vrcanaries Chapter 231: Fireworks Land
Chapter 231: Fireworks Land
Before long, the storyteller struck his gavel and began to tell a new story with great emotion.
Today's story is about a poor scholar who, after many hardships, finally passed the imperial examination with top honors and became the number one scholar. He was then favored by the emperor, who wanted to marry a princess to him.
Such stories were already very familiar to Su Yue; she had heard at least eighty or a hundred of them, but she still listened with great interest.
The storyteller abruptly stopped when he reached the crucial point—whether the scholar would marry the princess or not.
He left only one sentence: "To hear what happens next, please stay tuned for the next episode. Please come again tomorrow, esteemed guests!"
Su Yue couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, thinking to herself: Could the rumors about the Prince of Zhenbei and the princess of the enemy country also be made up by this storyteller?
Thinking about it carefully, this possibility is actually quite significant!
Thinking of this, Su Yue couldn't help but think to herself: That old man, he's ruined her life!
She even thought it was true and went to the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion to see.
Su Yue felt like she had been tricked. She ran up to the stage, picked up the gavel and slammed it down, instantly silencing the entire teahouse.
"Now I will tell you the exciting and thrilling story that follows!"
Now, why did the top scholar, who had just passed the imperial examination, refuse the princess's favor without hesitation?
It turns out that on his way to the capital to take the imperial examination, he happened to pass by a place called Gao Lao Zhuang.
There, he met a woman named Gao Cuihua and fell in love with her at first sight.
He even made a promise on the spot that as long as he passed the imperial examination with flying colors, he would immediately return to Gao Village to propose marriage to her...
Su Yue thus combined several stories together, including fox spirits and ghosts from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio and gods and demons from Journey to the West, making it a veritable hodgepodge.
Just as Su Yue was recounting how the top scholar, full of joy, embarked on his journey back to Gao Laozhuang and passed by a dilapidated temple intending to stay the night,
The teahouse was already packed with people, so crowded that there was hardly any room to put your feet down.
The audience listened with rapt attention, their eyes glued to Su Yue, afraid of missing a single exciting detail.
Even the old man who was telling stories on stage was now so angry that he was blowing his beard and glaring.
He tried several times to rush forward and drive Su Yue off the stage, to reclaim his own storytelling stage.
However, the teahouse owner, knowing the allure of Su Yue's story, quickly ordered his men to keep the old man firmly in place, lest he spoil the lively scene.
Su Yue looked up and around, and seeing the scene before her, she couldn't help but feel secretly pleased with herself.
She coughed lightly twice to moisten her throat, then suddenly picked up the gavel with her right hand and slammed it down, the crisp sound instantly echoing throughout the teahouse.
Then, she mimicked the old storyteller's tone and shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen, that's all for today's story! To find out what happens next, please stay tuned for the next installment!"
Before she finished speaking, she strode forward without hesitation and headed straight for the teahouse entrance.
In the blink of an eye, Su Yue had already walked out of the teahouse, not even giving the teahouse owner a chance to stop her.
The sudden stop made the teahouse owner as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, muttering something under his breath as if he were about to burst into flames.
And what about Su Yue at this time?
I felt incredibly happy! With my good mood, I unconsciously quickened my pace and walked a little further without realizing it.
As they walked, a shop of enormous size and extravagant decoration suddenly appeared ahead.
As she approached and took a closer look, she saw a gleaming golden plaque hanging high above the door, with three large characters written on it in a flamboyant style: "Zangxiang Pavilion"!
I must say, the name of this store is absolutely brilliant!
Just standing here for a short while, you can smell the refreshing fragrance. It's no wonder that anyone who passes by will be covered in its aroma.
Thinking of this, Su Yue couldn't help but smile slightly. Then, she gracefully flicked open the folding fan in her hand, leisurely waving it as she strode confidently into the shop.
As soon as I entered, a woman came to greet me.
The woman wore a dazzling array of pearl hairpins and jewelry, and a light, gossamer-thin gauze dress, making her look charming and alluring.
She said in a sweet voice, "Oh, sir, I'm sorry for my poor eyesight. Judging from your appearance, this must be your first time visiting our shop! Qingruo, Fuqu, come quickly and take good care of this gentleman to the private room on the second floor."
However, the scene before her eyes was completely different from what Su Yue had seen on television before.
The first floor was rather deserted, with only a few tables occupied by men sitting together, drinking and chatting idly.
In the most prominent position in this hall, there is a round platform where several women dressed in brightly colored dance costumes are dancing gracefully.
The dance they performed was quite peculiar, and Su Yue had never seen it before.
Following the two girls, Su Yue slowly went up to the second floor.
What she saw before her eyes amazed her; it was truly a hidden paradise!
On the second floor, there was also a large round platform, surrounded by a series of exquisite rooms.
Each room's window is adorned with an exquisite curtain. When drawn, it neither obstructs the view of the spectacular performances on the stage nor prevents outsiders from seeing inside.
Of course, whether or not to lower the curtain is entirely up to each guest's personal preference.
Soon, Su Yue was led to the first room located at the entrance on the second floor.
Upon entering the room, one of the girls politely excused herself and left, leaving only the other girl inside, who carefully drew the curtains for Su Yue.
"Would you like some tea, young master, or a little wine?" The speaker was Fuqu, who had stayed behind to serve.
She stood gracefully to the side, her face as beautiful as a peach blossom, her eyes sparkling with autumn waves, asking softly.
"Hmm... pour me some bar!" Su Yue looked around the room, after all, this was her first time in such a red-light district, and she was filled with curiosity.
As Su Yue spoke, she reached out and picked up a grape from the table, stuffing it into her mouth without hesitation.
However, the next second, she frowned at the sour taste of the grapes and quickly spat them out.
Seeing this, Fuqu quickly picked up her handkerchief, stepped forward, and carefully caught the grapes that Su Yue spat out.
At the same time, she gently comforted him, "Young master, these grapes may not be fully ripe yet, so they taste a little sour. I'll get you a different plate right away."