Chapter 155: The Street-Performing Maiden

"I don't know, but this little girl looks quite young, and she's very small too."

Xiao Lian had no knowledge of such things, so she didn't recognize the tune, but she thought it sounded quite nice.

She stood on her tiptoes and peered into the distance, seeing a young girl singing by the roadside. The girl was short in stature, and though her clothes were worn, they were clean. Beside her was an elderly man playing a pipa, whose clothes also looked somewhat tattered.

"Calling her a little girl—aren't you overestimating your own age? You're only fourteen, a mere snippet of a person! I'd say she's at least seventeen or eighteen!" Zhang Xiaolan compared them, teasing Xiao Lian with a smile.

Yet she knew the singing girl over there indeed looked more mature than Xiao Lian, though her figure was somewhat excessively slender and petite, perhaps due to poor nutrition. Zhang Xiaolan couldn't fathom how such a resonant and powerful singing voice could emerge from such a frame.

"My height may not match yours, Miss, but I am not a mere snippet!" Xiao Lian retorted, looking somewhat unconvinced.

Xiao Lian knew this very well herself; although she was shorter than Zhang Xiaolan, that was simply because Zhang Xiaolan was naturally tall, and among the estate's maids, none were taller than herself. She was certainly no tiny tot!

"Hehe! Yes, yes, you're not small anymore. Tomorrow I'll find you a good husband! I'm going over to take a look first."

Placating her with utter insincerity, Zhang Xiaolan hurried off to watch the spectacle. Standing among the crowd, she stood out like a crane among chickens, and since she could see clearly from the outer perimeter, she didn't bother squeezing in.

"Miss, you're making fun of me again. Wait for me!" Seeing that Zhang Xiaolan left the moment she finished speaking, Xiao Lian had wanted to argue a bit more.

However, Zhang Xiaolan gave her no chance at all, leaving Xiao Lian with no choice but to hurry after her, standing on her tiptoes beside Zhang Xiaolan to peer inward.

As the song ended, the young girl curtsied shyly, and both the old man and the girl each brought out a small wicker basket to beg for rewards, yet while many watched, few gave any money.

Zhang Xiaolan felt inside her sleeve, took out some coins, and dropped them into the basket. The young girl smiled gratefully at Zhang Xiaolan, who returned the smile, finding the girl rather endearing.

Yet just as they finished making their rounds collecting tips, an unharmonious voice rang out, arrogant and haughty as the speaker strode forward shouting:

"Step aside, all of you! Who gave you permission to sing and perform here? Don't you know street performing is forbidden?"

Four or five men approached, looking very much like local ruffians. Clearly, they were hooligans who had come looking for trouble, intent on extortion and blackmail.

The townsfolk who had been crowding around earlier now backed away, though they did not leave. Zhang Xiaolan, who had been standing in the back, suddenly found herself right at the front.

Xiao Lian looked at the people around her who had consciously stepped back while whispering among themselves, a rising sense of contempt stirring in her heart. These people were surely bullies of the weak and cowards before the strong, yet they all wanted to stay and watch the excitement.

"Good brothers, my daughter and I are new to this place and unaware of the local rules."

Hearing the threats from these men, the old man hurried over, putting on a compliant face to explain. Being strangers to these parts, they naturally had to be wary of such individuals.

"It's not too late to learn now. Hand over the money and get out of here!"

The minor ringleader of these thugs spoke impatiently; his sole purpose was to extort money.

"Have mercy, good brothers. We've just arrived and truly have no money."

The old man spoke in a dilemma. The coins they had just earned amounted to only a few scattered coppers, which these men would likely disdain. Having just arrived here without money or a place to stay, they had only hoped to earn some food by singing—how could they possibly have money to give them?