Chapter 43: Spring Banquet (Part 2)

The lady smiled and scolded Master Xu Wu: "You just love to act weird, aren't you afraid of scaring your sisters?" She then looked 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 play list, right?" As she said that, she personally went over and took the play list from Master Xu Wu and presented it to the Lady Dowager.

The lady handed the list of plays to Lady Zheng and said, "Take a look and see which play suits your taste!"

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

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

Mrs. Huang took the opera list without hesitation and said with a smile: "You guys keep pushing the order here and there. You've already sung one act in the time you have." A maid behind her handed her a pair of tortoise-shell glasses.

She put on her glasses and read the playbill carefully: "The Weaving Brocade, The Classmates, The Lute, The Golden Sable, The Golden Seal... let's just watch the literary plays. These martial arts plays are just a bunch of fighting and jumping around, and I have no idea what they are singing about." As she spoke, she looked at the people present.

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

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

Master Xu Wu followed the example of the waiters in the theater, nodded his head, and went to the private room behind the stage with the playbill.

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

A man in his forties came on stage and made a witty remark, and then the gongs and drums sounded, and the play began.

The Geyang tune is high-pitched, passionate, sonorous and powerful. The main instruments are gongs, gongs, drums and clappers. The sounds of the gongs, clappers and drums are very powerful. The scene becomes lively before the tune even starts.

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

Eleventh Lady was somewhat nostalgic for Yue Opera. The long dancing sleeves were full of artistic conception.

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, who is leaving his wife Zhao Wuniang because he has to go to Beijing to take the imperial examination.

The actors on stage sang with great passion, and their hand gestures and eye expressions were spot on. Unfortunately, they were reciting in traditional Chinese opera, and Shiyi Niang had to concentrate to barely understand about 70% of it.

It would be nice if the lines could be printed in a booklet for theatergoers to refer to... Shiyi Niang remembered that whenever 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 turning around.

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

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

The gongs and drums just stopped for a beat, and her voice became 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 gongs and drums sounded again.

The second act is "High School", which describes the joy of Cai Bojie who passed the high school entrance examination and was about to return home with wealth and wealth, but unexpectedly, Prime Minister Niu took a fancy to him and wanted to take him as his son-in-law.

Eleventh Lady watched Miss Gan Qi sitting there, looking around secretly with a helpless and patient look, while Miss Gan San was listening with great interest, and even clenched her fists tightly 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, her facial expression changed from smile to worry depending on the opera singer's joys and sorrows.

Shiyi Niang couldn't help but smile.

Look at the Fifth Lady.

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

Eleventh Lady thought for a moment and turned to look at Fifth Lady and Tenth Lady.

Wu Niang's face was ashen, and 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, her expression was content and satisfied.

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

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

There are comedians making gags and jokes.

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

The lady rewarded him.

Someone passed by with five large, shiny gold ingots on a red-lacquered, gold-painted plum blossom tea tray.

Eleventh Lady clicked her tongue.

Each of those 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 this much, and that was because Master Jian helped her sell it...

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 where Cai Bojie was feeling sad 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 Lady looked at him and quietly walked over and whispered a few words to the boy, then hurried back to whisper a few words in the Lady'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 everyone is 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 in a flash.

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

"I have never seen anyone more demanding than the Madam!" Madam Tang teased, "I think the Fifth Master is so nice, willing to "dress up to entertain his family", but you keep saying "nonsense" and "monkey"." As she said this, she looked at the Fifth Madam and smiled, "It makes the two children not know how to curry favor with you. When it comes to the Marquis, everyone praises him for being "mature and reserved", but in your mouth, he becomes "dull"... Alas, I don't know when my two children can be as dull and nonsense as the Marquis and the Fifth Master. Then I will be satisfied!" This was said in a very flattering way. Not only did she praise Xu Lingyi, but she also praised the Fifth Master and the Fifth Madam, but she didn't mention the 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 gleam of disappointment in her eyes.

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but sigh softly.

If Yuanniang wasn't sick, the first wife would also feel honored!

A servant shouted loudly, "The Marquis is here!"

The lively and noisy stage suddenly stopped, and there was no sound at all. The musicians and actors 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?"

"Oh my!" he yelled, rushing into the closet, "Don't tell anyone that I was here..."

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

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

Behind the screen was a resting area, and everyone sat down 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 is coming in a few days, and the Marquis will go to celebrate. Just enjoy the view. Don't embarrass yourself here!" The last sentence was spoken very softly, 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 great he is, I want to see if he has supernatural powers."

Miss Gan San held her sister's hand tightly and said, "If you continue like 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 flurry of greetings came: "The Marquis is here!"

A mellow and gentle voice penetrated through the noisy and shattered world and struck people's hearts: "I've seen 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 quickly, get up quickly!" The lady's voice was filled with unconcealed joy. "Why did you leave the court so early today? Is there nothing to do in the court?"

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

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

The Seventh Miss Gan's eyes rolled, and she leaned back behind the screen to peek. The Third Miss Gan was standing there. If she pulled the purse, she was afraid that people outside would hear the noise. If she didn't pull the purse, it would be extremely rude. She was in a very awkward position, not knowing whether to move 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 said goodbye: "...I won't delay your pleasure!"

Everyone said, "Master Hou, take care!"

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

The Seventh Miss of the Gan Family 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 joking 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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Today I participated in the "Name Interview", (^__^) hehe...