Two newly minted Maoshan Taoists picked a table neither too close to nor too far from the stage and sat facing the puppet. One set a camera on the table while the other propped up a phone. They seemed to place them casually, but both devices were aimed at the stage...
"You don't have to be so careful." The proprietress spotted them from across the room and chuckled as she walked over.
"If you want to take pictures, go ahead. Switch tables and sit right up front if you like. Take all the pictures you want—I don't mind!"
"I mind." Shen Le walked over, his face dark.
"What are you trying to do? What do you want with my Little Puppet?!"
Last time, you came here and said my Little Puppet was something filthy that would harm people. If I hadn't stopped you, you would've taken her away...
Now Xiao Ling has come to life, and I've learned the truth from her. Try laying a finger on her now, and see what happens!
"It's all right, it's all right." The proprietress smiled reassuringly.
"I'm here. I won't let them touch your Little Puppet. They can look, but not touch, and they can't come within two meters. Can you manage that?"
She tilted her head and asked the last question with a smile. The two Special Affairs Department agents jolted slightly and answered in unison.
"Absolutely! Don't worry!"
Before they came, they'd been warned that the proprietress was someone they couldn't afford to offend. In her restaurant, it was best to do as they were told. They moved to the table closest to the stage and set up their equipment. They'd only been filming for a short while when both of them exclaimed, "Huh?"
"What's wrong?"
Shen Le leaned over. Gu Yulin shifted aside, revealing the screen as he pointed something out.
"Look, Little Puppet's readings are going up... They've risen by more than a hundred. That's not the important part, though. The nature of the energy has changed. It's gone from Yin to leaning toward Yang... Strange. What happened? Or is it the restaurant?"
He stayed seated while his junior brother took a larger instrument from his backpack and walked around the restaurant with it. The two huddled together, whispering.
"It really does seem to have changed..."
"And by quite a bit..."
"If the change lasts, we could ask her to help..."
"Does it have to be inside the restaurant? Could we do it outside?"
They discussed it for a long time. By the time the last customer had left, they finally stood up and asked the proprietress.
"Could we have the puppet perform outside? Across the river, for instance?"
"I know what you're planning." The proprietress smiled.
"Don't worry. I've already confirmed what Little Puppet can do. As she performs, she absorbs malice and turns it into peace, soothing people's hearts. With help from our waitresses, her power can spread even further.
Everyone's under a lot of pressure these days. If they come here for a bowl of noodles and a song, they can relax. They'll be less likely to get angry, feel down, or do something drastic."
The two newly minted Maoshan Taoists breathed a sigh of relief. But the senior brother still insisted.
"We believe you, Proprietress, but this is a serious matter. We need to run our own tests and document the results.
"Then... if the results are good, could we take Little Puppet to perform elsewhere outside of mealtimes?"
Before the proprietress could answer, a fragrant breeze drifted out of the kitchen, along with a chorus of sweet voices, as a group of girls came out. They gathered around her and chimed in.
"Say yes!"
"Come on, say yes!"
"Say yes! The more performances, the better for us, too!"
When they operated the puppets, even if they only helped out, they could still earn some merit! With merit, they'd have a much easier time getting through future tribulations!
"I can perform on the stage at two this afternoon! I'm not afraid of the sun!"
"Neither am I!"
"The stage is no good. There aren't many people on Old Street, so hardly anyone will watch. What about a hospital? Hospitals are full of people who are grieving, suffering, and anxious. That's where we'd do the most good!"
Shen Le's face darkened as he listened.
Hey, hey, hey! I'm still right here! Sure, I rented the place to you, and we did agree you could perform in the restaurant, but now you're talking about taking Xiao Ling to a hospital right in front of me?!
Do you have any respect for me at all?!
"Hey, don't rush. Xiao Yu's on duty today, then it's Xiao Ge tomorrow, Xiao Zhao the day after, and Doudou the day after that... We've got everyone scheduled. We'll take turns, so don't worry!"
After calming down her waitress-subordinates, the proprietress turned to Shen Le with a radiant smile, as if a spring breeze had swept over him.
"Oh, Mr. Shen, don't be like that. Hospitals are crowded, chaotic places, and the emotions there are intense. Little Puppet might not be able to handle them yet. How about... a school?"
She turned halfway around and gazed toward the best elementary school in the center of town.
"Kids are under a lot of pressure these days. Just a few days ago, someone jumped off a building!
"We can come up with some excuse, like preserving intangible cultural heritage, and have my waitresses take her on a tour of the schools!
"Soothing all those students would do a lot of good!"
Shen Le fell silent for a moment. He wanted to say no, but when he thought of the little boy who had just jumped, the words caught in his throat. While he was still hesitating, Little Puppet leaped up on her own.
"Say yes! Say yes! I like doing this! It's good for me!"
Is that so...
Do you need to grow this way...
Ever since you were made, ever since your first master took you to comfort children amid the smoke of war, have you been given this responsibility...
If that's the case...
"...All right. But if you go to the schools, the fee is separate!"
"Still a hundred yuan a day! That's not included in what you pay for performing at the restaurant!"
"Deal!"
Things took a sudden turn. The two newly minted Maoshan Taoists stared in shock. Before they could even react, the proprietress had dumped the task on them.
"Well, you two, contact the schools through official channels. I'll leave that to you.
"Also... get each of my waitresses a title like 'intangible cultural heritage inheritor' or 'puppet theater performer' so they can perform at the schools. I'll leave that task to you, too!"
"Uh... why does this always end up being our job..."
Even as they groaned, the two young Taoists knew that getting this done would benefit everyone. They spent ten days running around, calling in every contact they had at the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Special Affairs Department. At last, Little Puppet began her tour of all the schools in town.
It was summer vacation, but that didn't matter. Summer programs, training courses, and all sorts of places where students gathered in large numbers were all on the schedule.
"The students' emotions have been effectively soothed."
"Feedback from the school counselors shows that the students' mental state has improved."
"Well, there shouldn't be anyone else jumping off a building... right..."
Shen Le breathed a sigh of relief, retreated to his house, and went back to restoring antiques. The two Special Affairs Department agents weren't so lucky. They had to rush straight into another job.
"Ah! A family on Kangle Road has reported something strange. We don't know what kind of monster it is, so we'd better hurry over and check!"