Chapter 42: The Mountains and Rivers Change Easily

  The mountains and rivers can be changed easily

  That young servant, disguised as Huang Jinshan's younger brother, was stared at by Yao Feng and immediately felt that Yao Feng's eyes under his thick eyebrows were both affectionate and captivating, with a gaze that seemed to be specially designed to deal with women, making him want to hold him in his arms and capture his soul!

  Yao Feng saw that the young man was so scared that he didn't dare to look him in the eye again, and his heart became even more pleased. Standing on the stage, he let out a loud laugh and said: "I've made a fool of myself!"

  Guo Jixiu snorted coldly from a distance, cursing in his mouth: "This foreign devil is keen on lewd and lascivious songs, but he is coarse and unrefined. He actually chose a mournful and decadent dirge to sing, it can be seen that he is destined to be financially ruined."

  At this thought, Guo Jixiu became complacent again, a cold smile spreading from the corner of his mouth: "I'd like to see how long you can remain so smug..."

  Zhou Jiadaye Zhou Xiushong heard Yao Feng's singing, and his heart was bewildered. He only felt that Yao Feng's figure had grown much taller in his eyes.

  "This tune is unfamiliar to me, I suppose it was composed by Yao's family when they were doing business overseas? People, ghosts, heaven and earth, ten thousand gold like generosity... Good lyrics! ...Fading beauty, gone and come back... Really good lyrics! ...But the following sentences are helpless, singing too sentimental, this is probably because his Yao family ancestors had ups and downs in business, so they wrote these sentimental words..."

  In the distance, by the wall of the theater, stood Yao Fang's partner, Li Hai Niu, staring at Yao Fang as if in a trance, his eyes brimming with tears.

  Alas, youth is gone! ... Alas, the world is easily changed! ... Master Dong, you are indeed a man of great knowledge! Your heart is full of brocade and rivers and mountains!

  I, Li Haoniu, have let my youth slip away! The world is easy to change! If I had continued to be a beggar, I would have starved to death on the streets. Even if I wanted to fish alone in the cold river, it's impossible for me to live long enough to see my hair turn white!

  "But... but I've met the master! I know, Master, you and I think alike! ...I am Li Haoniu... In this life, I must assist Master in eliminating the Clear Sect and conquering the world!"

  Zhou Xiuzong came back to his senses from a daze, immediately shouting loudly and excitedly: "Brother Yao sang a great song! The ups and downs, the taste of life is all in it! Wonderful! Brother Yao, why not sing another one!"

  Zhou Jia's third brother is a drama enthusiast, and he just played the role of "Er Jin Gong" to satisfy his craving. Now that he has heard Yao Feng sing, he feels like his heart is boiling over, and he wants to go crazy. The artistic charm of Yao Feng's song has shocked him to the extreme, and his heart is filled with a sense of desolation one moment and excitement the next. When he hears his older brother ask Yao Feng to sing another one, he immediately jumps onto the stage, grabs the edge of the stage, and looks up at Yao Feng, saying: "Right! Brother Yao, you rarely come here! Sing another one! Such great lyrics! Sing another one!"

  Yao Feng saw that the two brothers of the Zhou family were both madmen, and he secretly cursed his bad luck. However, on the surface, he smiled and stroked his chin, saying: "It's better to obey than to show respect. Alright then, I'll come again, but let's make a deal, just one more time, no third time."

  Yao Wang still went back to the rear of the stage, handed over to the musicians who played the solo drum and hand board, and then came up again, slowly looking around, waiting for the musicians to finish a section of improvisational Erhu prelude before opening his mouth to sing:

  Every time I'm sleepless, you appear. You sail your small boat, in the clouds and mist.

  Every time I'm in trouble, you come to my aid. Your selfless care warms my heart.

  How many years of endless love, how much I want to hold you in my arms.

  The fleeting beauty of youth is blown away like clouds in the wind, but your eyes alone reflect the depths of my heart.

  Lovers fear having feelings but no fate, often thinking of each other yet unable to be together.

  Gazing up at the blue sky and water, you are right between heaven and earth.

  Gazing up at the blue sky and water, you are right between heaven and earth.

  After a song of Liu Huan's "Emotions", Yao Fang's partners shouted again, just like before, and the voice shook the house. One by one laughed with gleeful faces, Yao Fang estimated that they only listened to the phrase "hug you in my arms" as the most flavorful, treating this as a lewd folk song.

  When Yao Fang was about to come down from the stage, he suddenly felt a chill on his body and subconsciously looked in the direction of Huang's servant. Sure enough! He saw that the servant was staring at him with a stupid expression again. Yao Fang's face turned bitter, his body chilled, and he shuddered secretly, feeling awkward all over, so he turned away and immediately came down from the stage.

  Zhou Jia Lao San was immediately captivated by Yao Feng's two songs and as soon as he saw Yao Feng come down, he stuck to him like a piece of cowhide sugar, asking for the lyrics and score. Zhou Xiu Song also came forward with his hands clasped together in respect, repeatedly expressing his admiration.

  In the distance, Guo Jixiu's face grew even colder, his teeth clenched and he didn't utter a word for a long time. Finally, he spat out one sentence: "Obscene words and lewd songs!"

  That young servant of the Huang family saw Yao Feng step down from the stage, but his own heart was still racing wildly. Yao Feng's every move on stage earlier seemed like a moving picture in a lantern show, constantly flashing before his eyes. Even Yao Feng's handsome face seemed like a refreshing breeze on this summer day, brushing against his lips.

  After sitting there for a long time with a silly look, he gently said to Huang Jinshan beside him: "Brother, I'm not feeling well, my head is hot and I'm afraid I've fallen ill. Let's go back."

  Huang Jinshan was surprised and asked, "You were fine just now, how did you get sick in the blink of an eye? Did you get heatstroke? It's scorching hot on the way back, and it's not comfortable to be steamed in the carriage. Why don't I take you to the inner house of the Zhou family and ask your sister, Mrs. Zhou, to make some iced sour plum soup for you?"

  He nodded and stood up to leave the theater with Huang Jinshan, but his autumn-water-like eyes remained on Yao Fang until they left the garden and could no longer be seen.

  Zhou Xiuzong saw Yao Fengluo play such a beautiful hand and had already begun to admire him.

  "Brother Yao, what you're singing isn't Peking Opera, but it has the flavor of Peking Opera. This is indeed the style of your family's opera troupe!"

  Yao Fan said: "Brother Zhou infers the whole leopard from a single spot, this is exactly the singing method of Western songs."

  Zhou Xiū-sōng seeing that he had guessed correctly, said with a pleased expression: "Now that it's already past noon, the rear hall of my residence has already prepared wine and food, I invite all esteemed guests to move there."

  Then the guests stood up one after another and came to the back hall of the Yao's house, where they saw two tables set with wine and food in a spacious room, each table could seat eight or nine people. Zhou Xiu-song, however, pulled Yao Fang directly to continue going backwards, coming to a courtyard on the right side, where a table had already been set up in the north house, after Yao Fang sat down, he saw that there were only six people at the table, who were the representatives of the five families of Zhou, Huang, Lan, Yang and Guo, as well as himself.

  After the six men bowed and sat down, those who wore hats took them off and handed them to the servants standing beside them. A young servant by the table quickly seized the opportunity to pour wine for everyone.

  Zhou Xiu-song held up his wine cup and said, "Today is the Zhou family reunion, with many esteemed guests in attendance. I am unworthy, but first let me toast everyone a cup, hoping that any grievances will be dissolved in this cup of wine."

  He finished speaking and drained his cup in one gulp.

  Everyone else followed suit and drained their cups.

  Yao Fang had just put down his cup when Guo Jixiu spoke up: "My five families are discussing matters here, what is this Yao doing sticking his nose in? Brother Xiusheng, why don't you ask this merchant to go eat outside instead? The dishes are all the same, and it won't deprive him of a single bite."

  Zhou Xiuzong's face turned cold, and he said: "Brother Yao is an honored guest I invited, today's gathering is specifically to thank him for his great gift, you're returning the favor, your words are too unreasonable."

  Guo Jixiu looked at Yao Feng with disdain, no longer paying attention to this topic, and continued: "Well, I did drink the wine, but this reason needs to be reevaluated."

  Lan Shun, you said that you led a group of people to beat up my family's over 100 mu of land and killed two of our farm workers. How are we going to settle this account? And what about the Zhou and Huang families, who are both well-known and respected local clans, yet they joined forces with you to destroy my water dam. How are we going to settle this account as well?

  "Just now, I gave you face in front of everyone, but since the five families of Guo, Zhou, Huang, Lan and Yang are all seated here, this matter must be brought up. A charter must be drawn up! In short, my Guo family cannot suffer this loss in vain!"

  Yao Wenyue was shocked, thinking that Guo Jixiu's gun was not only pointed at himself, but also at other families. This remark had offended all the other three families except for the Yangs. Not to mention anything else, he changed the order of the five families - Zhou, Huang, Lan, Yang and Guo - to put the Guos first. This kid is really arrogant, simply ruining the Zhou family's gathering.

  Yao Fengle enjoyed watching plays and silently ate food and drank wine.

  The old man of the Yang family was also indifferent, silently picked up a roasted peanut and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly.

  Lan Shunzheng smiled and said, "Brother Ji Xiu is indeed good at counterattacking. In this fight, five of my family's guards died, and more than 150 injured guards and tenants are still lying in the yard. I didn't ask you to pay for the medicine fee, which is already giving face to your family's old lady, the imperial historian. Don't be too arrogant!"

  You're not happy, let's have another fight! But as for the water of that Xiaoqing River, no one can stop me from taking it all to myself!"

  Yao Feng didn't see Lan Shunzheng in the theater just now, guessing that this guy has relatives at the Zhou's house and didn't go to the theater, directly running to the backyard to visit relatives. Now that he saw him, he carefully sized him up, thinking: Is this really the guy who deflowered my third sister?

  Yao Fan saw that Lán Shùn's face was dark and shiny, and from his face alone, it could be seen that his body was sturdy and robust. His chest was puffed out, and a thin layer of sweat hung on his forehead, proudly raising his face as he sat there.

  Zhou Xiū-sōng also said: "My Zhou family and Huang family have always been fair in our dealings, this time the dispute over water was originally started by your Guo family. If you hadn't diverted the river water, how would the Lan family have ended up fighting with you? This year's weather is clearly going to be a severe drought, if you divert the water, do you want the Lan family to drink northwest wind?"

  "Nowadays, the sky is dry and rainless. Only the fields by the river still have some hope. I've seen wheat in other places that wasn't irrigated, only growing empty shells. This year's harvest for every household will definitely be a complete loss! If you cut off the water supply, won't even the fields by the river have any water to irrigate?"

  Yao Fan was puzzled in his heart and asked Huang Jinshan, who was sitting next to him, in a low voice: "Brother Huang, isn't there a waterwheel by the river? Can't we just bring the water up with it? Why is it that as soon as we move away from the riverbank, there's no water for irrigation?"

  "The river bed is now dry, with only three or four feet of water left in the middle. How can the waterwheel draw up water?"

  "Why don't you dig a well? Well water is always usable, isn't it?"