Chapter 23 Intangible Cultural Heritage Should Be Passed Down
As the passionate sound of suona rang out, the little girl, with a giant square table on her forehead, demonstrated thrilling stunts such as spinning on one leg, bending over to pick up objects, standing upside down on the edge of the table, standing on one leg, and throwing and catching in the air.
The little girl's movements were still a little awkward, making people worry for her.
But the little girl relied on her belief of giving Su Yuyan the best performance and completed the whole set of movements without any danger.
As soon as the little girl put the giant square table back to its original place, her eyes went dark and she fainted on the ground.
Just as Su Yuyan was about to stride forward, a man in snow-white brocade clothes was one step ahead of her.
The man squatted beside the little girl and took her pulse.
Then he looked at the stall owner.
"The weather was hot, and she drank ice-cold well water and then was exposed to the scorching sun. This is a combination of Yin heat and Yang heat, a syndrome of mixed heat and dampness. She also has insufficient Qi and blood, and is a little weak. She needs to be properly cared for."
"I'll prescribe a prescription for you. You can adjust her body according to the prescription."
The stall owner looked embarrassed.
"Are the medicinal herbs... expensive? How long will it take for my daughter's condition to improve?"
"To be honest, our family of five fled from Qiangzhou to Kyoto. His mother and two children were staying in the City God Temple outside the city, hoping to use the money she earned from performing to buy food and survive."
"The drought in Qiangzhou killed many people. We were lucky to survive the journey to Kyoto by performing arts. We simply didn't have the money to buy her medicine and take care of her health."
"If it weren't for the daily porridge provided by His Royal Highness Prince Rui, many of these refugees would have starved to death long ago."
"Sir, could you please help my daughter wake up quickly? I can pay you the fee for the heatstroke relief first."
The man shook his head.
"She has mixed symptoms of heatstroke and is suffering from both Qi and blood deficiency. She won't wake up for a while. These ten taels of silver are my reward for the performance I just watched. Go to the nearest pharmacy and get her some medicine."
Qiangzhou had been hit by drought for several months, with no harvest at all. King Kang had embezzled most of the relief funds from the imperial court, resulting in widespread famine. Therefore, many refugees who had fled from Qiangzhou had recently flocked to Kyoto.
Looking at the skinny little girl with a pale face, Su Yuyan felt that Prince Rui's act of chopping off Prince Kang's head was really a way to get rid of harm to the people!
Those who hold high positions in government and still suck the blood of the people deserve to be put to death!
She walked over to the little girl and squatted down.
After taking the patient's pulse, observing, smelling, and palpating the area, she took out a needle bag from her wide sleeves, spread out the needle, and began to perform the acupuncture with smooth movements.
Her silky needlework stunned the man in white in front of her.
But Su Yuyan's full attention was on the little girl.
She is just like that. Once she gets into work mode, her face becomes serious.
After putting away the needle, Su Yuyan took out a porcelain bottle from the space with her wide sleeves and fed the little girl a pill.
The pill melts in your mouth.
After a cup of tea, the little girl woke up.
Seeing the little girl wake up, Su Yuyan clapped her hands vigorously at the first moment, giving her the full emotional value.
"Your performance just now was fantastic. It's the most wonderful performance I've ever seen."
"Since you got a heat stroke while performing for me, this one hundred taels of silver will be used as your medical expenses and performance fee."
The little girl shook her head repeatedly.
"I can't accept this money. Even if I hadn't performed specifically for my sister, with the sun being so strong today, I would definitely get heatstroke soon."
The little girl's father hurried forward.
"You saved my daughter's life, so I should pay you the consultation fee. How can I charge you any more money?"
Su Yuyan stuffed the banknote into the little girl's hand with a firm tone.
"This is the first time in my life that someone has performed specifically for me. Exclusive performances are expensive, and you performed very well just now, so you're worth so much money."
After she finished speaking, she looked up at the stall owner.
"It's the hottest time of the year right now, so don't perform during the day. Also, I just took a look and the prescription this gentleman prescribed is very suitable for the condition. Let's take good care of the child."
"A family should be people-oriented."
After she finished speaking, she stood up and left.
The little girl and her father knelt down and kowtowed in the direction of Su Yuyan.
"Thank you for saving my life, sister."
"I wonder where you live, sister? When I recover, I'll show you my best puppet show."
Su Yuyan stopped.
Puppetry? That’s a national intangible cultural heritage!
Such a treasure should have a long history!
So, he turned around and squatted down.
"You also do puppetry?"
The little girl answered in a childish voice.
"Well, my grandfather loved glove puppetry his whole life. His glove puppetry is famous in Qiangzhou! Influenced by my grandfather, I also love glove puppetry. It's just that people don't like to watch it anymore, so my father took me to learn juggling to make a living."
Su Yuyan thought for a moment.
"Sister loves watching puppet shows!"
After she finished speaking, she looked at the little girl's father.
"How about this, if you're willing, you can stay at my farm for a while."
"I heard that many people from Qiangzhou have fled to Jingdu. When she recovers, you can start a puppet show troupe. You can recruit people who are willing to learn puppetry from the refugees, or you can recruit people from Jingdu. I will pay for it."
The stall owner kowtowed continuously with tears streaming down his face.
"Thank you so much, my kind-hearted noble man!"
"If I hadn't met you today, I don't know how long my family could have survived in Kyoto. I am willing to lead my family to sell themselves to you and serve you like slaves."
Su Yuyan waved her hand.
“You don’t have to be a slave.”
"Glove puppetry carries a lot and can also convey a lot. It is an excellent culture. All you need to do is recruit some enthusiasts to build this troupe and pass on this craft to more people."
"I'm leaving. Later I'll arrange for someone to pick you up from the City God Temple outside the city and bring you to live on my farm."
After she finished speaking, she turned and left.
The little girl and her father were so moved that they were speechless and could only kowtow to express their gratitude.
After walking a long way, Lin Heqing said.
"In our 26th century, glove puppetry, as an intangible cultural heritage, has long been lost and can only be seen in film and television materials. It's a pity."
"I've seen Pili puppet shows in film and television materials before, and I couldn't calm down for a long time after watching it. It was a visual feast!"
"Yuyan is truly noble and magnanimous for personally funding the promotion of glove puppetry. Once this troupe is established, I will incorporate elements from animation, games, and mythology into the traditional performances. I will also find a way to spread the popularity of glove puppetry throughout China, allowing more people to discover and appreciate it, and ensuring that this intangible cultural heritage is passed down forever."
Su Yuyan smiled slightly.
"That's fantastic. Pili puppetry has introduced elements of martial arts and science fiction, expanding the boundaries of storytelling and proving that traditional art can keep pace with the times."
"Protecting endangered intangible cultural heritage is what we should do, and it is also very meaningful."
"Oh, and one more thing. Now that we have a money-making plan, and we're making necessities, we're sure to be in short supply once we put them on the market."
"As demand continues to increase, we will need more and more people on our production line."
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