Chapter 86 is an extra chapter containing 19,000 words of nutrient solution...
Yang Qingning opened her eyes and found herself in a dilapidated thatched hut.
"It's so cold..." she shivered.
He regained his senses.
It was only then that she realized what the online comments meant by "it's like traveling to a real world in history"—the Nine Dragons Corridor she had just experienced was also very real, but because the content was so fantastical, she had been quite detached from it the whole time. But this world was different.
It's just an ordinary, narrow, dilapidated thatched hut in the countryside, the kind you'd see in period dramas. If there's anything different about it, it's that this one is darker and more run-down, with mud walls and a small window letting in a sliver of moonlight.
"Wow, this is so realistic..." Yang Qingning muttered to herself. She could even feel the straw stalks poking her neck, so she quickly moved forward. "No wonder the VR experience is so highly rated online! And there are so many people queuing up!"
She needs to constantly remind herself that "this is not the real world" in order to detach herself from her emotions.
Just as she was in a daze, she suddenly heard a coughing sound beside her. Yang Qingning turned her head and saw a little girl, probably only twelve or thirteen years old, curled up asleep on a pile of straw.
Is this the protagonist, Huang Daopo?
Yang Qingning has a grandfather who studies history, and she herself is also quite knowledgeable about history. She remembered that Huang Daopo was indeed born a child bride, so... this must be from that period?
She squatted down and looked at the little girl.
"Wow, this model is so realistic... you can even see the pores, and," she shifted her gaze to the little girl's hands and feet, unconsciously pursing her lips, "the scars and frostbite are also very realistic."
It was so real that she couldn't bear to watch it.
Yang Qingning reached out, wanting to touch her, but his body passed right through her.
“It is indeed VR.” She breathed a long sigh of relief, finally ignoring the strange discomfort she had just felt.
The twelve or thirteen-year-old Huang Daopo was half-asleep, wrapped tightly in her patched-up, no-longer-warm thin coat. The new wounds on her back, from the daytime beatings by her mother-in-law with thorny brambles, overlapped with the old ones, and burned with pain. She was very hungry, and the few mouthfuls of cold, muddy pig feed she had managed to snatch during the day only brought her a deeper chill.
Suddenly, with a loud crash, the dilapidated door of the woodshed was kicked open.
Yang Qingning was startled and almost wanted to hide, but when she realized that they couldn't see her, she rolled her eyes and stayed where she was.
The woman who entered was a similarly thin but cold-hearted middle-aged woman who looked quite mean.
She carried a dim oil lamp in her hand, and her cloudy eyes scanned the girl in the corner like those of a hawk.
"You brat! What good stuff are you hiding? Hand it over!" The rough voice was particularly jarring in the cold night.
Granny Huang was terrified and instinctively clutched her chest. This action enraged the middle-aged woman. She rushed over and roughly tore at the girl's tattered clothes with her withered, bony, yet incredibly strong hands.
"You've gone too far! How dare you hold back your own knowledge!"
"No...no..." the girl struggled weakly, her voice trembling with tears.
"Slap!" A heavy slap landed on her face, making her see stars.
Yang Qingning, who was watching from the side, was furious!
How dare they bully a child!
"I'm so angry, that old shrew!" She bared her teeth and brandished her claws, wanting to vent her anger for Huang Daopo, but at this moment she was just a consciousness and had no way to touch anyone or anything. She could only watch the plot with a huff.
The middle-aged woman finally managed to pull out a piece of cloth and half a pancake that still held her body heat from Huang Daopo's bosom.
"Tsk tsk, so that's why you had the guts to steal. Turns out you stole food and hid a piece of cloth?" Without even looking at it, she stuffed the piece of cake into her bosom.
She picked up the piece of cloth that the girl treasured and unfolded it under the oil lamp, examining it with her eyes: the cloth was not large, but the hemp thread was twisted evenly, and the warp and weft were fairly even. For a girl who had only been secretly learning for a few days, it was indeed quite good.
"Your knitting is not bad. I didn't know you had this talent... But what are you trying to do by hiding it? Are you getting too big for your britches? Or are you trying to slack off and make some money on your own?"
The little girl quickly shook her head: "No, no, it's... the weather is too cold, Mother, I want to save some cloth to mend my clothes."
At least patch up the torn parts, otherwise she was afraid she wouldn't survive the winter.
Yang Qingning, standing to the side, wished she could take the cloth back for her herself.
The middle-aged woman sneered and slowly tucked the piece of cloth into her bosom. "Starting tomorrow—no, starting tonight," her voice suddenly rose, "don't even think about sleeping! Get up and twist hemp thread! Make up for all the time you slacked off today! If you don't twist at least half a pound of hemp thread, don't even think about eating a single bite tomorrow!"
Her gaze was fixed on the girl's pale face, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips: "This rag, confiscated! Take it to the market tomorrow and see if you can exchange it for a couple of copper coins. A lowly wretch like you dares to use good things? Dream on!"
The wooden gate was slammed shut again with a bang, shaking off a few wisps of dust.
She took it, as if it were a prize she was entitled to.
Yes, how could a child bride like her be entitled to keep her own property? Her life would probably consist of endless labor, and then, when she grew up two more years, she would marry the mentally challenged man in the family, bear several children for the family—they must be boys—before she dies.
Finally, roll it up in a mat and throw it into the reeds of the river behind the village.
No, no, no, the family won't waste a mat for her.
Huang Daopo remained in the same position she had been shoved into, slumped on the cold thatch, her face expressionless as she pondered these strange things, the burning handprint on her face still scorching.
Yang Qingning couldn't possibly sense what was going on in her mind, but from her perspective, she could see her hand, which was placed beside her, slowly clench into a fist.
"Run! Run!" she couldn't help but shout, even though she knew the little girl couldn't hear her at all.
Escape to faraway places.
escape!
Huang Daopo raised her head, the last trace of childlike timidity and bewilderment in her eyes vanishing, replaced by an almost icy resolve. This thought, like wildfire, ignited in her heart, frozen by despair, and instantly spread like wildfire!
The following scenes were like fast-forwarding for Yang Qingning.
She saw that Huang Daopo endured the scolding and beatings from the middle-aged woman and her family every day, silently cooking and washing clothes for them, taking care of all the housework, and even finding time to learn weaving from the woman next door.
But every day, she would take a small piece of dry food from her meager rations and hide it in the straw pile in the woodshed. She would also dig holes in the mud wall of the courtyard when no one was around.
Yang Qingning knew that she was going to escape.
She clenched her fists and silently cheered her on.
In her perception of time, it was only a few tens of seconds, but in Huang Daopo's time, it was about half a month.
One late night, she seized the opportunity.
She quietly opened the door to the woodshed, crossed the yard, and moved to a hole in the corner of the wall that was half-covered by straw. With her fingers, which were almost numb from the cold, she desperately dug at the loose clods of earth and straw at the edges.
Her fingernails split, bleeding and mixing with dirt, but she didn't even notice.
Yang Qingning looked away with a hint of reluctance, once again feeling that a game that was too realistic wasn't good. She was on tenterhooks, afraid that Huang Daopo's escape would be discovered and she would get another beating.
The hole was finally dug big enough, and the little girl cautiously poked her head out like a frightened little animal.
Outside, the night was cold and the wind howled. A few mournful barks echoed in the distance. There was no moonlight, only a few cold stars twinkling indifferently against the inky black sky. She took one last look at the place behind her that had swallowed her entire childhood, her eyes devoid of any lingering affection, and without looking back, she shuffled out of the hole.
Yang Qingning finally felt half relieved and smiled: "That's great!"
Although she knew that this little girl would later achieve great things, become a famous figure in history, and be admired by millions, the fact that it was so real always made her nervous.
Before I could fully relax, the door to the neighboring yard creaked open.
Yang Qingning could sense that Huang Daopo had frozen in place.
The atmosphere suddenly froze.
The woman who opened the door was the neighbor's wife.
She glanced at Granny Huang, somewhat surprised. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she said nothing. She retreated and silently closed the courtyard gate. From afar, one could still hear her talking to her family.
"It's nothing, just a cat darted past..."
Yang Qingning and Huang Daopo both breathed a sigh of relief, their hearts finally at ease.
Taking a deep breath of the cold, liberating air, Huang Daopo turned and ran without hesitation. Her small figure was instantly swallowed up by the thick darkness of the night.
Yang Qingning followed behind her, feeling inexplicably excited, as if her whole body was on fire.
"Run, run, to Hainan!" She silently encouraged Huang Daopo in her heart, "You will learn a lot in Hainan! Then come back to this place and become a great figure who will be remembered in history!"
After an unknown amount of time, it was already broad daylight.
Yang Qingning heard a series of barking dogs behind her, knowing that the family had probably come looking for her. In ancient rural areas, people lived in clans and were very close-knit; perhaps the entire village was searching for the escaped Huang Daopo.
She cried out urgently, "Hurry up and let's go!"
But hearing the little girl's labored breathing, she knew she was exhausted. She already ate very little each day; it was quite an achievement that she could run for so long.
Huang Daopo decided to change the route.
She walked toward the river.
At this time of year, the Jiangnan region is dotted with numerous waterways, many of which are still undeveloped reed marshes. Yang Qingning watched her trudging through the mud and water in her tattered shoes, and her heart ached for her.
If this were in front of her, she would definitely buy her the warmest shoes, waterproof ones!
At this moment, she seemed to have forgotten that this was just a VR virtual experience.
"This way, this way—!" More and more people were chasing after them, and there were also barking dogs.
Huang Daopo didn't stop, nor did she even look back. She simply clutched all her belongings tightly—a few pieces of bread that were so dry they couldn't be drier—and walked in the opposite direction from the sound of the barking dogs.
There is a river in front of us.
If you travel upstream along the river for another half an hour, you will reach the Yangtze River.
Yang Qingning was very anxious.
She worried that Huang Daopo would be caught up with and taken back by the people behind her, while also fearing that if she went any further, she would die. Although she knew the ending would be good, looking at the little girl in front of her, whose thin clothes were being whipped up by the cold wind, she couldn't help but feel that the process was far too difficult.
"What a damn world!" Yang Qingning cursed fiercely.
The next second, parting the long reeds, they were shocked to see a boat moored in the bend of the river, with two female Taoist priests standing at the bow, one in her fifties and the other looking to be in her early thirties.
"Master, look, there's a young lady over there."
Huang Daopo immediately knelt down: "Please, Master, save me!"
She knelt so hastily that, exhausted and hungry, she collapsed onto the ground.
The middle-aged female Taoist priest immediately stood up. She went to Huang Daopo's side and then heard the faint barking of dogs and shouts of people in the distance. She frowned and asked, "Are those chasing you?"
Huang Daopo struggled to sit up, then silently nodded.
"I can't go on living... I might as well run away." After a long while, she finally blurted out this sentence.
The barking grew closer. Huang Daopo glanced at the female Taoist priest before her, closed her eyes, and murmured softly, "Never mind, I shouldn't have dragged you into this... They're unreasonable..."
She struggled to get up from the ground, her clothes covered in wet mud. Once she was up, she wanted to change direction and leave.
Just as he turned around, he was stopped by the middle-aged female Taoist priest.
The female Taoist priest said calmly, "Alright, it's fate that we met here. Just come with me! We don't have much else, but we have enough leftovers. However, we're heading south, and the journey will be arduous. We might even die far from home."
Huang Daopo was stunned, a glint of light appearing in her eyes. She hurriedly said, "I, I'm not afraid! I can still do a lot of work!"
She would rather die far from home than go back.
The middle-aged female Taoist priest gave a slight smile: "Then let's go. It just so happens that there's one more person on the boat, so you're lucky."
Huang Daopo followed her towards the small boat, her steps uneven. Perhaps because of her fear and the long journey she had taken, she fainted before even stepping onto the boat.
As she fainted, Yang Qingning's vision also went black.
"This VR experience has ended. Please remove your helmet and rest in your seat for a while."
She returned to reality.
Taking off her helmet, Yang Qingning let out a long sigh, as if exhaling all the pent-up frustration in her chest. She thought that the historical Huang Daopo might have disappeared without a trace into the cold night of the late Southern Song Dynasty, just like in this short VR video.
Her escape has only just begun.
After the lights came on, the staff quietly urged this group of people to leave, as the next group would be coming in soon.
Yang Qingning and her companions returned to the entrance of the experience center. The queue was so long it was almost unbearable; even the pay-to-win lane was packed with people.
She hadn't quite recovered from her shock. Looking at the three people beside her, apart from Tian Fan, whose expression was relatively cheerful, her grandfather and Grandpa Jin were one solemn and the other stunned, clearly having suffered a great shock.
She composed herself and asked her grandfather, "How do you feel?"
Professor Yang was clearly a little dazed, but he suddenly came to his senses: "Excellent, excellent, I didn't expect it to be so realistic... It's just that the time was too short, I was still studying that bronze lamp."
Professor Jin was also very dissatisfied: "I was looking at that wine cup, but before I could even see it clearly, it was over!"
Tian Fan thought to himself: You spend hours researching things every time, what VR can provide such long modeling time? Every second costs money!
He was thinking about something else: "So... what do you think of that wine cup?"
Professor Jin naturally knew what he was talking about. He glanced at him and said meaningfully, "That wine vessel does indeed have the same pattern as we previously speculated, and even the engraving style is similar. Interesting, very interesting!"
Professor Yang continued, "There's more to it than just this!"
He was originally a researcher of Qin Dynasty culture. As an industry leader, he was completely stunned when he entered the VR experience. The palace seemed to have jumped out of the history books. Of course, Professor Yang had watched TV series and movies. In fact, he was invited to be a consultant for a highly acclaimed TV series set in the Qin Dynasty.
However, what I see now is different from what I see in movies and TV shows.
No matter how authentic the stage design in film and television dramas is, it incorporates modern imagination and modern craftsmanship. But Professor Yang felt that this palace was meant to be this way.
Or rather, this is how it was supposed to be in Xianyang Palace!
After hearing his grandfather's words, Yang Qingning excitedly exclaimed, "Yes, yes, yes! That's exactly how I feel! I think that's what the rural areas of Jiangnan in the late Song and early Yuan dynasties should have been like!"
Tian Fan nodded as well.
Professor Jin, though still excited and thrilled, felt a sense of unease. But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. He made a quick decision: "Old Yang, shall we go in and think about it some more?"
Professor Yang nodded readily: "Let's go, we'll go right away!"
He couldn't wait to go in and experience it again.
Professor Jin and Tian Fan were also there, but Yang Qingning was still immersed in what had just happened, and her emotions had not completely calmed down. She sighed and said, "I'm hurt. You guys go ahead, I'm going outside to calm down."
Although it was only less than ten minutes, it felt like an eternity to her.
The tragic childhood of an ancient young woman. This young woman escaped and was rescued, but many more young women may have been wasted away in such homes or died on their way to escape.
"This VR designer is too ruthless, especially during the Chinese New Year!" Yang Qingning said angrily.
She needed to find something more cheerful and lively to calm her slightly depressed mood.
So the group parted ways; Yang Qingning went off to have some fun, while the other three decided to queue up again for another experience.
Yang Qingning looked at the program in her hand. She planned to go to Zone 2 first, where she could watch a few small performances and then have dinner. If she had time after dinner, she would go to Zone 5. However, there would be a grand parade of immortals at 3:30 pm.
Wow, just hearing the name sounds so powerful, I definitely have to watch it.
Zone 2 has always been the most crowded of the three zones, because most of the performances and food are concentrated here. Walking here and feeling the crowds around her, she slowly emerged from her earlier depression and felt like she had returned to normal life.
Entering a teahouse, Yang Qingning watched a video of ventriloquism that was also very popular on a video platform; it was indeed very impressive. She spent all the coins she had on tips, and luckily managed to get a window seat on the second floor. She ordered a pot of tea and two kinds of snacks, intending to rest for a while.
As a result, before they had been sitting for long, they suddenly heard a clanging sound coming from outside the building.
It's a pipa!
She recognized the voice immediately, and her heart skipped a beat. The sound pierced through the noisy chatter of the teahouse, carrying a sharp, piercing quality that seemed to strike her eardrums. Yang Qingning instinctively turned her head to look, her gaze passing through the open, carved wooden window.
On the previously empty viewing platform on the second floor opposite, a man dressed in a Tang-style round-necked robe appeared at some point.
He sat upright on an antique low stool, holding a dark-colored rosewood pipa in his lap. With his head slightly lowered, his slender fingers did not immediately pluck the strings, but merely pressed them lightly. The clear, resonant sound was the result of a casual scratch with his fingernail, yet it was as powerful as metal shattering silk, instantly attracting the attention of the entire street.
The noise in the teahouse seemed to be cut off by an invisible knife, instantly becoming mostly quiet. Like Yang Qingning, many people peeked out or got up to look out the window.
Li Guinian looked at the crowd on the street with satisfaction.
He enjoys the feeling of being on stage, especially with the audience here, whose eyes are more focused and whose atmosphere is more enthusiastic.
"It's the musician!" a girl screamed.
"I never knew the musician could play the pipa!"
“He can not only play the guqin and pipa, but he also played the drums when we went to see the Millennium Splendor last time.”
Those listening nearby were somewhat confused: "What musician?"
The person holding the pipa is obviously a musician.
"No, it's because his video account is called 'The Pianist'," a few girls chattered. "He's really popular now. Wow, I never knew he could play so many instruments... and he's so handsome too!"
Li Guinian moved in the starry eyes of the girls below.
He suddenly exerted force with his right hand, and a series of rapid, torrential finger strikes erupted! The sound of the pipa was no longer a test note, but transformed into the clanging of swords and the thunder of ten thousand troops!
Yang Qingning murmured, "An ambush from all sides!"
She started learning the pipa at a young age, but her talent was only average, so she only treated it as a hobby. She recalled finding the classic piece "Ambush from Ten Sides" incredibly difficult when she first learned it; it truly deserves its reputation as the most difficult pipa piece ever.
However, in the hands of this musician, the music was controlled with perfect ease. The notes were sharp and menacing.
His fingers moved so fast they were barely visible, each sweep producing a chilling, piercing sound, like clashing swords or thundering war drums. In his hands, the pipa was no longer a musical instrument, but a drawn sword, a battlefield brimming with murderous intent.
Yang Qingning felt her heart racing, the leisurely feeling of sipping tea vanished, replaced by a surge of tension.
A thought flashed through her mind: "This is absolutely master-level!"
This person's skill is absolutely superb!
But things don't seem to be that simple.
Just as everyone was immersed in the somber atmosphere and almost unable to breathe under the pressure of the zither music, a clear and melodious voice, like pearls falling on a plate, suddenly and yet perfectly harmoniously broke in!
Zheng—
This is the sound of another pipa.
Everyone turned around and discovered that the sound came from a charming little pavilion next door overlooking the water.
A woman was sitting in the small pavilion at some point. She was dressed in a Tang Dynasty-style red ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a lotus flower design and begonia blossoms, her black hair was half-up, with a blooming peony silk flower tucked into her hair, and she was also holding a pipa (a Chinese lute) in her arms.
Her gentle touch was like a drop of water thrown into a boiling oil pan, instantly breaking the suffocating and somber atmosphere of "House of Flying Daggers".
The girls who were just swooning over Li Guinian suddenly exclaimed "Wow!" again.
"This woman is so beautiful!"
"Where did Qinghe Ancient Town find so many handsome men and beautiful women? I want to know her video account."
"Is she going to play a duet with the musician?"
"It doesn't seem like it..."
Seeing everyone looking over, the female musician had a faint smile on her lips.
Immediately afterward, before the other party could react, she lightly raised her hand, her fingertips dancing nimbly on the strings like butterflies flitting among flowers.
Yang Qingning blurted out, "It's 'The Moon is High'!"
"The Moon Is High" is also a famous pipa piece with a long history, traditionally attributed to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. It's also a pipa level 10 piece!
"They're going to have a martial arts competition!" Yang Qingning suddenly realized, overjoyed. She jumped up and leaned against the window to watch. If it weren't for the huge crowd below, she would have run down to get a closer look.
The ambush scene is filled with murderous intent, while the moonlit scene is elegant and tender, representing two completely different moods.
The female musician's choice to use "Moonlight High" to break the previous musician's notes was not an invitation to a duet, but rather a declaration of war!
She wants to fight!
Sure enough, the pipa music played by the female musician was melodious and gentle, as if the bright moonlight had poured down instantly, washing away the murderous aura that had filled the sky just moments before.
Her fingerwork was light and graceful, carrying the moist and lingering charm of the Jiangnan water towns. The melody, thread by thread, intertwined with the white-robed musician's sharp rendition of "Ambush from Ten Sides," creating a clear and bright world amidst the clash of swords and shadows.
Li Guinian slightly raised his chin, giving the audience the impression of an arrogant acceptance of the challenge.
His fingering suddenly changed, the speed of his fingering increased, and the force increased. The sound of the pipa was like waves crashing against the shore, one wave higher than the other, trying to completely drown out and shatter the gentle "Moonlight High"!
Yang Qingning was so excited that her whole body was trembling. She never expected to see a duel between pipa masters here: "Wonderful, wonderful!"
The audience on the street may not have her musical knowledge, but everyone could sense the tense atmosphere of the situation.
"A fight has broken out!"
Wow, is it a player-versus-player (PvP) battle?
"It actually went this way!"
Who doesn't love a good show? As a result, the atmosphere at the scene became even more lively.
At the same time, the woman in red seemed to have expected this.
She remained calm and composed, suddenly increasing the pressure with her fingertips, producing several resounding notes that deftly withstood the opponent's attack. At the same time, her left hand moved swiftly, employing various techniques such as kneading, humming, stroking, and pouring, making the rendition of "The Moon is High" even more ethereal and profound.
To Yang Qingning, the female musician's pipa playing was sometimes like a clear spring flowing over rocks, and sometimes like the harmonious singing of phoenixes. Not only was she not overwhelmed by the opponent's murderous aura, but she also cleverly neutralized, guided, and even enveloped the chilling sound with an extremely supple strength.
For a moment, the long street was completely silent.
Everyone was captivated by this sudden, remote pipa duel.
Two distinctly different musical notes collided, intertwined, and entwined fiercely in the air. On one side, there was the image of iron horses and icy rivers, filled with murderous intent; on the other, there was the gentle breeze and bright moon, stirring tender emotions. It seemed as if a breathtaking contest was about to unfold.
It was like masters exchanging blows, exchanging countless rounds in the blink of an eye.
Yang Qingning was captivated, almost forgetting to breathe. She had seen many high-level performances, but had never experienced such a dramatic musical duel live.
The male musician's technique was domineering and unparalleled, carrying an aura of dominance over the world; while the female musician's response was agile and graceful, like thunder in silence, her composure and ease revealing her profound skill.
Just as the two musical notes reached their climax, neck and neck, the female musician's melody suddenly shifted, seamlessly transitioning into a more complex and ornate variation within the lingering melody of "The Moon Is High," like a sudden downpour on banana leaves. Li Guinian's music also subsided, and the tension between the two gradually dissipated.
"It's going to be an ensemble performance!" Yang Qingning realized.
The two pipa sounds began to blend together, harmonizing perfectly. At times, Li Guinian led the main melody, while the female pipa player embellished it with delicate harmonics and fancy fingering; at other times, the female pipa player played a cadenza, while Li Guinian provided support and complement.
The audience below also understood.
"My God...it's turned into an ensemble?"
"What was just a battle of gods has turned into heavenly music!"
"Wow, that's awesome!"
The last, incomparably clear high note burst forth from the female musician's fingers, like the cry of a phoenix, piercing through the clouds and splitting rocks, soaring straight to the heavens! The lingering sound echoed in everyone's ears, on the river, and in the air above the entire street, as if even the air itself was trembling.
The long street was completely silent.
it's over.
Li Guinian stood up and bowed slightly to the female musician, who returned the bow with a smile.
Tourists on the street began to applaud spontaneously, and many girls screamed.
Li Guinian stood on the platform and made a pressing motion in the air with his hands, which quieted down the cheers and applause below.
He pointed to the female musician diagonally opposite him and announced loudly to everyone, "Her name is Fuyun, she is our pipa player! And she is also a pipa master!"
Fuyun, a student of He Huaizhi, the foremost pipa player during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, was also extremely famous during the Pear Garden period. However, when Li Guinian was examining some ancient books and records left behind, he found that names such as himself, his brother, Lei Haiqing, He Huaizhi, Zhang Yehu, and others were all recorded, but apart from Aman, no female Pear Garden performers were mentioned.
Li Guinian was a thoughtful and sensitive person with an open mind. In the past, he would have taken it for granted, but after six months of exposure to modern ideas, he felt that things shouldn't be this way.
Fuyun was surprised but also delighted that Li Gongfeng would introduce her in front of so many people. Although she had signed with an MCN agency in Qinghe Ancient Town and registered a video account, she was naturally introverted, so she hadn't made much of a splash yet.
But who doesn't want to be liked and have their name known?
She smiled and gave a deep bow to the tourists, which earned her even more enthusiastic applause and screams.
Yang Qingning picked up the slightly cool teacup, her fingertips trembling with excitement. Only one thought remained in her mind: This trip to Zone Two was totally worth it!
She felt that the "celestial parade" that afternoon might not be as spectacular as what was happening before her eyes.
After sitting in the teahouse for a while, it was almost noon. She called her grandfather and found out that they had already used the service twice and were queuing up to use it a third time.
Yang Qingning: ......
Professor Yang told her on the phone to go eat by herself: "Don't worry about me, Xiao Tian is here, we won't starve. You have fun here by yourself."
It seems they are completely absorbed in it; what else can Yang Qingning say?
Anyway, she'll definitely be participating in the grand parade of immortals this afternoon!
At noon, she originally wanted to go to "Song Sao Fish Restaurant," which was very famous online. How famous was it? Many tourists admitted that they had bought annual passes for Qinghe Ancient Town specifically for it. Moreover, there were many tourists from other places, and even several well-known food bloggers.
Unfortunately, when Yang Qingning arrived, she discovered that the number was long gone.
The girl greeting us at the door told her apologetically, "Half of our appointments are booked online in advance, and the other half are picked up on the day of the event. We open at 10 a.m., and people start queuing at 9 a.m., and by 9:30 a.m., all the appointments are already booked."
Yang Qingning couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.
She asked, "And tonight?"
The greeter smiled and said, "Chef Song will be taking a break tonight, so there might be fewer people in line. You can come and check it out beforehand."
Yang Qingning sighed. Chef Song was the star chef, and if she was taking a break, it seemed the only option was to rush in and queue up as soon as possible tomorrow or the day after.
I just don't know if it's really that delicious...
Since she couldn't get any food, she wandered around Zone 2, checked out the Illusionary Sound Pavilion, and ate at a few snack stalls. In the afternoon, she went to Zone 5 to try some handicrafts, which she found quite enjoyable.
Around 4 PM, she finally went to the VR experience center to pick up the three people who had already used up all six fast-pass opportunities.
Professor Yang and Professor Jin looked complicated and sighed, "Let's talk about it when we get back to the hotel."
This discovery is huge!
Yang Qingning nodded excitedly and said, "Then let's go see the grand parade of the immortals."
At 5:45, the grand parade of immortals began. By 4:30, one-meter lines had already been set up on both sides of the main road in Zones 1 and 2, and many tourists had already waited in their spots.
Yang Qingning originally wanted to spend more money, but unfortunately found that there seemed to be no way to spend money on this tour.
What happened?!
Shouldn't all the good spots be fenced off, and only those who have bought tickets be allowed in? Shouldn't all the benches along the street be fenced off, so that only those who have paid can sit, and those who don't have to stand?
Does the boss know how to make money?!
Tian Fan explained earnestly, "I think this is better; it reduces the stench of money."
Recalling her past experiences, Yang Qingning couldn't help but laugh: "That's true."
Standing to their left were a couple with their four- or five-year-old daughter.
The little girl must be very pampered at home. She was wearing a brand-new, beautiful Hanfu jacket, with a fluffy scarf around her neck. Her little face was rosy from the cold, but she was full of excitement. Her father was afraid she would get tired from standing for too long, so he carried her, while her mother carefully tidied her wind-blown hair and held a warm glass of milk in her hand, occasionally offering it to her for her to sip.
Yang Qingning stared for a while, then suddenly seemed lost in thought.
If only the twelve or thirteen-year-old Huang Daopo she saw in VR could be born in this era... In this era, even if her family is of ordinary means, at least she wouldn't have to be a child bride, wouldn't have to be beaten or starved, and would most likely be able to wear warm clothes, be loved by her parents, watch a lively procession of immortals, and have a childhood that is at least peaceful and well-fed, just like this girl.
"Phew—!" Yang Qingning let out a soft breath, then shook her head with a wry smile. "The aftereffects of VR are really something..."
Just then, a gentle, smiling, and somewhat aged voice came from the right: "...I understand, I'm coming over. I'm on the street, and I was hoping to join in the fun with everyone."
Yang Qingning turned her head slightly in response to the sound.
The speaker was a woman in her fifties, her hair streaked with gray, but her face held a kind of world-weary wisdom. She hung up the phone, turned to Yang Qingning, and smiled apologetically: "Excuse me, miss."
Yang Qingning and Tian Fan subconsciously and politely stepped aside to make room for each other, saying, "Please, go ahead."
The woman—who had just hung up the phone and was still somewhat reluctant to leave the lively atmosphere—smiled and nodded, squeezing through the crowd. Unlike Wang Wei, who preferred tranquility, she enjoyed this kind of lively, festive, and peaceful scene. If she hadn't had other commitments, she would definitely have watched the whole thing again!
The two passed each other silently.
As if sensing something, Yang Qingning turned around, only to see her quickly disappear into the crowd.
She paused briefly before turning her head back.
After waiting for an unknown amount of time, just as Yang Qingning was about to lose patience, white mist suddenly rose from the cordoned-off main parade road. The milky white smoke flowed and spread across the ground, like a sea of clouds in a celestial realm.
"Mommy, the fairies are coming!" The little girl, who was being held by her father and was about to fall asleep, suddenly woke up and excitedly pointed at the clouds.
The grand procession of the immortals is about to begin.
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