Chapter Five: A Thousand Glories Hinge on Tonight

“Now comes the moment of witnessing a miracle.”

Liu Qian held the ring, bringing it close to the glass cup holding the egg.

Standing beside him was Dong Qing, the CCTV host.

From that day forward, this phrase, along with Dong Qing herself, became a signature of his Spring Festival Gala magic performances.

In Qianying Village, Fusong County, Jilin Province, men, women, young and old crowded around their televisions, eyes fixed unwaveringly on the screen.

“Goodness, did it really go inside?”

“Amazing! This isn’t magic; it’s sorcery. I knew these times were extraordinary.”

“Fool, how could it be real? It’s definitely sleight of hand.”

The villagers debated excitedly, looking forward to this lively moment all year long.

Given the current economic conditions, nearly every household owned a TV, yet when news spread that Xu’s son would appear on the Spring Festival Gala, village chief Jia Changhai still gathered everyone together to watch.

“When does your Xu Ming come on? It’s nearly eleven o’clock,” someone asked.

“Right now. What’s the rush? My son appearing on the Spring Festival Gala is our entire village’s pride. If you don’t want to watch, just go home,” Xu’s mother snapped, silencing the others.

It was the Spring Festival Gala after all. Thinking back, it seemed almost unbelievable that the youngest son of the Xu family would have the chance to step onto such a stage.

Across various places in the three northeastern provinces, artists from Benshan Media were watching this year’s gala with varying degrees of attention.

Even Xiao Shenyang, who was on a commercial tour, made a special effort to find a TV after finishing his performance.

Backstage at the Spring Festival Gala.

Uncle Benshan was calming his two apprentices.

“Relax. Once you’re on stage, don’t be nervous. Just treat it like our usual rehearsals. If it gets tough, just imagine you’re performing at our Liu Laogen Grand Stage. But don’t be too loose—too loose and it falls apart.”

“Yeah, I’m relaxed,” Ya Dan said, but her pale face betrayed her nerves.

She was indeed anxious. She had to consider whether this might be her only chance ever to appear on the Spring Festival Gala; whether she could seize the moment depended on this tremble.

Xu Ming took several deep breaths, his body trembling slightly as well.

Compared to her, he had waited much longer for this day, thinking about it every moment without pause.

“Come on, come on, it’s your turn for Uncle Benshan’s program,” the staff urged.

That call was like the starting gun, prompting everyone to move, crowding together and heading toward the stage.

Xu Ming felt his blood surge, his mind clearer than ever before.

Others might freeze in the face of such a big event, but he was different; the larger the stage, the more excited he became.

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“In recent years, CCTV’s Star Avenue, known as the ‘People’s Grand Stage,’ becomes especially lively at year’s end because they say that whoever wins the annual championship there can look forward to participating in the Spring Festival Gala.”

“Things have gotten lively indeed. Many have signed up, including an elderly man from the Northeast who, to help his granddaughter get on Star Avenue and fulfill his youthful dream, invited a special guest to dinner. What happened next? Let’s enjoy the skit ‘No Money Problem.’”

Host Zhu Jun finished the introduction as applause erupted from the audience.

Even the viewers straightened in their seats, focusing intently on the screen.

All year long, people looked forward to Uncle Benshan’s skits.

“This is the biggest and most expensive restaurant in Tieling, called ‘Scottish Romance,’” Uncle Benshan said, leading Ya Dan onto the stage. With just a few words, he landed a joke that made the audience laugh heartily, slipping effortlessly into the familiar rhythm of Benshan’s skits.

“Grandpa, you said it wrong. It’s ‘Scottish Romance,’” Ya Dan corrected.

Uncle Benshan and the scriptwriters backstage all tensed.

Normally, such a twist would bring an even bigger laugh, but the audience remained silent.

Clearly, Ya Dan was off her game—she hadn’t caught the rhythm.

This was bad. Most of the skit’s punchlines depended on her.

Then, after Uncle Benshan finished his lines, he called out to a waiter.

Xu Ming, dressed in a kilt and sporting slicked-back hair, stepped onto the stage. His unexpectedly effeminate walk immediately sparked laughter among the audience.

Half the crowd relaxed—thankfully Xu Ming was holding his own. They finally understood the saying, “When the East doesn’t shine, the West does.” If Xu Ming had flopped too, it would have been disastrous.

Especially when Uncle Benshan called Xu Ming “young lady.”

Xu Ming flicked his fingers coquettishly and retorted, “Hey, who are you calling a young lady? I’m a real man.”

Laughter exploded in the auditorium, and the audience watching at home joined in.

Uncle Benshan and the directing team breathed easier—this kid was in great form and steady.

After all, Xu Ming had rehearsed the lines of “No Money Problem” in his dreams for an entire year.

All the glory awaited tonight.

Back in Qianying Village, the room was quiet.

It wasn’t that they weren’t enjoying the show; rather, no one dared to be the first to laugh, fearing the Xu family might think they were mocking.

“Ahem, this Errenzhuan performance involves a bit of effeminacy, that’s normal. Besides, we all grew up watching Xu Ming. Everyone knows he’s a real man,” Jia Changhai interjected.

The crowd immediately burst out laughing at the phrase “real man,” recalling Xu Ming’s earlier act.

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Everyone laughed out loud.

Xu Ming’s mother covered her face, turning away, wishing she could disappear into the floor.

Son, why didn’t you say you were performing this kind of role earlier?

Now it truly felt like she had given birth to a daughter...

In a small room, Xiao Shenyang watched Xu Ming on the TV, dressed in the Scottish-style skirt, and suddenly felt as if something very important had been taken from him.

He tried to comfort himself: “I’m a real man; why would I play some sissy?”

But no matter what he said, the hollow feeling in his heart lingered.

On stage, Xu Ming followed the script and continued.

The more he performed, the more confident he grew. Every punchline he delivered was met with enthusiastic applause—how could he not feel confident?

Meanwhile, Ya Dan grew increasingly out of sorts, her spotlight completely stolen by Xu Ming.

For the sake of the show, Uncle Benshan had no choice but to go with the flow, focusing more on supporting and highlighting Xu Ming.

After all, any apprentice he helped succeed was his success, especially since Xu Ming was obedient and sensible, holding the company’s longest contract.

“What’s wrong with your hotel? Nothing to offer, what kind of place is this? Bring out your boss.”

“No.”

The audience doubled over with laughter, thinking the skit was over, but the hilarity kept coming.

“Come to the countryside, kid, have some wild chicken stewed with mushrooms.”

“No.”

“That one’s possible!”

“No, really don’t have it!”

“Honk honk honk~”

Countless viewers at home laughed like geese.

Watching Xu Ming and Uncle Benshan exchange wide-eyed looks on screen, everyone laughed until their sides ached.

Now both the Uncle Benshan on stage and the Spring Festival Gala production team backstage realized something:

This show was turning out far better than they had anticipated.