Chapter 166 Reunion with the Desperado
Shen Jin left the girl's stall, but he still bought the two butterflies.
He thought it might be because it was so beautiful...
As he walked, the noise at the other end of the road grew louder and louder; it turned out there was a theatrical troupe performing. He never expected to see a theatrical performance here; indeed, art originates from the people!
Shen Jin wanted to join in the fun, so he went forward. On the stage, he saw beautiful actresses dressed in green flowing robes dancing.
Several people danced in a row, then in another, gracefully moving to the music. Their flowing sleeves and long gowns billowed freely, drawing the crowd in with their melodious tunes. It was captivating.
Shen Jin stood watching for a while, and immediately a waiter from the stall below the stage came over to serve him tea. Only then did he realize that this was actually a teahouse.
"Oh, so the teahouse owner invited the opera troupe to perform on market day to attract more customers and boost business." Shen Jin finally understood.
I felt that this place really had an ancient feel to it, and it still preserved such simple and rustic practices and styles.
His feet grew tired and his throat parched as he walked. So, at the waiter's invitation, Chen Jin sat down. The performance on stage continued, captivating and graceful.
The waiter had already quickly poured Chen Jin a full bowl of tea. It was tea brewed with clear Longjing tea leaves, naturally fragrant and sweet.
Shen Jin took a sip and felt the burning sensation in his mouth completely disappear. As the tea slid down his throat and into his stomach, Shen Jin felt his lungs and heart filled with sweetness and comfort.
"This tea is truly thirst-quenching," he couldn't help but say.
"Yes, esteemed guest. This is our shop's famous tea. You can't find this flavor anywhere else." The waiter was clearly knowledgeable and experienced in business, and he didn't seem intimidated when serving Chen Jin.
He deftly placed the order for Shen Jin, who then ordered several of the restaurant's signature dishes based on his recommendations. By this time, it was already noon, and more and more people were coming to the tea shop to eat, drink tea, and rest.
Although they were travel-worn, their faces beamed with joy. Clearly, they were very satisfied with their shopping trip.
People of all ages gathered together, chatting excitedly, each showing off the good finds they had made that day.
The happiness on his face was so serene. It made Chen Jin realize that people could find such happiness in these small, simple moments of beauty.
The performance on stage was exceptionally wonderful, gradually reaching its climax. As the music started, Chen Jin became completely engrossed in watching.
He watched the performance with great interest while leisurely sipping the tea poured by the waiter. A cool breeze blew by, and Shen Jin felt a strange sense of comfort.
"Here it comes, here it comes, the steaming hot food is here!" A loud voice rang out, and the waiter brought two plates of tempting food to Chen Jin.
It's claypot rice and crystal lobster, both local specialties. Although the lobsters aren't very big, each one is plump and has a wonderful aroma.
This caused Shen Jin's throat to bob. Although he wasn't very hungry, he was still intoxicated by the tempting aroma of the crayfish.
"Then I won't be polite." Shen Jin picked up his chopsticks and said to the waiter with a smile, "It smells really good."
"Handsome, please enjoy your meal. There are a few more dishes coming up, I'll bring them to you right away!" The waiter was very enthusiastic, and Shen Jin was very satisfied with the service.
As the last dish was served, the waiter wiped the sweat from his forehead and said cheerfully to Shen Jin, "Handsome, you can take your time. There's a grand finale coming up later."
"Hmm? What's the grand finale?" Shen Jin asked the waiter, his eyes wide as he picked up a fragrant lobster.
"A circus! Our boss will be bringing back the most famous local circus troupe to perform for us later," the waiter said cheerfully, draping a cloth over his back.
"A circus?" Shen Jin's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected to see so many performances while having a meal at a teahouse for less than a hundred yuan.
Especially when the waiter mentioned that it was the most famous circus in the area, Shen Jin's heart was even more restless.
So, after the waiter left, Shen Jin slowed down and ate while waiting.
Shen Jin wiped his mouth, and the moment he looked up, he saw that the circus members had already come on stage. Everyone was in their positions, the original cast.
The entire troupe was in high spirits. As soon as they got on stage, they set up the props and arranged the stage, then bowed to the audience below.
Immediately afterwards, the entire circus performance began.
From the stage, you can see that the circus brought many animals, including large horses with bright eyes, and tigers in good condition with colorful stripes, which look very fierce and cute.
"It's really quite interesting..." This was Shen Jin's first time watching a circus performance, and he couldn't help but stare intently. "I've never been to one before..."
On stage, the members of the opera troupe were all dressed in identical yellow costumes, each holding a waving baton. Several enormous tigers were arranged on a frame by the actors, standing in neat rows, looking extremely orderly.
Shen Jin found it strange. These tigers were supposed to be the kings of beasts, so why were they so obedient and willing to be tamed by humans?
It was a rare sight to see wild beasts and humans living in harmony. He couldn't help but widen his eyes, wondering how these kings of the forest, under the guidance of animal trainers, could entertain humans.
On the other side of the stage, several cute girls were performing some difficult acrobatic moves to attract attention, including jumping through fireballs. Others bent over and pulled their legs over their heads from back to front, a move comparable to that of gymnasts.
Shen Jin was astonished: "That's amazing!"
Just as Shen Jin was engrossed in watching the acrobatics, the show where the animal trainers were training the tigers to perform their eating tricks began again. Shen Jin was a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of acts.
But when the beast tamer with the whip appeared before Shen Jin, Shen Jin froze, as if he had encountered something shocking, and his face turned deathly pale...
“This… how is this possible…” Shen Jin pursed his lips blankly, his eyes fixed on the person on the stage, his voice trembling slightly.
Shen Jin recognized him immediately—his fierce gaze, his lewd expression, and every move he made—though he could hardly believe it.
That man was one of the two who had kidnapped him! It was the man called Old Zheng! It was because of the two of them that he and Yan Yu fell off the cliff together!
The image of him relentlessly and ruthlessly chasing after him and Yan Yu was still vivid in Shen Jin's mind, replaying like a nightmare every night. How could Shen Jin possibly forget him?
He and Yan Yu were almost killed by them. Now that more than half a year has passed, how come he is here?
Shen Jin also saw the young man appear on the circus stage. He was wearing a yellow troupe uniform and holding a large piece of meat, ready to help Old Zheng feed the tiger. The two of them worked together seamlessly, one in front of the other.
Maybe when you're down on your luck, even drinking water can cause problems. Otherwise, how could you run into them just by casually following the villagers out for a bit?
Shen Jin didn't have time to think it through, and he didn't even bother to eat. He immediately turned his face away, wanting to quietly leave and go to the police station.
Unfortunately, the young man was a bit too sensitive. The moment he sensed a particular gaze falling on him, he paused slightly and looked directly at it.
The young man's pupils constricted sharply, and he murmured in disbelief, "What..."
Old Zheng, who was not far away, noticed his unusual behavior and couldn't help but stroll over to ask, "What's wrong? You seem a bit off, are you staring at a pretty girl?"
Before he could respond, Old Zheng chuckled dismissively and patted him on the shoulder a few times: "Look at you, your eyes are practically glued to the screen! Stop staring, let's perform first, the circus is quite lively."
More than half a year has passed since their failed attempt to kidnap Shen Jin. During this time, they have come to these relatively remote places, partly to avoid trouble and for safety.
Secondly, their actions had angered the young Duan family head, and since Shen Jin and Yan Yu's fates were still uncertain, they figured it wasn't a bad deal, so they decided to stay quiet for a while.
“They say when in Rome, do as the Romans do, and I think I’m pretty much doing just that now, don’t you think?” Old Zheng was quite the chatterbox, putting a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “We’re spending this year in this town, isn’t it great! I’ve fallen in love with this place, it’s so beautiful.”
"Hey, what are you looking at so intently?!" His silence made Old Zheng impatient. He glanced at him casually and muttered to himself, "Which girl is making you so..."
"Bullshit!" the young man interrupted him before he could finish speaking, gritting his teeth as he said, "Sinking Ashes!"
"Huh?" Old Zheng was suddenly stunned, wondering if he had misheard. "What? What did you just say? You... to him?"
He felt as if he had heard something incredible.
The young man refrained from slapping him and breaking his head, and pulled the hand off his shoulder: "It's Shen Jin... the one who fell off the cliff and whose fate is unknown."
"What?!" Old Zheng's face turned pale instantly, and his voice trembled slightly, whether from excitement or some other reason. "Where is it?"
The young man, no longer caring about his performance, stared intently in the direction Shen Jin had left, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "He got away, hurry and chase after him!"
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