Chapter 31: Pear Blossom Garden
Translated by algoo | Proofread by algoo
For the latest updates, visit: ProNovels.com
Join our Discord for release updates: https://discord.gg/Eh2ayfR4FB
For the next half month, Lin Xiu’s life was quite peaceful.
After the previous incident, Tianxiang Restaurant finally ceased their provocations. No other restaurants, brothels, or establishments dared to bother him, allowing him to peacefully earn money and cultivate.
It was good to have a powerful backer. After that incident, they certainly all knew that Lin Xiu was working for the imperial palace. Anyone who still dared to make any trouble would be courting death.
It could be said that as long as he held this position, Lin Xiu could practically walk sideways in the capital.
With the help of Yuan crystals, Lin Xiu’s progress was rapid. Even Ling Yin said that at this rate, perhaps before winter arrived, his abilities would awaken a second time.
This was both good and bad news.
Continuous progress in cultivation was naturally a good thing, but judging from the results of his cultivation these days, Lin Xiu’s talent wasn’t particularly high. He needed Yuan crystals to achieve this speed. Without them, there was still a large gap between him and the true geniuses.
Fortunately, while others had only one path of cultivation, Lin Xiu had several. These days, he had been training his strength with Sun Dali. Sun Dali was shocked by the strength Lin Xiu displayed, but his mind was simple, and he was easily fooled by Lin Xiu’s excuse of it being a side effect of his Heaven-rank Mystical Art awakening.
Half a month passed, and the temperature cooled slightly. Lin Xiu estimated that in another half a month, the Harvest Moon Tower’s business would likely come to an end.
However, during this time, he had accumulated a considerable amount of silver. While it wouldn’t make the Lin Family suddenly rich, they no longer needed to live frugally.
Now, Lin Xiu had adapted to his new life and even enjoyed it somewhat.
He very much enjoyed the feeling of his family being together every day, living in harmony. If given another chance, Lin Xiu might not choose to return to his familiar world.
The only thing he missed was the entertainment of that world.
Watching dramas, movies, karaoke, murder mystery games, escape rooms—from morning till night, he could enjoy a whole day without repeating any activity. This world’s entertainment, however, was pitifully scarce.
Cuju, a ball-kicking game, was too strenuous for the hot weather.
Cockfighting, bird-walking, and cricket fighting held no interest for him.
If he had friends, he could attend banquets, but the previous Lin Xiu had stayed within the confines of the mansion and had no friends, so naturally, no one invited him.
There was one form of entertainment that was the favorite of the men in the capital – visiting brothels. This was even further from Lin Xiu’s consideration.
Enjoying the translation? Stay updated with the latest chapters at ProNovels.com.
Although Lin Xiu’s soul was experienced, his body was still pure. His first experience certainly couldn’t be in such a place. No, not even his second, third, or any. With looks that even Princess Minghe praised, if he went to a brothel, it would be questionable who was soliciting whom. The girls would probably be willing to pay him.
Moreover, if Zhao Lingyin found out, he would undoubtedly lose his legs.
Bored, so bored!
The Lin Xiu of his past life was either galloping on horseback or on his way to gallop on horseback, and a VIP customer of various bars and nightclubs. His entertainment life was incredibly rich, and he had long since adapted to that lifestyle.
But now, every day was either cultivation or making ice for the palace. If he didn’t find some amusement soon, he was afraid he would become ill from boredom.
Early this morning, Lin Xiu took Sun Dali and Big Yellow out for a stroll.
Just over half a month had passed, and Big Yellow had gained a whole circle of weight. From previously being skinny, skin and bones, he had become much rounder, with some flesh on his body.
After careful consideration, Lin Xiu decided it was better to bring Big Yellow along when he went out.
As a dog, he possessed a sense of smell and alertness that Sun Dali lacked, allowing him to detect danger earlier than humans. Lin Xiu felt that he was even more reliable as a guard than Sun Dali.
Sun Dali and Big Yellow followed behind Lin Xiu, each with a chicken leg in their mouth. Sun Dali, his mouth covered in grease, asked, “Young Master, where are we going?”
Lin Xiu replied listlessly, “Just wandering around.”
He was simply too bored staying at home, so going out for a stroll was good too.
The weather had cooled down a bit in the past two days, and it was still early in the morning. There were many pedestrians on the street, and various hawking and peddling sounds filled the air. Lin Xiu was finding it noisy when a particular sound reached his ears.
The voice was soft and gentle, like the Wu dialect. Lin Xiu had once dated a girl from Suzhou, and her speech was always soft and gentle, making him feel weak in the knees.
This voice evoked some memories in Lin Xiu, and he couldn’t help but follow the direction of the sound.
After a dozen steps, Lin Xiu stopped in front of a small two-story pavilion.
The plaque in front of the pavilion was inscribed with three gilded characters: “Pear Blossom Garden.“
This appeared to be a theatre, as a wooden board in front of the pavilion listed the names of some popular plays in this world. Brothels, though more entertaining and comfortable, were ultimately less refined, which had spurred the development of theatres, music halls, and dance studios.
Lin Xiu didn’t enjoy opera when he was young, always changing the channel whenever it came on TV. Later, as he grew older, he came to appreciate the unique charm of opera, adding many ancient-style opera songs to his playlist.
Big Yellow waited outside as Lin Xiu bought two tickets for him and Sun Dali and entered the Pear Blossom Garden.
There weren’t many guests inside the theatre, and most of the seats were empty. A woman in costume was singing on stage, her voice the source of the mesmerizing melody that had softened Lin Xiu’s heart.
Lin Xiu casually found a table in the corner and sat down. Immediately, someone served tea. Sun Dali looked at Lin Xiu, about to ask something, but before he could speak, Lin Xiu raised his hand to stop him, then closed his eyes and listened quietly.
Beautiful music could indeed soothe one’s mood, and this voice had a magical power that gradually calmed Lin Xiu’s initial restlessness.
It also brought back some memories.
The girl who spoke in the same soft and gentle manner, always in a low and sweet voice, was Lin Xiu’s first love.
They had once been deeply in love, together for three years, and were about to enter the halls of marriage, but eventually, they broke up.
There was no third party, nor any obstruction from their families. All the typical dramatic storylines were absent. Their vows of eternal love and passionate romance simply lost to the mundane realities of daily life.
This profound relationship had deepened Lin Xiu’s fear of marriage. Later, he had dated many girlfriends, but never again a girl from the south who spoke in the Wu dialect.
Of course, he never again considered marriage.
The young man who yearned for a perfect marriage eventually transformed into a heartbreaker who changed girlfriends every month.
When the song ended, Lin Xiu opened his eyes and saw Sun Dali sitting across from him, scratching his head and ears, seemingly uncomfortable. He quickly realized that this guy was a simple man who couldn’t appreciate music. Making him listen to opera was like playing the lute to a cow.
Lin Xiu waved his hand and said, “If you don’t want to listen, you can go out first. I’ll go back myself later.”
Sun Dali, as if granted amnesty, immediately stood up and said, “Then, Young Master, I’ll wait for you outside.”
Lin Xiu didn’t say anything more. The actress on stage had begun singing the second song. Lin Xiu listened to the soft voice as his fingers tapped rhythmically on the table.
Closing his eyes and listening only to the sound, it was as if he had returned to the past.
There were no people he missed in that world, but there were things he missed.
The Lin mansion was warm, and the Zhao family treated him well, but whenever it was late at night, a sense of loneliness would rise from Lin Xiu’s heart, as if he didn’t belong in this world. Everything in this world was foreign to him; he couldn’t find anything familiar.
Even the opera in the theatre was something he had never heard before.
Enjoying the translation? Stay updated with the latest chapters at ProNovels.com.
However, although the actress on stage sang well, for Lin Xiu, it ultimately lacked something.
So, he opened his eyes and beckoned to a young girl not far away.
Generally speaking, those who ran theatres were entire opera troupes. Those serving tea and water here were also apprentices of the troupe. They would spend a few years running errands and learning singing techniques before they could perform on stage.
The girl quickly walked over and asked, “What can I do for you, sir?”
Lin Xiu said, “I want to request a song.”
To enter the theatre, one needed to purchase a ticket, which was not time-limited. One could stay from the opening to the closing of the theatre. However, apart from the free opera, subsequent pots of tea, as well as pastries and snacks, were charged separately.
The theatre would arrange a fixed set of songs every day. If a patron was willing to pay extra, they could also request their favorite songs.
After a while, an old woman walked forward, smiling and saying, “May I ask which song you would like to request, sir? Requesting individual songs requires an additional twenty wen.”
Twenty wen per song wasn’t expensive. Lin Xiu nodded, then said, “The song I want to request, you don’t have here. How about you find a girl, I’ll teach her how to sing it, and then she can sing it for me. How about that?”
As soon as Lin Xiu said this, the old woman’s gaze turned wary. She then shook her head and said, “I’m sorry, sir, the Pear Blossom Garden can only perform songs the girls already know…”
Lin Xiu thought for a moment and said, “I can pay extra.”
The old woman shook her head. “It’s not about the money.”
Slap!
Lin Xiu slammed a silver ingot on the table.
The old woman’s throat moved. She immediately turned her head and shouted, “Girls, come over here!”
For the latest updates, visit ProNovels.com. Join our Discord for release updates: https://discord.gg/Eh2ayfR4FB.
