Chapter 1019: Chapter 1018: Every Family Has Its Troubles
"Shameless," Liu Qingyan frowned.
"Despicable," Shen Ying nodded.
"No shame," Lin Wan couldn’t help but shake her head and sigh.
Lu Zheng said speechlessly, "They keep digging up trouble, but what does it prove?
Even if they win this round of public opinion, what does it change?
A dozen or twenty years ago, we would have lifted them to the skies without their need to create a narrative, but now the positions are fixed. They can’t change the minds of others, only excite their own.
"If it makes them feel better, that’s fine," Lin Wan shrugged. "They’re unwilling to accept their decline. The more they fail, the more sensitive they become, the more they seek chances to prove their superiority, to suppress us."
Lu Zheng couldn’t help but laugh, "That might not be the case. They’re still a developed country. What you say might seem like jealousy and slander."
Lin Wan scoffed, "All that’s left is semiconductors and cars. Cars are almost done for, semiconductors won’t be far behind. The small industries can’t sustain such a big country. Then what do they have left? The custom industry and the cooking Immortal?"
"That’s quite a cutting remark, there’s still a bunch of filial sons and worthy descendants," Lu Zheng chuckled at Lin Wan’s comment.
"Who are you calling filial sons and worthy descendants?"
Lu Zheng’s words were overheard by a passing man in a kimono who was live streaming, he turned and scolded, "Admitting your inferiority and learning the strengths of others, is it really that hard? Hua Country will be brought down by you arrogant nationalists eventually!"
Lu Zheng: ???
Lin Wan narrowed her eyes, Liu Qingyan took a deep breath, and Shen Ying subtly moved her fingers, planting a Spell Seal on him.
Lu Zheng couldn’t help but lick his lips; Shen Ying cast a Nightmare Curse on him, although it was mild and would weaken over time, he probably wouldn’t sleep well for months.
Lu Zheng gave a thumbs-up, praised, "You bow down to the people who live well on Little Days Island, I guess the eight million Ghost Gods there really appreciate you, I’m sure they’ll come to befriend you."
"You’re the one bowing down!" The kimono man glared at Lu Zheng, "Little pinks can’t speak with eloquence."
He looked at the beautiful Lin Wan, then back at the average Lu Zheng, pursed his lips, turned around, and left while interacting with his audience in the live stream.
"Never seen such rude people, they’re all brainwashed, not humble, lacking independent thought, is it so hard to admit what’s better? Look at our cherry blossom dance, our ukiyo-e, and what have they got left? ’Chicken You’re Beautiful’ and shallow poems?"
The live stream was filled with laughter and rewards.
"’Chicken You’re Beautiful’?"
"Shallow poems?"
Shen Ying and Liu Qingyan looked at Lu Zheng, "What are those?"
Lu Zheng’s mouth twitched, unsure how to respond.
Lin Wan sighed, "Family misfortune, best left unsaid, every family has its troubles."
The two women exchanged glances and each took out their phones to search.
"Hehehe..." Shen Ying couldn’t help but cover her mouth in a giggle, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
Liu Qingyan had a stunned expression like an old commuter reading on the subway, her beautiful face twisted, "This...is called poetry?"
"Yes..." Lin Wan sighed, "Experts and professors have said, it’s poetry rich in artistic flavor and depth of thought."
Shen Ying, "..."
Liu Qingyan, "..."
Just then, a dispute broke out not far away.
"You’re disrupting us, please find another place," a kimono-clad couple approached the two ladies playing the zither nearby.
"We were here first, we didn’t complain about your loud music, yet you blame us?" The young woman in green angrily retorted.
"Indeed, there’s plenty of space on the square, why are you so close? Trying to pick a fight?" The young woman in red also angrily added.
"But the audience prefers to watch our dance performance, your zither playing is sporadic, like donkey brays, isn’t that disturbing visitors?" The woman in a kimono scoffed.
"What’s with the donkey brays? It’s your music that’s interfering with us, and you still have the nerve to say that?" The woman in green replied.
"It only proves your lack of skill," the man in a kimono shrugged.
Turns out, a group of people performing cherry blossom dance in kimonos set up near the two zither-playing ladies, with an audience gathering and their dance area expanding, starting to encroach on the Hanfu circle’s territory.
Seeing the two ladies alone, several young people in Hanfu came forward to help, neither side willing to back down.
"There’s so much space over there, why don’t you go?"
"You can go, it’s just two zithers, easy to move."
"Why should we move? You should go!"
"If you don’t want to move, fine, but we’ll film you during our live stream, we’ll be impressively beautiful and you’ll be out of tune, embarrassing yourselves, not us."
"You, you can’t play your music so loud!"
"This is a park square, not residential, you use speakers for your zither too, what’s your right to complain about us?"
It’s undeniable, these youngsters argued like veteran square dancers.
Lin Wan frowned, "Out of line, this is deliberate, with someone live streaming nearby, clearly intentional."
Shen Ying nodded, "It’s a ploy, I’m right next to you, performing better, attracting more viewers, then overshadowing you."
Watching the two Hanfu ladies, eyes red, about to cry, Liu Qingyan said sympathetically, "Should we help them?"
"How?" Shen Ying asked, "Can’t plant a Mind Confusion Curse on each of them, can we?"
Liu Qingyan thought for a moment and then turned her gaze to Lu Zheng.
Lu Zheng shrugged, "What can I do, unless you’re willing to be on camera."
"Huh?"
"Aren’t they just relying on their well-prepared show, perform better, that’s all," Lu Zheng said matter-of-factly, motioning towards the parking lot. "We can change outfits, get gear from the car, want to give it a try?"
The three women exchanged glances, having wandered the park and seen various performances, feeling inspired by the atmosphere.
...
Soon after, the argument lingered unresolved, when a sound of the zither pierced through.
The zither sound wasn’t loud, yet it seemed to resonate nearby, lingering and stirring the hearts.
