Chapter 23 of 100

Chapter 23

13 min read3,370 words

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As Zhou Zhong finished speaking, a plump figure walked onto the stage, smiling broadly and bowing to the audience, then loudly announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Xu Jing. Today, I will tell you a segment of 'Journey to the West.' However, my version of 'Journey to the West' is different from all the storytellers before me. Today, I invite you all to appreciate it!"

Seeing the person on stage, Zheng Jing, Li Zheng, and Zhang Kuang were all taken aback. They never expected that the person on stage would be Manager Xu. Zhou Zhong, however, remained calm, though he also learned for the first time that Manager Xu's real name was Xu Jing.

Many people in Fengyou Teahouse also recognized Manager Xu, as he used to be a regular here. Now, seeing Manager Xu on stage telling a story, they were all very surprised. However, they quickly recovered and began to cheer and applaud, especially the old tea friends who had a good relationship with Manager Xu, who cheered even more enthusiastically.

Hearing the cheers below and feeling the attention of the audience, Manager Xu was not at all nervous; instead, he felt very excited, even a bit elated. To put it in modern terms, Manager Xu was a person with a strong desire to perform and greatly enjoyed being the center of attention.

Manager Xu walked to the desk on the stage under the watchful eyes of the audience, then picked up the wooden gavel on the table and struck it heavily. The tea guests immediately fell silent.

In the chaos before the world was divided, the heavens and earth were in turmoil, and no one could see the vast and boundless expanse.

Since Pangu split the primordial chaos, the world has been divided into clear and turbid elements.

All living beings look up to the supreme benevolence, and all things are created with goodness.

To understand the great workings of creation, one must read the 'Journey to the West' to dispel calamities.

After reciting the opening poem of 'Journey to the West,' Manager Xu looked around the room and continued, "It is said that Pangu split the heavens and earth, the Three Sovereigns governed the world, and the Five Emperors established order. The entire world is divided into four great continents: Eastern Shengshen Continent, Western Niuhu Continent, Southern Danbu Continent, and Northern Jutulu Continent. Among them, there is a small country beyond the Eastern Shengshen Continent..."

The content of Manager Xu's storytelling was not entirely the same as the 'Journey to the West' written by Zhou Zhong. Many literary elements were omitted, and instead, many detailed descriptions were added. For example, the first chapter described the birth of the Monkey King from a stone and his apprenticeship. To highlight the extraordinary nature of the Monkey King's birth, Manager Xu added many scene descriptions. The subsequent scenes of the monkeys playing were also filled with many details, and sometimes he even imitated the actions of the monkeys. Unfortunately, his physique was not very monkey-like, often causing bursts of laughter.

The opening of 'Journey to the West' was grand, introducing the origin of the Monkey King and the appearance of the Heavenly Court, and finally narrating his arduous journey to learn the arts. In the past, 'Journey to the West' mainly revolved around Tang Sanzang, but Manager Xu's opening focused on the Monkey King as the main character. The mysterious background and the acquisition of great skills made the story captivating from the very beginning. By the time Manager Xu finished the first chapter, the entire teahouse was silent, and no one dared to interrupt him.

"Good!" Seeing everyone in a daze, Zhou Zhong clapped the table and led the applause. This woke up the others, and the cheers were continuous, with some even standing up excitedly. Manager Xu's storytelling skills were secondary; the key was that the story was incredibly engaging. They also realized that the Monkey King in the story was the same as the Monkey Pilgrim in the old 'Journey to the West' stories, but the Monkey King's background was much more complex and intriguing, and even more captivating!

Seeing how much the tea guests enjoyed his story, Manager Xu was even more pleased and bowed to the audience. However, before he could stand up, a shower of copper coins was thrown onto the stage by the audience, and some familiar faces shouted, "Manager Xu, another segment! We haven't heard such a wonderful story in a long time!"

The owner and staff of Fengyou Teahouse also did not expect that Manager Xu, who had come on stage through a back door, would be so popular. In any industry, there are different levels, and the same applies to storytellers. Some famous storytellers are highly sought after by teahouses and taverns, and the establishments not only do not take a cut but even pay the storytellers, as a good storyteller can bring in a lot of customers.

The owner of Fengyou Teahouse was surnamed Liu, the same person who had hidden in the kitchen out of fear of Zhou Zhong last time. Although Liu had lost badly to Zhou Zhong, he was a shrewd man. Seeing how much the guests welcomed Manager Xu, he immediately signaled to a quick-witted staff member, who promptly brought tea to Manager Xu and helped him collect the money on the stage.

Manager Xu had originally planned to finish the first chapter and then leave the stage, but the tea guests insisted on him staying and telling another segment. Even Liu, the owner, came forward to request another segment and quietly promised that from then on, Manager Xu would not have to pay a cut for telling stories in the teahouse.

The Zhou family was in dire need of money, and Manager Xu was very tempted by Liu's promise. He finally looked at Zhou Zhong, who, after some consideration, nodded in agreement.

With Zhou Zhong's approval, Manager Xu immediately announced that he would agree to the audience's request and would tell another segment after a short rest. This caused a loud cheer from the teahouse guests, who then gathered in small groups to drink tea and discuss the 'Journey to the West' they had just heard.

"wendar, what's going on with Manager Xu?" Zheng Jing and the others finally had the chance to ask this question. They had also been captivated by the opening story of 'Journey to the West.'

"Hehe, it's nothing much. I just wrote a novel out of boredom recently. I wanted to sell it to a book publisher to make some money for the family, but I didn't expect..."

Zhou Zhong did not hide anything from Zheng Jing and the others. He explained that he had planned to publish the book but lacked fame, so he wanted to use storytelling to build his reputation, and then book publishers would naturally come to him. He also took out the first three chapters of the manuscript from his pocket and let Zheng Jing and the others read it.

Zheng Jing and the others were already very interested in the new version of 'Journey to the West' told by Manager Xu. Now, hearing that it was written by Zhou Zhong, they were all amazed. When they saw the manuscript, their expressions turned even more incredulous, as they never expected Zhou Zhong to be able to write such a captivating story.

"wendar, is... is this really written by you?" Zheng Jing, the oldest, was the most surprised. After years of friendship, he had never realized that his close friend, besides being a prodigy in the imperial exams, also had such talent in writing.

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Although this is just the beginning, it has already opened up a grand world. The image of the Monkey King is vivid and lively, making one want to read on. This is truly an unprecedented masterpiece!" Zhang Kuang also nodded in admiration, his eyes still fixed on the manuscript, and his fan tapping his palm as if he were enjoying a beautiful melody.

Compared to the older Zheng Jing and Zhang Kuang, Li Zheng's reaction was more like that of a young man. After finishing the third chapter, he turned red and slammed the table, exclaiming, "What a thrill!" This startled the people around him.

"What a thrill, such a thrill! Recruiting troops and subduing the four seas and a thousand mountains, raiding the Dragon Palace and causing chaos in the Underworld, and the Heavenly Court dare not retaliate. This is what a true man should be... Uh... Uh..."

Zhou Zhong, hearing Li Zheng's increasingly inappropriate comments, almost said something treasonous, jumped up and covered Li Zheng's mouth, preventing him from saying anything taboo. Zheng Jing and Zhang Kuang were also startled and glared at Li Zheng. At this moment, Li Zheng realized he was not in a private room, and if someone with ill intentions heard his words, it could cause serious trouble.

Thinking of this, Li Zheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, smiled awkwardly at Zhou Zhong and the others, and then snatched a few more pages of the manuscript to read, his expression becoming increasingly excited, his face turning red, and occasionally laughing foolishly. He was completely immersed in the grand world described in 'Journey to the West.'

Although the first three chapters of 'Journey to the West' were not very long, they unfolded the entire world of 'Journey to the West' and vividly portrayed the main character, the Monkey King, making the story very engaging. While Zheng Jing and the others were engrossed in reading 'Journey to the West,' Manager Xu had finished his rest and began the second session on stage. Just like the first session, it again drew loud cheers from the audience, and even the people in the private rooms upstairs were attracted to listen from the second-floor corridor or stairs.

However, the popularity of 'Journey to the West' far exceeded Zhou Zhong and Manager Xu's expectations. After the second session, the audience gave even more generous tips and demanded another session. Some of Manager Xu's old friends even ran up to the stage, pulling him and refusing to let him leave until he told a third segment, and the audience below also joined in the cheering.

Seeing this, Liu, the owner of Fengyou Teahouse, was also in a dilemma. He was mainly worried that Manager Xu's voice would be strained. Given the current situation, Manager Xu's fame as a storyteller would quickly spread throughout Songjiang, and a large number of people would come to see him the next day. If Manager Xu's voice was strained today and he couldn't perform tomorrow, the teahouse would be torn apart by the disappointed guests.

Manager Xu also felt tired at this point, so he apologized to his friends and the audience, explaining that he was too exhausted to continue today and that those who wanted to hear more could come back tomorrow afternoon, and the story would be even more exciting!

After saying this, Manager Xu, under the protection of Liu and the staff, quickly ran out of the teahouse. He didn't even bother to collect the tips, but the teahouse still needed him to attract customers, so they wouldn't keep his money.

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