Shi Man certainly knew that this primarily depended on a person's aura.
Even if the eyebrows were perfectly shaped, they were just embellishments.
But she really didn't expect Jiang Lingxi's change in temperament to be so significant.
Saying that she looked like a completely different person was not an exaggeration at all.
"You look stunning."
She said this with genuine admiration.
Jiang Lingxi also seriously appraised Shi Man's appearance, "Teacher Shi has captured Meng Junran's aura perfectly."
This statement surprised Shi Man once again, and she couldn't help but lower her head to look at her own costume, "You know that I'm playing Meng Junran? You could tell from my clothes and headgear?"
"This character is very classic, and I am looking forward to your interpretation."
Shi Man couldn't help but smile at this remark, finding it very pleasing.
She looked at the "White Robed Young General" in front of her, took a deep breath, and slowly spoke, "I'm looking forward to it too."
It must be said that with this white robe costume and long spear, even she had her expectations raised to the maximum.
When they returned to the temporary dressing room, because Shi Man had previously mentioned that she would sing a segment of Huangmei Opera, everyone was not too surprised by her appearance.
But when Jiang Lingxi walked in, not only did Lin Xuefei and Jiang Kaiyuan directly freeze, even the usually composed Xu Yin couldn't help but widen her eyes.
"Xiao Xi, what is this..."
Jiang Lingxi nodded at her and replied, "It's needed for the performance."
Xu Yin: "Impressive!"
She hadn't realized before that this girl had such strong adaptability!
Jiang Kaiyuan, coming back to his senses from his astonishment, took a few steps closer, quietly reached out to touch the red tassel on Jiang Lingxi's flower spear, and couldn't help but feel a bit regretful.
Why didn't he think of borrowing props from the Tan Troupe to perform? With this appearance, this flower spear, even if he did nothing but stand there, it would be incredibly cool!
Lin Xuefei, who originally had confidence in their duet performance, now felt a hint of uncertainty.
She even wanted to ask Jiang Lingxi loudly: Why do you always go against the norm?
The entertainment activities in the village were very few, so the enthusiasm of the villagers was naturally very high when they rarely had a performance in the village.
So, even before it got dark, the villagers had already finished dinner and rushed to the newly erected stage, carrying their small stools and mats to secure their spots.
There were also some who took the opportunity to set up stalls to sell snacks like candied haws and cotton candy, making the front lively enough that even the backstage could hear it.
When Zhao Hengsheng came in, he clapped his hands, "How's the preparation going?"
After receiving affirmative replies, he grinned, "Alright, I'll play host again later. Is the lineup ready?"
"We've discussed it, we'll go by age," Shi Man replied, "First, it's Kaiyuan and Xuefei's opening dance, then Xiao Xi's performance, followed by Xu Yin's solo, and finally, I'll finish it off."
When mentioning "Xiao Xi's performance," Shi Man paused, and Zhao Hengsheng naturally noticed Jiang Lingxi's costume and the flower spear in her hand. Amidst his admiration, he couldn't help but remind her, "Don't show off too much!"
Jiang Lingxi smiled at him, her features clear, "If it were just showing off, Master Tan wouldn't have lent me the flower spear."
Zhao Hengsheng thought about it, and indeed, that was the case. So he nodded, "That's good. Kaiyuan and Xuefei, standby. I'll call you when it's time."
When Zhao Hengsheng took the microphone and ran to the stage to say some words to the villagers, after hearing their names, Jiang Kaiyuan and Lin Xuefei exchanged a glance, took a deep breath, and walked towards the stage.
It's worth mentioning that for them, this was a completely new experience.
The stage was borrowed, and the audience were not their fans but rather some elders and a group of children playing around.
As the lively music started, the audience below quieted down. They squinted their old eyes and looked at the stage, seeing two young figures moving about.
Many of them felt puzzled.
"What kind of performance is this?"
"The director just said it's street dance."
"Dancing on the street?"
"That's probably what it means."
"I don't quite understand."
"To be honest, I don't understand either. But seeing these two beautiful young people dance so enthusiastically, we should still applaud later."
After the fast-paced dance ended, the two of them took a bow, sweating profusely. However, they only heard scattered applause from the audience below. Lin Xuefei almost couldn't force herself to smile.
She could only silently reassure herself that it wasn't that she danced poorly, but rather that these old folks in the audience couldn't appreciate their innovative dance.
Next was the second performance.
Before the performers even came on stage, the musicians on the side started playing a lively drumbeat.
Even some elderly people who were a bit hard of hearing couldn't help but perk up. When they saw the figure in white robes holding a flower spear on stage, their excitement soared even higher.
The elderly were familiar with this portrayal of a young warrior.
Was he going to perform with a spear?
Actually, Jiang Lingxi didn't know how to perform with a flower spear in traditional opera. But as long as she could handle weapons like a long spear, she believed she could still put on a show.
With the white robe billowing and the flower spear twirling, the movements were smooth like flowing clouds and water. Even before the performance ended, there were already continuous cheers from the audience below.
For such a performance that they could appreciate, the elderly were naturally generous with their praise.
Backstage.
Shi Man, Xu Yin, and Jiang Kaiyuan were all behind the curtain watching Jiang Lingxi's performance. Lin Xuefei stood behind them, listening to the applause from the audience below, feeling uneasy.
She never expected Jiang Lingxi to have this ability. That flower spear was taller than a person, and although the spearhead was blunt, it still hurt if accidentally poked. Where did Jiang Lingxi get the courage to handle it so skillfully?
But the audience's reaction proved everything. Jiang Lingxi's performance was more popular than her and Jiang Kaiyuan's duet.
"This Jiang Lingxi really knows how to surprise Director Zhao," Shi Man sighed softly, turning her head to look at Xu Yin standing beside her, "With her performance before ours, do you feel pressured?"
Xu Yin remained silent for a moment before nodding, "To be honest, a little."
"I feel a bit too. It seems like we'll have to take it more seriously later!"
As their seniors, they couldn't lose to a junior!
In a corner of the audience area.
A little boy still held a string of uneaten candied haws in his hand, pointing to the stage and shouting to the elder sitting next to him, "Grandpa, it's the sister who took photos for us yesterday!"
The old man was squinting at the stage, nodded slightly at the words, but unlike the others around him who were watching excitedly, he furrowed his brows slightly, as if pondering a difficult problem.
"According to reason, it shouldn't be her. Her body is so weak, it's even a struggle to lift that flower spear. How could she perform so vigorously?"
He was also somewhat knowledgeable. When he was young, he could also wield weapons, but now he was unable to do so, and could only practice gentler activities like tai chi.
This girl, despite her young age, was even weaker than him in terms of physical strength!
It made him want to check her pulse. After a lifetime of practicing medicine, could he have made a mistake this time?