Chapter 8: Watching the Play

  Bai Yun's mother took her to see her father and mother.

  Bai Yushu and Bai Jiangshi were waiting for her on the stairs leading from the front hall of Lingyun Temple to the second floor.

  Father smiled and Mother was all smiles, holding Bai Yunnuan's hand in her own, blowing warm air on it while scolding: "Miss's hands are so cold, why didn't you bring a hand warmer for Miss?"

  Heartfelt thanks, she bowed and said: "I'll go get it from the side room right away." And with that, she hastily left.

  "I'm not cold." Bai Yun warmed her hands, which she had just pulled back from her mother's, and rubbed them vigorously. "Friction generates heat," she said mischievously, "I'll rub my hands a few times and they'll be warmer than that hand warmer."

  "Ah!" Bai Jiangshi tenderly yet indulgently tapped her finger on Bai Yunnuan's forehead.

  Bai Yushu smiled and shook his head.

  Then went upstairs.

  The second floor of the front hall offers a perfect view of the entire square. Sitting on the second floor to watch the play is the best thing to do.

  "Hui Ze Dashi thought it through, here can let Anuan watch the excitement, but also not throw her head and face, damaging the daughter's family reputation." Bai Yushu said while sipping tea to the mother-daughter duo.

  "We haven't stayed at Lingyun Temple for many years, and Master Hui Ze is also kind." Bai Jiang agreed.

  "This tea is indeed sweet and refreshing, and its flavor is quite different from the Tieguanyin we drink at home every day!" Bai Yuxu carefully savored the tea in his cup. He saw that the tea water was slightly yellowish, with all impurities removed, and the tea leaves used for brewing were not the usual ones, but rather tea buds, shaped like needles, white as silver, standing upright, a wonderful sight to behold.

  "This tea is quite unusual, I've never had it before!" said Bai Jiangshi.

  Bai Yun smiled warmly, "This tea is also produced in Fujian like Tieguanyin, but Tieguanyin is a red tea, while this one belongs to white tea. It clears the liver and nourishes the lungs, benefits Qi and nourishes Yin, and has a nice name called Bai Mao Yinzhen, which is very precious. However, Mother, you have a cold stomach, so it's better to drink less of it."

  Bai Yun said so warmly, Zhen Niang hurriedly went with Xiao Sha Mi to bring warm stomach red tea.

  Bai Jiang changed the tea and smiled at Bai Yu Shu: "I didn't expect Ah Nuan to be so knowledgeable."

  "Mother's wrong praise, daughter just read Lu Yu's 'Tea Classics', and learned as she sold."

  "Oh? Father only thought you were noisy and useless all day, when did you even read the 'Tea Classics'?" Bai Yushu was delighted.

  Bai Yun smiled wryly in her heart, this life had no leisure to look at it, in her previous life, she was a sickly wife who was neglected by her husband and had plenty of time to read books.

  Xin Yue had sent over a hand warmer, and Bai Yun was holding it in her hands, warming them up.

  Downstairs, in the square, the play has already started.

  This opera troupe is a well-known brocade banner in Luoxian County, and Zhang Nai Chun, the eldest young master of the Zhang family, is their long-term patron. The troupe has several talented dan actors, with Qin Guan being the most outstanding.

  Relying on the memories of her past life, Baiyun Nuan married into the Zhang family and after Zhang Nai Chun went to Lingyun Temple to fulfill his vows, apart from offering incense and oil money, he also invited a troupe to perform at Lingyun Temple, making it lively and bustling, thinking that this time the Zhang family had come to Lingyun Temple to fulfill their vows again.

  Bai Yun warmed up sitting next to her mother, staring at the theater downstairs where Du Liniang was performing, singing "Youyuan Jingmeng" with a twirl of her skirt and a flutter of her sleeves, when suddenly an idea flashed in her mind.

  Accompanied her parents to watch "Peony Pavilion" for a while, Bai Yunnuan said she was tired and stood up to bid farewell to her father and mother, carrying Xinzhan down the stairs.

  Bai Yu Shu looked at Bai Yun Nuan's back and slightly furrowed his brow.

  "After all, you're still a child." said Bai Yushu and Bai Jiangshi.

  Bai Jiang didn't think so and continued watching the play.

  Bai Yun warmed her hands over the hand warmer, lost in thought as she walked back to her room.

  Passing by Bai Zhenxuan's house, listening to his brother's elegant zither music, he made up his mind even more.

  She must not let Lord Xiang see her brother, and since they had never met before, it would be easy for her brother to avoid him. However, Lord Xiang's journey from the capital to Lingyun Temple was a long one, and without some benefit to himself, why would he bother with the White family? The calamity that befell the White family could not be avoided after all. In their past life, Father had only agreed to marry Chapter Nai Chun because of the 100,000 taels of betrothal gifts; if the White family hadn't declined, Father wouldn't have been blinded by money either.

  Returned to the boudoir, Baiyun sat down on the embroidered stool, placed the hand warmer on her knees, and used both hands to warm herself up, trying to use the warmth of her palms to drive away the fear and chill in her heart.

  "Miss, what's wrong?" Xīn Yuè carefully approached her.

  "Baiyun Nuan gazed at Xīn Yuè's elegant face for a long time before finally saying, 'Xin Yue, can you help me with something?'"

  "Miss only orders is." Xin Yue looked at her family's miss strangely, what's wrong with Miss? The master ordering the slave to do things, isn't it a matter of course?

  "This matter must be kept from anyone else, you know and I know, heaven knows and earth knows."

  Xin Yan nodded heavily.

  "Bai Yun said softly: 'Go to the back of the opera stage and invite Mr. Zhang, the eldest young master of the Zhang family, to come over quietly. Don't let Master and Madam find out, nor can anyone else discover it.'"

  Xin Yan's eyes widened in surprise, why did the young lady want to invite that notorious Dengluzi? As the saying goes, men are not bad, women do not love, could it be that the young lady had seen that young master for a moment and moved her heart with spring feelings?

  Thinking so, Xin's heart was in a flurry as he nodded hastily and then shook his head violently, his face pale with shock.

  Bai Yun saw Xin Zhen's expression and sighed: "You're always timid. I'll go myself!"

  "No, no, miss, I'll go, I'll go." Xīn Yuè didn't think twice and went anyway.

  Looking at Xin Yan's back, Bai Yun was warm in his heart, and it was really a mixture of five flavors. Once Xin Yan invited Zhang Nai Chun, it meant that the fate between him and Zhang Nai Chun would not be broken.

  But for her brother, for the White family, she had to do this.

  Xin Yuan arrived at the front hall of the temple, saw the old master and his wife watching a play on the second floor, if he went down to the stage rashly, he would definitely be discovered, so he hesitated, just in time to see a young monk passing by, grabbed him, bowed and paid respects.

  The little monk joined his palms together and returned the courtesy: "What can I do for you, patron?"

  "I am a maid of the Bai family, my young master wants to invite Mr. Zhang to the side room for a chat, I am a woman and it's not proper for me to go out of the temple and show my face, so please ask the little monk to extend the invitation." Xīn Chuān thought that his excuse was reasonable and would not damage Miss's reputation, and could also dispel the little monk's doubts. With his pitiful eyes, the little monk naturally agreed and went.

  Xin Yuan saw Sha Mi Guo coming out from behind the theater and quickly walked back to the east garden gate to wait.

  Before long, Zhang Nai Chun and Ban Si Er followed closely behind Xiao Sha Mi as they arrived.

  Xin Yuan thanked Little Sha Mi, and Little Sha Mi left with a gentle "Amitabha, good, good".

  As soon as Zhang Nai Chun saw that it was the maid who had been following Bai Yun, she smiled and curtsied, saying: "Sister, I heard that your young master has invited you, but does your young mistress have a place to go?"

  Xin Yan's heart was secretly resentful, but on the surface, he still smiled and said: "I don't dare to be called 'sister', just call me Xin Yan. If my young master invites you, doesn't my young mistress have a place? Wouldn't Chapter Young Master know if he went?"

  Zhang Nai Chun was delighted to hear that there was a play, and immediately her heart was filled with joy. She ordered Si Er to wait at the garden gate, while she herself followed Xin Zhan into the garden, rushing straight to the East Wing.