Chapter 36 Work
Although the Jin Dynasty did not suppress business, it did a good job in protecting the interests of farmers.
Among the four classes of people, scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, the merchant is ranked last not because it is easy to pronounce, but because he has the lowest status.
"I like freedom and don't like constraints." Ji Zheng started lying again.
Fortunately, the shopkeeper agreed after only a moment's hesitation.
"Then you will be the one to tell the story next time. Let Gu Lulu take you to the backstage to get ready first."
"OK."
After coming out from the shopkeeper, Ji Zheng found Gululu on the first floor. He was hiding in a corner and listening to a story.
"Gululu?" Ji Zheng called out from behind him.
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw someone jump up. When he turned around and saw that it was Ji Zheng, he was relieved. "It's you. I thought you were our shopkeeper. I was scared to death."
Ji Zheng was amused by his reaction. It turned out that no matter what era it was, workers were afraid of being discovered by their bosses when they were slacking off.
"What do you want from me?" asked Gu Lulu.
"Your boss asked you to take me to the backstage of the storytelling."
"Go backstage? You?" Gu Lulu couldn't hide the surprise and suspicion on her face.
Ji Zheng nodded, "I have just become the storyteller in your teahouse."
"Is this true?" Gulu suddenly raised her voice, and immediately the disturbed guests around glared at her.
Gulu quickly lowered her voice, clasped her hands together and bowed to apologize to the person who was disturbed.
After apologizing, he turned his gaze back to Ji Zheng, "You really didn't lie to me?" His eyes scanned Ji Zheng back and forth. Ji Zheng didn't look like a storyteller.
Ji Zheng also guessed what he was thinking, but he didn't have the patience to explain at the moment, so he said, "If you don't believe me, go ask your store manager."
Gu Lulu shook his head, and after a long hesitation on his baby face, he said, "Okay, come with me."
He didn't want to look for the shopkeeper, and the backstage was not an important place.
The so-called backstage was a room in the backyard of the restaurant, where there were long gowns, fans, wooden sticks and other necessary storytelling items that were exclusive to the restaurant, as well as some books. Ji Zheng took a glance and found that they were some vernacular stories.
"Actually, there's nothing to prepare. When it's your turn to go on stage, someone will come to notify you. You can just wear any of these gowns when you go on stage." Gulu explained uninterestedly.
"Okay, then approximately when will it be my turn?" Ji Zheng asked. After all, his family members Ji Hean were still waiting for him at home. If it was too late, Ji Hean would be worried.
"It should be soon." After answering, Gu Lulu asked curiously, "By the way, what is the story you are going to tell later?"
"Journey to the West"
"What's this story?" Gu Lulu became interested. He has worked here for several years and he can almost recite all the stories told by the storytellers here by heart.
After thinking for a while, he asked, "Is it a travelogue of what the protagonist saw and heard in the West?"
This is just a guess based on the name.
Ji Zheng: “....I guess so.” Thinking about it carefully, what Gu Lulu said is right.
After hearing Ji Zheng's words, Gu Lulu lost interest immediately. This kind of story was the most boring. He had heard many of them. "Then you probably won't make any money. Almost every storyteller in the teahouse has told this kind of story, and the customers don't like to hear it."
Ji Zheng's hand paused in his long gown. Could it be that there was no market for this kind of story? But judging from the shopkeeper's reaction that day, it didn't seem like there was no market for it.
Seeing Ji Zheng's face change, Gu Lulu comforted him: "But don't worry, there are still some people who like this kind of travelogue."
As he was talking, another storyteller came over. He was wearing a green gown and looked to be in his thirties or forties.
"Gulu, why are you here?" The man started talking to Gulu as soon as he arrived.
"This is the new storyteller today. The shopkeeper asked me to bring him to the backstage and prepare him for going on stage later." Gu Lulu introduced Ji Zheng to the man.
"My name is Ji Zheng. Please take care of me in the future." He bowed to the man with his hands folded.
The man also returned the greeting, "My name is Liu Mu. I see you are young but you can tell stories?"
Ji Zheng smiled and said, "I only know the basics."
After all, the two were not familiar with each other, so Liu Mu left after chatting for a few words.
As soon as Liu Mu left, the second brother came to call Ji Zheng to get ready to go on stage.
Thinking of what Liu Mu said just now, Ji Zheng decided to find a mask to cover it up. He really looked too young.
"Gulu, do you have a mask?" Ji Zheng asked.
"Mask" paused for a moment, "It seems to be there, let me look for it."
Gulu went out after saying that, and after a while she came back with a simplest black wooden mask.
Ji Zheng tried it on and found it quite nice. Then he let his hair down and put on the mask, which made him look a little mysterious but not too weird.
Gu Lulu, who was standing by, clicked his tongue twice and said, "You don't look like a storyteller..."
"What does it look like?" Ji Zheng asked curiously.
"Like that gangster killer!" Gu Lulu said excitedly.
Ji Zheng: “….”
After looking in the mirror, he felt that he looked nothing like her.
"Don't listen to him, it's fine this way." A voice interrupted, it was Liu Mu who had changed his clothes, "You look young, it will be better for your performance if you cover your face."
"Thank you for your guidance, senior." Ji Zheng bowed and thanked him.
Liu Mu waved his hand, took his things and left, apparently finishing his work.
At this time, the second brother who had called Ji Zheng to prepare for the game came. This time he came to inform Ji Zheng that he could go on stage.
Gu Lulu also took the opportunity to slip away. He had to find a corner to fish in and see what story Ji Zheng was telling. Although he was not interested in travel notes, it was a new story after all.
Ji Zheng coughed twice to open his throat, then walked onto the stage slowly. Looking at the people in the audience, he felt somewhat nervous.
When the people in the audience saw that the person coming up was a newcomer, they immediately gathered in twos and threes to whisper.
Ji Zheng folded his hands and stretched them forward, slightly bent his waist, and introduced himself: "Dear guests, I am the new storyteller, An He."
Someone immediately spoke up, "What story will Mr. Anhe tell today?"
The rest of the people also echoed.
These people don't care whether the storyteller is new or not; they only care whether the story is good and interesting.
"Today we are talking about Journey to the West." Ji Zheng answered slowly.
As soon as the name came out, some people in the audience who often listened to books suddenly tutted, "Isn't this a story about the protagonist's travels in the West?"
"If that's the case, then what's so good about it!"
"Yeah, we don't want to hear about traveling east, north, or south. Let's change it!"
"Change it!"
"Change it!"
The people below started to make a fuss, and the scene became chaotic.
Ji Zheng was not panicked by this sudden situation. He picked up the wooden stick on the table and slammed it hard, and the scene immediately became quiet.
"Everyone, let me tell you whether to change or not. If you are not satisfied, how about I pay for your tea today?"
After Ji Zheng said this, the situation became chaotic again, but only for a short while.
"Are you sure, Mr. Anhe?" someone asked.
"Confirmed, the waiter in the store can testify."
"Then let's just listen to what Mr. An He has to say for now."
Ji Zheng straightened his expression, sat behind a square low table, waved a fan in his hand, and said, "In the chaos before the division of heaven and earth, it was vast and boundless and no one could see it. Ever since Pangu broke through the darkness, the world has been opened up since the candlelight. All living things look up to the Supreme Benevolence, and all things are good. To predict the great merit of creation, you need to read Journey to the West."
This is the opening verse of the first chapter of Journey to the West. When everyone heard it, they immediately understood that the Journey to the West described by this new gentleman seemed to be different from the usual ones.
Seeing that everyone below was concentrating, Ji Zheng continued, "Today we are talking about the first time, when the spiritual roots nurtured the source and the mind cultivated the great way, before the heaven and earth were separated..."
Everyone listened to the story of the Monkey King's birth with great interest and concentration, and even the second brother forgot that he was still working.
The audience was silent. Everyone stared at Ji Zheng who was speaking on the stage, afraid that they would miss anything. When they heard the exciting parts, the expressions on their faces were even more excited than Ji Zheng, the storyteller.
Even Gululu, who was hiding in the corner, was fascinated by what he heard and had no awareness at all that he was slacking off. Fortunately, the shopkeeper did not come down, otherwise he would have been scolded.
“…To know what happens next, please wait for the next episode.” Ji Zheng also came up with a classic storyteller’s ending words.
He finished speaking, but the audience had not heard enough and immediately shouted that they wanted to go upstairs to continue listening. However, Ji Zheng did not plan to talk anymore today because someone was waiting for him at home.
However, he did not explain to the audience and went straight down to the backstage since the waiter was there.
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