Ger, So Proud

Chapter 13: First Bucket of Gold

Time passed as He Ze spoke, with the sun hanging high in the sky, and before long, it was noon. More people came to dine at the tavern, initially curious about the unusual silence inside. However, after listening for a while, they subconsciously quieted down.

In less than two quarter-hours, the tavern was packed with people.

On the elevated platform, He Ze continued. Today, he was dressed in the attire he used to wear while studying at the academy. Coupled with his handsome appearance, with his sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, he presented himself as a remarkable individual.

Who could still see him as the timid He Ze of the past?

Lin Yu hadn’t paid attention to this in the past few days, but now he truly resembled a scholar. However, there was an added air of heroism between his brows that scholars didn’t possess. The elders in the village used to say that people’s characters would change in times of crisis. Could it be that this was now true for He Ze?

That would be a good thing, Lin Yu thought, as it would relieve the worries of Uncle He, Dad Li, and Xiao An in the future.

“At the foot of Jinshan Mountain, by the West Lake, there is a pharmacy called Bao’an Hall. Inside, there is a young pharmacist named Xu Xian, who is knowledgeable in medicine and has a honest character.”

He Ze’s voice once again reached Lin Yu’s ears, drawing him into the story.

“One day, Xu Xian was caught in the rain while walking by West Lake. He was holding an umbrella, seeking shelter from the rain when he saw two figures, one in blue and one in white, approaching him on the broken bridge ahead. Amidst the misty rain, he could vaguely see the person in white, with hair as dark as a waterfall, looking ethereal and graceful, not like an ordinary person.”

“It was none other than Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing.”

“At that moment, Xu Xian was captivated. He walked three steps forward to greet them and bowed respectfully, ‘Is this gentleman also seeking shelter from the rain? If you don’t mind, shall we stay together?'”

“Clap—”

As He Ze reached this suspenseful moment, his voice paused, and he clapped the wooden clapper in his hand. “To know what happens next, please stay tuned for the next installment.”

“It’s over? Just like that?” Wei Quan was shaken back to his senses by the clapper’s sound, his expression indicating he wanted more.

“Of course, it’s over. Didn’t I say I would only tell a segment?” He Ze asked, looking around. “What do you all think?”

There was a moment of silence from the audience below, followed by thunderous applause.

“Great! Tell us another segment! Another one!”

“Yes, please continue! What happens next? Is Xu Xian really the herbalist? Can Bai Su Zhen recognize him? It’s a human and a demon, we need a conclusion!”

“… ”

Many customers stood up, some even leaving their seats, tossing silver qian into the plate in threes and twos, the clinking sound filling the air, mixed with cheers and requests from the audience.

“If you’re free another day, come back and tell us the rest of the story. But unfortunately, I have urgent matters to attend to at home today, so I’ll take my leave now.”

He Ze took out another copper coin from his belt pouch and placed it on the table. Even though he paid for the tea, he didn’t wait for anyone to stop him. He left the tavern straight away.

A sigh filled the tavern for a moment.

With a basket on his back, Lin Yu stood still for a moment, then quickly chased after him.

Underneath the stage, Wei Quan’s disciple looked at the plate full of money with some caution. “Master, what should we do?”

He had never seen his master receive so much money from storytelling before! There were so many, at least a few silver teal, right? The disciple swallowed nervously, eyes shining with greed.

“…You wait here, I’ll go after him!”

“Eh, master—”

Wei Quan hesitated for a moment, then rushed out. In the blink of an eye, he was nowhere to be seen. The disciple wanted to call after him, but before he could speak, he stopped himself, staring at the plate dumbfoundedly, laughing uncontrollably.

Outside the tavern, He Ze hadn’t gone far, just standing at a vendor’s stall a few yards away, leisurely examining the small ornaments like pearl flowers on the stall.

Although most gers in this world were not as concerned about their appearance as women, most still had a bit of vanity. While not overly flashy, they still liked to adorn themselves.

However, He Bao’er from his memories was probably among the few who liked fancy things. Every time Lin Yu saw him, his face was covered in powder, and whenever he spoke, the powder would fall off his face. It was rare to find someone with such unique tastes.

Putting aside his thoughts, He Ze picked up a silver hairpin from the stall, its end adorned with a red plum blossom. Although it might seem tacky by modern standards, it had a simple and antique craftsmanship, exuding a unique beauty.

He thought about giving it to his father to give to dad. Dad might be really happy for a while.

“He Ze, where did you hear that story just now? Did Bai Su Zhen find his benefactor later?”

Lin Yu quickly caught up, but the question he desperately wanted to ask remained unspoken.

“… ”

He Ze’s expression remained unchanged as he handed the hairpin to Lin Yu. “How about this?”

“Oh, is this the young lord picking out a gift for his wife?” Before Lin Yu could respond, the stall owner spoke first, pointing to Lin Yu with a smile. “In all my years, I’ve never seen such a handsome young ger. The young lord has good taste; this plum blossom hairpin is perfect for him!”

“What nonsense are you talking about! I’m not his wife!” Lin Yu frowned, rendering the stall owner speechless. He turned his head. “By the way, He Ze, why haven’t you gone to the academy yet? It’s already noon…”

“Waiting for someone.”

“What?”

“I said I’m waiting for someone,” He Ze’s voice paused, then he looked over Lin Yu’s head and pointed, “Look, here he comes.”

Lin Yu turned his head with a puzzled expression, seeing Wei Quan running towards them from a distance, panting heavily as if he had seen them. He shouted while running, “Wait, wait! Stop!”

“Why are you waiting for him?”

“Of course, I’m waiting for him to give me some money.” He Ze replied inexplicably. Seeing Wei Quan getting closer, he walked a few steps to meet him. “Mr. Wei, are you chasing after me?”

“Yes, no… no mistake!” Wei Quan finally stopped, gasping for breath, unable to speak for a moment. After a while, he continued, “Mr… Mister, earlier, Wei Quan was rude. Please forgive me. As for the story just now, can you tell me what happens next?”

“I can’t bear the title ‘mister.’ My surname is He, just call me He Ze. As for what happens next…” He Ze raised an eyebrow, while Lin Yu looked suspiciously between the two.

“I’m not asking for a freebie. As long as Mr… He Ze is willing to tell Wei Quan the complete story, I’m willing to offer… offer three qian of silver!” Wei Quan said with a resolute expression, holding up three fingers.

Storytellers make money from two sources: payment from the tavern and tips from the audience. Recently, the audience’s response hasn’t been great, and the innkeeper has talked to him several times. He might need to find a new tavern, but without any new stories, it wouldn’t make much difference.

Now was the perfect opportunity!

Just from the reaction after telling one segment today, even without any gestures or changes in voice, the audience showed such enthusiasm. If he could polish and refine the story further, he could earn a lot of money and elevate his status among storytellers.

A lucrative deal!

“Three qian? Mr. Wei, are you joking? I bet the tips from that plate alone were worth more than one tael. ‘First Encounter by West Lake’ is just the first chapter of ‘The Legend of the White Snake,’ and there are still about forty chapters left.”

Wei Quan’s eyes brightened, but then he seemed to suddenly realize something, and his expression changed. “The Legend of the White Snake? So, Mr. He has been planning this all along, setting a trap for me!”

He had come prepared, first picking up on the dissatisfaction of the audience, then taking the stage himself to witness the audience’s enthusiasm, and now… he was deliberately waiting here for him, wasn’t he?

As long as he wasn’t short-sighted, he would definitely follow!

“That’s not entirely accurate. It’s a matter of mutual benefit, wouldn’t you say, Mr. Wei?”

Wei Quan stared at He Ze for a moment, then clasped his hands together. “Wei is impressed. Although old ginger is spicier, I didn’t expect Mr. He, despite his young age, to be so insightful. However, there’s one thing I don’t understand. Since Mr. He can write such a good story, why not tell it yourself? Instead of… selling it to me?”

Wei Quan didn’t finish his sentence, but the unfinished meaning was clear to He Ze. He paused before saying, “This story wasn’t written by me; it’s a folk tale I happened to hear. As for why I don’t tell it myself, it’s because I believe Mr. Wei can tell it more brilliantly than I can.”

That was probably one reason out of ten. The other eight or nine were probably… he didn’t like it?

“I see,” Wei Quan’s gaze softened. “So, Mr. He, what’s your price?”

“Three taels.”

He Ze also extended three fingers, but the price had increased tenfold. Lin Yu looked at him incredulously. When did money become so easy to earn?!

“This… this won’t do! This is too much, three taels of silver is robbery!” Wei Quan’s calm demeanor vanished as soon as he heard the price, shaking his head repeatedly. “No, no, three taels of silver is too much! I can’t afford that much money! At most… at most one tael of silver!”

Wei Quan clenched his fist, raising only one finger.

“How about this, since Mr. Wei and I happened to meet in the tavern today, let’s compromise. How about two taels of silver? As Mr. Wei saw, after finishing ‘The Legend of the White Snake,’ the tips from the audience alone would probably be more than this amount. Besides… the audience enjoys listening to Mr. Wei’s stories, which would liven up the tavern. Mr. Wei can also negotiate with the tavern owner for payment.”

“In the end, Mr. Wei will come out ahead.”

Wei Quan pondered silently, his brow furrowed. Two taels of silver wasn’t a small amount, but he knew it was indeed a surefire deal. It all depended on whether he was willing to accept it.

“You…”

“To be honest, I have an injury that urgently requires money,” He Ze pointed to the bandage wrapped around his forehead. “If Mr. Wei still needs time to consider, then I’ll have to find another tavern and another storyteller. I believe there will be someone who won’t disappoint me.”

With that, He Ze didn’t wait for Wei Quan’s response, turning and walking away, with Lin Yu hurriedly following behind.

“Wa… wait! I agree!”

Seeing He Ze and Lin Yu’s figures getting farther away, Wei Quan couldn’t help but call out. When He Ze stopped, Wei Quan immediately caught up, “I… I agree, two taels of silver it is!”

He couldn’t let go of the bait without catching the fish!

With Wei Quan’s words, Lin Yu was stunned, looking at He Ze beside him with disbelief, as if seeing him for the first time.

“Two taels of silver, and you tell me this story, every detail, and… yes, only tell it to me, not to any other storyteller. How about it?”

“Of course.”

He Ze smiled.

The trio returned to the Yue Family Tavern, where Wei Quan handed over two taels of silver. Because the story couldn’t be told in one sitting, they signed a contract on paper, agreeing that He Ze would inform Wei Quan about the subsequent chapters every three days when he visited the tavern.

As He Ze walked out of the tavern with the two taels of silver, Lin Yu couldn’t help but believe it was real. He stared at He Ze for a long time before finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “He Ze, how did you manage that?”

Author’s note:

He Ze: Mr. Wei is chasing after me.

Lin Yu: Mr. Wei? Which Mr. Wei? Where did Mr. Wei come from? He Ze, you… you jerk!

After a series of noise, He Ze, with a swollen nose and bruised face, said: Honey, I’m sorry QAQ

Author: Hahahaha… *burp*

Laughing fit, sniff sniff… baby needs kisses, hugs, and to be lifted up high~