Chapter 104
Chapter 104
Chapter 104: The Le Shan Troupe
Following the sound, they saw it came from a pipa-playing woman performing inside the inn.
This woman wasn’t singing casually like ordinary traveling performers; instead, she opened with a theatrical aria.
Bai and Mei were surprised, but the surrounding guests were thoroughly enjoying it. Amidst the applause, her performance in the inn didn’t feel out of place; on the contrary, she earned a fair amount of tips.
When one segment ended, some praised her voice, saying that if she had the opportunity, she could even join a theater troupe, though they wondered if they’d ever hear her again in the future.
Bai and Mei: “…” They had only been away from Tianshan for a few months, yet already seemed to misunderstand the situation down in the city?
The waiter bringing the dishes noticed the curiosity in the two travelers’ eyes and explained proactively: “Isn’t there a troupe that made this play popular? Ordinary people usually don’t have the time or money to go to the theater, so some clever girls learn a few arias and perform in small places like ours to earn tips. And honestly, there’s quite a crowd to support them. During this time, our inn’s business has been noticeably better than usual.”
Bai Zhengliu’s eyes flickered slightly as he smiled: “If business is good, why are you still outside soliciting guests?”
The waiter chuckled and said, “Even if business is good, the inn isn’t always full! Besides, it’s not mealtime, so I naturally have to find ways to help the owner earn a bit more…”
Bai Zhengliu said, “You’re clever.”
The waiter replied, “You flatter me, sir.”
Bai Zhengliu smiled: “Since you’re this clever, we’ll ask you some questions; I suppose you can answer them all?”
The waiter immediately perked up, thinking, Here we go!
In this line of work, serving dishes and fetching water earns very little. The real income comes from guests being generous, slipping tips through their fingers.
And if he could gather some extra information and provide it when needed, the rewards would be more than just tips.
In front of Bai and Mei, the waiter’s expression was just right: neither overly proud nor excessively submissive, but conveyed a reliable “Ask away! There’s nothing in Jingzhou city I don’t know.”
Bai Zhengliu noticed this and began thinking about how to approach the conversation.
As he pondered, Mei Yinghan suddenly spoke, asking the waiter: “You mentioned that a troupe made this play popular? Why don’t you tell us first—what troupe and what play?”
Bai Zhengliu looked at Mei Yinghan in surprise.
That question didn’t seem related to their purpose in the city at all.
Thinking this, but trusting his lover, Bai Zhengliu didn’t voice his doubts.
Mei Yinghan, meanwhile, remained completely calm, as if he was casually asking without any hidden motive.The waiter laughed: “Oh, so that’s what it’s about!”
He understood! As travelers of the jianghu, they naturally wouldn’t know the city as well as locals. Seeing something unfamiliar or different from elsewhere and wanting to ask about it was completely normal.
In a flash, these thoughts passed through the waiter’s mind. His words, however, came out quick and precise: first he gave the troupe’s name, then the author said to have written the play.
The first was “Le Shan Troupe,” the second “Heng Sheng.”
Bai and Mei had never really paid attention to such details before, so the names sounded unfamiliar.
Still, they silently noted them, thinking they might come in handy later.
Then, the waiter finally got to the main point.
“As for this play,” the waiter said, “at first, it was the Le Shan Troupe that went directly to the Cheng family to perform. The matriarch loved it immensely! She asked the master to keep the troupe, and they performed at the house for three days straight. Only when the rest of the household grew tired of it did they finally leave. Ever since, the troupe became famous and has been performing in the garden ever since.”
Bai and Mei’s hearts jolted. They thought: “The Cheng family—so they’re involved in this too?”
Bai Zhengliu even looked toward Mei Yinghan, raising an eyebrow in surprise, silently signaling: “Brother Mei, you predicted this perfectly.”
Mei Yinghan: “…”
No, in truth, even Mei Yinghan hadn’t expected to hit the mark so precisely.
To be fair, he had simply felt that Jingzhou City was different from other places in this matter and wanted to understand the situation first.
Putting aside the two of their internal thoughts, the waiter continued.
“As for what the play is about, ideally it’s better for you two to see it yourselves in the garden. If I tell you directly now, then later, should you actually want to watch it, it might feel boring…”
As he spoke, he suddenly felt the gaze of the two travelers on him.
Calm, steady, simply observing. No hostility, but clearly carrying a ‘What nonsense are you spouting?’ meaning.
The waiter swallowed and realized immediately that this was not the right moment to sell tickets.
He shifted tactfully, bringing back the conversation from before, smiling and saying to the two jianghu visitors: “But you two heroes are here in Jingzhou City, probably on serious business. Watching a play would just waste time! Better to just listen casually if at all.
“This play tells the story of a young man and woman meeting and getting to know each other. The young man is a handsome scholar, the young woman a refined lady. They meet in dreams, and a beautiful romance unfolds!”
In short, according to the waiter, this was the plot of the play:A certain young lady saw a scholar in her dream; the two fell in love and privately promised to be together.
Upon waking, the young lady could not forget the scholar and wished to make their union real. But when she spoke of it to those around her, they thought she was merely daydreaming and paid no mind to her wishes.
Without the understanding and support of her family, the young lady grew melancholic. Her longing for the scholar increased day by day, and her health worsened until she could not leave her bed.
At this point, her parents and elders finally noticed the change in her condition and immediately called a physician.
The physician examined her and said only that her heart was overly burdened. Unless her worries were resolved, she would continue to wither away.
The young lady, having been spoiled by her family all her life, naturally could not accept such words.
They asked why she was so troubled, and the young lady wept as she recounted her story.
Only then did everyone realize that, after so long, the person the young lady cared for most was still the scholar from her dream.
What to do? Her family discussed for a while and decided to announce the dream encounter publicly, hoping to find a suitor for her.
In this era, customs were liberal; even the emperor’s brothers could travel the jianghu, and relations between men and women were not bound by the strict codes of some dynasties. The actions of the young lady’s family in the play did not seem improper to the audience; on the contrary, they thought the family should have acted sooner, or else the young lady would not have fallen so ill.
Upon hearing the news of the family’s matchmaking, many suitors immediately rushed to propose. Naturally, some sought to take advantage—marry a beautiful young lady and inherit wealth. But lovers with true feelings were not so easily separated. The rest of the story showed how the young lady eventually found her true love among the crowd, and how they came to understand and cherish each other.
The waiter truly earned his money with his words. He was concise, yet the story was clearly told.
By the end, Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan looked at each other, each harboring some thoughts.
After the waiter was called away by others, only Bai and Mei remained at the table. Bai Zhengliu asked, “Yinghan, what do you think?”
Mei Yinghan’s eyebrows drew together slightly: “This play…”
If not for the strange events they had encountered earlier, Mei Yinghan could have dismissed the “meeting in dreams” as merely the fanciful imagination of Heng Sheng. But now, he had to consider it more carefully.
Still, for the moment, it was just “considering” more deeply. He shook his head and asked in turn, “And you? What do you think?”
Bai Zhengliu thought for a moment and said objectively, “Yu Han and Han Shu didn’t stay long in Jingzhou City; they probably had little chance to encounter the troupe.” Unless, by chance, the Le Shan Troupe happened to be at the Cheng family when they stayed there.
Mei Yinghan lowered his eyes for a moment, then agreed: “Also, when Yu Han and Han Shu arrived, the troupe may not have come yet. Right now, what matters is to go check the Cheng family.”
Bai Zhengliu nodded: “Exactly. On our journey, we haven’t found anything amiss elsewhere. If the Cheng family shows nothing unusual, then this trip won’t be in vain,” he smiled, “and that’s not a bad thing.”
While they spoke, they finished their meal.
Afterward, they left their luggage and horses at the inn, taking only some food and spirit stones with them, and set off.With Ling Yunzi’s previous words and the introduction of Yu Han and Han Shu, Bai and Mei were already somewhat prepared for the Cheng family’s hospitality. Yet, upon arrival, the scene still exceeded their expectations.
The young servant at the door saw the two approaching and immediately ran up, asking Mei Yinghan: “Hero, are you from the Tianshan Sect?”
Bai Zhengliu heard this and gave Mei Yinghan a mischievous look. Being looked at like that by his lover, Mei Yinghan felt both amused and exasperated, and said to the servant: “Are our sect’s clothes really that conspicuous?”
The young servant immediately laughed: “Not exactly. It’s just that not long ago, a pair of heroes surnamed Yu and Han stayed at our house. I spent some time with them, so naturally, I remember them well. Ah, if you really are heroes from the Tianshan Sect, you must visit our home!”
Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan had been waiting to hear these words. But to avoid seeming too abrupt, they politely declined a few times before the servant led them into the Cheng household.
Author’s note: See you tomorrow~