When the distraught girl was carried off the stage, the performance continued.
In fact, the main force that broke through the military horse camp initially consisted of men, but to comfort the girls, Jin Feng modified Chen Wenyuan’s script, deliberately emphasising the female protagonist’s role.
Facts proved that Jin Feng’s decision was correct.
When they saw the female protagonist leading the women to cooperate with Zhou Youda and Han Feng in breaking through the military horse camp and killing the cavalry captain who had humiliated her, many girls showed expressions of vindictive satisfaction.
At that time, the men were all filled with hot blood, only focusing on what was happening around them. They had no idea about these events. After watching, they thought the dancers were performing real events, and no one questioned it.
Instead, many men felt ashamed, thinking that even a girl dared to take revenge, yet as men, they had only known to run with their heads down, only known to lead horses, and had not performed as well as a girl.
When the story reached the point where the female protagonist attempted suicide, the atmosphere became extremely oppressive.
Crying sounds filled the area around the stage, and the performance had to pause again.
Jin Feng had hastily arranged for the dancers to perform this play, naturally not to stimulate the already fragile girls.
The core of the play lay in the later part where Han Feng persuades the female protagonist.
That was also Jin Feng and Chen Wenyuan, through the character’s mouth, advising these girls and helping them build psychological resilience, regaining confidence in life.
Therefore, the narrative pace of the earlier tragic events was very fast. After Han Feng rescued the female protagonist, the story’s rhythm began to slow down.
Everything started to develop in a positive direction.
The girls’ moods gradually calmed down.
Everyone felt as if they were the female protagonist, all eagerly anticipating the outcome between her and Han Feng.
The vast drill ground became quiet, with only the male escort playing Han Feng loudly persuading the female protagonist.
“My master said that as long as a woman is not inherently promiscuous or deliberately flirtatious, it does not count as loss of virtue!”
“You were forced, it was not willing. Why make things difficult for yourself?”
“My master also said that human beauty comes in two kinds: one is external beauty, the other is inner beauty.”
“External beauty is not important. Inner beauty is the most important!”
“Moreover, the master said women can hold up half the sky. This time, without you, we could not have captured the military horse camp at all, nor won this war. You are great heroes. Her Highness the Princess and the master will erect a monument for us! Who dares to look down on us?”
“So what if there is a brand on the face? The master said this is not shame, but the mark of a hero!”
“Better to live poorly than die well. Your parents gave birth to you and went through great hardships to raise you this big, not for you to commit suicide!”
“Your brothers were all killed by the cavalry. If you die too, who will support your parents in old age?”
“If you really cannot get over it, come with me. We will return to Xihe Bay. There is a place there full of girls with tragic backgrounds. You can stay there forever, do some work, earn wages, send money back to your parents. At least it counts as repaying their upbringing, so they will not lack support in old age.”
…
On stage, the male escort playing Han Feng shouted himself hoarse.
Off stage, the girls all showed thoughtful expressions, clearly pondering the escort’s words.
In the distance, Jin Feng could not help giving Chen Wenyuan a thumbs up.
It had to be said that Chen Wenyuan understood these girls. Knowing it was hard to persuade them immediately, he simply brought out the grace of parental upbringing.
Whether in his previous life or in Da Kang, filial piety was the most important part of Han culture.
The first person wronged by suicide was one’s parents.
Although this approach carried some flavour of moral coercion and threat, Jin Feng could think of no better method.
He could only first give the girls a reason to live, then slowly guide them later.
Now it seemed Chen Wenyuan’s method was working.
Many girls, after hearing the actor’s shouts, gradually showed resolute expressions.
…
Each performance could only seat over a thousand people around the stage.
It was not that the venue was too small, but Da Kang had no microphones or loudspeakers. If too many spectators gathered, those far away could not hear what was said on stage.
After these thousand plus commoners finished watching, the remaining thousand plus would come next.
This required the dancers and escorts to perform continuously.
That day, they performed three shows in total.
The other actors were fine. Whether escorts or dancers trained in dance from childhood, their stamina could keep up.
The most exhausted was the performer of Han Feng.
After the performances, this escort’s voice was completely hoarse, unable even to speak clearly.
No choice, Jin Feng had Monkey quickly find another clever escort to memorise the script overnight.
The next day, performances continued.
Commoners who watched on the first day retold the story to those who had not seen it, so on the second day, the audience was relatively calm.
At least no girl rushed on stage to bite an actor to death again.
“Old Han, you really are not angry?”
Chen Wenyuan asked somewhat guiltily.
In Da Kang’s traditional views, marrying a woman who had lost her virtue was called “picking up broken shoes”.
In this story, it amounted to letting Han Feng “pick up broken shoes”.
Although discussed with Han Feng beforehand, and this role was added by Jin Feng’s modifications, it was written by him.
“No problem. As long as it stops the girls from committing suicide, let alone picking up broken shoes in the story, even if real, I accept it!”
Han Feng smiled and said, “Did not the master say it? Human beauty comes in two kinds, and inner beauty is the most important.”
“If Hero Han thinks this way, then you had better really marry a girl with a brand on her face.”
Qing Yuan said with a smile, “This morning, several girls already went backstage asking whether the male protagonist’s prototype is Mr Han, and who the female protagonist’s prototype is.”
“Miss Qing Yuan, this is a bit excessive, is it not?”
Before Han Feng could respond, Da Liu objected first.
Jin Feng also shook his head and said, “The story can be performed this way, but there is no need to make the play real.”
“No, master, I actually want to discuss this matter with you.”
At this point, Han Feng, a big man, suddenly became embarrassed, “In the prisoner camp, I really met a girl. I quite like her.”
“True or false?” Jin Feng asked suspiciously, “Old Han, you cannot, because of this matter, joke with your own and the girl’s lifelong happiness.”
“Of course it is true…” Han Feng said shyly.
“Who is it?” Jin Feng asked curiously.
