Chapter 35 – Three Birthday Gifts
Night fell, and the Bai residence in Qinghe came alive with music and festivity as a full opera performance was staged in celebration.
Behind the stage, Shang Yulou had finished applying his makeup but had not yet put on his costume—only dressed in a snow-white underrobe and thick-soled black boots. With great reverence, he led his troupe to light two sticks of incense before the statue of their theatrical patron deity.
Shang Yulou might have been poor, but he never neglected propriety.
He watched attentively as the smoke curled upward in soft, silvery spirals. When the incense tips flared with two sharp, bright pops, he sighed in relief and smiled. “Auspicious! A good omen indeed!”
A stagehand passed him his costume. Shang Yulou quickly dressed and looked visibly more energetic.
The rest of the Yucheng Troupe were used to his rituals. Each member swiftly finished dressing, and even the newly recruited child actors—nicknamed “little monkeys”—were lined up neatly under the supervision of older performers, ready to enter the stage.
Three urgent beats of the gong echoed from the front, followed by a steward lifting the curtain to announce, “Master Bai has taken his seat—open the show!”
Shang Yulou, now fully costumed, gave a crisp acknowledgment and strode out.
The Bai mansion was packed with guests who had come to celebrate the elder’s birthday. Dozens of seats were filled, and the atmosphere was bustling. The womenfolk, separated from the men, watched from the second floor in a quieter and more elegant gallery. Though hidden behind the lattice, their laughter occasionally drifted down like silver bells, drawing curious glances from the young men below.
Master Bai and his son Bai Mingyu both wore festive red. Since it was also Bai Mingyu’s birthday—he shared the same day as his father—he was allowed, exceptionally, to sit with the elders and even pick the opening play from the opera list. Without hesitation, he chose The White Ape Presents Longevity.
An elderly guest at the same table laughed. “Ah, I was hoping to see that one myself tonight! Word’s spread all over Qinghe that your family has hired a renowned star from the provincial troupe for a new-style opera. Been itching to see it!”
Master Bai exchanged polite words, then turned to his son. “Jiliang, this gentleman is speaking to you. Offer your greeting.”
Bai Mingyu stood properly and saluted. “Uncle.”
The elder smiled and handed him a rosewood box containing a solid gold coin, about the size of a child’s palm—heavy and gleaming.
Master Bai tried to refuse. “That’s too generous! The boy is still young—it’s not his true birthday. He merely shares the day with me; it isn’t worth such a gift.”
“Just a trinket. Let him play with it!”
After several polite refusals, the gift was accepted.
The same exchange happened again and again, and by the end, Bai Mingyu had accumulated a small mountain of presents beside him—half as tall as a man. Some gifts came through his father’s connections; others were simply given by classmates or acquaintances’ families from the local academy.
Bai Mingyu watched the stage absently. Normally, he found operas lively, but tonight he was impatient—waiting eagerly for the “little monkeys” to appear.
Next to him, Huang Mingyou, the local scholar, was happily cracking nuts and chatting with another guest—a fellow literatus, thrilled to converse with the famed Mr. Huang about poetry and the scenic places he’d visited.
Onstage, Shang Yulou was performing The Rock at Shifu Cliff.
He sang powerfully—his voice clear and resonant, his steps commanding. One needed only a few notes to recognize an extraordinary voice. The melody rose and fell, full of grandeur, until his final note burst like shattering jade.
Applause and shouts of praise erupted!
Even Master Bai’s table was full of admiration. “My dear friend, you’ve chosen well! Truly an eye-opener—the provincial stars are indeed unmatched!”
Huang Mingyou, a theater lover, was equally enraptured, clapping in rhythm to the drumbeats.
“Exquisite! Shang Yulou’s voice is heaven-sent—no ordinary actor could rival him!”
But then, as the performance continued, Mr. Huang’s expression shifted strangely. His small eyes blinked rapidly as if something in the lyrics had triggered a thought.
Onstage, Shang Yulou’s character Liu Zhang sang, “Brother, from now on you shall rule the prosperous lands of Western Sichuan—”
Mr. Huang suddenly jumped up so fast his belly knocked over the nut dish. His eyes shone. “Western Sichuan… Western Capital—of course! That’s it!”
Without another word, he gathered his robe and rushed out, running surprisingly fast for such short legs, muttering to himself as though afraid the thought might escape him.
Servants called out, “Mr. Huang! Mr. Huang!” but he didn’t look back. One hurriedly chased after him to ensure his safety.
The audience remained lively, many still curious about this “new-style opera” The White Ape Presents Longevity that Bai Mingyu had commissioned.
The play told the tale of the White Ape who, out of filial devotion, stole peaches of immortality from the Queen Mother’s celestial garden to save his mother—eventually forgiven and rewarded for his loyalty.
Xie Jing had modified the story into The Spirit Monkeys Offer Peaches: a band of divine monkeys playfully steals the Jade Emperor’s immortal peaches to present to an old man celebrating his birthday, wishing him eternal life and longevity.
The scene burst with color and energy—drums pounding, cymbals crashing. Yucheng Troupe’s skill was beyond question: every actor gave their best, showing off acrobatics, flips, and martial stunts in dazzling succession. The audience roared with excitement.
At mid-performance, one little monkey stood alone on stage, fidgeting anxiously as if having forgotten something. The crowd chuckled. Then a Bai servant hurried up and handed him a bamboo basket.
The monkey grabbed it, flipped backward, and not a single peach fell from the basket—a perfect landing!
“Bravo!” the audience cried.
Moments later, silk ribbons dropped from above, each about a foot wide. Several monkeys slid down upside down, each catching a peach from the one below, then munching loudly and shouting auspicious blessings—each with a different line, but all loud and clear enough to fill the entire courtyard.
The final little monkey hooked its leg on the silk, pulled itself upward with ease, and at the top, fished out a giant red peach from the basket. Stuffing it into its mouth, it bent backward and—astonishingly—pulled out a long red banner from between its teeth.
Gold characters gleamed: “Three Thousand Years of Ripe Peaches in the Jade Pool!”
The crowd gasped.
Across from it, another monkey bent backward, revealing its own banner: “Endless Springs and Fifty More Years of Life!”
The monkeys hung suspended, clasping hands together in a human-like bow and cried in unison: “Wishing Master Bai peace, happiness, and long life everlasting—!”
Thunderous applause followed.
Someone in the audience exclaimed, “It’s Golden Monkeys Presenting Auspiciousness! Amazing!”
Master Bai was delighted beyond measure. “Excellent! Excellent! A fine performance indeed!”
Before he could finish praising, a steward rushed in from the front courtyard, panting. “Master, a gift from Lord Bai Jiu has arrived!”
Master Bai lit up. “Lord Bai Jiu has returned?”
The steward bowed. “He’s entered Qinghe County. Lord Bai Jiu sent me ahead on horseback to deliver his birthday gifts.”
He raised his voice and recited ceremoniously: “For Master Bai’s fiftieth birthday, Lord Bai Jiu presents—one hundred bushels of grain and fifty cargo boats!”
“Second gift—a Russian freight ship!”
“Third gift—a trade order from Heihe’s distillery: one hundred and fifty thousand jars of wine!”
The crowd erupted. Many of the wealthiest merchants from both Qinghe and Heihe were present; such gifts left them stunned. The last announcement, especially—the enormous order—caused an uproar.
A month ago, word had spread that Lord Bai Jiu had traveled to Russia with local officials. Some had speculated he’d make a profit, but no one imagined a contract that massive! Several guests immediately rose to congratulate Master Bai; the rest followed quickly. Everyone knew—just a fraction of that business could sustain a family for a year.
Master Bai maintained composure outwardly, though his heart soared. His three distilleries together barely sold twenty thousand jars annually—yet Lord Bai Jiu had brought back an order for one hundred and fifty thousand!
Holding back his laughter, he accepted the congratulations one by one, and soon a procession approached—at its center, the long-absent Lord Bai Jiu himself.
Master Bai rushed forward. “Lord Bai JIu!” he greeted warmly.
Bai Rongjiu nodded. “I came in haste, but fortunately made it in time.”
Master Bai, moved, invited him to sit. Lord Bai Jiu glanced toward the stage, where the little monkeys still hung playfully from the silks, holding up their bright red banners. He recognized the brushwork at once and smiled. “Fine calligraphy. Reward them.”
That day, Master Bai received more joy than he could contain. Laughing aloud, he ordered, “Yes, yes! Well sung! Reward them generously! Steward Zhou—go tell the troupe that this play White Ape Presents Longevity will be performed lively and grand—for three nights in a row!”
Steward Zhou hurried off to deliver the command.
Lord Bai Jiu, weary from travel, did not linger long. After paying his respects, he returned to the East Courtyard.
Xie Jing followed him. As they passed the stage, one of the “little monkeys” peeked out shyly, saw the group of people beside Xie Jing, and quickly hid again.
Xie Jing smiled faintly and gestured to the child before leaving.
The small monkey—Little Tang—still wore his monkey mask and held the same bamboo basket Xie Jing had handed him earlier. His heart pounded like thunder; sweat soaked his forehead. If not for the greasepaint, it would have streamed down his face. Beneath the mask, his mouth twisted into a grin.
He knew—this time, he had succeeded.
