Chapter 42: Heavenly Sound Pavilion

"You all tidy up and head home. Don't wait for me, and go to sleep whenever you feel tired."

Liu Xi and Xiao Die nodded.

Tian Xi'er suddenly spoke up, "Brother Lin, change your clothes before you leave. There are oil stains on the ones you're wearing."

Lin Feng smiled warmly. "Xi'er is always so thoughtful."

Tian Xi'er immediately walked over to the rope stretched between two trees by the river and took down Lin Feng's finest long robe.

It was the very garment Tian Xi'er had just washed for Lin Feng that morning. After hanging it by the riverside, it had dried by the afternoon.

Lin Feng took off his stained outer garment and put on the freshly washed one.

It was impeccably clean.

Over on the side, Li Shang looked on with extreme envy. "I wonder when Sister Xi'er will ever wash a garment for me?"

Li He sighed with emotion. "It really is great to be Xi'er's teacher."

Tian Nan, standing nearby, was speechless. His own flesh-and-blood elder brother hadn't even enjoyed such treatment yet—how could it ever be your turn, you two little scoundrels?!

Tian Xi'er helped Lin Feng straighten his clothes and neatly adjusted his hair bun. With a gentle smile, she said, "All set, Brother Lin."

"I'm off, little sister."

Lin Feng bid farewell to the group and followed the bailiff away from the riverbank, thinking to himself that if he ever left this place, he would terribly miss the feeling of being so meticulously cared for by Tian Xi'er.

It was so attentive, so careful, accompanied by that faint, soothing gentleness.

She took even better care of him than his personal maid, Xueyun.

After leaving the Lin residence, Lin Feng had expected Xueyun to follow him out, but she hadn't, which left him somewhat displeased.

She was, after all, the intimate maid left to him by his mother, and the two of them had already shared intimate relations.

To put it bluntly, she was the concubine his mother intended for him in the future.

When he was subjected to family discipline, she hadn't been present. She probably didn't know about it at the time, or at least that was the only way Lin Feng could reason it out.

The Heavenly Sound Troupe had taken up residence in a teahouse in Luping Town. They had chosen not to stay in pleasure houses like the Pear Fragrance Pavilion, presumably to distance themselves from such establishments.

Although they were all of humble official status, they sold only their artistry and not their bodies.

While pleasure houses like the Pear Fragrance Pavilion did harbor courtesans who sold only their artistry, people still lumped them together with common prostitutes.

The women of the Heavenly Sound Troupe, however, were categorized as performers and singers, much like the modern-day celebrities who sang, danced, and acted on stage.

Because of the arrival of the Heavenly Sound Troupe, the nights in Luping Town were much livelier than usual.

This also showed that the common folk under Liu Ruofu's governance lived and worked in peace and contentment, enjoying prosperous lives.

His mentor had dispatched Liu Ruofu to Jiangcheng not only out of great satisfaction with him, but likely also because of Liu Ruofu's impressive administrative achievements. He must have been one of his mentor's most prized disciples.

The Pleasing Guest Teahouse was located on the widest street in the center of the town, its exterior brilliantly illuminated with countless lights.

This very teahouse happened to be one of the major clients for Lin Feng's five-spice garlic peanuts and candied sugar-coated haws.

At first, they only purchased the five-spice garlic peanuts. Later, upon Zhang Yuan's recommendation, they test-marketed the candied haws, which proved equally popular with the patrons. Consequently, they ordered at least thirty skewers of candied haws every day to satisfy customer demand.

Catching sight of Lin Feng, Zhang Yuan hurried over. "Hurry up, brother, it's about to start!"

He pulled Lin Feng toward the entrance of the teahouse, where Lin Feng instinctively reached for his money pouch.

When he had gone to watch the Heavenly Sound Troupe's performances in Capital Chu, he remembered having to shell out two taels of silver just for the admission fee.

Celebrities really were different; concert tickets were always expensive.

"Brother, I've already paid for them. Don't stand on ceremony with me—we're brothers, aren't we?"

Lin Feng had saved Zhang Yuan's elder sister and enabled him to make money with his eyes closed. Having received both kindness and tangible benefits, Zhang Yuan had long since regarded Lin Feng as a sworn brother.

Entering the teahouse, they found both the lower and upper levels completely packed. Some people, desperate to catch a glimpse of the Heavenly Sound Troupe's maidens, had willingly paid the two-tael entry fee just to stand and watch since no seats were left.

"This Pleasing Guest Teahouse is our regular client, and they depend on us for business too, so they reserved a great spot for us."

Lin Feng laughed. "With Brother Zhang's great reputation, naturally they wouldn't dare offend you."

"Not at all. The people who came to the teahouse today aren't just from our Luping Town. Influential dignitaries, scholarly elites, and men of letters from all the neighboring towns and even the county seat have come here drawn by their reputation. Forget about me; even if my brother-in-law were here, he wouldn't count as anybody important."

As they spoke, the two of them walked up to the second floor of the teahouse and settled into a table and chairs on the western side.

Their seats slanted directly toward the stage below, offering an unhindered view of the songs and dances.

It certainly was a good location. Glancing at the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table, Lin Feng asked, "Brother Zhang, why are these things set here?"

"For writing poetry, of course! If someone can compose a fine poem on the spot and the Heavenly Sound Troupe chooses it, they might become an honored intimate guest. Who knows, they might even adapt it into a song to be sung everywhere, making the author famous instantly. That's why literati and scholars are so eager to come and show their support—using the Heavenly Sound Troupe to make a name for oneself is an exceptionally good method."

Lin Feng thought back to when he had watched the Heavenly Sound Troupe in Capital Chu and hadn't noticed any mention of offering poems. Then again, he figured that he and his wayward companions had been about seventy percent drunk at the time, which probably explained why he had forgotten how it all worked.

"Are these poems written casually?"

"I don't think so..."

Just then, the sound of a flute suddenly drifted through the air. The flute notes washed over people's minds like a clear spring, rising and falling in melody like mountain stream water, evoking boundless imagination. The music echoed all around, intoxicating those who heard it and transporting them to a utopian sanctuary of peace and untroubled harmony.

At that moment, a dozen women dressed in flowing green gowns with long sleeves and veils gracefully stepped onto the stage.

Countless delicate flower petals fluttered gently between heaven and earth, and the intoxicating fragrance of flowers permeated the senses.

Like blossoming flower buds, the dozen women dispersed gracefully toward the edges of the stage.

Amidst the falling rain of blossoms, a peerless beauty dressed in scarlet robes and wearing a veil emerged like an orchid in a deserted valley. As she moved with light, ethereal, and fairy-like grace, her wide, sweeping sleeves opened and closed, accentuating her mesmerizing and exquisite visage.

The entire teahouse watched her enchanting dance in a trance, almost forgetting to breathe.

The veiled beauty in red cast a sidelong glance with her captivating eyes, causing the heart of everyone present to pound in unison, each secretly feeling as though she were looking directly at him.

Led by the beauty in red, the women danced rhythmically, their waists swaying like slender willows.

As the flute music slowly faded, the song ending and the dance concluding, the veiled woman in red reclined gracefully in the center of the stage, surrounded by the other women like stars around the moon, glowing as brilliantly as a fairy from the nine heavens.

Everyone present burst into thunderous applause and cheers, deeply captivated and stunned by the dancers' performance.

The woman in red stood up and, alongside the other dancers, bowed respectfully to the audience.

With dainty and graceful steps, the women descended from the stage, and the proprietor of the Pleasing Guest Teahouse walked up to the front.

He raised his voice and called out, "Was it wonderful?"

"Wonderful!"

"Was it a sight to behold?"

"A sight to behold!"

"We are deeply grateful to the Red-Robed Fairy of the Heavenly Sound Troupe and her troupe of dancers for presenting such a performance. Next, let us welcome them back to the stage one by one to showcase their artistry!"