Chapter 43: The Heavenly Sound

  The woman in a pale yellow long dress lifted her head and quietly looked at Song Kai.

  Song Kai smiled at her and shook the tea leaves in his hand, "Today I've brought some good tea for the two young ladies."

  "Isn't it just tea?" Xiahe smiled lightly, took the tea from Songkai's hand, opened it and smelled it, nodding: "Indeed, there is a hint of fragrance."

  "Can Song Lang sing a Water Tune Song for the young lady now?" Autumn Moon was still looking at Song Kai, others said she could read minds, in fact, she was best at observing people's eyes.

  Song Kai waved his hand and said, "My singing voice is really not good to listen to. I came today to discuss other matters with you, miss."

  Xia He had gotten up to make tea, leaving only Song Kai and Qiu Yue in the room.

  Qiu Yue smiled faintly, "Oh? But I only want to know where Song Lang learned this new singing method for the Water Tune Head. As for other matters, Song Lang, you are a heroic outlaw, what connection do you have with me, a courtesan?"

  "Hero of the Greenwood?" Song Kai subconsciously touched his own cheek, "Do I look that rough?"

  Xia He carried the teapot and walked over, just in time to hear Song Kai's words, and chuckled: "Don't blame me, Song Lang, it was I who told Autumn Moon about your identity. You and Lu Bo Tao are close, and you once slapped that stinky Taoist priest flying, naturally you're a powerful green forest hero."

  Song Kai sighed and pointed to the teacup, saying: "First try this tea water."

  Xia He had no suspicions, picked up her teacup and was about to take a sip.

  On one side, Autumn Moon glanced at the teacup and smiled lightly: "Sister, wait a moment. This tea, since it was brought by Song Lang, should naturally be drunk together as a matter of courtesy."

  "No need, no need, you try some," Song Kai said, "After tasting this tea water, I'll talk business with you again."

  The autumn moon still just smiles and does not drink tea.

  Song Kai looked at Qiu Yue and Xia He with a strange expression.

  Xia He shook his head and said in a low voice, "Autumn Moon sister, you are also too cautious."

  "Ah?" Song Kai suddenly reacted, looking at the tea water and smiling bitterly. "So Miss Qiuyue was afraid this tea water wasn't safe. Alright, alright, what can I do in this Chunyuan Building?"

  As he spoke, Song Kai picked up his teacup and took a light sip, then sucked in three more mouthfuls before putting it down.

  Xia He had no choice but to remain silent.

  Qiu Yue finally picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and his eyebrows first furrowed slightly before nodding: "Indeed it's good tea, sweet and fragrant with a hint of bitterness, and also has a refreshing and invigorating effect. This tea is probably from Chang'an."

  Song Kai heard Qiu Yue say this, let out a breath of relief and said: "Since Miss Qiu Yue also thinks that this tea is very good, then I can rest assured. Let's talk business next."

  "Talking business? Song Kai, aren't you going to take Autumn Moon sister away to be a tea-picking wife and help you pick tea?" Xia He laughed and teased.

  Qiu Yue didn't overreact and looked at Song Kai.

  Song Kai coughed and said, "Two ladies, please don't tease me anymore. To be honest, I am the owner of the Red Dust Inn, named Song Kai. That Water Tune Song Head was originally created by... my people in the shop."

  "What? You're the boss of Hongchen Inn? But mother said that the boss is a woman disguised as a man, with a medicinal plaster on her face," Xiahe looked at Song Kai in surprise.

  "She's my employee... just a partner, the Red Dust Inn originally belongs to me, she's just in charge of managing the accounts," Song Kai pointed to the tea and said: "Today, I'm here as the boss of the Red Dust Inn to meet with you two ladies, not as a green forest good man to meet with you two."

  Qiu Yue and Xia He were momentarily stunned.

  After a while, Autumn Moon calmly opened her mouth and said: "Since Song Lang is the owner of this inn, I suppose he also knows who wrote this Water Tune Head? Would it be possible to have the good fortune of introducing him to me?"

  Song Kai nodded, "This is no problem, actually you've already seen it, oh, this isn't important, what's important is that I can help the young lady win first prize in this Mid-Autumn Flower Queen competition, and as for the young lady, can she help me promote the name 'Red Dust Guest Shop' and these tea leaves?"

  Xia He was completely stunned.

  Qiu Yue was clever, and with a turn of her eyes, she had already understood Song Kai's meaning. She smiled lightly and said, "I now understand why Song Lang wanted me to taste this tea first."

  "That's natural, if the girl thinks this tea is not good to drink, I'll turn around and leave. Only when the girl really thinks the tea is good will she make an effort to promote it for Song," Song Kai smiled, picked up his teacup and took another sip.

  Qiu Yue fell silent for a moment before saying, "Xia He, tell the people below to disperse. We won't be seeing anyone else today. Let's just drink and make merry with Song Gongzi."

  Song Kai clapped his hands and laughed loudly.

  Before long, a murmur of discontent could be heard coming from outside.

  Soon, Xia He walked back with a smile, "Sister Qiuyue, Manager Song, you two are in trouble. Just now, the people below were discussing and said they want to create a new pen-holding posture and create a new font."

  "Ah?" Song Kai was completely stunned, and then muttered to himself, "It can't be because of me that the Grass Script is appearing ahead of schedule..."

  Three people drinking tea and chatting.

  "What makes Song Zhanggui so confident that he can let a young girl like you take the first place in this Mid-Autumn Flower Queen competition?" Qiu Yue asked.

  Song Kai shook his head, "I don't have too much confidence either, but I'll still try my best. The lyrics of 'Water Tune Song Head' are naturally great, if the young lady thinks my new singing style is okay, then with this song, we should be able to dazzle everyone at the competition. The problem now is that we don't know who the judges are, what if they can't accept the young lady's new singing style, that would be troublesome."

  Qiu Yue smiled, "So Song Gongzi doesn't care about this kind of competition."

  "Huh?"

  "The rules for the competition are still the same as last year, divided into three parts. The first part is the six brothels and the six contestants, with the one who receives the most flower baskets getting six points and the one who receives the least getting one point. Another part is the evaluation by Dong Changyun, the son-in-law of the emperor, and Kong Shan, the governor of Suzhou. Both Mr. Dong and Mr. Kong are renowned scholars who are respected by all. They will give six points to the first place winner, five points to the second place winner, and so on. The third part is the evaluation by the talented young men. What's more important at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet is not the performance of the young women, but the performance of the talented young men. If they perform well, they may gain fame and be directly recommended to serve as officials in the imperial court. It's also possible that the selected talented young men will give points to the flower queen." Autumn Moon explained slowly and carefully.

  Song Kai nodded and said, "So that's how it is. If I help the young lady win the top prize, I hope she can promote this tea fragrance and the delicious food at Hongchen Inn in the future. Also, I hope the young lady can perform regularly at my inn, of course, I will pay her."

  "This tea is wonderful, Song Gongzi you are also wonderful, I naturally want to promote it, but, going to the guest house to perform, must get mom's consent first," Qiu Yue didn't hesitate at all and agreed.

  "I'll go discuss with your mother, Miss Qiūyuè is indeed straightforward. Next, let's study this singing method." Sòng Kāi said as he saw Qiūyuè agree to it.

  Qiu Yue got up and walked behind the guqin, sat down properly, and said: "Young master, just speak now."

  Song Kai hummed a tune, singing a verse of the Wang Fei version of Shui Diao Ge Tou.

  Qiu Yue furrowed her brow in deep thought, then said: "Please, young master, sing it again."

  Song Kai sang again, his face was a bit red with shame, and it was really because his singing voice was too bad, not running out of tune was already a blessing.

  Autumn moon concentrated her mind in deep thought. After a while, her fingers lightly lifted and slowly fell onto the first string of the zither.

  "Collapsed..."

  As a faint and ethereal melody floated through the air, Autumn Moon's lips parted slightly, "When will the bright moon be visible... I ask the blue sky with wine... Do you know what palace halls are in heaven... What year is it tonight..."

  By the table, Song Kai looked at Qiu Yue in surprise, his heart exclaimed, this voice, combined with the ethereal piano sound, was simply heavenly music, truly a heavenly sound.

  Next to her, Xia Heben had intended to take a sip of water, the cup was raised to her lips, but she forgot to drink. She stood there, frozen, holding the cup and staring at Qiu Yue, after a while, tears welled up in her eyes.

  "Turn the vermilion pavilion, lower the embroidered door, shine on the sleepless... Why should there be resentment, why always looking back at the time of parting? ... People have joys and sorrows, reunions and separations, the moon has its phases of fullness and deficiency, this is an ancient difficulty to overcome... But I wish for a long life, sharing the beauty of the moon together for a thousand miles..."

  The last note fell quietly, with a hint of lingering attachment and a tinge of longing.

  The song has fallen, but the echo is unaware, and the soft piano sound resonates in the room.

  "Bang!"

  A crisp crack.

  Three people woke up in the room.

  Xia He let out a cry of "ah" and only then realized that the teacup in her hand had fallen to the ground, with boiling water splashing onto her own foot.

  "It's so beautiful!" Xia He didn't care about her scalded little foot at all, she wiped away her tears and looked at Qiu Yue, "Sister Qiu Yue, it's really so beautiful."

  Qiu Yue also stood up and walked in front of Song Kai, bowing her head and waist, "Thank you, Mr. Song, for your help."

  His face was also extremely excited between words.

  Song Kai waved his hand and said, "No, it's the young lady who sang well. The young lady's singing is better than anything I've ever heard! A hundred times more pleasant to listen to."

  "Lang Jun has misjudged." Qiu Yue walked to the edge of the table and stared blankly at the guqin.

  Song Kai smiled and stood up, saying: "Miss Autumn Moon, Miss Summer Lotus, I'll take my leave first. This song is good, but it makes me feel a bit uneasy in my heart. As a merchant, I don't want to think too much about it. Excuse me, excuse me, I'm going to discuss cooperation with your mother."

  After finishing speaking, Song Kai turned around and left the room. As he walked away, he wiped away the tears from the corner of his eyes. He wished that people would live forever, and that the moon would be shared by lovers across a thousand miles. He hoped that his new wife had also crossed over to another world and was living well. He hoped that his parents were still alive and being taken care of. He hoped that Liu Yuyan, that little girl, could live a good life in Chang'an...

  Forget it, I'll just go make some money instead.

  In the room, Qiuyue and Xiahe faced each other with their eyes locked.

  "Sister, the Huakui is yours!" Xiahe said softly.

  Akizuki nodded and then sighed, "However, the person who created such a melody must be incredibly clever and free-spirited to have been able to break away from conventional rules..."

  Everyone, please help me brush up the reader's impression. To be honest, that "not worth reading" label is always ranked first, which makes me very depressed. Please everyone, lift your hands and help vote for other labels to brush down this "not worth reading" label. Thank you!