Chapter 925 - 512: Qingyi Candidate (Double - )

At this moment, Zhu Pingniang was completely unaware that she had become someone Li Zhibai was wary of.

And the reason for this wariness was actually the fear that she would eat all the Spirit Fruits that Xu Chang’an cultivated.

Protecting the food for the Sect Leader?

Li Zhibai clinked glasses with Zhu Pingniang, then chuckled softly.

What was she even thinking?

Only pets need protection over their food. She was simply too concerned about the Sect Leader. Given Chang’an’s personality, since she had told him to leave some, Xu Chang’an would surely set aside some for her.

Even.

Seeing the pleasant smile on Zhu Pingniang’s face while drinking, Li Zhibai felt it might be disrespectful to think so, but Chang’an would likely keep the best for her.

This is the confidence from being a teacher.

——

In the banquet hall.

The programs prepared by the ladies were varied, and Shi Qingjun seriously appreciated the ’art’ belonging to women. After parting with Li Zhibai earlier, she proactively ordered some snacks, sitting surrounded by the ladies, and glanced at her own ring.

She actually didn’t have much silver, or rather, although she came down the mountain ostensibly for some snacks, she didn’t know much about silver coins.

She rented a Dried Fruit Shop and spent some bits and pieces, surprisingly using it all up.

A mortal woman out of silver, needs to earn money?

How do the ladies here at Tong Jun earn silver?

But she didn’t ask, only took a sweet fruit from the table, bit into it with a crisp sound, and only after swallowing did she realize many ladies around were looking at her.

"Gosh, watching this sister eat, why does it seem so delicious?"

"Indeed, normally I don’t like eating these, but today I’ve made an exception."

Shi Qingjun wasn’t shy, and not a little girl who would blush from a few glances. She quietly ate while watching the programs performed by the ladies on stage.

It wasn’t exactly interesting, but as a first-time viewer, Shi Qingjun found it pretty interesting and watched quite intently.

Probably because she knew the peculiar young couple on stage were also watching together.

Not far away, Miss Lu witnessed this scene.

Suddenly, a stranger appeared, so she, as the Steward, naturally deemed it necessary to take a good look.

She patted the yellow-clad girl practicing horse stance nearby and smiled at the middle-aged woman next to her: "This one’s a girl with a good appetite."

"Having a good appetite is a blessing." The middle-aged woman, the aunt teaching rules to the yellow-clad girl, also covered her face laughing: "She’s a good girl too. That dried fruit shop outside was all bought out by her, she’s quite generous."

"In your eyes, a spendthrift is a good girl, is that it?" Miss Lu smiled.

"A wealthy young lady who can fit in with these girls is always considered good... and quite generous too." The aunt walked over and gently kicked the yellow-clad girl, causing her horse stance to suddenly change.

"Huang’Er."

"Auntie..." The girl grimaced.

Indeed, she had made a mistake at a recent performance, turning the show into a joke for the sisters in the audience, embarrassing her aunt. So, she willingly accepted punishment, missing a rare opportunity to spend a couple’s world with Ah Qing.

However, being lightly kicked from time to time, though not as painful as the willow branch whippings from childhood, was deeply humiliating.

She was grown up already.

A mature young lady capable of admiring Ms. Qing’s beauty, being punished publicly like this... was mortifying.

"Let’s see if you dare drift off again." The aunt huffed, turning to Miss Lu: "Deputy Class Leader, you have no idea how inattentive this girl can be. Asked to perform ’Longevity Immortal,’ but she assumed it was a Yanjing Opera, donned a female skirt and went on stage."

Upon hearing this, the yellow-clad girl wished she could crawl into a hole from embarrassment.

Her mind was filled entirely with thoughts of Ms. Qing at the time, causing her to miss the changes in the program.

"This girl has been like this since she was little." Miss Lu chuckled.

"Indeed," the aunt sighed, "Huang’Er has a great voice, and her singing is impressive... I intended to make her a standout at my end of the building, but it seems her posture still needs a lot of practice."

The girl dared not say a word.

"A Flower Role?" Miss Lu asked.

"Naturally." The aunt replied, "The girl’s lively and likable nature suits a Flower Role."

Miss Lu suddenly recalled something and said, "I remember, aren’t you always short of a Qing Dan’Er?"

"I’m indeed missing one, do you have someone in mind?" The aunt’s eyes lit up.

There were many who endured hardships under her, so there was no shortage of women for most Sheng Xing roles, nor short of girls with some martial arts skills, Martial Arts roles were filled, but there was rarely someone suitable for Qingyi and Flower Dan roles.

According to the types of operas scheduled at their building, one needed innate elegance and poise, while the other needed overt liveliness, innocence, and cheerfulness.

The latter still had playful girls as options, but the former...

Having these girls exhibit elegance and poise?

The aunt looked at those women who, while on stage held zithers, and offstage could roll dice... and thought the words elegance and poise might have nothing to do with the ladies of Flower Moon Building all their lives.

"Why fret, isn’t there an ideal Qingyi cast right here, how could you not see it." Miss Lu squinted, casting a meaningful glance at the yellow-clad girl.

The girl was stunned for a moment, then realized something, and her eyes showed some excitement.