Chapter 9: Tianqiao

  The next day, Mu Ya Ping went out early. Wan Qiu insisted on sending him off, but was stopped by Mu Ya Ping, who said: "Wan Qiu, I'm a grown man, and if we're always so affectionate, others will laugh at us." As soon as Mu Ya Ping left the house, he saw Ma Lao Hei waiting for him at the door. "Ma Shifu," he said, "today we won't go to Rong Bao Zhai, let's go to Tianqiao instead." "Alright!" Ma Lao Hei cheered and pulled out the cart, taking off in a run.

  Tianqiao is located near the Temple of Heaven outside Qianmen, which was a swamp during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. During the Yuan dynasty, a single-arched marble bridge was built here, which was a must-pass route for emperors to worship heaven in the Ming and Qing dynasties, hence the name Tianqiao Bridge. The surrounding area is named after it.

  During the Qing dynasty's Daoguang and Xianfeng periods, a group of mobile vendors emerged in the area around the West Tan, North Tan, and East Tan of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. As the imperial court did not collect taxes from them, this region saw the development of commerce and entertainment industries, attracting various performers to showcase their skills. Theaters for local operas sprouted up alongside tea houses, wine shops, restaurants, commercial stalls, and martial arts and acrobatics venues, gradually becoming a hub for Beijing residents to appreciate folk skills and opera performances.

  Tianqiao is the birthplace of many folk arts, where artists perform in the open air, usually setting up a stage to perform. Successively, hundreds of folk artists have performed, passed on, learned and lived here, totaling around 500-600 people, who can be divided into two categories: acrobatic performers and storytelling performers. Acrobatics include acrobatics, martial arts and other projects, while storytelling includes drama, quyi and other projects.

  The famous Tianqiao Eight Eccentrics, named for their extraordinary skills and eccentric behavior. The Eight Eccentrics referred to different people at different times, but currently active ones include Xiao Yunli Fei, Da Jinyaya, Jiao Dehai, Da Bing Huang, Cui Baer who slips oil, Cao Mazzi, and Huo Sai Liu, 8 people in total. Their eccentric performances have become a popular program of Tianqiao.

  The Tianqiao is a gathering place for the poor and ordinary people, and the local snacks that accompany its prosperity are also unique. There are all kinds of snacks like Douzhi'r (fermented bean drink), Chao Yangdui (stir-fried lamb's tripe) and so on. These snacks not only have good quality and low price but also their unique flavors are famous in the whole city, often making people drool with desire and reluctant to leave.

  During the Guangxu period, the Beijing-Hankou Railway was completed, and the station was set up outside Yongdingmen. Merchants and travelers had to pass through Tianqiao, making it even more prosperous. The public market, triangle market, west market, east market, Xianong market, and south city market were opened one after another. It can be said that Tianqiao has become a must-visit place for Beijing people's leisure and entertainment.

  Mu Ya Ping arrived at Tianqiao, standing in the midst of a bustling crowd and gazing around with curiosity and excitement. The prosperity of Tianqiao, although familiar from his screen works, still thrilled him when presented before his eyes as a vivid reality. Suddenly he discovered a problem, "Tianqiao!" As the name suggests, there should be a bridge, but where was it?

  Mu Ya Ping couldn't help but ask Ma Laohei out of curiosity, and Ma Laohei told him: Last year the government demolished the Tianqiao Bridge and paved it with stone slabs to make it a flat ground. He also said that not far away, on both sides, there were two pavilions, which were the original site of the Tianqiao Bridge. Mu Ya Ping looked back and saw that there were indeed two pavilions standing there. To verify the authenticity of the Tianqiao Bridge, he went forward to investigate, but did not find any written records of the bridge's history.

  After the curiosity passed, Mu Ya Ping's mood became heavy again. The sky bridge itself was a gathering place for poor people, and the passersby around him were all wearing tattered clothes with a dull complexion. These people moved slowly, their eyes dull and stupid. It was clear that these common people had a hard time.

  At the same time, Mu Ya felt a strong sense of discomfort among people from different professions. He looked at his own attire and felt somewhat out of place compared to those around him. This made his mood even heavier, and the good enthusiasm he had when he first arrived was all gone.

  It was almost noon, and Mu Ya Ping's stomach was growling. He found Ma Laohei crouching on the ground, taking out a dark, mixed bun from his pocket to eat, and he quickly stopped him and invited Ma Laohei to walk towards a nearby soy milk stall. The two each had a bowl of soy milk, and upon hearing the shouting from the side, Mu Ya Ping instructed Ma Laohei to buy stir-fried lamb intestines and fried cakes. Then they started eating with spicy salted vegetables, and Mu Ya Ping was sweating profusely, exclaiming how delicious it was. After lunch, Mu Ya Ping instructed Ma Laohei to stay put, while he went for a stroll around.

  Mu Ya Ping spent his fourth day strolling around, taking in the scenes of Beijing opera drumming, Peking Opera, ballads, cross-talks and storytelling. He didn't linger for long at each place, just enough to satisfy his curiosity. The Eight Great Wonders of Tianqiao was a must-see, Mu Ya Ping spent quite some time there, truly experiencing the unique charm of folk artists.

  Mu Ya Ping didn't have much interest in watching acrobatics, after all he had "seen it all before". He thought that most of these acrobatic performers were just mediocre. When a performance started up front and the crowd began to gather around, Mu Ya Ping went forward with some interest to take a look.

  In the middle of the crowd, a burly man in his 40s stood tall, looking powerful and majestic. Two young men, around 18 or 19 years old, were flexing their muscles as they prepared for their performance with props. Two young girls, about 13 or 14 years old, wearing bright red headbands, were fiddling with red tassels, knives, and swords.

  Mu Ya guessed that from their attire and dusty luggage, they had just arrived in the capital. From their movements and gestures, it was clear that this family were martial artists; if they didn't have some extraordinary skills, they wouldn't dare to perform at Tianqiao. After a while, the big man with a Shandong accent said: "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm from Shandong, and I'd like to borrow your land for a performance. As the saying goes: at home rely on parents, out in the world rely on friends. Those who have money can give us some, those who don't can just cheer us on."

  The big man finished speaking, first showing off his martial arts stance, and then dazzlingly punching out a combination of punches. His fist path was like flowing clouds and water, yet strong and powerful, it's not hard to see that the big man's martial arts skills are very solid. Mu Ya Ping watched with relish, the big man retracted his fist, looking calm and composed, and suddenly the crowd erupted in a burst of applause.

  Then two eighteen or nineteen-year-old young men took the stage, both holding treasured swords and immediately engaging in a fierce duel. Next they fought with bare fists, even more thrilling and dazzling, leaving onlookers breathless. Finally the two switched to red-tasseled spears, dancing up and down, as the crowd's cheers grew louder, the surrounding crowd growing larger and larger.

  A thrilling scene soon appeared, with one of the young men holding a red-tasseled spear, its tip aimed at another young man's throat, and then pushing it hard. Everyone held their breath, clenching their fists tightly. At this point, the wooden red-tasseled spear had become an arc shape, some people had already closed their eyes, and the crowd was filled with terrified expressions.

  But the young man remained unmoved and unflappable, and Mu Ya Ping couldn't help but be impressed by his profound internal strength. The applause erupted again after the performance, and a little girl with a tray began to collect money, accompanied by the clinking sound of copper coins. The little girl walked up to Mu Ya Ping with the tray and smiled at him. Mu Ya Ping didn't hesitate, took out a silver dollar and put it in the tray.

  The big man, seeing this scene, was greatly moved. He stepped forward, clasped his fists and said: "Thanks to your kindness, this young master rewards me with a silver dollar. To express my gratitude, I will perform a special stunt for the young master." The big man finished speaking, pulled out a shiny sharp knife, and then walked around the venue in a circle, letting everyone distinguish between true and false.

  The big Han then lifted his head, opened his mouth, and under the gaze of the people, inch by inch inserted the sharp knife into his mouth. To match the performance, the big Han deliberately showed a painful expression. Before long, the entire blade was inserted, leaving only the handle exposed outside. The big Han smiled, circled around the venue again, and the crowd erupted in applause amidst their terror.

  The Great Han finished his performance, and two little girls took the stage. They started doing flips around the arena, their soft and agile movements earning thunderous applause. Mu Ya Ping guessed that this "practiced family" should wrap up now. They couldn't possibly finish all their moves and stunts, they had to leave something for next time, after all, there's always tomorrow. Sure enough, the Practiced Family ended their performance.

  The day was already late, and Mu Ya Ping had some unfinished thoughts. He took out his pocket watch to take a look, then turned around to find the rickshaw driver. Turning into his own alleyway, Wan Qiu's figure appeared once again in front of the door. Wan Qiu said: "Brother-in-law, today the apprentice from Rong Bao Zhai came to our house and asked about your situation, saying that you weren't on the streets of Rong Bao Zhai this morning, where did you go?" Mu Ya Ping smiled and said: "I went to Tianqiao to clear my mind."

  At this time, Liu Xiangyun rushed out from inside and said: "Big brother, you're back!" Mu Yaping asked: "It's almost dark, where are you going?" Xiangyun replied: "My mother's family sent a message, asking me to go back for a while." Mu Yaping asked again: "Where is He Ping? Why didn't he come back with you?" Xiangyun hesitated and said: "He's busy! He hasn't returned yet!" Mu Yaping immediately ordered Ma Laohei to send Xiangyun back home.

  Looking at the back of Xiangyun leaving, Wanqiu said: "These days, San Di returns home very late every day, and is full of wine smell, I don't know what he's doing outside." Mu Yaping didn't speak, but was deep in thought. At dinner time, there was still no sign of He Ping, he observed his parents, they seemed very calm, as if they were used to He Ping's late return.

  Back in the house, Mu Ya Ping said: "Wan Qiu, don't tell Mom and Dad about what I did during the day when I wasn't at the store, so as not to worry them." Wan Qiu smiled and said: "Take a break, it's good for your health. Don't worry, I'll keep my mouth shut and won't say anything extra. But you have to come back early, don't make me worry."

  Lying in bed, the shadow of that big man kept flashing before his eyes. Suddenly, a new idea was born in his mind. The plan for the first step to Beijing had been figured out. As for how to persuade "Lianjiazi" to serve him, this was the key issue. In addition, he must buy a spacious mansion, which should be implemented immediately.

  Mu Ya Ping did not expect that two days later, a "calamity" would allow him to smoothly achieve his initial plan and gain some influence in the capital.