Chapter 10 Begonia blooms in spring

So, she gritted her teeth and endured, carrying Zhixuan on her back, and walked forward step by step with difficulty, walking aimlessly.

Unknowingly, we came to a busy street.

The pavilions there are exceptionally gorgeous with their carved beams and paintings.

The upstairs and downstairs are decorated with colorful lights, which are brilliant and dazzling.

Some people are telling ups and downs stories, some are singing loudly, some are stroking silk and bamboo, and some are dancing.

Pedestrians come either by carriage or horse, by boat, or by leisurely walking.

They are all fascinated by the scenery and characters here.

"Sister, are you singing?"

She was really tired of carrying it, so she put Zhixuan down.

"I thought it was you who was singing!" Zhixuan opened his eyes tiredly, a little disappointed, and took her hand and rocked back to sleep.

Her back ached and her arms were shaking from fatigue. She had no intention of admiring the beautiful scenery in front of her. She just wanted to find a place to rest.

At this time, a nearby pavilion with no door came into her eyes.

The roof there is spacious and clean, and there are two people sitting there to rest.

She couldn't stand it any longer, so she took Zhixuan over to sit down.

Unexpectedly, after a while, the host came to open the door for business.

Fortunately, the owner did not drive them away, but instead invited them to come in and sit.

Being penniless, she dared not go in.

The host said enthusiastically: "Madam, there is no need to panic. We have a rule in Haitang House to entertain the first guest of the day for free."

In this way, Qianru naturally couldn't ask for it.

She thanked her master and led Zhixuan in slowly.

The owner of the house is a beautiful woman in her thirties who still retains her charm. She is dressed in gorgeous clothes. Although she wears heavy makeup, her behavior is generous and decent.

Her smile is very charming, just like the name of her pavilion, Begonia Pavilion, like a blooming Begonia flower.

A few guys used ladders to light up the giant chandelier hanging on the dome, and the whole building was lit up in an instant.

The inside is more spacious and luxurious than the outside, but there is a strong smell of oil paint, as if it had just been decorated recently.

There is a large platform more than ten feet wide at the foot of the inner wall, and the upstairs and downstairs are filled with exquisite tables and stools.

"Sister, it's so beautiful here."

Zhixuan rubbed his groggy eyes and stared intently at the giant chandelier on the dome.

"Excuse me, what is this place?"

"Our Haitang Pavilion is the most popular song and dance studio in Beijing. Of course, we also entertain guests with wine and food."

"Wow! Haitang Pavilion, sister, aren't you Mrs. Haitang?"

The host was amused by Zhixuan, "My name is Sima Jiuniang, you can call me Jiuniang. I followed my late husband to the capital for business when I was nineteen years old. It has been eighteen years now and I have been running this Begonia Restaurant."

Saying that, Sima Jiuniang called for people to bring a copy of the recipe, music and dance music, and asked them to order.

As a freeloader, Qianru didn't dare to order music or dance, so she only ordered two side dishes and two bowls of porridge.

Seeing that they were shy, Jiuniang personally ordered the most popular dance song in the venue, "Begonia Spring Festival Gala" for them.

The musicians took their seats, the orchestra sounded, and twenty-four costumed dancers slowly entered in order.

Only then did Qianru realize that the high platform, which was more than ten feet wide, was used for performances.

The music was very good, but the leading dancers danced very perfunctorily, with unwillingness on their faces, and their eyes were full of disdain for Qianru and her sister.

Sima Jiuniang was angry, stopped singing and dancing, went forward, singled out the dancers who didn't dance as hard as they could, scolded them, and ordered them to pour tea for Qianru and her brother to apologize.

Those few immediately turned against each other, resigned from Jiuniang and asked for wages.

“It’s easy to leave, but I want to come back after I leave.”

"It will be difficult to come back. You have said it thousands of times. Nowadays, there are so many singing and dancing studios in the capital. If you still stick to the old rules, Haitang Hall will close down sooner or later!"

One woman received her wages and walked away, while the others followed her silently.

After a moment, a beautiful woman like an oriole came slowly from the side door and told Jiuniang that Caiyunfang had been offering high prices to poach those dancers. This response should mean that the price had been negotiated.

"I don't believe that in the capital city where there are so many beauties, there can't be a few dancers who are both talented and talented."

Seeing Sima Jiuniang staring at her with a litigious look on her face, Qianru felt a little uneasy and hurriedly left with Zhixuan.

Unexpectedly, Sima Jiuniang ordered people to close the door.

"What do you want to do? This is the emperor's feet."

It turns out that Sima Jiuniang was attracted by her beauty from the first time she saw Qianru.

Her facial features are bright, her skin is as white as snow, her fingers are slender, her figure is graceful, especially her rippling eyes, which make people want to pity her.

This is exactly the ideal beauty in Sima Jiuniang's mind.

Therefore, she used the rules to entertain them with extra enthusiasm.

"Sister, there is no need to panic. Jiuniang, I have no ill intentions. You two siblings were living on the streets and came to my Haitang Pavilion to rest. This is a God-given fate. I think back then, when my husband passed away, I was burdened with huge debts and had to feed my children. How could I have been in such a different situation?

Than you."

Qianru admired Sima Jiuniang very much after hearing her difficult and inspiring life experience.

But Sima Jiuniang was determined not to accept Sima Jiuniang's attempt to keep her as a dancer.

However, Zhixuan, who doesn't know how powerful he is, likes this place very much and doesn't want to leave.

She hesitated.

Behind her was the biting cold wind pouring in through the crack in the door, and in front of her was Xiao Zhixuan, whose fever was still lingering, but she was penniless and didn't even have a place to stay.

The reality was so pressing that she struggled to tears.

"Sister, don't be wronged. You come to my place to earn a living based on your ability. No one can bully you. If you are unhappy, fire me as the shopkeeper and leave."

"But, I can't dance."

"If you don't know how to dance, you can learn to dance. I will take care of your siblings' daily necessities, food, clothing, housing and transportation. You will live in the backyard of Haitang Pavilion and you can choose any room you like."

Other people in the hotel also came to speak for Sima Jiuniang, praising her as the most kind-hearted owner in the capital.

Sima Jiuniang touched Zhixuan's face and found that he was still ill, so she immediately sent for a doctor.

This kind act completely made Qianru compromise.

Haitang Pavilion is very big. In addition to the pavilion in front of it, there is a courtyard behind it, and there is a courtyard behind the courtyard.

She and Zhixuan were arranged to live in the courtyard at the back.

This is also Jiuniang's special care. Only Jiuniang and his son Sima Yun live here, and it is relatively quiet.

It was already late at night, and Sima Yun was still studying in the room, looking very diligent.

Sima Yun was nineteen years old, with dragon eyebrows and phoenix eyes, extraordinary appearance, polite, steady demeanor, and never squinting.

Like a humble gentleman.

At Jiuniang's request, Sima Yun came out to say hello to them, then turned around and returned to the room.

She didn't expect that a shop owner of a singing and dancing studio would raise such an innocent son. Qianru found it incredible.

Looking at her mother through her son, Jiuniang became much more reliable in her eyes.

However, Jiuniang was not the one who started a charity. She took them in because she had the value to be cultivated.

If Qianru's performance cannot satisfy her after two months, she will drive them away.

In order to support her younger brother, Qianru worked hard to practice dancing.

Fortunately, the current body and limbs are still relatively soft. Although it is already eighteen years old, there is still room for improvement.

She practiced dance hard every day with the instructor Jiuniang hired from the studio, and she didn't dare to slack off in the slightest.

Half a month later, several more beautiful young women came one after another to practice hard with her.

Two months later, Jiuniang arranged for her to dance with Zhao Xianer, a singer with the clearest and sweetest voice in the hall, and began her first performance as a dancer.

The dance clothes were ostentatious and revealing, and she felt uncomfortable all over.

But in order to support her brother and survive, she must be competent.

So, before going on stage, she found a piece of gauze and covered her face.

Although the guests applauded her, she was ridiculed by her sisters and scolded by Jiuniang.

"Why do you have to change things on the spot?"

She was silent for a while and thought of an excellent reason.
To be continued...