Can a System Have Bad Intentions? - Chapter 150

Zhuang Yu brought over a box of story manuscripts, and Lu Tang and Xu Shen picked out five of them.

These five stories were tightly plotted, vividly written, and packed with emotional impact, making them perfect for stage plays.

The only downside was that all five were ghost stories.

Opening an inn and telling ghost stories to guests was certainly…

Fortunately, they still had Du Xuan. His style was always comedic and absurd, without much depth. Lu Tang decided to hand Zhuang Yu’s manuscripts to Du Xuan, asking him to adapt them into his comedic style while preserving Zhuang Yu’s core ideas.

Du Xuan valued this opportunity greatly. He moved directly into a renovated guest room at Qiao Family Inn and went into seclusion to work on the adaptations.

The inn’s renovations were nearing completion, and Lu Tang was busy every day.

For the inn’s food supply, Lu Tang followed Du Zhongming’s introduction and used his suppliers, who offered fair prices. As for the room arrangements, Yuan Bao had already brought the Qiao Family Inn’s specialized bed linens and other items from Qinshui County.

Even Lu Tang’s mother was concerned about the inn’s management. She sent a manager from one of Qiao Family Inn’s branches to provide guidance.

The only headache for Lu Tang was casting the stage play actors.

Established theater troupes wouldn’t take on such an unfamiliar form of performance. Besides, their schedules were already full, leaving them no time to engage with her.

Less established troupes preferred to cooperate with already mature teahouses and theaters, also ignoring her offers.

Moreover, performing a stage play was entirely different from traditional opera.

Lu Tang’s only option was to buy a theater troupe.

By the time Lu Tang had selected and purchased a near-bankrupt troupe from several in Yuhang, a month had passed.

Du Xuan’s adaptations turned out surprisingly well, and the next step was rehearsals.

Time was tight, but actors, regardless of age or gender, were accustomed to hardship.

While the actors worked overtime on rehearsals, Lu Tang focused on promotion.

Zhuang Yu, a former Imperial Censor and Imperial Tutor, was a name Lu Tang wouldn’t let go to waste. She hung a huge banner in front of Qiao Family Inn with gilded letters: “A Masterpiece by Renowned Imperial Tutor Zhuang Yu and Talented Young Writer Du Xuan, Bringing You a Unique Visual Experience.”

With the banner up, Lu Tang hired a dozen little beggars to distribute flyers.

The flyers were handwritten by the Five Young Masters of Qinshui.

While the promotion was in full swing, Lu Tang also traveled to surrounding towns, using Zhuang Yu and the young talent Xie Yu as a lure to invite local academy scholars and students to Qiao Family Inn.

Qiao Family Inn offered food and accommodation, providing a platform for academic exchange.

Throughout Yuhang, Lu Tang extended invitations to all academies, except the one Xie Yu had attended.

After nearly three months of preparation, Qiao Family Inn finally celebrated its grand opening.

To Lu Tang’s surprise, the prefect himself attended the opening ceremony.

Not only did the prefect come, but he also invited several of his old schoolmates, who were now officials or teachers in other regions outside Yuhang.

Suddenly, the originally lively academic exchange conference became even more vibrant with their presence.

The young attendants of Qiao Family Inn did their utmost to meet the reasonable demands of the scholars, striving to make them feel at home.

With the prefect personally presiding over the daytime academic exchanges, Lu Tang saved a lot of effort. At night, those staying at the inn watched the first stage play performance.

Zhuang Yu had been brooding for months, knowing his manuscript was being adapted by a young upstart.

If not for Xie Yu and Qin Mo’s influence, he would have scolded them long ago and never allowed Lu Tang to use his name for promotion.

But as he sat in the front row, watching the performance, Zhuang Yu was dumbfounded.

Just a few people talking on stage brought his story to life?

As the play neared its end, Lu Tang stood anxiously behind the scenes, almost in tears at the audience’s lack of reaction, “It’s so good, why don’t they like it?”

Xu Shen, Liang Cheng, and the others knew how much effort Lu Tang had put into this performance. They had never worked so hard on anything in their lives.

“Maybe they’re used to operas and can’t accept this right away.”

“Could it be that the performance was too quiet, and they couldn’t hear it clearly?”

“Maybe it’s a lighting issue. I always thought our lighting…”

Boom!

Suddenly, thunderous applause interrupted the backstage group’s worries. Zhou Shu was the first to peek through the curtain.

The audience was mostly standing, applauding enthusiastically. They clapped while turning to each other with smiles and conversation.

Although the content wasn’t clear, it was evident that they were very satisfied.

Because everyone’s applause was directed at Zhuang Yu and Du Xuan.

Zhuang Yu, used to grand occasions, remained composed with a polite smile.

Du Xuan, standing beside him, cried like a fool.

I finally don’t have to go home and inherit the family business!

Qiao Family Inn had made a sensational debut.

By the time Lu Tang had everything settled at Qiao Family Inn and returned to Qinshui County, it was nearly the end of the year.

When Lu Tang left Qinshui County, her mother and sister had gone to the capital. Now that Lu Tang had returned, they still hadn’t come back.

“The new year is almost here, aren’t my mother and sister coming back?” Lu Tang pouted as she watched the snow outside from the veranda, complaining to Uncle Fu.

Uncle Fu placed the warmed wine on the nearby table while directing others to set up the hotpot, “Madam is opening a branch in the capital. She could have returned before the new year, but the stage play at our Yuhang inn was so popular that she wants to add it to the capital inn, which delayed her.”

Lu Tang: So, it’s my fault?

As they spoke, cheerful voices and footsteps sounded outside.

Xu Shen and Liang Cheng had arrived.

“Wow, what’s that smell? It’s making me drool from far away.” Zhou Shu ran towards the veranda, salivating.

Guo Dawei, behind him, formed a snowball and threw it at Zhou Shu’s head, “Idiot, all you think about is food!”

Since returning from Yuhang, Liang Cheng had his father hire two martial arts instructors to teach him kung fu. Previously half-hearted, he was now diligent and hardworking, losing weight from the effort.

“Why are you working so hard? It makes us look lazy.”

Zhou Shu sat next to Lu Tang, rolling his eyes at Liang Cheng before turning to Lu Tang, “Right, Little Tang?”

Guo Dawei kicked Zhou Shu’s leg, “Nonsense, you’re the lazy one.”

Lu Tang’s grand opening of Qiao Family Inn in Yuhang had directly inspired the parents of the Five Young Masters of Qinshui.

Since returning, Guo Dawei had been pinned to the shop by his father for six hours a day, learning the business. In spring, he was expected to open a branch, funding all his expenses from its earnings as his family cut off his allowance.

As a result, Guo Dawei had been in a foul mood, seeing everyone as an eyesore.

As for Xu Shen, he didn’t need his father’s urging. He set up a theater troupe in Qinshui County, specializing in stage plays, and was now preparing manuscripts.

Only Zhou Shu continued to sleep until noon and do nothing, making Guo Dawei angry every time he saw him.