The King of Hell said, ‘One is the Zhao family who falsely accused you; they have a wife at home, the other is the county official’s legitimate wife who misjudged you. So, which one do you want?'”
The audience erupted into laughter, shouting in approval.
This story, titled “Soul Switching,” tells of a scoundrel named Yang Haoshan who unjustly died in prison and then returned to life in the body of the county official’s wife. It’s a humorous tale of a man borrowing a woman’s body and the ensuing hilarious situations.
When Qi Shejiang opened his mouth, he vividly portrayed three to five roles, including a male character playing a female role, which he brought to life exceptionally well.
The story unfolded with humor intertwined, and the absurd yet comedic details tightened the audience’s emotions, leading to a continuous half-hour of storytelling without them realizing it.
And this wasn’t even the end! This was a medium-length monologue divided into three sections.
Today, he certainly wouldn’t finish the entire piece, and just as the story reached the part where the county official insisted on sharing the bed with his wife, the scoundrel disguised as the wife panicked, shouting while peeling off her clothes: ‘If you have the skills, come on!’
I’m going to make sure you don’t survive today!’
“Smack!” Qi Shejiang clapped a wooden board, signaling the end.
The audience, immersed in the story, burst into hearty laughter, realizing it had abruptly ended, leaving them somewhat unsatisfied—this story wasn’t finished!
The crowd erupted into enthusiastic applause, and Qi Shejiang humbly bowed before stepping off the stage.
… Inside the private booth.
Liu Quanhai listened with a smile; he had never heard this text before, and it seemed to be the unique craft of that teacher Qi Shejiang. He guessed that it must be an old artist who had traveled far overseas. He wondered how many more “lost” segments Qi Shejiang might know. If that were the case, even if his lineage were unclear, these skills would greatly benefit the inheritance of crosstalk, and he certainly had to befriend him. Moreover, regarding Qi Shejiang’s abilities, Liu Quanhai was even more amazed; his skills were solid and his style was proper!
