The play "钪钪戗戗" began, singing the fourth act "Looking for Husband".
After her mother-in-law and father-in-law passed away, Zhao Wuniang begged for alms all the way to Kyoto to look for Cai Bojie. It snowed on the way, and Zhao Wuniang shivered in a dilapidated temple holding a broken bowl, looking forward to a beautiful future of reuniting with her husband.
Different from the graceful and restrained Yue Opera, Zhao Wu Niang’s lyrics are affectionate and bold, and her singing voice is passionate and unrestrained. Even when she sings about her own predicament, although she is sad, she is not resentful... This is the charm of different types of opera!
Eleventh Lady was very interested.
It is said that in addition to the Geyang Opera, the Kunshan Opera and the Yuhang Opera are also popular in Yanjing. I wonder what the Kunshan Opera and the Yuhang Opera are like? Listening to the names of the three, they are all named after places, which should be related to their birthplaces. Speaking of which, Kunshan and Yuhang are both in the south of the Yangtze River, but when I was in the Luo family, I didn't hear of any opera named after Yuhang... Or maybe, because the Luo family was in the mourning period, I didn't know...
As she was lost in thought, a maid ran in and said, "Madam, the Fourth Madam is here."
Everyone in the room was stunned. The eldest wife was the first to stand up and said, "This kid is not in good health, why is he joining in the fun!" She complained but walked out of the room.
Eleventh Lady immediately stood up and followed.
Then I saw Madam Wen, Mother Tao and others walking over with a sedan chair.
The lady walked to the door of the wing room and said, "Hurry up and bring it in. Hurry up and bring it in."
The sedan chair was carried over.
In the sunlight, Yuanniang's face looked cold and sallow.
The lady said angrily, "If you have anything to say, just send someone to tell you. Why did you come here by yourself?"
The ladies following behind her also agreed: "That's right, if you keep doing this, you might get sick again!"
Yuanniang leaned on the sedan chair with a sullen look on her face, and forced a smile: "All the ladies are here, so I have to come and pay my respects."
"You are not a stranger." Madam Huang said quickly, "Why are you going through all this nonsense? Just focus on taking care of yourself. Your health is the most important thing."
The people on the stage over there saw that there was a commotion here, and not knowing what was happening, they all stopped singing.
The yard suddenly became quiet.
"It's because of this!" The lady said angrily, "You should take good care of yourself. There are no outsiders in this room!" Although her words were concerned, her smile did not spread from her face to the depths of her eyes like when she mentioned the Second Madam, nor did she speak with indulgence and doting like when she mentioned the Fifth Madam.
There is no fool in this room. No one can fail to hear the difference.
The eldest wife's face stiffened slightly, and the atmosphere became a little cold.
Madam Wu smiled and said, "It's warm today, so it's good for Sister-in-law Four to go out for a walk, so that she won't be cooped up at home all day. She'll get sick even if she's not sick.
"Yes!" Yuanniang smiled, "Danyang still knows what I am thinking." She called the Fifth Madam by her name, looking very intimate.
Everyone chatted for a few words, then stepped aside to make way for Yuanniang's sedan chair to be carried in and stopped beside the short couch on the left. The daughter-in-law who carried the sedan chair stepped back, and naturally someone was not greeted.
Several grandmothers came forward to greet Yuanniang, and she reluctantly accepted. Everyone knew that she was in poor health, so they naturally didn't mind. After a round of socializing, Yuanniang's forehead was dripping with sweat. Aunt Wen hurriedly took a handkerchief to wipe it for her.
The Fifth Lady personally poured tea for Yuanniang and said, "Sister-in-law, we are singing the fourth act. We can still catch up."
Yuanniang took the teacup from Madam Wen's hand - it seemed as if she didn't even have the strength to hold the tea.
"Act 4: Looking for Husband..." She pondered, "Just as my sister-in-law said, I'm not too late."
Everyone laughed as if to show their support.
Yuanniang asked, "Why aren't the other ladies here?"
The Fifth Lady smiled and said, "Miss Lin, Miss Qiao, Miss Tang and the Fifth Miss of the Luo family went to the Second Sister-in-law's place; the Third Miss of the Gan family, the Seventh Miss and the Tenth Miss of the Luo family went to the garden to fly kites..." She pointed at the Eleventh Lady and said, "This one is like me, she likes to listen to operas!"
Yuanniang smiled slightly and did not show any strange expression at Shi Niang's sudden appearance, which made Shiyi Niang guess that she had known that Shi Niang was coming!
After telling a few jokes, everyone sat down and Mrs. Five asked her mother to go and ask the troupe to resume the performance.
The eldest wife held a brocade stool and sat beside her daughter, and Eleventh Lady had no choice but to stand behind them.
Zhao Wuniang burst into tears on the stage: "...unfortunately, my hometown suffered from drought, and the grain harvest was poor, so I had little to eat and wear. In the first year, I worked day and night to weave and spin..."
Behind them, Grandma Tang and Mrs. Qiao were whispering.
The voice was sometimes high and sometimes low, but it was just enough for her to hear a few words: "...You don't even take a good rest. The Third Madam has been helping to manage the household for the past few years... You have to show off in front of your relatives and old friends, without even considering the Third Madam's position..."
Shiyi Niang couldn't help but look at Yuan Niang.
Yuanniang lay on the silver-red and colorful pillow with her eyes slightly closed, as if she was asleep.
He turned his head to look at the eldest wife again.
His brows were slightly furrowed, his face tense, and he had obviously heard the conversation between the two.
Eleventh Lady sighed secretly in her heart.
People who achieve great things don't care about small details. Yuanniang is like this, which does give people the impression of being narrow-minded. However, this is not something I can say, so I might as well stand here and listen to the show.
With a change of mind, she focused her attention on the stage.
The blue satin patchwork gown half-covered her fair face, her eyes turned around, and she looked sad and sorrowful. Zhao Wuniang spoke in a high-pitched voice: "I borrowed from all the neighbors, sold my spinning wheel and my clothes..."
"Eleventh sister," the person in front of her suddenly called her, his voice weak but flexible, "where do you live when you are at home?"
Eleventh Lady was startled for a moment, and it took her a moment to come to her senses - Yuanniang was talking to her.
"Sister," she said respectfully, "I live in Lujun Building."
"Lujun Tower?" Yuanniang had opened her eyes. She looked at the stage with a calm and clear gaze. "Where is it? Where in Jiao Garden?"
"In the back garden." Eleventh Lady explained to her as clearly as possible, "From the back door of Zhiyun Pavilion, there is a pavilion to the east, and outside the pavilion there is a corridor to the north. After the corridor, there is a boxwood forest. Lvjun Tower is built to the west of the forest."
"To the west!" Yuanniang recalled, "I remember there was a warm room there. What? Did they tear down the warm room and build a new Green Jun Tower?"
"It's not demolished!" Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "It's not far in front of the warm room."
Yuanniang nodded.
After a scene on the stage was over, the gongs suddenly stopped beating.
She didn't notice it and continued chatting with Eleventh Lady: "When I was young, I often read in that warm room. What is the warm room used for now?"
Everyone in the room heard her voice.
Eleventh Lady lowered her voice and said, "When it snowed in the winter, mother would have people light a fire under the ground, and we sisters would do needlework there. It was bright and warm."
Yuanniang smiled and turned to the ladies sitting nearby and said, "I am not in good spirits, so I will accompany you to listen to this half of the story. It is my token of my appreciation."
The maids changed the tea for everyone quietly.
Everyone said, "That's right, go and take a rest!"
Yuanniang smiled and said, "I heard there will be fireworks tonight. I will go and see the fun later."
The old lady and the first wife both showed hesitation. But the old lady was the mother-in-law after all, so some things were hard to say. The first wife was more direct and asked, "Can you hold on?"
Yuanniang looked at the Fifth Lady and said, "Just as Danyang said, I am always locked up at home. Even if I am not sick, I will get sick. What's more, if I am sick, I should move more."
The fifth lady nodded repeatedly with a smile.
Before the eldest wife could say anything, Yuanniang smiled and said, "Don't worry, mother. I'll just rest in the yard next door. If I can, I'll come out to accompany you. If not, I'll just watch in the yard... Don't blame me for being rude then."
Everyone responded with "OK".
The Madam called Madam Du, who had just gone to open the warehouse to get the kite for Miss Gan and Shi Niang, and said, "Take a few people to clean up, and then stay by her side to serve. The Fourth Madam has someone to serve her when she needs tea or water."
"Thank you for your kindness, mother." Yuanniang declined politely, "I have Madam Wen and Mother Tao by my side. You can't be without someone by your side either." After saying that, she paused and looked at Shiyi Niang, "Sister, please come over and talk to me." She looked at the lady again, "If I have anything to say, it's not too late to call Mother Du."
"That's fine!" The eldest wife tucked in the thin blanket on Yuanniang's body. "Eleventh Lady has always been calm and steady. I feel relieved to have her by your side!"
When the lady saw this, she said nothing more and just nodded.
The Fifth Lady escorted Yuanniang over, but was persuaded to go back after she left the wing room: "... There are so many people in the room, I would just cause trouble if I came here. I want to see all the fun. Please help me show my filial piety to mother."
The gongs and drums over there have already started to sound.
The Fifth Lady looked at Eleventh Lady, Madam Wen, Mother Tao, and the maids and wives who surrounded Yuan Niang, nodded with a smile, and then walked them to the entrance of the hall and turned back.
After entering the hall, Yuanniang gestured to put down the sedan chair and said, "Let Shiyi Niang help me walk. You can rest here."
"How can that be possible?" Mother Tao immediately objected.
Yuanniang waved her hand with a resolute look on her face.
Everyone fell silent.
Madam Wen smiled and said, "How about I help you clean up the house? There are not many people living there. Although we clean it every day, there is bound to be dust..."
"No need." Yuan Niang smiled, "I'm just looking for a place to talk to Eleventh Sister."
She refused again, leaving everyone in the hallway.
Eleventh Lady half-carried Yuanniang out of the hall and slowly entered the small courtyard.
The Taishi Lake is higher than the eaves, blocking the view of the entrance. Facing you is the swaying green bamboo. The lively sound of gongs can be heard faintly from behind, making the environment of the courtyard even more tranquil.
"I used to take medicine every day and became as fat as a pig." She laughed at herself, but her voice was cold. "Now even you can't help me!"
Yuanniang is half a head taller than Shiyi Niang.
"I was just bloated before!" Eleventh Lady said gently, "I lost weight naturally after I stopped taking the medicine."
Yuanniang stopped and glanced at Shiyi Niang: "You are quite good at comforting people!" She raised her eyebrows with a sharp look.
Eleventh Lady smiled slightly.
But I secretly thought in my heart that when she was not sick, she must have been a very sharp person!
She looked composed and had a graceful and elegant demeanor.
When Yuanniang saw this, a hint of surprise flashed across her eyes, then the corners of her mouth slightly curled up, and she lowered her head and walked forward.
People who stay in sick rooms for a long time always develop some strange tempers that others cannot understand. No matter why Yuanniang is surprised, as long as she treats them sincerely, I think nothing big will happen!
Eleventh Lady smiled and carried Yuanniang, walking around the Taihu rocks towards the main house.
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The power went out again! However, in order to avoid being criticized by everyone, I decided to update twice today... O(∩_∩)O haha~
Also: I would like to recommend a fantasy novel to everyone - "Phoenix Coming to Another World".
Book number: 1662656
Synopsis: Fengwu Heiner, a time traveler who has lived two lives, initially wanted to become a magician and change her fate because of her childhood full of human indifference. However, once the wheel of fate turns, everything is out of her control...
The work of Liu Qing who wrote "New First-class Cultivation" is very reliable. (*^__^*) Hehe...