As dusk fell, in the small courtyard on the west wing of the Zhao residence, Liu Tingting was standing alone under an old pear tree, her sleeves fluttering as she sang an excerpt from "A Dream in the Garden".
"It turns out that all the beautiful flowers are left to the broken wells and dilapidated walls..."
Her voice was like the song of a nightingale, clear and melodious, lingering in the quiet courtyard.
Since Liu Tingting entered the backyard of the Zhao Mansion, she has not performed opera for nearly a month. Today, when she talked with Zheng Wanqing and mentioned opera, her desire for opera was rekindled and she could not suppress it.
In the corridor, several personal maids stood quietly, already immersed in the beautiful singing, listening to it with such fascination that no one dared to make a sound to disturb them.
"Bang--"
The courtyard door was kicked open with brute force, and the old wooden door hit the wall heavily, making a dull sound.
Zhao Qingshan, with a gloomy face, strode into the yard with big strides, followed closely by two followers with grim faces.
Liu Tingting's singing came to an abrupt halt, and before she could retract her lightly dancing sleeves, Zhao Qingshan grabbed her wrist!
"Didn't I forbid you to sing opera anymore?" His voice was low and suppressed, like the dull thunder before a storm, rolling in, pressing people's chests and making them breathless. "You are now Liu Tingting, the fourth concubine of Zhao Qingshan, not some peony on the stage!"
Liu Tingting's wrist was pinched by him and it hurt, but she still raised her face stubbornly: "I... I was just practicing my voice casually."
"Train your voice?" Zhao Qingshan sneered, and his laughter was full of disdain and anger.
He shook her hand off, grabbed the teacup on the table, and smashed it hard on the ground. With a crisp "crash", the exquisite celadon cup instantly broke into four pieces, and the fragments flew and scattered on the ground.
The sudden sound was like a thunderclap, which frightened the maids so much that they couldn't help but scream in unison. Their bodies trembled like a group of frightened birds.
Zhao Qingshan's eyes were wide open, staring at Liu Tingting fiercely, as if he wanted to eat her alive: "Do you think I'm deaf or blind? Don't think I don't know what you're thinking!"
The maids were so frightened that they huddled back to the corners, lowered their heads, dared not breathe, their eyes filled with fear.
"If you follow me, what wealth and glory can't I give you?" Zhao Qingshan approached Liu Tingting step by step, and every step was oppressive. His voice was filled with uncontrollable anger, "Sarve silk, gold and silver jewelry, even this yard is decorated according to your preferences, what are you dissatisfied with? Do you have to touch that damn play?"
Liu Tingting's eyes were red and tears were welling up in them, but she still refused to bow her head and looked at Zhao Qingshan stubbornly: "I just like singing opera! I have been practicing since I was old enough to understand, and I have been practicing for more than ten years. Singing opera is my life! Why can't I sing because of your words?"
"Why?" Zhao Qingshan laughed in anger, with a hint of madness in his laughter, like a mad beast. He reached out and grabbed Liu Tingting's chin, forcing her to raise her head, his fingers digging deep into her skin.
"I'll tell you why now." As he spoke, he moved closer and bit her lips fiercely like a wolf. Suddenly, the taste of rust and blood mixed in her mouth. Liu Tingting widened her eyes in horror and tried to resist desperately. She beat his chest with her hands like raindrops and made a whimpering sound.
After a long time, Zhao Qingshan finally let her go. Liu Tingting's face was pale, with blood on the corners of her mouth, and she looked miserable. Zhao Qingshan wiped the blood from her mouth and said sarcastically: "Do you know? Just because you are my woman now! Actors are lowly, showing off on the stage to attract bees and butterflies. Now that you are my woman, Zhao Qingshan, you still want to sell your smiles in the theater? Let others laugh at me?"
Liu Tingting looked at the pity in the maids' eyes, and then looked at her embarrassed self in Zhao Qingshan's eyes, feeling humiliated. "I'm not a prostitute!" Liu Tingting's voice trembled and she cried, "Singing opera is my life! You locked me up and didn't let me go out, and I can't even hum a few lines of a song? I didn't marry you voluntarily, you threatened me with the troupe."
Zhao Qingshan's eyes were sharp, like two cold rays of light: "So what? I let you into the mansion and gave you a status, which is your greatest blessing. Here I am the sky, I can do whatever I say, and I can even take you here on the spot." As he spoke, his hands were like a rough gust of wind, tearing her cheongsam. The pearls on the plate were like beads with a broken string, flying and scattering, rolling on the ground.
"Not here, please." Liu Tingting finally broke down, tears welling up in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks and wetting her clothes.
Zhao Qingshan seemed not to hear her, and continued to move his hands. He buried his head and violently kissed her neck, leaving red marks.
Liu Tingting knew that Zhao Qingshan only treated her as a plaything and had no respect for her at all. The sound of clothes being torn was like a desperate wail, which made her heart sink to the bottom.
She slapped him hard on the face, the clear sound echoing in the yard, and she protested loudly: "I would rather sing until I die on the stage than be your fourth grandmother here!"
Zhao Qingshan's face suddenly changed, and he raised his hand to hit him.
"Master Zhao!" A maid rushed over in fear, knelt on the ground with a plop, hugged his legs, and cried: "Master Zhao, calm down! Fourth Madam was just confused for a moment..."
Zhao Qingshan's hands froze in mid-air, his chest heaving violently. His eyes were red as he stared at Liu Tingting's stubborn face, and finally he swung his sleeves hard and kicked over the pear wood low table next to him!
"Good! Very good!" He gritted his teeth and said, "Since you want to sing opera so much, from today on, you are not allowed to step out of this yard! I want to see, without the stage, who can you sing for with your voice!"
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