Chapter 182: Sublimation in a Higher Dimension
Chapter 182: Sublimation in a Higher Dimension
The singer finished a song to calm the scene, then the remaining five finished their makeup and arrived.
Two were in charge of singing, and four were in charge of performing, so the grand play began.
Li Daoxuan watched carefully and saw they were performing a Daoist story, about a Taoist priest who traveled the world, fought demons and monsters, and encountered immortal fate… it seemed the story was rather complex.
No wonder this kind of play was called “Dao Qing” — it was derived from Daoist tales.
Among the crowd, Taoist master Ma Tianzheng listened in a trance, while the villagers of Gaojia Village were all devoted to Daoism — they worshipped Dao Xuan Deity as a Daoist god, so hearing the Daoist story made each feel particularly dear.
“Great!”
“Sang beautifully!”
“Danced well too.”
The poor laborers of that era, especially the village residents outside of county towns, had extremely rare chances to watch plays; of the thousand people present, probably fewer than a hundred had ever seen one.
Experiencing this art form for the first time, each was immensely amazed and even felt this life was not in vain.
Old Dao Qing was usually a tragic tale; towards the end, the traveling Taoist priest sacrificed himself to destroy demons and save the world…
At least two to three hundred people burst into tears right there, weeping profusely.
The Zhang Family Troupe onstage finished performing and bowed to the audience below.
Tan Liwen was the first to stand up; he had long been a devoted fan of the Zhang Family Troupe and naturally wanted to contribute for his beloved actors, so he pulled out a piece of silver and tossed it onto the stage, shouting “Utterly marvelous and moving to tears! Your talent deserves this reward!”
Following his lead, Cheng Xu also pulled out a small piece of silver and threw it onto the stage.
The other villagers then learned: after watching the play, one should give tips — it must be a custom, and since it’s a custom, it must be upheld, or they wouldn’t perform for us next time.
The Old Village Chief also drew out a piece of silver and flung it upward.
Then, pieces of silver and bronze coins flew into the stage like a downpour.
The villagers of Gaojia Village were rich!
How much salt, sugar, chocolate, and lard had they sold to Xing Honglang? The money had no place to spend — each was wealthy and formidable, so pulling out a little cash to tip for a fine play — what was there to fear?
However, most of the hired laborers were broke, especially those who hadn’t been in Gaojia Village long and couldn’t afford much; better-off ones grabbed a handful of bronze coins to throw onto the stage, while poorer ones gritted their teeth and tossed a single bronze coin…
The constant thump-thump-thump sounded on the plastic stage surface.
In the blink of an eye, the stage was strewn with pieces of silver and bronze coins.
All ten members of the Zhang Family Troupe were dumbfounded!
What a formidable village this was!
Even the poorest here could produce a bronze coin to tip — my heavens! If this were a county town, such fortune would never be imagined.
Master Zhang shed tears, bowed in a circle, and said, “Thank you all, thank you all — we of the Zhang Family Troupe have just arrived and received such deep affection from you villagers… we don’t know what to say…”
“Don’t say that, give us another show!”
“Yes, yes, another show!”
“Let’s start the next one!”
“Wuwuwu… the last story was too sad — can you do a happy one?”
Master Zhang: “Alright, alright, we’ll put on another performance. But for this second one, everyone, please don’t give any more tips. You’ve already been far too generous. This one’s our treat!”
“Great!”
“Well done!”
The joyful atmosphere surged once again.
Li Daoxuan couldn’t help but smile. It was good. Everyone was happy. That was what mattered.
That night, everyone’s merrymaking lasted until ten o’clock.
For ancient villagers, this was exceptionally late. Emerging after watching the Shaanbei Diaoqu, many were utterly exhausted, swaying unsteadily as they walked, yet their spirits remained exhilarated.
In lives filled with ample food and warm clothing, a powerful dose of mental nourishment had been injected, making everyone feel even more blessed and content.
Li Daoxuan saw faint, starlike glimmers rise from many people. They floated upwards, converging into the crate. The entire crate once again shone with a brilliant golden light. When the glow faded, the Rescue Index rapidly increased by over a hundred points.
Previously, saving a hundred lives had only increased it by 5 points. Yet a single theatrical performance brought hundreds of points. Indeed, as he had surmised, saving lives was merely a minor way; saving people’s quality of life was the true, greater path.
We cannot just survive in this world; we must truly live in it!
As the bustle faded…
The ten members of the Zhang Family Troupe cleaned the stage. Well, to be precise, they were picking up money. They collected the pieces of silver and copper coins scattered all over the ground, putting them into a bag. Master Zhang would later distribute them evenly.
Smiles graced every face.
Tan Liwen stepped onto the stage and approached Master Zhang. “So? Was it worth coming to Gaojia Village?”
Master Zhang bowed deeply. “Thank you, Master Tan. Truly, this performance saved our lives. With so much money earned, we won’t go hungry for a very long time.”
Gao Yiye also ascended the stage. She smiled. “The Deity has a message for you all.”
Master Zhang: “?”
Tan Liwen smiled. “This is the Saint Lady. She conveys the Deity’s words.”
Though Master Zhang didn’t know who the ‘Deity’ was, he guessed it must be a wealthy lord, the great master of this place. He quickly bowed again. “What guidance does the Deity wish to impart?”
Gao Yiye smiled gently. “The Deity wishes to ask if you would be willing to stay in Gaojia Village.”
Master Zhang was momentarily stunned. He had assumed they were only invited by Tan Liwen for one performance and would leave afterwards. He hadn’t expected them to be asked to stay.
Of course he wanted to stay!
Where else could one perform a single play and receive such bountiful rewards? Who would want to leave?
Master Zhang exclaimed joyfully, “We can stay?!”
“Of course,” Gao Yiye replied. “There are many colorful residential buildings in Gaojia Village. We can rent one to you. The first three months are rent-free. Afterwards, a modest rent will apply. As for the stage, you can rent its use during specific low-cost time slots. For example, renting it for one hour after sunset costs only fifty copper coins.”
Master Zhang was overjoyed. “Such a magnificent stage… only fifty copper coins for an hour? That’s truly… truly too generous. Thank you so much!”
Gao Yiye smiled again. “The Deity says that if you perform here, you’ll likely get lots of tips initially, so fifty copper coins won’t be a problem. But if you only perform the same few plays for long, the audience may suffer aesthetic fatigue. Before long, no one would come to watch. Then, renting the stage might even cost you money.”
This sobering point made Master Zhang’s heart lurch slightly.
“So,” Gao Yiye continued, “the Deity hopes you will perform at night. During the daytime, strive to create new plays. By constantly innovating, you’ll hold the audience’s interest. At the same time, elevate the art form of Shaanbei Diaoqu to a higher dimensional sublimation.”
Master Zhang was baffled. “Art form? Higher dimensional sublimation? What does that mean?”
Gao Yiye spread her hands. “I don’t know either. I’m just the messenger. There’s much in the Deity’s decree I don’t understand. You will need to contemplate its meaning yourselves.”