The Second Test
He Wei

Professor Su Lin,a well-known expert on vocal music, found something very puzzling.Twenty-year-old girl Chen Yiling from Chorus Training Class of more than 200students had come out exceedingly well in the preliminary test, scoring highmarks in vocal music, sightsinging ear training and music theory. Her beautifultone color and broad range, in particular, won high praise. But, to the greatdisappointment of everybody, she failed the second test. The professor, who hadtrained a large number of students, many of them now of international fame, hadnever seen a young girl with a brilliant talent. And the above strangehappening was something he had never known before.

The preliminarytest took place in a specious hall of antique style. Chen Yiling stood calmlybefore the eminent vocal music experts on the Test Committee. When she finishedsinging Xian Xinghai’s famous When February Comes, throngs of listeners couldbe seen standing entranced outside the doors and windows, and even theprofessors, who usually wore an air of casual indifference, could not helpexchanging knowing looks at one another. At it was required of each candidateto sing a foreign song as well, Chen sang the aria Un bel di from the Italianopera Madama Butterfly. The audience were amazed by her splendid tone color anddeep comprehension. Even Professor Su, known for his strict demands, alsonodded his approval, his stern eyes twinkling with delight. Chen, wearing alight green woolen sweater and close-fitting brown trousers, stood there like agraceful tree on a spring morning. However, under the silent stare of so manyeyes, the smiling girl appeared somewhat ill at ease.

The second testcame to pass a week later. The result of this test was to determine eachcandidate’s fate-accepted or otherwise, and what his or her future career wouldbe like. With most of the candidates already eliminated by the preliminarytest, this second test was even more demanding in every respect. All celebratedlocal musicians were present. During the test almost all Test Committee membersand visitors wore a harsh and nitpicking look. Nevertheless, they were allunder the impression that all the remaining candidates Chen would undoubtedlybe the last one to fail the second test.

Unfortunately, theresult was contrary to everybody’s expectation. When Chen’s turn came last, shesang the same two songs, but her voice was unpleasant and utterly lackluster asif she were no longer her old herself. Was it due to stage fright, nervousnessor indisposition? People even suspected some sort of impropriety in her privatelife. They stared at each in speechless despair and eyed her questioningly.Weariness was written all over her face. Her bright eyes now looked dejectedand dull. And the corners of her otherwise playful mouth wore an expression ofunspeakable anxiety. But, as a whole, she was bright, candid and trustworthy.People just could not understand what little accident, if any, had been thecause of her frustration. She smiled apologetically and disappeared out of theroom.

Professor Su wasobviously upset. He had always believed that to win people’s genuine love andesteem, an artist must first of all be exemplary in every way, first of all anoble-minded person. A singer was of course no exception. But a girl like Chen,who had no urge for self-improvement, would never become a successful singer.He turned in anger to look out of the window. The city had just been hit by theworst typhoon of the year. The ground outside was strewn with broken twigs anddry leaves. Fallen bamboo fences on the sodden ground. What a pitiful sight!

The Test committeewere divided in their opinions about Chen. Some held out little hope of herachieving success as a vocalist, saying that the two tests had shown her voicefar from able to hold its own. Others wanted to give her an opportunity foranother try. Professor Su, however, had a view of his own. He thought itimportant to find the root cause of her failure in the second test. Hemaintained that if her failure was due to her questionable attitude towards hercareer and life, she should on no account be admitted no matter how highlygifted she was. That, he said, should be the first and foremost of all thingsto be considered.

Now what on earthwas the cause of her failure?

Professor Su gotChen’s application form for enrollment form his secretary and underlined in redpencil the address she had put down on it. The photo attached to the formshowed a very cute face with a pretty little mouth, lucid guileless eyes and anose which would pucker up a little bit whenever she smiled. All that seemed towarn the professor against treating a person in a simplistic way—a person alivewith thought and emotion. There must be certain practical aspects of the younggirl which the simple application form made no mention of. Her failure to passthe second test might mean her life-long divorce from music and hence apermanent stifling of her musical talent. Should that be the case, theprofessor, whose duty it was to foster young musical talents, would neverforgive himself.

The next morning,Professor Su took the first tram of the day. Thanks to the address given on theapplication form, he finally managed to find the secluded street in Yangshupu.The moment he stepped into the lane, he was taken aback by what he saw.

There were brokenwalls, charred beams of a ghastly black and scorched rags here and there amongdebris—all telling of the destruction wrought by the recent typhoon and theensuring fire. Since early in the morning, some people had already been busyingthemselves amongst the rubble.

Professor Su, witha slip of paper in hand, was wondering where to find the address when all ofsudden he heard a child crying out randomly from an upstairs window of theopposite building, like a singer practicing his voice:

“Mi—yi—yi—yi—, ma—ah—ah—ah—” The professorcould not help smiling. He guessed right that the kid was Chen’s youngerbrother affectedly parroting his elder sister’s voice.

The professor thenlearned from the child that his elder sister Chen, ex-member of the PLA arttroupe, was now on the administrative staff of a factory after beingtransferred from the army to civilian work in Shanghai. As a Youth Leaguer, shewas enthusiastic and earnest. Whenever the factory or her neighborhood was inneed of some help, she was always considered the right person to approach. Justa couple of days before, the neighbor- hood had caught fire as a result ofelectric wire sparking caused by the typhoon. Consequently, many families wereleft homeless. Chen spent a sleepless night caring for the disaster victims,which in turn affected her voice. The next day, when it occurred to her that itwas the very day for the second test, she blurted out, “Oh, my!” Yet, she went to the test all thesame.

That was the wholestory.

“Look, she’s still busy working over there!”exclaimed the child from the window, gesticulating with his raised hand. “Letme call her! I’ll go and call her!”

“No, don’t. But just tell your sister thatshe’s been admitted after passing the second test! She has every qualificationfor being a superb singer, hasn’t she? I’ve almost made a mistake!”

The professorwalked away from Chen’s house, and that very quickly. Yes, his bosom swellingwith a thrill, he wanted to hurry back to let everybody know of the musicstudent he had discovered and the whole story about her.