The Story of a Spoiled Daughter Raising a Husband

"Don't worry, your income will not be less than it is now, on the contrary, it will be more." Tong Qian guessed that he would be unhappy when she saw his expression.

The teahouse owner's complexion visibly improved, but he still had many doubts and didn't say anything more.

Once he agrees, the rest will be easy.

The dizzying pace finally stopped, and the troupe leader paused, saying, "Do it your way."

At this rate, the opera troupe probably won't last much longer and will have to find another way out.

Tong Qian nodded in satisfaction. "Then I'll come again tomorrow. You go back..." She glanced at the opera troupe on the stage and said meaningfully, "Discuss it with them."

Once this troupe leader is dealt with, seven-tenths of the matter will be settled. Tong Qian really doesn't want to deal with the remaining three-tenths today.

The group left the place in a grand procession.

"Master, why did you agree?"

"That woman is only a teenager. I think she's spouting nonsense. How can I believe her?"

"yes……"

As soon as the group stepped out of that door, the members of the opera troupe began to discuss the matter. Although they couldn't hear clearly because of the distance, they roughly knew what had happened.

They were all veterans of the opera troupe. Several of their leading performers had left, and business had become increasingly sluggish. Their monthly wages were meager, and now they were on their last legs, in danger of collapsing at any moment.

It's better than having nowhere to live. The old troupe leader has fallen for that woman's trick, and their future is in grave danger.

For a moment, everyone chattered amongst themselves, their expressions of worry deepening.

The old troupe leader remained silent throughout, his brows furrowed tightly.

He's now going all in. He's lived most of his life and this is the first time he's taken such a risk. He can't help but feel worried.

He sat by the wooden table for a long time, and quietly left while everyone was arguing most heatedly.

The next day, Tong Qian was woken up early in the morning. She sat groggily on the donkey cart. Ji Xiuping closed the door and stuffed the things he had been carrying into his arms into her hands.

The aroma of food wafted into her nose, dispelling her drowsiness. Tong Qian opened her eyes and saw the pancake in her hand.

"We're in a real rush today, so please make do with what you have and don't go hungry."

Ji Xiuping looked at her gently and handed her the water pouch.

Tong Qian gazed quietly at the object in her hand, and suddenly felt a warm glow in her heart.

"how about you?"

Ji Xiuping, who was already on the donkey cart, turned around and smiled when he heard this, "I've already eaten."

By the time I arrived in town, it was already broad daylight, and the lingering drowsiness had vanished.

Tong Qian took the storybook to the opera troupe. Since it was still early and the troupe leader hadn't arrived yet, she found a place to sit down by herself.

After traveling for a long time, I felt a little hungry, so I took out half a pancake from my pocket and ate it slowly.

Ji Xiuping lifted the curtain and came in, and this was the scene he saw. He frowned slightly and took her things.

"I'll go buy you red bean cakes, you can't eat this."

Seeing his expression, Tong Qian's heart softened slightly, but she still smiled and asked, "Why?"

She deliberately raised her chin slightly, her eyebrows curving into a beautiful arc.

A blush crept onto Ji Xiuping's handsome face, and his ears turned bright red from being stared at by that teasing gaze.

Tong Qian couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Then I'll be going now." He fled in panic.

There happened to be a market today, but the place selling red bean cakes was quite a distance away, and it would take an hour or two to get there and back.

Before the red bean cakes arrived, the troupe leader came first, presumably having been notified in advance, and everyone was already there.

Tong Qian ignored the stares that were glued to her, "Did the troupe leader tell them everything?"

The group of people didn't seem too convinced; they all raised their eyes, practically pointing their noses at me.

Anyone with a normal sense of their hostility could feel it, let alone Tong Qian.

The troupe leader looked tired, indicating he hadn't slept well the night before, and remained silent upon hearing this.

Tong Qian understood immediately upon seeing this.

It seems that the ideological work has not been done well enough.

“Here,” she handed over the storybook, “show it to them.”

Talking without evidence is useless; whether something is good or bad, you should see it first.

The troupe leader took the storybook, and his previously listless expression instantly became excited, as if he had been injected with chicken blood, and he held it up to him as if it were a precious treasure.

Seeing his reaction, someone nearby couldn't help but glance at him, and as they looked, they moved closer.

"Hey, hey," someone patted him on the shoulder, "what's that written?"

Most of the actors in the troupe had learned their craft from a young age. Their families were so poor that they could only afford to feed them and didn't have enough money to go to school. The vast majority of them were illiterate.

Those who could read crowded around, surrounding the storybook so tightly that it was impossible to see anything.

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!" someone exclaimed, clapping in amazement.

He occasionally let out a gasp of surprise, which made the other illiterate people very anxious.

"How does the class leader think this notebook compares to yesterday's?"

“Each has its own merits,” the troupe leader said reluctantly, raising his head with undiminished joy. “They are both excellent.”

Their opera troupe has been passing down the same few stories from generation to generation, and they've long lost their originality. The stories in this storybook are truly wonderful.

Having spent so many years in the opera troupe, I can tell the difference between good and bad storybooks at a glance.

"We can look at these later. Let's talk about business first." Tong Qian took the storybook back.

Several pairs of eyes immediately followed.

The troupe leader, perhaps realizing his lapse in composure, said, "Please speak."

“I have plenty of storybooks here. Since we’re working together, I won’t charge you a penny. But there’s one thing I have,” Tong Qian said, “that you have to act it my way.”

"What method?" the troupe leader asked.

"Forget your singing, recitation, acting, and acrobatics, and just perform the content of this story." Tong Qian said calmly.

A moment of silence fell over the air.

The troupe leader hesitated before speaking, "How...how should we perform this?"

They were a theatrical troupe, and their art consisted of singing, reciting, acting, and fighting. Now they were being asked to abandon all of that. Not only him, but even Ji Xiuping, who had just returned from buying red bean cakes, was stunned.

Although he had no chance to listen to the opera, he knew a little about it. Tong Qian's words were like a heavy stone falling on the water.

What appeared were not ripples, but raging waves.

"I see you, you little brat, spouting such nonsense! We've been learning opera since we were little, and you want to overturn everything with just one sentence? What are you trying to do?" Someone shouted angrily, almost rushing forward.

Ji Xiuping stepped forward and shielded Tong Qian behind him, saying, "Everyone, please don't be in a hurry. Let Qian'er finish speaking first."

Ever since she woke up, Ji Xiuping felt that something was wrong. She was his wife, and it was only right that he protected her.

He exuded a gentle, scholarly air, making him stand out in the crowd.

The troupe leader clasped his fists and bowed, saying, "I am truly sorry. If there has been any abruptness, please forgive me."

"Xiuping, would you like to act out this story with me?"

Tong Qian stood up and looked up at him.

Ji Xiuping turned to look at her and slowly said, "Okay."

Tong Qian smiled gently, and the two stood facing each other, their eyes filled with affection—a scene straight out of a romantic drama between a talented scholar and a beautiful woman.