Chapter 33 Performance: I am Tang Jia Xiao Qingduo, and I love to stir up trouble and add fuel to the fire...

From the alleyway next to the teahouse opposite Shouzhen Hall, a man and a woman emerged. The man slammed his cane on the ground, making a crisp sound. He said:

"Hey, Tang Qingduo, we're in the same boat, you can't betray me!"

Two little grasshoppers appeared in Qingduo's mind, their front legs hooked together, leaning against the side of the boat, their bodies rising and falling with the waves. Just as she was lost in thought, Zhu Yi nudged her awake with an elbow, and she said in a serious tone, "There's only one month left until autumn, we have to get this done before then."

Zhu Yi asked doubtfully, "Why?"

"Because—grasshoppers won't be able to hop around for much longer after autumn!" she replied with a grin.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zhu Yi raise his hand, and she quickly shrank behind Lu Nong. She then heard Zhu Yi mockingly say, "What are you afraid of? I'm just fixing my hair, humph! You're such a coward, you'd better keep your mouth shut next time!"

Qingduo peeked out from behind Lu Nong and stuck her tongue out at him. Zhu Yi took a breath and was about to retort when he noticed Lu Nong's worried expression. He immediately put the matter aside and asked, "Miss Lu Nong, what's wrong?" Qingduo turned her head to look at her as well.

“Last time Qingduo stood up for me, and she almost got beaten up as a result. I still feel guilty about it. How about I go by myself this time? I don’t want anything to happen to you because of me,” Lu Nong said in a low voice.

"With me here, who would dare to lay a hand on you?" Zhu Yi immediately said. "I will always protect you!"

"And what about me?" Qingduo pointed to herself in shock. Zhu Yi caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye and casually added, "Yeah, and you too." Qingduo rolled her eyes at him, jumped in front of Lu Nong, and said, "Oh dear sister, why are you so timid, just like Zeng Qingqing!"

"Don't worry! With my skills, Brother Zhu, three, thirty, or even three hundred are no problem for me..."

Zhu Yi coughed lightly: "Cough! Three hundred is still not enough... thirty... is also a bit of a stretch."

"Hey! With my brother Zhu's resounding reputation, even if there were thirty people, I doubt they'd dare to come at us all at once! As long as we have Brother Zhu..." Qingduo turned her back to Zhu Yi, leaned close to Lu Nong, winked and exaggeratedly mouthed the words "brother-in-law," then turned around, gave Zhu Yi a thumbs up, and continued, "...with him here, who would dare to touch us?"

Zhu Yi was touched. He patted Qingduo on the shoulder and said, "Little girl, you trust me quite a bit! Don't worry! Even if I get punched, I'll definitely protect you!"

Qingduo gave a heartfelt thumbs-up and exclaimed, "Truly worthy of the renowned 'Black Tiger Hero'! A chivalrous heart, who else could match me!"

Lu Nong was amused by Qing Duo and said with a smile, "Now that things have come to this, I won't say anything discouraging. You've all been busy with my affairs, so I'll cook something delicious tonight to reward you."

Qingduo immediately replied, "Aren't you being too polite? We're just trying to warn others not to be fooled, and 'incidentally' to get back the commission you're owed. It's not just the two of us 'for you,' but the three of us doing this together."

Lu Nong never liked to trouble others, but because of the storybook, she had troubled her time and time again. Not only that, her husband also wanted to help her republish the storybook. She owed her far too much. Qing Duo said this deliberately, just to ease her unease. Lu Nong appreciated her kindness and said gratefully, "Okay, I'll definitely give him a good beating later."

Qingduo exclaimed, "This is the real Lu Nong!"

The three turned to face Shouzhen Hall. Qingduo stood at the very front, like a general in armor. It was as if the rustling wind itself was blowing her ethereal cloak. With a wave of her small hand, she shouted majestically:

"Zhu Yilu, obey my command!"

"I will not return until I have destroyed Shouzhen Hall!"

*

Upon hearing about Lu Nong's matter, Zeng Zhengqing had already made up his mind. Today, he arranged to meet Chen Nian, the owner of Chen Ji Bookstore, who was opposite Shouzhentang, at the teahouse across from it. After a few words, they started talking about "Huatangchun" and the matter of Sailinfu's forgery.

Chen Nian pondered, “When the trouble started, I heard some rumors, but the situation quickly changed. It was said that someone was trying to extort money from him, and he had no choice but to pay up the money to avoid further trouble. Whether it was true or false, no one had time to tell, and it gradually faded away. Now it seems that these rumors all came from his mouth.”

"If he dares to do this, he probably dares to do it again. I've heard rumors that many of his stories have dubious origins, which I suppose refers to this matter. Boss Chen might as well investigate secretly. If it's true, then we can seize the opportunity to gather our strength and destroy his reputation."

Chen Nian sighed, "In the past, our two bookstores were fierce rivals. Now that I'm older and lazier, I don't want to argue with him anymore. I just want to run my own shop well. But seeing his shop publish so many popular stories and illustrations, I'm not envious, but I never imagined there were such intricacies involved!"

"Mr. Chen is still in his forties, the prime of his life. Instead of keeping quiet, why not take this opportunity to expose 'Shouzhentang's' fraud and turn things around? As far as I know, your two companies are the only ones in the area that print notebook novels. Once they fall, will 'Chen's' have to worry about not having business?"

Seeing that Chen Nian was still hesitating, Zeng Zhengqing picked up the teapot and poured him some tea, saying, "The author of 'Huatangchun' is a friend of my wife. She has just finished the second volume and is looking for a bookstore to cooperate with. If Mr. Chen is interested, I am willing to make the connection for you."

Seeing the wavering look on Chen Nian's face, he smiled and added fuel to the fire, saying, "I have the honor of reading a part of it. It's a pity that my Zeng family mainly deals in classics and history. Otherwise, I would definitely sign an exclusive contract with her and then promote her as the most famous writer in my shop. Why would I have to worry about not having business?"

Chen Nian was completely persuaded. He said, "Brother is right! In that case, let's take a gamble!" He stepped forward and whispered, "When will you introduce me, brother? Recently, 'Shouzhentang' has been selling fake copies of the second volume of 'Huatangchun'. If we don't deal with it soon, once the public accepts the fake, they will be prejudiced and think the real one is fake when it comes out."

"No rush, Mr. Chen, take a look at the ins and outs of this matter before making a decision." Zeng Zhengqing took out an envelope and handed it to him. This was what he had transcribed after Qingduo dictated it to him.

As Chen Nian was reading the letter, a burst of cheers erupted outside. Zeng Zhengqing, sipping his tea, casually glanced out the window and saw a man practicing with a stick downstairs. The stick's shadow grew denser and denser, like a silver shield completely obscuring the man. The cheers were deafening, and instantly the street below was packed with people, completely blocking the way.

He dismissed the thought of it as mere street performance and didn't take it to heart.

Just as Chen Nian finished reading and was about to speak, he saw the waiter come upstairs to bring a pot of tea, so he tucked the letter into his sleeve. As the waiter poured hot water, he said eagerly, "Don't you two want to see the performance downstairs? That's the famous 'Mysterious Tiger Hero' of Wuzhou City! I thought he was just relying on his brother-in-law, the county magistrate, but I didn't expect him to have some skills."

Zeng Zhengqing's mind raced, and he looked down again. Across the street was "Shouzhen Hall," and Zhu Yi was here brandishing a spear and staff. He didn't believe it was related to Lu Nong. But if it was for this reason, then was his wife also there?

Zeng Zhengqing's gaze swept around Zhu Yi's vicinity. There was only one short man wearing a servant's hat, presumably Zhu Yi's servant, carrying an iron tray and soliciting tips from the surrounding crowd. He bowed in gratitude for every penny given. Zeng Zhengqing couldn't help but wonder. Zhu Yi was dressed in fine clothes and exuded an air of nobility; he clearly wasn't short of money. Why then was he performing with a stick in the street? He shook his head; it was truly perplexing.

"Brother, thank you for sending me the message. Leave this to me. I'll gather more evidence and take him down in one fell swoop!" Chen Nian said in a low voice as the waiter turned to tidy up the table behind him.

Zeng Zhengqing didn't hear what he said. A loud gong rang out, the shadow of the stick suddenly froze, Zhu Yi stopped and bowed, but he broke out in a cold sweat.

As soon as the gong sounded, Zeng Zhengqing noticed that Lu Nong was standing in the shadows behind him, holding the gong. Zhu Yi was here, Lu Nong was there, so where could his wife, Tang Qingduo, be? An ominous premonition welled up in his heart. His intuition told him that Qingduo was the one in charge of this place, so he quickly got up and carefully searched outside the window.

At this moment, Lu Nong struck the gong a few more times and announced loudly, "Today we have invited the 'Mysterious Tiger Hero' Zhu Yi to demonstrate his staff skills for us. Everyone, tell me, isn't it wonderful?"

"Wonderful!"

"Do you still want to watch?"

"think!"

Zeng Zhengqing was busy searching for Qingduo, his gaze sweeping over one woman after another. Just as he was getting anxious, that familiar blue figure suddenly appeared before his eyes. His heart skipped a beat, and he turned around to examine the servant carefully. At that moment, the man was smiling as he stuffed the copper coins from the plate into his pocket. Who else could it be but Qingduo?

He was instantly furious—since she married him, had he ever wronged her in any way? And now she was dressed like this, even performing on the street with Zhu Yi, begging for money. What kind of behavior was this?

Also, what exactly are they doing gathered in front of Shouzhen Hall?

Although he had agreed to discuss the matter with her and planned it together, she acted on her own without a word. He had just repeatedly warned her to be careful, but now it seemed she had ignored him and gone straight to the other party's doorstep to cause trouble. If Sailinfu were to call people to clean up the mess like last time, she would likely suffer again.

What should I do?

Zeng Zhengqing slammed his fist heavily on the windowsill, flicked his sleeves, and turned to go downstairs, but then he heard Qingduo cheerfully say, "Thank you all for your generous rewards! Next, I will demonstrate my kung fu for you! Don't be stingy, throw your copper coins and silver coins at me!"

Kung Fu? Zeng Zhengqing stopped in his tracks. What kind of kung fu did she know? Could it be that Mao Mao Fist technique she learned last time? He looked out the window in surprise, only to see Qing Duo take something out of the cloth bag hanging from her waist.

Before he could even see what it was, Qingduo had already shaken it off, and a crisp clattering sound rang out. Zeng Zhengqing was shocked. Wasn't this a clapper talk? What kind of kung fu was this?

Qingduo flicked her wrist, the clapper swirling around her palm, "Ta-lang-ge-ta-ge-ta, ta-lang-ge-ta-ge-ta!" To the rhythmic beat of popping beans, she called out loudly:

"Shouzhentang, Sailinfu, and the conman Zipian"

They stole Lu Nong's "Hua Tang Chun" and are despicable and shameless for refusing to pay.

He publicly promised to stop, then turned around and accused people of deceiving him.

They cry and whine, feigning pitifulness, but betray their promises for money.

Shouzhen Hall, however, does not uphold truth; it secretly engages in all sorts of underhanded tricks.

Black can be sold as white, and scrap metal can be used as building materials.

You sent the manuscript in, secretly replacing it with something else, tears streaming down your face.

Every word of painstaking effort is wasted, only to benefit others.

Sailinfu, hypocrite, spouts nonsense like bullshit.

He's full of wicked schemes, outwardly benevolent but secretly plotting.

Sailinfu, Sai Goupi, beware of his distorting the truth.

He's full of wicked schemes, outwardly benevolent but secretly plotting.

Sailinfu, Sai Goupi, beware of his distorting the truth.

A den of thieves should be rotten to the core; don't go in or buy from it to avoid bad luck!

Sailinfu, Sai Goupi, beware of his distorting the truth.

A den of thieves should be rotten to the core; not buying from it will only bring bad luck!

Not buying or selling anything is bad luck! It's infuriating!

Not content with repeating the last paragraph several times herself, she also appealed, "Everyone together! Serenpo—"

Swear words are always the fastest to be learned, so the onlookers laughed and chimed in, "What a load of bull! Beware of distorting the truth!"

"That's wonderful! That's fantastic!" she exclaimed, tapping her clappers to the rhythm. "Again! Again! Again!"

The shouts echoed through the street like waves crashing against rocks before dissipating in all directions. Zeng Zhengqing, perched high above, watched as people emerged from a house in the back courtyard and listened intently; passersby stopped and looked around. She had indeed single-handedly rallied the crowd, making Sailinfu's scandalous deeds public.

His gaze returned to the girl's face; the sunlight seemed to favor her, making her radiant. The crowd below surged and clamored, but her voice still reached his ears clearly, gently seeping into his heart.

His unease and worry vanished. He stood with his hands behind his back, watching his wife tiptoe, encouraging this person and praising that person, shouting, "The louder the voice, the more money will flow in!" She twirled around in the crowd, playing her clappers, like a little spinning top that could spin on its own without any external force. Wherever the "spinning top" went, the noise of the crowd was deafening. Zeng Zhengqing couldn't help but chuckle.

Seeing this spectacular scene, Chen Nian slapped his thigh in delight and exclaimed, "Heaven is helping me! Heaven is helping me! Before I even made a move, people were already spreading the word for me! This is an auspicious sign! It seems that our plans are bound to succeed!"

Zeng Zhengqing did not answer. Chen Nian glanced at him in puzzlement and saw him staring at a spot below with a smile on his face, his expression full of tenderness and affection. He followed his gaze and saw the young servant in blue who was performing the clapper talk.

He was quite startled and secretly wondered, "Brother Zeng seems like an upright person, but he actually has this kind of taste in private?"

-----------------------

Author's Note: A short skit featuring a couple performing a fast-paced story:

Qingduo: I am Tang family's little Qingduo. I love to stir up trouble and make money at the same time. I am a gifted person!

Sisters, wasn't my performance amazing? (Applause, please!)

Zeng Zhengqing: My family owns tens of thousands of acres of land and countless shops and silver coins, but my poor wife still has to sell her art. Tell me, am I not bitter?

[Author: I've never been good at coming up with book titles; it's always a nightmare. After racking my brains, I finally came up with something new, but I don't know if it will work.]