Notes on Longevity

Chapter 34 You'an expresses gratitude in the backyard, while Xiaoshuang suffers difficulties in the front yard.

"Shuping, you're still sleeping. Get up quickly."

"Shuping?"

A gentle shoving and soft sounds slowly woke Shuping from that dream.

He opened his sleepy eyes, and through his blurry vision, he could only see someone sitting beside his bed. After rubbing his eyes and looking closely, he realized that the person was Zhang Wanyi.

"What are you doing here?" Shu Ping asked in alarm when she saw who was sitting next to her bed. "No, how can a woman like you just enter a man's room like that?"

Shu Ping looked at Zhang Wanyi, his expression changing from fear to panic. He could barely speak clearly when he was talking to Zhang Wanyi just now.

“Everyone else has gone on stage, and the troupe leader has gone to see the guests.” Zhang Wanyi said, getting up from Shuping’s bed, clapping her hands, and smiling, “You all came back late last night, and the troupe leader wanted you to sleep a little longer, but two guests came unexpectedly, so he asked me to come and wake you up.”

"Then you could have just called me at the door. Why did you have to come inside?" When Shu Ping saw Zhang Wanyi get up, he quickly sat up, pulled the blanket over his exposed upper body, leaving only his two strong arms exposed.

“The troupe leader and guests are in the living room next door. What am I doing shouting like that?” Zhang Wanyi rolled her eyes at Shuping. “Anyway, get up quickly. There are a lot of people today. Don’t be late.”

After Zhang Wanyi finished speaking, she stared at Shu Ping sitting on the bed and smiled gently before leaving the room.

"No, what's wrong with this woman? Her smile is so creepy." Shu Ping broke out in a cold sweat when he saw Zhang Wanyi's smiling face, feeling a chill run down his spine.

But he didn't think much of it, and after grumbling for a moment, he quickly got up.

After he changed his clothes, he strode out of the room. Just as he was about to turn down the steps into the front yard after passing through the living room, he was stopped: "Shuping, come here first."

Shu Ping's heart skipped a beat when he heard the troupe leader's voice. He wondered if the leader was going to scold him for oversleeping. Time was the biggest taboo in their line of work; if the play couldn't start on time because of his delay, the audience would cause trouble.

With an uneasy heart, he turned around, lowered his head, and nervously walked into the living room. He bowed to the smiling troupe leader in the main seat and said, "Tour leader, Shuping overslept. Please punish me."

"What punishment? Look up and see what's going on."

Shu Ping thought he was going to get scolded, but instead he heard the troupe leader's cheerful voice. He looked up at the troupe leader in confusion and saw him staring at him with a smile on his face.

Besides, there were two other people on either side of the main seat. One was standing and the other was sitting. The seated one was a young man dressed in gray, holding a folding fan in his hand, smiling at me. He looked to be around twenty years old.

Standing there was a young man, dressed in a blue robe, with delicate and handsome features. When I looked up at him, he smiled and bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you for saving me last night, Brother Shuping."

When the boy looked up, he immediately recognized him as Yang Youan, whom they had met the day before on their way back to the pear orchard, who was being chased by thugs.

When he saw Yang Youan's appearance clearly, he was about to say something when he heard the troupe leader say to him, "This young master, you've been standing at the entrance of the Pear Garden since early this morning, insisting on thanking you and Shuang'er in person. I sent Wanyi to call you, but you seemed to be heading towards the front courtyard. Didn't Wanyi tell you I was waiting for you in the living room?" "Yes, yes, I was just a little sleepy, please forgive me, troupe leader." Shu Ping smiled awkwardly, continuing the troupe leader's words while inwardly complaining: You didn't even tell me you were looking for me!

"It's alright," the troupe leader smiled at Shu Ping, then turned to Yang You'an and Zhang Ze'an and said, "My opera troupe is not what it used to be. Usually, there are hardly any people coming to watch the opera, so we let them sleep more. I just didn't expect that with the arrival of the two of you today, my opera troupe would suddenly have so many people here. I must thank you both for bringing this lively atmosphere to my opera troupe."

“Oh, you’re too kind, Master.” Upon hearing this, Zhang Ze’an stood up from his chair, cupped his hands to the Master, and said, “Your Pear Garden is known as the Imperial Garden. The people who have come today must be here for your Pear Garden. It has nothing to do with us. Moreover, I have been here when I was young. Although I did not understand these things at that time, I was still shocked by the huge crowds.”

Upon hearing Zhang Ze'an's words, the troupe leader laughed loudly, "Young master is quite the joker. Since the late emperor's passing, my opera troupe has declined day by day. If it weren't for the late emperor's edict, we might not even know where we are today."

"By the way, judging by the time, my daughter should be going to perform soon. Are you two gentlemen going to the front yard or staying here?" the troupe leader asked, changing the subject.

Upon hearing this, Yang Youan smiled at the troupe leader and said, "I am here to repay a life-saving debt. Let's go over there."

“Alright, Shuping, please take the two young masters to the front yard first. I will be there shortly.” The troupe leader stepped down from his seat and came to the middle of the living room. Shuping bowed to the troupe leader and said yes, then immediately said to the two young masters, “Please, both of you.”

Yang Youan smiled and said, "Please lead the way, Brother Shuping."

"polite."

Just as the group stepped out of the living room, a woman dressed in theatrical costume rushed up to them, her voice trembling with tears, and cried out, "Master, those people came again yesterday. They brought a lot of people with them. Miss, Miss was surrounded by them and they said they were going to take her away."

"What?" Upon hearing this, the troupe leader frowned angrily, gritting his teeth, "Not again?"

"Master, what happened?" Zhang Ze'an, who was standing to the side, frowned and asked.

"Let's go, I want to see who this person is!" Upon hearing that his daughter had been bullied again, the troupe leader ignored Zhang Ze'an's words and immediately headed towards the front yard. Shu Ping, who was standing nearby, rushed towards the front yard before the woman could finish speaking.

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen, I'll go take a look first." The troupe leader hadn't taken more than a few steps when he suddenly remembered Yang You'an and the other man, and immediately turned around to say to them.

Just as the two were about to speak, the troupe leader had already followed the woman out of the back courtyard. Seeing this, the two looked at each other, and Yang Youan spoke first: "Brother Zhang, you are very capable, let's go and help the troupe leader. After all, they saved me last night."

Zhang Ze'an smiled upon hearing this, "Let's go. I'm also quite curious about who dares to cause trouble here."

Beneath the stage in the front yard stood twenty or thirty strong young men dressed in various costumes. Their eyes were fixed on Xie Xiaoshuang, who was being protected by someone else in theatrical costume on stage.

Her makeup was ruined by tears, and although her petite figure was hiding behind the group, she still looked very helpless.

(End of this chapter)