Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 556 Literary writers are just promoting excellence.
"You didn't say anything like this earlier." Guo Kang rubbed his forehead with a headache: "Li Xuanying didn't say anything either, hey, he just kept it in. I'm really convinced by you..."

"There are too many such things around me." Eudocia told the truth: "People with this kind of hobby are everywhere, and many of them are in high positions. This is still the same old problem: I really couldn't think of it at the time. There is no other way."

"When we first met, I actually admired Xuanying very much. I always felt that he was like an angel, powerful and kind, and should have come to save me. But later I discovered that what he could do was actually very limited. . Moreover, for his own good, I can’t let him do many things, and I even have to intentionally keep him away from me and some people around me.”

"During that time, I was a little broken... The language in the script probably couldn't express those contradictory feelings." She took a deep breath: "Of course, these emotions have no effect, and I am not trying to fight for them. Sympathy. But in practical terms, if Xuanying can't solve it, what's the use of talking about it?"

"It's okay for him to kill a few people who are looking for trouble on your side, right?" Tuo Huan said.

Eudocia looked confused.

"If I killed a few people...I would have been fine at the time." She hesitated and said, "After meeting Xuan Ying unexpectedly, we quickly became familiar with each other. My mother and several investors from the troupe discovered this. After doing this, my food was immediately improved and I was no longer allowed to crowd in with other little girls..."

"Wait a minute, that troupe was somewhat famous at that time. Although your mother didn't control the entire troupe at that time, she was still a wealthy person." Guo Kang asked; "You should be her biological daughter, is it necessary to treat you so harshly? "

"That's not harsh treatment. I was given a separate room at the back, which was an extra treat." Eudocia said: "This is the kind of environment we have. The daughters of actors, and even the daughters of theater troupe operators, usually do That’s how we live.”

"When I was a child, a female handyman in the theater troupe worked part-time as a nanny and took care of me for several years. My mother did not have this free time because she had to deal with all kinds of people and attend various parties every day in order to survive. Competitors. After returning, I have to arrange various tasks, organize training and daily performances, and have to receive various guests all night long, so I have no time to rest.”

"Hey, it's a little better, although it's not much better in fact." Eudosia said: "A professional playwright and a literary person who has no worries about food and clothing and just writes something for fun are completely different concepts."

"People look down on her. Few of the wealthy people who flirt with her will actually regard her as a human being. Of course, both of them know this, so they can each take what they need and maintain rationally."

"She is only your daughter, but she doesn't care about you very much." Tuo Huan said with emotion: "My parents love their daughter so much. I feel like they have over-indulged. I didn't expect that there are still such thoughts."

Guo Kang didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Perhaps, there are people who can take into account everyone's hobbies and the artistry of their works, but such people are destined to be in the minority. The vast majority of creators who are not so outstanding can only try to imitate the current popular fashion and figure out the likes and dislikes of the audience in order to In order to get more money, the playwrights I know complain that they are just spiritual prostitutes. In fact, they are not much different from prostitutes and actors."

"And the surrounding middle- and lower-class citizens also have a disdainful attitude. In the eyes of many hard-working male citizens, how can a woman who sells her body get so much money? Many people will feel unfair about this, and then become even more They hate and despise us. And their wives worry all day long that their husbands will be seduced and their children will be taught bad things, and they are very wary of their family members coming into contact with us. In the eyes of these people, our image is even worse.”

"The essence of our industry is to please people." She smiled bitterly: "There is a saying, whoever gives you money to support you, you have to obey them. Most of the time, this is the truth. And our livelihood , it comes directly from the audience’s feelings, likes and dislikes, so naturally you have to work hard to win their favor.”

"It's hard to say, what kind of feelings does she have for me...probably like a person's tool for herself? Of course, it's not her fault. Her parents did the same thing back then." Eudocia seemed very happy. Feeling resentful, he shook his head and said, "In that kind of environment, this is everyone's default state."

"So, even if we have money, it is difficult for our status to rise." She said confidently: "You just said that some groups of people are ignored by mainstream organizations that hold power. It is even more difficult for such marginalized people to obtain resources. and real power. And we are not just ignored and cannot join casually. We are simply objects of direct contempt and disgust by members of mainstream organizations and their relatives, even if they are rich and well-connected. Ground floor.”

"The 'lower class' I'm talking about doesn't just mean having no money or power." She thought for a moment and added: "Just like Mr. Guo said, in reality, although my family can't be called rich, there are still some Money. But the status of people like my mother is very... delicate."

"In this kind of atmosphere, some people will definitely choose shortcuts - after all, they just want to get goodwill to get income, so why not just find some rich people, try to gain their goodwill, and then directly ask for money? This kind of thinking, It can be said that it comes naturally, no one needs to teach it, anyone can directly apply it.”

"Maybe they are at the bottom of society, and the situation is different." Eudocia thought for a while.

"This is not just a matter of origin. If you rely on writing scripts to make a living, then the audience's preferences will play a decisive role in your livelihood. In this case, 'art' is often just a good-sounding banner, and the creator needs to do Things are no different from actors, they are all just likable.”

"So, while everyone appreciates the entertainment we provide and brings us profits, they despise us at the same time." She said with some helplessness: "Actually, their thoughts cannot be wrong, because those accusations are indeed happening. "

"Many people think that actors are actually a group of male and female prostitutes." She shrugged: "That's actually true. The profit models are indeed similar, and the personnel are highly overlapping. Male actors may be better off, because people do have artistic needs, and some People in the middle and upper classes are also willing to invest in this area. As for actresses, needless to say..."

"No wonder you are asked to pretend to be a man and learn to be a playwright." Guo Kang sighed: "Then at least you should be more decent."

"As for myself, it's actually about the same." Eudosia said: "Later, my mother did spend a lot of money on me to tutor me in grammar, art and other knowledge. She also managed to find a relationship, from a down-and-out The nobles hired a nanny to train me, hoping to make me more like a young lady from a respectable family, so as to prevent the big nobles I finally met from being disgusted by my different origins and habits. "

"Later, she also helped hide my identity in the theater troupe, asking me to pretend to be a man and not have contact with the guests who liked little girls. Even the Greek audiences who were interested in my male identity were driven away by her. This would rather offend some old customers, but I know very well that this is not because she cares about me out of motherly love, but because my expectations of income are too high, which makes those customers who usually seem rich and powerful become unworthy. It’s worth mentioning.”

"You see, this is actually no different from those girls. It's just that I am a prostitute specially customized for a special customer." She let out a long sigh. "But, now that I think about it, I don't particularly resent her." After saying so many words, she seemed to feel more relaxed: "Because our environment really cannot tolerate a trace of tenderness."

"Think about it, that's just me, what about the others?"

Guo Kang probably understood what she meant and remained silent without answering.

"These people may be one of the groups farthest from actual power and have the least resources." Eudocia said: "We just said that the source of power is force, so lower-class men at least have a chance to get ahead. Most lower-class women who have no special skills don’t even have this kind of bargaining power. This is even more so when they are reduced to a group like ours.”

"This situation will have two direct consequences. First, staying away from actual power and resources often means staying away from social order. Without the protection of order, and without the most basic guarantee of force, the consequences can be imagined. ”

"The vast majority of people who work in professions such as actresses and prostitutes live like slaves, with almost no private property." She told the crowd: "There are very few slaves in Rome now, and the law no longer emphasizes this aspect. content. However, slaves in the actual sense still exist.”

"Then all the money collected was taken away by the organizers?" Tuohuan said unexpectedly: "I can't make any money at all?"

"As far as I know, this is basically the case." Eudocia nodded affirmatively: "They themselves can't get any money at all. The operators will always find ways to make up some excuses and deduct money. Moreover, working for one year At the end of the day, all theoretical income will definitely be completely covered by various living expenses, clothing, training expenses, etc., and it is normal to incur a debt. "

"That's why, when I think about it, I will immediately agree with Mr. Guo's theory. Because I usually see this kind of thing."

"Actually, everyone knows that it makes no difference whether you make up these excuses or not. Just like the actual tax rate is not a fixed figure stipulated by the government, but the result of the struggle between farmers, tax collectors, and powerful men, this kind of workmanship 'The income is also the result of the struggle between these women and the organizers - but farmers at least have the ability to fight. Even European farmers have rebelled against taxes from time to time. But those women have no such ability. "

"So, those who can negotiate and save part of their property are very few people who really have special talents. I have never seen a few of them myself." She shook her head and said, "The rest of the people are just Like I just said, let alone getting any kind of treatment or even being famous, it would be nice to live a few more years.”

Tuo Huan nodded, indicating that he understood, and asked her to continue.

"The performances that Xuanying took you to see, including the ones that I participated in, were all performances of the highest level - even if some of them were just relatively low-status comedies, the scripts also expressed serious topics. It is related to politics and the propaganda that the court wants us to do. These plays can be written into the works of critics and can participate in formal competitions." Eudocia said to Guo Kang:
"However, this kind of drama is actually only a part of the troupe's performance. These alone cannot cover all performance times, and many audiences do not like such serious performances. Therefore, our troupe still has a large part of its income, which comes from Some rather... not very respectable performances.”

"The vast majority of actresses perform that kind of performance. Of course, many people will also regard the performance itself as just a marketing tool, and regard the things after the performance as the real drama, which is of course a bigger deal. Source of income. In this way, you will understand better why these people overlap with prostitutes."

"So that's it." Guo Kang nodded: "I saw it from a distance several times during the days of the triumphal ceremony. I didn't expect that it looked lively, but was actually so miserable."

"Yes. We also have a close relationship with the gangs - you should be able to understand the reason now. Those ordinary-looking people will soon be forced to work overtime because they can't make enough money, and they will often Being beaten by thugs. Moreover, there are some...all in all, they are very cruel rules." Speaking of this, Eudocia sighed and did not go into details: "They will not live long..."

"For prettier people, the situation will be better. But even actresses who are popular for a while can't last too long." She thought for a moment and gave an example: "Do you know those cheap cosmetics?"

"Uh, I haven't studied it." Guo Kang scratched his head and turned to ask Theodora: "You should know, right? What are they? Oh, the cheaper ones..."

"Cheaper..." Theodora also thought about it, and then replied: "Clean with clove soap produced in Lebanon, and then apply a mixture of swan fat, donkey milk, arabic gum and legume meal to maintain it. Make the skin whiter and better - oh, swan fat is too expensive, mutton fat can also be used, but the taste is not good. In addition, you can also mix honey, sea salt and olive oil, and have some ready to use when putting on makeup. Try rice flour, bean flour and some rose water..."

"Okay, I think I asked the wrong person." Guo Kang interrupted her decisively: "We probably have different understandings of cheapness..."

"You asked yourself." Theodora curled her lips: "If you want to save money, just don't wear makeup. The Vestal Virgins in ancient Rome didn't wear makeup. At that time, everyone thought that this was the most chaste thing. …”

"Hey, who knows, our place is probably the place that has the furthest relationship with chastity." Eudocia laughed at herself: "Besides, they definitely can't afford the formulas you mentioned. Many of them use lead powder. "

"The Romans in ancient times suffered a lot from this." Theodora shook her head and said, "If you use it for a while, your face will be rotten."

"Most people are not that beautiful, and the more beautiful people must be more beautiful. There is competition." Eudosia shook her head: "They lived at least a few more years before they rotted, right?"

Theodora opened her mouth but did not answer.

(End of this chapter)