Young Master Fu had been busy with work lately, leaving Young Mistress Liu with some free time on her hands. She decided to use the opportunity to explore more of Shanghai, to learn more about the city that she had come to call home.
One day, she came across a small music shop tucked away in an alley. She could hear the sweet, mournful sounds of a pipa, a traditional Chinese string instrument, coming from inside. Intrigued, she stepped inside to investigate.
The shop was a cluttered but cozy space, filled with all manner of instruments - erhus, guzhengs, dizi flutes - and a few shelves of sheet music. An older man sat behind the counter, playing a pipa and humming along to the melody.
Young Mistress Liu approached him, admiring the beautiful instrument. The man smiled and offered to let her try playing it. She accepted, and he showed her how to position her fingers and pluck the strings.
At first, she was clumsy and the sounds she made were more like screeches than music. But the man was patient and encouraging, and soon she was producing something that resembled a tune.
She practiced for a while longer, losing track of time as she lost herself in the music. When she finally put the pipa down, the man gave her a nod of approval. "You have a good ear for this," he said. "You should come back and practice with me again sometime."
From then on, Young Mistress Liu made a habit of visiting the music shop whenever she had the chance. She practiced playing the pipa and learned about other traditional instruments from the man behind the counter. She even started attending small jam sessions with other musicians, getting lost in the rhythms and melodies of the music.
Through her exploration of the music scene in Shanghai, Young Mistress Liu discovered another aspect of Chinese culture that she could embrace and enjoy. She felt grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow, and she knew that she had found a new passion in her life.