Xie Zhong was quite famous in Zhuangyuan Village. However, his fame in his youth did not come from his talent, but from his playboy nature. It was said that the Xie family was a very large clan in the village. The most famous ancestor was a Censor from the Ming Dynasty, who was reportedly a top scholar. That was why the village was named Zhuangyuan Village. Xie Zhong’s family was the direct line of that Censor. Although they survived the chaotic times of the Qing Dynasty, the row of houses near the street originally belonged to Xie Zhong’s family.
Unfortunately, young Xie Zhong was obsessed with the art of drama. He spent all the money inherited from his ancestors on his theater troupe. He even sold those houses just to form a drama group. In the end, the family was left with only one flat house and one thatched hut. The whole family squeezed into this small space. The flat house served as the living room, study, and dining room, while the thatched hut was used for sleeping. It was very crowded.
The older generation originally criticized Xie Zhong for squandering his family’s wealth. But then, times changed. A turbulent era arrived. Although the Xie family had a deep history, Xie Zhong had no property left. Therefore, when classifying social status, he was categorized as a poor peasant. Because of this, he safely passed through that turbulent period. At that time, the elders praised Xie Zhong for his foresight. But now, Zhu Yanyi thought about it. Her grandfather had no foresight. He had simply squandered everything.
Of course, although Xie Zhong had no money, his talent was still highly respected by everyone. If someone needed to write a letter, they would ask Xie Zhong for help. The village also asked him to oversee the accounts. No matter what, Xie Zhong lived a decent life.
Xie Zhong had experienced many things. The sharp edge of his youth had completely faded. Now, his greatest joy was telling stories to everyone. In winter, he sat in the drying yard. In summer, he sat under the village bridge. He would occasionally sing a few lines of opera to pass the time. It was a quite comfortable life.
Zhu Yanyi admired Xie Zhong very much. When telling stories, Xie Zhong was very immersed. She used her words and expressions to vividly portray the various forms of the characters in the books.
Currently, the most popular stories were the Four Great Classical Novels. Xie Zhong was currently telling Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Zhu Yanyi sat obediently on a small stool nearby. Many people sat around Xie Zhong too. Some sat on stools or chairs they brought from home. Some sat directly on the ground or on stones. Others sat on the haystacks nearby. No matter who they were, they listened to Xie Zhong with great seriousness. They were completely fascinated.
Zhu Yanyi had read Romance of the Three Kingdoms herself. She naturally knew the story content. But reading was different from listening. Through Xie Zhong’s storytelling, Zhu Yanyi felt as if she saw Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. She saw the cunning Liu Bei, the upright Guan Yu, and the brave Zhang Fei. Their images floated before Zhu Yanyi’s eyes.
Xie Zhong told the story for about half an hour, then stopped. “To know what happens next, listen to the next chapter.”
“Uncle Zhong, you always stop at the most critical moment. Are you doing it on purpose?” Xie Can laughed loudly.
Xie Zhong pointed at Xie Can. “The book with this story is in my house. If you want to know the content, you can read it yourself. Who told you not to like learning characters back then?”