111 New Industry

◎Wait and see you lose everything! When that happens, I wonder if you can still smile!◎

As the night deepens and the lights come on, in Waxiang, the streets crisscross and hundreds of shops are lined with each other. Cheers rise one after another, and the enthusiastic atmosphere drives away the winter chill.

Zhang Yao followed Song Jinyi in confusion, passing through the bustling crowd, making many turns, and finally stopped in front of a theater with a decoration that was...slightly coquettish.

"Master, what is this...?" Zhang Yao asked puzzledly, looking at this unfamiliar place.

"This was originally the property of an old friend of mine, but it was taken over by a bully some time ago. I, your teacher, accompanied His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in providing relief to the refugees and offered a few ideas. His Royal Highness, mindful of my humble contribution, asked me what reward I would like."

Song Jinyi looked up at the tall building in front of her and said, "I will ask Your Highness to return this theater to its original owner."

Having said this, Song Jinyi turned around and looked at Zhang Yao, "Master, I have agreed with troupe leader Huo that when he reopens this theater, all the drinks will be provided by Juxinglou. Fine wine needs to be paired with delicious food, so you will be the chef for the grand dish!"

Zhang Yao was completely stunned. She stared at Song Jinyi for a while, then slowly turned her head to look at the theater in front of her.

Her nose suddenly felt sore. It turned out that her master had been planning for her all along!

Her throat was choked with sobs, and she could only nod heavily. Thousands of words were stuck in her chest, turning into a trembling response: "Master, I, I will definitely not let you down..."

At this moment, the tightly closed side door of the theater creaked open. A maid dressed in plain blue, with bright eyes and eyebrows, leaned out. Seeing Song Jinyi and the others, she greeted them, "Manager Song, why are you here?"

Ruer ran to Li He and asked her why she hadn't visited her at Huo's house for several days. Li He just said she had something to do and introduced her to Zhang Yao.

Seeing that the two of them had not seen each other for only a few days and had endless things to talk about, Song Jinyi did not disturb them and took Zhang Yao to visit the theater and went to the kitchen.

Ru'er took Li He's arm and told her a few interesting stories as they walked. Li He looked at the brand new theater and said, "Now that the theater has been returned to its original owner, I guess Mr. Huo's worries have been resolved."

"Although it's a great thing that the theater can come back..." Ru'er's smile faded a little, "But I still remember that traitor Mo Qing. Not only did he collude with outsiders, he also poisoned the troupe owner's voice.

"But now he is performing in Zhaixing Tower as if nothing happened." Ru'er said unwillingly, gritting her teeth.

Li He patted her shoulder and said, "As the old saying goes, 'Good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished'. I think a wicked person like him will not have a good ending."

******

On this day, the sun shone obliquely on Washe Street with a hint of laziness.

The theater was deserted and lonely during the day, with only a few servants cleaning up the mess left by the guests' fun last night. The air was filled with a unique smell mixed with a faint scent of wine, powder and dust.

A figure was wandering like a wandering soul in this somewhat desolate street.

This man had a slender figure and was dressed in a rose-red brocade dress with plum blossom patterns and a pair of dark red brocade shoes inlaid with jade. He looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, but he had a layer of white powder on his face, which almost concealed his original skin color. He was handsome and beautiful, with a kind of beauty that was difficult to tell whether he was male or female.

Occasionally, passersby would give him a winking look, and his already gloomy expression would grow even uglier. With his black-painted eyes and eyebrows, he glared fiercely at them, "What are you looking at?! If you keep looking at me, I'll dig those eyes out and stomp on them!"

The passerby was startled by his sudden ferocity, and then became annoyed. Looking at the other person's expression, he approached with ill intention and said, "Hey! How can you talk like that? The road is wide open and we should walk on different sides. Am I breaking the law by looking at you?!"

The man seemed to be unable to tolerate the passersby approaching him and was about to raise his hand, but a servant in gray shorts and with an anxious look on his face quickly caught up from behind, grabbed his master's sleeve, and hurriedly bowed to the passersby: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! My lord, calm down!

"My young master is in a bad mood today and has offended many people. Please be magnanimous and don't take it to heart!" As he said this, he quickly took out a few copper coins from his pocket and stuffed them into the passerby's hand. "It's just a small token of my appreciation to apologize and calm you down!"

The servant watched the passerby go away, breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly turned back: "Master, calm down, let's..."

Mo Qing ignored him, shook off the servant's hand, and walked straight into the depths of the theater. The servant had no choice but to trot after him: "Master! Master, wait for me!"

Mo Qing was radiating anger. Passersby who had good sense tried to avoid him in order to avoid trouble. He walked with big strides and unknowingly came to the southeast corner of the theater.

He looked up at a conspicuous building inside - the theater had been thoroughly renovated and was completely different from the old and old-fashioned look he remembered.

The original old yellow-brown color was painted into a more elegant chestnut color. The eaves were raised high and hung with brand new rain chains. The railings on the second floor were decorated with brightly colored silk curtains, and the window frames were replaced with more complex and exquisite carvings.

These new changes were originally proposed by him, but now others are reaping the benefits, even though they should have belonged to him!

"Pei Ze..." He muttered to himself with some resentment: "We clearly agreed to give this theater back to me! We said I would be the sole owner here! What happened?!"

His chest heaved violently, and the carefully applied makeup could not hide his ferocious face at the moment, and what belonged to him was taken away by someone else!

The servant beside him followed his gaze and suddenly realized what was going on. He hurriedly and carefully advised, "Sir, calm down! Master Pei Ze has been very busy with official duties recently. I guess... he can't get away for the moment.

"When I have some free time, I will definitely find a better theater for you!

"Look, you're doing pretty well in Zhaixing Tower, aren't you? Lord Pei Ze spent a lot of effort to build it. Many dignitaries in the capital are listening to you sing in Zhaixing Tower."

Mo Qing sneered, "Oh, it's great! It's magnificent and full of guests!" He laughed and said, "How many people there really understand opera?

"They just treat me as a vase for their entertainment and to embellish the scene!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, his clenched fists trembling slightly. "I don't want to be a monkey in a golden cage, watched by everyone! I want my own theater!"

"My own troupe! Sing for those who know the business! Sing the plays I really want to sing! Instead of acting like a whore, selling my smiles and singing to please those good-for-nothings!"

Mo Qing took a deep breath and forced himself to suppress his turbulent emotions. "Since we're already this far, let's go see the new owner of this theater."

The servant's heart tightened, but he didn't dare to stop him, so he could only follow him.

As the two of them walked to the door of the theater, Song saw Jinyi holding a bunch of banners and hanging them on the flagpole at the door. Suddenly, she saw someone standing at the door. She stopped and thought it was just a curious guest.

Huo Changqing remembered her kindness and asked her to be the manager. Now that the business is about to open, she has to do everything herself.

She laboriously placed the thing in her hand on the flagpole, shook the cloth a few times, revealing the words on it - Three days later, Huo Changqing will return to the stage, and "The Story of the Thorny Hairpin" will be presented to you.

She gave Mo Qing a polite smile and said, "Sir, I'm sorry, our theater has not been renovated yet. If you are interested in opera, why not come and support us in three days?"

Mo Qing didn't look at Song Jinyi, but stared at the three big words "Huo Changqing" on the sign.

He sneered, "Heh... Huo Changqing?" He hadn't heard this name for a long time.

He then slowly shifted his gaze to Song Jinyi. Although she was dressed simply, she acted with sophistication. Her speech and behavior did not seem like that of a maid, but rather like the owner of a theater.

"Young lady," Mo Qing's voice drew out, his eyes glancing at the theater, his words dripping with sarcasm, "You put so much thought into sprucing up this shabby building, and in the end you hired a washed-up actor. Isn't that a shame?"

Song Jinyi frowned slightly, keenly aware of the strong hostility in his words, but she didn't understand why.

Mo Qing continued, "If you buy it, aren't you afraid... that it will ruin your newly opened shop's reputation and make all your hard work go to waste?"

Song Jinyi's doubts deepened, but her face remained calm. "I've heard Mr. Huo's plays. His singing is full of charm and his figure is beautiful. I think he's very good."

"Very good?" Mo Qing raised his eyebrows as if he had heard a huge joke. He was convinced that Song Jinyi was deceived by Huo Changqing's reputation as a has-been "famous actor", or that he was simply an idiot who didn't know anything about the business.

"My lady, you've probably been deceived by that old fellow, haven't you? His hoarse voice was taken away by heaven a long time ago. He can no longer sing opera. His appearance has also fallen apart. He's old and ugly! His back is as stiff as rotten wood, and he can't even move it!"

He changed the subject and raised his chin slightly, "If you really want to find a well-known and respectable actor, there is one right in front of you."

He stared at her, observing her expression. "I'm the only singer in Zhaixing Tower! Go out and ask around. Is there anyone in Shengjing who doesn't know my name, 'Young Master Mo Qing'?"

There was a conceited gleam in his eyes, and he was sure that after hearing what he said, Song Jinyi would find another partner.

Song Jinyi listened quietly to his boasting, and the doubts in her heart were cleared up in an instant. It turned out to be him - the beast who betrayed Huo Changqing, drugged him, and instigated others to rob the restaurant!

"Zhaixing Tower... I've heard of it, it's quite famous!" She changed the subject, her tone carrying a hint of unintentional regret, "But, I also heard that the best singer there seems to be Boss Huo's apprentice.

"? As the saying goes: 'Old ginger is always spicier, and aged wine is always more fragrant.' I think Mr. Huo is still slightly better."

Mo Qing's expression instantly turned ugly. What he hated most was others saying that he was not as good as Huo Changqing!

"He sang better than me?! That was so long ago! His voice has been broken for a long time! It's rotten! He's a complete loser now! That hoarse voice is like a rooster crowing, hoarse and unpleasant!"

Song Jinyi felt even colder in her heart, but her face showed just the right amount of shock and concern. She covered her mouth slightly, her voice filled with "unbelievable" confusion: "Ah?! Mr. Huo...his voice is broken?! How could this be?! I never knew! I've never heard of it..."

She looked at Mo Qing innocently, "My dear, since you are his apprentice, do you know what happened back then? Why did Master Huo's voice suddenly break? Could someone have harmed him?"

"...Back then", Mo Qing was caught off guard by this sudden question.

His eyes began to flicker, and he turned his head abruptly, changing the subject abruptly, his voice a little shaky: "I...how should I know!

"He... that's his own bad luck! What does it have to do with me? Anyway, his voice is broken now. If you don't hire someone else, you'll lose money!"

"My dear, forgive my frankness. When choosing a business partner, ability is important, but the most important thing is character." She smiled narrowly, "You are his apprentice. Your master is in trouble and his voice is broken. Instead of asking about his well-being and serving him wholeheartedly, you immediately try to find a better partner and treat him like a worn-out shoe.

"Now, you've even come to the doorstep of my newly opened theater, slandering and defaming your former mentor in every possible way... This kind of behavior, this kind of character, is truly..." She paused slightly, then uttered a resounding word, "despicable!"

"As for Boss Huo..." Song Jinyi concealed the fact that his voice had improved. "I believe in him, and I believe in my own judgment. I'm even more convinced that in three days, once Boss Huo takes the stage, your Star-Picking Tower will lose half its audience."

After Song Jinyi finished speaking, she was no longer willing to waste words with Mo Qing. She raised her hand and made a gesture to send him away. "Please go ahead."

Song Jinyi's words just now were like a slap in Mo Qing's face. He stared at her and squeezed out the words from between his teeth: "Okay! Very good! Just invite that old loser! I wonder how long you can be so proud!

"In three days, I'll be waiting to see your theater become a laughingstock! I'll be waiting to see you lose everything you've invested! By then, I don't know if you'll even be able to laugh!"

He took one last look at the sign with the name "Huo Changqing" written on it, as if he wanted to burn it through with his eyes. Then he suddenly threw his sleeves and walked away without looking back.

Song Jinyi blinked and caught a glimpse of a green figure flashing by on the second floor.

Li He and Ru'er were setting up tables and chairs on the second floor. When they heard the noise, they leaned over to the window and took in the entire scene. Li He looked at Mo Qing's departing figure and said to Ru'er, "Aren't you going to teach that guy a lesson? I've got a good idea."