Chapter 222: Defeat Green Tea with Green Tea and Fall in Love with the Warlord (1)
Summer, the second year of the Republic of China.
It had rained heavily all night, and at daybreak, the plants in the yard were still covered with moisture and water droplets, and the air still smelled of damp earth. But in just a moment, the area behind the stage was bustling with activity.
The elementary school boy, Shitou, carrying a bottle of hot water in both hands and a towel draped over his shoulders, stepped through the small puddles on the ground as he headed towards the theater's east room. The sound of water dripping onto the ground was particularly crisp, and the clatter of his feet in the puddles was also particularly noticeable. On the way, he occasionally encountered a few young apprentices on their way to practice martial arts, and they all yawned and greeted Shitou.
Little Stone was holding something in his hands and could hardly move. He could only nod. He smiled and walked to the door of the east room and cleared his throat. "Sir, are you awake?"
"Get up, come in." A gentle voice came from the room, warm and soft, with a crisp tone, and it was particularly pleasant to hear. Little Stone, with a smile on his face, pushed the door open and walked in.
"Sir, I'll go get someone to prepare the meal."
"I'm not asking you to take a good rest. You don't need to do this kind of work." The person in the room turned around and frowned when he saw Xiao Shitou's expression, but he felt a little helpless. "Why don't you sleep a little longer?"
Little Stone shook his head, waved his hands, and smiled sheepishly, "Sir, let me do something for you."
Li Ziyan also knew what the child meant, so he didn't say much. He walked up to Xiao Shitou and touched his head.
The boy's face flushed red after being touched. He turned around and patted his head with a chuckle. It's no wonder he was embarrassed; Li Ziyan was simply too good-looking. His cheeks were a little thin, but his face was perfectly shaped. His willow-shaped eyebrows were particularly delicate on his face, yet not out of place. What was most captivating was his eyes, slightly tilted upwards, which gave off an extra touch of tenderness.
"Little Stone, I'll eat after I finish my practice. Go eat something first."
"Sir, I'll accompany you." Xiao Shitou looked at Li Ziyan with a little anxiety in his eyes. Li Ziyan looked at the other's pure eyes and finally nodded.
He could understand Xiao Shitou's feelings and thoughts. He had rescued Xiao Shitou from the suburbs some time ago. Their village had been attacked by the Japanese and everyone was killed. He had escaped from the mountains. Li Ziyan happened to be outing in the mountains with the disciples of the Liyuan that day and that's how he saved him.
Little Stone was alone, with no family, so Li Ziyan took him in at the opera house out of pity. It was just a life of dependence, and even though Li Ziyan treated Little Stone well, Little Stone remained true to his duty.
"Little Stone doesn't listen to me anymore?"
"No! Listen to you, sir!"
"Then let's have breakfast first. Xiao Shitou is still young and needs to grow. I will go to eat after I finish practicing." Li Ziyan smiled, making Xiao Shitou's face redder. Seeing that the other party nodded, he smiled and wiped the water droplets on his face, and took Xiao Shitou out.
Warming up his voice, stretching his muscles, Li Ziyan's slender and graceful figure moved around the courtyard, attracting the attention of many disciples. He was the youngest female role in the opera house, yet the oldest among them, and many had to call him "senior brother." He was also the most talented and well-endowed among them. From his appearance, his voice, to his physique, everything was a gift from heaven.
But he was also a diligent person, never lazy, and practiced his skills to the utmost. Although he was only twenty, he was already a well-known and famous actor in the capital. Many opera lovers came to their opera house, even if tickets were hard to come by, just to hear Li Ziyan sing. However, naturally, many people were attracted by Li Ziyan's face and had bad intentions.
After practicing, Li Ziyan changed into his robe and sat in the bedroom to eat some food. He had a play to perform in the afternoon and had to be in the best condition.
"Sir, I heard that the Han family's warlord returned to Beijing yesterday."
"Hmm? The warlord of the Han family?"
"Yes, it's Marshal Han from the Han Mansion!" Little Shitou's eyes lit up at the mention of Marshal Han. After all, the Han family was a prominent warlord in their capital. Everyone knew that there was the Han family in the north and the Li family in the south. If the north was stable, it was thanks to Marshal Han's campaigns, fighting the Russians and the Japs. "Yesterday, when I was buying groceries, I heard them say that Marshal Han had just returned from the south and was coming to see an opera with the old lady from the Han Mansion."
Li Ziyan did not stop putting makeup on her face, but lowered her eyes. Somehow, when Xiao Shitou mentioned the word "Han", his heart trembled inexplicably. He always felt as if he knew this Marshal Han, but no matter whether it was the original memory of this body or his own mind, there was no trace of Marshal Han.
Li Ziyan chuckled in his heart, feeling helpless about his own thoughts, and then continued to act.
"Then you must tell them to wait on you. This is a great warlord and also our hero. We can't let him go home dissatisfied."
"Of course. I see that my brothers and the others have already made preparations. Don't worry."
Li Ziyan nodded slightly, licked the lipstick paper, and the color of her lips became more delicate.
At around 3 pm, the long-awaited opera show finally began. The seats below the stage were full of people, and the tea tables were also crowded with people. If it weren't for the rules of their opera house, I'm afraid there would be passers-by who would want to climb over the wall to listen to the opera.
Directly below the stage was a sandalwood eight-immortal table, on which was placed a cup of tea, a plate of melon seeds, and a tray of snacks, quite exquisite. Amidst a commotion, several people approached the door.
The most eye-catching person was the man in a dark grey military uniform. The palm-wide leather belt showed off his slender figure, and the knee-high black riding boots wrapped around his straight and slender calves. The pair of eyes not covered by the brim of his hat were particularly sharp, as if carrying a murderous aura.
Some of the women hiding behind the stage blushed secretly as they looked at his handsome face with distinct features.
The man helped the elderly lady beside him to sit at the middle table. After the old lady was seated, he sat down beside her. Everyone knew that this was the Han general - Han Zhiyao. The old lady beside him was the old lady of the Han family, and Han Zhiyao's grandmother.
The people from the opera house served tea to Han Zhiyao and the old lady, then stood aside and said respectfully, "Marshal Han and Old Lady Han, please wait a moment. Our show will begin soon."
"Hahaha, don't worry, don't worry. Tell Mr. Yan not to worry and don't disturb him. I'm really looking forward to his performance!"
"Of course." The man nodded, a smile on his face, and said goodbye to the two of them and went backstage.
Li Ziyan has already made up his face. The paint on his face does not hide his appearance, but instead gives the character a more exquisite soul.
"Mr. Yan, it's time to go on stage."
"Understood. I'll go up right away."
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