Chen Xi's face twitched a couple of times, but in the end, he decided not to say anything. He had already guessed who that mysterious figure might be. If you go by certain interpretations, this person was one of the top experts of the era. It made sense that only someone of that caliber could calmly offer such a secret technique as a reward.
Soon after the crowd settled down, the play officially began. Chen Xi scanned the stage but didn't recognize anyone. That wasn't surprising—despite how generous he was with his maidservants, with Fan Jian's cautious nature, she wouldn't let them perform outside the house. It wasn't just a matter of status, but also of safety.
As Chen Xi watched a white-robed and a green-robed girl take the stage, he instantly knew what the play was about. Initially, Chen Xi had set this up to give Liu Luo's girls something to do, which led to the custom that only women performed in operas. But what about Fahai? Had Fahai become a nun too? Now, that would be an interesting twist!
"Hey, Zi Chuan, you look particularly eager right now. What are you waiting for?" Fa Zheng asked with interest during an intermission when he noticed Chen Xi's expectant expression.
"Waiting for Fahai!" Chen Xi replied with a chuckle after a brief pause. He couldn't help but be curious about a female Fahai. Besides, the girl playing Bai Suzhen had an ethereal quality to her performance.
"Oh, Daoist Fahai? Now that's a real master!" Fa Zheng said. "Let me tell you, I don't care much about Bai Suzhen, but I really respect that Daoist. The whole flooding-the-Golden-Mountain thing is just too immoral. Honestly, she deserved to be defeated."
"Watch your words. Some people here haven't seen the play yet," Zhuge Liang pointed out, gesturing toward Lu Xun, whose eyes were shining with excitement. It was clear that, in an era with so few entertainment options, Lu Xun was thoroughly captivated by his first experience with theater. Even Lu Lao Tai Ye and Lu Jun were engrossed.
"Wait, say that again?" Chen Xi rubbed his ears, confused. "Fahai is a Daoist? Who wrote this script?"
"Didn't you write it? Fahai is the child attendant of the Great Supreme Elder Lord. Because his thoughts were impure, the Elder Lord sent him to the mortal world to experience the human condition and seek transcendence," Fa Zheng explained, puzzled.
"When did I ever write such nonsense?" Chen Xi retorted, exasperated. "And why would Bai Suzhen get killed? She's supposed to be the disciple of the Old Mother of Mount Li, only coming down the mountain to fulfill a vow. And what about that other guy? The God of Wealth? Didn't he reincarnate as Bai Suzhen's son? Didn't he eventually become a prime minister and save his parents, who then ascended to immortality?"
"What kind of plot is that?" Fa Zheng countered, baffled. "How could a deity reincarnate as a demon's child? And her vow was clearly problematic—wasn't she harming people?"
"I just want to know who rewrote this story into something so bizarre!" Chen Xi grumbled. "How are they supposed to evoke tears with this version?"
"Tears? What's there to cry about? The demon gets defeated, the Daoist achieves enlightenment, and Xu Xian joins Fahai's sect, destined to become immortal. Isn't that a perfect ending?" Fa Zheng's eyes sparkled with confusion as he asked Chen Xi, to whom this version seemed like a perfect, happy conclusion. What was Chen Xi unhappy about?
"I just want to know who turned my plot into this absurdity!" Chen Xi fumed. This wasn't the story he had originally written.
"The original script was definitely yours. The rest must have been passed down from your household, probably with a bit of embellishment. But honestly, given the choice between your original and this version, I think you should let your wife and concubines help refine your stories in the future," Fa Zheng said, delivering a painful blow to Chen Xi. Judging by Lu Xun's flushed cheeks and clenched fists, it was clear that this version resonated more with the audience's moral and aesthetic standards.
"Oh, great. If this is the version being performed, Chen Yun and Chen Ying are going to get completely vilified," Chen Xi muttered. With the audience's current fervor, there was no way Chen Yun and Chen Ying would escape criticism.
"Hah, back then they performed the version you wrote—the ethereal Chen Yun and the mischievous Chen Ying. They had everyone in tears. Then your wife, bored and curious, watched the play and had Cai Da Jia rewrite the script. But honestly, this version feels more realistic," Fa Zheng said nonchalantly.
In reality, Fa Zheng cared a lot. He had been one of those tearful audience members during the original play, though he'd never admit that to Chen Xi. He fully supported the revision; the previous version was too much of a tearjerker, though it was unforgettable.
"Jian'er…" Chen Xi sighed. "So after that, Yun'er and Ying'er stopped performing, huh?"
"Yeah, they rarely perform anymore, but there's still a strong demand for them to return. Cai Da Jia's revision, while elegant, can't compare to the emotional impact of your original story. I heard you had Cai Da Jia add poetry to it from the start, right?" Fa Zheng asked curiously.
"Yeah," Chen Xi replied absently. He knew what had happened with Chen Yun and Chen Ying. Even without much thought, he could guess that Fan Jian was worried about their growing fame leading to them becoming more prominent in his life. After all, in this era, maidservants were often considered potential concubines.
However, Chen Xi wasn't too concerned. Fan Jian wouldn't trouble Chen Yun and Chen Ying. She'd likely just have them stay home for a while instead of performing, but she wouldn't impose harsh restrictions. Besides, with Chen Lan around, nothing serious would happen.
Chen Xi understood that Fan Jian's anxieties stemmed from his increasing status and the time they spent apart. She feared losing his affection, not out of malice but from insecurity. The best solution was to spend more time with her, to reassure her.
As he mused over the situation, Chen Xi realized that aside from himself, his wife, and his concubine, the only other people in his household were maidservants. Even Zhuge Liang had mentioned wanting to move out, further tilting the gender balance in the house.
In the end, Chen Xi gave up thinking about it. This wasn't a problem with an easy solution. As for the idea of waiting for his maidservants to marry off, that was just wishful thinking. With how comfortable life in the Chen household was, it was better to stay there until they found someone special. Besides, Fan Jian wasn't the type to create problems, and the Chen household was a good place to be. He was sure some of them were just waiting for him to make a move.
As the final act of the play ended, things unfolded just as Fa Zheng had said. The White Snake perished, the Green Snake, who aided her, was trapped beneath the river, Fahai ascended to the heavens, and Xu Xian, now enlightened, resolved to become immortal.