The Little Puppet Works Two Jobs in One Day?

The two fledgling Maoshan Taoists chose a table neither too far nor too near the stage, sitting down to face the puppet. One placed a camera on the table while the other set up a phone; though they appeared to be placed casually, both were intentionally or unintentionally aimed toward the stage.

"You don't need to be so cautious," the Landlady said from afar, letting out a soft chuckle as she walked over gracefully.

"If you want to film, then film. Change tables, move to the very front, film however you like—I have no objections!"

"I have objections." Shen Le walked over with a dark expression.

"What are you two trying to do? What are you planning to do to my Little Puppet?!"

"You came here once before, claiming my Little Puppet was an unclean thing that would harm people. If I hadn't stopped you, you would have nearly taken her away..."

"Now that Xiao Ling has come to life, and I have asked her the truth myself, just try touching her with even a single finger!"

"It's fine, it's fine." The Landlady smiled to soothe him.

"With me here, I won't let them touch your Little Puppet. You may only watch, not touch, and you must stay at least two meters away. Can you manage that?"

She tilted her head and asked with a smile at the end of her sentence. The two members of the Special Affairs Department shivered slightly and answered in unison:

"Absolutely! Don't worry!"

Before arriving, they had been warned that this Landlady was someone not to be trifled with, and that in her shop, it was best to listen obediently. They moved to the table closest to the stage and set up their instruments, but after filming for only a moment, they both let out a surprised "Huh."

"What is it?"

Shen Le leaned in. Gu Yulin turned slightly to clear the screen, pointing it out to him:

"Look, the readings for the Little Puppet have risen... by over a hundred. That's not what's important; the important thing is that the nature of the energy has changed. It went from yin-aligned to leaning toward yang... Strange, what happened? Or is it related to this restaurant?"

He sat still while his junior brother pulled a larger instrument from his backpack and circled the restaurant. The two huddled together, whispering:

"It really does seem to have changed..."

"And the change isn't small..."

"If this change can be sustained, we could ask her for a favor..."

"Are you sure it has to be inside the restaurant? Would outside work?"

The two discussed it for quite a while, and only after the last guest had left the restaurant did they stand up to negotiate with the Landlady:

"Could we have the puppet perform outside? For instance, across the river?"

"I know what you're planning." The Landlady smiled charmingly.

"Rest assured, I confirmed this Little Puppet's abilities long ago. During the performance, she absorbs resentment and transforms it into peace, soothing people's hearts. With the help of our waitresses, her power can be amplified even further."

"Nowadays, everyone is under great pressure. Coming here to eat a bowl of noodles and listen to a melody allows their hearts to relax, making them less prone to anger, depression, or taking extreme measures."

The two fledgling Maoshan Taoists breathed a sigh of relief. However, the senior brother persisted:

"We certainly believe what you say, Landlady, but this is a matter of great importance, so we must conduct independent tests and keep evidence."

"Then... if the test results are good, could we take the Little Puppet to perform elsewhere during off-peak hours?"

Before the Landlady could speak, a fragrant breeze stirred in the kitchen, and a group of girls emerged, chirping like swallows. They surrounded the Landlady, speaking in sweet, soft voices:

"Say yes to him!"

"Just say yes!"

"Say yes! Performing more is good for us too!"

By manipulating the puppet during performances, even if only assisting, they could earn a bit of merit! With merit, it would be much easier to survive their future tribulations!

"At two in the afternoon, I can go perform on the stage! I'm not afraid of the sun!"

"I'm not afraid either!"

"The stage isn't good; there are few people on Old Street, so few people see it. How about the hospital? Places like hospitals have the most people who are sad, in pain, or anxious—the soothing effect would be best there!"

Shen Le stood to the side, his face turning black.

Hey, hey, hey, I'm still right here! Even if I rented her to you, we only agreed on performances in the restaurant. You're talking about taking Xiao Ling to a hospital right in front of my face?!

Do you have any respect for me at all!

"Hey, don't be impatient, don't be impatient. Xiao Yu is in charge today, tomorrow it's Xiao Ge's turn, the day after is Xiao Zhao, and the day after that is Doudou... Everyone is lined up, take your turns, don't rush!"

After soothing her subordinates, the Landlady turned her face back to Shen Le and smiled at him with the warmth of a spring breeze:

"Oh, Mr. Shen, please don't be like that. A place like a hospital has too many people, it's too chaotic, and the emotions are too intense; the Little Puppet might not be able to handle it yet. Look... how about a school?"

She turned halfway, gazing far toward the center of the town, in the direction of the best elementary school:

"Children these days are under so much pressure; just a few days ago, one jumped off a building!"

"We can find an excuse, like inheriting intangible cultural heritage, and have my waitresses take her to the school for a tour! If we soothe these students once, the benefits will be immense!"

Shen Le fell silent. He wanted to say no, but thinking of the little boy who had just jumped, he couldn't bring himself to say it. While he was still pondering, the Little Puppet jumped up on her own:

"Say yes! Say yes! I like doing this! Doing this is good for me!"

Is that so...

Do you need to grow in this way...

From the moment you were crafted, from the time you were taken by your first master to soothe children amidst the smoke of war, had you already been burdened with such a responsibility...

Since that is the case...

"...Fine then. However, if you go to the schools, the rent will be calculated separately!"

"It's still one hundred yuan a day! That doesn't include the money for performing at the restaurant!"

"Deal!"

The situation took a sharp turn. The two fledgling Maoshan Taoists stared in stunned silence, and before they could even react, the task had already been dumped on them by the Landlady:

"So, you two, communicating with the schools through official channels—that task is now in your hands.

Also... my waiters need to each obtain titles like 'Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor' or 'Puppet Show Performer' so they can perform at the schools. That task is yours as well!"

"Ah... why is it our job again..."

Even as they wailed, the two fledgling Taoists knew that getting this done was beneficial for everyone. Running back and forth, they spent ten days pulling every string they had in the Cultural Bureau and the Special Affairs Department. Finally, the Little Puppet began her tour of the town, taking the stage at various schools.

It was summer vacation, but that didn't matter; summer camps, training centers, and any place where students gathered in large numbers were all fair game:

"The students' emotions have been effectively soothed."

"Feedback from the school counselors indicates that the students' mental states have improved."

"Hmm, there shouldn't be anyone else jumping off buildings... right..."

Shen Le breathed a sigh of relief and retreated into his shop to continue repairing antiques. The two Special Affairs personnel, however, were not so lucky; without a moment's rest, they had to start rushing about again:

"Ah! A household on Kangle Road reported an anomaly. We don't know what kind of monster it is, we have to go check it out immediately!"