Chapter 67 Opening Ceremony (Part 3)
Lin Baosheng was originally from Jiangnan during the Qianlong era. He came from a poor family and was sold into an opera troupe when he was young.
He suffered greatly in the opera troupe, but through that experience he met a master ventriloquist and learned some skills. Later, by chance, he left the opera troupe and began performing ventriloquism in the streets to make a living.
Lin Baosheng was only good at this one skill, and he devoted almost all his time to it. Perhaps, as the old master said, he had some talent for it, and after exhausting his research, he actually mastered a unique skill, making a name for himself throughout Jiangnan.
Invitations came one after another, and his life improved.
Unfortunately, his good fortune didn't last long. Once, when he was performing at the home of the Salt Transport Commissioner of Lianghuai, he offended the family's son and was framed for having ties with the Heaven and Earth Society, resulting in the imprisonment of the entire family. Just as he was about to die, he was saved by the system and then summoned by Lu Xiaoqi.
The family of three escaped their desperate situation and started a new life.
Today, he continues his old profession in Qinghe Ancient Town. His daughter, Jiaojiao, studies and learns to write under Teacher Zhao in the town, while his wife has become a boatwoman. They live a happy and harmonious life.
Therefore, Lin Baosheng took his first official performance today very seriously, vowing to give his best, and the program was carefully choreographed. Although his program was short, only a few minutes long, it required a lot of effort, and he often needed a long rest to recover after going offstage.
But now that he was being questioned, he couldn't care less about resting. He was anxious and wanted to prove his innocence. He couldn't let Qinghe Ancient Town and Miss Lu suffer any infamy.
The audience member who raised the question wasn't trying to find fault; he was just being serious and thought it was a good idea.
Some people who were interested in the topic started clapping and cheering.
The audience member thought for a moment and said, "Then I want to hear the sound of the wood creaking and groaning as it was burned."
The sound had startled him; he almost thought there was a real fire.
Is this the kind of sound a human throat can produce?
He doesn't believe it!
“Of course it’s possible.” Lin Baosheng nodded.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and suppressed the fatigue and anxiety in his body.
It was just the sound of wood burning, a sound that seemed extremely difficult to others, but was very familiar to him.
In the cold winter of the Jiangnan opera troupe, in their dilapidated rooms, the only warmth came from a charcoal fire burning cheap firewood in the corner. The damp, cold wood, licked by the flames, made a "creak...creak..." sound, accompanied by choking smoke, which was the most profound background sound for him during countless unbearable winter nights.
Later, when the master craftsman asked him to imitate the sounds around him, this was the first thing that came to mind. He had pondered the details of the wood burning in the stove and the campfire countless times.
Xu Yueran and Ma Yu stared intently at Lin Baosheng, their ears perked up just like every other audience member present.
They saw him slightly open his mouth, emitting a soft "crack" sound—the first sound of wood being heated in a flame. Then, his back arched slightly, producing a very low, almost imperceptible "hum..." sound.
Xu Yueran suddenly remembered the villa she stayed in when she went skiing. There was firewood burning in the fireplace, and sometimes she could hear a buzzing sound. Her companions, to show off, told her that it was the sound of the wood fibers breaking as the moisture inside the wood evaporated rapidly.
This is what the sound originally sounded like when amplified.
Lin Baosheng's back seemed to hunch even lower, and his neck and chest began to vibrate in an extremely subtle yet tense way.
He seemed to have used up all his strength, and appeared to be in some pain.
It's not very good-looking, but—
The familiar creaking sound rang out. Each drawn-out creak was accompanied by an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible crackling sound, making it seem even more real and natural.
Flames are burning, and the firewood is about to turn into charcoal in the flames.
Just as the suffocating sound seemed about to break completely and trigger a terrifying "crash" collapse, it abruptly stopped.
The room was completely silent.
Lin Baosheng abruptly straightened his back, as if he had instantly escaped from that burning inferno. His chest rose and fell slightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, even more so than after his full performance.
He didn't even have time to catch his breath before he immediately said, "The reason I put up a screen during the performance wasn't to fake it, but because I really didn't look good during the performance. If I didn't cover myself up, the audience would be distracted and their attention would be drawn to me, which would be unattractive."
He then asked the audience member who had raised the question earlier, "You don't still think this was pre-arranged, do you?"
The audience member, his face flushed, suddenly led the applause: "That's enough! I'm convinced!"
Instantly, thunderous applause erupted in the arena, surging forth like a tidal wave.
Ma Yu was so happy watching that he couldn't help but empty all the copper coins from his purse and throw them onto the stage, shouting, "Teacher Lin, you're amazing!"
A tip is a must!
With her taking the lead, many people upstairs and downstairs took out copper coins and threw them onto the stage, and the atmosphere became extremely lively.
And there were little kids shouting, "I want to hear a dog bark."
The little carp also cried out, "I want to hear the sound of a horse!"
Lin Baosheng was often tipped in the past; when wealthy people were in a good mood, they would give him gold and silver beans, as well as jade pendants, which were much more valuable than the copper coins he had now. But for some reason, this time he was unusually excited and happy.
After bowing respectfully to all four sides and then bowing slightly, and fulfilling the requests of several children who wanted to imitate animal sounds, Lin Baosheng stepped off the stage with a radiant smile.
Some of the onlookers got up and left, while others found seats and planned to have a cup of tea. The pricing here was very reasonable; the tea was about the same price as in teahouses in the city center, so it wouldn't feel like a hefty expense.
"I didn't expect these performances to be of such a high standard." Ma Yu and Xu Yueran walked out, and also took a performance schedule from the staff.
They initially thought these small performances in teahouses, taverns, and on the streets were just for show, something to watch and have some fun—a fact they'd already seen in countless tourist attractions. But they never expected to see something truly unique in Qinghe Ancient Town.
They were actually serious!
The skill level is extremely high, it's unbelievable.
"So, these sword dances and stuff, they're not all going to be pretty good, are they?" Xu Yueran flipped open the program schedule, glanced at the arrangements, and frowned. "We won't be able to watch them all in one day."
It's already noon, time for lunch. There's a big event this afternoon – the VR experience center – I need to queue for. Since I've come all this way, I should at least climb Qinghe Tower, and I also want to see the fireworks tonight.
Then there's Little Carp; she's going to play in those craft workshops in District 5 this afternoon.
"And there's the big performance tonight!" Ma Yu said. "Tsk, there's simply not enough time. What are we going to do?"
Xu Yueran took out her phone: "Wait a minute, let me see if I can still book tickets for the next two days. I saw there were still tickets available before..."
She initially bought the ticket just to support Zhao Feiyan; she casually bought a one-day ticket and booked it for New Year's Day. Now she doesn't know if she can still book a ticket for the next day.
"No more..." Xu Yueran was annoyed to find that tickets for January 2nd were already sold out. "Tickets for the 3rd are also sold out. Tickets for the 4th are still available."
During the trial operation phase, the daily capacity is capped at 10,000 people. Perhaps more people will be able to join once the official operation begins.
Ma Yu sighed, "Never mind then, we'll see when the time comes."
Although they don't need to work and are considered wealthy and leisurely, the 4th is still a bit late.
The two took the little carp to eat.
In Zone 2, besides numerous snack stalls, there are also proper restaurants like Song Sao Fish Restaurant and a local chain restaurant, catering to all budgets. Zone 5 also has a casual dining option serving small dishes.
But none of them had as many people queuing as Song Sao Fish Restaurant.
It looked alright at first glance, but once inside, I found a winding bridge and a small garden, which was already full of people waiting for a table.
"It must taste delicious," they both said in unison.
You have to believe in the Chinese people's dedication to food. Food with long queues isn't necessarily delicious, but food with a queue this long must be really good!
"Why don't you take the little carp outside for a walk first, and then I'll wait here for a table?" Xu Yueran said.
Waiting for a table here is actually not too bad. As long as you're not hungry, you can take a number first, then go out for a walk and come back later. Anyway, you can see the call number notification on your phone.
Ma Yu thought for a moment and said, "Okay."
Xu Yueran found a balustrade in the garden, and a waiter brought her a cup of fragrant tea. She sat down leisurely to wait for a table, mainly to browse her phone. She hadn't used her phone at all today, which was a huge improvement for her.
Only after checking did I realize why all the tickets for the past few days had been booked.
On the video platform, on Xiaodigua, she had already seen several travel posts about Qinghe Ancient Town in less than ten minutes. Some posts simply showed pretty pictures, some strongly recommended the VR experience center, some praised the sword dance that had just ended, and she even saw posts praising the ventriloquism they had just watched.
There are also pictures and videos.
Xu Yueran couldn't help but marvel at how quickly people nowadays create product recommendations and travel guides; it's like they're racing against time.
You absolutely must go to the VR experience center! You absolutely must go... I can't stress this enough!
[I saw the First Emperor in a VR experience center, can you believe it? Of course, I know it's not the real First Emperor, but! How can it not be the real First Emperor?? Such a huge person standing right in front of me. Okay, I've gone crazy, I don't even know what I'm saying anymore, ignore me.]
[Haha, I get it. It's because it's so realistic that I feel like this is exactly how the First Emperor ascended the throne in history. It's really amazing. When I saw the part about Dujiangyan, I couldn't help but feel excited and melancholic for a long time.]
[Upstairs, what do you think of this portrayal of the First Emperor? Is it better than that actor's performance?]
Xu Yueran roughly knows who XXX refers to; he's widely considered the best actor to portray the young Qin Shi Huang, possessing a sinister yet noble air that perfectly matches the historical descriptions and the imaginations of female fans. It's a pity he later retired from the entertainment industry. ①
How should I put it? One actor, though well-acted, you know it's acting; the other, you just feel it's real.
Wow! That's incredibly high praise! Chinese people don't lie to other Chinese people, if you guys say that, I'm definitely buying a ticket.
[Buy it, buy it now! The first thing I did after arriving was rush to the VR experience center.]
Xu Yueran raised her eyebrows. It seemed that she really had to queue up for that VR experience center that afternoon. She had hardly seen anyone say anything bad about it; everyone was praising it, which aroused her curiosity.
There are also many people praising a young lady who is dancing with a sword.
Now I finally understand Du Fu's words: "The spectators were as numerous as mountains, their faces downcast; heaven and earth seemed to bow low; swift as Yi shooting down nine suns; graceful as emperors riding dragons..." Before, I thought these ancient people hadn't seen much entertainment and were exaggerating, praising anything they could find to the extreme. Now I realize, our ancestors certainly had a good life!
They eat herbal remedies, we eat industrially prepared food. We can't compare, we can't compare at all.
This is the kind of female knight-errant I imagined when I was a child.
However, I think we could change the stage. That venue is too monotonous and doesn't do justice to our unrestrained swordplay.
Xu Yueran became fascinated with Zhao Feiyan because of her dancing. She was already very interested in classical dance, so she immediately clicked on a short video taken by a tourist. Unfortunately, the video was not very clear and was shaky.
Even so, the woman in the video is still very impressive. She wields a gleaming sword so skillfully that the shape of the sword itself is barely visible. Her movements are both graceful and powerful, making her no ordinary person.
She immediately checked the program schedule. Well, this performance, like the ventriloquism act, had already ended around the same time, and there was only one show scheduled for the day.
Xu Yueran was somewhat disappointed.
She opened the Qinghe Ancient Town mini-program again, hesitated for a moment, and then decisively bought two one-day tickets and quickly booked a visit for the 4th. Only then did she see that although she had seen that there were only more than 5,000 people booked for the 4th, now there were more than 7,000 people.
Let's make an appointment now!
Meanwhile, Ma Yu had already taken Little Carp to District Five. Qinghe Ancient Town was quite large, taking more than ten minutes to walk there, but she was too lazy to walk, so she simply hailed a horse-drawn carriage. There were three modes of transportation in the ancient town—boat, horse-drawn carriage, and walking.
Very ancient.
The little carp seemed quite happy sitting there.
When she arrived at Zone 5, Ma Yu became even more convinced that this was a perfect place to take children.
Zone 5 is the workshop hub, where you can wander around freely and play with anything that interests you. Alternatively, you can go directly to the workshop manager of Zone 5. He will hand you a thick booklet containing information on all the workshops, which you can choose from.
Ma Yu was somewhat surprised.
Some scenic spots she had visited in the past also used intangible cultural heritage and handicrafts as selling points, but the styles were not many. Most of them were simple items like lacquer fans and paper cuttings, which were very simple and had very low costs, and could be made in a minute or two.
But the workshops here are different; they offer a wide variety of crafts, including embroidery, silverwork, cloisonné enamel, pottery, printmaking, glassmaking, lanterns, and more—dozens of workshops to choose from. They even have a dedicated woodworking studio!
Ma Yu was very interested: "What is this for? Are you really going to be a carpenter?"
"We have classes for children and classes for adults. The children's class is basically just playing with wood and making simple toys," the staff member explained with a smile. "For the adult class, you can choose to make wooden boxes or even furniture, whatever you want. If you don't finish, you can store it and continue next time. However, there is an extra charge for the woodworking workshop."
Ma Yu nodded in understanding. If she had to hire a carpenter to teach her, and also needed wood, and the finished product could be taken home without charge, she would think the owner was doing charity.
She asked curiously, "Are there many people who signed up?"
The staff member looked puzzled: "...There are no seats available today."
He was a little puzzled, wondering to himself who would pay for a ticket to do woodworking at a scenic spot! But to his surprise, it was quite popular, especially among parents with children.
Ma Yu was a little disappointed. Carpentry! That would have been so much fun.
When have these women, who have lived in the city all their lives, ever encountered anything so fun?
Forget it, Little Koi is too young to do it, let's choose something simpler. After looking for a while, she chose a velvet flower class for Little Koi, which is suitable for children, and picked out a silk flower class for herself, since the staff said that the classrooms for both workshops were in the same place.
Both of these processes require real silk, so there's an extra material cost, which Ma Yu paid forty yuan.
Their classroom was in a waterside pavilion within a courtyard. The staff led them through a moon gate and along a winding corridor. One side of the corridor featured white walls and black tiles, while the other side bordered a small pond. The water was shallow, and several red carp leisurely swam their tails. A few elegant palace lanterns hung under the corridor, their tassels swaying gently in the breeze.
This place seems to have suddenly become far removed from the hustle and bustle of Zone 1 and Zone 2. Although there are still people visiting, taking photos, and checking in, it is much quieter.
Ma Yu's heart immediately calmed down.
Taking a craft class in a garden-like house—the experience itself is worth far more than forty yuan! In the city, wouldn't it be called a "Private Club Enjoyment Club" and charge several hundred yuan for admission?
While attentively listening to the teacher's lecture and fiddling with the silk flowers in her hands, Ma Yu could even hear the cries of "Selling candied hawthorns!" coming from the streets outside. She felt as if she were a young lady from an ancient boudoir, having cast aside all the troubles of reality.
This feeling is wonderful.
Ma Yu remembered that she had just seen a shop here that specializes in selling various intangible cultural heritage works. She decided to buy more later to support the generous owner and also to take them back as souvenirs.
When she finally received the call that she could eat, and rushed over from Zone 5 with her little carp, she learned that Xu Yueran had renewed her ticket for Zone 4.
Afraid that she would be unhappy, Xu Yueran quickly said, "If you don't want to, you can go back first. Anyway, you can cancel a day in advance."
Unexpectedly, Ma Yu was overjoyed: "Great! No need to cancel, let's play for another day on the 4th. Anyway, we can also walk around Qinghe city tomorrow and the day after."
Xu Yueran: "...What's wrong? Is Zone 5 fun?"
The little carp answered her, and the little girl was extremely excited: "It's so much fun! Godmother, Zone 5 is so much fun! I made a velvet flower and a little hairpin, look!"
The little girl handed over the hairpin as if it were a precious treasure.
Xu Yueran glanced at the velvet flower, and before she could say anything, she received a death warning from her best friend and immediately exclaimed, "Great! Little Carp did a fantastic job! This flower is so beautiful!"
The little carp beamed with joy, and Ma Yu whispered, "She loves it."
"You don't know, that teacher's silk flowers are so beautiful, so lifelike, just like real flowers placed in front of you." She said, her eyebrows dancing with excitement.
Xu Yueran: "What about your silk flowers?"
Ma Yu blinked: "...I haven't finished yet, I'll continue this afternoon."
I'm determined to finish making this silk flower today!
The little carp immediately raised its hand: "I want to go again!"
She thought this place was even more fun than the amusement parks her mother usually took her to!
Xu Yueran sighed and said, "Okay, you guys go have fun. I'll just go queue up for that VR experience center."
Ma Yu: "I'll go on the fourth. There won't be this many people on the fourth."
By then, the dishes they ordered had been served. The jade fish balls, served on a white porcelain plate, were particularly elegant and beautiful, clearly demonstrating the chef's skill. Although they had eaten quite a few snacks earlier, it was already 2:30 in the afternoon, and they were still a bit hungry.
“This was made by Chef Song,” Xu Yueran explained. “There are two menus here, one for regular chefs and one for Chef Song. The supply is limited each day, and this is the last one for lunch.”
The little carp said sweetly, "Thank you, godmother. I like godmother the most."
She took a bite, her eyes widening as if she couldn't believe she was eating such a delicious delicacy: "Mommy, it's so delicious!"
Ma Yu chuckled: "Baby, your acting is so exaggerated."
She thought it was just the child having fun, but after taking a spoonful herself, she realized her daughter was being genuine. The tender fish had a hint of pea fragrance, and a perfectly balanced oiliness.
The plate of jade fish balls was quickly finished.
The little carp pouted, tears welling in its eyes: "Mom and godmother ate all my fish balls!!! Waaah!"
It is truly heartbreaking to hear and brings tears to the eyes of all who listen.
Xu Yueran: "...This really is the last one."
At this time, the restaurant no longer accepts new orders.
After finally calming her daughter down, Ma Yu looked up at Xu Yueran and said, "Do you know what I'm thinking right now?"
Xu Yueran: "I understand."
She decisively took out her phone, then tapped away for a while before handing it to Ma Yu, raising her eyebrows: "Annual cards, two."
Ma Yu excitedly grasped her hand: "Indeed, my best friend understands me best!"
......
Tian Fan was diligently sanding a piece of wood in his hands in the woodworking workshop.
After queuing for the VR experience center, he parted ways with Qin Yue and Li Nuan—they ultimately didn't manage to queue for all three, as the queues were getting longer and longer. Since all three of them had two-day tickets, they planned to rush in as soon as the doors opened the next morning, and instead come and see other things today.
Qin Yue and Li Nuan went to the fish restaurant to queue up, while Tian Fan came to section number five.
He was more interested in this place.
Qinghe Ancient Town has transformed all the houses in this area into workshops. On the surface, it looks like a typical Jiangnan water town with traditional houses, but inside it's a completely different world. In the afternoon, the area gradually became more crowded.
Especially for children, parents drop them off here, let them choose a few activities, and they can enjoy a moment of peace and relaxation. They can even go outside, order a hot drink, and sit by the river watching the boats come and go, which is very pleasant.
It took Tian Fan more than an hour to polish the wooden block in his hand, and then he assembled it with several other pieces. He was satisfied to see that it had become a simple but cute bird about the size of a palm, and handed it to Xiang Dali, the teacher on duty today, for inspection.
Xiang Dali nodded, picked up the sandpaper, and in just a few strokes, smoothed out the sharp edges, making the overall shape look more harmonious and fluid. Tian Fan watched with great admiration; indeed, everyone has their own expertise.
Today's lesson is about making simple animal decorations. Each person will be given a piece of wood with a design already drawn by the craftsmen. All you need to do is use a cog saw to cut it out according to the design, then sand and assemble it to create a cute wooden decoration.
Once finished, you can take it with you. You can also add holes and knots to make it look nice hanging on your backpack or in your car.
Many fathers and mothers have enrolled their children in parent-child courses and are having a great time doing crafts under Xiang Dali's guidance.
Xiang Dali asked him, "It's not bad. Should we paint it? Or should we drill holes now?"
Tian Fan: "Let's apply a coat of clear varnish."
Xiang Dali: "Okay, then you'll have to wait until after 5 o'clock to pick it up. Or, we also offer courier service."
Tian Fan applied a coat of varnish himself, and the more he looked at it, the more he liked it. Disliking the free basic knot, he spent money to choose a nicer knot to match. Several little boys nearby, who were still carefully polishing their pieces of wood, looked on with envy.
A father whispered to his child, "Let's hurry up and finish this. I'll buy you an even prettier knot later! It'll definitely be prettier than this uncle's!"
Tian Fan: ...I understand, everyone wants their little darling to be the most perfect.
After finishing all this, it was almost four o'clock in the afternoon. Only then did he leave the workshop and head towards Zone Two.
He planned to go to the theater and then climb Qinghe Tower to watch the sunset.
Unexpectedly, once they arrived at the theater, they stayed until evening.
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