144: Chapter 144 New Voices in Traditional Chinese Opera

Yang Mi had a headache.

Asking Shao Ping would be tantamount to admitting she knew she was 'hit,' which would make her lose face and potentially give him leverage.

But if she didn't ask, and if there really were... such videos circulating, the consequences would be unimaginable.

This dilemma made her agitated.

The thought of herself becoming the protagonist of those sordid videos filled her with a mix of shame and anxiety, and her cheeks involuntarily flushed.

If only, if only...

But that scoundrel wouldn't take the bait.

After much thought, she came up with a seemingly viable solution: spending money to avert disaster.

She could use this intelligence report as an excuse to pay a bit more.

She would see how things developed.

Meanwhile, Chen Shaoping and Zhang Ying were watching a Peking Opera performance.

Zhang Ying watched with great interest, her eyes fixed on the stage performance.

Her expressions changed with the unfolding plot of the Peking Opera.

Sometimes happy, sometimes angry, sometimes pensive...

Her hands also unconsciously gestured along.

Chen Shaoping watched the performance on stage and listened to the Peking Opera singing.

He wasn't very interested.

Because for those who don't often listen to it, the lyrics of Peking Opera are indeed obscure and difficult to understand, like a dialect.

However, their singing style, tone, pitch, emotional changes, etc., were all master-level.

Or rather, a Peking Opera master could become a singer in a short time.

But a singer might not necessarily become a Peking Opera master in a short time.

Chen Shaoping took a sip of tea and scanned the audience in the theater.

In the vast theater, there were no more than 30 audience members.

The further back one went, the fewer audience members there were.

Such a performance yielded such a pitiful income.

No wonder fewer and fewer people are studying and performing Peking Opera now.

Survival itself is a huge challenge.

Chen Shaoping sighed inwardly, a national art that was once glorious and brilliant now had such a sparse audience, which was truly lamentable.

Chen Shaoping and Zhang Ying stayed until the end of the performance.

Zhang Ying still looked as if she hadn't had enough.

"Sister Ying, let's go. If you want to listen again, we'll come next time."

"Mm," Zhang Ying replied, then excitedly added, "I really loved the voice of that Qingyi just now, it was like a nightingale, melodious and beautiful."

"I'm so envious."

"Empress Zhang Ying, you are an empress! In terms of voice, you are no weaker than anyone else; you don't need to envy others."

Chen Shaoping's thoughts were simple: my wife is naturally the best.

Zhang Ying's grip on Chen Shaoping's arm tightened slightly, her heart filled with sweetness.

Yet she said, "My voice is good, but it's not omnipotent."

"Like the part where they imitated animal sounds, I can't do that."

"You can't do it now because you haven't practiced. If you practice for a while, it'll definitely be fine."

Zhang Ying chuckled, "Mm-hmm."

The two hadn't even left the theater entrance yet.

A woman dressed in Peking Opera attire, her face still covered in greasepaint, but her delicate features and bright eyes were already discernible, approached them.

"Mr. Chen, Ms. Zhang. Thank you for gracing us with your presence at our performance. I wonder if you two have time to sit down for a chat."

If Chen Shaoping wasn't mistaken, this was the Qingyi whom Zhang Ying admired.

After the two entered the theater, some of their disguises felt uncomfortable, so they took them off.

It seemed they had been recognized.

"Alright, please lead the way."

Zhang Ying happily accepted.

Chen Shaoping could only follow.

Following the Qingyi's steps, Chen Shaoping and Zhang Ying arrived at the back hall of the theater.

An old man leaning on a cane was already waiting.

The water for tea was steaming, making gurgling sounds.

"Distinguished guests, please forgive my abrupt interruption. Please sit."

"My surname is Hu, and I am the manager of this opera troupe."

Manager Hu started coughing after saying these two sentences.

His complexion also looked unwell.

The Qingyi woman quickly patted his back and helped him catch his breath.

She immediately pulled out an inhaler from Manager Hu's clothes and sprayed it into his mouth a few times.

Only then did Manager Hu's symptoms alleviate.

"Uncle Hu, don't get agitated, it's not good for your health."

Manager Hu recovered for a while, his complexion much better, and he sat down first.

At the same time, he said apologetically, "It's an old problem, I've made you two laugh."

Chen Shaoping and Zhang Ying sat down, looking at Manager Hu with a hint of confusion.

Manager Hu began to fiddle with the tea set, and Chen Shaoping quickly took it over.

He was afraid that a clumsy movement might trigger another asthma attack.

"Manager Hu, let me do it."

Seeing this, the Qingyi woman bowed slightly to Chen Shaoping and Zhang Ying, "Please wait a moment, I'll go change my clothes."

Chen Shaoping brewed the tea and poured a cup for each of them.

"Mr. Chen, thank you for your contributions to opera," Manager Hu said after taking a sip of tea.

Chen Shaoping looked bewildered, not understanding. "Manager Hu, are you mistaken? I don't think I've done anything for opera."

At this moment, the Qingyi woman had changed out of her costume and walked over in a simple short-sleeved shirt and jeans, perfectly showcasing her graceful figure.

"Teacher Young Master Ping, your 'rain flower stone' was the first to incorporate opera elements into popular music, pioneering a new path."

"How can that not be considered a contribution?"

Chen Shaoping couldn't help but glance at her a few more times, subconsciously asking,

"This counts too?"

"Teacher Young Master Ping, my name is Cheng Yiyi."

"You are too modest. Many lyricists and composers feel that adding opera elements to songs not only makes them sound better but also elevates their quality."

"So, many people have come to us for consultations or short-term studies. Besides letting more people understand opera, we've also gained a little extra income."

Cheng Yiyi's tone was sincere; she was genuinely grateful to Chen Shaoping.

"However, their final works were not ideal, far inferior to 'rain flower stone.'"

Chen Shaoping smiled gently, "What I do doesn't even count as a small effort. It is you two, the inheritors, who are truly contributing to opera."

Cheng Yiyi heard this and smiled bitterly, "But in terms of promotional effect, your small efforts are much better than our methods."

"Therefore, I took the liberty of inviting you two today to seek your advice on any good ideas that could help people better accept opera."

"You two are influential figures in the entertainment industry, and we are truly at our wit's end, which is why..." Manager Hu added.

"To be honest with you two, it has been a very long time since a pop star came to listen to opera."

"And from my observation, Ms. Zhang Ying genuinely enjoys opera."

Cheng Yiyi continued.

Zhang Ying smiled and admitted, "I really like opera, and I even want to study with you for a while. But as for promotion, I can't think of any good ideas either."

After speaking, her two large eyes stared at Chen Shaoping, as if making a request.

Chen Shaoping pondered for a moment. Although he didn't have a mature plan himself, in his previous life, there were many successful cases of combining traditional opera with pop music.

If he brought them all out, they would certainly have some effect, but he still needed to deliberate.

"Manager Hu, Ms. Cheng, I believe you two are most aware of the current state of opera.

You must have your own ideas. If there is anything we can do, we will definitely do our best to contribute a small part to opera."

Manager Hu and Cheng Yiyi looked ashamed; Chen Shaoping had seen through their little scheme.

Cheng Yiyi stood up and bowed deeply to Chen Shaoping, her voice filled with desperate earnestness.

"We would like to ask Mr. Chen to compose more songs that incorporate opera elements, and even... could our opera actors also have the opportunity to participate in the singing?"

...