Chapter 188 Compilation of Plays
There was a loud roar, and the walls and beams collapsed, with snow flying everywhere, echoing the cold wind. The sound of the collapse was like thunder muffled in a jar, and when the jar broke, the sound stopped.
"Let's go." Zhang Shun said.
A dozen dark shadows left silently again, and the messy footprints on the snow were quickly swept away by the wind and snow.
When the sky brightened, the collapsed house was covered with thick snow. At first glance, it looked like a small mountain more than two people high. The protruding thatch became the only gray-yellow color in the snow.
Grandma Yin, Sister Cui and Aunt Lin got up early with A Qiang to cook. When they walked out of the guest house and looked up, they were blinded by the wind and snow. They quickly lowered their heads and walked into the west kitchen. They realized something was wrong, looked at each other, and then retreated at the same time.
"What about the house on the other side of the river?" Grandma Yin exclaimed, "Did it collapse again?"
"It's all collapsed. It looks like the wind and snow were so strong last night that the house collapsed." said Cui Sao.
Uncle Niu heard the noise and came out, asking, "Why are you yelling so early in the morning when you're not cooking?"
"Look, the guesthouse opposite has collapsed, all of it." Grandma Yin had a smile on her face, and her voice contained a hint of gloating.
Uncle Niu squinted his eyes and looked carefully. He remembered the noise he heard last night. He thought about it and said, "It's none of our business. Hurry and cook."
Xiao Chunhong, Liu Yaer and the others put on their clothes and went out. They were delighted to see that all the houses on the other side of the river had collapsed. Uncle Lao Niu told them not to go to the other side of the river before the merchants left.
When smoke rose from the kitchen roof, the servants began to sweep the snow on the ground, and shoveled a path leading to the west kitchen outside each guest house door.
The escort who lived in the guest house heard the noise and came out to open the door. As soon as the door was opened, Gan Da and Gan Er and others started a fire from the kitchen and went to the boiler room to make a fire to boil water.
"It snowed heavily last night." An escort got up and put on his clothes and shoes.
"The remaining three guesthouses on the other side of the river collapsed again last night. They all collapsed," Zhang Shun volunteered. "Luckily, no one was living in those houses. Otherwise, even if they weren't killed by the falling buildings, they would have frozen to death overnight."
"It collapsed again?" The escorts were surprised. They all walked out, muttering, "What kind of house is this? It's going to kill people."
There was no trace of any houses on the other side of the river. A small hill, more than two people high and more than five meters long, stretched across the west side of the river. Wooden rafters were stuck in the loess pile in a haphazard manner. A layer of snow had fallen on the top, and the original color of the wood could be seen at the edge of the snow.
"These wooden rafters have been frozen all winter, and when the snow melts in spring, they can be used for burning." Someone scoffed.
"Let's go and take a look?" said an escort.
The others shook their heads. "What are you looking at? Are you afraid we can't blame you? Didn't you see that Cui Liu came over again yesterday, trying to sell this junk to Shopkeeper Yu?"
Hearing this, someone's heart moved. The escort, who was thinking carefully, strode across the river, kicking over the snow that had not yet frozen solid. He walked back and forth several times, leaving footprints all over the snow. Now, even if there were any traces under the snow, they would be trampled out.
When Sui Yu came out of the master's yard with the cub in his arms, he heard some movement on the other side of the river. It turned out that some merchants and bodyguards were in high spirits and went to the collapsed ruins to watch the snow scene.
"Shopkeeper Yu, why don't you send someone to deliver a message to Captain Hu?" asked the merchant who was having dinner.
Sui Yu waved his hand, "Maybe his brother-in-law will come again today, I won't meddle in his business."
"Now the house has completely collapsed. You are free now. That Cui Liu can no longer pester you to take over."
"You never know." Sui Yu sneered, "What if he sells me worm-eaten rafters as precious sandalwood? I still won't be at peace."
The others laughed.
"When will Captain Zhao come back?" someone asked.
"They'll probably come back once the snow stops. It's getting colder the later we go." Sui Yu carried the baby into the warehouse. Da Zhuang, A Shui and Hua Niu were all inside. She put the child down and went out to get some water for washing.
An escort came in from outside and saw Sui Yu. He asked loudly: "Shopkeeper Yu, it's snowing. It's time to slaughter the pig."
"Yes, it's time to slaughter the pigs. I think the fat pigs in the pen are quite big." Someone else continued.
"I'll kill the pig when Captain Zhao comes back." Sui Yu responded.
"You should build a teahouse here and invite a troupe that can sing various operas. All I do every day is eat and sleep. It's so boring and unbearable." A merchant walked out of the dining hall after finishing his meal. He looked up at the sky and said, "The snow has stopped. I'm going to the city to find some fun. I can't stay here any longer."
Sui Yu thought about it and said, "Okay, I'll arrange it for next year."
"That's right." The merchant clapped his hands. "If you get a troupe of opera singers here, your business will definitely be good in the future."
"Where should we go to hire a variety show troupe? You've been to many places, which one has the best variety show?" Sui Yu asked. "Tell me about it. Next year I'll bring people to the border to hire someone. I haven't seen any famous variety show troupes in Dunhuang."
"The acrobatics at the foot of the imperial city are the most exciting, including music and dance, acrobatics, interesting stories, or singing poems. However, you definitely cannot hire the acrobatics troupe at the foot of the imperial city. It would be better to train the slaves you bought." An elderly merchant suggested.
Sui Yu had an idea. She had thought that Baixi was simply a play, and since it contained anecdotes, she could write her own. Everyone living in her guesthouse was full of anecdotes and stories. She had previously worried about her unfamiliarity with the customs and folkways of the people outside the Great Wall, but now was the perfect opportunity to learn more.
Having made up her mind, Sui Yu was very excited. She ran out to call back the merchant who was going into the city to have fun.
"Brother, I wonder if you would like to tell me about your business experience. I will write it down, edit it a little, extract the wonderful parts, and tell them to future generations in my guesthouse in the future." Sui Yu said.
The merchant was stunned for a moment, then ecstatic. He laughed heartily and asked, "You want to write down my story? Will many people know me in the future?"
"Shopkeeper Yu, can you read?" The man who was about to enter the guesthouse hurried out and said excitedly, "I have a story too. Write it down and tell it in the teahouse later."
Sui Yu pointed to the plaque of the guesthouse and said, "I know a few words. I chose and wrote the name of the guesthouse myself."
"Okay, okay, that's incredible."
"My name is Qin Wenshan. I live just outside Chang'an. I've been traveling extensively for seven years. Come on, come on, I'll tell you whatever you want to hear." A merchant, seeking entertainment in the city, strode over. He waved his hand at the others and said firmly, "Don't compete with me. Shopkeeper Yu loves to hear about my business adventures."
After that, he smiled at Sui Yu ingratiatingly: "Shopkeeper Yu, when you finish writing it, can you give me a copy? I will take it back home to keep as a memorial and pass it on to future generations."
Sui Yu smiled bitterly and explained, "I don't know many characters. Often when I encounter a character I don't know, I just make up one I know. So, I'll find an opportunity to learn more characters in the future and try my best to live up to your trust."
The merchant agreed readily.
"I haven't eaten yet. Think about what experiences you think are worth sharing." Sui Yu invited someone into the warehouse. When he came out and saw Xiao Chunhong, he said, "Go get me some wooden boards. I need them to write on."
While she was eating, other merchants who had heard the news arrived in groups of three or five. The warehouse was full, so they had to move into the dining hall. Sui Yu and Qin Wenshan sat at the table together, while the others stood or sat huddled together, craning their necks to watch Sui Yu scribbling on the wooden board.
Qin Wenshan's story lasted for two days, during which time no one came to disturb him. Perhaps due to the heavy wind and snow, Cui Liu did not come again.
That afternoon, Sui Yu and Sui Liang were in the warehouse, lighting a lamp and editing a story. The brother and sister were discussing it animatedly when a scream suddenly came from outside the yard.
"It's Cui Liu." Cui Sao came in and announced, "He saw the house collapsed and was screaming and shouting, saying that you, my lady, sent someone to push it down."
Dozens of merchants staying in the guesthouse came out one after another. Without waiting for Sui Yu to show up to explain, they all talked about how the wind and snow had collapsed their houses.
"I was the first one to cross the river to see. There were no footprints on the snow, so it wasn't pushed by anyone."
"The beams have been eaten away by insects, and the walls are crooked. It's a wonder it can withstand the wind and snow."
"If Shopkeeper Yu had bad intentions, the house on the other side of the river wouldn't have been built. He would build it during the day and tear it down at night. Why would he wait until now to start pushing down the wall?"
"I guess uncle and nephew Ma Fu were unwilling to die, so they did something naughty in the middle of the night." Someone in the crowd shouted.
Cui Liu's expression changed immediately. The low snow-capped mountains in front of him seemed to have become a mountain of graves. He felt cold under his feet after looking at them for a second longer.
"What nonsense?" he shouted loudly. Just then a gust of wind blew up the snow on the ruins and hit him in the face. Cui Liu screamed in fright and ran away in panic.
The merchants burst into laughter.
Sui Liang came out and said loudly, "Master Cui, my sister said that if you have anything to say, wait for my brother-in-law to come back. When my brother-in-law comes back, let him come to talk to you."
How could Cui Liu dare to do that? He only dared to come at this time because Zhao Xiping was not at home. He stood on the east side of the river, looked around, cursed a few words, and could not think of any solution, so he could only ride his camel and leave again.
Sui Liang turned around and bowed to the merchant who had spoken up and thanked him.
"How is the story editing going?" Qin Wenshan was most concerned about this.
"Almost done. We should be able to start rehearsals in the next two days." Sui Liang grinned. He was also very curious about this matter. "My sister said there will be casting rehearsals. She is very interested in it."
"Okay, okay." Qin Wenshan was so happy that he could only say "Okay". "I'm not in a hurry. Let her think it over carefully."
Sui Liang cried out "Ah" and ran into the kitchen.
The next day, Sui Yu started casting. Among the fourteen male servants, Zhang Shun and Qingshan were the boldest. They were not stage-frightened and had no problem speaking. So she chose these two to take on the leading roles. Xiaochun was good at talking, and she was the one to make jokes and liven up the atmosphere.
In the following days, Zhang Shun, Qingshan and Xiao Chunhong began to memorize the script. Sui Yu and Sui Liang first recited it to them twice each and explained the general storyline.
"Imagine you're doing business in Loulan and encountering a local bully. What was Loulan like? Use your imagination to create a picture in your mind... What did the bully you were arguing with look like? Who was around? What was your expression..." Sui Yu described it for them. "The key is emotion. Don't just recite the lines with a stiff face. Be angry when you should be angry, and be excited when you should be excited."
Qingshan can understand better. He has experienced more suffering and has more painful memories. He used to be numb, but now that he lives a good life, his emotions fluctuate greatly. Even if Qin Wenshan's experience is not enough to make him angry, there are countless things in his memory that are worthy of his anger and grief.
The three of them rehearsed for thirteen days, during which time Sui Yu wrote two more scripts based on the stories told by two other merchants.
On the seventeenth day of the twelfth month, Sui Yu informed the merchants during dinner that a storytelling stage would be set up at noon on the twentieth day of the twelfth month.
After Qin Wenshan learned about this, he bought three chickens from Sui Yu and gave them to Qingshan, Zhang Shun and Xiao Chunhong as rewards, so that they could have enough strength to make louder sounds when they went on stage.
Suddenly, the sound of camel bells was heard in the distance. Sui Yu tilted her head to listen carefully. The sound of the camel bells was getting closer and closer. Her heart trembled, and she subconsciously thought that it was Zhao Xiping who came back.
She walked around the people talking in the yard and walked out the door quickly. It was pitch black in the distance and she could not see anything except the ringing of the bell.
The big black dog suddenly barked twice, and the next moment, it rushed out from the haystack and ran south.
The sound of hooves got closer, and Sui Yu heard Dahei's wheezing and the man's voice calling the dog.
"You're finally back." Sui Yu smiled. She stood at the door with her arms folded and joked, "If you don't come back soon, your son will forget he even has a father."
"It's okay if he forgot. It's okay if you didn't forget." Zhao Xiping turned over and jumped down. His face was stiff from the cold all the way. He rubbed his face and said, "Come on, let's go inside and warm up by the fire."
As soon as he stepped into the kitchen yard, he shouted, "Where's the kid? Your father is back."
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