The upstairs is not a closed room, but open. There are no walls on all sides, only railings and gauze curtains. If the wind is stronger, the rain can drift in.
The wooden floor has been scrubbed extremely clean, and some tables and futons have been placed, creating a refreshing and quiet atmosphere.
Behind the pure white gauze curtain in front, a woman was sitting in front of the guqin, chatting quietly with the literati sitting at the front, talking about the music played today and the ghosts of the past few days.
The seats should be arranged according to the amount of money paid. I heard that the minimum is fifteen taels, so Song You handed over the one and a half silver that Wu Nuxia gave him one time. It should be given to him by the ghost of the brothel in Peach Blossom Mountain. Therefore, the seat is also farthest from the piano player. Instead, leaning on the railing, you can see Changjing in the wind and rain when you turn your head, and you can see the streets washed by the rain when you lower your head.
The sound of wind and rain was very clear.
In such an open environment, the closer you are, the clearer you can hear.
Song You raised his head and looked at the woman in front.
The pure white gauze curtains make people feel quiet, especially since it is raining heavily today. The sky itself is not bright, and it is even darker above the attic. When the gauze curtains are blown up by the wind, coupled with the sound of rain outside, it becomes even quieter. I think it would be a different feeling when the wind blows it up on a sunny day.
Hanging it here should also add elegance, and there is no intention of using it to cover the woman behind him.
When the gauze curtain is blown by the wind, the woman and the piano are revealed.
It was an exquisite and simple piano, with black lacquer and gold thread, classical and gorgeous. The world said that it had been passed down for thousands of years and was worth tens of thousands of gold. Song You didn't know, but you can indeed see the traces of time on it.
That is a stunningly beautiful woman.
She was wearing pure white clothes, without any colorful decorations or any style. The only special thing was that they were extraordinarily white. The clothes are also worn very casually on the body. Apart from making people look pure, they have no decorative effect on the woman's beauty.
That face is so beautiful.
I don’t know how I got such a beautiful face. If I wanted someone to change it, I’m afraid it wouldn’t be possible to change it even a little bit, because no matter what bit I changed, it would never be more beautiful than it is now.
People say that she is more beautiful without makeup than the most beautiful woman in the world with makeup, which may be a bit exaggerated, but saying that her skin is whiter than snow and flawless is just the most appropriate description. In this era when sun protection and skin care technology is far inferior to that of later generations, people generally have poor skin. Such stunning beauty only reminded Song You of Xiao Yanxian, who was either a natural beauty like a deity descending from the earth, or a demon transformed into a human being.
Or, as rumor has it, another method was used.
Song You stared at her calmly.
But I saw a gust of breeze blowing, lifting the white gauze on the attic, whether it was in front or around, and even brought a little drizzle in, hitting the Taoist's face with a cool feeling.
The woman bowed to others and began to play the piano.
The fingertips slipped, and the sound suddenly sounded.
The sound of the piano really seems to be flowing, without any rush. The first few sounds are leisurely, but each sound has a long aftertaste. Unknowingly, it has made people calm down and listen to the follow-up.
There were many literati sitting underneath, listening quietly.
The Taoist's eyes narrowed slightly, and he looked away from the woman and looked outside.
I have heard a sentence before, waving a string makes cranes dance, blowing bamboo makes dragons sing, until now I heard the sound of the piano, although many details have been lost when it is transmitted here, and it is mixed with the sound of wind and rain outside at the moment, as well as the sound of the harp. The white gauze curtains that had caught the rain were blown by the wind and shook, but I still understood this sentence.
Wouldn't it be strange if a crane came to dance after hearing the sound of nature?
Time passes quietly, like the sound of a piano.
I don’t know the name of this piece of music, but I just think it’s quiet, long, and melodious, which really fits the drizzling weather outside at this time.
Changjing under the rain was shrouded in smoke, and the distance was blurry, while the nearby areas were washed out by the rain and were particularly clear. The bluestones on the ground and the black tiles on the roof all revealed their original colors. And under the heavy rain, no matter the people walking on the street or the people standing downstairs, everyone's umbrella looks like a flower. When the rain is wet, the dirt seems to be washed away, and the color is a little brighter.
For a moment, it was as if the sound of the piano was no longer in my ears, and everything merged into the rain scene in front of me. At another moment, it was as if the rain scene was no longer in front of me, and everything became part of the sound of the piano.
For a while, the rain scene blended with the sound of the piano, making it difficult to distinguish them.
Even the sound of wind and rain outside no longer seems to be an interference to the sound of the piano. Instead, it has become a part of the sound of the piano, complementing each other. Even the sound of the wind blowing the gauze curtains is no longer obtrusive. At this moment, Changjing Everything is so harmonious with the sound of the piano.
Song You was stunned for a moment, surprised in his heart.
This Wanjiang girl only plays one piano game a day and takes at least a few hundred taels of silver. I wonder if it’s just for the money, but there should be a little more purpose in playing the piano to be able to perform at such a level.
If she plays the piano just for the sake of playing it...
I heard that she sometimes played the harp, which could really make hundreds of birds chirp, cranes dance, make sunny days rain and summer snow fall. Maybe she was playing the harp according to her own wishes at that time?
Song You had never seen it before and couldn't think clearly.
He could only say that there was no magic or sorcery in the sound of the piano that could enchant people's hearts. The reason why it was so fascinating was entirely due to his superb piano skills and his ability to connect with the gods.
Just like Songlu Yanggong in Yidu at that time, he was not a performer himself, but only invited his friends to play the piano at home for fun every day. There were people who loved vocal music who traveled hundreds of miles away just to stand outside the wall and listen to a piece of music. . Another example is Master Kong outside Yizhou City. The resurrection of the dead animals he carved was not the result of any magic, but the result of his superb skills.
Judging from the sound of the piano today, the woman's accomplishments are obviously higher than those of Yang Gong. Although it is not as exaggerated as Master Kong's ability to resurrect the wood carvings, it can still be said to be "should only exist in heaven."
The Taoist gradually fell into a trance and listened to the sound of rain.
The sound of the piano gradually stopped, but the rain continued outside.
The woman inside the gauze curtain sat motionless, while some of the literati below had calmed down, while some were still immersed in the sound of rain and the music of the piano.
The woman was not in a hurry and took a long time to get up.
"Thank you all..."
He bowed deeply, stood up and left.
But as she walked by, she turned her head and glanced at where the Taoist was.
There was a cloth robe placed next to the Taoist. The material looked ordinary at first glance, but the inside of the robe was bulging, revealing the head of a calico cat, staring at her.
The woman's eyes fluctuated, and her pace did not stop.
…
The Taoist was the first to go downstairs.
The group of literati were still upstairs, either reminiscing about the lingering sounds, or exchanging whispers about the music and insights they had just heard.
When I went downstairs, the guests downstairs were still there, but some people on the street outside were walking around in the rain.
The man sitting at the same table with him had already stood up, but he was leaning against the door frame. An earth-yellow oil-paper umbrella was placed next to him, and his face was dull and absent-minded, and his eyes were unfocused, as if he was also reminiscing. It wasn't until Song You came to stand next to him that he gradually came back to his senses, picked up his umbrella and whispered to Song You:
"Brother, I just went upstairs and forgot to take my umbrella. I was afraid that you would come down late and someone else would take it, so I specially guarded it here for you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"It's my turn to thank Brother for the wine he gave me..."
"I'll take my leave."
"Upstairs...does the music sound nice upstairs?"
"Sounds good."
Song You said to him, opened the umbrella, and walked out of the store into the rain with the calico cat on his shoulder.
Changjing is one of the best places in the world, and its reputation is well-deserved. This trip is worth it.
But there is more to Changjing than this.
Not only the wind, flowers, snow and moon, but also the intoxicating music of the piano, just like the rain at this time, naturally wash away the dust, showing the beauty of another side of Changjing, but how many people are getting wet in the rain?
When the Taoist walked halfway, the umbrella disappeared.
Then there was an old man who had entered the city and didn't know what he was doing. He huddled under the eaves of a wall to take shelter from the rain, holding an umbrella. The spring rain was still a bit cold, and the walls and eaves were not able to block the wind and rain. His clothes were already wet a lot. It happened to get dark very early on rainy days. He was debating whether to go back in the rain or stay in the city for one night, feeling miserable. endless...
Going back in the rain, how can my old body withstand the rain?
Staying in the city for one night, where can I go to take shelter on a rainy night?
I just lament that God has no eyes and only bullies the poor.
When I was sad, someone handed me an umbrella.
Holding the umbrella, he turned his head and saw that the figure was already walking away in the rain with a bag on its shoulders. A cat's head poked out of the bag, turning to look at him.
The Taoist was not afraid of the rain, so he returned home despite the rain. Flowers appeared on the stone road that gradually accumulated water.
The cat is not afraid of the rain. She refused to hide in the Taoist's clothes when the Taoist asked her. She insisted on sticking her head out. Sometimes she looked up and stared at the Taoist who was getting wet from the rain. Sometimes she turned her head to look at the pedestrians and umbrellas coming and going. Sometimes she would look down at the splashes of water on the ground made by people. No one knew what was going on in the cat's mind. They only knew that her eyes were like amber, and she could see everything very clearly.
There is no one in the alley, only running water.
"Ms. Sanhua, do you think the sound of the piano sounds good today?" the Taoist asked in a low voice.
"I don't know~"
The Sanhua Cat answered honestly, and then thought for a while before saying, "But Sanhua Empress sounds very comfortable, and the voice seems to be similar to what we heard in Yidu."
"Miss Sanhua still remembers Mr. Yang from Yidu."
"Mr. Yang~"
It seems that I don't remember much.
Song You didn't care and just said to her: "I heard that this person today is the best at playing the piano in Changjing. Her piano sound is probably the best in Changjing and even in the world."
"It seems very powerful~"
"Now Empress Sanhua has also seen a cat from Changjing and heard such a powerful piano sound."
"It seems very powerful!"
Song You just smiled.
Crossing this alley is Willow Street.
The heroine almost came back with him. Neither of them had an umbrella, and both were soaked in the rain. They were very embarrassed. When they met on the street, they only smiled when they met.
Just a big laugh, saying that he can actually get caught in the rain.
A smile says that sometimes a preacher is also a god.
…
It was raining today, and I thought that the lady would not send anyone to ask again, but I didn't expect that later in the day, her maid came in the rain, riding a carriage and carrying an umbrella into the store.
"Sir! Have you gone to see it?"
"went."
"How is it? Jiang was a goblin that night? But he used an imp to keep his youth? But he used a demon to deceive people's hearts?"
"Please don't be anxious, I've already met you. That girl from Wanjiang is really good at playing the piano, and there is no evil or sorcery in the sound of the piano that confuses people's hearts." Song You paused, "I haven't heard from you either. She has seen signs of using witchcraft to harm people, so she cannot be called a demon, so please go back and report to Madam. I can't help you, so please ask someone wiser."
"How is that possible? I don't believe it! Sir, don't protect her just because she looks good!"
"I've been cultivating my mind for many years, and I'm not a womanizer."
"Sir, please go see it again!"
"Please ask for someone else..."
The maid was disappointed and helpless, but Song You had not confiscated a penny from them, so she couldn't say anything else, so she had to leave.
(End of chapter)
