Chapter 30
Chapter 30
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 30
>Chapter Title: Performing Opera
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Just as Li Huowang was wondering what kind of play this was turning into, the farmers in the audience below started moving. They tossed one or two copper coins up onto the stage.
The audience were all farmers scraping by in the fields, so only a few tossed money. Most threw things like corn cobs or potatoes.
Those with a bit more at home might toss salted fish or cured meat.
But Luo Jinhua welcomed it all, thanking them profusely each time.
"So that's how opera troupes get paid?" Li Huowang realized.
Watching Luo Jinhua kneel humbly on stage, cradling her daughter while continuing her wailing aria, picking up the scattered items from the ground and placing them in her basket, bowing to those cheering below now and then.
He couldn't help but sigh. Earning a living like this wasn't easy.
As Luo Jinhua happily gathered her haul, a small chunk of silver flew up onto the stage.
Her eyes lit up. She snatched it up, weighed it lightly in her hand, and seeing it was at least five qian, immediately launched into her operatic voice, kowtowing toward the only man in silk in the crowd—a fat old gentleman.
"Good! Good! Excellent!!" The beaming old man looked up and tossed another chunk of silver, drawing waves of thanks from Luo Jinhua.
Li Huowang grew bored of the farce. He yawned, lay down on the rice stalk pile, and said to the more reliable Zhao Wu beside him, "I'll catch some shut-eye. Keep watch."
"Sure, Senior Brother."
When Li Huowang opened his eyes again, the sun was high in the sky. The others were chatting idly nearby. It looked like everyone had bunked down in this rice stalk pile for the night.
The distant opera stage had been dismantled, and the Lv family was packing the props into the cart.
"Zhao Wu, how many days of food do we have left?" Li Huowang suddenly asked.
"Not much. Rationing it, three days at most," Zhao Wu replied instantly.
Li Huowang pulled out the several dozen coppers he'd swindled from the Material Room, along with a small chunk of black silver, and handed them over. "Go exchange for some food in the village. Enough to last the road ahead."
There were over a dozen of them, all young lads, and they burned through food fast. They'd brought so many sacks from Clear Wind Temple, and now they were nearly gone.
Zhao Wu, riding on the Fool's back, was about to head into the village with him, but after a second thought, he beckoned over a decent-looking young Daoist boy. He placed the money in the boy's hand and quietly instructed him on something.
Li Huowang pushed himself up from the rice stalk pile with one hand and walked toward the distant opera stage.
"Old man, when do we set off?" Li Huowang asked Lv Zhuangyuan.
Lv Zhuangyuan looked anxious. "Young Daoist, please wait a bit. My daughter-in-law took Xiu'er off somewhere at dawn. We'll leave as soon as she's back."
Li Huowang paused in confusion. "Huh? She's gone? Isn't that her right there?"
Lv Zhuangyuan followed Li Huowang's pointing finger toward the village entrance, where Luo Jinhua approached, holding several feet of cloth and beaming with her daughter in her arms.
Seeing his unreliable daughter-in-law, Lv Zhuangyuan flew into a rage. He charged over with his pipe and unleashed a torrent of scolding.
Facing her father-in-law's fury, Luo Jinhua looked utterly innocent. "Wasn't it you who told me to get cloth in the village, Dad? You said it's cheaper than in town."
After venting his anger, Lv Zhuangyuan turned to Li Huowang with a fawning smile. "Young Daoist, all good now. Let's hit the road."
"Hey~! Dad, hold off. When I went to buy the cloth, I landed us a gig."
Hearing this, Li Huowang and Lv Zhuangyuan both turned to Luo Jinhua. "What gig?"
"What else? Opera, of course. The client's that rich gentleman who tipped the most last night! Go talk to him. He wants to discuss details."
At those words, Lv Zhuangyuan froze. He slowly turned, chuckling awkwardly at Li Huowang.
Though the man said nothing, Li Huowang read his expression clear enough. "No worries, Troupe Leader Lv. Business comes first. One more day won't hurt."
"Oh dear, oh dear, my apologies. This old man's off and back quick." Lv Zhuangyuan jammed his pipe behind his neck and eagerly dragged his daughter-in-law toward the village.
Li Huowang returned to the rice stalk pile. With nothing to do, he took out the deflated Daoist bell and examined it closely.
If he could really command the Wandering Lord, it would boost his strength immensely.
Too bad it wouldn't summon now. He needed to fix it somehow.
He inspected it thoroughly several times. Nothing else seemed wrong; the only issue was the dented bell wall.
"What if I just hammer it back into shape? Would it work then?"
Li Huowang thought for a moment, placed a square stone under the bell, picked up another stone, and struck hard at the bulging side.
But the moment the stone hit, a piercing ring echoed out. Li Huowang's head split with pain; he nearly dropped the stone.
"That won't do. Gotta find a blacksmith in the village." Li Huowang shook his throbbing head.
Just then, he spotted the Daoist boys dragging two sacks toward them.
He pocketed the bell and hurried over with Zhao Wu on the Fool's back.
"Senior Brother Li, this is all we got." The boys' young faces were filled with unease. Though children, they were sensible and capable—the senseless ones had long been killed by Danyangzi.
Li Huowang tugged open the sack to reveal dried sweet potatoes inside.
"Senior Brother, this dry stuff won't last long. The Fool alone downs a jin and a half per meal, and too much gives you heartburn."
Zhao Wu's words made the burly, bald-headed Fool hang his head in shame. "You... you guys... don't... don't leave me... I'll... eat less!"
With food running low, Li Huowang stared at the sacks, pondering solutions.
Lv Zhuangyuan had said Jianye was still far off. If they ran out midway, this dozen-plus group couldn't very well chew tree bark.
He reached into his robe again and pulled out a gold ring tied with red string.
After a moment's thought, Li Huowang slipped it into the hand of Bai Lingmiao, who was trailing behind holding his robe hem.
"Take this to trade." He pulled out Xuanyang's jade pendant and handed it to Zhao Wu.
"Senior Brother, how? No pawnshops in the village, and these dirt farmers can't make change. They might not even know what it is."
"If even the jade pendant won't get us food, what then?" As Li Huowang fretted over the food crisis, he saw Lv Zhuangyuan approaching with his daughter-in-law.
"Um, young Daoist, this old man's run into a spot of trouble with the gig. Could you lend a hand?" Lv Zhuangyuan looked deeply embarrassed.
"Troupe Leader Lv, I can't sing opera. Doubt I can help with your trouble." Li Huowang found it absurd. Did the man expect him to go on stage and sword-dance?
"No, no, you can help. It's just..." Lv Zhuangyuan glanced around furtively, leaned in, and whispered, "That Master Hu wants us to perform a ghost play."
(End of chapter)