Chapter 5: Selling Stories

No one had ever heard a story like this before; everyone listened so intently they seemed to forget even the gods. The tea drinkers inside the teahouse had even forgotten to sip their tea. Guo Hua gazed at the enraptured crowd below the stage, feeling even more energized. Whenever he reached an exciting part of the tale, Guo Hua would deliberately pause to sip his tea, stirring anxious restlessness among the listeners.

Everyone knew this was Guo Hua’s way of prompting them for tips. Eager to hear the next part of the story, the teahouse patrons were generous, reaching into their pockets to toss silver coins onto Guo Hua’s table. Some went so far as to throw entire money pouches over. Seeing the piles of silver on the table, a smile crept across Guo Hua’s lips. He stood up and continued his narration.

The tale of Journey to the West, as told by Guo Hua, was even more thrilling than a live performance. “The Great Sage, Sun Wukong, was trapped beneath the Five Finger Mountain. What happens next? To find out, tune in next time. Tomorrow at noon, I shall await you all here,” Guo Hua said with a respectful bow.

At once, the crowd burst into complaints and curses, some even stepping forward as if to force him to continue. It was the first time Guo Hua had seen such passionate outcry. Sensing trouble, he quickly gathered the silver from the table and slipped away. If he didn’t leave now, he might not get away at all. Chen Fan hurried after him.

It wasn’t that Guo Hua was unwilling to continue; Chen Fan had already told him about this part of the story, but he did not know what came next. When Guo Hua ducked into a narrow alley and saw no one in pursuit, he finally stopped, gasping for breath.

“Mr. Guo, you run fast,” a sudden voice startled him.

Seeing it was Chen Fan, Guo Hua relaxed. “Young sir, what happens in the next part of the story?” he asked eagerly.

Chen Fan said nothing at first but held out his hand. “Where’s the money for this part?”

Hearing this, Guo Hua produced a hefty pouch of silver and sat down to count it. “Three hundred and twenty taels of silver in total! My goodness! The most I ever got before was only thirty taels!” he exclaimed in astonishment.

Chen Fan had not expected the listeners to be so generous. To put it in perspective, fifty taels of silver could support an ordinary family for a whole year. Chen Fan sensed a promising and sustainable opportunity.

Guo Hua reluctantly handed over one hundred and sixty taels to Chen Fan. “Can I continue with the story now?” Guo Hua asked, eyes full of hope.

Chen Fan took the silver and began to recount the next part of the tale. However, he too paused at crucial moments, prompting Guo Hua to urge him on with more silver. “This is tomorrow’s story. Bring the money to East Hua Village tomorrow night, and I’ll tell you the story for the day after,” Chen Fan said, pocketing the money and departing.

Watching Chen Fan’s retreating figure, Guo Hua muttered, “What a sly fox.”

With the money in hand, Chen Fan bought rice and meat, and even purchased jewelry for Yingchun and Yingxia. When Chen Fan returned home, the two sisters were just getting up. Seeing the meat in his hands, they were puzzled, knowing Chen Fan had no money—where had these things come from?

“These jewelry pieces are for you. I’ll buy even better ones in the future,” Chen Fan said, handing them over.

The sisters looked at the jewelry with hesitation and fear. “Husband, you didn’t go robbing, did you?” one asked anxiously.

“That won’t do. Hurry and return whatever you might have taken before things get worse!” the other urged nervously.

Seeing their anxiety, Chen Fan smiled wryly. “Don’t worry! I earned all this honestly. Here, take this money and keep it safe for me.”

He tossed the pouch to the sisters. Seeing over a hundred taels of silver inside, their surprise deepened. How could Chen Fan have earned so much money in just one afternoon?

“I…” They began to ask, but Chen Fan quickly explained the way he made the money.

“What story did you sell that made you so rich?” they asked curiously.

Chen Fan proceeded to tell them the story of Sun Wukong. Once he began, the sisters were captivated and could not stop listening.

“Husband, what happened after Sun Wukong was trapped under the Five Finger Mountain?”

“What happened next? Hurry and tell us; we’re dying to know!” the sisters pleaded anxiously.

Seeing their eagerness, Chen Fan smiled mischievously. “Want to know?”

“Yes!” they replied without hesitation.

“Come to bed; I’ll tell you slowly,” Chen Fan said, wrapping his arms around them as he led them to the bed.

The two sisters naively thought Chen Fan would tell them the story in bed, but once there, his true intentions became clear.

“Husband, please don’t undress me!” one begged.

“Please, just one day’s mercy!” the other pleaded.

Their cries soon faded, replaced by soft, pleasant sounds.

***

The next day, Chen Fan awoke to find the sisters sitting on the bed, their eyes red-rimmed.

“What’s wrong? Has someone mistreated you?” Chen Fan asked hurriedly.

“Husband, we miss home and worry about our parents. Can we go back to visit them?” they said cautiously.

“Don’t worry; we’ll go by ourselves and won’t cause you any trouble,” they added, looking at Chen Fan carefully.

Since they were married to Chen Fan, everything hinged on his approval. Without hesitation, he nodded.

“I’ll go with you,” Chen Fan said as he dressed.

“Husband, please don’t go! What if the Fan family sees you? It could bring you trouble,” the sisters warned anxiously.

“We’re family now. Don’t talk about ‘bringing trouble’ anymore,” Chen Fan replied.

“We’ve only been married two days, and I haven’t even met my in-laws yet. This is a good chance to visit them,” he continued.

He wanted to understand the Fan family’s affairs to better resolve the troubles ahead. Hearing this, the sisters tried to dissuade him, but Chen Fan took their hands and led them out.

They arrived at the county town, where Chen Fan bought a great many gifts. The three of them carried bundles and arrived at the Su family residence. Standing before the grand vermilion gate, the sisters stepped forward to knock.

After a while, the steward of the Su household came to open the door.

“Misses, what brings you here?” the steward asked, surprised to see the two sisters.

“This is our husband, Chen Fan,” Yingxia introduced.

“Chen Fan, this is the Su family steward, who has watched us grow since childhood,” Yingxia explained.

The steward regarded Chen Fan with a complex expression.

“Greetings, son-in-law,” he said respectfully, bowing before leading the three inside.

As soon as they entered, the sisters sensed something was amiss.