To Carry On the Ancestor's Will

"Yo, isn't this President Zhang? What brings you to call your brother?"

Su Chen asked playfully.

The call was from his best friend, Zhang Da.

The two had always been close, but recently Zhang Da seemed extremely busy and hadn't had time to contact him.

Zhang Da, on the other end of the line, sounded quite pleased with himself:

"Your business over there isn't doing too well, is it? I'm planning to start a company. Why don't you just close your shop and come be my general manager?"

"Judging by your tone, you've made a fortune?"

Su Chen was a bit surprised. This guy wasn't some rich second-generation heir; he was practically a second-generation debtor.

How could he suddenly start a company?

"Something like that. A while ago, I worked at a courier company for a month and happened to meet the other half of my life. We fell deeply in love, and she bought me a sea-view house and a BMW."

"Whoa, you're living the good life!"

"Haha, don't worry, man, I haven't fallen for it! I swore I wouldn't be a kept man and decided to start my own business. So, I opened my own company, planning to make it big from scratch!"

"That's not right. Judging by your setup, it sounds like a big deal. Where did your company get its startup capital?"

"She gave it to me. We're family now, so it's only right she supports my venture, isn't it?"

"Hmm, ambitious!"

After a brief, awkward exchange, Su Chen hung up the phone with a complex expression.

He never expected that in just two months, this guy would have reached the pinnacle of life.

His wedding was scheduled for next week. The main reason for the call was to invite Su Chen to the wedding. Coincidentally, Su Chen also wanted to use the wedding to bring himself some good luck.

Jinshi City

Jinyang Street

Commercial Center District.

Night had enveloped the entire city. In the early hours of the morning, time quietly erased the neon lights of the modern city. Everything seemed to have settled, the lights of various shopping malls gradually shutting off. The deserted streets were no longer bustling with crowds as they were during the day.

At this moment, in a duplex teahouse clubhouse with an old-fashioned style, a single bright light stubbornly persisted in the darkness.

The teahouse faced north and sat to the south. Inside, the audience seating and the stage were arranged in a circular fashion, forming an enclosed storytelling environment.

On the stage, the wooden clapper sat on the table!

A figure sat before the table, picked up the wooden clapper, and struck it against the table with a loud crack!

The crisp sound immediately echoed throughout the entire teahouse!

The mottled, old paint on the teahouse did not affect its unique acoustics. The sound reverberated upwards, gathering and lingering.

As the sound of the wooden clapper slowly faded, the figure's weathered voice emerged:

"To know what happens next, listen to my next tale!"

"Another round! I was really getting into it, why did it just stop?"

"Yeah, we were so engrossed. Tell us more, old man!"

Below the stage, two or three listeners were captivated. Judging by their appearance, they seemed to be workers who had just finished their shifts.

Teahouse storytelling and opera performances like this were once considered luxuries only affordable by the wealthy. Now, with the influx of various cultures, there weren't many storytellers and teahouses like this left, and their business naturally wasn't as booming as other forms of entertainment. These people saw the teahouse open after work and decided to peek inside, not expecting that there wasn't even anyone collecting tickets.

The movie theater next door was packed every day, with people staying late to watch movies even in the dead of night.

This teahouse, however, was no longer what it used to be. Even with the doors wide open, few people were willing to come in.

As a result, these people had been enjoying the show for free all afternoon. When the storyteller finished, they didn't forget to shout for another round!

It wasn't that they couldn't afford to pay, but they felt like they were doing the storyteller a favor, making their free attendance seem justified.

They were just getting to the part where Lu Bu shot an arrow at the gate with his halberd, but the halberd was only halfway there when the storyteller stopped.

It was quite frustrating.

Seeing that the storyteller on stage remained still, they grumbled:

"Tell us more! You haven't finished this part yet! At least finish this segment!"

On stage, Qiao Xiang, his face pale, leaned on the table. It wasn't that he had stopped telling the story, but he lacked the strength to continue.

Once known as a master, he had recounted countless tales of war and peace, of rivers and mountains.

With his eloquent speech and dust-covered robes, he had once embellished many martial arts legends.

Now, his physical condition had deteriorated. Just like the art of storytelling and opera, it seemed to be nearing its twilight!

Throughout his life, he had mastered the art of Peking Opera, a national treasure, and was also a storyteller. Singing and storytelling were his main professions, and he was considered a grandmaster in the circle. Unfortunately, he was still unable to reverse its decline and the trend of no one inheriting the art!

Especially with the passing of so many masters and titans of Dragon Country's Peking opera storytelling in recent years, the national quintessence has become increasingly desolate!

His own time was also running out, much like the enthusiasts who were aging out in batches.

The workers lost interest when the old man stopped talking and promptly began to leave.

They planned to come back tomorrow to get their free entertainment again.

After everyone had left, Qiao Xiang stood up and looked at the teahouse with a face full of desolation.

It was completely devoid of its former glory and liveliness.

At this moment, a figure walked in. Upon seeing Qiao Xiang, he seemed somewhat angry.

He quickly walked over.

A deep, middle-aged male voice sounded, tinged with urgency:

"Dad, why did you come all the way here again so late at night?"

As he spoke, he draped his coat over Qiao Xiang.

Looking at the man with his thick eyebrows and large eyes, it was his son and also his disciple—Qiao Sheng.

Qiao Xiang gave a bitter smile:

"I don't know how many more times I can come. It's always good to see it one more time!"

"You can't keep pushing yourself like this. If your fellow disciples hadn't contacted me last night, I wouldn't have known where you were! You promised me you wouldn't come anymore, so why did you change your mind today?"

Qiao Sheng asked, looking at him with a mixture of anger and concern.

Although there was a hint of complaint, the respect in his words was genuine and heartfelt, showing no lack of deference.

"Usually, the teahouse stays open until the third watch of the night. How could I have seen the dim lights of the teahouse today! I felt a surge of inspiration and wanted to go on stage to tell a few stories. I didn't expect my body to fail me, and I couldn't continue halfway through! It even caused those few listeners to give the old man a bad review, alas!"

Qiao Xiang explained, his inner sorrow difficult to express.

Over the years, watching this art form decline and the national quintessence lack successors, he felt immense grief.

The thing he had dedicated his life to, wanting to carry on the aspirations of his predecessors and pass down its fragrance to future generations, who could have imagined such a situation and predicament.

The disciples who used to perform now had to take on other jobs to make a living.

The disciples who used to practice their basic skills in the courtyard behind the teahouse years ago had long since disappeared.

"They're all just freeloaders, you don't need to worry about them! I'll take you home now!"

Qiao Sheng could only comfort him upon hearing this.

Times have changed!

Saying this, he prepared to take the old man home.

Unexpectedly, just as the old man nodded, he felt his vision go black, and he fainted!

Qiao Sheng's face changed drastically:

"Dad!"

Here's the second update, there will be another one later tonight.

It might be a bit late!

But it will arrive, no matter what.