Old Man Sun had personally witnessed the revival of this brothel and its gradual development to its current state. He could see gratifying changes almost every day, and all of this stemmed from the miraculous means of the person in front of him.
As long as he came back, all the problems would be solved.
Lack of new stories and scripts? Pressure from the local officials?
He didn't have to worry about these.
Under the guidance of Old Sun and Wan Ruoqing, Li Yi visited all the theaters in and outside the city in the morning. He even sat down with them to watch a few plays. Everything in the theater was orderly and well-organized. It was a world of difference from the previous brothel.
As the other theaters were too far away, Li Yi didn't have time to visit them. As for the special performances for martial artists, they were far away outside the city. Naturally, he didn't have the chance to see them today.
Along the way, Old Sun kept telling him about the development of the theater these days.
The reputation of the Qing 'an Prefectural Theater had spread far and wide. There were more than twenty theaters, which almost included most of the actors living at the bottom of the society. Even actors from other states and counties came to seek shelter. However, because there were too many people, the theater couldn't accommodate them all. Now, they could only do some chores. As long as they could eat, it was good.
Old Sun talked incessantly, "All of them are very grateful to you. They hope that we can bring the theater to other states and counties. There are countless actors living in poverty there …"
In the past, most of these actors worked alone. They built a small shed in Wa City or formed a group. They could only rely on tips to survive. They had the last meal, but they didn't have the next one. They even wandered around the prefectures.
Because of their lowly status, they couldn't do anything else. Their profession didn't allow them to live a stable life. Suddenly, there was such a place. They only had to do what they had always been doing. Their food and accommodation were provided and they were paid a lot. They didn't have to run around. Which actor wouldn't be tempted?
The success of the Qing 'an Prefectural Theater was due to its high-quality content and scientific management methods. Both of these were things that other people could not learn or had a hard time learning. Thus, they hoped that the spring breeze of the reform of the brothels would blow to where they were and that they would stride into a beautiful new era. It had almost become the common hope of the performers in the nearby counties.
At the mention of this matter, the weariness on Old Man Sun's face was swept away, and his muddy old eyes flashed with light.
Years later, the actors who had gotten rid of their lowly status and could finally live under the gaze of thousands of people would never forget the words of the kind old man before he died.
"Life is but once for us, and a man's life should be spent in such a way that when he looks back on his past, he will not be ashamed of wasted years, nor will he be ashamed of meanness and vulgarity, so that at the moment of his death he will be able to say, 'All my life and all my energies have been given to the greatest cause in the world, the struggle for the liberation of all actors!'
That old man was their enlightener, their forerunner. He would be remembered in history and become a god in the hearts of generations of actors.
Li Yi nodded. He agreed with Old Sun's words. "Our goal is the sea of stars — the entire Jing Kingdom. Qing 'an Prefectural Theater isn't enough. I will stay here for the next few days and help you take care of things here. When this place is completely stabilized, some of us will continue to develop in the neighboring counties. The others will go to the capital. That will be our new starting point."
"The capital?" Old Sun paused for a moment and nodded. He agreed with Li Yi's decision.
Although Qing 'an Prefectural was prosperous, it couldn't compare to the capital. Furthermore, it was the capital of the Jing Kingdom. It had great significance. If they could take root in the capital and lead the trend, it would naturally be easier to infiltrate other places. Sir was indeed a sir. His knowledge was far beyond what he could compare.
Old Sun had already decided that he had to go to the capital personally. He had spent half his life wandering around. It made no difference to him whether it was Qing 'an Prefectural or the capital. Under these circumstances, he had to choose the place that needed him the most.
"Coo …"
Li Yi and Old Sun discussed the next step of the plan in more detail. Wan Ruoqing would sometimes express her opinion on the side. Suddenly, the three of them heard a strange sound at the same time.
Li Yi turned his head and looked in the direction of the sound.
Zeng Zuimo's pretty face was red. She never drank the porridge she cooked herself. She didn't eat anything in the morning, and she had been walking around with them for more than four hours. She was already tired and hungry.
"Speaking of which, I'm hungry too. Let's go eat first." Li Yi broke the awkwardness with one sentence.
"Okay," Zeng Zuimo said immediately.
"It's noon right now. The restaurant must be very busy. We can't find a place in a short time. It should be faster if we cook some simple dishes ourselves." Wan Ruoqing thought about it and suggested.
Although Zeng Zuimo was very hungry, she thought that what she said made sense. She had to endure a little longer.
"Why don't we go to my house?" Wan Ruoqing and Old Sun were both great contributors to the theater. They were the most important veterans. Li Yi felt that it would be more sincere to invite them to his house for dinner. Moreover, it would be more convenient to discuss the future development of the theater at home.
As for Zeng Zuimo, it would be to repay her for the porridge in the morning.
"Let's go to the restaurant." Zeng Zuimo heard this and immediately shook her head.
Wan Ruoqing hesitated and also said, "Why don't we go to my place? It might be more convenient."
"It's not convenient. There is no one at home anyway. I have to cook if I go back alone." Li Yi waved his hand and said, "It's decided."
Strangely, the two women didn't raise any objections this time.
As for Old Sun, eating was a small matter for him. It didn't matter where they ate. He also wanted to talk to Li Yi about the development plan of the theater.
He bought two candied haws on the roadside for Zeng Zuimo to eat first. On the way back, he also bought all the necessary ingredients. When the four people walked into the yard, Zeng Zuimo looked around. She only saw the girl named Yangliuqing cleaning the yard. There was no one in the house. For some reason, her heart quietly relaxed.
"Uncle, you're back." Yangliuqing put down the broom, first bowed to Li Yi, and then slightly gestured to Wan Ruoqing and the others.
Some children worked in the theater. She naturally knew Old Sun and Wan Ruoqing. She had also seen Zeng Zuimo a few times, but she didn't talk much.
"Put these in the kitchen first. I'll go change clothes." Li Yi handed the things in his hand to her, then turned to Wan Ruoqing and said, "You guys do as you please. You must be tired after walking all morning. Go inside and rest for a while. I'll come out soon."
They were all old friends, so there was no need for formalities. Wan Ruoqing and Zeng Zuimo were already used to him being like this. It was Old Sun who looked a bit restrained.
"You guys go in and rest. I'll go help in the kitchen." Seeing Yangliuqing enter the kitchen with the dishes, Wan Ruoqing also followed.
"I'll go too." Zeng Zuimo thought about it and immediately followed.
Old Sun, of course, would not join in the fun. He sat on a stone bench in the yard, looking at the distant sky, and fell into deep thought.
His Excellency was right. He had to look further. The capital was a new and most suitable starting point. Their ultimate goal was not Qing 'an Prefecture or the capital, but the entire Jing Kingdom. Even other countries could be considered …
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