Chapter 68 The Flames Burned I'd never heard of this before…
Fu Yun was somewhat surprised. Weren't the two of them very busy lately? How did they find time to come and support the store opening?
He quickened his pace and stopped beside Lu Zhisheng and Cheng Jincheng. Looking up at the street, he saw Ye Lan and General Qian calmly heading towards Qingming Pavilion.
Behind them were two lion dance troupes, both of them large and lively.
Fu Yun noticed that Ye Lan was followed by two dragon dance teams. Two golden dragons were tumbling and dancing, as if they were swimming in the sea, with a magnificent momentum.
Behind General Qian were two lion dance teams, which danced nimbly in the street to the rhythm of drums, like lifelike lions leaping and bounding on the ground, majestic and awe-inspiring.
This attracted passersby to stop and watch, with enthusiastic applause and cheers erupting from time to time.
Fu Yun glanced back at everyone in the shop and waved for them to go out and greet the guests.
As the two sides closed the distance, the sound of gongs and drums became deafening, with a strong and distinct rhythm that made the listeners' blood boil.
The dragon and lion dance troupe is a traditional Chinese cultural activity, but Fu Yun had never had the time to appreciate it or the opportunity to see it in person before. She had only occasionally seen such opening ceremony activities on videos.
Seeing it with your own eyes is definitely different from watching it on a screen. The feeling of experiencing it firsthand is more shocking, more infectious, and the festive atmosphere is much stronger.
Before long, Ye Lan and General Qian arrived at the entrance of Qingming Pavilion, smiling as they greeted Fu Yun, Lu Zhisheng, and the others.
The dragon and lion dance teams parked themselves in the open space in front of the shops to perform.
As Fu Yun walked toward Ye Lan and General Qian, her gaze was unconsciously drawn to the dragon and lion dance troupe, and her pace slowed down without her noticing.
Not only him, but Cheng Jincheng was the same; he couldn't walk away once he started looking at it.
The rhythm and drumbeats grew stronger and stronger, and the atmosphere at the scene became increasingly heated.
The lion tumbles and leaps powerfully on the ground, sometimes excited and spirited, sometimes wagging its tail gently, displaying a unique demeanor and movements that are so lifelike that they are truly awe-inspiring.
The majestic lions' agile leaps, bounds, and pounces were fluid and graceful, earning enthusiastic applause from the onlookers: "Bravo!"
Lu Zhisheng noticed that Fu Yun paused in his steps and was slightly surprised. He looked up and saw that Fu Yun seemed to be attracted by the lion dance team. He quickly took two steps forward, leaned close to Fu Yun's ear, and whispered a reminder: "Young Master Su, Commander Ye and General Qian are still waiting for us. If we keep them waiting, it would be disrespectful and inappropriate."
Fu Yun paused slightly, suddenly snapping back to reality. She turned to look at Lu Zhisheng, her expression slightly embarrassed: "Sorry, I forgot for a moment. Luckily, you reminded me."
Lu Zhisheng took two steps back, then returned to her original position, gently shook her head, and smiled shyly: "No need to apologize, it's only right."
Fu Yun said no more and quickly walked to Ye Lan and Qian Qingling and stood in front of them. Her delicate eyebrows and eyes were full of warm smiles like a spring breeze: "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Welcome to our distinguished guests. I'm really sorry to have taken the time out of your busy schedules to attend the opening ceremony of the store."
He pointed to the lion and dragon dance troupe behind the two men and added with a smile, "Thank you so much for hiring the lion and dragon dance troupe for the store. Their skills are superb, and their performance was absolutely wonderful. I was completely mesmerized by it."
Qian Qingling didn't respond, but stared blankly at Fu Jun's eyes and brows, her heart fluttering: this was the first time she had seen the person in front of her with such a radiant smile. His already extremely handsome face was now even more captivating and mesmerizing.
Ye Lan's brows relaxed, and she smiled gently as she spoke: "Since your shop is opening to welcome customers, we naturally have to come and offer our congratulations. This is the first time you've properly opened a shop since you started doing business, so it would be too insincere to come empty-handed. After discussing it with Lao Qian, we invited a dragon and lion dance troupe to come and liven things up, hoping for some good luck. We wish your shop a prosperous opening, abundant wealth, and a fortune every day."
Fu Jun's smile deepened: "Thank you, I appreciate your kind words. I'm sure your business will flourish and prosper in the future."
Ye Lan smiled and nodded, her gaze seemingly sweeping over Lu Zhisheng behind Fu Jun before looking up at the shop's signboard. She rarely praised it, saying, "The shop name is quite good: A wisp of clear tea, a wisp of fragrance; the ultimate taste in life is simple joy."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhisheng's eyes flickered slightly, and he secretly glanced at Ye Lan, his gaze dark and unfathomable.
As if sensing Lu Zhisheng's gaze, Ye Lan looked away and glanced to the side, just in time to catch Lu Zhisheng's gaze before she could look away. She was slightly taken aback, then a faint smile appeared on her lips, and a meaningful emotion flickered in her eyes.
Fu Yun took in the subtle eye contact between Ye Lan and Lu Zhisheng and made a guess: perhaps it was because of the previous kidnapping incident that Ye Lan and Lu Zhisheng had close physical contact, which made them notice each other, and now there was already a small flame burning.
No wonder Ye Lan mentioned Lu Zhisheng unintentionally; it seems that Lu Zhisheng has a certain place in her heart.
Looking at Lu Zhisheng's reaction, although he was trying his best to hide his emotions, it was still possible to sense that he paid more attention to Ye Lan than to others.
Goodness, the man is in love and the woman is interested; it would be a shame if they didn't become a couple.
It seems that this means I'm about to witness a marriage blossom.
It's unclear who will make the first move. From General Qian's brief remarks, Ye Lan seems rather oblivious to matters of the heart and doesn't seem to focus on romantic relationships, so it's probably difficult for her to take the initiative.
Lu Zhisheng is rather reserved and demure, so he obviously doesn't have the courage to approach Ye Lan, especially since Ye Lan's status is not low.
It's hard to say who will lose their temper first; I'm inexplicably looking forward to it.
Perhaps sensing the probing look in Fu Yun's eyes, Ye Lan immediately composed herself, calmly turning her gaze away to Qian Qingling, who was standing to the side in a daze.
She raised her elbow and gently nudged Qian Qingling's shoulder: "Old Qian, what are you standing there for? You've been standing here for ages, why haven't you said a word?"
Qian Qingling snapped out of her daze, reluctantly withdrawing her gaze, her tone slightly cold: "Haven't you said everything you needed to say? What else is there for me to say?"
"Tsk!" Ye Lan glanced at Qian Qingling impatiently: "Today is Young Master Su's business opening day, aren't you going to say a few words of congratulations?"
Qian Qingling's eyes flashed, as if she had just realized that she had overlooked this matter.
She looked guilty and gazed at Fu Yun with deep eyes. Just as she was about to speak, Fu Yun said, "Don't rush to give your congratulatory speech. Save it for later. I'd like to invite you to cut the ribbon."
Ye Lan & Qian Qingling: "?"
The two asked in unison, "What is a ribbon-cutting ceremony?"
Fu Yun turned to look at Su Mang and waved for her to come over.
Su Mang nodded and stepped forward, carrying the wooden tray.
Fu Yun glanced at Cheng Jincheng, who had been patiently waiting to the side, and reminded him, "I'll hold this end of the red cloth, and you hold the other end."
Cheng Jincheng did as he was told, pulling the red cloth to the other side.
Ye Lan and Qian Qingling seemed to only then notice Cheng Jincheng, noticing his extraordinary physique, and a hint of sternness flashed in their eyes.
Ye Lan's face darkened, and she asked in a cold voice, "Who is he?"
Fu Yun quickly explained, "His name is Cheng Jincheng, and he is also my friend. Don't worry, he is not a foreigner, nor is he a spy. He is just physically strong and a bit on the larger side."
Ye Lan's expression softened slightly, but she still asked, "Where are you from? Where do you live?"
Fu Yun: "..."
Cheng Jincheng remained calm and answered unhurriedly: "I am an orphan. I was abandoned at a young age and grew up among beggars. I have never seen my parents since I was born. An old beggar took pity on me and took me with him to wander around, making the world our home. Later, he also passed away, and I wandered around until I came here. I don't remember which town my home was in, I only remember that the village I lived in was called Chengjia Village."
Fu Yun: "..." Talking nonsense in a serious manner.
Ye Lan and Qian Qingling fell silent upon hearing this, clearly not expecting that this burly man would be such a tragic figure.
Su Mang and Lu Zhisheng's gazes towards Cheng Jincheng gradually turned into expressions of sympathy and pity.
Qian Qingling pondered for a moment and asked, "Is it Chengjia Village in Yanzhou City?"
Cheng Jincheng ignored what Qian Qingling was saying and quickly replied, "It seems so."
Fu Yun promptly stated, "I trust his character, and I will vouch for him if anything happens."
Cheng Jincheng looked at Fu Yun gratefully: "Thanks. You trust me so much, I will definitely not let you down. Otherwise, may I be struck by lightning and turned into barbecued pork."
"Pfft." Lu Zhisheng and Su Mang both let out a sneer at the same time.
Fu Yun: "..."
Ye Lan glanced at Lu Zhisheng indifferently.
"Ahem~" Lu Zhisheng cleared his throat by making a fist and pressing it to his lips. He said seriously, "I trust Young Master Su's judgment of people. Young Master Cheng is not a bad person, but an honest and law-abiding commoner."
Ye Lan paused for a moment, looked up and met Qian Qingling's gaze, but ultimately said nothing more.
"Alright," Fu Yun said, changing the subject at the right moment: "Let's put this aside for now and I'll explain the meaning of ribbon-cutting to you."
Fu Yun handed Ye Lan and Qian Qingling a pair of scissors each, explaining as she gestured: "A ribbon-cutting ceremony is a celebratory event, a grand celebration to mark the commencement or completion of a new project, or the opening of a shop or restaurant. It represents auspicious meanings and blessings, and also carries lofty aspirations and ambitions, wishing the company a bright future and great success."
Ye Lan suddenly realized, "I see. So the more people who participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the more blessings they receive, and the greater the chance of their wishes coming true."
Fu Yun paused for a moment, then replied, "You could say that."
Qian Qingling asked curiously, "How did you learn about these ways of celebrating?"
Fu Yun remained expressionless: "I saw it in a book."
"Oh?" A hint of teasing appeared in Ye Lan's eyes: "I've never heard of such a diligent person as Young Master Su before."
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