Chapter 157: The Ancient Costume NPC Steps Online
Seeing the lush, verdant mountains once again, Taoya felt happy from the bottom of her heart. Carrying her back basket, she sprinted all the way toward the old house.
Before she even reached it, she suddenly spotted two people by the roadside, dressed in highly bizarre ways. One held a large silver reflector board, turning it this way and that to bounce light onto her face while contorting her body into various poses. The other held a weird iron contraption right up to his face, climbing up and down, crouching low one moment and lying flat the next.
Taoya skidded to a sudden halt.
She was scared. A little bit scared.
Qin Yue and Cai Wei were also stunned when they saw Taoya. They had come out early to take photos, and Qin Yue had specially changed into a Chinese-style outfit. Although it wasn’t exactly Hanfu, it matched the antique charm of the manor perfectly. Unfortunately, Cai Wei’s photography skills were utterly atrocious; he hadn’t managed to capture a single shot that Qin Yue wanted.
When Taoya appeared, Qin Yue was right in the middle of a temper. “Considering how beautiful the scenery is at the manor, I was originally in a great mood. I even took the time to put on makeup today. What on earth is your problem! We’ve been shooting all morning, and there isn’t a single good picture!”
Cai Wei was sweating profusely from anxiety.
Just as one was fuming and the other was fretting, they spotted Taoya in her flawless attire. Qin Yue lowered the reflector board and scrutinized Taoya carefully. After a long moment, a look of profound delight flooded her eyes.
“Hey there, little girl, are you here to visit the manor too? The outfit you’re wearing is so unique. It has such a classic martial arts vibe. Where did you buy it?”
Taoya looked down at herself—she was still wearing her most tattered clothes! Patches were scattered everywhere, though because her mother was skilled, they were stitched quite neatly. Since there hadn’t been enough fabric for the skirt, it was pieced together from many scraps of cloth…
Taoya was utterly perplexed.
Cai Wei looked at Taoya and said to Qin Yue, “I don’t think this little sister is a tourist. Her outfit looks way too professional. She’s either here for a professional photoshoot, or just like the guesthouse waiter and the lady manager, she’s an NPC specially arranged by the manor.”
Qin Yue studied her closely and found herself in full agreement. Crouching down halfway, she asked Taoya, “Little sister, do you belong to the manor? Did Owner Xiaxia call you over?”
Taoya understood this part. She nodded. “Yes, Sister Owner called for me to come.”
She really is an NPC of the manor!
Qin Yue’s mood instantly cleared up from stormy to bright, and she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Cai Wei, this manor of yours is simply too thoughtful! Yesterday when Lin Shuang and the others were taking photos, they said the manor’s NPCs were incredibly realistic, but it was just a pity everyone was too busy to interact or take photos.”
Yesterday, quite a few people had inquired about who made Lin Sanniang’s and A-Feng’s clothes, and who had styled Lin Sanniang’s hair. Of course, Auntie Lu’s look was a bit eccentric, but some people loved exactly that style and wanted to take photos together anyway. Regrettably, the manor’s staff had practically run everywhere they went yesterday and truly had zero time to spare.
Qin Yue said, “When I ran into Lin Shuang yesterday, I told her she should give the owner a suggestion to arrange a few roaming NPCs specifically to handle the immersive experience and photo ops. Who would have thought they’d have it ready today!”
Qin Yue felt highly satisfied with the manor’s efficiency. Although it couldn’t compare to some of the famous tourist destinations or five-star hotels she had visited, the experience was quite good.
Cai Wei didn’t suspect a thing either. He knew Lu’an Village was putting its full weight behind supporting Jian Xingxia’s agritainment spot. Although Taoya looked a bit unfamiliar, he wasn’t a resident village cadre like Qi Shan, so it was perfectly normal that he didn’t recognize everyone. Right now, his girlfriend’s mood was far more important.
It would be a terrible waste not to take photos with an NPC who was this adorable and professionally costumed.
Qin Yue and Cai Wei crouched down, asking Taoya, “Little girl, can big sister take a photo with you? Your skirt is so beautiful and picturesque. You look exactly like an ancient costume NPC, so cute.”
Qin Yue carried a rich, strong fragrance on her person, making Taoya too terrified to move a muscle. The Mountain Goddess had never mentioned what she should do if she encountered anyone other than Sister Owner!
Taoya wanted to speak, but she was deeply afraid that the moment she opened her mouth, she would stir up trouble. Her mother had told her that the guesthouse at the manor was opening these few days, and all the visitors were distinguished guests. She must not speak carelessly or pry needlessly, lest she displease the distinguished guests and ruin the manor’s reputation.
She had overheard the conversation between the two guests just now, though she only half-understood it. Words like “take photos,” “immersive,” and “roaming NPC” made no sense to her. But she did understand that they were praising Sister Owner.
Well, since they were praising Sister Owner, they must be good people. Seeing how amusingly they spoke, Taoya finally agreed with quiet modesty.
“Alright.”
“Wonderful! Thank you, little sister!”
“Come, come, come, over here. Strike a few poses for us.”
Taoya had no idea what those words meant, but the guest sister taught her very patiently. “Yes, exactly like that. Put your hands on your hips… Yes, that’s it, smile a bit wider… Let’s take a couple of shots while you hold your basket…”
After a whole round of taking photos, Qin Yue finally thought to ask, “Hey, does this kind of photo op NPC charge a fee? The last place we went to for vacation charged ten yuan per photo with the local ancient costume NPCs! And their attitude was terrible.”
“This little sister’s costume looks way more authentic than that NPC’s, and she cooperates so well. This is the kind of service that actually deserves a fee!”
Cai Wei frowned. “They probably don’t charge.”
When they traveled, they always felt highly annoyed whenever they encountered NPCs who forced them to pay for photos. This Xingxia Manor had only just started out; it wouldn’t be very good if they began charging for photos already. Cai Wei felt it was free.
But Qin Yue disagreed. “If it were a scam, I would definitely argue with them. But the little sister is so cute and cooperative… out of the whole morning, the only usable photos are the ones we just took, and it’s all thanks to her!”
The more Qin Yue looked at the photos in the camera, the more satisfied she became. She asked Taoya, “Little sister, do you charge for taking photos with you? How much is it?”
Taoya originally wanted to shake her head, but remembering that she hadn’t visited in many days and was unfamiliar with the current situation, she didn’t answer rashly. She thought for a moment and said, “I don’t know. I have to ask Sister Owner before I can give you an answer.”
Qin Yue was amused by Taoya’s response. “How adorable!”
“But we have to leave right now. I have to catch a bus this afternoon, so we won’t be returning to the guesthouse.” Qin Yue thought it over. “How about this—we’ll give you fifty yuan… My phone is dead right now, but once I charge it, I’ll let the Owner know on WeChat, alright?”
They would boycott any tourist spot that forced people to pay for photos. But this kind of NPC, who didn’t ask for money, cooperated well, and showed a high level of professionalism, was well worth supporting.
With that, Qin Yue pulled out her phone, intending to scan a QR code. Then she suddenly remembered something and asked Taoya, “Little sister, do you have a payment code?”
A payment code? What was that?
Taoya shook her head. She didn’t have one.
Qin Yue put her phone away and simply pulled a one-hundred-yuan bill out of her bag. “Forget it, I only have a hundred left. Little sister, this is for your hard work. Take it.”
Taoya was startled.
This was money. She had definitely seen money before!
On her very first day at the manor, she had seen it. It was just that back then, she didn’t recognize money and mistook the “fifty” Sister Owner mentioned for a “midday meal,” causing a huge misunderstanding. Now she knew it was money.
But getting it was useless to her; she couldn’t carry it back.
Taoya waved her hands repeatedly. “I can’t take this!”
Seeing this, Qin Yue and Cai Wei felt even more embarrassed—they had dragged this NPC through a whole round of photo snapping, taking up so much of the child’s time. Qin Yue stuffed the hundred yuan directly into Taoya’s bamboo basket. “Whether there’s a charge or not, this is for your hard work. Your manor is great, much better than I expected. Keep it up!”
With that, regardless of what Taoya said, she ran off. “Hurry up and take two more shots, we have to leave immediately.”
Taoya was frantic. She quickly tried to give chase, but she was young and burdened by the basket on her back. Setting the basket down and retrieving the money took another brief moment, and by the time she looked up again, the two had already run far away, completely out of reach.
Taoya entered the courtyard crying all the way. She hadn’t visited in so many days, and the moment she arrived, she had caused such a massive disaster!
Taoya Clothing is similar to this style.
