DCFRP Extra 25

TL: Hua

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Gu Zizhen asked, “Master really said that? Are those his exact words?”

Xi Yun said, “Those weren’t the exact words, but that’s pretty much what he meant. Dong Sheng and I both heard it clearly and wouldn’t have misunderstood.”

Qi Xiaoyu stood rooted to the spot.

His hand unconsciously gripped the edge of the wooden stairs. The evening breeze from above blew past, as if it wasn’t touching his skin but passing right through his entire body.

Gu Zizhen’s voice mixed with the evening breeze, ethereal like it was drifting over from a distant opera stage. “Don’t tell Xiaoyu about this for now.”

The sound of pebbles rolling on the ground came from below, probably Xi Yun kicking a few small stones.

“I know. Before Master tells Xiaoyu about this, we won’t say anything to him. But Xiaoyu will find out eventually. If he knows Master won’t let him perform on stage anymore, how heartbroken will he be?”

“A short pain is better than a long one. Master’s arrangement is also for Xiaoyu’s own good. After all, he’s marrying the Commander. If he continues to perform on stage afterwards, even if the Commander doesn’t mind, what will others say about it? What will they say about Xiaoyu?”

“I know. We are from the lower classes, with humble status, not worthy of those in high society!”

Xi Yun’s voice rose and then fell, followed by the continued sound of rolling pebbles. “Did you see today? Master has already taken Xiaoyu to have dinner with the person surnamed Xun. Is Xiaoyu going to leave soon?”

“Damn it, it’s all that surname Xun’s fault for being so persuasive.”

“Hey, look on the bright side. The current situation is so chaotic and ever-changing. Things might be fine today, but who knows if everything will change tomorrow? Having the Commander as a backer and settling down early is a good thing for Xiaoyu.”

QQi Xiaoyu lowered his head and bit his lips tightly. He understood immediately that his master was doing it for his own good.

He had never thought about this before because Xun Qian had always respected him and never looked down on him for being an opera singer. On the contrary, Xun Qian always encouraged and appreciated him, which made him feel that even if he was with Xun Qian, it wouldn’t prevent him from continuing to perform on stage, or even, as his master had once said, that he could take on the responsibility of the Red Moon Troupe.

It was Xun Qian’s tolerance that made him forget that as an opera singer, he was born inferior.

Gu Zizhen’s words continued to drift down from the rooftop in the deep night, “Don’t just look at what’s in front of you. Can you sing opera for a lifetime? If Xiaoyu goes to the commander’s residence and doesn’t come back, that means he lives a good life.”

Qi Xiaoyu went downstairs, returned to his room, and got into bed, still feeling somewhat like he was sleepwalking.

He knew his master’s personality too well; once he made up his mind, it was hard to change it.

Since he had already said that he wouldn’t let him continue performing in the Red Moon Troupe, he would really drive him away.

But he didn’t want to leave.

He wanted to stay in the Red Moon Troupe; he wanted to stay on the stage. No matter what others thought, he wanted to always be an opera singer.

But he also couldn’t bear to part with Xun Qian. The joy and excitement Xun Qian brought him were like a row of small flowers swaying in the wind in his heart, like the fluttering wings of butterflies inside him.

He had never thought that singing opera and Xun Qian would be mutually exclusive.

Qi Xiaoyu took a deep breath, bit the corner of his quilt, and faced the wall. He had to try hard to think of a win-win solution.

However, before Qi Xiaoyu could come up with a perfect solution, Qi Fengjian fell ill first.

Qi Fengjian’s health had always been quite good. He rarely got sick, and even common colds were infrequent throughout the year. When traveling south from Beiping, many young people fell ill and passed away for various reasons, but he remained strong and healthy.

But one morning in mid-May, Qi Fengjian suddenly became so ill that he couldn’t move.

Usually, at 7:30 AM, the opera troupe apprentices would all go to the dining hall for breakfast and then begin their day’s practice.

That day, at 7:30 AM, everyone had arrived at the dining hall, but Qi Fengjian was nowhere to be seen.

Qi Xiaoyu put down his chopsticks, turned his head, and asked Qi Wanrou, “Why hasn’t Master come this morning? Did he go out?”

Qi Wanrou frowned and thought for a moment, “I didn’t see Dad go out this morning. You guys eat first; I’ll go to his room and call him.”

After Qi Wanrou finished speaking, she left the dining hall, crossed the living room, and went to Qi Fengjian’s room.

The others prepared to eat.

But as soon as they finished serving their meals, the sound of Qi Wanrou’s call came from across the living room. Qi Fengjian collapsed by the bedside, his eyes tightly closed, his body motionless.

Qi Xiaoyu and his senior brothers heard the sound and immediately rushed into the room. They saw the situation, and a bad premonition rose in their hearts. Then, they carefully helped Qi Fengjian back onto the bed.

During this time, Qi Fengjian woke up. His eyes could move, and after much effort, his left hand could also be barely lifted, but it was clear that his left hand had no strength, and his eyes moved very slowly. As for the right side of his body, it was completely paralyzed and seemed to have no sensation at all.

He seemed to be trying hard to speak to his apprentices, but his tongue was out of his control. After struggling for a long time, he could only make “wu-wu” sounds.

Gu He bit his sleeve, tears welling up in his eyes, “What’s wrong with Grandpa Master?”

Gu Zizhen said in a deep voice, “He probably had a stroke. Place him on the bed and don’t move him yet. Xi Yun, hurry and go get a doctor.”

Qi Xiaoyu gritted his teeth, stopped his trembling hands, and, with another senior brother, gently laid Qi Fengjian flat on the bed, unbuttoning a few buttons on his clothes.

Qi Fengjian opened his eyes wide, still trying to speak to them, but even though he was sweating all over from the effort, he still couldn’t say a single complete word.

Qi Xiaoyu tightly held his master’s hand, squatted by the bed, and stared intently at him.

Since he was a child, for more than a decade, Qi Fengjian had been a tall and imposing figure in his heart. Even as he grew older, as long as Qi Fengjian stood there, it filled him with a sense of awe. He had never thought that his master would suddenly fall ill and grow old so unexpectedly, that he would suddenly be unable to say even a single sentence.

Fortunately, not long after, the doctor was brought over.

Just as Gu Zizhen had said, after examining him, the doctor’s conclusion was also a stroke, which had caused hemiplegia.

Although Qi Fengjian rarely got sick on weekdays, he was already fifty-four years old and no longer young. A stroke was a common illness at his age and also a very deadly one.

Everyone’s hearts were in their throats.

After the doctor finished the diagnosis, he went to write a prescription.

Qi Xiaoyu and Gu Zizhen quickly followed, asking in detail about recovery, how to take care of the patient, and what aspects of diet to pay attention to.

This doctor is in his seventies and is a well-known old doctor nearby. It was only because Xi Yun went early that they were able to get him over so quickly.

The doctor sighed and said that there was no quick treatment for Qi Fengjian’s current condition. He could only take medicine to stabilize his situation first and then gradually recover his ability to walk and speak through exercise.

Finally, after writing the prescription, the old doctor said to the two apprentices, “At his age, and with the illness coming on so suddenly and severely, even if he can recover, he won’t be able to return to his physical condition before the illness. The best outcome would be to live a normal life.

If he doesn’t recover well, he might spend the rest of his life in bed. You must be mentally prepared.”

Qi Xiaoyu and Gu Zizhen had already been mentally prepared when they saw Qi Fengjian’s condition, but after hearing the doctor’s words, their hearts still felt as if they had been soaked in cold water, chilling them to the bone.

With Qi Fengjian’s illness, the entire atmosphere of the Red Moon Troupe changed.

The laughter and joy of the past were gone, and everyone silently went about their own business.

As the eldest apprentice, Gu Zizhen took charge of the overall situation of the troupe. He was responsible for external social engagements, the troupe’s performances at the Laurel Stage, and the daily affairs of the troupe.

However, his waist injury hadn’t healed, and he couldn’t sit or stand for long periods, so he couldn’t follow the troupe out every day.

Among the other apprentices, not many could help.

Xi Yun and Dong Sheng originally had to perform every night and had also agreed to help at the Fufeng Academy on behalf of the Rongchun Society, so even if they wanted to manage the troupe’s affairs, they couldn’t find the time.

The remaining apprentices were either not good at external communication, or they were impulsive and not cautious enough, or they couldn’t command respect.

As a result, only Qi Xiaoyu could help with everything.

However, he had to perform on stage, help Gu Zizhen manage the troupe’s affairs, and also take care of his master with Qi Wanrou. Busy with everything, he no longer had time for anything else.

That night, after returning from the Laurel Stage, Qi Xiaoyu helped brew the medicine and took it to Qi Fengjian’s room. He wanted to take Qi Wanrou’s shift tonight and watch over his master.

Qi Wanrou raised her slightly red eyes to look at Qi Xiaoyu. She took the medicine and refused his request: “You go back to your room and sleep. I’ll take care of things here.”

Qi Xiaoyu shook his head and sat down on the small stool by the bed. “I want to stay with Master for a while.”

Qi Wanrou didn’t try to persuade him again. She carefully fed him the medicine, holding the bowl. After a long while, she suddenly asked Qi Xiaoyu, “Will Dad’s illness affect your marriage with Commander Xun?”

Qi Xiaoyu pursed his lips and looked at Qi Fengjian’s hand lying outside the quilt without speaking.

He had originally planned to slowly persuade his master to let him stay in the Red Moon Troupe even after he got married.

He remembered what the old doctor had said, that a major reason for Qi Fengjian’s stroke was years of worry and overwork, leading to deficiency and stagnation of blood circulation.

He also recalled that night alone with his master in the living room and the way his master sat alone in the rattan chair smoking and pondering before he entered, as well as his master’s back as he wore a brand-new long gown, holding a gift.

Recently, the thing that had worried his master the most was probably him.

Qi Xiaoyu felt both sad and guilty.

He thought he could only tell Xun Qian to postpone the marriage, perhaps for a long time.

However, although he had a plan in mind, he intended to discuss this with Xun Qian in a few days. Xun Qian was also busy with many things recently, and they had only communicated by phone, not seeing each other in person.

The last time their elders had dinner together, he had heard Xun Qian mention that in order to get married smoothly in July, he needed to take advantage of this time to quickly stabilize the economic situation and public sentiment in Shanghai.

Although Qi Xiaoyu didn’t know much about these things, he knew not to cause trouble at this time. Of course, there were also some very complex emotions involved.

Two more days passed, and he went to the Laurel Stage to perform as usual.

After finishing the performance and going backstage to remove his makeup, just as he was about to go home, the theater manager found him and said, “Mr. Qi, hold on a moment. A young lady is looking for you.”

There were many older female patrons, but not many young ladies. After all, this kind of theater wasn’t a suitable place for daughters from prominent families to frequent. Qi Xiaoyu was curious when he saw a woman with two bodyguards gracefully pushing open the backstage door and walking towards him.

The woman was dressed in a purple-gold cheongsam with a pipa buckle and a pair of sparkling silver high heels, a proud expression donning her face.

Qi Xiaoyu glanced at her and vaguely felt that her face looked familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he had seen her before.

At this moment, the theater manager introduced, “This is Miss Jiang Jing.”

 

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