Although they were unhappy about being woken up while sleeping, no one made a fuss when they heard Tian Shenhua tell them to pack their things and leave overnight.
Although they had made a lot of money in Fu'an County these past few days, they were terrified by the fact that many rich young men in the county had made unwanted advances towards them. Now that they heard the troupe leader say that he was leaving, the several handsome young men were overjoyed.
"Master, we're finally leaving. These past few days, the rich young masters in the city have given us quite a fright."
"Exactly, I've never seen people like them anywhere else. We're doing legitimate business, and they're forcing us to do bad things."
Hearing this, Tian Shenhua could only smile bitterly. He never expected that there would be such big monsters and demons in a county like Fu'an. He wondered when they would be dealt with by the toad.
Those in their line of work are always nomadic, so packing their luggage didn't take much time, and soon four carriages were loaded. A dozen or so people squeezed their belongings into the carriages, and the procession sailed out of the city gate.
"Halt!" The carriage was stopped just as it was about to leave the city. The fierce-looking soldiers blocked Chunxi's troupe's path and questioned, "What are you all doing? Why are so many of you going out at once so late at night?"
“Your Honor, we’re from the Chunxi Opera Troupe. It just got dark, and someone from the neighboring county said an elder in their family had passed away and they invited us to perform. I have a lot of people and stuff with me, and while we were packing, we lost track of time, so we’re a little late. I wonder if Your Honor could be lenient?” The young man who spoke first was named Chunsheng, a clown in the troupe. He was usually quick-witted and was the one who handled important matters. As soon as he finished speaking, he secretly slipped two taels of silver to the soldier.
Upon seeing the silver, the man's face immediately lit up with a smile: "No problem, no problem. This matter really can't be delayed. You should hurry over there."
After everyone had gone far away, he took a bite of the silver and grinned from ear to ear. This troupe leader was quite generous; these two taels of silver were more than his monthly salary.
Once they were further out of Fu'an County and could no longer see the soldiers, the horses of the four-horse carriage finally galloped off. Some passengers were already asleep, while others were still singing softly.
"Don't rush the carriages and horses, let the family wait patiently; insist on their words, and soon there will be a noisy uproar; then they'll line up with spears and halberds, and without warning, they'll attack one after another; forcing someone to risk their life, in an instant, they'll be terrified and lose their life. Doesn't it hurt to kill someone, doesn't it hurt to kill someone! I'm all alone and miserable. I regret it so much now!..." Lu Qingyan, her adoptive parents, and her younger brother Tian Mingyin sat in a carriage listening to Tian Shenhua sing "The Palace of Eternal Life."
As Liu Yu listened, she couldn't help but kick him: "Why did you have to sing 'The Palace of Eternal Life' for no reason? Couldn't you choose something more festive to sing and make us happy?"
Tian Shenhua immediately shut up: "I think this part is pretty good. If you don't like it, I won't sing it."
He reached out and pulled Liu Yu into his arms, gently patting her shoulder: "Alright, I won't sing anymore. You should get some sleep. Although it's a bit bumpy in the carriage, you can lean on me. Not getting enough sleep is bad for your health, so get some rest."
Liu Yu smiled and nuzzled against Tian Shenhua's neck.
Lu Qingyan: "..."
What a display of affection! As a single woman who hasn't found a partner yet, she was almost blinded by the sight before her.
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