Chapter 1110 - Youth Charm
The music accompaniment issue that had long plagued this project was now partially resolved thanks to Madam Liu's troupe. Though their instruments didn't match aerobics at all, they were at least the natives with the highest musical proficiency Zhu Mingxia had found so far.
First familiarize them with modern music, then have them learn modern instruments—that was his plan.
The first piece he required Liu Yisi to learn was "Youth Charm," primarily performed with traditional instruments—a perfect introductory piece.
He almost never watched these videos himself. Not enough time had passed since the transmigration to let him forget the students in the footage. Nearly all had been filmed by him personally—he'd watched these children train, sweat, get injured, win awards. Some had graduated; he'd seen them off. Many more were still enrolled when he crossed over. Sometimes he felt he'd betrayed those children. The promise he'd made to invite them to his wedding could never be fulfilled now. Training a servant cheerleading squad was, for him, a kind of emotional compensation.
Before departing, he'd specifically discussed the cheerleader project with Hu Qingbai from the Education Department, Fang Fei from Propaganda, and Xiao Zishan, among others. Needless to say, everyone expressed support.
Though the costume issue would be difficult to resolve, Zhu Mingxia felt that if they started working on it now, the problem would probably be solved by the time the squad was actually ready—that would be a matter for the Light Industry and Chemical departments.
"How's it going? Think you can manage it?" Seeing Liu Yisi still puzzling over the music, he asked.
Liu Yisi rose gracefully and bowed: "Master... ah, Official, this is the first time I've heard music like this. I can't grasp it yet—I'll need more time to understand it..."
"I'll give you time, but you must apply yourself," Zhu Mingxia said. "This matter is very important. Not just you—all your girls must study diligently too."
"This servant understands."
Zhu Mingxia said no more and walked out. Liu Yisi hurried to follow and hold up the door curtain for him—servant's skills, full service.
Standing in the courtyard, he watched the figures practicing in the main hall. "Old Gao, thank you for leaving me your materials. I used to watch you train students; now it's my turn to train servants. I'll do my best," he murmured.
Liu Yisi was puzzled by her new master's peculiar musical tastes, but she was now a bonded servant with her thumbprint on an indenture. If her master wanted her to learn a few new pieces, she would comply—even if he wanted her to play lying down, kneeling, or on one leg like a golden rooster. There was no refusing.
If she weren't already a half-withered woman past thirty with features that weren't particularly pleasing, she wouldn't find it strange even if he demanded she play naked—masters all had their quirks. This Official Zhu might look and act "unlike anyone from the Central Kingdom," but perhaps he had some exotic Australian tastes.
Matching the repeatedly playing melody, she worked hard to transcribe the notation—a skill she'd painstakingly acquired years ago while apprenticing in the pleasure quarter. Most tunes she could roughly transcribe after just a few listenings. It was this ability that had allowed her troupe to be the first to perform any fashionable new ballad or tune over the years, attracting many patrons. In this line of work, even focusing on the high-end market, competition in Jiangnan was fierce. The established houses and famous courtesans far outstripped her rootless wandering troupe.
Through the years, Liu Yisi had exhausted her wits barely keeping the troupe afloat. Though they'd come close to ruin several times, they'd somehow scraped through each crisis. This latest brush with death in Dengzhou had nearly finished them all—fortunately, another turn of fate had arrived...
Even though they'd all become bondservants, at least they'd survived. Though a few men from the troupe had somehow offended their new masters and been dragged out and strangled—throwing the whole group into anxious sleeplessness for days—Liu Yisi quickly figured it out. Far from being frightened, she even felt a secret delight.
That the masters had directly executed the troupe's men showed they didn't want any men among them. What did that imply? It meant Master Zhu had taken a fancy to them—the troupe wouldn't be consigned to mere washing and milling duties as lowly servants.
She'd been in a daze the whole boat journey—none of them had ever sailed on the ocean before. It was crowded, and the waves made them miserable. When they finally landed, they had no idea where they were.
After disembarking, they'd had their heads shaved and been bathed—something called "purification"—then been sent separately to this compound. This seemed to confirm her speculation from the refugee camp.
She recalled the various embarrassing procedures of "purification" upon arrival. Thinking that Master Zhu might have some interest in her personally, and considering the care he'd taken these past days to come personally and instruct her in playing... her heart pounded. So she too might have a chance. Liu Yisi was secretly delighted—easy days of fine food and drink lay ahead.
Her grandest hope had originally been for her daughter Siyu to catch Master Zhu's eye. Instead, it seemed that Ruhua—now renamed Zhao Jinghan—had won more of Master Zhu's favor. Back in the refugee camp, she'd had to fawn over this "adopted daughter" for fear of being purged once Ruhua rose to power. Truth be told, she'd never treated her birth daughter much better than any of the girls she'd purchased or picked up.
But where were they now? This uncertainty troubled Liu Yisi most. Since landing, she'd seen only fields and wilderness along the route, with no real towns—far more desolate than Jiangnan, though the roads were very smooth.
Could this be overseas? Liu Yisi thought back to the journey from the dock to the city walls. Everyone they'd seen wore strange clothing and spoke languages she couldn't understand.
Their lodgings were peculiar too. The courtyard was small; the rooms and windows all low. Every room had wooden flooring... These unusual features puzzled her. To call it a poor person's dwelling—yet the wooden floors, the decorative carvings on beams and pillars, the roof tiles, and the underfloor heating channel in every room were certainly beyond poor people's means. But if it was a wealthy home, she'd never seen rich folk build structures with such low, cramped proportions.
Though it was nearly the end of the second month, the underfloor heating still burned. Every room was toasty warm—far too warm for padded clothing. They could only wear thin tunics.
Liu Yisi was lost in thought when she saw her daughter Liu Siyu and Zhao Jinghan returning to the room. The three of them shared this space.
The two girls each held a warm roasted sweet potato, laughing and chatting as they ate and walked. The young girls in the troupe were close in age; they'd performed and sold their singing together and shared the mistreatment from Liu Yisi, so they got along well with each other.
Both had their heads shaved smooth and wore strange clothing—not the uniform cotton gowns issued after purification. They wore short-sleeved, round-necked, tight-fitting linen tops that bared their arms, with silk bloomers below, and went barefoot.
Apparently not expecting Liu Yisi to be in the room, both froze, fell silent, and quickly hid the sweet potatoes behind their backs.
Though the entire troupe now belonged to others as servants, Liu Yisi's authority as their former principal still commanded respect. The two girls had been beaten too many times with cane and made to kneel on roof tiles; they were terrified of her.
"What are you afraid of? Standing there like a couple of silly geese! I'm not a tiger—am I going to eat you?!" Liu Yisi couldn't help scolding when she saw their wooden expressions. These days she'd been doing much self-reflection to improve her temper, but old habits died hard—seeing their dull-witted looks, she lost her temper instantly.
"Mother..." the two girls called timidly.
"Don't be afraid," Liu Yisi realized her tone was harsh and quickly plastered on a smile, softening her voice. "You're my good daughters—what is there to fear? Come here, both of you!"
Both girls' faces showed discomfort at this unfamiliar warmth, but they hurried over and sat next to her on the heated floor.
Liu Yisi offered a few words of concern and affection, making a point to remind them that now their hair was gone, they should always wear hats to avoid catching cold.
"Women's heads can't take wind and chill—otherwise you'll suffer for it in old age..." Liu Yisi said.
"Mother..." Liu Siyu couldn't help asking, "Master shaved our heads... is it because... he wants us to become nuns...?"
"How could that be?" Liu Yisi laughed. "Daughter, don't worry. Good days of comfort are ahead for you." She gave Zhao Jinghan a meaningful look. "That's all thanks to your Sister Zhao."
Both girls understood what "good days of comfort" meant. Zhao Jinghan especially—she was a few years older than Liu Siyu and far more worldly. Master Zhu's giving her a new name and the troupe mistress's dramatic change of attitude toward her in recent days had made certain implications clear.
Throughout the troupe, it was now common knowledge that Zhao Jinghan had caught Master Zhu's eye and would soon be taken as a concubine.
Honestly, she didn't dislike this Master Zhu. Though his hair and clothing were peculiar and she couldn't always understand his speech, he was certainly handsome and spoke kindly to everyone—obviously a good man. Being his servant or concubine would be a good outcome for someone like her.
She only wondered what Master Zhu's principal wife was like. Zhao Jinghan had witnessed the cruelty of legal wives firsthand—she herself had nearly been beaten to death by one. She'd also seen and heard of troupe sisters and colleagues tormented to death after being taken as concubines, or driven out. So she felt both hope and fear.
But recent events confused her. These past days the troupe sisters had all lived in the same compound, yet Master Zhu had shown no special interest in her. He hadn't even summoned her for a private audience.
(End of Chapter)