Zhang Jinxian had barely taken a few steps when he heard someone call from behind, "Mr. Zhang, please wait!" Turning around, he saw none other than Li Waining.
Li Waining was beaming with excitement. He hurried over, taking two or three quick steps, and, once in front of Zhang Jinxian, immediately kneeled down with great respect, bowing deeply.
"I've long heard of your renowned gold-thread puppetry, Mr. Zhang. I am truly fortunate to witness it today. May I ask if you would be willing to teach me?" he said earnestly.
Zhang Jinxian examined Li Waining from head to toe. After a long pause, he spoke slowly, "You're a promising young man. But I'm just an old fellow now, unable to work such large puppets. I don't think I have anything worthwhile to teach you."
Li Waining's face flushed red with embarrassment. Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees again and grasped Zhang Jinxian's sleeve, pleading, "I've seen your performances, Mr. Zhang. Your skills are exquisite, and despite my many years of practice, I still cannot master the true essence. Please, take me as your attendant!"
Zhang Jinxian ignored the pleading and instead looked over at a woman nearby, asking, "Is that woman over there, with her face veiled, your sister? Her graceful figure suggests she must be a dancer of great talent."
Li Waining's face instantly turned pale at the mention of her. He glanced around nervously at the onlookers and then muttered quietly, "Yes, that's my younger sister, Li Zhu'er... Could we speak privately, sir?"
A short while later, in a private room at Fan Pavilion, Li Zhu'er removed her veil, revealing a face heavily powdered with white makeup. Her delicate face, with springlike warmth, her red lips, and her almond-shaped eyes sparkling like black lacquer, looked no different from the puppet on the shore.
Zhang Jinxian let out a soft chuckle. "Sixteen years old and already on stage. Fifty years have passed in the blink of an eye. You may fool others with your puppetry, but you won't deceive me." His expression suddenly changed. He became serious, his face growing stern, and he slammed the table with a loud thud. "A puppet is supposed to imitate human form! But now you've inverted the order, turning people into puppets. That is not only breaking the rules it's a mockery!"
Li Waining, who had always revered Zhang Jinxian like a god, was deeply ashamed by the harsh rebuke. He lowered his head, wilting under the criticism.
Li Zhu'er, however, young and hot-headed, couldn't stand seeing her brother treated this way. She spoke up, "My brother's marionette puppets are unmatched in the Fujian region. We didn't expect to encounter a master of gold-thread puppetry here in Bianjing... But so what? Even if we're using people as puppets, what's the harm? Puppets are meant to entertain. No one notices the flaws, the audience enjoys the performance, and we make money it's a win-win situation. Are you jealous of our success, afraid we'll steal your business?"
"Zhu'er!" Li Waining snapped, his voice cutting her off. He turned to Zhang Jinxian, bowed, and apologized, "My sister is young and naive. Please, forgive her."
Zhang Jinxian waved dismissively and turned to leave. "We're on different paths. You keep performing your full-sized puppets, and I'll stick to my two-foot-tall ones. As for taking you on as an attendant don't bring it up again."
Li Waining rushed to catch up, but when he stepped outside, the bustling scene of the Fan Pavilion restaurant was in full swing, with servers and guests moving about, and Zhang Jinxian had vanished without a trace.