sbdcsierra Chapter 344 Laughter
Chapter 344 Laughter
When they came down from Guanghua Temple, it was past Shenshi (3-5 PM), and the performances at the temple fair had basically ended. So Xiao Han and his group chose to go directly to Jingxian, the county closest to Jiuhua Mountain.
The carriage traveled for about half an hour before entering Shixi County as the sun set.
Night was about to fall, and after entering the city, the carriage headed directly to the inn where we would stay for the night.
The inn was booked in advance by the guards. During the Spring Festival, there are many tourists, so to avoid the inn being fully booked, King Xuan had someone come and book it in advance.
Shixi County is under the jurisdiction of the capital city. As the core area at the foot of the imperial city, its urban scale and facilities are relatively complete and prosperous.
After putting down their luggage and resting briefly at the guesthouse, the group set off to visit the night market.
As dusk fell and the city lights began to twinkle, the unique hustle and bustle of the New Year rose from Honglin Street in the south of the city.
The streets and alleys are adorned with all kinds of lanterns and colorful ribbons, as well as auspicious couplets pasted on both sides of the storefronts. Vendors set up stalls and crowds flow by, creating a strong festive atmosphere everywhere.
Inside the Junyue Restaurant in Shixi County.
This is the height of the fireworks display. The Grand Hyatt Restaurant is brightly lit, packed with guests, and filled with the lively sounds of conversation, the rich aroma of wine, and the enticing fragrance of the dishes.
This is a three-story wooden pavilion, where Long Chuqing and his entourage are having their meal in a private room on the second floor.
This place is close to the capital city, and it has most of the dishes that can be found in restaurants in the capital. We ordered a few specialty dishes and a pot of Tusu wine, a must-have for the New Year.
Tusu wine is made by soaking medicinal herbs such as rhubarb, atractylodes macrocephala, cinnamon twig, saposhnikovia divaricata, Sichuan pepper, aconite, and prepared aconite root in wine. It has the effects of warming the middle and strengthening the spleen, dispelling wind and cold and warding off epidemic diseases, and is especially suitable for drinking in winter.
"Clang—thump—"
A deep, resonant guqin melody filled the restaurant, piercing through the hustle and bustle and touching the heart. Then, several other melodious instruments joined in, including the gentle sounds of silk and bamboo instruments, the soft notes of a flute, and the crisp tones of a pipa. The various pieces intertwined and played together, weaving a prelude that was ethereal and far-reaching.
In an instant, the noisy voices in the restaurant fell silent, leaving only whispers and expectant expressions, as everyone's eyes turned toward the stage.
"Royal brother, Dragon sister, look! The performance has started!" Princess Ruoyang excitedly walked to the railing and looked down.
The best view is from the central courtyard, where a square stage covered with a red carpet has been set up downstairs.
A hazy glow fell on the stage, and a slender, graceful figure landed gracefully in the center of the stage. She was Yan Shuang, the dancer invited by Junyue Restaurant.
She wore a long, red, wide-sleeved dress, the fabric of which was soft and shimmered with a lustrous sheen in the candlelight.
She had a beautiful and refined face, lightly powdered, with a few wisps of hair falling down her neck, making her look charming and delicate.
“Let’s go take a look.” King Xuan stood up from his chair.
Long Chuqing also stood up and walked towards the courtyard.
Xiao Han and Prince Qi continued to sit and drink.
As the music progressed, Yan Shuang's wide sleeves fluttered to the sides, her toes lightly touching the ground, her steps agile and graceful, sometimes flowing like water, sometimes as light as a swallow, the melodious tune and the beautiful dance complementing each other.
Her slender waist began to spin rapidly, and her red skirt billowed up in an instant, like a blooming, beautiful flower, with layers of skirt unfolding one after another as she spun.
She spun faster and faster, leaving only a hazy red silhouette, her face almost invisible.
Apart from the sounds of musical instruments, the entire Junyue Restaurant was quiet. Whether upstairs or downstairs, countless eyes were fixed on the center of the stage, admiring the beautiful figure.
"How amazing!" Princess Ruoyang sat by the railing, her hands resting on the railing, her chin propped on her arm, intently admiring the graceful dance below.
As the music faded away, the flowing skirt slowly came together.
A burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted inside the restaurant.
Miss Yanshuang walked gracefully to the front of the stage, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and bowed elegantly to take her bow.
"Great, that waist twist is really energetic, hahaha..."
Before the cheers had even faded, a crude and mocking voice came from the second floor.
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw several young men, their faces flushed from drinking, leaning against the railing with one hand holding a wine jug (or wine cup) and the other hand, looking down.
The young man at the head of the group was dressed in a flashy purple brocade outfit. He had slicked-back hair, a pale and puffy face with heavy eye bags, and a frivolous look in his eyes. This man was Hu Guangyan, the son of the magistrate of Shixi County.
He was a notorious playboy in the area, and almost all the local guests present knew him.
He had always relied on his background to act arrogantly and domineeringly in the county, and no one dared to cause him trouble. Over time, he developed an arrogant and domineering personality and did all sorts of things that were hated by everyone.
Hu Guangyan's gaze lingered on Yan Shuang, "Hehe, look at that little waist. Wouldn't it be even more exciting if she swayed in front of me? Hahaha..."
"Hahaha......"
Standing next to him, his sleazy henchmen immediately burst into fawning laughter.
"Who can argue with that! When it comes to figure and looks, you have to look at this newcomer, Miss Yanshuang. Just look at her graceful figure and those captivating eyes, tsk tsk..."
The henchman slurped his saliva as he spoke, his face displaying a lewd expression.
Hu Guangyan swayed as he pulled a handful of loose silver from his pocket and threw it at the stage below, where it scattered on the ground with a clatter.
"Young master, hiccup... this is a reward for you." Hu Guangyan raised the wine pot high, tilted his head back and poured a mouthful of wine into his mouth. He pointed his index finger at Yan Shuang below: "You, kneel down, crawl over and pick up those pieces of silver, then come up and have a few drinks with me, let me see if you are worth the price, hahaha..."
His words were full of insults and vulgarity, and his lewd expression was utterly repulsive.
"Hahaha......"
Several drunken bursts of laughter erupted unrestrainedly in a corner of the second floor.
The gentle music abruptly stopped. The dance was supposed to continue with another dance after this one ended, but the unexpected situation left the musicians at a loss.
Upon hearing the laughter of those people, Yan Shuang froze on the spot. Her eyes, which had been sparkling just moments before, now became dull and lifeless, with only tears of fear and humiliation welling up in them.
Her beautiful face was drained of color, and her body trembled slightly uncontrollably, not only because she was dressed in thin clothes, but more so because of fear.
She lowered her head, biting her lip tightly, her hazy eyes fixed on the piece of silver closest to her.
She knew who the people shouting from above were, and she had heard about the various heinous acts they had committed.
These are all people she cannot afford to offend.
For her, verbal humiliation and being forced to kneel were minor matters; being forced to drink with someone was like a lamb entering a tiger's den.
These people are all drunk; they're capable of anything. She absolutely cannot go up there.