Chapter 24

Chapter 24

A storyteller? What’s that?

Before the crowd could ponder further, the gavel slammed down with a sharp crack, drawing everyone’s attention to Shen Yuan.

The patrons in the main hall looked at him with displeasure. If this young man didn’t deliver a satisfactory explanation today, they’d make sure the tea house staff paid for it!

Shen Yuan was well aware that his audience was high-status and not to be trifled with.

But he was prepared. This was no time for fear or stage fright.

The patrons stared at the young man behind the long table. He looked relaxed and composed, his clear, resonant voice filled with engaging emotion. They found themselves hanging on his every word, their hearts rising and falling with the story.

The patrons, who had initially been angry, disdainful, or indifferent, slowly became more attentive.

Where was the initial displeasure now? They were all completely immersed in the unfolding plot.

He was actually telling a story about a young master from a prominent noble family! Wow, could folks from humble backgrounds like them really listen to tales of such grand families?

Oh no! Young Master Chu had fallen off a cliff! Was he dead?

Not dead, not dead, but close to it.

Could Physician Liu save him?

When Shen Yuan described Liu Mingqing pulling Chu Qi up, the patrons also held their breath, hearts in their throats. They were afraid a loud breath might jinx the rescue, as if their silence alone could help Liu Mingqing save Chu Qi.

At this point, Shen Yuan paused at the perfect moment. The patrons moved in unison, craning their necks, clutching their clothes, and gazing eagerly at him.

Seeing that he had successfully stirred their emotions and captured their attention, Shen Yuan finally revealed the outcome: the man had been successfully rescued.

The patrons visibly sighed with relief, enjoying a brief respite.

But this moment couldn't last too long, or the audience might lose focus.

Immediately after, Shen Yuan reached the part where Chu Qi lost his memory.

This dropped like a bombshell. The astonished patrons couldn't help but whisper, talking to their neighbors—he actually lost his memory?

What would a person be like without their memories?

The gavel came down again. After allowing a brief moment for discussion, Shen Yuan snapped it once more, pulling the guests' thoughts back to the story.

Just as the patrons digested the point about amnesia, they noticed something off about Liu Mingqing's grandfather.

Their curiosity was piqued, and they listened, more and more enthralled.

Shen Yuan had excellent delivery skills. While storytelling, he used facial expressions to perform a bit. The combination of his tone and expressions made the patrons feel as if they saw the characters before their eyes, acting out the story.

They seemed to follow Liu Mingqing as she treated a woman in difficult labor, a hunter bitten by a tiger, and a villager who fell from a height. They followed her deep into the mountains, searching for medicinal herbs day and night, risking danger to save her patients.

And the young man who lost his memory, called Seventh, stayed by Liu Mingqing's side throughout.

They faced hardships, teetered on the brink of death time and again, and repeatedly pulled others back from that same brink.

For some reason, every time they heard that Liu Mingqing and Seventh successfully found the herbs, or that Liu Mingqing successfully saved someone, their hearts would surge with emotion, and their noses would sting.

Sitting at the very front, Madam Xu wiped the tears from the corner of her eye with her sleeve. If her daughter had encountered Physician Liu during childbirth—a woman who would save lives despite the opposition of the mother-in-law's family—she might still be alive and well today.

Young Master Lu in the back right looked despondent. If his elder brother had met a Physician Liu who risked her life solely to save others, perhaps he wouldn't have died because no physician dared to treat him under pressure from the powerful.

Some patrons also wondered: if their husbands could be even half as good as Seventh, who always supported Liu Mingqing, would their lives be better than they were now?

People with different experiences listening to the same story had different reflections.

Just as the patrons were projecting themselves into the story and getting lost in their emotions, Shen Yuan announced, "Alright, today's story ends here. To know what happens next, please listen to the next installment."

Snap! The gavel sounded, signaling the storytelling was truly over.

What? It's over?!

The patrons, forgetting their own emotions for a moment, burst out with questions.

"What about the rest? Why did you stop? Keep going!"

"We haven't heard enough yet! What about the ghost? You didn't even mention the ghost!"

"Keep going! I have plenty of silver. I'll give you however much you want!"

"Yes, yes! I also have plenty of silver. Here's the money, now keep going! Don't stop!"

Shen Yuan was both amused and exasperated. He had to rap the gavel again. Thinking he was about to continue, the crowd immediately fell silent.

"The story is quite long, and a person's energy is limited. I can only perform two sessions per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The subsequent plot will be told tomorrow morning. The afternoon session will repeat this morning's content. If you are interested in what follows, you may come tomorrow morning at the hour of Chen. If you think the storyteller did well and you enjoyed it, you may also show your appreciation as you see fit. Shen Yuan thanks you in advance."

The patrons, now certain there was no more story today, were very disappointed. Yet, they truly couldn't muster any anger towards Shen Yuan.

When they first entered, they had been full of dissatisfaction. Now, even though they hadn't actually gotten their answers, they simply couldn't get angry. Instead, their minds were filled with the desire for Shen Yuan to say more.

This story was novel, something they'd never heard before. Their days were all roughly the same and they had long grown tired of the routine. Now that such a new, interesting thing had appeared, they were thrilled.

When people are in a good mood, they love to throw money around! Tips, tips, tips!

Ji Xingwang wove through the tables in the main hall with a tray. The empty tray quickly piled up, full to the brim.

All of it was broken silver!

The tips from this single session were almost equivalent to half a month's profit for the tea house!

Ji Xingwang's eyes shone, and he swallowed excitedly, not even sure how he managed to carry the tray of silver back.

He now believed in Shen Yuan completely. This kid really did have a touch of divine fortune; the one he met was probably the God of Wealth himself!

The patrons, having finished the story, were left wanting more. They hadn't even remembered to drink their tea during the performance. Now was a good time to sip tea and chat about the story they just heard.

The tea house main hall was unprecedentedly lively.

It's just that the atmosphere was a bit... off.

As Shen Yuan passed by one table, he overheard a young female patron saying to her companion, "I think the reason Seventh is so good to Physician Liu is precisely because he lost his memory. Do you think if I go home and smack my husband on the head, he could lose his memory too? If he did, would he be like Seventh and do whatever I say? Listening to everything I tell him?"

After a moment of silence, the other person actually nodded. "That makes sense. You're a clever one, sister. Should I try it too when I go back?"

Shen Yuan immediately intervened, "Ladies, you really shouldn't hit people on the head recklessly. You could easily kill someone."

The two women, caught being overheard, gave dry, awkward laughs, clearly disappointed. "Can't lose memory that way, huh? Alright then, we won't hit them."

Shen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief; he truly hadn't thought of that point. Next time he tells the story, he should add, "Don't hit people on the head—it won't cause amnesia, but it could kill."

Once all dozen or so tables in the main hall were filled, Fang Zaoshang stopped hollering to attract customers.

Many people were drawn in by the word "ghost." Some of the later arrivals were regulars whom Fang Zaoshang recognized. Before they entered, he explained that a storyteller was performing inside.

If they were interested but curious about what they'd missed, there would be another session in the afternoon.

With this explanation, the customers who came in halfway through didn't interrupt Shen Yuan's storytelling out of curiosity.

Even though they hadn't heard the beginning, they were still captivated by the plot and were set on hearing the full story in the afternoon.

After making a round of the main hall, Shen Yuan went upstairs to a private room to continue writing the next part of the story; otherwise, he would have nothing to tell the day after tomorrow.

Upstairs, he was surprised to see Ji Ping'an.

His face lit up as he asked, "Brother Ping'an, when did you arrive? Did you hear the story I told? How was it?"

Ji Ping'an nodded. "Not bad."

Shen Yuan beamed. "Right? I think it went really well too. And I got a lot of tips! I hadn't seen you here before. What a coincidence that you showed up on the first day of storytelling."

Ji Ping'an turned his head away uncomfortably. Shen Yuan looked at him, sensing something was off. After thinking for a second, he asked, "Brother Ping'an, were you coming here every day before? Did you only come in today because you saw the storytelling? Were you worried someone might cause trouble?"

"Alright, shut up and stop talking," Ji Ping'an snapped, pretending to be impatient, still avoiding Shen Yuan's gaze.

The way he wanted to show concern without being found out, only to get caught in the act, was so funny that Shen Yuan burst out laughing.

Ji Ping'an couldn't stand Shen Yuan's laughter. He turned his head and glared at him. "Still laughing!"

Shen Yuan covered his mouth and shook his head. "Okay, okay, I'll stop."

Once he saw that Shen Yuan had stopped laughing, Ji Ping'an looked out the window again. "Ji Xingwang said you've encountered a celestial fate, so you know many things. Even though you've never been to the North Country, you know the rumors about ghosts there."

Shen Yuan thought Ji Ping'an was going to ask about the celestial fate, but instead, Ji Ping'an's voice suddenly softened as he asked, "Do ghosts really exist in this world?"

Looking at Ji Ping'an's averted face, Shen Yuan could hear from his tone that his expression must be filled with dejection.

Guessing that Ji Ping'an was carrying some regret in his heart, Shen Yuan nodded. "Yes, they do."

"Did the celestial fate in your dreams tell you that?" Ji Ping'an confirmed.

Shen Yuan affirmed again, "Yes."

Upon hearing this, Ji Ping'an's lips curled into a bitter, faint smile, and he said nothing more.

At noon, the teahouse kitchen stewed a chicken.

It was specially prepared for Shen Yuan.

Ji Xingwang's smile never faded. He urged Shen Yuan to eat the chicken and drink the soup to nourish his body. Another chicken would be stewed in the afternoon for him to take home, and he told Shen Yuan not to be frugal.

That's what he said, but Shen Yuan couldn't finish a whole chicken by himself.

He shared a bowl of chicken soup with some meat for Auntie Sanhua and the others.

Even Manager Ji got a bowl.

"Food tastes better when everyone eats together."

Now, whatever Shen Yuan said went. Plus, they truly couldn't resist the deliciousness of the chicken soup. Even for them, it wasn't something they could have whenever they wanted.

Chicken wasn't cheap.

After each having a bowl of fragrant chicken soup, they were full of energy again.

Auntie Chun was skilled at making soups, and the taste was truly impeccable. While drinking the soup, Shen Yuan pondered writing a pastry recipe in the afternoon for Auntie Chun to try making.

The teahouse in the afternoon was even livelier than in the morning.

Not only did all the morning customers return, but they also brought many new people with them.

The main hall couldn't accommodate everyone, and no one was willing to go to the private rooms, worried they might not hear properly.

Ji Xingwang had to lead people to move tables and chairs from the private rooms downstairs, rearranging the main hall to make space and adding six more tables.

Fang Zaoshang didn't need to call out from outside anymore; if he did, the main hall would truly have no room to stand.

For a while, tea was constantly being brewed in the backyard. In the main hall, Fang Zaoshang and Manager Ji ran back and forth, serving tea nonstop.

The customers kept asking, most frequently about when the storyteller Shen Yuan would arrive.

Fang Zaoshang couldn't help but think of how they had seemed ready to tear everything apart in the morning if they didn't hear what they wanted, compared to their amiable and expectant demeanor now. They were like two different people!

Hey! Their Xiao Yuan was really amazing!