"Listen to this, you two have taken a fancy to our family Qiutang?" Mother Xu looked at the couple.

"I know that Mother Xu, you are reluctant, the Qiu Tang girl is outstanding in appearance and talent, I want to invite the Qiu Tang girl to go to our teahouse every day to sing a song for an hour, every month we give you ten taels of silver, the tips of the guests belong to us, and the jewelry objects are yours, you see?"

"Don't hide it from the two of you, Qiu Tang, this girl is different from other girls, you have to allow me to discuss this matter with her at night, if she agrees, I will never stop it, but if she doesn't want to, I can't help it." Mother Xu's beautiful eyes flowed, and her eyes turned between the husband and wife.

"In that case, let's go back and wait for good news." Mrs. Shen got up and said slightly.

"Okay, whether it succeeds or not, I'll send someone to the teahouse to say something." Mother Xu got up and returned the salute.

"Farewell." Shopkeeper Shen got up and left.

Qiu Tang leaned against the wall, the moonlight behind her sprinkled on the ground through the window, and the sisters in the room were asleep, and the sound of even breathing came and went, this was the most rare peaceful time of their day. In the evening, Xu's mother's words kept echoing in Qiu Tang's mind. During this time, there were so many strangers in the city, Qiu Tang could faintly perceive the unkindness of these people, and those pairs of eyes appeared in the streets and alleys, observing every girl in the city who was about eight or nine years old through various disguises, looking from head to toe, it made people's hearts furious. Qiu Tang remembered that when she came to Linglong Pavilion, she was one year older, and her birthday was also casually said, and last time she relied on Liuyun's original Huajian drunk makeup to fool Chen Xiao's eyes, but she didn't want to burden others. Now that Xu's mother wants her to go to the teahouse to sing songs, Qiu Tang is worried that she will be recognized, and she is not ready to betray herself, but she can't help herself......

Thinking wildly, Qiu Tang fell asleep grogily. In her dream, she seemed to go back to her childhood, playing in that flowery yard......

"Madame, you're back. The lord is waiting for you in the main hall. Yue Shumei got out of the carriage, and the housekeeper Zhang Chun took over Yue Shumei's burden, "The border is tight, the people are not having a good time, and Mrs. has suffered these days." ”

"Fortunately, in a poor and remote place, even if there is a disaster, it will not be affected." Yue Shumei replied lightly.

"Madame, please." Zhang Chun led Yue Shumei into the house, and the door behind her slowly closed.

"Sir." Yue Shumei walked into the main hall, shallow and blessed.

"It's hard to travel, get up." Zhang Qingyan helped Yue Shumei up, "How is everything at home?" ”

"It's all good." Yue Shumei sat down with a smile, "The big trouble has been removed, and my father will be relieved." I heard that your eldest daughter, Zhang Rou, has also been promoted. ”

"They all rely on Mrs. Hongfu." Zhang Qingyan closed the door and knelt in front of Yue Shumei.

"Get up. Father still thinks highly of you. Yue Shumei drank tea and said lightly, without the slightest intention of helping Zhang Qingyan.

"Fortunately, the patriarch values it, Qingyan and his daughters will never give up!" Zhang Qingyan was prostrate on the surface and loyal.

As soon as Shen Shi arrived, Qiu Tang came to the Mingyuexuan Tea House with the piano in his arms. After greeting the shopkeeper Shen and his wife, Qiu Tang sat on a small platform specially built for her, adjusted the pipa, lightly opened the red lips, the sound was like a yellow warbler, the rhyme was like a gossamer, the sound of the pipa was like rain hitting the plantain, and the beads fell on the jade plate. The tea guest stopped talking, and even the sound of breathing was controlled as much as possible, no one drank tea, no one ate, as if time had stood still. After singing a song, the four bottoms applauded, silver bills, copper coins, and smashed on the stage with a head and face, Qiu Tang got up and took a step back to thank you. The soft figure of Piao Wanfu attracted a new round of applause. Looking up, the entrance of the teahouse was blocked.

In just one hour, Qiu Tang's small platform was filled with silver bills and copper coins of different sizes. Qiu Tang glanced at it lightly, smiled slightly, and Wanfu withdrew.

"Miss Begonia stays." Just about to leave from the back door of the teahouse, Qiu Tang was stopped by Mrs. Shen from behind.

Qiu Tang turned around, deeply blessed Mrs. Shen, and said, "Mrs. Shen."

"Take it, this is a guest just now." Mrs. Shen handed over a silver hairpin.

"Thank you, Mrs. Shen. Qiu Tang retired. Qiutang Wanfu took the silver hairpin and left.

From Mingyue Xuan to Linglong Pavilion, there is only one alley, but Qiu Tang feels that it is so long. Finally, I was reduced to performing for a living. Thinking of this, Qiu Tang felt like a ball of cotton in his throat, and his heart hurt, and he unconsciously shed tears.

Only ten steps away from the Linglong Pavilion, Qiu Tang raised his hand to wipe away the tears on his face, stabilized his emotions, and stepped into the gate of the Linglong Pavilion.

"The girl is back? Mom is waiting for the girl in the front hall. As soon as he entered the door, he met the pearls waiting at the door.

"I'll go over here." Qiu Tang Wanfu walked to the front hall.

"Ma'am." Qiu Tang came to the front hall, faced Xu's mother with deep blessings, and handed over the silk silver hairpin.

Mother Xu sat on the chair, took the hairpin, pulled up Qiu Tang, rubbed her hand and said, "From tomorrow, you don't have to get up early to wash your clothes." Take good care of your hands and play the piano. ”

"Thank you, ma'am." Qiu Tang lowered his eyes, slightly blessed.

"Come, lean down." Qiu Tang squatted down as he said, Xu's mother raised her hand and inserted the hairpin into Qiu Tang's hair, "Wear it, it's so beautiful." Okay, sir has been waiting for you in the backyard for a long time, so let's go. ”

"Yes." Qiu Tang Wanfu left.

"You've been disguised for a month, how's that? Did you hear anything?" Zhang An drank tea leisurely, glancing at the dressed family members out of the corner of his eye.

"Back to Master Zhang, the people in this mausoleum city look at us like monsters, and don't say anything when they ask." As he spoke, one of the housekeepers angrily ripped off the turban wrapped around his head.

"A bunch of rubbish! Look at you one by one, you still have the momentum of Zhang Guoshi's Mansion on your face, and it's only when others talk to you that you're called a ghost! Zhang An looked at the family in front of him and roared angrily, "Who do you think you are?" Is the house slave of the founding hero Zhang Gongliang? You are now pariahs! Can you come out as a pariah! ”

"Yes......" was reprimanded by Zhang An, although the family members were all on fire in their hearts, they didn't dare to say a word, and they all lowered their heads and whispered.

"Continue tomorrow, when you find out, when you find out, you will go back to ask for merit and reward, if you can't find out, you will be a pariah here for the rest of your life! Get out of here! Zhang An blasted everyone out, looking at the back that melted into the night, Zhang An scolded in a low voice, "A group of rice buckets!" ”

"Mom, Lord Xue has sent a housekeeper to pick up the girls." Before nightfall, Pearl took Xue Chang into the front hall of Linglong Pavilion.

"Steward Xue, please take a seat," Xu's mother falsely invited Xue Chang to sit down, and a little maid served tea on the side, "Pearl, go and see if the girls are ready." ”

"Yes." Pearl Wanfu, turned the screen and walked to the backyard.

"Mom, you're all set." After a short time, Pearl led five or six girls including Qiu Tang and Fei'er to the front hall.

"Let's go with Steward Xue. Sing well. Pearl, you go along, don't let the girls break the rules. Mother Xu looked at the girls from head to toe and said, "Steward Xue, please take the girls over first, and then Wu Quan and I will bring generous gifts to the old lady to congratulate her on her birthday." ”

"Thank you, Mother Xu." Xue Chang arched his hand.

Xue Bowen's mansion is lit up, so it's not lively. Mother Xu and Wu Quan took the little maid to carry a mahogany gold-painted box to the door of Xue's mansion.

"Mother Xu of Linglong Pavilion, Master Quan is here, give a statue of Yushou Buddha!" After singing and drinking at the door, the Xue Mansion family recorded the names and surnames of Xu's mother and Quan Ye, raised his hand and let the two into the courtyard.

"Mother Xu, Master Quan, please inside." Xue Chang led the two of them inside.

"Let's just sit on the periphery and congratulate the old lady on her birthday, don't have to be so troublesome." Mother Xu shirked. She knows her identity very well, in Dayou, even if she is rich, people are divided into three, six, nine and so on, not to mention that Linglong Pavilion is not much money compared to the official master at the gate of Lingcheng Yamen.

"Mother Xu, don't be polite, this is what the old lady of our family ordered, the old lady heard that it was the girl from Linglong Pavilion and the apprentice of Xiyuan who came to sing today, so I want to invite you and Master Quan, as well as Boss Gu of Xiyuan, to the room for tea." While talking, the three of them came to the room in the back hall, and when the curtain was lifted, Mrs. Xue was drinking tea and chatting with Boss Gu in Xiyuan, and when she saw Mother Xu's face, Boss Gu stood up and said hello. "Mother Xu, Master Quan, please take a seat." Old Madam Xue sat on the soft chair and stretched out her hand to lead Mother Xu and Master Quan to sit down.

There is only one table in the back hall, except for Mrs. Xue, Boss Gu, Mother Xu and Master Quan, there are only a few personal maids of the old lady. Old Madam Xue motioned to the maid to open the window screen and said: "When people are old, they don't like to make noise, so they like to watch the play quietly, listen to the music, and let Wen'er take care of the affairs of the outer hall, let's just watch the play."

The window screen opens to both sides and hangs on the window frame, and outside the window is a small pond enclosed by a rockery, much smaller than the pond in Xiyuan. Across the pond is the stage.

Old Madam Xue took a sip of tea and ordered the maid to send a signal to the stage to open the gong. The maid picked up a firework at hand and lit it, huh! Syllable! A small firework blooms over the pond, the fireworks do not fall, the stage will open the gong and drum, with the drum, eight small actors in colorful clothes flutter down and bow: "I wish the old lady happiness is like the long flowing water of the East China Sea, and the longevity is better than the old pine of Nanshan." After the congratulatory speech, the gongs and drums of the eight immortals sounded on the stage. The play begins.

Xue Bowen looked at the full house of guests in the front hall and called the housekeeper Xue Chang: "Steward Zhang, where are their people?"

"Back to the master, Steward Zhang said that they were ordered to make an unannounced visit this time, and it was inconvenient to attend, so they took everyone to stay in the backyard." Xue Chang said in a low voice.

"It's okay, ask someone to send a table of wine and food, and the wine will benefit Zeyuan's daughter Hong." Xue Bowen commanded.

"Yes." Xue Chang was ordered to retreat.

"Go to Caifeng Building and pick up the peony girl and send her to accompany her." Xue Bowen stopped Xue Chang.