Chapter 551 - 551: Temple Fair
In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year. Yu Niaoniao brought Ling Hai to work overtime to rush the manuscript and finally handed the second draft of The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation to the booksellers before New Year’s Eve.
The booksellers were all excited. They did not even plan to celebrate the new year and prepared to pay more for the craftsmen to print books.
On the night of New Year’s Eve, there was a temple fair in the city.
Yu Niaoniao specially changed into a red jacket dress and went out to play with Xiao Juan. Luo Pingsha and Ling Hai accompanied her.
Originally, Yu Niaoniao wanted to bring Granny Xiu Yan along, but Granny Xiu
Yan said that she was old and had limited energy. She wanted to rest early, so she did not go with young people like them.
Starting from New Year’s Eve, the Imperial Capital would cancel the curfew and would not resume the curfew until the Lantern Festival was over.
During this period, the commoners could also come out to play at night and enjoy the lively atmosphere brought about by the Spring Festival.
When Yu Niaoniao, Xiao Juan, and the others rushed to the City God Temple, the temple fair had yet to begin.
The people from the various theaters were preparing backstage.
Yu Niaoniao asked Xiao Juan, Ling Hai, and Lo Pingsha to stay where they were. She went backstage and found the people from Qirui Garden.
Liu Qirui was urging everyone to put on their makeup. When he saw Yu Niaoniao arrive, he immediately wanted to kneel and bow, but he was stopped by Yu Niaoniao.
“Don’t kneel for no reason. There’s no need. Let’s just get along like before.”
Liu Qirui replied, “Yes.”
However, looking at his terrified expression, Yu Niaoniao knew that he definitely did not listen to her.
Forget it. This matter could not be changed overnight. They could only slowly adapt.
She looked at the others and hurriedly said when she saw that everyone had stopped and was about to bow to her. “Don’t worry about me. Just do your work.”
Everyone went back to their work.
Yu Niaoniao asked, “How’s the preparation for the new scene?”
Speaking of his professional field, Liu Qirui immediately became confident.
“County Princess Consort, don’t worry. Everything is ready.” Yu Niaoniao asked again, “Which session is ours?” Liu Qirui said, “The first.”
Yu Niaoniao was slightly stunned. “So soon?”
Speaking of this, Liu Qirui was a little embarrassed.
“The order of the show’s performance is decided by drawing lots. I was unlucky and drew first place at once.”
As everyone knew, it was a loss to be the first to go on stage. This was because the audience had yet to completely enter the state of watching. If the effect of the program was not outstanding enough, it was very likely that the audience would ignore it.
Yu Niaoniao comforted him.
“The first one is quite good. The sooner we finish acting, the sooner we can get off work. Everyone can go back and have a good gathering with their families.”
Liu Qirui was caught between laughter and tears. Who comforted people like this?
Yu Niaoniao said, “In short, just do your best. Happy is still the most important during the new year.”
Liu Qirui nodded. “We will definitely do our best to act well and not embarrass you.”
Yu Niaoniao took out the red packets she had prepared in advance and gave one to everyone in Qirui Garden. It was considered a New Year benefit for her boss and employees.
After receiving the red packet, everyone became very happy and relaxed.
Seeing that she had nothing else to do, Yu Niaoniao left backstage to look for Xiao Juan and the others.
There were especially many people at the City God Temple tonight. The surrounding businesses were brightly lit, and the roadside was filled with vendors. All kinds of vendors shouted.
On this special day, even families with poor family backgrounds would spend money to buy snacks for their children tonight. The children were naturally overjoyed to have delicious food. There was laughter everywhere. It was really a DrosDerous scene.
Yu Niaoniao looked at the group of children chasing and fooling around with candied hawthorn. She couldn’t help but recall that when she was young, she and her parents went to the temple fair in Jinguan City. After she said that she wanted to eat candied hawthorn, her stepfather waved his hand and wrapped an entire haystack of candied hawthorn for her.
The other children could not buy candied hawthorn and could only look at her eagerly.
Yu Niaoniao raised the candied hawthorn proudly and asked them to call her boss. As long as they were willing to acknowledge her as their boss, they could immediately obtain a stick of candied hawthorn.
Therefore, on New Year’s Eve that year, she took in dozens of underlings in one go and became a tyrant in Jinguan City.
Yu Niaoniao was immersed in her memories when a hand suddenly reached over from the side. He was holding a string of red and shiny candied hawthorn.
She turned around and saw that it was Xiao Juan.
Seeing her staring at the children, Xiao Juan thought that she was craving the candied hawthorn in those children’s hands, so he bought her a stick.
Yu Niaoniao took the candied hawthorn and bit off one. It was sour and sweet.
The taste was different from the candied hawthorn in her memory, but it was still delicious.
She couldn’t help but smile.
Although she had lost her stepfather and mother, who loved her the most, she met Xiao Juan. This man would also accompany her to the temple fair and buy her candied hawthorn.
If her stepfather and mother were in heaven and saw that she was not alone, they would probably be relieved. Xiao Juan asked, “What are you smiling at?”
Yu Niaoniao said, “Guess.”
The temple fair was about to begin, and the commoners had all gathered in the square in front of the City God Temple.
Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan met many acquaintances here, including the Zheng father and son of the Sky Oriole Garden, Yu Kangtai, Yu Pingping, Yu Sheng, and many people in the Justice Department, such as Meng Xizhou, Yan Nanguan, Pan Dafu, and the others.
They were all accompanying their families to join in the fun.
As soon as everyone saw Duke Lang and his wife, they were about to greet them when Xiao Juan stopped them.
“We’ll skip all this red tape tonight.”
Meng Xizhou and the others already knew that the owner of Qirui Garden was the Princess Consort and asked expectantly, “What’s Qirui Garden playing tonight?”
Yu Niaoniao deliberately kept them in suspense. “You’ll know when the time comes.”
Yu Kangtai already knew that his two daughters had joined forces to open a theater. He did not agree that it would be bad for his family’s reputation if a girl got involved in such a business. However, since Duke Lang did not say anything, he could not say anything.
Yu Pingping asked curiously.
“How many of our programs are going on stage?
Yu Niaoniao said that it was the first.
Yu Pingping couldn’t help but feel nervous. “Then won’t they be under a lot of pressure?”
Yu Niaoniao was very relaxed. “It’s fine as long as we perform normally. With our acting troupe’s strength, no matter how bad we are, we won’t fall behind.”
Yu Pingping was speechless and expected better from someone.
“Is that all you’ve got?!”
Even if she didn’t fight for first place, she should at least fight for the top three. Her sister, on the other hand, was fine as long as she wasn’t last!
Her sister was really capable!
Yu Niaoniao said calmly, “The higher the hope, the greater the pressure. It’s better to relax. Do you know the joys of having no desire?”
Yu Pingping curled her lips and refused to be fooled by her sister.
A stage was built in the square. The magistrate of the Imperial Capital first went on stage to say a few words, then the dragon and lion dance team went on stage to perform.
The lively dragon dance, coupled with the loud gongs and drums, instantly heated the atmosphere.
The various theaters began to take turns performing.
The first was a new show in Qirui Garden called “Double Beauties”..