Chapter 4: Brother Wang Learns Respect

[AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang tipped streamer Qianyang with five apples]

[AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang tipped streamer Qianyang with one durian]

[AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang tipped streamer Qianyang with a bunch of bananas]

[AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang tipped streamer Qianyang with a bunch of grapes]

 

“…”

The consecutive tipping effects filled the screen.

Qianyang did the math—almost two hundred yuan in total.

That could buy several giant grab-and-go pancakes.

 

– Pfft hahaha!

– I’m dying of laughter…

– Don’t lose your nerve, Brother Wang!

I still liked you better when you were acting all high and mighty.

– What’s there to be scared of?

A backflip scared you that much?

– Punk.

 

[Congratulations, streamer!

You have entered the Trending Top 100!]

Just then, a little Qing Ning mascot popped up on the screen, setting off firecrackers joyfully.

 

– Gotta love small platforms.

– Two hundred yuan in tips and you’re already in the Trending Top 100.

 

AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang: Master, I was terribly rude earlier.

 

Qianyang thought of the fragrant, delicious giant grab-and-go pancake.

Her mood was fairly good.

She nodded.

“Yes.”

 

AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang: Master, about that divine punishment… is it real?

 

Qianyang said, “Yes.”

 

AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang: Then how can I avoid it?

Or how serious is it?

AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang: If I carry my daughter’s things on me, will it not affect her?

– I can feel Brother Wang’s gaze becoming pure and innocent through the screen.

– Hahaha I’m dying of laughter.

 

Qianyang said, “You want to know how to avoid it?

Simple…”

Before she finished speaking, Qianyang’s stream screen went black.

A little Qing Ning mascot dragged a dialog box across the screen, which read: “You have been reported for streaming in the wrong category.

An administrator is verifying.

If the report is confirmed, your stream will be banned for 48 hours.”

 

Qianyang: “…”

The stream was forcibly paused, but the comment section below kept refreshing.

 

– Hahaha!

– I’m dying of laughter.

Isn’t this good content?

 

The comment section was nearly dominated by a wall of “haha”s.

 

– Brother Wang, are you still there, Brother Wang?

– For those who don’t know and want to ask, which idiot reported?

– What category mistake?

Aren’t we exactly Youthful & Pretty Female Taoist Solving Your Problems Online?

– “Feudal remnant, bending the rules too.

Reported.”

 

AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang: Master, I was wrong!

I’m sorry, Master!

AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang: I’m going to find the administrator right now to give feedback.

You are not in the wrong category!

AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang: Please tell me how to avoid the divine punishment first!

Will it affect my daughter!!!

 

Qianyang twitched the corners of her mouth in a forced, mechanical smile.

 

– Streamer, please don’t tell him.

– What kind of trash habit is reporting something just because you don’t like watching it?

– He was messing with her at the beginning too.

Such a jerk.

– A new streamer finally made it into the Top 100 and got forced to stop streaming.

– Feeling sorry for the streamer.

Reach out your little hands and click follow.

Looking forward to the next stream!

– Even if this is scripted, I’ll take it.

It’s so entertaining!

 

There was no telling when the stream would be unblocked.

Qianyang’s first day of streaming had ended in failure.

 

“Master!”

Yang Mao crossed the crosswalk and ran toward her.

“Master, I heard a master caught a thief up ahead.

So heroic!

Did you see it?”

 

Qianyang looked up at him, clutching the strap of her cloth bag tightly.

 

Yang Mao froze in surprise.

“That wasn’t you, was it?”

 

At the mention of this, Qianyang’s face turned cold.

“You people down the mountain don’t allow casual injury to others.

Otherwise, I would have made him pay a heavy price.”

 

Yang Mao gave an awkward smile.

“As long as you’re okay.

My interview probably fell through.

I’ll have to look for other jobs later.

Maybe find some part-time work for now.”

 

Qianyang said, “Don’t worry.

Your master has earned some money.”

 

Yang Mao: “?”

 

Qianyang handed him the phone, showing the Qing Ning Live earnings screen, which read “+89 yuan.”

 

Yang Mao was dumbfounded.

“You streamed?”

 

Qianyang said, “Yes.”

 

Yang Mao scrolled through her backend, astonished.

“Streaming time less than half an hour, 358 viewers, tip income 178 yuan, streamer popularity Top 99?

And you gained 165 followers?”

 

Qianyang didn’t understand much about data.

She asked curiously, “How are the results?

Do I have talent?”

 

Yang Mao’s eyes went wide.

“Master, you’re a natural-born streaming prodigy!

Even on major platforms, a new streamer couldn’t get this much traffic and tips within half an hour!”

 

Qianyang nodded matter-of-factly.

“Is that so?

I told you—I’m very capable.”

 

Since childhood, no matter what she did, Qianyang could effortlessly leave others in the dust.

 

Yang Mao pursed his lips and grumbled, “Comparing yourself to others will drive you crazy.”

 

Qianyang said, “Don’t compare yourself to your master.

You won’t win.”

 

Yang Mao: “…”

So infuriating!

 

But more than that…

Yang Mao’s face lit up with joy.

“Master, your follower conversion rate is almost 2:1.

That means your stream content is very high quality.

Maybe some other major platforms will notice you and offer a high price to poach you.

Then we can make big money!”

 

In contrast to his excitement, Qianyang was very calm.

 

“I don’t plan to switch platforms.”

 

Yang Mao said, “Not even for a million?”

 

Qianyang: “?”

 

That high?

 

A million…

How many giant grab-and-go pancakes could that buy?

 

“That might be worth considering.”

 

“Hehe, maybe the price will be even higher than that!

Then I won’t need to find a job, and you can take me to eat and drink well!”

 

Qianyang nodded seriously.

“Don’t worry.

Your master will definitely earn big money and make sure you eat and drink well.”

 

Yang Mao froze, touched to the point his eyes nearly reddened.

“Thank you, Master!”

 

“Master.”

Gradually, Yang Mao sensed something off.

“Didn’t you make it into the Trending Top 100?

Why aren’t you still streaming?”

 

Qianyang gave a half-smile.

“My stream was reported by someone.

Said I was in the wrong category and bending the rules.”

 

“Huh??”

Yang Mao looked at her in disbelief.

“B-bending the rules?

No way, Master?”

 

Qianyang saw his strange expression, his gaze drifting over her face.

She frowned and asked, “What does ‘bending the rules’ mean?”

 

Yang Mao didn’t answer immediately.

He signaled for her to wait a moment.

His master was a little antique who had come down from the mountain only half a month ago.

She didn’t even know what rule-bending meant.

There had to be an explanation.

 

Yang Mao checked the stream replay and immediately saw the stream title: “Youthful & Pretty Female Taoist Solves Your Problems Online.”

 

“Master…” Yang Mao looked up at her helplessly.

“Why did you pick such a terrible name?”

 

Qianyang raised an eyebrow.

“I think it’s very good.

Clear at a glance.

Other streams also name themselves this way.”

 

“Those are rule-bending streamers.

They’re not like us.”

 

“So what does ‘bending the rules’ refer to?”

 

Yang Mao thought for a moment, then explained, “A somewhat vulgar streaming tactic.”

 

“Does it make money fast?”

 

Yang Mao nodded without hesitation.

“Fast.”

 

Qianyang’s mind stirred.

So that female private trainer earlier was doing rule-bending.

But she hadn’t found anything wrong with the stream content.

Since this made money fast and was popular, why not…

“Smack!”

 

Just as Qianyang was thinking this, a slipper flew in from somewhere and landed “smack” on her face.

 

“Master!”

Yang Mao cried out.

“What the?

Where did that slipper come from?

Are you okay?”

 

Qianyang cursed inwardly.

There was even mud on the sole!

 

She spat out the dirt from her lips and reassured him, “It’s fine.

The ancestor is unhappy.”

 

“Master, should we change the title?”

 

“No.

I like this one.”

 

Was she not youthful, pretty, and a female Taoist?

 

Was she not seriously solving problems and giving answers?

 

Yang Mao nodded.

“This works too.

It’s all about contrast!”

 

On the way back, Yang Mao watched the entire stream replay.

Suddenly he felt that his master was the legendary genius.

The contrast between the title and the stream content was maximally effective!

 

His master was born to thrive in this line of work!

 

“Master, will Building Materials Brother Wang really face divine punishment?”

Yang Mao asked curiously.

 

Qianyang said, “No.

But I will silently curse him to trip while walking, bite his tongue while talking, choke while drinking water, eat a dung beetle in his food… things like that.”

 

Looking at his master’s sweet and lovely appearance—wearing the Daoist robe like the righteous heroine from a TV drama, the one with high martial arts skills and peerlessly beautiful features—Yang Mao silently affixed a “vindictive” label to his master.

 

Back home, Qianyang went straight to the bathroom to wash up.

Yang Mao bought some vegetables to improve their dinner and celebrate the better life they were about to have.

 

After her bath, Qianyang sat on Yang Mao’s temporary bed—the sofa—opened her phone, and entered Qing Ning Live.

She found that her stream had already been unblocked.

The administrator had also sent an apology email for the mistaken ban, along with 500 Qing Ning coins.

 

On the platform, Qing Ning coins were used to buy tipping gifts.

One yuan bought 100 Qing Ning coins, and 100 coins bought one apple.

 

“Your stream is unblocked?”

Yang Mao asked.

 

“Yes.

They compensated me 500 Qing Ning coins.

Five yuan.”

 

Yang Mao frowned.

“So stingy.

You were mistakenly banned while on the Trending Top.

How much traffic did that waste?

Garbage platform.”

 

Qianyang said, “It’s fine.

Averaging six hours of streaming per day will get me the 4,000 yuan guaranteed salary.”

 

“That’s true.”

 

As they spoke, Qianyang had already restarted the stream.

 

– Wow!

I waited and got it.

– Good evening, streamer!

– Ugh.

When my friend asks what I’m watching, I’m too embarrassed to share the stream link.

Afraid he’ll think I’m watching rule-bending.

– Same here.

 

Not long after starting, a dozen or so followers who had been waiting poured into the stream.

 

It seemed Qianyang’s daytime stream had left a deep impression on them.

 

“Good evening,” Qianyang greeted.

 

– Click follow.

If the streamer becomes famous, I’ll be an old fan.

– Streamer, won’t you consider changing the title?

I don’t dare watch this in public.

– No!

Don’t change it.

I want to see other people’s shocked faces when they expect rule-bending and get blown away.

– We can’t be the only ones caught off guard.

– Good point.

From now on, when new people come, no one is allowed to spoil what this stream is about!

– …

 

Qianyang said, “So, did everyone learn the hand seal I taught earlier today?”

 

“Huh??”

Yang Mao was displeased when he heard this.

“Master, I’m your chief disciple!

You haven’t taught me that hand seal yet!”

 

Qianyang said, “It’s not hard.

Watch it a few times and you’ll learn.”

 

– Senior Disciple Brother?

– The streamer isn’t living in a Daoist temple?

She changed into regular pajamas too.

– (Her looks still hold up.)

– To be honest, the face on the cover is what got me in here.

 

Qianyang explained, “It rained heavily a while ago and washed away my ancestral home.

I’m living at my apprentice’s place.”

 

– Hahahaha.

– This made me laugh.

– How pitiful.

– Qianhai City?

It rained for half a month.

I think an old Daoist temple collapsed on the mountain.

 

Qianyang frowned.

“Don’t change the subject.

What about the hand seal?

Did you learn it?

It counts as a relatively simple basic technique.”

 

– I feel like the homeroom teacher is checking homework.

– Hiss!

– You know what?

I actually practiced it.

Nothing happened.

– Streamer, what incantation were you mumbling earlier?

 

Qianyang said, “It wasn’t an incantation.

It was the concretization of my thoughts.”

 

– ???

– What does that mean?

 

“It means I said out loud what I was thinking at the time.”

 

– Roughly what?

– Curious.

 

Qianyang paused.

“Swear words.”

 

– ‘May the idiot who stole my stuff die’??

– Huh?

Ahahaha!

– What an interesting streamer!

– Dying of laughter.

– So just learning the hand seal is enough?

 

Qianyang said, “Not exactly.

You need innate potential.

Or, if your belief is exceptionally strong, you can also use this technique.”

 

– ???

– Innate potential??

 

“Not everyone can learn occult techniques.

If you cannot use this technique, it means you have no innate potential and your belief is not strong enough.”

 

– Hiss… getting more and more mystical.

– Real or fake?

– The streamer is starting to sound more and more like a con artist.

 

[AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang has entered the stream]

 

Just then, a comment line scrolled across the screen.

It was the top tipper of Qianyang’s stream.

 

– Oh?

Brother Wang is here?

– Hahaha Brother Wang finally came.

– I still want to see Brother Wang get humbled.

– If Brother Wang is scripted, this is a very successful script.

 

AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang: Master!

Is my divine punishment over already?

I just tripped while eating dinner and knocked over all the food on the table.

 

Qianyang pursed her lips.

“Probably.”

 

[AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang tipped streamer Qianyang with one durian]

[AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang tipped streamer Qianyang with one durian]

 

Qianyang’s eyebrows lifted.

One durian was 50 yuan, two durians were 100 yuan.

After splitting 50/50 with the platform, that was exactly enough to buy two giant grab-and-go pancakes—one for her, one for her apprentice.

No more sharing.

 

– Brother Wang, what are you doing?

– Brother Wang, wait.

I think she might be a con artist.

– Don’t be impulsive!

 

AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang: Master, I was wrong earlier.

This time I sincerely have a question.

I’d like to ask you to find a lost pet.

AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang: My daughter’s health is getting worse and worse because she’s trying to find it.

AAA Building Materials Wholesale Brother Wang: It’s fine if you can’t find it.

Consider the tips an apology.

I just hope that if there’s any more divine punishment in the future, it won’t affect my daughter.

 

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