Chapter 259: 戏

"We don't have white flour, only sorghum flour and cornmeal. Do you want those?" asked the thin old man, who was squatting on a large square stone with a big porcelain bowl in his hands, to Lü Zhuangyuan, who was asking about grain.

"Aren't there fields full of grain? Why no white flour? We're paying, not stealing," Lü Zhuangyuan said, sounding a bit unwilling to accept this.

Coarse grains were edible, but they weren't as good as refined grains. Besides, they weren't spending their own money, so there was no need to economize.

The thin old man shook his head like a rattle. "That won't do. All the white flour must be saved for taxes to the officials. If I can't pay the grain tax, they'll take my son away to be a laborer."

"Young Taoist master, look at this..." Lü Zhuangyuan turned his head and cast an inquiring glance at Li Huowang, who was stroking Mantou's head.

After receiving approval, Lü Zhuangyuan turned back to the old man and said, "Alright, coarse grain it is. We're buying a lot, so you'll have to give us a discount."

As sacks of grain were loaded onto the cart, the wheels sank slightly into the dirt.

However, buying so much had its benefits; at least the other party agreed to lend two empty granaries for Li Huowang and his group to stay.

Even though all the grain they bought was coarse, Yang Xiaohai could still make wonders with it.

Sticky mixed-grain dough was pressed around the black pot, baking into charred yellow pancakes.

In the middle of the pancakes was soup made from leftover mutton bones from the previous day. Yellow pancakes with mutton bone soup were their dinner.

Although the meal was simple, it tasted excellent.

"Young Taoist master, this place is crowded. Tonight, we should send a few more people to guard the sheep. Otherwise, some scoundrel might come and steal them," Lü Zhuangyuan said, holding his bowl and reminding Li Huowang, who was eating a baked pancake.

"It's fine. Just let Mantou sleep among the sheep tonight; she'll bark if anyone tries to steal them." Li Huowang tossed the mutton bone, stripped clean of meat, onto the ground. Mantou, who was squatting under his stool, immediately rushed forward, picked it up with her mouth, and dragged it away.

She held one end with her front paws and gnawed on it with relish, making crunching sounds.

"One dog isn't enough. How about this, I'll send my youngest son to guard with the dog. I just found out the price; these sheep are worth a lot once we leave Qingqiu."

Seeing that Li Huowang didn't refuse, Lü Zhuangyuan smiled contentedly, feeling a surge of pride. "Hey, our Lü family troupe is useful again!"

"Your daughter-in-law gave birth outside on her own. Is she alright? Should we find a midwife here on the estate to check on her?"

"It's fine, no trouble at all. She's already given birth once; the second time is no different from passing stool. Uh... young Taoist master, my apologies, one shouldn't talk about such things during a meal."

Just as the group was eating inside the crude granary, they heard some commotion outside.

Gouwa, squatting by the doorway, turned to glance at Li Huowang inside. He grabbed a yellow pancake from the pot, stuffed it into his mouth, and then, holding his bowl, walked out curiously.

Silence fell inside the room, broken only by the slurping of soup and the soft chewing sounds. The cornmeal pancakes were sticky, making it impossible to eat them quickly, so everyone had to chew slowly.

Not long after, Gouwa walked back in, an empty bowl in hand and a joyful expression on his face. "Hey! Do you know what I saw?"

The others glanced at him, continuing to eat their dinner, largely ignoring him.

Seeing that no one was responding, and to save his friend from embarrassment, Scholar Lü opportunely asked, "What did you see?"

Gouwa put down his bowl and clapped his hands excitedly. "I just saw a troupe performing opera! Men and women! They're setting up a stage at the village entrance right now!"

At this news, Li Huowang and his companions showed no immediate reaction, but every member of the Lü family troupe instantly perked up their ears.

If there was such a thing as naked hatred in the world, rivalry among peers certainly qualified.

"Aiya~!" Lü Zhuangyuan put his bowl on the ground, wiped his mouth with both sides of his sleeve, straightened his habitually hunched back with an effort, and strutted out like a rooster.

"Let's go! Let's see how the opera of the Great Liang Kingdom is performed!"

Li Huowang looked up at his receding back, then continued eating his fragrant, glutinous yellow pancake.

Lü Zhuangyuan was indifferent to most matters, but whenever he encountered fellow opera performers, he became exceptionally alert, as if injected with a stimulant.

Li Huowang didn't care much for it, but for the others, it was a great temptation. They had been traveling all day, with no chance to relax.

Hearing that there was an opera performance, the others couldn't sit still. They began to gobble down their food, and as soon as they finished, they put down their bowls and headed outside.

"Senior Brother Li, let's go take a look too."

"Yes, Taoist, let's go see it. I love watching opera the most."

"No."

"Senior Brother Li, please! Let's go, it's really beautiful. I used to love being held by my grandma, standing in the crowd watching plays," Bai Lingmiao gently tugged Li Huowang's arm, her voice taking on a hint of playful pleading.

"Yes, go on, Taoist, I beg you." The monk, dressed in tattered robes, leaned in on Li Huowang's other side, his eyes full of yearning.

Li Huowang watched the monk in front of him, his lips moving slightly, but he ultimately swallowed the curse words he was about to utter.

He put down his bowl and strode out, followed immediately by cheers from Bai Lingmiao and the monk behind him.

When he arrived outside, the previously spacious village entrance had become very crowded. People were perched on walls and trees, and by the looks of it, everyone from the estate had come. The Lü family troupe members were also among them.

Li Huowang, holding Bai Lingmiao's hand, took a few steps and hopped onto a rooftop. He sat on the hard tiles, watching the brightly lit stage in the distance.

To ensure a clear view, the performers had hung many lanterns on the stage, making it the brightest spot in the area.

"Qiang qiang qiang qiang~" Accompanied by the distinctive music of opera, a red-faced general, with six banners on his back and two long pheasant feathers on his head, ascended the stage to the rhythm of the steps.

He danced a few steps with the white double maces in his hands to the music. After his dramatic entrance, the music stopped, and he immediately began to sing, his resolute vocal style powerful and bold.

"Hark! The golden drums thunder!!Awaken my ambition to break through the heavenly gate!Recall the might of my swift steed in former days!While I live, my duty must be fulfilled!Not an inch of land shall fall to others!"

"Bravo!!"

Hearing Bai Lingmiao beside him clap her hands along with the monk's cheers, Li Huowang first turned to look at her joyful profile, then lifted his gaze to the performer on the stage.

Listening to the lyrics, it seemed to describe the inner thoughts of a general from the Great Liang Kingdom before embarking on a campaign. However, Li Huowang didn't know which play it was, who the general was, or where he was going to war.

But he had been persuaded to come in the first place and didn't care about the plot, simply watching along with the others in a daze.

Initially, Li Huowang thought this opera was no different from Master Lü's performances, apart from the 'yi yi ah ah' vocal style. However, he soon noticed something different.