Chapter 1111: Chapter 268: Premature Birth
"Chu, are you done packing?"
"All set, Dad."
"Alright, let’s eat."
Old He and He Chu entered a noodle shop across the street together.
Usually, the father and son would set up their stall early in the morning. If business was average, one of them would head home early to make a meal, waiting for the other to return in the afternoon to eat together.
If business was good and they were busy for a long time, they wouldn’t go home to cook. After finishing up, they’d find a place on the street for a meal in the afternoon.
Eating out wasn’t as cost-effective as cooking at home. But if business was good, by that time, the father and son wouldn’t mind "splurging" at a neighbor’s shop.
Fortunately, all the shopkeepers in the area were neighbors; they saw each other all the time. And regardless of whether it was a big restaurant or a small shop, few didn’t serve pork. Even if a shop specialized in beef or lamb soup or flatbreads, the owners themselves sometimes got tired of their own food and had to taste some pork for a change.
Moreover, the He family father and son were sincere in their business and honest people, so when they ordered two small bowls of noodles at the restaurant, the owner would often serve them in large portions instead.
The He family didn’t stand on ceremony, as they’d just bring an extra couple of ounces of meat next time.
If people on the street wanted to live comfortably, they couldn’t be greedy over such small matters.
He Chu handed his father a pair of chopsticks.
The father and son began to eat heartily,
With the noodles eaten and soup drunk, they felt warm inside, and their energy was back.
After leaving the noodle shop, they didn’t go back home. There was no need to set up the stall in the afternoon; usually, they only did it again at dusk.
So, their afternoons were quite leisurely.
When people have leisure time, they always need to find something to do for entertainment.
A cultured hobby might be calligraphy or painting; a slightly more refined pastime could be bird watching or antiquing; if you wanted an exciting pastime, cricket fighting or dog fighting would do.
Of course, there was always the more common activity, like visiting the tea house for some tea and stories.
Over the past half-year, the He father and son had gotten used to spending afternoons in the tea house listening to storytellers.
They didn’t have this hobby before, but now that they’re "royal relatives," they felt the need to keep up appearances.
Being royal kin and all, the He family father and son didn’t want to flaunt their status, but they figured they should at least keep somewhat informed about what was happening outside instead of remaining plain and rustic commoners.
Of course, being royal relatives didn’t mean going to the top-ranked tea house in the capital, instead they went to the Yong’an Tea House on the same street. And they didn’t sit in a private room on the second floor but at the small table by the front door.
Why sit by the door?
First, it’s a place where people come and go, and anyone with status would sit upstairs or inside. Those left at the door listening for free were typically engaged in hard labor, and their own sweat didn’t bother them, so they didn’t mind the pig smell on the He father and son who hadn’t bathed before coming.
Second, when the storyteller ended on a cliffhanger and their apprentice went around with a big bamboo tray collecting tips, they were less likely to come around the busy door, thus saving a bit on tips.
Same old spot, same old seat by the door, a pot of old hawk tea, and a small plate of peanuts, everything was set.
The storyteller was warming up the audience,
"Ladies and gentlemen, today we continue the story of Lord Pingye venturing alone into Chu, where the Chu Princess offered her hand in marriage."
"Great!!!!!!"
"Great!!!!!!"
The story, in fact, had been told yesterday. Originally, seven or eight days ago, it was the storyteller at the First Rank Tea House in the capital who started it.
But after the story began there, it took a couple of days for other small tea houses to hear about it. Once they did, they had to send their storytellers in better clothes to mingle and listen for a couple of days.
After listening for two days, their storytellers needed time to ponder and retell it with a different twist; this brewing process also took two days.
This is called riding the wave. As the wave passes through various mouths, it naturally gets exaggerated.
From the initial account at the First Rank Tea House where Lord Pingye wedded the princess and immediately broke out with her,
After several retellings, when it reached the Yong’an Tea House, it had evolved into Lord Pingye fighting the sword master of the Chu State alone for three days and nights,
Then,
surrounded by the Chu State’s army of a hundred thousand,
he floated away with the princess in his arms.
It’s just a difference in audience. Those drinking tea at the First Rank House were often officials and nobles who had their channels of knowing things, and if you told something ridiculously far-fetched there, you’d ruin your reputation. But at a public tea house like Yong’an, serving ordinary folks, adding a bit of mystery to the story made it more fascinating.
If you were to really question it, did Lord Pingye actually elope with the princess?
He did!
So that’s that!
"Dad, this Lord Pingye, seems like someone connected to our brother-in-law?"
"Shhh."
Old He lowered his voice, signaling He Chu to keep quiet, and He Chu nodded, then nervously glanced around, as if a Silver Armored Guard were secretly meeting in Yanjing City.
For He family father and son, most of what they knew about their brother-in-law’s affairs was learned in this tea house. And since the place frequently featured stories about Lord Pingye, the He father and son came to know that in earlier years, Lord Pingye rose through the support of their brother-in-law.
Comments