Tao Yao nodded, thinking it was normal for Yun Ling to be unwilling.
"That's true. You're not married yet, so there's no need to get your eyebrows done and your face straightened so soon. Usually, people get their faces smooth and shiny before getting married, so they can be considered as transitioning from a maid to a wife."
"Sister."
Tao Yao was amused by Yun Ling's shy appearance. The naive young woman was easily swayed by words, so Tao Yao stopped teasing her and instead said:
"Oh, right, the brothel owner has arrived with the musicians from the brothel, and they're waiting outside."
"The shop owner is here? I don't think I mentioned this to him."
“You didn’t say it, but the news about the fashion show has already spread like wildfire. Even the pigs in the pigsty know a thing or two about it. How could a living, breathing person like him not know?”
Yunling hadn't expected Taoyao to have a sense of humor, especially when she said that even the pigs in the pigsty knew about it; she couldn't help but laugh.
Tao Yao continued:
"The shop owner said that he came to play music for his master last time, and this time will be no exception. He hopes that everything will go smoothly for his master and that his wishes will be fulfilled."
Yunling understood the sentiment and nodded before walking out. As soon as she stepped out of the backstage area, she met the eyes of the shop owner standing at the gate. The shop owner was still holding the little zither. When he saw her, he bowed to her with the zither in his arms and then sat down in the elegant seat specially prepared by Shopkeeper Zhou to play.
As soon as the zither music began, the musicians sitting around the ward master began to play their instruments in succession. The sounds of various instruments were like flowing water in the mountains or like the bright moon and gentle breeze. Every sound entered the ear and touched the heart, making it impossible to look away or close one's ears.
Yunling struggled to pull herself out of the blissful state and took a few steps outside. Through the screen, she was almost frightened by the scene outside.
The street in front of the gate was packed with people, and in the distance, there were magnificent palanquins, horse-drawn carriages, and donkey carts weaving through the crowd. As she looked closer, she saw a dense crowd of people.
Those standing in the first few rows, with Manager Zhou offering warm greetings, were presumably the guests watching the fashion show. Yun Ling tiptoed, taking a closer look. These people were dressed quite elegantly, with dignified postures. Whether it was the hairpins in their hair buns or the jewelry around their necks and wrists, everything was unique.
Zhang, Granny Yun, and Granny Fan entered from outside, both surprised and delighted. They had never seen such a grand scene before. Upon seeing Yun Ling, they hurriedly approached her.
"Sister Ling, this is really something! There are so many people outside, the alleys on both sides are completely blocked. Even the Lantern Festival wasn't this lively. We're sure to land a big order this time."
Old Madam Fan naturally hoped that Yunling could land big orders. Most of these orders were handled by Bingniang, and even if more people were hired, they would still take the lion's share. This would be a great thing for the Fan family.
Although Yunling was delighted, she dared not relax, as she didn't know if these people outside were truly interested in her product.
They might have been curious about what the governor's daughter had said and wanted to come and see, or perhaps they were competing with each other, thinking, "Since you're here to see, I'll naturally come too." Others might have wanted to use the fashion show to get closer to the governor's daughter, or perhaps they had some other purpose, Yunling didn't know.
But now that these people with purchasing power have come anyway, she might actually receive orders. Maybe they'll compete with each other, and if she sees you buying, she'll want to buy too, maybe even more than you.
It's all uncertain!
Yunling responded with a smile:
"Grandma Fan, thank you for your kind words."
Everyone laughed. Manager Zhou glanced inside, saw Yun Ling, and hurriedly walked in, asking with a smile:
"Young lady, it seems the music is nearing its end. The distinguished guests outside are waiting for the time it takes to drink two or three cups of tea. I wonder if your young ladies are all ready?"
Yunling turned to look backstage, where there was still a lot of noise, with tables, chairs, and the clinking of hairpins. It seemed that they were making final preparations. It wouldn't be a problem if those people outside came in and sat down early, so she replied:
"There's still a little time to go. After all, this is the last fashion show of the year, and they want to present their best selves. I'll go check on them. Manager, please welcome our distinguished guests in and let them rest for a while."
Shopkeeper Zhou nodded hurriedly like a chicken pecking at rice, and without saying anything more, he picked up his bag and quickly went outside.
As soon as Zhang, Granny Yun, and Granny Fan saw the crowd about to enter, they scattered in a panic. Zhang stood next to the ice basin, Granny Yun brought out a wooden basin from somewhere and carried it, while Granny Fan shrank back to the backstage area.
Although they were Yunling's relatives, the tickets for the show had been hotly contested beforehand, and if those VIPs saw this, they would inevitably feel slightly uncomfortable. So they were sensible and didn't want to cause Yunling any trouble.
Yunling, backstage, didn't think too much about it. Looking at the beautiful young women standing before her, she felt happy and couldn't help but retell her old story in a new light.
"Remember, each and every one of you is the most remarkable. You don't need to care who is sitting below you, just focus on doing your own thing well."
"Remember to walk in a straight line, lift your hips, look straight ahead, and adjust the range of your hands according to the fabric of your shirt. Avoid keeping it the same all the time."
"Finally, remember this: today's fashion show is very important, very important to me, and very important to your future. So, let's work together to make this a success, okay?"
Yunling received a chorus of "good"s and a great deal of encouragement.
After a short while, all the guests had taken their seats. Manager Zhou didn't want to linger, so he sent Granny Yun, who was nearby, to inform Yun Ling from the backstage area. He then quickly left the main hall and sent someone to guard the screen to prevent any unruly people from disturbing the distinguished guests inside.
Yunling learned about the situation outside from her mother, and after taking three deep breaths, she stepped out from backstage. Although she knew there would be many people, she was still a little nervous in this formal setting.
"Welcome everyone to Shengfu Restaurant for the last fashion show of the year for our 'Zhaoyeqing'. Many of you are our loyal customers, and we are very grateful for your support. This will motivate us to make our products even better. Thank you."
"I won't say anything more unrelated. This fashion show will still showcase twenty-four sets of products, each with its own unique number. I hope all our distinguished guests will enjoy the show and find it worthwhile."
"good!"
The commotion arose from somewhere in the crowd, igniting the enthusiasm of the onlookers, and applause erupted immediately.
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