Third Master Jin left. He didn’t stay at the teahouse.

He had nothing much with him, only a wine gourd in his hand and a jade pendant.

That pendant came from his mother.

His birth mother was a concubine. Even back in the mansion, she hadn’t been favored. Only after giving birth to him did she gain a little status.

But those large, deep mansions were never kind places.

While he was still a baby wrapped in cloth, his mother fell suddenly ill. She didn’t make it through that night.

He grew up with a wet nurse. This jade pendant remained his mother’s only keepsake.

Amid the hazy night, Jin San went to a pawnshop and pawned the jade pendant.

But at the pawnshop, the pendant worth over twenty silver taels finally fetched only eight taels.

After telling the Manager he’d come back to redeem it later, he hurried off.

Jin San’s face was as calm as the night itself.

First, he returned to the teahouse. He saw Manager Zhuang and took out two silver taels.

“Third Master Jin, you…” Manager Zhuang looked confused.

Jin San pressed the two taels into the Manager’s hand. “When Cao Fa takes the stage, please reward him with this on my behalf. The rest is my thanks for your kindness lately.”

“Third Master Jin, where are you going?” Manager Zhuang stammered.

Jin San shook his head. Saying nothing more, he turned and walked away.

Manager Zhuang quickly chased after him.

“Third Master Jin!! Third Master Jin!!”

“Don’t do anything foolish, Third Master Jin!”

But try as he might, he couldn’t catch up to Third Master Jin’s steps.

Manager Zhuang stopped on the street, gasping for breath. He could only watch as Third Master Jin ran farther away, vanishing into the night.

Manager Zhuang glanced at the two taels in his palm. His heart felt both sad and confused.

He sighed softly and returned alone to the teahouse.

…

When Cao Fa learned that Third Master Jin had left, he felt deep regret.

He blamed it all on himself.

If he hadn’t said those hurtful things that day, Third Master Jin wouldn’t have done this.

Cao Fa sought news everywhere. He searched almost all of Qingshan City. There wasn’t a single clue.

One day passed. Two days. Half a month…

A whole month…

Cao Fa even searched beyond Qingshan City. He went into the mountains and forests. Every time he saw a newly dug grave, he’d pause and look.

Nothing…

Cao Fa gave up entirely.

Ever since then, he never spoke harshly to anyone again.

The regret stayed deep inside him, impossible to forget.

Manager Zhuang said, “Take it easy. You know Third Master Jin. Maybe he just went away.”

Cao Fa replied, “No need to comfort me, Manager. I know…”

Manager Zhuang couldn’t help but sigh again and said no more.

Because of Third Master Jin, Cao Fa’s scheduled debut as a storyteller was delayed nearly two months.

Around that time, Cao Fa started drinking. Manager Zhuang often found him drunk and unconscious.

But this didn’t last forever.

Slowly, Cao Fa drank less and less. He hadn’t forgotten; he just tucked these feelings away, deep inside.

He didn’t want to let down Manager Zhuang. He especially didn’t want to let down Mr. Chen.

Soon, autumn turned to winter.

A light snow fell over Qingshan City. Frost and cold clung to every traveler.

Few people came to the teahouse now, except for the regulars. It was too cold to go outside.

On that snowy night, Manager Zhuang handed Cao Fa the book Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.

For the first time in over half a year, the teahouse had a storyteller again.

Snap!

Suddenly, the Storyteller’s Wooden Clapper slapped onto the table.

The teahouse guests looked up. They saw someone standing on the long-empty stage.

“Respected guests,” the newcomer announced. “I am the teahouse’s new storyteller.”

“My name is Cao Fa.”

The people stared, bewildered.

“A storyteller?”

“He looks familiar…”

“Isn’t that… isn’t that the waiter?”

“A waiter telling stories?”

Their expressions changed. They called for the Manager.

“Manager Zhuang! Even if you couldn’t find a real storyteller, you shouldn’t put up anyone!”

Manager Zhuang smiled apologetically. “I wouldn’t dare! You probably didn’t know—the man on stage learned directly from Mr. Jiucha. Hear him once, and you’ll know.”

“Mr. Jiucha?”

“Who’s that?”

Some newer guests seemed puzzled by the name. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

After all, Mr. Jiucha had been gone over half a year.

But those who remembered brightened immediately. “Really?!”

“Truer than true gold!” Manager Zhuang laughed.

“Good! Good! Will it be… Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio?”

“Just listen,” Manager Zhuang urged.

Up on stage, the storyteller began.

“Our ancestors left us a work, called Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, also known as Tales of Ghosts and Foxes. Twelve volumes. Over four hundred stories. This book contains Fox Demons, immortals, buddhas, and Ghost Deities. Each story shines in its own way. Today, Cao Fa tells you one from its pages—Rouge.”

These few words made the listeners pause.

They remembered long ago.

The Green-Robed Gentleman who stood on this stage back then began his very first story like this.

Liaozhai, Liaozhai…

“Well said!!” someone shouted, pounding the table excitedly.

Others looked lost. What was so special?

A mere opening—how could it excite anyone?

Cao Fa cupped his hands respectfully. Then he started telling the tale from the book.

Very quickly, all eyes below fixed on the new storyteller.

After half a year away, this Cao Fa was completely changed. He’d studied every book, sought coaching from a storytelling Senior in Qingshan City, worked tirelessly. His skill grew deep and full. He captured every detail just right. Again and again, cheers rang from below.

One story: Rouge. An old tale told anew.

Memories stirred. Below the stage, many guests seemed dazed.

They remembered Nie Xiaoqian. They remembered Liancheng. They remembered the days when this teahouse overflowed with life and noise.

“So alike…”

“Incredibly alike…”

Staring blankly at Cao Fa, someone almost believed Mr. Chen had returned.

“He seems… even better than Mr. Jiucha back then!”

The others came to their senses. Then they listened more carefully.

He really was!

The man on stage was a little more skilled.

“He deserves a reward!”

That day, the teahouse bustled.

Guests weren’t numerous, but a basket overflowed with reward coins.

Even Niu Da stood stunned. He tugged at Cao Fa after he stepped down, yelling excitedly, “Brother Cao! You did it! You did it!”

Cao Fa stared at the basket of coins, blinking.

Only then did he realize.

He really was becoming Master Cao.

“And here,” Manager Zhuang approached.

“Manager.” Cao Fa bowed respectfully.

Manager Zhuang dropped one silver tael into the basket.

Cao Fa stared. “Manager, this… you really shouldn’t give this.”

Manager Zhuang sighed. “Third Master Jin left this behind before he went away. He told me… when you took the stage on this day, I was to reward you for him…”

Cao Fa reached out and picked up that silver tael.

He looked at it in his palm. He was silent for a long, long time.

…

On that very night.

Cao Fa got utterly drunk again, just like before. He was unconscious.

In his drunken mumble, words escaped his lips.

“Third Master… I’m really about to become Master Cao…”

“Are you still alive somewhere…?”