The lady laughed and scolded Master Xu Wu: "You just love to act weird, and you're not afraid of scaring your sisters." She then glanced back at Madam Wu who was standing behind her and said, "Danyang, you have to take good care of him!"

The fifth lady put her arm around the old lady's shoulder, stared at her husband with her eyes and smiled.

"Uncle Wu has good intentions!" The Third Lady said with a smile, "Looking at so many elders and sisters here, we can't let those opera singers come in and present the playlists, right?" As she said that, she personally went over to take the playlist from Master Xu Wu and presented it to the Lady Dowager.

The lady handed the playlist to Zheng Taijun and said, "Take a look and see which play suits your taste!"

Madam Zheng declined and insisted that the lady choose the play: "The guest should follow the host's wishes!"

Seeing that she was sincere in refusing, the lady handed the playbill to Mrs. Huang next to her.

Mrs. Huang was not polite and took the play list with a smile: "You all keep pushing it to each other. You've already sung one act in the time you have." A maid behind her handed her a pair of tortoise-shell glasses.

She took the glasses and read the playlist carefully: "The Brocade Story, The Classmates Story, The Lute Story, The Golden Sable Story, The Golden Seal Story... let's just watch the literary plays. The martial arts plays are all crackling and clacking, but they're just jumping around, and I don't even know what they're singing." As she spoke, she looked at the people present.

Naturally, everyone agreed, "We'll listen to you."

Madam Huang put together the playlist and said to Master Xu Wu with a smile, "Then sing "Pipa Song". I like it!"

Master Xu Wu imitated the waiters in the theater and nodded, then took the playbill and went to the side room behind the stage.

After a while, a door of the wing opened, and several men came out with various musical instruments and sat on the right side of the stage.

A forty-year-old man came on stage and made a witty remark to add to the occasion. Then, gongs and drums sounded and the show began.

The Goyang Opera is high-pitched, passionate, sonorous and powerful. The main instruments are large gongs, small gongs and drums. The sounds of the drums are very powerful. The scene becomes lively before the opera even starts.

This is still a literary drama. If it were a martial arts drama, wouldn’t the noise be even louder?

Eleventh Lady missed Yue Opera a little. The long dancing sleeves were so artistic.

She had never seen this type of drama before, so she calmed down and watched it carefully.

The first scene of "Pipa Xing" is about separation. It tells the story of the newly married scholar Cai Bojie and his wife Zhao Wuniang who have to go to Beijing to take the imperial examination.

The actors on stage sang with true feelings, and their hand gestures and eye expressions were very appropriate. It was a pity that they were reciting in traditional Chinese opera, and Shiyi Niang had to concentrate to barely understand 70 or 80 percent of it.

It would be nice if the lines could be printed in a booklet for viewers to refer to... Eleventh Lady remembered that when she accompanied her grandparents to the theater to watch a play, they would be given a booklet like this.

Suddenly someone pulled her right sleeve.

Eleventh Lady knew it was Fifth Lady without looking back.

"Eleventh Lady, we can't let Tenth Lady steal the show..." She spoke in a very low voice.

Eleventh Lady simply turned around and opened her eyes wide: "I can't hear what my sister said!"

The gongs and drums just stopped for a beat, and her voice was clear and loud.

Everyone looked over.

Eleventh Lady gave everyone an apologetic smile.

Wu Niang smiled awkwardly and said, "I told you to sit a little closer, you're blocking me!"

"Oh!" Eleventh Lady smiled and moved closer to the First Lady.

The sound of gongs and drums rang out again.

The second act is "High School", which describes the joy of Cai Bojie who won the imperial examination and was about to return home in glory. However, he was noticed by Prime Minister Niu, who wanted to take him as his son-in-law.

Eleventh Lady watched Miss Gan Qi sitting there secretly looking around with a helpless and patient look, while Miss Gan San listened with great interest and even clenched her fists when Prime Minister Niu said he wanted to recruit Cai Bojie as his son-in-law.

Look at the other ladies.

Qiao Lianfang was a little absent-minded, Miss Lin frowned slightly, and although Miss Kang was sitting upright, the expression on her face changed from smile to worry depending on the joys and sorrows of the actors.

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but smile.

Look at the Fifth Lady.

Unexpectedly, she looked like Miss Tang, completely immersed in the plot.

Eleventh Lady thought for a moment and looked back at Fifth Lady and Tenth Lady.

Wu Niang's face was livid, and even her makeup couldn't hide her rage. She was in no mood to listen to the opera. As for Shi Niang, she was looking at the stage with a smile, looking contented and satisfied.

Eleventh Lady suddenly thought of the allusion of "While the snipe and the clam quarrel, the fisherman gains."

After the second act was sung, there was a short intermission.

There are comedies making gags and jokes.

Now everyone, young or old, was attracted and smiled.

The lady gave a reward.

Someone brought over five large, shiny gold ingots on a red lacquered, gold-painted plum blossom tea tray.

Eleventh Lady clicked her tongue.

Each of the ingots was worth twenty taels, so this tray was worth a hundred taels. She had been sewing for half a year before she could barely sell them for this much, and that was because Master Jian helped her sell them...

The third scene is "Forced Marriage", which describes how Prime Minister Niu persuaded the emperor to grant the marriage and how he forced Cai Bojie to stay in Kyoto.

When the song reached the part about Cai Bojie feeling melancholy alone in his study, a servant came running in, stood outside the room, looked around, but did not dare to come in, his face full of anxiety.

The Third Madam looked at him and quietly walked over and whispered a few words to the boy. Then she hurried back and whispered a few words in the Madam's ear.

"Xiao Si is back!" The lady was slightly startled, "Why is he here so early today? Let him in! There are no outsiders here!" She smiled at Lady Zheng beside her and said, "The Marquis is back. I heard that you are all here, so I wanted to come in and say hello!"

"How can I accept this?" Lady Zheng was very happy, but she was trying to refuse.

Madam Huang smiled and said, "I haven't seen the Marquis for some years - he went to war the year before last, and I was not in good health last year so I didn't attend the palace banquet... I'm afraid he has become more calm now."

After hearing what the old lady meant, the third lady went out and whispered a few words to the servant, who nodded repeatedly and ran away.

The lady smiled and said, "He has been calm and steady since he was young, but now he is dull!"

"I have never seen anyone more demanding than the Madam!" Madam Tang teased, "I see that Fifth Master is so nice that he is willing to 'entertain his parents with colorful clothes', but you keep saying 'nonsense' and 'naughty monkey'." As she said this, she looked at Fifth Madam and smiled with her hands covering her mouth, "It makes the two children not know how to curry favor with you. When it comes to the Marquis, everyone praises him as 'mature and reserved', but in your mouth, he becomes 'dumb'... Alas, I don't know when my two children can be as dull and nonsense as the Marquis and Fifth Master. Then I will be satisfied!" This was said in a very pleasing way. She praised Xu Lingyi, Fifth Master Xu, and Fifth Madam, but she didn't mention Third Madam who had been serving in front of everyone.

Eleventh Lady's eyes moved.

The lady laughed, her face full of satisfaction.

The others also started laughing, except for the eldest wife, who had a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but sigh softly.

If Yuanniang wasn't sick, the eldest lady would also feel proud!

A servant shouted loudly: "The Marquis is coming!"

The lively stage suddenly stopped, there was no sound at all, the musicians and actors all stood there, motionless.

Master Xu Wu suddenly appeared: "What's wrong? What's wrong?" He was still wearing his original clothes, with a half-painted face.

The Fifth Lady laughed so hard that she fell backwards: "The Marquis is back! Didn't you hear it?"

"Oh!" he yelled and rushed into the wing, "Don't tell anyone that I was here..."

Everyone in the yard was laughing so hard that they couldn't straighten their backs.

The third lady smiled and led the young ladies to hide behind the screen on the west side.

Behind the screen was a resting area, and everyone sat separately, except for Miss Gan Qi, who was leaning against the gap in the screen, looking out.

Miss Gan San hurriedly pulled her sister and said, "What's so good about it? Grandpa's birthday will be in a few days, and the Marquis will be there to celebrate. Just have a good look. Don't embarrass yourself here!" The last sentence was very light, but no one in the room spoke, so everyone heard it clearly.

Miss Gan Qi shook her sister's hand and said, "Oh, I'll just take a look. Sixth brother keeps talking about how powerful he is, I want to see if he has three heads and six arms."

Miss Gan San held her sister's hand tightly and refused to let go: "If you do this, I will never take you out again."

Miss Lin hid her sleeves and laughed, but Miss Tang showed disdain. Only Qiao Lianfang looked at the third Miss Gan thoughtfully.

From outside, a chorus of greetings came: "The Marquis is here!"

A mellow and gentle voice penetrated the noisy chatter and struck the heart: "Meet mother!"

The two young ladies of the Gan family stood in a daze in front of the screen, while everyone else, including Eleventh Lady, held their breath and sat up straight.

"Get up, get up!" The lady's voice was filled with unconcealed joy. "Why did you leave the court so early today? Is there nothing going on in the court?"

"I've been quite free these past few days." The voice spoke slowly, giving people a sense of calm and confident. "I heard that several ladies were here, so I came to say hello!"

"We wouldn't dare! We wouldn't dare!" Several ladies were polite, but it could also be heard that they were very happy about Xu Lingyi's behavior.

The seventh young lady of the Gan family rolled her eyes and leaned back behind the screen to peek. The third young lady of the Gan family was standing there. If she pulled the button, she was afraid that people outside would hear the noise. If she didn't pull the button, it would be extremely rude. She was in a very awkward situation, not knowing whether to go forward or backward.

Qiao Lianfang covered her mouth and laughed, and even Shiyi Niang couldn't help but smile.

After a brief greeting, Xu Lingyi stood up and left: "...I won't delay your ladies' fun!"

Everyone said, "My Lord, please take care!"

The third daughter of the Gan family took advantage of the noise outside and fiercely pulled her sister: "I'm going to tell mother when we get home!"

Miss Gan was not afraid at all, and looked at everyone proudly: "I saw what the Marquis looked like!"

Qiao Lianfang and the others looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Shi Niang smiled and said, "Do you have three heads and six arms?" Her tone was very lively.

Miss Gan was slightly surprised. Seeing Shi Niang's eyes turn to praise, she glanced at the other people in the room and said with a smile, "We are the only two who want to know what the Marquis looks like." There was a hint of teasing in her expression, "Come here, I will tell you!"

Shi Niang smiled lightly and walked over leisurely.

Wu Niang was very anxious: "Shi Niang, what are you going to do?"

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I am participating in the "Name Interview" today, (*^__^*) hehe...