The man's mind started working, and seeing this, he approached warmly and said, "I am the young manager of the teahouse, my surname is Zhao and my given name is Tang. I wonder if you two are satisfied with our storyteller? Do you have any suggestions?"
He could tell at a glance that the wife was the one in charge between the two, so he only asked Shen Youying.
When Shen Youying heard him introduce himself as the young manager, she assumed he wanted to know how the audience felt, so she nodded politely: "The story was told very well, with great intonation and pacing, and it was very captivating. It's no less than the storytellers in the capital."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Tang smiled broadly and thanked him repeatedly. He then took out a storybook from his sleeve and presented it to Shen Youying with both hands: "To be honest, I am planning to open a teahouse in the capital recently, so I have been researching storybooks to make it a good place. The storytellers have also been carefully selected. However, in this rural area, there are few people with such discerning eyes as you, Madam. Tomorrow morning, the teahouse will tell new stories from this book. If you are interested, you can come and listen again."
Shen Youying took the storybook and flipped through a few pages, becoming captivated by the stories within.
Xie Qinglan loved reading storybooks, so much so that she had read quite a few herself. The storybook the young shopkeeper handed her was definitely newly written, with a very novel and interesting story. If it could be printed and sold in the bookstore, it would surely be a hit.
She closed the storybook and asked Zhao Tang for confirmation, "Shall we tell the story here tomorrow?"
Zhao Tang said, "Yes, I want to try it out in Qingyan Town first. If the response is good, we will go to a teahouse in the capital to discuss it later."
Shen Youying returned the storybook to him and said, "This story is good, and the response should be good too. I will definitely come again tomorrow."
Zhao Tang thanked him repeatedly before taking his leave.
After everyone left, Xue Shencai asked, "Is Zhaozhao really coming tomorrow?"
Shen Youying looked up at him: "Is it okay?"
Xue Shen smiled: "If Zhaozhao wants to come, of course she can."
He instructed his guards to find an inn in town, saying, "In that case, we won't go back to the temple tonight. We'll stay at an inn for the night. That way, you won't be too late to catch up tomorrow."
Shen Youying secretly hooked her finger under her sleeve and tickled his palm with her fingertip.
She smiled like a kitten that had stolen honey, her dark eyes curving into crescents, full of joy. Xue Shen's heart softened at the sight. If there weren't other people in the teahouse, he would have even wanted to lean down and kiss her eyes.
Xue Shen suppressed his impulse, took her hand tightly, and said, "Let's go, let's have dinner first, and then go to the inn to settle in."
The two found a famous restaurant in town and had dinner before settling into an inn.
There was only one relatively large inn in town, and when the two entered, they unexpectedly ran into Zhao Tang again.
Zhao Tang looked at the two men with surprise and asked, "Are you two looking for a place to stay?"
Xue Shen nodded coldly. Shen Youying had a good impression of him because of the storybooks, so her expression naturally became much more friendly: "Yes, young manager, what is this?"
Zhao Tang cupped his hands in embarrassment and smiled, "This inn is also my family's property." He took the lead and personally led the two inside, asking, "Have you two booked your rooms? I'll take you there."
As they spoke, the three arrived at the main hall. The guards, seeing the two approaching, reported, "Master and Madam, the Imperial Room is no longer available; only the second-class Earth Room is left."
Xue Shen frowned slightly, about to say something, when he heard Zhao Tang beside him say solicitously, "What a coincidence, a caravan just happened to be passing by, and all the Emperor's Rooms are booked. However, there is one Immortal Room in the inn that is not open to the public. I specially reserved it for honored guests. If you two don't mind, I will have someone clean it up?"
Both Xue Shen and Shen Youying had seen plenty of people like Zhao Tang who fawned over them. His attitude was quite appropriate and didn't offend anyone, so Xue Shen nodded in agreement. However, he didn't stay for free and still had the guards give him plenty of money.
Zhao Tang personally led the two to the "Immortal" room.
Calling it a room is an understatement; it's more accurate to describe it as a small courtyard. The rooms are located at the very back of the inn, where plum trees grow and antique water vats are placed. Inside, there are interesting paintings hanging on the walls. The furnishings are not luxurious, but they have their own unique charm.
After Zhao Tang helped the people settle in, he brought over a maid: "The inn's staff are all men. This is my sister, Zhao Meier. She helps out with chores and lives in the side room next door. If you need her, Madam, just let her know."
Zhao Meier wore a simple jacket and skirt, and her long hair was styled into a girl's bun, but she did not use hairpins or jewelry. Instead, she used freshly picked plum blossoms as decoration, which made her look very elegant.
She was nudged by Zhao Tang before she timidly stepped forward to bow. She glanced at Shen Youying, then her gaze lingered on Xue Shen for a moment before she said softly, her face slightly flushed, "If you need anything, please just call me."
Shen Youying thought that Zhao Tang's family business was not small in the town, and Zhao Meier was probably a well-mannered young lady at home. At this moment, Zhao Tang probably saw their identities and wanted to get to know them and curry favor, so he called his sister over to serve him.
However, she wasn't the type to boss people around, so she simply said politely, "I have a maid with me, and there's nothing I need Miss Mei'er's help with, so Miss Mei'er doesn't need to be so polite."
Zhao Meier timidly raised her head and whispered, "Then Meier won't disturb you, sir and madam."
After she finished speaking, she gave a slight curtsy before turning around and going to the side room.
After everyone else had left, Shen Youying stood up and went inside. She then said to Xue Shen, "So it turns out that sitting in a wheelchair for a long time can be tiring."
She did consider taking a walk, but thinking that others might look at her with surprise, she simply sat down all the way to the end.
Xue Shen shook his head, picked her up and placed her on the low couch, took off her shoes and socks, and massaged her legs with gentle pressure: "Are your legs sore?" He recalled what the medical books said, "The books say that pregnant women's legs will be sore and swollen, and in severe cases, they will even have cramps. They need to massage and soak their feet often."
Shen Youying bent down and stepped on his knee with the sole of her foot, slightly speechless, and said, "That must be after you've been pregnant for several months. I'm still so young, I'm not even showing yet."
Xue Shen's gaze darkened as she stepped on his knees. Shen Youying's feet were very beautiful, with slightly fleshy soles but long toes and rounded toenails. The nail plates had a slight pinkish tinge, looking smooth and white, and felt soft and delicate in the palm of your hand.
Xue Shen's Adam's apple bobbed as he massaged her ankle upwards, his voice slightly hoarse: "Really? Zhao Zhao doesn't feel any soreness, but I do feel a bit swollen and painful..."
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