By Jiang Ruxiang

Stupid but Fast

By Jiang Ruxiang

I have longed to be a virtuoso pianist since I was knee high to my father's belt loops.So,when I came across an advertisement for a piano crash course promising that I—or any novice for that matter—would be able to play songs likeOde to Joy,für Elise,Moonlight SonataandFarewellafter six months of training,I was sold, and swiped my credit card without skipping a beat.

It took me just a single afternoon to learn to play Ode to Joy.

The secret was in the"finger score system"--every finger was assigned a number,and by pressing the keys corresponding to the numbers on the score, you could peck out a complete melody. A sort of play by numbers kind of system,if you will.I didn't need to learn to read the grand staff,learn music theory, double tunes or chords.Even without spending endless hours at the piano bench regurgitating Hanon and Czerny exercises,I learned how to play the piano in a snap...seemingly with no effort whatsoever.

I was overjoyed.That was one super shortcut!I began looking forward to showing off my newly acquired skills to my BFF,herself a piano teacher,while deep down inside a feeling began brewing inside my heart,that of pompous disdain.I began looking down on her because of dedication to the craft.She was doing it the stupid way!

After practicing for just a few days, with a sense of smug satisfaction,I marched over to my friend’s house and performed for her a mini concerto of Ode to Joy.

She sat there silent,her cold reticence slicing little nicks at me with the henpecking of each note,cutting me down to size.Without a word,she took over center stage and began to really tickle the ivories.Every note was filled with a deep,rich,melodious timbre.Her rendition was a far cry from my plain-Jane rendition.It was perfectly obvious who the superior pianist was.I was overtaken by a deep sense of shame.She batted her eyes and teased,“The piano is just there to add spice to life.As long as you can tap out a tune or two,then that's fine.”

I couldn't help but chuckle about it and told her about the shortcut I was using to learn to play the piano.Upon hearing this,her voice took on a deeply serious tone,“There are no shortcuts to learn the piano.Just like the story of Da Vinci drawing an egg,taking the perceived short way is invariably taking the long way.”

The other day,my friend took me to arestaurantrenownedforitsheavenly Mongolian Fire Pot.The owner of this restaurant is a man of legend in the local hospitality industry.He runs a successful private kitchen,steak house and snack bar.Soon after he added a dip-boil mutton restaurant to his list of business ventures.The place is constantly mobbed with customers and it is difficult to get a reservation.It was only because I cashed in a special favor with the owner that we were able to reserve a table.

We took our seats among the patrons busily boiling and dipping and began to eat.?With the first tender morsel,we found that the taste was indeed gourmet all the way.

We asked for the secret recipe.The owner said proudly,“Why do you think a dish of lamb slices flash-dipped into boiling water,taken out of the pot as soon as its color changes and eaten with seasoning is called Mongolian Fire Pot? The pot used to boil mutton must be old-used copper pot with a deep body and a large coal chamber.Only wood carbon can be used as fuel because the fire of it is fit for boiled mutton because there is little smoke.The meat is taken from two or three-year-old long-tailed lambs raised in Inner-Mongolia.We only get our mutton from the choicest parts of the lamb and cut it into slices with the most delicate of strokes.Thanks to my chefs'special technique,that of cutting with surgical precision,the sliced mutton is thin as paper and beautiful as a flower setting upon the plate.”

The owner reminded me of a talk show host performing his opening monologue.Finally,he held out two fingers,“To open this restaurant,I spent two years looking for the mutton.In addition,we look for farmers who specialize in farming Chinese cabbage,and we only use the few innermost layers.The Chinese cabbage sauce is made fresh daily by our own chefs.What is the secret recipe?Good ingredients mean good flavor.If I am not satisfied with the taste,I will not allow it on the table. This is the principle for all my restaurants.”

Another smart man who does it the stupid way.

But,the smart men never take shortcuts.Instead,they insist on doing the work it takes until one day the skills they've gained can put them on the highest peak of success,putting them head and shoulders,or perhaps peaks and crests above the rest.

(FromAllBeautiesareTough, Changjiang Literature and Art Publishing House.Illustration:Chi Xingcheng)