030 Performing Opera

Just as Li Huowang was scratching his head, wondering what on earth was going on, the peasants sitting below the stage, engrossed in the opera, suddenly sprang into action. One by one, they fished out one or two copper coins from their pockets and tossed them onto the stage with a clatter.

The audience was made up of simple peasants, toiling day in and day out in the fields to make ends meet. Only a handful of them could afford to throw money. Most of them, instead, hurled corncobs and potatoes - the very staples that kept them alive - onto the stage.

Those families with a bit more wealth, if you could call it that, at most threw some salted fish and cured meat. It was a meager offering, but it was all they had.

Luo Juanhua, however, took it all in stride. With a humble bow for each and every offering, she accepted them all with grace and gratitude.

"So, this is how opera performers make a living?" Li Huowang mused to himself, finally grasping the situation.

He watched as Luo Juanhua knelt on the stage, her daughter nestled in her arms. With a voice that was both mournful and melodious, she continued to sing as she reached out to pick up the offerings from the ground and place them in a basket. Every now and then, she would pause to bow to the cheering crowd below.

A heavy sigh escaped Li Huowang's lips. Making a living in this world was no easy feat, that was for sure.

Just as Luo Juanhua was busy collecting the offerings, a small piece of broken silver landed on the stage with a dull thud.

Her eyes lit up like a pair of lanterns. Reaching out with a trembling hand, she picked up the silver and weighed it gently in her palm. Realizing that it was at least five qian, she immediately adopted an operatic tone and, while singing, kowtowed to the fat old man in silk - the only one in the crowd dressed so ostentatiously.

"Good! Good! Good! You're singing so well!" The old man, his face as red as a ripe apple, looked up and tossed another piece of broken silver onto the stage. Luo Juanhua's thanks rang out like a chorus of birdsong.

Li Huowang was quickly growing tired of this farce. Yawning widely, he lay down on the straw pile and said to Zhao Wu, who was sitting relatively steadily beside him, "I'm going to take a little nap. Keep an eye on things, will you?"

"Okay, senior brother."

When Li Huowang opened his eyes again, the sun was already high in the sky, bathing the world in a warm, golden glow. The others were chatting animatedly around him, their voices blending into a harmonious symphony. It seemed that everyone had spent the night huddled together in this straw pile, seeking shelter from the cold and the elements.

In the distance, the opera stage had been dismantled, and the Lu family members were busy stuffing the props into the carriage boxes. It was a scene of organized chaos, a flurry of activity as they prepared to move on to the next destination.

"Zhao Wu, how much food do we have left?" Li Huowang suddenly asked, his voice cutting through the chatter like a knife through butter.

"Not much. If we save it, it'll last at most three days." Zhao Wu replied without hesitation, his voice as calm and steady as a rock.

Li Huowang reached into his bosom and took out dozens of copper coins and a small piece of black silver that he had swindled from the supply room. He handed them to Zhao Wu and said, "Go to the village and exchange them for some food. We'll need enough for the journey."

There were more than a dozen of them, and they were all young and strong men with healthy appetites. The food consumption was extremely high. They had brought so many bags of food from Qingfeng Temple, but now it was almost all gone. It was a sobering thought, a reminder of the harsh realities of life on the road.

Zhao Wu, who was lying on the back of the fool, was about to ask the fool to go into the village. But after a moment's thought, he waved over a better - looking young Taoist boy. He put the money into the boy's hand and whispered something to him, his words lost in the wind.

Li Huowang propped himself up on the straw pile with one hand and walked towards the distant opera stage. His steps were slow and deliberate, as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Sir, when shall we set off?" Li Huowang asked Lu Zhuangyuan, his voice filled with a sense of urgency.

Lu Zhuangyuan looked a bit anxious at this moment, his eyes darting around like a caged animal. "Young Taoist priest, please wait a moment. My daughter - in - law took Xiu'er and went somewhere early this morning. We'll set off as soon as she comes back."

Li Huowang was very puzzled. "Huh? Missing? Isn't that her?"

When Lu Zhuangyuan looked in the direction Li Huowang was pointing at towards the village entrance, he saw Luo Juanhua holding a few feet of cloth and walking towards them with a big smile, her daughter in her arms. She looked like a picture of happiness and contentment, completely oblivious to the anger that was boiling inside her father - in - law.

Seeing his irresponsible daughter - in - law, Lu Zhuangyuan flew into a rage. He rushed over with his tobacco rod, his face contorted with anger, and scolded her mercilessly. His words were like a storm, lashing out at her with all the force of his pent - up frustration.

Facing her father - in - law's anger, Luo Juanhua looked extremely innocent. "Father, didn't you tell me to go to the village to buy some cloth? You said the cloth in the town was expensive..."

After venting his anger, Lu Zhuangyuan turned around and said to Li Huowang with a smiling face, "Young Taoist priest, it's okay now. Let's go."

"Hey~! Father, don't go yet. I got us a business deal when I went to buy the cloth."

Hearing this, Li Huowang and Lu Zhuangyuan both looked at Luo Juanhua, their eyes wide with surprise. "What kind of business?"

"What kind of business can we do? Of course, it's an opera - performing business. The employer is the master who gave the most rewards last night! Go and have a look. He said he has something to discuss with you in detail."

Hearing this, Lu Zhuangyuan couldn't move his feet. He slowly turned around and smiled awkwardly at Li Huowang, his face a picture of embarrassment.

Although the other party didn't say a word, Li Huowang of course understood what he meant. "It doesn't matter. Mr. Lu, making money is more important. It's just a matter of waiting one more day."

"Oh dear, how sinful of me. I'll be back soon." After saying that, Lu Zhuangyuan stuck his tobacco rod around his neck and happily dragged his daughter - in - law towards the village. His steps were light and springy, as if he had just won the lottery.

Li Huowang returned to the straw pile. Having nothing to do, he picked up the deflated Taoist bell and examined it carefully. His eyes were like a hawk's, scanning every inch of the bell for clues.

If he could really summon Lord You, it would undoubtedly greatly enhance his strength. It was like a dream come true, a glimmer of hope in the darkness.

It was a pity that he couldn't summon it now. He had to find a way to fix it. It was a challenge, but Li Huowang was not one to back down from a challenge.

He looked at it back and forth several times and found that everything else was fine. The only problem seemed to be the deflated bell wall. It was a small problem, but it was enough to prevent him from using the bell.

"So, if I can reshape it, can I use it again?"

Li Huowang thought for a moment. He placed a square stone under the copper bell and then picked up another stone and struck the bulging side hard. His arm was like a piston, driving the stone into the bell with all his might.

As soon as the stone hit the bell, a shrill ringing sound immediately rang out. Li Huowang's head ached so much that he could hardly hold the stone in his hand. It was like a thousand needles stabbing into his brain, a sharp and painful reminder of the power of the bell.

"This won't work. I have to ask if there's a blacksmith in this village." Li Huowang shook his drowsy head vigorously, trying to clear the cobwebs from his mind.

Just then, Li Huowang saw the young Taoist boys dragging two bags towards them. Their faces were red and sweaty, their muscles straining under the weight of the bags.

He put away the Taoist bell and rushed over there together with Zhao Wu on the fool's back. His heart was pounding with anticipation, hoping that the bags were filled with food.

"Senior brother Li, we only managed to exchange for these." The young Taoist boy's innocent face was full of uneasiness. Although they were just children, they were very sensible and capable. After all, those who were not sensible had been killed by Danyangzi.

Li Huowang reached out and opened the sack and found that it was filled with dried sweet potatoes. It was a meager offering, but it was better than nothing.

"Senior brother, these tasteless things won't last long. The fool can eat one and a half catties in one meal, and eating too much of this stuff gives you heartburn."

Zhao Wu's words made the honest, bald - headed fool hang his head in shame. "You... you... don't... don't leave me... I... I'll eat less!"

The food was running out. Li Huowang looked at the sacks in front of him, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a solution. It was a race against time, a battle for survival.

According to Lu Zhuangyuan, it was still a long way to Jianye City. If they ran out of food on the way, surely the more than a dozen of them couldn't go and eat tree bark. It was a terrifying thought, a nightmare that he didn't want to think about.

He reached into his bosom again and took out a gold ring wrapped with a red string. It was a precious heirloom, a symbol of his past and his future.

After thinking for a while, he put it into the hand of Bai Lingmiao, who was holding the corner of his clothes behind him. His touch was gentle, his eyes filled with trust.

"Go and exchange this for something." Li Huowang took out Xuanyang's jade pendant and handed it to Zhao Wu. His voice was firm, his resolve unwavering.

"Senior brother, how can we exchange this? There's no pawnshop in the village, and others can't make change. Moreover, these peasants may not recognize its value."

"If the jade pendant can't be exchanged for food, what should we do?" Just as Li Huowang was troubled by the food crisis, he saw Lu Zhuangyuan leading his daughter - in - law walking towards him. His steps were slow and hesitant, as if he was carrying a heavy burden on his back.

"Um, young Taoist priest, I've run into some trouble with my business. Could you do me a favor?" Lu Zhuangyuan looked extremely embarrassed, his face flushed with shame.

"Mr. Lu, I don't know how to perform opera. I'm afraid I can't help with your trouble." Li Huowang thought it was extremely absurd. Did he want him to go on stage and perform a sword dance? It was a ridiculous idea, a laughable thought.

"No, no. You can help. It's just..." At this point, Lu Zhuangyuan looked around furtively, leaned over, and whispered, "That Lord Hu wants me to perform a ghost opera..."