After Chen Xiaomai left, Yuanbao lost a big uncle to play with, and was very disappointed. He lost his appetite for several days and seemed to have lost weight.
Lu Lin was very anxious seeing Yuanbao's condition.
After failing with strategies for rocking chairs and dolls, Lu Lin racked his brains and could only promise Yuanbao that Daddy Xiaomi would soon give birth to a child for him to play with, which finally made Yuanbao stop crying and start smiling.
However, after only a few days, Yuanbao realized that his younger brother probably wouldn't be coming out anytime soon, and he was very disappointed.
Yuanbao felt that he had been fooled by his father, and that his father was a big liar.
In order to divert Yuanbao's attention and to change his image in Yuanbao's mind, Lu Lin had his men make a building block toy for Yuanbao.
Yuanbao was having a great time playing with the building blocks. Realizing that this toy might be a selling point, Lu Lin asked several carpenters with free time to make building blocks. Previously, many people from other towns had come to buy curved plows, but as long as they bought one to study, the carpenters and blacksmiths from other towns would naturally learn how to make them, and they wouldn't need to come to them to buy them.
The locals in Shaxian County have limited purchasing power, so the sales of the curved plow had already stalled. Lu Lin sent the carpenters back, planning to bring them back when there was work available.
No work meant no pay, not even a free lunch. These guys, used to the government's meals, suddenly felt out of place after staying home for a few days. Hearing there was work again, they rushed over in a flurry, much to the envy of the other unemployed blacksmiths.
Lu Lin explained the method of building blocks to a few people and told them to get to work.
The carpenters were completely baffled by Lu Lin's explanation of the purpose of the building blocks, thinking that no one would buy them. However, since the person who paid was the boss, the carpenters still got to work.
...
The winery's business gradually improved, and people in the surrounding counties gradually learned that their wines were of good quality and inexpensive.
Many people from surrounding counties come here to buy their wine.
Lu Lin was very pleased with this situation.
After Chen Xiaomai left, Yuanbao was in a bad mood. Lu Lin asked the kitchen to make a pot of sweet fermented rice soup with glutinous rice balls for Yuanbao.
Before Lu Lin could react, Chen Xiaomi and Chen Chi ate the whole pot of sweet fermented rice balls, leaving Lu Lin speechless.
After Chen Xiaomi became pregnant, Lu Lin forbade her from drinking alcohol. Perhaps because of this, Chen Xiaomi became extremely hungry and even tried to steal food from the children. Seeing that things had come to this, Lu Lin decided to let his son suffer a little.
...
Ji Chengkang and his entourage headed towards Kyoto. The caravan included a dozen or so strong soldiers, and no one dared to provoke them along the way. Chen Xiaomai, riding her horse, looked quite spirited.
Lu Lin prepared a half-grown horse, which was quite docile. Chen Xiaomai would sometimes ride it for a while when she was bored.
"I'm afraid we won't be able to reach the town today; we'll have to spend the day in the wilderness," Ji Chengkang said, looking at the sky.
"Are we going camping?" Chen Xiaomai asked excitedly.
Ji Chengkang nodded and said, "Yes!"
"Very good."
Ji Chengkang looked at Chen Xiaomai and smiled helplessly.
At first, Ji Chengkang was a little worried that Xiao Shuang'er was too delicate and would cry and fuss on the way when he learned that Lu Lin had asked Chen Xiaomai to come along. However, after a few days, Ji Chengkang found that Chen Xiaomai was very resilient and seemed to be very interested in the hard work of camping, which was completely different from the Shuang'er of the wealthy families he had met in Beijing.
Chen Xiaomai jumped off the horse, climbed into the carriage, and brought out a large piece of smoked meat.
As soon as Chen Xiaomai took out the smoked meat, the eyes of several guards around him were almost glued to it.
Looking at the burning gazes of his guards, Ji Chengkang felt that they were going too far.
Ji Chengkang coughed lightly, and the soldiers realized something was wrong and quickly looked away.
Chen Xiaomai's smoked meat seemed to be specially made by Lu Lin, with plenty of seasonings sprinkled on it. It was roasted until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and tasted excellent.
Chen Xiaomai lit a fire, roasted the smoked meat, and then used the knife Lu Lin had given him to cut off a piece of meat.
Ji Chengkang looked at Chen Xiaomai's knife, a strange light flashing in his eyes. Chen Xiaomai's knife could retract, it was small and sharp, and very easy to use. Ji Chengkang considered himself to be knowledgeable, but he had never seen anything like it.
Chen Xiaomai cut off a large piece of meat and put it in her mouth. She then cut two more pieces and gave them to Chen Xiaocai and Ji Yun'an. After seeing the meat in Ji Yun'an's hand, Chen Xiaocai became even more displeased with Ji Yun'an.
Chen Xiaocai took a bite of the meat and vaguely heard the sounds of people around her swallowing.
Helpless, Chen Xiaocai cut two plates of meat and shared them with his fellow travelers, earning them a chorus of thanks.
"Young Master Chen, you've really come prepared."
Chen Xiaocai smiled shyly, "It's better to travel with caution than to stay poor."
Chen Xiaocai thought to herself: Brother Lu probably considered this situation long ago, so he prepared several smoked pork legs alone.
"I've had smoked meat before, but the taste is nowhere near as good as this. How is it made?!"
Chen Xiaocai: "..." He didn't know how Lu Lin did it. Brother Lin's cooking skills were much better than those so-called master chefs.
As Chen Xiaocai ate the smoked meat, she couldn't help but miss Lu Lin. When Lu Lin first married into the Chen family, Chen Xiaocai didn't like him at all. Lu Lin would also occasionally trip her up. The two of them were quite incompatible.
Later, although Chen Xiaocai was truly convinced of Lu Lin's sincerity, she would still often pretend to be unconvinced.
Now that they were going to Kyoto, Chen Xiaocai suddenly missed Lu Lin's kindness and felt somewhat lost about the future.
Chen Xiaomai was someone who didn't dwell on anything; after dinner, she went to sleep in her car.
When Chen Xiaocai saw Ji Yun'an cover Chen Xiaomai with a blanket, her face tense.
...
More than a month after Chen Xiaocai and the others left, Chen Xiaomi gave birth to a baby boy, named Lu Yifei, meaning "soaring to the sky," with the nickname Chongchong.
Chen Xiaomi was very happy to give birth to a baby boy.
Lu Lin didn't care about gender, and Chen Xiaomi, under Lu Lin's influence, also took a very indifferent view of the matter. However, everyone in this area still wanted to have a son.
Children forget things easily. When Chen Xiaomai left, Yuanbao was still fussing about wanting his uncle. But as soon as Chongchong was born, Yuanbao's attention shifted to his younger brother.
Like Yuanbao, Chongchong's staple food is also goat milk.
Actually, Yuanbao hasn't drunk goat milk for a long time, but seeing Chongchong drink goat milk seems to influence Yuanbao, and he can't help but secretly take a sip or two.
Left with no other choice, Lu Lin had to cook extra goat milk to feed his two babies.
Chen Chi loves to give birth and then rush over to see the baby. Sometimes she comes over to check on it and fantasizes about what kind of baby she will have.
"Uncle Chi, look how fat my little brother is."
Chen Chi smiled helplessly and said, "Your brother isn't fat."
“Look, look, it’s all meat,” Yuanbao said.
Chen Chi: "..."
Chongchong opened his eyes and gave Yuanbao a toothless smile.
“Uncle Chi, I said he was fat, and he laughed. Look how happy he is. My little brother is a fool.”
Chen Chi: "..."
Chen Xiaomi walked in. "Achi, the kitchen has made some chicken soup. Go and have some."
Chen Chi blushed and said, "I... Brother Xiaomi, there's no need to go to so much trouble."
My family eats at fixed times, but it's not mealtime right now.
"Go quickly, don't starve yourself." Chen Chi has been feeling very nauseous lately; he vomits up whatever he eats right afterward.
With Chen Xiaocai absent, Chen Xiaomi became very concerned about Shen Chi's affairs.
Yuanbao asked excitedly, "Daddy, do I have any chicken soup?"
"No," Chen Xiaomi said irritably.
Yuanbao puffed out his cheeks and said, "Why isn't there one!"
Chen Xiaomi looked at Yuanbao and said, "Look at your face, it's too round."
Yuanbao said sullenly, "Father Lin said that I look prosperous."
Chen Xiaomi: "..." Lu Lin is such a doting father; he thinks his own child is always the best.
Chen Xiaomi took a walk around the winery, where many employees were busy at work.
After the wine is brewed, part of it will be sent to military camps, another part will be sent to several surrounding towns, and the rest will be sold in Shaxian County.
Lu Lin had already made arrangements with the soldiers in the camp. They would deliver goods for him on their days off, and their wages would be paid in the form of wine and food. This brewing business was still Lu Lin's most profitable venture.
Lu Lin watched as the wine was continuously being sent out, and felt a little worried about Chen Xiaocai.
...
After a bumpy journey, Chen Xiaocai and his companions finally arrived in the capital.
Chen Xiaocai was very generous with his money. Whenever he arrived in a county, he would spare no expense to prepare food. Since he was indebted to the guards, they all had a very good impression of Chen Xiaocai.
Chen Xiaomai peered out the car window at the majestic city gate, her eyes wide with amazement. "Wow! So many people!"
Chen Xiaocai looked at the people in town and kept a straight face.
In Shaxian, as long as your clothes are neat and tidy without patches, it's considered good. But it's different in Kyoto. There are many pedestrians on the street dressed in fine clothes and wearing jade pendants. Many of them have outfits that cost tens or even hundreds of taels of silver.
Chen Xiaocai and the others followed Ji Chengkang to the Ji family home. Ji Chengkang had already separated from the Ji family and had set up a separate house outside. Ji Chengkang led Chen Xiaocai and the others to that house.
Ji Chengkang returned to the Ji family home and left soon after.
Ji Chengkang's trip back to the capital to report on his duties was short. During this time, he needed to visit the elders of his family, contact his colleagues in the court, and arrange for Ji Yun'an to attend an academy.
The schedule was extremely tight.
Chen Xiaocai glanced at Ji Yun'an and said, "Now that your uncle is gone, it's time for us to get moving."
Ji Yun'an nodded, his heart filled with ambition. Chen Xiaocai and Ji Yun'an walked out the door, deciding to first find the storytellers in the city and ask them to tell the first two stories of Sun Wukong in order to increase their popularity and achieve the purpose of publicity.
Many teahouses in Kyoto employ storytellers, and going to a teahouse for tea is a pastime for many people.
Ji Yun'an and Chen Xiaocai visited several large teahouses, but were turned away by everyone.
Fortunately, Ji Yun'an still had some face, otherwise they might not have been politely escorted out, but rather kicked out!
Chen Xiaocai said somewhat dejectedly, "These people don't want to talk to us at all! We can't trust these storytellers at all!"
Chen Xiaocai was a prominent figure in Liuzhen, so he couldn't help but feel a bit resentful at being treated so coldly in the capital.
Ji Yun'an's face flushed slightly. He vaguely felt that they were being treated so coldly because he wasn't prestigious enough. "I think we need to find a few lower-end teahouses."
Ji Yun'an thought Lu Lin's story was excellent and wonderful, surpassing all the stories he had ever heard. That's why he went to find the most famous teahouses in Kyoto from the very beginning. However, practice told Ji Yun'an that he might have been wrong.
After searching for a long time, Ji Yun'an and Chen Xiaocai finally found a teahouse called Yunxuan and were willing to tell their story.
Yunxuan Teahouse used to have a great storyteller, but he was poached not long ago. The new one they replaced him with was also a case of being forced into the role, and his skill level is not as high as the previous one.
The teahouse business had been declining day by day recently. When Ji Yun'an came to the shop, the owner thought it might be a turning point, so he agreed.
Ji Yun'an and Zhao He, the owner of Yunxuan Teahouse, discussed the details of the story. Zhao He was very excited when he heard about the birth of the stone monkey, the peach feast, and the havoc in the Heavenly Palace.
"This story will go viral, it's definitely going to be a hit."
After hearing Ji Yun'an's opening remarks, Zhao He couldn't help but slap the table in admiration.
Ji Yun'an finished speaking after two paragraphs, but Zhao He was still not satisfied and insisted on telling another chapter.
After Ji Yun'an, Chen Xiaocai, and Zhao He finished their discussion, they left.
After Ji Yun'an and Chen Xiaocai left, they found a bookstore and printed out the first volume of Journey to the West.
...
Although Yunxuan Teahouse has declined somewhat recently due to the departure of its main storyteller, it still has many loyal old customers.
That day, when the story of Sun Wukong was told at Yunxuan Teahouse, it immediately won a round of applause.
The customers, accustomed to the old stories, were completely captivated by the bizarre and fantastical world depicted in the tale and strongly urged the storyteller to continue. However, the teahouse owner, understanding the principle of playing the long game, said that to find out more, it would be in the next installment.
With word spread by those who went to hear the story on the first day, even more people went to the teahouse on the second day.
The five-colored stones used to mend the sky, the peaches of immortality that grant eternal life, the celestial horse that can gallop ten thousand miles, the Ruyi Jingu Bang (magic cudgel) weighing a hundred thousand catties...
The magical world depicted in Journey to the West left the group of unsophisticated guests completely bewildered.
For a time, the story of Journey to the West was the talk of the town, and Yunxuan Teahouse also became very popular.
The first and second days were fine, but on the third and fourth days, people kept coming in one after another.
Yunxuan Teahouse is always packed, with listeners standing upstairs and downstairs, many of whom are deeply moved by the performance.
Zhao He, as the owner of Yunxuan Teahouse, is often mentioned by people.
Zhao He was initially furious about his capable lieutenant being poached, but now he felt he had turned misfortune into blessing. If the storyteller he had cultivated hadn't left, he might not have accepted Ji Yun'an's suggestion to tell new stories, since Ji Yun'an still seemed too young.
The teahouse was packed with customers, and Zhao He was so busy receiving tips that his hands were sore from carrying them all day.
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