Chapter 20 You poor people are more creative
The performance of this Miss Wen Yuan was not in the building, but in one of the courtyards behind the Miaoyin Pavilion, called "Qinxiang Garden". The performance started a moment after the gong sounded, and the literati who wanted to show their support hurried over.

Although Chen Ju and his companions came immediately after hearing the noise, they only managed to get a seat in the middle, with four people sitting around a round table. It was free to watch the performance here, but this simple table was expensive, and was a symbol of identity and status. There were about 10 to 20 tables like this in the small courtyard, and those who came later could only stand in the corridor even if they had money.

"It's quite lively."

Liang Yue looked at the densely packed figures in the corridor. Everyone's eyes were very eager, as if they were chasing stars.

"Hehe, the popular musicians in Miaoyin Pavilion are different from those good girls outside." Chen Ju laughed and said, "The popular musicians are very popular."

"Oh?" Liang Yue asked, "What's the difference?"

Chen Ju smiled and said, "Those nice girls out there will basically sell themselves out for money. As for these popular musicians, you have to be diligent when performing your talents and be generous when giving rewards to attract her attention, and then get the opportunity to chat with her. The more times you chat, the more pleasant it will be for both parties to chat with her, and then you can get close to her."

"So the difference between them is that they have talent?" Liang Yue tried to summarize.

"Hmm..." Chen Ju hesitated for a moment and replied, "It is more expensive."

Liang Yue smiled, it was indeed concise and to the point.

He came to Hongxiufang just to find out the situation with Chen Ju. He was not interested in any courtesans. At most, he followed them to see their talents and get to know the world. Therefore, he was particularly calm and seemed a little out of place in the crowd.

Soon, a gauze screen was set up on the stage in the courtyard. The Phoenix lady walked up to the stage and said to the guests below in a sweet voice, "Dear guests, this is Miss Wen Yuan's second performance after coming to my Miaoyin Pavilion. You are all so supportive, it seems that you have all heard of her name. In the last performance, because Miss Wen Yuan was too beautiful, the guests had no interest in listening to the music, so this time she asked to cover her face during the performance. Only those who are selected for the conversation can see Miss Wen Yuan's face."

"Then what are you looking at?" some dissatisfied people began to shout.

"Just watch." Feng Niang threw a coquettish glance, turned around and walked off the stage. Behind the gauze screen, there was a sitting shadow. Only her hair was full of flowers, her shoulders and neck were smooth, and her jade-like fingers were visible, but her facial features and body shape were not visible.

But for some reason, just seeing this shadow makes people feel that this must be an outstanding beauty.

Sometimes beauty is a feeling, not just a sight.

Many people present came here because of her reputation as a beauty, and they were very unhappy to see that she didn't even show her face, but this feeling was soon forgotten.

thump——

As she plucked the strings of the zither, the sound spread out like flowing water, and in the blink of an eye, the just heated scene calmed down.

It wasn't a dull moment, but everyone closed their eyes and immersed themselves in a fresh and elegant atmosphere. The sound of the piano seemed to have a magical power, and when I closed my eyes, I seemed to see mountains and flowing water, blue sky and white clouds, and my childhood lover.

It seems to reflect the past, as graceful as a startled swan.

When the song ends, the lingering sound lingers for a long time.

After a long while, everyone slowly opened their eyes and exclaimed: "Miss Wen Yuan's piano playing is just like the sound of heaven. I have never heard it in my life."

"Oh my God, I remembered running under the sunset that day. That was my lost youth..."

"Wow." Chen Ju raised his face with a sad look.

"What's wrong with you?" Liang Yue asked.

"I just closed my eyes and saw the girl I once loved deeply." Chen Ju said with tears in his eyes, "Miss Wen Yuan, can you play another song for me?"

"I didn't realize you were such a romantic person. Do you want to miss her again?" Liang Yue said.

"No, their figures flashed by one by one as soon as the music started, and they had not finished flashing even after the music ended. This song is too short and not worth watching!" Chen Ju shouted.

Liang Yue: “…”

Miss Wen Yuan behind the screen took a short break and then played two pieces in succession. Each piece of music could bring people into a scene that matched it. With her miraculous performance, people even forgot the original purpose of coming here.

Everyone who listens to the piano seems to be there to listen to the piano, immersed in the intoxication of the music.

Until Feng Niang walked back onto the stage, she said with a smile: "Dear guests, Miss Wen Yuan's talent show has come to an end. Guests who want to have a casual chat with her should seize the opportunity."

clang--

After that, a gong sounded, bringing everyone back to Qinxiang Garden.

"Miss Wen Yuan!" Looking at the shadow behind the screen, everyone shouted excitedly.

Even if we ignore her appearance, she has captured the hearts of many scholars and literati just by her piano skills, not to mention her reputation as a beauty.

Who wouldn't want to see it?
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the courtyard became lively again, and everyone was eager to try. A servant was walking in the courtyard carrying a copper tray.

……

"Mr. Guo is rewarding us with a pair of South China Sea pearls!"

"Master Zhang has rewarded me with a flawless white jade!"

"Mr. Qin gives me a reward of twenty taels of gold!"

"..." The servants' shouts began to sound one after another. Whenever someone put an item of extremely high value on a copper plate, he would shout.

"What are you doing?" Liang Yue asked.

"Rewards." Chen Ju explained, "It's not free to listen to the music. After the musicians finish their performance, the servants will come down to collect the tips. You can give as much or as little as you want, it all depends on your heart. But when the musicians choose people to chat with, they often choose the guests with the highest tip value. Those who want to chat will be more generous."

"The one who gets hurt the most is always number two on the list." Liang Yue sighed.

"Yes, I didn't prepare before I came here today, so it seems that I can't make a move." Chen Ju pointed at the few confident scholars in front and said, "If the one in front is particularly magnanimous, the ones behind will generally avoid it and just show their respect."

"How much do you want as a token of your appreciation?" Liang Yue touched his purse.

After all, he had enjoyed three piano pieces and the experience was really good, so he didn't plan to listen to them for nothing.

"Just give me ten or eight taels of silver, and it won't be embarrassing." Chen Ju said.

"Cough..." Liang Yue almost choked because he didn't drink the water.

Is this what all you rich people mean?
"Don't worry, I've prepared everything for you." Chen Ju said with a smile, "Come with me, there's no way I'll let you spend money."

"Not so good..." Liang Yue looked around and asked, "Any reward is fine?"

Even though they were friends, he still didn't want to take advantage of the other party financially.

"That's right. Gold, silver, treasures, calligraphy and paintings, anything valuable will do." Chen Ju replied.

"Then I have a solution." Liang Yue smiled slightly.

He called the maid behind him, asked her for a piece of white paper, took out a pen he made with charcoal sticks from his bosom, and began to draw on it.

Liang Yue had been interested in crime sketches before, and had studied painting for a period of time... After about three days, the teacher was shocked and said that if he became an art student, he would definitely be a top student.

However, his interest was not here, and he did not delve into it further after mastering the skills. When he came here, he still kept the habit of carrying a pen with him.

He painted quickly with a series of "sizzling" sounds. By the time the servant carrying the copper tray came over, in just a moment, Liang Yue's brush had already drawn a picture of a beautiful woman playing the piano behind a screen. It was exactly the scene that Miss Wen Yuan had just performed, almost exactly the same.

The servant was stunned when he saw it, as if he had never seen such a painting before and wondered how much it was worth. In the end, he did not shout and went straight to accept the silver from Chen Ju.

Hu Peng and Gou You came here prepared, but the previous people were too fierce and they were probably not prepared enough, so they put away the treasures in their arms and replaced them with ordinary silver ingots.

"Although your painting is good, is it worth money?" Chen Ju was a little skeptical of Liang Yue. "If they investigate, it will be embarrassing if I am too perfunctory."

It was also the first time he had seen such a painting. Although it was very authentic, it felt a little strange.

Liang Yue said calmly, "You don't have to spend money on this thing, right? I put a lot of effort into it!"

"Tsk." Hu Peng, who was standing beside him, sneered when he heard it. "Brother Liang, if the priceless masterpieces of famous artists like Chou Tanhua and Xu Shangshu were placed here, they would definitely be the best. How much can your impromptu painting be worth even if you put your heart into it?"

"Alright." Chen Ju defended, "You two aren't arguing about anything anyway, why don't we leave early before Feng Niang finds out."

"Okay." Several people agreed immediately.

The four of them stood up and left, crouching through the courtyard, and walked slowly through the crowd at the corridor. Although the people in the corridor did not have any hope of having a casual conversation, they still wanted to stay and watch the excitement, to know which noble man would win the heart of the beauty.

Halfway through the walk, I heard that Lady Feng came back on stage. She said with a stern face, "The guest that Miss Wen Yuan has chosen to stay and chat with you today is... Young Master Liang!"

"Oh?" There was a sudden sound of doubt in the crowd, and everyone looked around, wanting to see who this Mr. Liang was.

I think it should be the Liang family, one of the four great families, but I didn’t hear any shouting just now, so I wonder what they sent?
But after looking around, it seemed that no one stood up.

Feng Niang continued, "Where is Mr. Liang who gave me the hand-painted painting?"

"Hmm?" It was not until this moment that Liang Yue realized something was wrong. Why did it sound so much like calling his name? He slowly straightened up and turned around to see that Feng Niang was holding a sketch in black pen on a piece of white paper.

"I don't accept it!" Mr. Guo, who had presented a pair of pearls as a present, stood up angrily. "How can such a shabby painting be more valuable than my South China Sea pearls? Could it be that Miss Wen Yuan was attracted by this boy's handsomeness?"

Ok……

Liang Yue gave the other party an approving look and said, "My friend, although your quality is a little poor, your eyesight is still good."

In fact, he himself had the same doubts.

Then, Feng Niang on the stage looked unhappy, as if she was holding back her anger: "It's easy to get a fortune, but it's hard to find true love. Miss Wen Yuan felt that Mr. Liang had put a lot of effort into this painting. Her consistent standard for choosing people to talk to is to put in effort!"

As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar.

There are so many brothels in Hongxiufang, and there are countless good girls coming and going. They all say they are sincere but they have real gold in their hearts. It is probably the first time that Miss Wen Yuan really chooses worthless items.

Especially the two brothers Hu Peng and Gou You in front of Liang Yue, they turned around and looked at him with wide eyes, as if saying... this thing really doesn't cost any money?
Chen Ju was even more open-minded, and gave Liang Yue a thumbs-up with admiration, saying, "You poor people are really good at making things happen."

(End of this chapter)