A vast expanse of land, deserted. Stacks of wood, neatly arranged, stand side-by-side, silently gazing at each other…...

1

       A unique opportunity brought me to a wood processing base in Foshan, Guangzhou. Our host was a technician named Xiao Cen, with a bright smile.

       “Nice to meet you here today.”

       “Welcome, welcome!”

      “This is our first time meeting, right?” Perhaps this was just a common diplomatic phrase.

       “No, it's the second time!” Did I mistake him for someone else?

       “Yesterday! Hehehe...…” Yesterday?

       “At the ‘Youth Speaks’ event yesterday.” Oh, I see! Yesterday, I took the initiative to watch the company's internal cultural activities, hoping to understand how such activities can be transformed into spiritual power to motivate employees. After watching 12 groups of performances, including speeches, crosstalk and short plays, I left immediately; after all, I was just an outsider.

       “I was an actor in the seventh group.”

     To be honest, besides Xiao Zheng, who acted as my full-time escort for two days, I didn't recognize anyone else. Xiao Zheng was in the competition, and he was the first to appear. For me, the other numbers didn't hold any special significance. All the participants, dressed in simple uniforms, looked alike, making it hard to distinguish them.

      —“It was the group with a lot of people.”

      —“It was the performance presented by the lumber mill.”

      —“It was the story about the countryside.”  Xiao Cen tried

hard to describe it, and I tried hard to recall……
      “It was the couple who resolutely returned to their hometown after graduation to participate in its development.” I added, finally getting a clue.

     Usually, people focus on the performers on stage, and the performers are also concerned about the audience. Yesterday, I wore a mask the entire time, but I was still recognized. 

       Today's topic is wood. Xiao Cen spoke about pine, beech, and hornbeam, as well as the origins, migration, and growth conditions of various types of wood. After being cut down, they need to patiently calm down their restless nature and stabilize their condition. This area, filled with the scent of wood, is a place of quiet cultivation.

2

     Across a bridge, we entered the factory. In contrast to the previous quiet, the sounds of machinery rose and fell, the wood heading off in different directions, bidding each other farewell.

According to their properties, the wood was cut into piano parts: long, column-shaped back frame beams, thin wooden ribs, flat, long soundboards, curved treble string bridges and various oddly shaped parts for the action.

     The previous long silence was the wood actually waiting for its master to assign it tasks, waiting for the best moment to emerge and fulfil its purpose of life, in diverse, solid, and concrete ways.

      At our last stop, we watched the assembly of the piano back frame structure. I was surprised to discover that the entire joining process used traditional Chinese mortise and tenon techniques, without a single nail.

     Suddenly, the unrelated information about Western music history and ancient Chinese craftsmanship stored in my mind became active.

        Lu Ban (鲁班) was the master carpenter of the late Spring and Autumn period (around 500 BC). Bach, born in 1650, proposed the well-tempered clavier, leading to the development of the harpsichord, and the modern piano's form was only basically established by the time of Chopin in 1821.

       In a trance, I saw Lu Ban, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin emerge, dancing on long planks of wood, clinking glasses in a toast.

         From Lu Ban to Chopin, the river of time flowed for over 2300 years. The trade between mainland China and Europe has a long history, from the Silk Road starting from Chang'an and Luoyang in the Han and Tang dynasties to the Age of Exploration from Europe to the East between the 15th and 17th centuries.

      Open up a simple piano in your home. The connection between the pieces of wood not only supports the entire piano but also bridges the exchange between Eastern and Western cultures……

3

       As we were leaving, I turned around and curiously asked Xiao Cen, “Who won the competition yesterday?”

       “Our seventh group won first prize. Hehehe……”

       Xiao Cen's smile became even brighter.

       Many coincidences happen silently.