Chapter 168: Is Huangmei Opera Going to Be Cut?

Mowei turned back and looked at Huang Qinian. There was no particular expression on her face, and then she averted her gaze.

The vibe she gave off was one of extreme indifference; it seemed as though nothing in the world could provoke her anger.

Huang Qinian felt a deep sense of insult.

Being ignored was the ultimate form of contempt.

Peach Baby, however, wore a puzzled look in her apricot-shaped eyes and asked, "Huang Qinian, you used to be a leading young actor in our troupe, so why are you now harboring such strong hostility toward us?"

Why?

Huang Qinian's face twisted into a grimace.

When I acted all smiles, polite, and elegant in the troupe, wasn't it solely to leave a good impression on you?

Aunt Mo said indifferently, "Because everyone has two faces."

"Some people sit on the podium, speaking high-sounding words about serving the people, yet privately they contend with the people for profit."

"Some people claim to love you forever, while behind your back they are already scouting for other prospects."

"And some people present themselves as graceful and refined in your presence, while acting as hypocrites behind your back."

"Peach, you must remember that everyone has a dark side."

Aunt Mo glanced at Huang Qinian once more. "Whether the troupe looks like a bunch of beggars or the content is utter trash, since you have already left, it has nothing to do with you anymore."

Huang Qinian grew furious and pointed at the head of the troupe. "Mowei, is this fair to me? Was it worth it to squeeze me out just for a newcomer like Shen Xian?"

Seeing Peach Baby walking so closely with Shen Xian stirred up a wave of discomfort and jealousy in Huang Qinian's heart.

Such a pure and beautiful girl—he had pursued her bitterly for over a year without even getting to hold her hand, yet now she was about to fall for Shen Xian. How could he possibly feel at ease?

"Only I can give the troupe a future! What can he possibly do?" Huang Qinian burst out passionately. "I am formally trained, and my family has both money and connections. What does he have?"

Shen Xian felt annoyed and stood up. "You can give the troupe a future? Besides throwing money around, what else can you do?"

"Isn't throwing money around enough?" Huang Qinian stepped closer to Shen Xian and glared at him.

Uh...

That actually made some sense.

What the troupe lacked right now was money. If they didn't increase the pay for the actors soon, everyone would probably quit and run away.

"The promotion of traditional culture relies not only on money, but also on good content." Worried that Huang Qinian might resort to violence against Shen Xian, Peach Baby quickly stood up and stepped in front of Shen Xian.

She shielded Shen Xian behind her like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

"Brother Shen Xian can bring us good content, which is far more meaningful than just throwing money around," Peach Baby said.

Huang Qinian was so enraged that his eyes nearly split at the corners.

How long have they even known each other, yet she's already calling him 'Brother Shen Xian' so affectionately?

"Fine, fine, fine! I'd love to see what kind of good content you people can possibly bring out!" Huang Qinian spat out a harsh threat, flicked his sleeves, and stormed off.

After Huang Qinian left, Aunt Mo said, "Peach, stay away from that Huang Qinian from now on. He is a man of crooked intentions."

Peach Baby nodded.

It was fortunate that Aunt Mo kept such a close watch.

Over the past year or so, Huang Qinian had invited Peach Baby out for evening movies, shopping trips, and sightseeing on more than one occasion.

Yet Mowei had blocked every single attempt using various excuses.

Mowei was a seasoned veteran; how could Huang Qinian's little tricks ever fool her?

If Aunt Mo hadn't kept such a tight rein on her, Peach Baby's naive nature would have led her straight into Huang Qinian's bed long ago.

"Continue with the makeup," Mowei instructed.

Inside the hotel, quite a crowd had already gathered.

Zhou Yanshi was dressed in a Tang suit today; he looked vigorous, sharp-eared and clear-eyed, entirely free of frail senility.

Zhou Xingzheng walked over holding a program sheet and said to Zhou Yanshi, "Dad, a foreign drama performance has been added to the schedule today, which will cause a shortage of time. Should we cut one of the traditional troupes?"

Zhou Yanshi took the program sheet.

The first performance was a Yu Opera troupe, the second was a Peking Opera troupe, the third was a Yue Opera troupe, and the fourth was a Huangmei Opera troupe.

The sudden addition of a drama performance came as somewhat of a surprise to Zhou Yanshi. "Whose troupe submitted this?"

"Elder Zhou, I submitted it." Ning Zheng walked over, exchanging initial pleasantries with Zhou Yanshi. "A junior in our family recently returned from abroad... Besides, letting these troupe members witness the performance style of foreign drama and face up to the gap between themselves and modern theater is quite a good thing, don't you think?"

"That was my line of thinking anyway, but the ultimate decision rests with you, Elder."

In the presence of Zhou Yanshi, Ning Zheng's attitude remained consistently respectful and modest.

"One can only progress by comparing the gaps; your reasoning is correct." Zhou Yanshi nodded. "Then let's cut one of the traditional troupes. Make sure their travel expenses and costs are fully settled."

Zhou Xingzheng asked, "Which troupe should we cut, then?"

Peking Opera went without saying; it had always ranked first among the five major opera genres, and Yue Opera had also gained significant mainstream popularity in recent years, leaving only Huangmei Opera at the bottom.

Even Cantonese Opera, which was not counted among the five major genres, had a higher mainstream appeal than Huangmei Opera.

"Then cut the Huangmei Opera troupe," Zhou Yanshi decided.

Zhou Xingzheng hesitated slightly. "But what about Xingjian's side..."

"It's fine. If he has any objections, tell him to come and see me." Zhou Yanshi pulled out a pen and drew a red cross over the Huangmei Opera troupe on the program sheet.

Zhou Xingzheng accepted the program sheet and walked toward the backstage area of the hotel.

All the performing artists had finished their makeup and were gathered together in a large communal room, waiting for their turn to perform.

Mowei sat quietly as numerous people came over to greet her.

Yet Shen Xian noticed that many of those who looked at Mowei wore complex and eerie expressions.

Suddenly, a staff member holding a program sheet approached Mowei and said, "Director Mo, hello. There is a matter I need to discuss with you."

Mowei nodded. "Alright, go ahead."

Everyone pricked up their ears, and Huang Qinian stared intently from a distance.

"Due to time constraints, Chairman Zhou Xingzheng has decided to cut one troupe. Since your troupe's past performances have consistently been lackluster, after deliberation, your troupe will no longer need to take the stage for a performance," the staff member said, steeling himself.

Seeing Mowei fixate a chilling gaze upon him, he hurriedly added, "Of course, considering how hard your troupe's actors have worked on rehearsals and that travel expenses are a major expenditure, Chairman Zhou has decided to allocate an allowance of one hundred and fifty thousand to your troupe. I hope Director Mo can understand."

As soon as these words were spoken, many people cast sympathetic and pitying glances at Mowei.

Peach Baby widened her eyes in shock. "Ah? How could this be? We've been rehearsing for so long!"

Shen Xian also furrowed his brows.

The program schedule had been submitted a month ago, vetting and reviews had already been completed, and the timing had been thoroughly calculated. To suddenly claim it was being cut at the last minute meant only one thing—other programs had been newly inserted.

Sure enough, four or five people walked past the entrance laughing and chatting, heading toward the makeup room.

They were carrying theatrical costumes for stage plays—tuxedos and formal wear—which were vastly different from traditional domestic opera costumes.

Everyone instantly realized what had happened.

A drama program had indeed been newly added!

Many people looked at Shen Xian and the others with pity.

Huang Qinian could hardly hold back his laughter.

The other actors in the troupe felt their eyes turn red as their morale deflated instantly.

If this wasn't an outright insult, what was?

"Hahaha, it seems my decision to leave was correct after all! Now you don't even have a chance to take the stage!" Huang Qinian laughed out loud.

"I'm going to find Zhou Yanshi," Shen Xian said.

"Sit down." Mowei pressed her hand down on Shen Xian's shoulder. "I'll handle this."