
Retraction.
Extension.
The flurry of hands moved spiritedly, as though they were attached to the back of the lead dancer and entirely controlled by her alone. Fluttering, agile, and ever-changing!
The applause kept coming round after round!
Some live audience members were so excited that they stood up!
Some people started weeping. When they reached up to wipe away the tears, they somehow cried even harder!
It was fantastic!
It was too fantastic!
Yan Mei’s eyes reddened as well!
In the front row, Qi Xiaomei’s hand signals were constantly changing. She pursed her lips and clenched her teeth, holding back the urge to cry as she commanded the children onstage! This is it! Very good! You’ve all performed very well today! Teacher is proud of you all! You’re the best students I’ve ever taught! Well done! All of you, well done!
This was a dance that shocked everyone!
Compared to the feelings that “Flying Apsaras” had given them, this was ten times more shocking!
These were deaf and mute people!
These girls could not hear anything at all!
Many of the TV viewers were in tears!
Guanyin and the Thousand Arms?
So this was what the Thousand-Hand Guanyin was?
For a dance like this, one could never find another like it even if they searched to the ends of the Earth!
