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.
"Sister Zhao is the protagonist in this song and dance. I am just a foil. I cover my face just to make Sister Zhao look more eye-catching."
Unexpectedly, Jiuniang became even more popular, "She is a famous singer in the capital. She has even entered the imperial palace several times. Why do you need you to accompany her? No brainer!"
Zhao Xian'er, who was fixing her makeup on the side, admired her for her awareness of current affairs and called her name on the spot. From now on, Qian Ru would dance with her in all her songs.
Jiuniang hated that iron could not become steel, so she suppressed her anger and called her to a quiet place to lecture her alone.
"Have you forgotten what life was like two months ago? Have you forgotten the tears you shed before putting on your dance clothes? If you want your tears to be worth shedding, you have to show your energy.
I would rather see you make enough money and leave as soon as possible, than watch you with low eyebrows and submissive eyes, aggrievedly serving as a match for others."
Jiuniang's words were like enlightenment, and Qianru was immediately alerted.
Dancer is a profession that relies on beauty to please people. If you can't make a splash at the beginning, it will be difficult to get ahead later.
So she took the initiative to beg Jiuniang to let her participate in the finale song and dance "Begonia Spring Festival Gala".
Jiuniang felt a little relieved when she saw that she was showing signs of improvement. She originally wanted to support her as the oiran, but was afraid that her lack of experience would ruin the scene.
Besides, there are dozens of dancers in the Haitang Pavilion. She danced "Begonia Spring Festival Gala" not long after she arrived, and others would inevitably be dissatisfied.
There is no rule without rules, so this matter needs to be slowed down.
"Jiuniang, just let me go! I'm going on stage for the first time today. The guests will see it fresh, and it may have unexpected effects."
"But you are also a new face with no popularity. What if you get smashed?"
Qianru pondered for a moment and told Jiuniang what she had learned from what she had heard and seen during these days.
In her opinion, the dances and music at Haitang Pavilion are of the highest quality, and the main reason why they are not brilliant is the lack of effective innovation.
"It's easy to say. Over the years, I have found many people to write lyrics, music and choreography, but the results are not satisfactory."
"That's because Jiuniang, you have never innovated "Begonia Spring Festival Gala". Today is a time of peace and prosperity. It is no better than when the world was first established more than ten years ago. The sadness in the hearts of the spectators is long gone. And no matter how good it is,
The guests have been watching dance music for more than ten years and are tired of it."
"But this is the signature of Haitang Pavilion and cannot be changed at will."
"There is no need to make a big change, just a little change. 'Begonia Spring Festival Gala, the flowers bloom undefeated. After vicissitudes of life, lovesickness is eternal.' Just add such a little meaning, what do Jiuniang think?"
"But the begonia flower is a heartbroken flower. It is a metaphor that there is someone else in the lover's heart. How can the relationship last forever?"
Jiuniang pondered for a moment, and then felt that this proposal was wonderful. The most touching thing in the world is true love, and the most endless and unbearable thing is unrequited love in lovesickness.
"Okay, I'll ask someone to change the lyrics and choreography."
"Wait a minute." Qianru invited Jiuniang into the room and showed her the words she had drafted.
Jiuniang was shocked. She didn't expect that she had such talent. She exclaimed that she had just found a treasure.
The next day, she directly hired a teacher from the studio to arrange the music and dance to Qianru's lyrics.
So a new song and dance "Begonia Spring Festival Gala·Flowers Bloom Undefeated" was born.
The whole dance was choreographed around Qianru, and Jiuniang also danced with her face masked.
Because the woman's face covered with tears looked particularly poignant and charming under the flickering candlelight.
This dance song is the finale and is particularly suitable for attracting repeat customers.
Sure enough, the first performance was loved by the guests and earned a lot of feelings and tears.
Even Sima Jiuniang herself was in tears.
After closing, she took Qianru to visit the garden and recalled two unsatisfactory marriages.
At the age of sixteen, she married her childhood sweetheart, her cousin, but while she was still pregnant, her husband married someone else. She ran away in anger and luckily escaped the war, but she also became a widow.
During the escape, the children were also lost.
Later, he married the owner of a song and dance studio who lost his wife, and they came to the capital to do business together.
There are also many warblers around her husband. For the sake of her son, she swallows her anger and works hard without complaining.
Unexpectedly, the business failed and her husband jumped into the river by himself, leaving her and her children to face their creditors alone.
It was not until the year before last that the debt was paid off.
"Good sister, the words you changed really touched my heart. Could it be that you have had a similar experience?"
"My story is not as dramatic as yours, sister Jiuniang. I am just an abandoned woman who can write vitriol."
Sima Jiuniang held her hand and said: "Why belittle yourself? The begonia flowers in the south are in full bloom this season! From now on, you will be the oiran of my Begonia Pavilion, and your future will be more brilliant than the begonia flowers in the world!"
Looking at the begonia flowers in bud in the yard, she slowly relaxed her sad face.
Begonias are blooming in spring, what’s the future to look forward to?
Unfortunately, Jiuniang couldn't tolerate her dancing with her face covered all the time, and the conflict was about to break out.