Some people weren't convinced, thinking some blogger was just trying to ride the trend. But when they saw his personal page, they were dumbfounded.
He had millions of followers, and their engagement rate was very high, too. He had over tens of thousands of comments on every post. Although he was an internet celebrity, he didn't fail to win several annual musician and producer awards each year. This person definitely had a strong influence in the industry.
Taking a closer look, his birth name was Ban Hui and was an honorary professor from a prestigious school. He had even given public lectures to world-class music schools as well...
In popular terms: this grey turtle dove* was a practiced master! And in the music industry, he was a master above masters!
The comment section instantly became lively. .
—[Heh, you guys are all uncultured noobs. Does the resume of Professor Ban scare you?]
—[I recommend searching up Professor Ban's father, Ban Jin. There's a surprise /cute /cute]
—[I'm in shock. So the famous master, Professor Ban, is actually speaking up for the Vase Fairy?]
Most of the Shisui Sisters kept their silence discreetly, but a small group of people were too deep in their inherent judgement toward Xiang Yi to act appropriately. They did not believe, nor were they willing to admit, that Xiang Yi was talented.
—[He probably got hacked. You guys are so gullible]
—[Interesting, she could be put on a pedestal for just strumming a random instrument a few times. How much money did the Vase Fairy spend on this endors.e.m.e.nt?]
—[Honestly, I didn't think she was that good. Although I don't understand, it felt pretty casual to me~ It was just fast strumming, that's all]
—[I don't know about a three string or a four string, what's so good about folk music? If it was so great, then why do all the kids choose to study piano or violin?]
These remarks were nothing when it came to disagreements between fans. At least, they hadn't greeted Xiang Yi's mother yet.
But something unexpected happened just then...
First was the Grey Turtle Dove responding to a few dozen replies:
"I wasn't hacked."
"I didn't take any money."
"Art is technique, but technique is not art. Miss Xiang Yi's performance was natural, at ease, and painted a picture with music. To me, her technique has reached the level of art."
"It's your personal preference to learn western music or traditional instruments. But why is it so difficult to recognize the excellence of traditional music while western music is so undisputed?"
More followed. The granddaughter of a famous sanxian artist, Ji Lao, also shared the same Weibo:
"My grandma wants me to ask sister @XiangYiV: are you interested in leaving the entertainment industry? Come teach at our school. ~The compensation will be very good heh~"
The netizens on the frontlines digesting the gossip began to check the information.
The folk music academy under the name of Ji Lao was small in scale, but it was one of the most desirable colleges for domestic folk music students.
The netizens all took a deep breath.
Then, an erhu performer also posted a Weibo hinting at a job offer: [Little Miss, it seems to me your sanxian is good enough. How about learning the erhu with me?]
The netizens took another deep breath.
A certain suona** master also posted in light spirits: [Why not learn the suona with me? You can blow it from the full moon to the first seventh quarter. You'll never be afraid of unemployment again.]
The netizens: F*ck, they were laughing in anger.
Then the official blog of the Chinese National Music Association forwarded a Weibo with their stamp of approval. [The young girl is promising, and there is hope in passing on the tradition. Today, the young generation of China shines with pride like the rising sun!]
It was not an exaggeration to say the whole folk music industry was shaken up by this remark!
Netizens: ....???!!!!
Could it be that we had misunderstood the Vase Fairy?
Did she really choose to enter the entertainment industry like a person from the national sports team who volunteers to visit the countryside and help the poor?
Thousands of words later, there was only one final concluding statement—
F*ck. What a badass!
Translator's Note:
*The Chinese word for turtle dove is Ban Jiu, which just happens to be the same character as Ban Hui's last name, Ban. Hence, his Weibo handle is a pun on his real name.
**Suona is another traditional Chinese instrument, similar to a very high pitched horn.