Across half the creek, a bamboo bridge led to a waterside pavilion and a bamboo hut. Beyond this was a place for elegant gatherings. A young man emerged, holding a flute. I suppose he was the one who had played "Happy Encounter."
He greeted each of them one by one. Xu Jiang took off her hat to return the greeting. The young man's eyes could not help but fall on her and he did not look away for a while.
Xu Jiang smiled at him.
He suddenly came to his senses, felt that he had been rude, and hurriedly looked away.
Zhong Lu introduced Xu Jiang, "This is Wu Qingye, the Doctor of the Imperial Academy." He then said to Wu Qingye, "This is Xu Jiang, the owner of Zhanchun Bookstore in Yonghefang."
The two of them exchanged greetings individually. Afterwards, Wu Qingye asked, "Was that leaf flute played by Madam Xu just now?"
Xu Jiang nodded and said, "I didn't play it well. Please forgive me for making fun of you."
Thinking about the teacup that had just been knocked over, Wu Qingye couldn't help but smile. "It was indeed a shock at first, but after that, although it felt a little unfamiliar, it was still natural. It was quite good."
"Thank you, thank you." There's no need to force the praise.
After exchanging pleasantries, the few of them invited each other into the bamboo hut. There were two tea waiters in the hut, both of them were pretty girls. Seeing the unfamiliar faces, they couldn't help but look at them a few more times.
Wu Qingye asked the three of them to sit down, and then signaled the waiter to serve tea. Seeing this, Xu Jiang guessed that he was the host.
Zhong Lu looked around and then said with a smile: "It seems that we are here early."
Mu Cong also sighed: "Who told us that we are all idle people?"
Xu Jiang thought to herself, "You guys are free, but I'm not. At most, I'm just taking a break from my busy schedule. There's so much going on in the restaurant." Thinking of this, she couldn't help but worry about what Zeng Zhui was cooking at the moment, and whether Liang Mo was practicing his rote-cutting skills.
Then Wu Qingye said to the two of them, "The musicians should be on their way. Judging by the time, they'll be here soon."
As soon as he finished speaking, faint human voices were heard from the bamboo forest in the mountains. He smiled and said, "Look, I'm here as I said." Then he went out to greet him.
Two tea waiters brought the tea. Xu Jiang took it with a low thank you and smelled it. It was the tip of the fairy bamboo.
Although called "Bamboo Tip," this tea doesn't come from bamboo, but is instead grown in Sichuan. It's also known as "Snow Bud." Its bright color, elegant fragrance, and mellow flavor make it a rare and valuable tea, beloved by many affluent individuals.
Xu Jiang tasted it carefully and found that it was last year's old tea. Although the flavor had faded, it was still mellow and refreshing.
The new tea will not arrive in Beijing until May at the earliest.
After a cup of tea, the musicians arrived, twelve in total, men and women, young and old. They greeted the three men as they entered the room. Xu Jiang stood up to return the greeting, drawing many inquiring glances.
Zhong Lu whispered to Xu Jiang, "These twelve people are all musicians from the Jiaofang. Musicians from Pingkangfang will be arriving soon."
Pingkangfang? Xu Jiang raised her eyebrows slightly, then stole a glance at Mu Congye seemingly unintentionally, only to find that he looked calm.
Zhong Lu continued, "This is a competition between court musicians and folk musicians. It's called a competition, but it's also a selection. If there are outstanding folk musicians, they will be selected to join the Jiaofang."
Xu Jiang suddenly realized, "That sounds exciting." Then he asked, "So what are we doing here?"
Mu Cong also answered for Zhong Lu: "Vote for votes."
Xu Jiang was startled, realizing that he had been listening the entire time, and she stopped talking.
Not long after, the musicians from Pingkangfang also arrived, and Xu Jiang saw a familiar figure among them.
"Thank you, ma'am?"
Who else could that beautiful lady wearing a pomegranate skirt and holding a pipa in her arms be but Xie Hongxing?
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