Entertainment Era: Starting with Teaching Sister Meng to Sing

Wang Xiaozhou didn't have a phone in his hand and didn't know what comments were being posted in the live stream. He simply strolled naturally through the streets of Chang'an, chatting and laughing with the people around him, inadvertently bringing up the history of the city.

"The ancient city of Chang'an was divided into the East Market and the West Market, which opened at noon and closed in the evening. The market was lined with shops and represented a full range of industries."

The people inside included not only merchants, artisans, and customers, but also many people from Central Asia.

The title of "Heavenly Khan" in the Tang Dynasty was not just a figurehead; back then, all dynasties paid homage to him, which was incredibly prestigious.

The famous mutton stew with flatbread in Chang'an today is still closely related to the original flatbread.

As he spoke, Wang Xiaozhou led everyone to a random shop selling paomo (pita bread soaked in mutton soup).

The shops in the urban village are naturally full of human warmth. When the shop owners saw Wang Xiaozhou and his group carrying cameras and flocking into the shops in groups, they quickly went up to greet them.

"Hey buddy, are we from a TV station, or are we here to film some kind of program?"

Wang Xiaozhou replied with a smile, "We're just doing a live stream. We've always heard that Chang'an is fun, so we came to visit and introduce it to our viewers."

The restaurant owner patted his large belly, looking rather憨厚 (honest and simple), and said, "You guys are new here, right? You probably don't know how to order very well yet. How about I order for you?"

Wang Xiaozhou looked around and saw that there were about ten of them in his group. He nodded and said, "Okay, just give us the food according to the number of people. As long as we can finish it, there won't be any waste."

The shop owner quickly returned to the kitchen to get busy. Another person in the shop, presumably his wife, went up to pour water for everyone. Wang Xiaozhou picked up the teacup, took a sip, and thought it tasted like barley tea.

Viewers in the live stream started sending comments as soon as they saw this.

"Oh no, who orders food like this when they go out? Letting the restaurant owner watch what they order, they're going to get ripped off."

"I wouldn't even dare to say that to the fruit stand owner at the entrance of my neighborhood. They rip off acquaintances, let alone Wang Xiaozhou coming up to them and telling them he was a tourist. Anyone with a brain knows that tourists are meant to be ripped off."

"Luckily, they are celebrities and must have earned a lot of money, otherwise they would be in real pain if they were extorted like this."

"It's not necessarily true that you'll get ripped off. They're a well-known company. If you feel the price is unreasonable in the end, you can just report it to the relevant authorities, and the money will eventually be refunded."

"Why should we give you a refund? Who told you not to ask the price before you ate? Even if you want a refund, you have to follow the procedures. We're filming a show here; do you have time to waste arguing with them?"

......

At Wang Xiaozhou's table, Mao Xiaotong was also a little worried. She whispered to Wang Xiaozhou, "Aren't you going to ask about the price? We don't know what dishes they'll serve. What if we get ripped off?"

Wang Xiaozhou replied with a smile, "Good or bad, it's all part of the experience. We don't have a script, so we need to experience this uncertainty to make the show more interesting."

Once this explanation was given, the viewers in the live stream all agreed. Instead of focusing on whether Wang Xiaozhou lacked social experience, they started speculating whether the shop owner would rip them off.

Upon hearing Wenye's report through his earpiece, Wang Xiaozhou simply contacted Changping directly and organized a guessing game. Viewers who guessed correctly could earn points, which could later be used to redeem memberships.

Let Fumino look at the ratio. They said that most of the audience guessed that the shop owner would rip them off when they paid the bill, and the ratio was even as high as nine to one.

This society is utterly devoid of trust.

Completely unconcerned about what would happen next, Wang Xiaozhou chatted and laughed with his friends at the table, and soon the restaurant owner started serving the dishes.

The first dish served was naturally a classic Chang'an delicacy: mutton stew with bread.

The soup bowl is filled with slices of mutton that look incredibly appetizing. The colorful side dishes give the mutton a refreshing feel, and adding a spoonful of chili makes the soup even more delicious.

Seeing that Meng Ziyi's bowl was empty, Wang Xiaozhou was still directing his unique way of eating:

"This mutton stew isn't eaten like this. It has to be very oily and spicy. You also need to add a lot of aged vinegar, break the bread into pieces and soak it in the soup. The taste is indescribable."

Local specialties are best found at roadside stalls. Regardless of whether the owner ends up ripping you off, his mutton stew is undeniably authentic, leaving no room for complaint.

The mutton stew was followed by a plate of cold noodles. Cold noodles are known for being very salty and spicy, which suited Wang Xiaozhou's taste perfectly. He finished the whole plate and was sweating profusely, feeling extremely refreshed.

Next came the boss's two signature stir-fries, and a large plate of boiled mutton.

Just as Wang Xiaozhou said, it was both efficient and delicious for everyone.

The dishes were so delicious that the live stream almost turned into a food show, leaving viewers drooling in the comments.

"Wang Xiaozhou's mutton stew looks so delicious! My goodness, he poured in three spoonfuls of chili and a big spoonful of aged vinegar. I can't even imagine how delicious the stew must taste."

"His plate of cold noodles looks amazing! I wonder if it has sesame paste in it. If it does, I definitely have to try it."

"Food changes one's worldview. Now I even think the shop owner looks decent. I just hope he won't rip off Wang Xiaozhou and the others too much. If he doesn't go too far, I might even go there to try it out."

......

After a satisfying meal, Wang Xiaozhou sat down with everyone to chat and occasionally play some games.

After finishing his work in the kitchen, the owner saw that the people chatting happily and joined in.

"You young people are really something, making money from just one thing. You're really capable."

Wang Xiaozhou smiled and replied, "Times have changed. Looking at your age, Uncle, it takes real skill to open a shop and support your family back then. We can only be considered to have taken shortcuts."

"You guys are talented, not just taking shortcuts. It's really impressive if people watch your videos. Would you like to have some drinks?"

As he spoke, another series of rhythmic sounds emerged from the live stream:

"Oh no, they've come up with a new trick. The food is fine; if the boss goes too far, we can take him to the authorities. But the wine is a different story; its value is incalculable."

"Don't drink this wine! The boss is too cunning. He seems easy to get along with, but he's just using one trick after another. I'm almost certain now that he's really trying to rip them off."

"Boss, I advise you to be kind. Everyone's money is hard-earned. Don't cheat people when you're out and about."

......

Wang Xiaozhou couldn't see anything in the chat, but he could guess that things were getting heated in the live stream. He smiled and nodded, "Give us a few drinks. We've been driving all day, everyone's pretty tired. Let's have a drink and go to sleep comfortably."

The shop owner smiled and went to the kitchen to bring out a wine jar. He placed it on the table and said proudly:

"The stuff soaking in this jar of wine is quite old. My brother brought it back to me from Northeast China before the millennium. Today, I'm sharing it with you all."

The third brother raised his hand as if to ask the price, but Wang Xiaozhou stopped him with a look. Then he smiled and handed over his wine glass, saying, "I'm in for a treat today. Thank you, boss."

Actually, you can tell from the outside of the wine jar that most of the things soaking inside are fake, and even the seahorse inside is made of plastic.

But as people reach middle age, even those who are not successful can still have a few respectable possessions, and Wang Xiaozhou is happy not to expose them.

"Let's have a drink together, uncle."

There weren't many people in the shop at this time, and since the uncle really liked this drink, he chuckled sheepishly at Wang Xiaozhou's invitation and actually poured himself a glass.

"Hey, don't just drink, uncle, eat some vegetables. Your cooking is really good; your shop must always be doing well."

Wang Xiaozhou and the uncle clinked glasses and then started chatting casually.

The uncle nodded and said, "This is an old shop of mine that has been around for many years. The neighbors are used to my food and come almost every day. It's just that the average order value is too low, so I don't make much money even after a busy day."

"It's better than working a regular job."

Wang Xiaozhou rubbed a handful of peanuts into his mouth. His conversation with the shop owner was very down-to-earth. Having climbed up from the bottom himself, Wang Xiaozhou had a real understanding of life and didn't sound as awkward as other celebrities when chatting with people.

The shop owner shook his head: "Employees envy shop owners, and shop owners envy employees. I have to do everything myself in this shop, from preparing goods and cooking to cleaning. I have to do everything myself. In my opinion, it's not as good as working for someone else. At least you can slack off when you work for someone else, haha."

To show the shop owner's honesty, Wang Xiaozhou raised his glass and clinked it against his: "After all, the income is higher than working for someone else."

The shop owner shook his head again and pointed in the direction of his wife who was busy in the kitchen: "After deducting rent and utilities, my shop only makes four or five hundred yuan a day, and on good days it can only make six or seven hundred."

My wife and I work thirteen or fourteen hours a day, and each of us only makes two or three hundred yuan. We can't earn that much working anywhere else.

All I can say is that we need to be more free; we can close the shop for a day whenever we want to rest.

"If we hadn't already paid off our child's education, this shop would be a real struggle to support a family of three."

Wang Xiaozhou remained noncommittal, smiling as he clinked glasses with the older man.

Seeing that everyone else was getting bored with the game, Liu Weiguang had a drink with the uncle, and then Liu Weiguang got up and asked the boss how much the meal cost.

The shop owner didn't even glance at him, and said directly to Wang Xiaozhou, "You've come all the way from out of town, it's fate that you're eating at our shop. Forget about money, this meal is on me."

There's a saying, what does it mean to have the mind of a petty person?

The uncle's words humiliated countless viewers in the live stream.

Wang Xiaozhou, of course, couldn't possibly take advantage of the older man. On the surface, he didn't refuse the older man, but in reality, he had Huang Mao sweep a thousand yuan over before leaving. Of course, this was done on camera.

Before parting, Wang Xiaozhou exchanged contact information with the uncle, because the uncle said it was their first time in Chang'an and he was worried that they might not be able to find fun places or encounter any trouble. He wanted to leave a phone number so that they could contact him immediately if they had any problems.

Wang Xiaozhou didn't have much to say, because from the beginning he didn't look at the older man with any dirty thoughts. On the contrary, it was the viewers in the live stream who started to lose their guard.

"This isn't the plot I expected. Can someone explain to me what's going on? Is it the script or something? This is so illogical."

"My goodness! I've come up with so many scenarios for the restaurant owner, but I never imagined he'd actually treat Wang Xiaozhou and the others to a meal for free! This guy really boosted Chang'an's reputation!"

"I don't know what's wrong with people these days, their thoughts are so filthy (including my own). When Wang Xiaozhou told the boss to serve whatever dishes he wanted, I was worried that the boss would rip him off on the prices or serve him a huge table of food that he couldn't finish. Later, when the boss asked about drinks, I was worried that the boss would use cheap liquor to impersonate Guojiao liquor. In the end, I realized that I was the only one who was disgusting."

"Chang'an has been a breeding ground for chivalrous heroes since ancient times. We are not just talking about the thirteen dynasties that were once the capital. When it comes to grandeur, Chang'an is second to none."

......

"How do you know that shop owner won't rip us off?"

On the way back to the hotel, Meng Ziyi asked in a low voice.

The live-streaming camera was filming Huang Mao and his friends playing games. Wang Xiaozhou wasn't afraid of being live-streamed, so he whispered:

"It's just a feeling. No matter what the shop owner does, the topic will still be generated. We don't lose anything. Even if he rips us off by ten or twenty thousand dollars, it's not worth as much as the buzz. Making a show is just for fun."

Meng Ziyi gave a subtle smirk, wondering where his confidence came from. Turns out it was just a business tactic; he wouldn't lose money no matter what.

"What are you pouting about? Go play with them. The hotel we're staying at tonight was decided through the game. Don't come crying to me in the end because you're stuck in a cheap motel."

The live stream wasn't over yet, so the show had to continue. The current segment was the "Top Card Game," where participants weren't allowed to perform actions related to the words on their own cards, but others could guide them.

The winner of the game gets to stay in the best hotel in Chang'an, the second and third place winners get to stay in five-star and four-star hotels respectively, and the last place winner gets to stay in a roadside inn, the kind where a bed costs fifteen yuan.

Actually, these kinds of shops are quite hard to find nowadays, but since it's for a TV show, Wenye found a hotel online for 20 yuan that costs 15 yuan a night. The people selling the spots there might even laugh and say they've met a lunatic online today.

"Those hotels with 15-yuan beds are probably mixed-gender, right? It's dangerous for us girls to stay in those kinds of hotels."

Mao Xiaotong blinked, trying to get preferential treatment from Wang Xiaozhou.

Wang Xiaozhou was incredibly impartial; he immediately shook his head and said, "No way. Our live broadcast is all about authenticity; how can we cheat?"

As they were talking, the game on Huang Mao's side had already ended. It was unclear whether those bastards had taken pity on the ladies, but their group's second-tier actress had become the winner and would be staying at a five-star hotel in Chang'an tonight.

When it was Wang Xiaozhou's turn, there were five participants in total: Wang Xiaozhou, Meng Ziyi, Mao Xiaotong, Lao San, and Xu Min.

Xu Min is a second-tier artist under Ganwei. Because of her mature appearance and voluptuous figure, she has always played the role of a married woman since her debut, and she has always played the role of a cheating married woman. Therefore, she exudes a seductive charm, which makes Meng Ziyi and the other woman not like her very much.

In this round of the competition, Meng Ziyi's tag was "Thank you," Mao Xiaotong's tag was "Smile," Liu Weiguang's tag was "Hands in pockets," and Xu Min's tag was "Hug."

Wang Xiaozhou didn't know what the label on his head was, but he knew that standing still would definitely not make a mistake.

As Bungo reiterated the rules, everyone realized that guiding others to perform the actions indicated by their tags would eliminate them, thus beginning the first round of conflict.

Xu Min got up first and went to Mao Xiaotong's side to tickle her. Mao Xiaotong immediately opened her arms to hug her, but they separated as soon as they touched. Not knowing what their labels were, neither of them dared to continue.

Wang Xiaozhou hummed a song to himself: "Listen to me, thank you, because of you, the four seasons are warm..."

"Thank you, because of you, the world is more beautiful..."

This song hasn't been released yet, and there's only one person around Wang Xiaozhou who knows it: the nightingale who can't help but reach out to sing it whenever she hears it.

"Meng Ziyi was the first to be eliminated."

"Huh?" Meng Ziyi drooped her head, took off the label on her head to take a look, and immediately glared angrily at Wang Xiaozhou.

"Yes!"

Wang Xiaozhou made a celebratory gesture, turned around and hugged Liu Weiguang, and then casually hugged Xu Min as well.

"Xu Min, the second to be eliminated!"

"Uh..." Xu Min blankly took off the label on her head and gave Wang Xiaozhou a thumbs up.

"Hey buddy, give me a piece of paper."

"oh."

Just as Liu Guangwei reached into his pocket to get some paper, Wenye's voice rang out again.

"Liu Guangwei is the third to be eliminated."

"I...I'm kicking!"

Liu Guangwei took off the label from his head and then punched Wang Xiaozhou in the chest.

Turning to look at Mao Xiaotong again, before Wang Xiaozhou could even exert any force, Mao Xiaotong had already taken several steps back: "Don't talk to me, I can't hear you."

Wang Xiaozhou didn't say anything, but just reached into his nose and picked it out, then flicked it at Mao Xiaotong.

"Hahaha, you're disgusting."

"Mao Xiaotong, the fourth to be eliminated."

Mao Xiaotong: "...This person is even more disgusting."

For those who set the rules, what they're playing now is far too childish. After watching so many variety shows in later generations, it's like Wang Xiaozhou is just utterly dominating them!

"Oh dear, I'm going to cry. I'll stay in a hotel that costs fifteen yuan, but could you please ask the owner to prepare a single room for me?"

Meng Ziyi, who was the first to be eliminated, broke down. She could accept living in a shabby place, but sharing a room with other people was something she really couldn't accept.

Wang Xiaozhou raised an eyebrow: "Of course not, why would they give you a single room for fifteen yuan?"

Seeing that Meng Ziyi's lips trembled and she was about to cry, Wang Xiaozhou didn't dare to tease her anymore and quickly said:

"But you can stay in a single room. We can switch places. You can stay in a five-star hotel, and I'll stay in a cheap hotel for fifteen yuan."

Upon hearing this, Meng Ziyi stopped crying and started laughing, but then she said worriedly, "A hotel that costs only fifteen yuan is so shabby, you can't get used to staying there. Why don't we stay together? Anyway, five-star hotels have suites, so we can each have a room."

The people around him all had strange expressions, and Mao Xiaotong looked thoughtful. He couldn't even imagine what the comments in the live stream would look like.

Staying in a hotel together is indeed a good idea, but since we're filming a show, the rules don't matter, but it's important to accept the consequences of a bet. Wang Xiaozhou will definitely have to stay in a hotel.

Wang Xiaozhou waved for Meng Ziyi and the others to set off, while Wen Ye led the way as the two headed towards the small inn.