"Okay, here you go. I only drank a little bit of this fruit tea, so you can have the rest!" They're all kids, it's not easy for them.
The child's eyes lit up, and he took the skewers and fruit tea from Saburo's hand, only to see Saburo casually pull out the straw from the fruit tea.
Meeting the child's questioning gaze, Saburo smiled and said, "The fruit tea inside is clean, but this straw is one I used. It wouldn't be hygienic for you to use it again."
But the child really wanted to drink the fruit tea through a straw like Saburo.
Saburo seemed to have read the child's mind. He scratched his head, turned the straw upside down, and stuck it into the cup.
"Drink it!"
The two children happily sat down at the makeshift "stage," one enjoying his food while the other watched him eat, chin in hand.
"What, what song are you singing? It's weirdly, weirdly nice."
"Catching loaches, my sister taught me how."
"Jumping is so much fun! Can I...can I...learn it?"
"Yes, sure, I'll teach you."
"You... why are you stuttering too?"
"...!"
Saburo covered his mouth and remained silent.
He can't stay with this kid; he's made him stutter!
"Let me teach you to sing! The next song I'm going to sing is 'Orchid Grass.' Let me teach you a few lines first! I came from the mountains, carrying orchid grass, which I planted in my little garden, hoping it would bloom soon..."
"I come from the mountains, carrying orchids... What's the next line again?"
"Planted in the small garden, hoping the flowers will bloom early..."
Saburo made a surprising discovery: this child didn't stutter at all when he sang, and his voice was actually quite good!
So I taught even more diligently.
Not far away, a slightly plump young woman covered her mouth tightly with her handkerchief, her eyes wide as she watched the two children sing, one line after the other, one teaching earnestly and the other singing with heartfelt dedication.
"Madam, the young master... he's stopped stuttering!" The little maid beside her exclaimed excitedly, her eyes reddening.
"Shh... Keep your voice down, don't let Qing'er hear."
Jiangshan brought a lot of ingredients, but grilling and stir-frying both take time. They have limited manpower, and there are too many people queuing up, so they are really too busy.
"Sanlang, come and help!" Jiang Shan shouted into the crowd.
Upon hearing his sister's voice, Saburo quickly stood up and went inside.
The child also stood up and followed Sanlang inside.
The woman not far away beckoned to the maid and whispered in her ear, "Go to the manor and find a few people to come and help. Let the child play with Qing'er a little longer."
Before long, two women came over, went straight to Jiang Shan's side, took the bamboo skewers from the two children, and helped them string the food together.
"Aunties, did you come to the wrong stall?" Jiang Shan kindly reminded them.
The two women exchanged a glance, then looked at their master opposite them and said, "We are cooks from Magistrate Cao's residence. My mistress said she wanted to thank this young master for teaching my son to sing, so she specially sent us to help out."
Jiang Shan then noticed the little tail behind Sanlang. He was holding a bamboo skewer, standing there half-heartedly, staring longingly at Sanlang.
The magistrate's son is a minor nobleman; he's not someone to be trifled with.
Jiang Shan immediately decided: "Sanlang, why don't you take this young master out to play for a while, and also prepare for the next program?"
Saburo glanced at the child, then at the two women who were working very efficiently, and tactfully pulled the child away.
The two returned to their seats by the stage.
"You're Magistrate Cao's son? What's your name?"
"My name is Cao Qing. What's your name?"
“I am Jiao Sanlang from Huaigu Village. I studied at Qingfeng Academy, and the teacher gave me the name Jiao Xian.”
"Can I call you Ah-Xian? You can call me Ah-Qing."
"Ah Qing, when you speak, just pretend you're singing, then you won't stutter."
"But I... I can only sing 'orchid, orchid'..."
"It's okay, you can make up any tune, ahhhhhh..."
"Well, I'll give it a try. Ah, Xian, what's your next performance?"
"The next song is 'Heroes' Song,' the great river flows eastward, and the stars in the sky point to the Big Dipper..."
Sanlang started singing, swaying his head and clapping his hands to get into the groove. Cao Qing got into the mood almost instantly, humming an unknown tune and clapping her little hands rhythmically, her face flushed with excitement.
The two friends played around for a while longer, and Cao Qing said like a little adult, "It's so much fun! Last year's food festival wasn't fun at all, but this year there's so much more delicious food and fun activities, plus great friends!"
Saburo nodded in agreement: "This is my first time participating too. My sister said that if you're going to do something, you should do it to the best of your ability!"
"You guys are the best! I'm going to give you lots and lots of votes!"
What ticket?
"This is the ticket. I'll give it to you. I know someone else has it. Wait a minute."
As they chatted, the little boy disappeared. Saburo looked at the ticket in his hand, puzzled, and decided to hand it over to his sister.
"Sister, this is a gift from Aqing. She said it's a vote for us."
Jiang Shan took one look and laughed. It turns out the friendship between these two kids is like an early-stage investment!
Once you have the first ticket, the second and third will be easier.
Enhancing influence and brand awareness is key; ticket sales are just a bonus. After raking in the first wave of tickets, Saburo's second round of performances began.
"Heroes' Song" is a song and dance piece choreographed by Jiang Shan for Sanlang. It incorporates some modern popular elements and blends in some ethnic styles, making it a unique creation of this era.
The show also features a prop: the drum that Jiangshan played on the opening day.
I was originally going to ask Cao Qing to help me play the drums, but unfortunately, I don't know where he went.
Then Saburo himself will have to perform.
As soon as the drums sounded, everyone's eyes were drawn to the stage.
"Boom boom boom!" A series of rapid drumbeats sounded, and Sanlang struck a pose with his legs slightly bent, one hand on his hip, and the other hand forcefully slashing out.
"The great river flows eastward, and the stars in the sky point to the Big Dipper, hehe, they point to the Big Dipper..."
"A bowl of wine is all it takes to separate life and death...!"
Another childish voice echoed along with Sanlang's singing, and surprisingly, it didn't sound out of place at all; in fact, it created a strange harmony.
Cao Qing came running over, panting, followed by a group of people.
"Vote!" Cao Qing gave the order, and a group of people surged toward Jiangshan, pulling out all the ballots in their hands.
Jiang Shan: ...Why do I feel like I'm cheating?
"Come on, come on, let's give a round of applause! Everyone, clap your hands, clap for Ah Xian, Ah Xian is great!" Cao Qing clapped frantically, her high-pitched voice coming from her throat, no longer showing any of her former inferiority complex and resentment.
The county magistrate's wife, standing to the side, kept wiping away the tears streaming down her face with her handkerchief, and shouted along with her son, "Clap your hands! Clap your hands!"
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