Linxia

Chapter 62, Savings

"Traitor, be beaten!"

The man shouted loudly, then swung his fist and hit the actor.

This man looked tall and strong, how could the actor withstand his punches? After just a few punches, his nose and face were bruised.

"Good good!"

Many audience members were stunned for a moment and then applauded.

On the contrary, many old customers who had seen this play were confused at this moment. Was this scene in the play? Or was it a new arrangement today? Even if it was arranged, how could there be such a real fight in the play?
"Well done!" Fang's father and mother were infected by the atmosphere and joined in the cheering.

Tian Xuan blinked her eyes and restrained herself a little.

Fang Lin was helpless, knowing that this was most likely a misunderstanding. While thinking about it just now, he noticed that when the performance on stage reached its climax, the audience below all clapped and cheered, but that man neither cheered nor clapped, but just stared with his eyes wide open and his face flushed.

"stop!"

Although others were not aware of what was going on, the owner of the teahouse knew it and thought something was wrong, so he quickly stepped forward and asked the man to be pulled away.

But the man was still shouting: "How can we not punish such a traitor?"

When the others heard this, they didn't know whether to laugh or cry, knowing that the actor was getting too immersed in the role.

At this time, someone suddenly shouted, "Isn't this the woodcutter who bumped into Mr. Yang a few days ago? His last name seems to be Yue."

"The surname is Yue, no wonder, this is a substitution for Yue Wumu!"

"This woodcutter bumped into a scholar before, and today is even worse, he hit the prime minister. It really makes his life worthwhile." Someone joked.

……

Suddenly there was a burst of good-natured laughter.

"What a pity!" Father Fang said, as if he still felt regretful that it was not arranged.

"Qin Hui is a bad guy and deserves to be beaten." Fang's mother also said.

Tian Xuan also said: "I thought it was arranged at first!"

Fang Lin smiled, changed his mind, and roughly understood what had happened.

I think that after selling firewood in the market, Yue the woodcutter rushed to watch a play. It happened that today's performance of "The Legend of Loyalty" was watched, and he saw that no matter how brave Yue Wumu was, he could not resist Qin Hui's words. He put himself in the role of the play, and his emotions brewed to the extreme and burst out, which led to the previous scene.

"This is just a play, don't take it seriously!" the teahouse owner advised.

Yue the Woodcutter actually said, "I only fought because I knew it was a play. If it was real, I would have chopped him with an axe!"

The teahouse owner was helpless but did not pursue the matter. The audience was satisfied with the show and could talk about it as an interesting topic after dinner when they go back home.

……

At noon, Fang Lin actually saw take-out. Yes, it was take-out, the kind that you go to the restaurant and ask someone to make an order in advance, and then the waiter delivers it to your door at the appointed time.

As for Fang Lin's family, they went to a small restaurant to eat something, and continued to walk around in the afternoon. They went to another famous teahouse in the city, Juxianzhai, and looked around for a while. They not only visited famous teahouses and pubs, but also walked around some famous schools. They met the children in the schools and asked them what they usually did for fun, whether they could climb trees, play in the water, and where they went.

As the saying goes, to catch fish you go to the waterside, and to chop wood you go to the mountains. If Fang Lin wanted to meet noble people and build a network of relationships, he naturally had to go to places where these noble people hang out, or where the children of noble families hang out.

"There are so many places, so many prosperous houses. I've checked them out today. Every morning, or when I'm tired of studying, I can go to these places and take a walk. I can always find opportunities to help. Once I get started and have a connection, it will be much easier later." He thought to himself.

Of course, this is something that requires a lot of patience, and it may take one month, three months, half a year, or even a year. However, as long as you are patient, careful, attentive, and well prepared, and stretch the time to a larger span, the probability will become extremely high.

Fang Lin was not in a hurry either. He was currently learning to read. The next step was to read the Four Books and Five Classics to see if he had any talent. The two could be done simultaneously.

Wow!
The autumn wind blew, blowing through the treetops, and some dead leaves fell. Fang Lin took one and knew that the autumnal equinox had passed, the weather was getting colder, and all things were withering and going dormant.

He also knew that harvesting in autumn and storing in winter was the law of nature. They accumulated silently, and when the spring came next year, thousands of flowers would bloom.

……

I just wandered around like this for the whole day.

The whole family was naturally very happy. By the way, Fang Lin had never thought that his father, who was usually as wooden as a stick, actually taught him a lesson and took the initiative to buy a wooden hairpin for Fang's mother. He also quickly picked out a hairband for Tian Xuan - Tian Xuan's hair was a little short, and she had sold her hair on the road, so it hadn't grown too long yet.

In the evening, when they returned to Xixiang Hutong, Fang's mother was picking vegetables at the door and chatting with Granny Qiu from the neighboring house, talking about going to the theater today.

At this time, Grandma Man came back from buying vegetables and passed by. In the past, chores such as buying vegetables were naturally done by Chuntao. After being scolded by Master Ou yesterday, she rarely started working today and happened to hear these words.

"You really are from a small country town. You're so happy to watch a play. You must have never seen the world." She curled her lips.

"I have not seen the world, but I have a good son. He is not like some other families whose sons are second-rate bastards who do nothing all day long, let alone take his mother to the theater." Fang's mother was not a good-tempered person and retorted.

"As if it's a rare thing. I just don't like watching shows." Grandma Man was poked in the lung. She made up her mind to defend herself and ran back in embarrassment, twisting her butt.

……

Here, Fang Lin came under the osmanthus tree to chat with Master Ou. By the way, he liked Master Ou and Manager Liu very much. Every time they chatted, he could always get a lot of useful information from them.

"Speaking of watching a play, I have a small case here." Mr. Ou was lying on a rattan chair, and he straightened his back and wanted to drink some water.

"Master Ou, please go ahead." Fang Lin picked up the bamboo tube and handed it over.

Master Ou nodded, with an expression that said, "You are a teachable kid." He sipped his saliva and said, "In the early years of the founding of the country, there was a local wealthy man named Liu, who called himself the Opera Man. From the nickname he gave himself, it is not difficult to see that he is a person who loves opera. Not only does he like to watch opera, but he can also write, direct and perform his own plays. He has a troupe of about ten people at home. Whenever he has time, he rehearses with the troupe...

On this day, Liu Fushen was rehearsing a play when he suddenly heard a series of rapid knocks on the door. It turned out to be someone from the government, who opened the door, broke in, and took him away.

Why? Because Taizu issued a ban to "strictly prohibit the people from indulging in music and beauty". Taizu once said that music and beauty are the axe that cuts down one's nature and can easily drown a person. Once one indulges in them, disasters and chaos will arise, which is worse than poison.

Master Ou said, agreeing with him: "Sex and pleasure are fascinating. A good official can easily become corrupt if he indulges in them... But now, the brothels and theaters are gone, and storytellers and opera singers have moved into teahouses and restaurants, and this is the case everywhere. In the early years of the founding of the country, Taizu only allowed the Jiaofang Bureau to perform operas, and only allowed the performance of loyal and filial operas. Now, although the law is in place, it is difficult to enforce it, and the decadent music continues."

"Just a few days ago, there was a new play called 'Romance of the West Chamber'. It seemed to be about love, but countless people went to watch it. It was huge... It was ridiculous and out of place. Today is not as good as in the past!" He sighed.

"Food, sex, and love are the greatest desires of human beings!"

Fang Lin thought about it, but expressed a different opinion: "At the beginning of the founding of the country, there were many things to be done, and the people had to concentrate on production, not indulge in sensual pleasures and make a mess. Taizu's ban is understandable. But now, many people are well fed and clothed, and it is inevitable that they have more needs. This is human nature."

"Oh?"

After hearing this, Master Ou looked at Fang Lin in surprise. Although he still insisted on tradition and did not agree, he also gave affirmation and encouragement.

……

After chatting with Master Ou for a while, Fang Lin went back.

At this time, the sky was filled with golden and red clouds, and the evening breeze was blowing gently. Fang's father was sitting by the doorstep to rest, and Fang's mother was picking vegetables not far away. From the kitchen came the sound of Tian Xuan tidying up the pots and pans.

The smoke from the chimney rises slowly, and it is the smell of life.

Fang Lin felt a sense of peace in his heart, as if at this moment, his family had finally settled down in the city.

At this time, the people of Xiaohe Village who had left the provincial capital hurriedly returned to Xiaohe Village where they had been away for a long time.

……

(End of this chapter)