Chapter 207 Stilts (Two Chapters in One)

Except for Xiuxiu and Zhang Ye, Zhen Wuduo was not at home either. However, at this time, he would go out for a walk, carrying three thousand taels, followed by Ah Huang and Xiao Ye, and sometimes the porter from Ji Da Niang's family would follow him, with the four guards secretly protecting him. He would walk around here and there, and occasionally go to the brokerage shop to sit down. If he saw a house or shop that caught his eye, the old man would buy it for his precious granddaughter with a wave of his hand. Therefore, when those brokers saw him, they felt more intimate with him than seeing their own grandfather, and they wanted to kneel down and recognize him as their godchild immediately.

But the old man was very cunning. He would only cooperate with the same brokerage twice at most, and would change places the third time. It was precisely for this reason that no one had ever associated him with the famous Zhen Wuduo. Even the pass he was using now was new.

That’s right, the old man changed hands several times and settled in Beijing under a fake name!

Don’t ask him how he did it, just believe in one word: money!

Therefore, Zhao Shiqing was not anxious at all when the old man was not at home. The old man was afraid of death, so no matter where he went, he was secretly protected by masters.

What made Zhao Shiqing vaguely worried was Xiuxiu. She suddenly thought that since the last time Xiuxiu got into trouble, she seemed to have not had a single chat with Xiuxiu in the past few days.

In fact, it was like this before. Everyone talked, laughed, and played together, and no one sat down alone to talk about life, so Zhao Shiqing had long been used to it. But today, she suddenly felt that she should have a good chat with Xiuxiu.

Others didn't think so much. There was a custom of walking on stilts during the New Year in Liangdi. Zhao Shiqing and Ling Bo had seen it long ago since they lived in Liangdi since they were young. There was also such a custom in the capital before, but it could only be seen at temple fairs. Later, people in the capital stopped worshipping Buddha, and temple fairs disappeared. Children like Niuqiu who grew up in the capital didn't even know what stilts were. As for Wan Ruyi and Chen Wangxing, who grew up in Wudi, they had never seen them.

Therefore, when they heard Zhao Shiqing and Ling Bo say that stilts were beautiful, they couldn't wait to run out of the house.

I couldn’t catch the show at Kuixing Tower, but I could still go to Baoen Temple.

Speaking of Baoen Temple, it is actually just a place name.

Bao'en Temple existed in the previous dynasty. When Emperor Taizu of Dayong invaded the capital, Bao'en Temple was destroyed. Now only the ruins of the bell tower remain.

Although the temple is gone, the Beijing Lantern Festival is still held here during festivals and holidays. The only remaining bell tower is the center of the lantern festival.

Even without the Lantern Festival, Bao'en Temple, like Kuixing Tower, is still a very lively place.

Zhao Shiqing and his group of half-grown kids are all very familiar with this place.

When they arrived, there were already many people waiting outside the bell tower to watch the stilts, and some people took the opportunity to set up stalls selling various snacks and small items.

A few people were eating and walking around the stalls when they heard cheers: "Here they come, the stilt team is here!"

Mudfish reacted quickly and climbed up the tree first, occupying the best view. Shen Wangxing was unwilling to fall behind, but he was not as agile as Mudfish, so Mudfish had to pull him up.

When others saw this, they followed suit and climbed up the tree. Some children who didn't know how to climb trees cried in panic.

Zhao Shiqing and Ling Bo could also climb trees, but Wan Ruyi couldn't. They were reluctant to leave Wan Ruyi alone, so they squeezed forward with her.

If it were in Wu, there would be few people like Wan Ruyi who, at her age, would not stay at home to spin, weave and do housework, but instead run outside to watch the fun. However, it is different in the capital. Not to mention the wealthy families, ordinary people do not have the old custom that women should not go out of the main door or the second door. On the streets, you can often see poor women going out to work like men to make a living, and landlady like Ji Da Niang who has some wealth will run to wherever there is fun.

Therefore, Wan Ruyi and the two little girls squeezed in the crowd, and not only were they not criticized, but those shy young men also took the initiative to make way for them, for fear that they would accidentally touch the old lady and be grabbed by her and accused of molestation. After all, this kind of old lady is the most difficult to deal with.

Zhao Shiqing and the other two easily squeezed to the front. Someone was already maintaining order, so they couldn't go any further and had to make room for the stilt team.

Zhao Shiqing discovered that the people around him seemed to have never seen stilts before. They were all excitedly talking about the stilts they saw in Kuixing Tower in the morning.

It turned out that they had already watched one show in the morning and came back to watch it again in the afternoon.

Zhao Shiqing couldn't help but ask, "Is this stilt team famous?"

An aunt said excitedly: "Little girl, I can tell from your accent that you are from another place. You must not know where Daguo Village is?"

Without waiting for Zhao Shiqing to answer, the aunt asked and answered herself: "Then you must have heard of the Longevity Palace. Yes, it is the Longevity Palace where the old man, the retired emperor, cultivated immortality and achieved enlightenment. Auntie, let me tell you, the area around the Longevity Palace used to belong to Dagezhuang.

Later, it became a Feng Shui treasure land, and the retired emperor allocated another piece of land for Daguozhuang to move there. This was the land given by the retired emperor. The retired emperor was a figure among the immortals. How could the land he gave be ordinary land?

It's a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery. Daguo Village is becoming increasingly wealthy, and to express their gratitude to the retired emperor, they formed this stilt-walking team. They originally wanted to perform for the retired emperor alone, but the retired emperor was kind-hearted and let them perform in the town so that the surrounding people could see it. This performance has lasted for ten years, and the people of our capital are so envious of them.

Zhao Shiqing never imagined that this stilt team was actually related to the emperor.

She asked quickly, "For the past ten years, it's only been performed in the towns near Daguozhuang. So why is it coming to the capital this year? You can't just perform in the capital whenever you want, right? At least it needs the approval of the Beijing government and the Five Cities Administration, right?"

My aunt clicked her tongue twice, as if to say, "You're from the country and you don't understand." As for which country, everywhere outside the capital is the country.

Zhao Shiqing had long been accustomed to it. She had tried her best, but as soon as she opened her mouth, the people in the capital could still tell accurately that she was from the country.

My aunt showed off her superiority and then said slowly, "These are stilts that the retired emperor has seen. How could the nobles in the palace not want to see them? How could the Empress not want to see them? She must want to see them too, right?"

Zhao Shiqing nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, absolutely right!"

My aunt continued, "In the past, those officials would have been fine with it, but now that the Fourth Prince has come to the Ministry of Rites, he's a very filial son, so he went to the Changshou Palace in person and asked the Supreme Emperor to issue an order to invite this stilt-walking team to the capital. From today, they'll perform until the Lantern Festival. On that day, the Emperor and Empress will also come to watch and enjoy the fun with the people."

Zhao Shiqing suddenly realized that it was no wonder that the stilt team suddenly showed up. It turned out that it was the Fourth Prince who was showing off.

It seems that the Fourth Prince has made up his mind to find himself a new mother.

Zhao Shiqing didn't know much about the Fourth Prince. The only two things he knew were that he wanted to kill Xiao Zhen, but ended up breaking himself into a man with long and short legs, and that he buried a box of weapons in Tong'an County that was full of loopholes. He wanted to frame his brothers, but ended up being confined to his room.

No matter how you look at it, this man is not foolproof, and he is not even as good as the third prince.

The more he did, the more loopholes he found, and the more opportunities his brothers had to take advantage of him.

Zhao Shiqing had a vague feeling that something good was about to happen.

While she was talking to her aunt, the stilt team had already started dancing.

You know what, stilts with a touch of fairy spirit are just different.

The stilt walkers in Liangdi perform Nezha’s Conquering the Dragon King, White Snake and Xiaoqing, Zhu Bajie Carrying His Wife on His Back, and Liu Hai Playing with the Golden Cicada. They are either folk tales or characters from operas.

But the stilt team from Daguozhuang is different. They are a group of gods.

Zhang Daoling tested Zhao Sheng seven times, Lü Dongbin's dream was shattered, Hu Gong jumped into the pot, Bixia Yuanjun suppressed Mount Tai, and there were also the Eight Immortals crossing the sea and Madam Wei ascending to heaven.

The Taoist atmosphere in Liangdi is far inferior to that in the capital. If it weren't for the onlookers who knew all the gods and goddesses by heart, Zhao Shiqing really wouldn't be able to recognize them all.

In short, Zhao Shiqing's eyes were broadened and the trip was not in vain.

It’s great to come to Beijing. I’ve broadened my horizons. I didn’t know stilt walking could be performed like this. I just don’t know if there are any rules for dressing up as a god. What if the god himself doesn’t agree? Then can’t perform?

Zhao Shiqing decided that if she had the chance to see Zhao Xingzhou again, she would definitely ask him.

The stilt team behaved well and did not make any mistakes. Although they were on the street, people from the Five Cities Bureau were there to maintain order throughout the whole process and no accidents happened. Even after the gods on stilts walked away, swinging their wide robes, the onlookers were still not satisfied. If it weren't for the people from the Five Cities Bureau, they would have wanted to follow them.

"Isn't it going to last until the Lantern Festival? Then where will it be performed tomorrow?"

"Are we still going to choose these two places today? Besides these two, there doesn't seem to be any other place in the capital that would be more suitable, right?"

After all, for people to walk on stilts, there must not only be an open space, but also people watching.

The remote place is big enough, but it can't gather so many people.

At this time, someone received confirmation from the officials of the Five Cities Administration: "Tomorrow, we will continue to perform at these two locations for three consecutive days!"

The people cheered. It was not even the end of the first lunar month, not even the Lantern Festival, and the New Year was not over yet. No one had the heart to think about going to work. As long as their families were able to afford to eat, drink and have fun during the New Year.

"Little girl, would you like to go to Kuixing Tower tomorrow morning? Let's go together?"

The one who was speaking was the aunt just now. This aunt quite liked Zhao Shiqing. Although the girl was rustic, she was very well-behaved. Older people liked well-behaved girls. She didn't know if there were many brothers in the family. If there were not many brothers, she could be married in as a daughter-in-law.

If there are many brothers, that won’t do. People like these from the countryside come to the capital with their families every now and then to beg for money. Who can stand that?

Zhao Shiqing didn't know that in just a moment, she was about to be asked for the price.

Also, she's rustic...

Zhao Shiqing thought about visiting Master Bai and said happily, "Okay, let's meet at Kuixing Tower then."

The aunt didn't leave in a hurry. She asked, "Little girl, where are you from? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Zhao Shiqing was an honest child, and he answered every question: "I'm from Baihe Village in Liangdi. I have two brothers and one sister."

Aunt: From Liangdi, or some village, he is indeed a country person. Fortunately, he only has an older brother and no younger brother, so it’s not too bad.

She was about to ask more when she saw two young boys appear out of nowhere and take the honest and obedient girl away.

The aunt immediately understood that these two were the little girl's brothers, and the one who was about the same age next to her was her sister. As for Wan Ruyi, the aunt automatically ignored her.

It's obvious that this little girl's brothers and sisters are not married yet. Oh my god, when her brother gets married in the future, the girl will definitely have to pay for it.

This marriage won't work. In other words, these country girls can't be married in as daughters-in-law. It's a total loss!

Zhao Shiqing, who was beaming with excitement, didn't know that she had been excluded from the list of candidates for daughter-in-law by her aunt.

When Zhao Shiqing returned home, Zhen Wuduo and Xiuxiu had also returned. Aunt Ji's in-laws were having a dinner party today and didn't come to cook, so Zhen Wuduo booked a table of banquet from the restaurant and also invited a chef to come and slice roast duck on the spot.

Everyone enjoyed the meal happily, with their mouths full of oil.

Zhao Shiqing suddenly thought of Xiao Zhen. It was New Year's Day, so maybe Da Zhuang and the others would take turns cooking.

Zhao Shiqing thought of the cold kitchen of Ruyi Fang, and the corners of his mouth twitched. That place was really suitable for someone with Fatty Si's physique. There was plenty of meat, so it was okay to go hungry for a few meals.

She can't do it. She can't even skip a meal.

Thinking of this, Zhao Shiqing rolled another duck pancake and took a fierce bite, making Uncle Xiao very greedy.

Xiao Zhen was also eating at this moment.

After the hardships of his previous life, he no longer cared about food. For him, as long as he could fill his stomach, he could eat anything as long as it was not poisonous.

Cai An made dinner today. The stir-fried cabbage was so salty that it was enough to choke you to death, as if the salt seller had been beaten to death. The steamed fish was really clear, not salty at all. Xiao Zhen poured soy sauce on it, but it ended up being too much, so it became soy sauce soaked fish.

Xiao Zhen was eating when Li Xi came back from outside and said, "Sir, Miss Xiuxiu, the second young lady's friend, went to Fuping Inn today to look for someone. She didn't find the person she was looking for, but she met Yang Zhuangyuan instead."

Xiao Zhen put down his chopsticks and asked, "Who is she looking for at Fuping Inn?"

Li Xi said: "After she entered the room, she asked if there was a guest named Liu Ping. The waiter went to ask, and there was indeed a guest named Liu Ping, but he said he didn't know Miss Xiuxiu and had never sent anyone a letter to Miss Xiuxiu. It was obvious that the man was not a good person. Seeing that Miss Xiuxiu was only with a child, he said a lot of dirty words to Miss Xiuxiu.

At that moment, Yang Zhuangyuan happened to come down from upstairs. Seeing this, he stepped forward to intervene and reprimanded Liu Ping. Liu Ping wanted to hit him, but was stopped by Yang Zhuangyuan's attendant. Yang Zhuangyuan ordered Liu Ping to apologize to Miss Xiuxiu, otherwise he would have the people from the Five Cities Division arrest him. Liu Ping was still acting arrogant at first, but after learning that Yang Zhuangyuan was an official, he honestly apologized to Miss Xiuxiu.

Xiao Zhen narrowed his eyes slightly: "Did you send anyone to follow that Liu Ping?"

Li Xi nodded: "Xu Le is following and will report back when there is news."

At the same time, Zhao Shiqing, who had eaten and drunk his fill, took Xiuxiu to his room to have a private chat...