Chapter 190: Shameless
Seeing Zhao Xiping coming back, the kid called out "Dad" loudly. He supported Sui Liang's legs and stood up tremblingly, greedily wanting to take a step forward and walk over.
"You can't even stand steadily, and you still want to walk." Sui Liang grabbed his collar and lifted his butt with his other hand. He put the cub into Zhao Xiping's arms and said, "Brother-in-law, if you have nothing to do, play with him. I'm going to find my sister."
"Where is your sister?" Zhao Xiping followed, holding his son.
"My sister is preparing a speech script and will be setting up a platform in the next two days." Thinking that his brother-in-law might not know about it, Sui Liang briefly mentioned the previous matter and said, "It seems that my sister plans to build a teahouse next year, and maybe even try to organize a variety show troupe."
Zhao Xiping thought about it and felt that it was feasible. As long as he had enough money, he could build a teahouse or invite a troupe of opera performers, and then this place would become lively in the future.
Sui Yuzheng was leading a team to survey the area. After a brief walk, she decided that a location west of the kitchen courtyard was a good option. The river was frozen over, so walking on it wouldn't cause any damage. Another advantage was that Captain Hu's guesthouse, after it collapsed, stretched across the west, running north-south, perfectly shielding it from the cold winds from the northwest.
To the east of the river stood the kitchen yard and the master's courtyard, and to the west of the river stood a low hill more than two people high. When the time came, they would use piles of firewood to block the north and south ends. As long as it didn't rain or snow, there would be no problem setting up a stage for storytelling.
"Mom——" the cub shouted happily.
Sui Yu turned around and saw Zhao Xiping. She looked him over and asked, "How is it?"
"No problem. Do you want to set up the stage here?" Zhao Xiping asked.
"Well, what do you think? How about clearing out the vacant guest house and using it as a stage?"
The courtyard of the guesthouse was a bit narrow, not even as big as the kitchen courtyard, and it probably couldn't accommodate many people. Zhao Xiping thought for a moment and said, "Let's do it here. We're not sure if it will work, so let's give it a try first."
Sui Yu rolled his eyes at him and said, "Can't you say a few auspicious words?"
"Next year, you will definitely be able to bring back a troupe of opera performers. Then I'll buy you two acres of land and build you a theater." Zhao Xiping smiled and changed his tone. "Is that okay?"
Sui Liang was too lazy to listen to their flirting. He walked around to the gentle slope and climbed up the collapsed ruins. He stepped on the wooden rafters and said, "This thing is perfect for a stage."
"Come on, it will be funny if the stage collapses again." Sui Yu rejected it outright. She arranged for Gan Da and Gan Er to take people to the ruins to carve out a platform that could accommodate three or five people walking on, and put a few thick wooden beams underneath to support it to ensure that it would not collapse. On the 20th, Qingshan and Zhang Shun would be allowed to go on stage.
"Little guy, come up quickly, look how high I'm standing." Sui Liang shouted from the highest point of the ruins.
"Be careful, don't step on air and fall." Sui Yu warned, "There are broken rafters buried under the wall soil. If someone gets stabbed by the cracks, it will be bloody."
"I'll go up and take a look." Zhao Xiping handed the cub to Sui Yu, who stepped on the protruding earthenware and jumped away lightly and quickly on the ruins.
The kid exclaimed "Wow!" Sui Yu looked down at him, smiled, and adjusted his hat to prevent the brim from covering his eyes.
The moment she lowered her head, Zhao Xiping's actions from the previous moment were replayed in Sui Yu's mind. She looked up at the ruins, took a few steps back, and the entire uneven hill came into her sight.
Zhao Xiping walked around on it and brought Sui Liang down from another direction.
Zhao Xiping was in front, with a light figure and light steps. Compared with him, Sui Liang seemed much more clumsy. He subconsciously hesitated for a moment when stepping on the footprints left behind. This was because he did not practice martial arts often and was not confident in his reaction ability.
"What are you thinking about?" Zhao Xiping strode to Sui Yu's front. He took the cub in his arms and said, "Come inside. It's cold outside."
"I want to go up there." Sui Yu said, "I have another idea."
Zhao Xiping handed the cub to Sui Liang, and he accompanied Sui Yu to the ruins again.
Snow accumulated on the collapsed roof. The surface snow melted and then froze into ice, making a crackling sound when stepped on. There was a hollow layer under the thatch, and every step would create a hole. Sui Yu avoided the thatched roof and walked on the earth and deeply buried wooden rafters.
"Have you ever seen acrobatics?" Sui Yu turned his head and asked.
"I saw it once when I was a child. I have a vague impression of it, but the thing that impressed me most was that someone swallowed a knife," said Zhao Xiping.
Sui Yu roughly understood the technique of swallowing a knife, but knowing it was because she had never done it or tried it before. She didn't dare to try it easily. If she was exposed due to her lack of skills, it would ruin the jobs of other craftsmen.
"I think we can try some tricks on this hill, like pole vaulting, somersaults, handstands, people running on top of each other, or people carrying each other in a race." Sui Yu pondered, "These tricks can get both the escorts and merchants involved. We can set a prize for each round, and it would be more interesting if there were winners and losers."
Zhao Xiping nodded repeatedly, it was feasible, in this way, he could take over the ruins.
Having made up her mind, Sui Yu summoned all the idle servants and ordered, "Xiao Chunhong and Liu Yaer, come up here. Run three steps and do a somersault. If you run one step too many or too few, you must return to the starting point and start again. Whoever reaches the rotten rafter first will receive a bowl of steamed eggs at noon."
"Madam, shall we try it too?" Gan Da was eager to try.
"You have another plan, the pole vault. Let's try it first and see if it works," Sui Yu said. "Xiao Xi, go get Ah Qiang and Hua Niu. You and San Cao will each carry one, and then you can race."
"Okay." Xiaoxi ran back immediately.
"Boss, what about us?" Erhei asked.
Sui Yu asked him to come up with Shitou. Shitou was thin, so she let Shitou wrap around Erhei, and Erhei walked and jumped on the ruins while hanging on him.
After everything was arranged, Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping found a place where they would not be in the way and stood, letting the others take their positions. After a whistle, they each took action.
The merchants and escorts walking around in the inn heard the noise here, and sighs and sounds of regret were heard. They put on fur coats and walked over with curiosity.
On the low hill, Gan Da jumped into the air with a pole and quickly descended against the biting cold wind. He squinted his eyes to find the landing place, bent down and landed lightly, pulled out the pole with one hand, found the gap between the earth, and inserted the pole again to start running and jumping.
"Good!" The onlookers applauded.
Gan Er turned his head to take a look. Not wanting to be left behind, he closely followed Gan Da's figure and ran quickly. However, when he was inserting the pole, it hit a snow pit and the pole slipped, causing him to fall down in a mess.
A burst of laughter came from the foot of the mountain.
"Get out of the way." Xiao Chunhong shouted. There was a pole blocking the way, so she had to somersault in advance to avoid it and run one step less. She was so angry that she punched Gan Er and then quickly ran back to the starting point to start again.
"What does this mean?" asked an escort.
"Every three steps you take, you fall over. If you take one more or one less step, you have to go back to the starting point and start over." Sui Liang explained. He rubbed the kid's thigh. If he wasn't holding the child, he would have wanted to go up and compete as well.
Erhei also came into everyone's sight carrying a stone. The stone was hanging upside down on Erhei's back. The two of them coordinated to jump over. With the help of the slanted wooden rafters, Erhei shouted, and he jumped over and grabbed the beam. The stone swung, and the two of them flipped in the air, winning cheers.
Sui Yu also clapped along. This action was not specified by her. It was probably agreed upon privately between the two of them. It was indeed bold and interesting.
Xiaoxi and Sancao stood at the starting point and rubbed their hands nervously. After Sui Yu blew the whistle, they each carried Aqiang and Huaniu on their backs and ran carefully and steadily.
Xiaoxi and Sancao were timid and honest by nature, and with Sui Yu's instructions, they ran the entire course without any danger.
After the trial run, Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping walked down the hill. She said to the many merchants and escorts, "I will make arrangements over the next two days. On the 20th, these competitions will officially begin."
"Can we join in?" The escort was eager to try.
Sui Yu hesitated for a moment and said, "I'll go back and think about it."
"I'll pay the stage fee, and Manager Yu, you just need to be in charge of the organization. You are responsible for figuring out the methods and rules of the competition." The escort standing next to Sui Liang spoke loudly.
Sui Yu agreed without hesitation. Her mind raced as she said, "We'll invite five merchants to be judges for each competition. Everyone can place a bet on the price of chicken, duck, fish, meat, or pancakes, dumplings, or soup noodles. No more."
"It's feasible, it's feasible." The merchants responded one after another.
"Then I'll go back and think about it. We can't walk on this short hill for the time being, to avoid too many people going up and causing it to collapse." Sui Yu said.
No one had any objections. After Sui Yu left, the merchants and escorts also dispersed.
After lunch, Sui Yu gathered the four of them together to discuss a good plan. She had a wealth of experience and ideas, but they were few and far between, requiring Sui Liang and Zhao Xiping to follow her lead and provide supplementary information. As for the youngster, who couldn't even speak clearly, he spent the entire afternoon sitting in the arms of his parents and uncle, mumbling like an adult.
On the 19th day of the winter month, slaves carried bundles of firewood to the north and south sides of the ruins, carrying stacks of wood for burning and hay for livestock. After a day of hard work, two straw walls, each one as high as a man, stood between the ruins and the kitchen yard.
Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping walked back and forth for a long time on the low hill formed by the ruins, padding the unstable places, removing the sharp broken wood, and then setting up obstacles in appropriate places.
Merchants and escorts kept coming back and forth to inspect, relying on the movement here to pass the time.
The long night passed, and when the sky brightened, the crowing of cocks was accompanied by the sound of gongs. This was sponsored by a group of merchants. If they encountered a wolf pack while traveling, they would use it to scare away the wolves.
The gong sounded, and Zhang Shun and Qingshan stepped onto the three-foot-carved stage. Zhang Shun held the gong. He was dressed like a wandering traveler, carrying a short stick, and introduced Qin Wenshan's life in the role of a bystander.
"Qin Wenshan was a native of Longguan. He grew up at the foot of Dazhen Pass. His father, having amassed a fortune through commerce during turbulent times, enjoyed a legacy of kindness. He was determined to benefit his descendants. At the age of seventeen, he bid farewell to his parents, sold half his family property, and, along with his brothers, the five of them set out on foot for Chang'an, purchasing shoes, clothing, socks, pottery, firewood, and cauldrons. Led by a camel, the five of them crossed Dazhen Pass, crossed the Changshui River, and trekked through the snow-capped mountains, intending to reach the outer reaches of the pass. However, a blizzard caused them to become lost in Hongchi Ridge, unintentionally straying onto the southern slopes of the snow-capped mountains. This was the beginning of their journey to build a caravan and establish a family business."
Qin Wenshan's face turned red after hearing this. He stood up and clasped his fists to everyone, feeling both shy and excited. The compilation by Manager Yu was very much to his liking. It was very literary and he could understand it. Oh, he really wanted all the elders and villagers to come and listen.
The other merchants were very excited. They had previously doubted Sui Yu's ability and were a little skeptical about the storytelling and drama, but now they believed it. The compiled story was concise and not verbose, and was even more thrilling and exciting than they boasted.
Sui Yu was watching with great interest when suddenly a gong sounded. She looked at Xiao Chunhong in surprise and then saw Sui Liang waving at her from behind the kitchen.
Sui Yu thought it was the kid making a fuss, so she asked Zhao Xiping to go over.
"Captain Hu's wife came and said she was, but I don't know whether it's true or not," Sui Liang said.
Zhao Xiping followed him and saw that it was indeed Mrs. Hu. He greeted her as if nothing had happened.
Madam Hu sneered, "Two days ago, you broke my brother's leg?"
"Yes, it's me." Zhao Xiping admitted calmly, "Madam, are you here to ask for an explanation?"
"Shouldn't it be?"
"Indeed, I shouldn't have done that." Zhao Xiping was not afraid of her and said bluntly, "He was unjust first, and I was unkind later. He took advantage of my absence to bully my wife, so when I came back, I naturally had to settle the score with him. He is a bad man, and I am not a good person either. There is nothing I can say to you."
Mrs. Hu was speechless. He had admitted it, so she couldn't scold him. After all, Zhao Xiping held a high position and she couldn't insult him at will.
"What's going on in the west? You refused to buy the house when we sold it to you before, and now you're taking advantage of our place?" Madam Hu had been paying attention to the movements here yesterday. As soon as the gongs and drums started playing, she came over from home, just to find something to hold against them.
"It's not about taking advantage, it's about exorcising ghosts." Zhao Xiping lied calmly, "The collapsed guesthouse killed someone, and at night, there are ghosts screaming over there. Ma Wu's people said he likes the hustle and bustle, so my wife came up with this method to use human energy to dispel evil spirits."
Mrs. Hu: ...
"If you could move those more than 50-meter-long adobe beams instead of piling them up like a grave mountain, we wouldn't have to go through all this trouble," Zhao Xiping continued.
What he meant was that as long as the ruins were still standing there, he would make money from them, openly and shamelessly.
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