Chapter 13 Red Tassel
Chapter 13 Red Tassel
Xishengxuan, back hall
Xiang Yihai, the head of the Xiang Family Troupe, saw that Li Bingwu and Qin Huai had already taken their seats, and hurriedly asked the woman to serve tea.
"Hongying, go make a pot of good tea. Brother Wu has finally come here, so we can't neglect him."
"Yes, father." The woman turned around and prepared tea without any hesitation.
Li Bingwu couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the old acquaintance in front of him.
"Brother Xiang, we haven't seen each other for a while. I didn't expect that after so many years, Hongying has grown into a beautiful young lady when we meet again."
"Yes, it has been a while since we last met in the capital five years ago.
I heard that you stayed at home after returning from studying martial arts in Foshan a few years ago. Now I wonder if you are practicing martial arts at home?
We are afraid of disturbing our fellow seniors, so we don't want to visit you without permission. We just hope that you can come to Tianjin to get together someday when you are free.
No, I finally got what I was waiting for."
Xiang Yihai was also filled with emotion. It was a blessing in the world to be able to reunite with old friends after many years.
Even though some stupid mice were jumping up and down, they did not ruin their good mood.
Just as the two were reminiscing about the past, Class Leader Xiang suddenly changed the subject and turned the conversation to Qin Huai.
"The young man that Brother Wu brought here today is really good at fighting and is very experienced in doing things.
Not only was the criminal subdued in no time, but the subsequent handling was also quite fair, and no one could find any fault with it.
It is true that heroes emerge from youth. "
Seeing that the class leader Xiang directed the conversation to himself, Li Bingwu watched his nose with his eyes and his heart with his nose.
Qin Huai also clasped his hands and bowed slightly in return, "I just saw those guys were really arrogant, and I wanted to kill them because of a word. I really couldn't stand it anymore, so I took the risk. If I acted inappropriately, please forgive me if I did anything wrong."
"You can't fight back when you're being bullied? There's no such rule in Tianjin."
Class leader Xiang waved his hand, signaling Qin Huai not to take it to heart.
"Don't say these annoying words, come on, have some tea."
While Qin Huai and the other two were talking, the woman brewed a pot of tea and leaned over to serve tea to each of them.
Smelling the fragrance of white tea and the lingering jasmine scent in the air, Qin Huai also picked up the teacup and took a sip.
It is fresh, sweet and mellow in taste. It is really a good tea.
"Little brother, how about it? This is the best Baihe Shoumei, which is rare in the world."
"The aroma is strong and lasting, and coupled with the craftsmanship of this girl, it is truly a masterpiece."
Qin Huai put down the teacup and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.
Qin Huai looked at the pretty woman standing behind Class Master Xiang, and couldn't help but say a few more words.
"This Miss Xiang must be Mu Guiying who just made a name for herself on the stage. Her spearmanship was truly spectacular."
The woman smiled slightly and said nothing.
While Qin Huai was praising her superb craftsmanship, Xiang Hongying was also silently observing Qin Huai.
Unlike other men she met every day, the man in front of her had an ordinary appearance but a unique and indescribable temperament.
Her hair was short and neat, her almond-shaped eyes were clear and bright, and her thick eyebrows were like black rainbows lying across her brow bones. Although her cheeks were thin, they were still satisfactory with her softly contoured oval face.
Well, the appearance is indeed okay.
She grew up in a drama troupe and has seen all kinds of people.
She knew very well what warriors and young men looked like, but the one in front of her was not ordinary.
Ordinary warriors are mostly rough and unrestrained, and young people tend to act impulsively.
Although the young man in front of him was an excellent martial artist, his speech and knowledge did not sound like that of a martial artist. Instead, he sounded like an experienced official. Although he was young, he was experienced in taking revenge and leaving no trace.
How strange, she thought to herself.
"Brother Xiang, you may not know that my little brother's surname is Qin, his given name is Huai, and he is only eighteen or nineteen years old.
He has only been accepted by my eldest brother for a few years, but his martial arts skills are already as good as mine. He is a true genius!"
Seeing that the atmosphere was a little awkward, Li Bingwu began to solemnly introduce Qin Huai to Class Leader Xiang.
"Brother Qin is really a talented person. I wonder if he will have a place to realize his ambitions in the future?
If you don't mind, would you like to travel with us across the vast land of China and challenge the martial arts heroes of the world?"
When Class Leader Xiang heard that Qin Huai's martial arts could be comparable to Li Bingwu before he was even 18 years old, he was surprised even with his good Qi-cultivation skills, and hurriedly asked Qin Huai what his ambitions were.
"Brother Xiang, my Qin Huai hasn't even finished his apprenticeship yet, so don't lie to the child here."
Li Bingwu looked at the anxious Xiang Banzhu and couldn't help wondering while protecting his child.
"I think this tea garden is pretty good. It's the foundation you've built after decades of hard work. So, you don't want it anymore? Are you going to travel around the world?"
Seeing that Class Master Xiang seemed to be hesitant to speak, Xiang Hongying, who was standing quietly behind him, suddenly spoke.
"Father, Uncle Wu is not an outsider, so just tell him the truth."
"Well, there is nothing that cannot be told to others." After careful consideration, Xiang Yihai finally told a story of the past.
"In the early years, our Xiang family made a living by performing operas. We practiced martial arts during the day and performed operas at night.
At that time, our Xiang Family Troupe was well-known in the opera world for our superb martial arts performances, and the female warriors and male warriors we trained were all top-notch actors.
Even in the area of Sijiu City, who would not exclaim in admiration when seeing the Xiang family spear that is so famous in the martial arts world?
Unfortunately, since being summoned into the palace by the emperor, the Xiang family has declined in popularity, and gradually only our lineage is left.
If my father had not received help from a righteous man back then, it is unknown whether the Xiang family could have continued to this day.
Unfortunately, this righteous man was later assassinated by the imperial court. My father was unable to repay his great kindness, so he wanted to take advantage of the Queen's 60th birthday to come to Beijing and assassinate her while performing a birthday opera to fulfill the righteous man's last wish.
However, it was not until we entered the palace to perform that we discovered that the Demon Queen was heavily guarded, and we were very far away from her, so it was difficult to take action, so we had to give up.
My father became ill due to worry, and was afraid that the assassination attempt would be exposed, so he wanted to leave the city.
It happened that the Boxer Rebellion entered Beijing that year, and my father took the Xiang family and followed the great boxers to do some big things.
After that, we settled in Tianjin and made a living by performing in opera theaters.”
"Then why would you abandon your family business and wander around the world?" Qin Huai was also puzzled and asked.
“It’s those vicious dogs of the imperial court who have smelled a clue from somewhere and are biting us again.
If the truth had been revealed, dozens of Xiang family members would have been buried with the demon queen."
It was Hongying who took up Qin Huai's question, and when she answered, her words were no longer as gentle as before, but instead revealed a firm determination to die.
"The situation is critical, so I have to make plans early. So I want to sell my property and hide in the south for the time being."
Xiang Yihai couldn't help but sigh.
"If Mr. Xiang and Miss Xiang trust me, I have a way to find a place for you and the Xiang Clan to stay."
After Qin Huai heard this, seeing that Li Bingwu remained silent, he offered a plan.
(End of this chapter)