Chapter 64

"Go, go, go, hurry up, there's a new show today."

"I heard there's a fire tiger show. I've only seen it once in half my life. It was spectacular. Wow, you'll never forget it once you see it. Hurry, hurry, if you go too late, there won't be any front row seats."

"These street performers perform wherever they go. If you miss today, you don't know when you'll be able to see such a magnificent spectacle again."

Zhang Yunniang was puzzled. "Fire Tiger Show? What is that?"

Jun Qingmo: "It is said to be a fireworks display, very magnificent and spectacular, I have never seen it in person."

He carefully recalled the folk customs introduction biographies he had read and picked out the key points to answer people's questions.

The "Fire Tiger" performance is a folk performance that combines traditional tiger dance with the element of fire. It was originally used for sacrificial ceremonies and later also for festival performances.

Performers wear specially made "tiger-walking" props and light sparks or fireworks on the props at night to imitate the tiger's jumping, pouncing and other movements, creating the effect of a "fire tiger" dancing.

He tied thousands of sticks of gunpowder on his body, just for a brilliant dance over half a cup of tea.

During the performance, the performer may get burned if he is not careful. Therefore, there are very few people willing to pass on this interpretation.

These street performers have no fixed hours and go wherever they go.

Whether you can meet or see him/her depends entirely on fate.

"Really? Let's go and take a look!" Zhang Yunniang heard this. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It sounds much more advanced than breathing fire, breaking rocks with the chest, and juggling!

She also followed the crowd, but no matter how fast she ran, she was still left behind.

A circle of people had already gathered in the large open space in front.

There was a huge crowd in front of her, and she stood behind the crowd, unable to see anything.

She lowered her head. Jun Qingmo was shorter than her, and she couldn't even see his head.

Suddenly, a gong sounded in the distance, and the crowd parted like a wave, shouting in unison, "Here they come."

She also quickly adjusted herself and retreated further outside.

More than ten shirtless men ran out from the alley, cleared a space in front of the crowd, and pulled up a rope. Strong men stood around to guard against anyone going beyond the safe distance.

Soon, a "fire tiger" was pulled by a fireball and flew over.

The tiger's body is made of bamboo bones, wrapped with hemp rope soaked in medicinal oil, and inserted with thousands of lit incense sticks. Sparks are like scales, flickering in the night.

The tiger head had angry eyes and fangs, and there was a cinnabar symbol on its forehead. It swung suddenly with the beat of the drum, and sparks flew all at once, like a meteor falling to the ground. Although it was clearly in a safe area, the people in the front row were still frightened and took two steps back. They couldn't help but stretch their necks to look, and they didn't want to blink for a moment.

"Good!" The crowd cheered loudly. Following the cheers, there was a round of deafening applause.

Zhang Yunniang could only watch sporadic sparks fly. The dense crowd in front of her completely blocked her view. It was a pity that she was destined to miss this beautiful moment.

Jun Qingmo listened to the crowd's cheers and applause, with a look of loss in his eyes. In front of him were the backs of the crowd, and he could not see anything.

The hustle and bustle in front of him seemed to have nothing to do with him.

"Second Young Master, please hold me up."

"What?"

"Hold on, don't fall."

Zhang Yunniang put the person's hands around her neck, picked him up, adjusted his position, and lifted him up with the strength of her arms, so that he sat steadily on her shoulders.

At this moment, Jun Qingmo's vision suddenly widened from the backs of the dark crowd.

At this moment, the fire tiger jumped onto the platform. The man holding the tiger's tail whistled, and the tiger moved like a whirlwind. Sparks drew golden and red arcs, as if the tiger was walking on fire.

The faster the drum beats, the wilder the tiger becomes. Sometimes it falls to the ground and rolls over, bringing up a rain of fire; sometimes it stands and roars, and incense and fire fall like falling stars.

In the smoke, the tiger's shadow and the human's shadow were no longer distinguishable from each other, and only a ball of fire was seen swirling in the scene.

Jun Qingmo was shocked by the scene before him. He stared in amazement without blinking.

"Second Young Master, is the Fire Tiger show good looking?" Zhang Yunniang tilted her head and asked the people watching the Fire Tiger show.

"It looks good, very good-looking." Jun Qingmo responded with his head slightly lowered, his voice hoarse, his eyes moist and fiery.

His eyes felt a little uncomfortable.

He felt like crying.

The crowd of onlookers burst into cheers, drowning out the conversation between the two, and Zhang Yunniang did not hear Jun Qingmo's low, hoarse crying voice.

Jun Qingmo looked up to watch the performance in front of him. Beneath him were thin and strong shoulders, with hands tightly holding him, just like the countless days they had spent together in the past, supporting him without regrets and tirelessly.

Zhang Yunniang, a woman who holds up the sky for him, he will never let go in this life.

Even if it costs him everything, he will never let go.

Jun Qingmo looked at the woman who kept trying to move, trying to see even a little bit of the performance through the gap.

Thousands of treasures are not worth her.

When others saw what they were doing, a woman shook the man she was traveling with with an envious look on her face, saying that she wanted to watch too.

As a grown man, how could he be outdone by a small woman?

The men around followed suit and lifted their female companions high up.

Outside the crowd, another human wall formed.

But the scene before him was really funny. Among all the pretty girls, Jun Qingmo stood out particularly.

He stretched out his hands and tightly embraced Zhang Yunniang's neck, with a haughty expression on his face. It was not shameful, not at all.

What does it mean that Yunniang only mentions him and no one else?

In Yunniang's heart, he is special, unique and one of a kind.

The fireworks were about to burn out, and the fire tiger gradually sank down, turning into sparks on the ground. Only blue smoke remained rising, condensing into a vague tiger shape under the moonlight.

The lights went out, the show ended, and the performers returned to the alley. With the disappearance of the last person, silence returned to the venue, as if they had never appeared, leaving the crowd standing there, recalling the beautiful performance they had just seen.

People kept throwing silver onto the stage, which was the greatest affirmation of the performance.

When everyone came to their senses, they gradually dispersed.

In order to prevent being dragged down, as a stampede was no joke, Zhang Yunniang pushed the wheelchair and held Jun Qingmo in her arms, moving to the side.

When they reached a safe place, Zhang Yunniang put the person down again.

Zhang Yunniang was also very excited. Although she didn't see it just now, she could tell from the crowd's reaction that it must be wonderful.

After the crowd dispersed, they also went over and scattered some silver.

She didn't see it, but Jun Qingmo did, so it wasn't a loss.

"This is a rare performance in decades, and today was not in vain."

"Thank you, Yunniang."

"Between us, no thanks."

"Well, okay, no thanks."

"Giving me more wages is better than anything else. I don't want empty words."

“…”

He hated her for being a piece of wood.

No, he was glad she was a piece of wood.

The wooden man pushed him around the street, stopping here and there, having a lot of fun.

Seeing the delicious snacks, the two bought some, found a corner with few people, and continued shopping after eating.

"Second Young Master, let's go take a look ahead, ok?"

Zhang Yunniang took several steps back after moving forward.

"Girl, would you like to see a lantern? This peach blossom lantern is only fifty cents. All little girls like it."

Zhang Yunniang waved her hand, pointing to a lantern and urging people to look, "Quick, look at this."

It was a lantern with auspicious clouds and flying cranes, with a green bamboo frame. The crane had the words "Good wind will help me soar to the sky" on its body.

The flying crane spreads its wings and steps on auspicious clouds, which is very lifelike.

"Uncle, how much is this lantern?" Zhang Yunniang took the lantern and showed it to Jun Qingmo.

There are patterns of green bamboo and orchids on the lantern, and it seems to have been sprayed with some essence, with a faint orchid fragrance.

Jun Qingmo took the lantern and a slight smile appeared on the corner of his lips. He liked that Yunniang knew his preferences so well.

"The craftsmanship of this lantern is indeed excellent. The bamboo frame is strong and dense, the bamboo strips are evenly thick and thin, and the shape is exquisite and unique."

The vendor looked at Zhang Yunniang, then at Jun Qingmo, and smiled knowingly.

"Young lady and young master, you have excellent taste. This lantern is exquisitely crafted. It took me three days to make. It's called the 'Blue Sky Straight Ascending Lantern' and is the perfect gift for your loved one, symbolizing a bright future. It's a bit pricey, five taels of silver."

"Oh, okay, it's for my sweetheart. Looks like I can't buy it anymore." Zhang Yunniang touched her chin. This lantern is really expensive. These small vendors, just trying to sell, always like to randomly match people up.

She respected the craftsman, but the price was too high! Five taels of silver!

"Hey, girl! I haven't finished yet. It's a perfect gift for relatives or friends!"

“…”

Jun Qingmo said nothing, just stared at Zhang Yunniang, neither saying yes nor no.

The stall owner said that it was a gift for his sweetheart, and it would be great if Yunniang was willing to buy it and give it to him. He had never received a gift from Yunniang before.

Zhang Yunniang really liked this lantern. It had a great meaning and was well-made. It was probably placed there for quite some time, and the vendor was reluctant to sell it at a low price.

"Well... the boss just said something wrong, which really made me feel a little embarrassed."

Seeing that the people didn't leave immediately, the stall owner knew there was room for negotiation. "I said the wrong thing. So, for 450 grams, you can take the lantern."

Zhang Yunniang shook her head. It wasn't that she was being fussy. Two taels of silver was about right for this lamp. Anything more would be inflated. But she also knew that it wasn't easy for a craftsman, so she said, "Three taels, if that's all you need, I'll take it."

"My dear girl, four taels of silver, no less. We are ordinary farmers. We have some skills, but we can only earn some money to supplement our family income during certain festivals. If you want four taels of silver, I will give it to you."

"Okay, four taels of silver is four taels of silver."

Zhang Yunniang simply paid the money.

Jun Qingmo gave her the lantern, but she didn't take it. "This was originally for you."

"For me?"

"It's a good start. Only when you become rich can we have meat to eat."

Zhang Yunniang's idea was simple. Jun Qingmo was a good master. He would not mistreat his subordinates if he became rich. She naturally hoped that he could climb higher and higher and reach the pinnacle of his life.

She followed behind, drank some broth, and lived comfortably all day.

Jun Qingmo held the lantern, and he would one day figure out why Zhang Yunniang was so determined not to get married.

He asked Lanzhi privately, but couldn't find out the reason.

He had a strong feeling that Zhang Yunniang had a secret.

This secret is the key factor that affects her.

One day, he'll figure it out.

Yunniang, what secrets are you hiding that you've never told anyone?

He was holding a lantern, his mind wandering.

He will continue to hide his thoughts until he figured everything out.

He didn't want to become the second Wei Yijun.

The consequence of acting impulsively is that there is no room for maneuver.