Chapter 45: Watching the Play (Part 2)

  The opera "Qin Qin Kang Kang" started. It was the fourth fold "Xun Fu".

  The old lady and the old man passed away, and Zhao Wuniang went to Kyoto to find Cai Boji by begging along the way. On the road, she encountered snowfall, and Zhao Wuniang held a broken bowl, shivering in a dilapidated temple, yearning for a beautiful future with her husband.

  Unlike Yue Opera's subtle and introverted style, Zhao Wuniang's singing is deeply emotional and bold, with a passionate and unrestrained tone. Even when she sings about her own difficulties, although sad, she does not sound resentful... This is the unique charm of different opera genres!

  The eleventh girl is very interested.

  It is said that, apart from the Geyang dialect, Kunshan and Yuhang dialects are also popular in Yanjing. I wonder what kind of scenery these two dialects have? Listening to their names, they are all named after place names, which should be related to their places of origin. Speaking of which, both Kunshan and Yuhang belong to Jiangnan, but when I was in Luo's family, I didn't hear that there were operas named after Yuhang... or maybe because Luo's family is in Xiaoxiang, so I don't know...

  She was lost in thought when a little maid rushed in and reported: "Madam, Fourth Madam has arrived."

  Everyone in the house was stunned, and the old lady was the first to stand up: "This child is not healthy. What's the point of joining in the excitement!" She complained with her mouth, but she walked out of the house.

  The eleventh girl immediately got up and followed him.

  Then she saw Wen Niang and Tao Mama leading a sedan chair over.

  Old Lady Tai hurried to the door of the sedan: "Quickly bring her in, quickly bring her in."

  The sedan chair was carried all the way over.

  Under the sunlight, Yuan Niang's face showed a cold and pale complexion.

  The old lady scolded: "What's there to say that someone has to be sent with a message? Why did you come yourself?"

  The few ladies following behind her also chimed in: "Exactly! You're so worked up, be careful you don't get sick from it!"

  Yuanniang's face was pale and she leaned on the sedan chair, forcing a smile: "All of you ladies have arrived, I should also come to pay my respects."

  "It's not an outsider." Madame Huang said quickly, "What's the point of talking about these empty formalities! You just focus on resting and taking care of your own body."

  The other side of the stage saw this side bustling around, don't know what happened, all stopped singing.

  The courtyard suddenly fell silent.

  "It's precisely because of this matter!" The old lady scolded, "You should focus on recovering from your illness. There are no outsiders in this room!" Although her words were laced with concern, they didn't evoke the same smile that spread from her face to the depths of her eyes when she mentioned the second wife, nor did it carry the indulgence and doting tone she used when mentioning the fifth wife.

  There isn't a single fool in this house. Who can't tell the difference between them?

  The lady's face stiffened slightly, and the atmosphere became somewhat chilly.

  The fifth lady laughed and said: "Today's weather is warm, it's good for the fourth sister to go out for a walk, otherwise she'll be cooped up at home every day, and even if she doesn't get sick, she can still get depressed."

  "Really!" Yuanniang smiled and said, "After all, Danyang knows what I'm thinking." She called out to Wu's wife by name, in a very familiar manner.

  Everyone laughed and made way, letting Yuan Niang's sedan chair be carried in and placed beside the short bed on the left. The women carrying the sedan chair retreated, and naturally someone came to greet her.

  Several grandmothers came forward to pay their respects to Yuanniang, who responded with difficulty. Everyone knew she was not feeling well and wouldn't think it strange. After a round of socializing, Yuanniang's forehead was dripping with sweat. Wen Niang quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe her down.

  The fifth lady personally poured tea for Yuan Niang: "Fourth sister, it's just sung to the fourth fold, still in time."

  Yuanniang took over the teacup from Wen Yiniang's hands - as if she didn't even have the strength to hold the tea.

  "The Fourth Fold 'Searching for Husband'......" He pondered and said, "Just as you siblings said, I haven't come too late."

  Everyone burst out laughing as if they were applauding.

  Yuanniang then asked: "Why aren't the other few young ladies visible?"

  The fifth lady smiled and said: "Miss Lin, Miss Qiao, Miss Tang, and the fifth Miss Luo have gone to Er Sao's place; The third Miss Gan, the seventh Miss, and the tenth Miss Luo went to the garden to fly a kite...". She pointed at the eleventh girl again, "This one is just like me, she loves listening to opera!"

  Yuanniang's faint smile, in response to Shinniang's sudden appearance, didn't reveal any unusual expression, which made Shiyinian speculate that she had known about Shinniang's arrival all along!

  After telling a few jokes, everyone sat down, and Madame Wu called her mother beside her to ask the troupe to resume their performance.

  The elder lady sat down on a velvet stool beside her daughter, while the eleventh sister had to stand behind them.

  "...Unfortunately, our hometown suffered from drought and famine, with little food and clothing to spare. In the first year, I worked day and night weaving and spinning..."

  Behind him, Mrs. Tang and Madam Qiao whispered to each other.

  The voice was either loud or low, but just right for her to hear the fragmented words: "...not even resting well. These years have been Mrs. San helping with the household... wanting to show off in front of relatives and friends, without thinking about Mrs. San's position..."

  Eleventh daughter couldn't help but measure up Yuan daughter.

  Yu Nu was leaning on a silver-red seven-colored pillow. Her eyes were slightly closed, as if she had fallen asleep.

  She turned her head to look at Madame Wang.

  Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed and her face was tense. It was clear that she had heard the conversation between the two people.

  The eleventh girl secretly sighed in her heart.

  Great people are not bound by trivial matters, but Yuan Niang is like this, which indeed gives people a feeling of narrow-mindedness. However, this is not something that can be said out loud, so it's better to just stand here and watch the show quietly.

  She shifted her attention to the stage.

  The blue satin dress half covers her powdered face, her wonderful eyes moving with sorrow and sadness. Zhao Wuniang's voice is high-pitched: "All the neighbors east and west have borrowed everything, sold the spinning wheel and even sold their clothes..."

  "Eleventh sister," the person in front of her suddenly called out to her, their voice weak yet gentle, "where did you live when you were at home?"

  Eleventh Sister was slightly stunned and it took her a moment to come back to herself - Yuan Sister was talking to her.

  "Returning to Big Sister," she respectfully said, "I live in Green Pine Building."

  "Green Building?" Yuanniang had already opened her eyes. She gazed at the stage, her eyes calm and clear, "Where is it? In what part of Jiao Garden?"

  "In the backyard." Eleventh Sister explained to her as clearly as possible, "From the back door of the Zhiyunting Pavilion heading east there is a winding corridor, after exiting the corridor heading north there is a covered walkway, below the walkway is a grove of yellow poplar trees, and the Green Pine Building is located on the west side of that grove."

  "West!" Yuanniang recalled, "I remember there was a Warming Pavilion there. What? Did they dismantle the Warming Pavilion and rebuild it into Green Bamboo Building?"

  "Not far from the warm pavilion in front!" said Eleventh Sister with a smile.

  Yu Niang nodded.

  The curtain fell on one act, and the cymbals suddenly stopped ringing.

  She didn't notice and continued chatting with Shiyi: "When I was young, I often read books in that warm pavilion. What is it used for now?"

  Everyone in the house heard her voice.

  "The eleventh girl lowered her voice: 'In the winter when it snows, mother will have someone light the brazier and my sisters and I will all do needlework there. It's bright and warm.'"

  Yuanniang smiled and turned her head to the ladies sitting beside her, saying: "I'm not feeling well, so I'll just accompany everyone for half a song. Consider it my heartfelt intention."

  The maidservants quietly and carefully changed the tea for everyone.

  Everyone said: "It's right, you go and rest now!"

  Yuanniang smiled and said: "I heard that there will be fireworks at night, I'll take a look at the excitement later."

  The old lady and the big wife both showed a hesitant expression. But the old lady was after all the mother-in-law, and some words were not easy to say. The big wife asked directly: "Can your body hold up?"

  Yuanniang looked at the five madams: "As Dan Yang said, I'm always cooped up at home. Even if I don't have an illness, I'll get sick from being cooped up. How can I not move around when I do have an illness? It's just right to move around more."

  The five madams smiled and nodded repeatedly.

  Madam was about to say something, but Yuanni had already smiled and said: "Don't worry, I'll just rest in the next courtyard. If I'm feeling up to it, I'll come out and keep everyone company. If not, I'll just take a look from the courtyard... later on, don't blame me for being rude."

  Everyone responded with "good".

  Old Lady Wang called out to Du Mama, who had just gone to open the kite store for Miss Gan and Shi Er: "Take a few people to sweep and clean, then stay by my side to serve me. Fourth Lady wants tea or water, there's someone to order around."

  "Thank you for your kindness." Yuanni politely declined, "I have Wen Niang and Tao Mama by my side. You can't be without someone either." She paused, looking at Shiyi Niang, "Little sister, come over and chat with me too." Then she looked at the old lady, "If I need anything, it's not too late to call Du Mama again."

  "Alright!" Madame Dai helped Yuan Niang adjust the thin quilt draped over her body, "Eleventh Lady has always been steady, with her by your side, I can rest assured too!"

  The old lady saw it and didn't want to say more, so she nodded.

  The Fifth Lady sent Yuan Niang away, and as soon as she left the door of the wing room, Yuan Niang persuaded her to return: "......With a house full of people, I came just to add trouble. And wanted to come see this commotion. Brother's wife helping me be filial in front of Mother is enough."

  The gongs and drums on the other side have already made a sound.

  The Fifth Mistress looked at the eleven daughters-in-law, Wen Niang, Tao Mama and the maidservants surrounding Yuan Niang, smiled and nodded. She saw them off to the gate of the courtyard before turning back.

  As they entered the hall, Yuan Niang signaled for the sedan chair to be put down: "Let Eleventh Sister help me walk a bit. You all can rest here."

  "How can that be?" Mrs. Tao immediately objected.

  Yu Nuang waved her hand, with a determined look on her face.

  Everyone fell silent.

  "Why don't I go help you tidy up the house instead? That side has been uninhabited for a long time, and although it's swept every day, there's still dust..."

  "It's nothing," Yuanniang smiled and said, "I just wanted to find a place to chat with Eleventh Sister."

  Her refusal once again left everyone in the hallway.

  Eleventh daughter supported Yuan Niang as they walked out of the corridor and slowly entered the small courtyard.

  The Tai Shi Lake is higher than the eaves, blocking the view of the entrance. In front of it are swaying green bamboos, and behind it, the sound of gongs and drums can be faintly heard, making the environment of the small courtyard more quiet and peaceful.

  "I used to take medicine every day and got as fat as a pig." She chuckled sarcastically, her voice icy cold, "Now even you can lift me up!"

  Yuèniáng bǐ shíyī niáng gāo le bàn ge tóu.

  Translation: Yuenniang is half a head taller than Shiyinniang.

  "It was just water retention before!" said Eleventh Sister with a warm smile. "After stopping the medicine, she naturally lost weight."

  Yu Niang stopped in her tracks and looked at Shi Yi Niang with a glance: "You're quite good at comforting people!" Her eyebrows were raised, with a sharp aura.

  The eleventh girl smiled slightly.

  But in her heart, she was secretly thinking that when she wasn't ill, she was probably a very sharp person!

  She was calm and composed, with a natural elegance and poise.

  Yuanniang saw a hint of surprise flash across her eyes, then her mouth curved slightly upwards as she lowered her head and walked forward.

  People who have been bedridden for a long time will inevitably develop some strange temperaments that others cannot understand. No matter how surprised Yuanniang is, as long as she treats them sincerely, nothing big will happen!

  Eleventh daughter smiled and leaned on Yuan daughter, bypassing Taihu stone and heading towards Zhengwu house.

  The power is out again! However, in order not to be scolded by everyone, I decided to update twice today...... O(∩_∩)O haha~

  Also: I recommend a fantasy novel to everyone - "Phoenix Arrives in Another World".

  Book number: 1662656

  Content Brief: Feng Wu, a transmigrator who has lived for two lifetimes, initially only wanted to become a magician due to her emotionally tumultuous childhood and change her fate. However, once the wheel of fate started turning, everything was beyond her control...

  Writing "New First-Rate Cultivation" is a former work of Liu Qing. It's quite guaranteed.(*^__^*) Hehe......