Chapter 153

He cupped his hands in a respectful salute toward the old gentleman and spoke very politely.

"Good day to the host family. I came uninvited today—I brought a little ragtag troupe along to offer our congratulations."

"Mhm, I and this little fatty here…"

He pointed at Xiao Yueyue and went on.

"The two of us do kuaiban clappers."

"These three beauties do the singing."

"If you think our skills are passable, we won't even ask for pay—just give us a meal and that'll do!"

"How does that sound to you?"

What the heck? A ragtag troupe?

The old gentleman's gaze kept shifting back and forth between Su Meng and the three big-name stars, his face a picture of utter bewilderment.

These days, do ragtag troupes hired for weddings really set the bar this high?

You lot taking on a wedding gig—aren't you afraid of stealing the spotlight from the bride and groom?

Wait, kuaiban clappers? Singing?

Why don't wedding troupes these days play the suona anymore?

But then he figured it was just a matter of one meal, so he agreed readily enough.

……

"Ah~~ it's Boss Yang!"

A sudden shriek rang out from outside the crowd.

The bride, still in her full wedding gown, came running over, her eyes locked unblinkingly on Boss Yang.

Boss Yang lifted her chin smugly at Su Meng.

The meaning was crystal clear: look, look! This old lady has fans too!

Then she gave the bride a slight smile.

"Hello, congratulations on your wedding. I'm Boss Yang!"

"Ah~~ it's really Boss Yang!"

The bride spun around happily a few times, then asked eagerly.

"Boss Yang, could you get me Reba's autograph?"

"I'm her fan!"

Caw caw caw… Boss Yang instantly shut down, and somewhere in the air a few crows seemed to fly past.

Su Meng, however, was utterly shameless about it, doubling over laughing.

The netizens in the livestream chat were also beside themselves with mirth.

Boss Yang has really made a fool of herself this time.

The bride's gaze swept around again, and she shrieked once more.

"Liu Tianxian! Deng Ziqi! Xiao Yueyue! How are all of you here too?"

"Can you give me your autographs? I'm your fan!"

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Boss Yang felt as though several knives had been driven hard into her chest, nearly piercing straight through.

So you went around the whole circle, and the one person who isn't your fan just happens to be me?

Wait, there's still Su Meng!

Realizing she wasn't Su Meng's fan either, Boss Yang instantly cheered up again.

But… looking at the hundred or so people around her, Boss Yang's mood soured once more.

Su Meng has no fans, but Master Su sure does!

So the lot of you four are out here showing off, and only Mimi is the one taking the beating?

Oh wait, there's also a Hua Chenyu standing pitifully alone on the side!

As the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy—Boss Yang felt smug all over again.

"Huh? You don't seem to be a local?"

On the other side, Deng Ziqi had already started chatting with the bride.

The bride nodded.

"That's right, my name is Haguli, I'm from the Western Regions."

"I met my husband back when we were in school, and then I married over here."

"I was a little disappointed at first—my relatives back home couldn't come because it's too far."

"But with you all at my wedding, I'm content."

The group chatted and laughed as they walked toward the house.

……

In the countryside nowadays, the vast majority are middle-aged and elderly; young people are few and far between.

Apart from a handful of people, most didn't recognize these big-name stars.

This also let the group enjoy a rare, long-lost sense of ease.

Su Meng held a set of kuaiban clappers in one hand and a broken bowl shard in the other.

He stepped onto the stage, cupped his hands in a salute to the crowd below, and said with a grin.

"Folks, today is the wedding of Shi Xiaobing and Haguli."

"I'll sing a few lines of Lianhualuo here, to wish them a happy marriage and many children soon!"

Saying so, he struck a pose and began to knock out the rhythm.

"Lotus Bloom?"

Right in the center beneath the stage sat a grandmaster's chair, and in that chair sat an old man of seventy or eighty.

This was today's groom's grandfather.

Hearing Su Meng mention Lotus Bloom, the old man was momentarily stunned, his body instinctively leaning forward a few inches.

"Grandpa, what is Lotus Bloom?"

The bride asked curiously from the side.

The old man's gaze grew complicated, and he sighed as he spoke.

"Lotus Bloom is what beggars used to sing when they were asking for food."

"Our family was so poor we had nothing to eat — I raised your father by singing Lotus Bloom to beg for food…"

"What?" The father-in-law was instantly dumbfounded.

"Dad, what are you saying — you used to be a beggar?"

"You're really not some hidden great landlord?"

The old man was completely dumbfounded.

What on earth is all this about?

I'm a serious and proper eighth-generation poor peasant — where would a great landlord come from?

……

On stage, Su Meng has already begun to sing.

"Knock the clappers, knock the bowl and fork, hear the magpie go chirp-chirp."

"Today we come to Yellow Stone Village, where someone here is getting married."

"Wander around Yellow Stone Village, the host family holds another happy event."

"I sing, you listen — the host family's name is Shi Shi Xiaobing."

"Shi Shi Xiaobing, all smiles wide, his wife's name is Haguli."

"Set off fireworks, set off firecrackers, the host family's event is truly lively."

"Say a thousand, speak ten thousand, we've sung to this little stretch."

"Old and young gentlemen have all come — how about a round of applause?"

"Yay~~"

The relatives and friends below the stage, hearing his lively singing and that he had even woven the bride and groom's names in,

all found it greatly amusing and one after another clapped and cheered.

The old man nodded all the more, his face full of emotion.