First Act
At exactly 7 o'clock in the morning, Li arrived at the Chou Dynasty restaurant. He met Manager Wang and a staff who were waiting for him. He bowed respectfully to Manager Wang and the restaurant staff with an uneasy smile. To be honest, he wasn't really sure the big manager was serious about his proposal the previous day, so he was quite uneasy about his presence at such a prestigious restaurant.
Manager Wang saw the young man's unease and gave him a cheerful smile while motioning him to follow him in to the restaurant.
When inside the restaurant, Manager Wang introduced Li to the staff that was with him as Leo the assistant manager, then Manager Wang asked Leo to give Li a change of clothes and get Li ready to go on stage. Leo escorted Li to an apartment in the back of the restaurant where he was given not just a change of clothes but the first hot bath he had had since his arrival into the city because he couldn't afford firewood for the stove in his little apartment behind the newspaper house. Li was given perfume oil, clean underwear and finally the most regal robe he had ever worn. The robe was of a high quality to fit the standard of the Chuo Dynasty restaurant. Li, the story teller looked like a well paid middle class, gentle man. After he had been cleaned up and dressed, Li was escorted to Manager Wang's office by assistant manager Leo. By this time, the restaurant had got busy. When Manager Wang saw him coming in from the back room, he quickly walked up to him and asked if he was ready. Li nodded and said he was born ready. Wang smiled and nodded his head and climbed up the stage to introduce the story teller. The stage was in a way that everyone in the restaurant could see it. Manager Wang called for the attention of the customers and there was silence. Then he announced that the Chou Dynasty restaurant had gone through a lot of work to bring for them a wonderful story teller for their entertainment and enjoyment as they took their meals and that presentation would be given by Li the story teller.
Li looked at the customers who comprised the high and wealthy and a few middle class gentlemen. He felt a little uneasy but when he remembered the amount of money, he would be paid and the fact that if he please his employers, he Would have enough money to bring his mother to the city, he quickly pulled himself together and stepped on the stage purposefully as Manager Wang announced him and motioned for him to come on stage. Li took a deep breath to steady his nerves. As he walked up the stage, his years of experience took over as he took a bowed and sat down. Then Li, the storyteller, spoke.
Apart from the regular customers, many new faces could be seen. Among the customers were a few who were regulars of Li's former place of work. Many of them used to go there just to hear Li tell his story, and many of them were happy that he was now in a place where they could enjoy the food and the story. Some of them were happy that Li, the storyteller, would have better pay and better working condition. Those in the restaurant who had met the storyteller in his former place of work started whispering to the other customers how good the story teller was and his great skills. Within a few moments, the restaurant was buzzing with anticipation. Wang was very pleased with the turnout and he was glad that they placed the advertisement which brought many of the first timers.