"You don't say this kind of thing sooner." Guo Kang rubbed his head with a headache: "Li Xuanying, he didn't say anything, hey, just hold it back." I'm really convinced of you......"

"There are too many things like this around me." Odosia told the truth: "People with this hobby are everywhere, and many of them are in high positions. It's the same old question: I couldn't think of any other way. ”

"When I first met, I actually admired Xuanying very much, and I always felt that he was as powerful and kind as an angel, and he should have come to save me. But then I realized that there was actually a limit to what he could do. Moreover, for the sake of his betterness, I myself can't let him do many things, and even deliberately keep him away from me, and some people around me. ”

"During that time, I was a little devastated...... The language in the script probably can't express that contradictory mood. She took a deep breath: "Of course, these emotions really don't have any effect, and I'm not trying to win sympathy. However, in practical terms, if Xuanying can't solve it, what's the use of saying it? ”

"It's okay for him to kill a few people who are looking for trouble on your side, right?" Tuohuan said.

Odosia looked confused.

"If you kill a few people...... I was fine. She hesitated and said, "After meeting Xuanying unexpectedly, we quickly got acquainted. My mother and a few investors in the troupe found out about this and immediately improved my food and didn't let me crowd with the other girls......"

"Wait, that troupe was a bit famous at that time, and although your mother didn't control the entire troupe at that time, she was also a rich man." Guo Kang asked; "You should be her own daughter, is it necessary to treat you so harshly?"

"That's not a bad treatment. I was given a separate room in the back, which was an extra perk. "That's what happened in our environment. The daughters of the actors, and even the daughters of the troupe operators, do live like this in normal times. ”

"When I was a child, I was a handywoman in the troupe who worked part-time as a nanny and took care of me for a few years. My mother didn't have this time to spare, because she had to deal with all kinds of people and attend all kinds of parties every day in order to outperform her competitors. After coming back, I also have to arrange various jobs, organize training and daily performances. In the evening, I also have to receive all kinds of guests overnight, and I don't have time to rest at all. ”

"It's hard to say what kind of feelings she has for me...... Probably the kind of tool that people use to themselves? Of course, she is not to blame for this, her parents did the same back then. Odosia seemed to be very resentful, shook her head and said, "In that environment, this is everyone's default state. ”

"She's just your daughter, and she doesn't care much about you." Tuhuan sighed: "My parents love their daughter. I feel like I'm overspoiled. I didn't expect that there would be such an idea. ”

"Maybe it's the bottom of society, it's different." Odosia thought for a moment.

"The 'bottom' I'm talking about is not just a lack of money or power." She thought for a while and added: "Just like Guo Gongzi said, in fact, although my family is not rich, it still has some money. However, people like my mother have a very ...... status Subtle. ”

"People look down on her. Those rich and noble people who flirt with her, in fact, few will treat her as a human being. Of course, both of them know this, so they can also take what they need and maintain it sensibly. ”

And the citizens of the middle and lower classes around him have the same disdainful attitude. In the eyes of many hard-working male citizens, how can a woman who sells her body get so much money? Many people will feel unjust about this, and they will become even more disgusted and despised for us. Their wives, on the other hand, worry all day long that their husbands will be seduced and their children will be taught badly, and they are very wary of family members coming into contact with us. In the eyes of these people, our image is even worse. ”

"So, while people appreciate the entertainment we provide and bring us benefits, they despise us." She said helplessly: "Actually, their thoughts can't be wrong, because those accusations are really happening." ”

"The essence of our business is to please people." She smiled wryly: "There is a saying that whoever gives you money to feed you, you have to obey them." Most of the time, that's the case. And our livelihood comes directly from the feelings and likes and dislikes of the audience, so naturally we have to work hard to win their favor. ”

"In this kind of atmosphere, there will definitely be people who choose shortcuts - anyway, it is to get favor and get income, so why not just find some rich people, try to get their favor, and then ask for money directly? This kind of thinking can be said to be natural, and it doesn't need to be taught by anyone, and anyone can directly extend it to the past. ”

"Many people think that actors are actually a group of male and female prostitutes." She shrugged, "Actually, yes. The profit model is indeed similar, and the personnel are also highly overlapping. Male actors may be better because people do have an artistic need, and some upper-middle-class people are happy to invest in this area. As for the actresses, there is no need to say more......"

"So, even if we have money, it's hard for us to get high." She said with confidence: "You just said that there are some groups of people who are ignored by the mainstream organizations that hold power. It is even more difficult for such marginalized people to obtain resources and real power. And we, are not just ignored and cannot join casually. We are simply the objects of direct contempt and disgust by the members of the mainstream organization and their relatives. Even if you have money and connections, you are the bottom in the real sense. ”

"No wonder you pretend to be a man and learn to be a playwright." Guo Kang sighed: "Then at least be decent." ”

"Well, it's a little better, although it's not much better." "The professional playwright and the literati who have no worries about food and clothing, write and play casually, are completely different concepts," said Eudosia. ”

"It's not just a matter of origin. If you depend on writing scripts for your livelihood, then the preferences of the audience play a decisive role in the livelihood of the individual. In this case, 'art' is often just a nice name, and what the creator needs to do is no different from the actors, just to be likable. ”

"Perhaps, there are people who can take into account everyone's hobbies and the artistry of their works, but such people are destined to be only a minority. The vast majority of creators who are not so good can only try to imitate the current popular fashion and figure out the likes and dislikes of the audience in order to get some more money. Playwrights I know have complained that they are merely spiritual prostitutes. In fact, they are not much different from prostitutes and actors. ”

Guo Kang didn't know what to say for a while.

"As for myself, it's pretty much the same." "Later, my mother did spend a lot of money on me to tutor me in grammar, art, and so on. I also managed to find a relationship, and hired a grandmother from a down-and-out nobleman to train me, hoping to make me more like a young lady from a decent family, so as to prevent the big nobleman who had finally met from being disgusted because of the too big difference in origin and habits. ”

"Later, she also helped to hide my identity in the troupe, so that I could pretend to be a man and not come into contact with guests who liked little girls. Even the Greek audience who was interested in my male identity was driven away by her, preferring to offend some of her old clients. But I know very well that this is not because she wants to love me out of maternal love, but because my expectations of income are too high, so that those guests who seem to be rich and powerful on weekdays have become worthless. ”

"You see, it's no different from those girls. It's just that I'm a prostitute specially made for a special guest. She let out a long sigh.

"But, now that I think about it, I don't particularly resent her." After saying so many words, she seemed to be a little more relaxed: "Because our environment really can't tolerate a trace of warmth." ”

"Come to think of it, I'm like that, what about the others?"

Guo Kang probably understood what she meant, and was silent and did not answer.

"These people are probably one of the most distant from real power and have the least resources." "As we said earlier, the root of power is force, so the men of the lower classes at least have a chance to get ahead. And most of the lower-class women who have no special skills do not even have this kind of bargaining power. This is especially true for those who fall into groups like ours. ”

"There are two direct consequences of this situation. First, being away from real power and resources often means moving away from the social order as well. Without the protection of order, and without the use of force as the most basic guarantee, the result can be imagined. ”

"The vast majority of people who work in professions such as actresses and prostitutes live like slaves, with little private property." She told the crowd: "There are very few slaves in Rome today, and the law no longer emphasizes this. However, slaves in the actual sense of the word still exist. ”

"All the money collected was taken by the organizers?" Tuhuan said unexpectedly: "I can't earn it at all? ”

"As far as I know, it's basically like that." Odosia nodded affirmatively: "They themselves can't get the money at all." Operators will always find ways to make up some excuses to deduct them. Moreover, after working for a year, all theoretical income will definitely be completely covered by various living expenses, clothes, training expenses and the like, and it is common for you to owe a debt. ”

This is also why, when I think about it, I will immediately agree with the theory that Guo Gongzi said. Because that's what I usually see. ”

"Actually, everyone knows that it makes no difference whether these excuses are made up or not. Just as the real tax rate is not a fixed statistic set by the government, but the result of a struggle between the peasants and the tax collectors and the powerful, this income from 'work' is also the result of the struggle between these women and the organizers - but the peasants at least have the ability to fight, even the farmers in Europe have rebelled against taxes from time to time. And those women, how can they have this ability. ”

"Therefore, those who can negotiate and keep part of their property are very few people who are really talented. I haven't seen any of them myself. She shook her head and said: "The rest of the people, just like I said just now, not to mention what treatment they get and even become famous, it would be good to live a few more years." ”

Tuohuan nodded, indicating that she understood, and asked her to continue.

"The performances that Hyunyoung took you to, including the ones I participated in, were all of the highest level of performances - even if some of them were relatively low-status comedies, but the scripts also expressed serious topics, related to politics and the propaganda that the court wanted us to do. These plays are the kind that can be written into the works of critics and can participate in official competitions. Odosia said to Guo Kang:

"However, this kind of drama is really only part of the troupe's performance. These alone can't cover all the performance time, and many audiences don't like this kind of performance that is too serious. Therefore, a large part of the income of our troupe comes from some comparative ...... Not very decent performance. ”

"The vast majority of actresses perform that kind of performance. Of course, many people will also regard the performance itself as only a means of marketing, and regard the things after the performance as a main play, which is of course a greater source of income. In this way, you will have a better idea of why these people coincide with prostitutes. ”

"I see." Guo Kang nodded: "In the past few days of the triumphal ceremony, I have seen it from afar a few times. I didn't expect it to look lively, but it's actually so miserable. ”

"yes. We're also very close to the gangs – you should be able to understand why by now. Those who are average-looking will soon be forced to work overtime because they can't earn enough money, and they will be beaten by thugs at every turn. And, there are some ...... All in all, it's a brutal rule. Speaking of this, Odosia sighed and did not go into details: "They don't live long......"

"The prettier people will be better. But even if it is an actress who has been popular for a while, it is impossible to last long. She thought for a moment and said, for example, "Do you know about those cheap cosmetics?" ”

"Well, I haven't looked into it." Guo Kang scratched his head, turned his head and asked Theodora: "You should understand, right?" Which ones are there? Oh, cheaper ......"

"Cheaper ......," Theodora thought for a moment, and then replied: "Cleaning with clove soap from Lebanon and then applying a mixture of swan fat, donkey milk, gum arabic, and lean coarse powder will make the skin whiter and better—oh, swan fat is too expensive, mutton fat is fine, but it doesn't taste good." Alternatively, you can mix it with honey, sea salt, and olive oil and have some ready to use. When applying makeup, try adding some rose water to rice flour and soybean flour......"

"Okay, I think I asked the wrong person." Guo Kang decisively interrupted her: "Our understanding of cheap is probably different......"

"You asked yourself." Theodora pouted: "If you want to save money, you can just don't wear makeup." The Vestal virgins of ancient Rome didn't wear makeup, and everyone thought that this was the most chaste at that time......"

"Hey, who let us over there, and chastity is probably the farthest place to do so." Odosia laughed to herself, "And they can't afford to use the recipes you mentioned. A lot of it is lead powder. ”

"The Romans in ancient times had already suffered a lot in this regard." Theodora shook her head and said, "After a while, your face will rot." ”

"Most people are not that beautiful, and the more beautiful people have to be more exaggerated. To compete. Odosia shook her head, "They lived at least a few more years before they rotted, didn't they?" ”

Theodora opened her mouth and did not answer.

(End of chapter)