Chapter 129: Xiaorou Moves Out

"Sister Lan, why are you here?"

Backstage, Jiang Rou was just about to remove her makeup when she saw Bai Yulan push open the door and walk in. Given Bai Yulan's status, and the fact that she was a woman, no one dared to stop her from visiting Xiao Xiangning in the dressing room.

Although Bai Yulan did not run a "theatrical" business, the worlds of pleasure houses and the "performing arts" had always been inextricably linked. The Ningxiang Pavilion was a high-end establishment, and many of the women working there possessed various skills; singing, playing instruments, and performing were all second nature to them. Even Bai Yulan herself had once earned the reputation of "Queen of the Flower Kingdom" based on her performance of the "Gongsun Daniang Sword Dance." If she had relied solely on her beauty without any talent, how could she have been selected? In terms of dance, Bai Yulan was second to none; her only shortcoming was her singing, which was a natural limitation she could do nothing about.

"I came to see you, and by the way, I brought you some food—it's from Lao Dingfeng. I hope you like it." Bai Yulan was essentially offering a gift at someone else's expense; Zhou Sen had bought so many pastries yesterday that she couldn't finish them all, so she brought some along for Jiang Rou.

"Thank you, Sister Lan," Jiang Rou said happily. At least in Harbin, there was still someone who cared about her.

"Don't be so formal. We are family, after all," Bai Yulan said with a faint smile. Given her relationship with Zhou Sen, she was not wrong to say so.

"Sister Lan, let me take off my makeup. How about I treat you to a meal in a little while?" Jiang Rou suggested, feeling that she shouldn't just be on the receiving end; she needed to return the favor.

"That sounds fine." Bai Yulan readily agreed. She had things to discuss with Jiang Rou in detail, and the dressing room was far too public, with people coming and going.

Removing makeup was quite time-consuming. Half an hour later, Jiang Rou finally finished, changed out of her costume, and put on her own clothes.

"Sister Lan, let's go."

"All right."

"Xiao Rou, are you heading out?" asked Uncle Liu, the man in charge of the musicians.

"Yes, Uncle Liu. I don't have a performance this afternoon, so I won't be eating with the troupe," Jiang Rou replied with a nod. With Sun Qingkui not around, Jiang Rou felt much more at ease.

"Xiao Rou, you seem to get along quite well with the people in the troupe," Bai Yulan whispered as she walked behind her.

"It's alright. They treat me well enough," Jiang Rou nodded.

The two didn't walk far before finding a decent-looking restaurant not far from the New Stage.

"Boss Bai, what a rare guest! Please, come right in!" The restaurant owner recognized Bai Yulan at a glance and hurried forward to greet her.

"Are you very familiar with the owner, Sister Lan?"

"I've been here for nearly ten years, so of course I am," Bai Yulan chuckled. "Their stewed chicken with mushrooms is excellent. You must try it."

"I will."

"Waiter, bring us the stewed chicken with mushrooms, the stir-fried trio of vegetables, and the garlic sprouts with cured meat..." Bai Yulan skillfully reeled off four or five dishes.

"Sister Lan, there are so many dishes. Can the three of us finish all this?" Jiang Rou asked, noting that Bai Yulan had also brought A'xiang along.

"Don't worry. If we can't finish, we'll just pack it up and take it home."

Jiang Rou fell silent.

"Xiao Rou, there were many things I couldn't say back in the dressing room. About the matter I mentioned to you last time, have you given it any thought?" Bai Yulan asked.

"Sister Lan, I've already paid for my room at the inn. If I move out now, the money will be wasted. It’s such a pity. I’d like to stay until my time is up, is that okay?" Jiang Rou hesitated. She was having a conflict with Sun Qingkui and didn't want to bring the trouble to Ningxiang Pavilion. She knew that given Zhou Sen’s temper, he wouldn't be polite to Sun Qingkui.

"How many days are left?"

"Four or five days, maybe a week at most. I haven't counted carefully," Jiang Rou said, her eyes flickering away.

"It's only a few days; it’s not that much money. If you don't stay, you can let someone else have the room. That shouldn't be a problem, right?" Bai Yulan pressed.

"This..."

"Your brother gave instructions, and I came here today specifically to handle this. Besides, today is a good day for everything. If you don't move, I won't know how to answer to your brother." Bai Yulan could clearly see Jiang Rou’s concerns. These concerns surely stemmed from the pressure Sun Qingkui was exerting; otherwise, what reason could she possibly have to refuse? Jiang Rou was soft-hearted, but she couldn't let Sun Qingkui continue to manipulate her, or how would they proceed with the rest of their plans?

"But..."

"No 'buts.' Let's eat first, and after that, we'll move," Bai Yulan said. "Your brother is waiting at home for the news."

Jiang Rou realized that the move was inevitable. If she made any more excuses, she would be failing to appreciate the kindness shown by Zhou Sen and Bai Yulan.

"Boss Bai, the food is here. Stewed chicken with mushrooms—this is our signature dish. Have a taste and see if it's still the same flavor," the owner said as he served the dish himself.

"Good. If the taste has changed, I won't be paying," Bai Yulan smiled slightly.

"If it's not the original flavor, this meal is on the house," the owner boasted.

"Come on, Xiao Rou, have a taste." Bai Yulan picked up a bowl and personally served Jiang Rou some chicken soup.

"Thank you, Sister Lan, I can do it myself." Jiang Rou quickly took the bowl, tasted a small spoonful, and said, "It really is incredibly delicious. It's wonderful."

"A'xiang, you have some too. There's such a big bowl..."

"Sister Lan, I'll do it myself." A'xiang thought to herself that Bai Yulan bringing her along and eating with Jiang Rou was just to spite Zhou Sen. The two of them were a combined fifty years old, yet they were acting as childish as kids...

"Xiao Rou, eat more. Look at how thin your face is—there's no meat on it. A woman must never treat herself poorly, especially when it comes to food and clothing," Bai Yulan said, piling food onto Jiang Rou’s plate while imparting her own philosophy on life.

"Thank you, Sister Lan, I’ve had plenty." Jiang Rou was truly touched by Bai Yulan's warmth. Such a wonderful sister-in-law was hard to find.

...

After the three finished lunch, they went straight to the Dadi Inn where Jiang Rou was staying. Inside the suite, Bai Yulan criticized everything, finding fault with Jiang Rou's living conditions and urging her to pack up immediately. Jiang Rou was helpless; under these circumstances, she had no choice but to move.

She didn't have many personal belongings, as her performance costumes were kept at the troupe; these were just her daily clothes and personal items. Although it wasn't much, it still filled two heavy trunks, with more to carry by hand.

"Xiao Rou, I told the owner. The rent won't be refunded, but he can let others from the troupe stay here until the end of the term. Don't worry, it won't go to waste."

"Thank you, Sister Lan!"

Jiang Rou had lived at the Dadi Inn for half a month and had grown quite comfortable there. Before leaving, she couldn't help but take one last look at the room from the doorway.

Once in the carriage, Jiang Rou followed Bai Yulan to Ningxiang Pavilion.

No sooner had Jiang Rou left than Sun Qingkui arrived in a rush. He had heard that Bai Yulan had come to see Jiang Rou and that the two had left the New Stage together. He sensed that something was wrong and hurried to the Dadi Inn to find her, only for the owner to tell him that Jiang Rou had already packed her things and moved out—specifically, she had boarded Bai Yulan's carriage from Ningxiang Pavilion.

Sun Qingkui slumped to the ground, devastated. Who was Bai Yulan of the Ningxiang Pavilion? If she had taken Jiang Rou away, how was he supposed to trick Jiang Rou into attending Boss Tang’s dinner party? This had ruined everything!

Sun Qingkui was consumed by rage. Since she was an ungrateful wretch, he wouldn't be polite either. Gritting his teeth, he decided to go for broke. He returned to the New Stage and went straight to Tang Peiyuan.

"What did you say? You want to sell the troupe to me, including the contract you signed with Xiao Xiangning?" Tang Peiyuan asked in surprise.

"Yes, Boss Tang. My return to Harbin this time is really just to settle down; I don't want to run around for a living anymore. I'll have to let go of the troupe sooner or later, so I might as well sell it now for a good price. If you're willing, I'll sell it to you. From now on, Xiao Xiangning will be yours. You can play with her however you like!" Sun Qingkui said.

Sun Qingkui's despicable character shocked even Tang Peiyuan; he had never imagined such a person existed. "Master Sun, Xiao Xiangning is your adopted daughter. How can you bear to do this?"

"She’s going to get married sooner or later. It’s her good fortune to meet a noble person like Boss Tang, isn't it?"

"Fine. I don't care what your motives are. How much do you want?" Tang Peiyuan asked.

"Fifty thousand silver dollars!"

Tang Peiyuan sneered, "Are you out of your mind? Fifty thousand? You certainly have a nerve."

Sun Qingkui gritted his teeth and said, "Thirty thousand silver dollars, at the very least. Boss Tang, if you don't want to buy it, there are plenty of others who do."

Tang Peiyuan paused. This Sun Qingkui was truly desperate. However, he wasn't willing to pay thirty thousand silver dollars for Sun Qingkui's troupe. Even with Xiao Xiangning's contract, it wasn't a deed of sale. He felt even ten thousand would be a loss. But he was also afraid that the old man might do something rash, so he said, "Master Sun, coming up with thirty thousand silver dollars all at once is a bit difficult. Give me two days to raise the funds, how about that?"

"Boss Tang, with your massive fortune, you can't come up with thirty thousand silver dollars?"

"It's not that I can't, but I don't have that much cash on hand. I need to gather it. You go back first. I guarantee that within these two days, I'll have the money for you!" Tang Peiyuan said.

"Fine. I'll give you two days, Boss Tang. After two days, the price won't be the same!" Sun Qingkui hissed.

...

"Sir, are we really going to spend thirty thousand silver dollars to buy Sun Qingkui's troupe?" Tang Peiyuan’s confidant, his advisor, asked.

"Do you think I'm that stupid? This Sun Qingkui is just too greedy," Tang Peiyuan said. "Secretly spread the news that Sun Qingkui wants to sell the troupe to retire. The people in the troupe will surely go and cause trouble for him. Once their morale is broken, what will his troupe be worth?"

"You are truly brilliant, sir. I'll go handle it right away." The advisor nodded.

"Remember, be careful that this Sun doesn't do anything desperate. Keep an eye on him; don't let him out of our sight," Tang Peiyuan chuckled. "There is nothing I, Tang Peiyuan, have set my eyes on that someone else has been able to snatch away."

...

"Xiao Rou has moved in? That's good news, haha." Zhou Sen was very happy. With Jiang Rou moved into Ningxiang Pavilion, his plans for the New Stage had officially entered a substantive phase.

"Xiao Rou, you'll live in this room. It's close by, and it's quiet..."

"Xiao Rou has already chosen her room. She'll be living in the one Sister Yan used to have. There's no need for you to worry about it!" Bai Yulan gave Zhou Sen a sharp look. How could she let Jiang Rou live in the same courtyard as them? The next yard over was far enough. Even if Zhou Sen and Jiang Rou weren't blood-related, Jiang Rou was young and beautiful; she had to be on her guard.

"Fine, haha. Whatever room Xiao Rou wants to live in, I have no objections." Zhou Sen gave a sheepish smile.