Returning to the county opera troupe in 77

"Why is it so quiet today? Teacher Han, aren't we having rehearsals?"

In a small room in the theater, Chen Xiangdong looked at Han Zhengkui, who was playing chess with Fang Zhengsheng, with a puzzled expression.

Han Zhengkui didn't even look up, holding the "cannon" in his hand, and slowly said, "Liu Dezhu said he has something to do today and won't be coming. Old Hu has also moved the roof beam props to the backyard, and they're reinforcing them and painting them again."

Fang Zhengsheng turned to Chen Xiangdong and smiled: "What? Worried that your Teacher Han's performance might go wrong? Don't worry, he's performed 'Stealing the Armor' countless times, he won't make a mistake. The rehearsals are just to make sure the drumbeats are in sync with the rhythm. Your Teacher Han, aside from anything else..."

As soon as he turned his head back and his gaze fell on the chessboard, his expression suddenly changed, and he immediately glared at Han Zhengkui: "Where's my horse?"

Han Zhengkui spread his hands with a nonchalant expression: "Don't see."

Fang Zhengsheng slammed his hand on the chessboard with a loud "smack," roaring in fury, "You bastard! You stole my piece! It was right here a moment ago, and it disappeared the instant I turned my back! Do you think I'm blind?!"

Han Zhengkui rolled his eyes: "Who knows?"

Enraged, Fang Zhengsheng made a move to lunge at him and strangle him. Seeing this, Chen Xiangdong quickly turned and left.

These two terrible chess players are definitely going to have another fight next; it's too embarrassing to be around them.

Sure enough, just as they stepped out of the theater's back door, they heard Han Zhengkui yelling in a strange, unpleasant voice: "Old dog Fang, I'll fight you to the death!"

"Come on! Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

Then came the sound of chess pieces scattering all over the floor with a "clatter"...

He dashed back to the theater troupe's compound, and as soon as he entered, he saw Li Mancang and Lin Gouwa standing in the corner, pointing in the direction of the dormitory and winking at him.

Chen Xiangdong's heart skipped a beat, and he walked over to ask, "Sun Zhan Dou is here again?"

Li Mancang nodded hurriedly and whispered in his ear, "Not only Sun Zhan Dou, but Aunt Lu's second aunt also came! Aunt Lu is leading her for a walk in the yard right now. It seems that Teacher Liu isn't in the yard..."

Chen Xiangdong followed Li Mancang's gaze and saw Lu Meiyin accompanying a plump old lady in her fifties, wearing a gray-blue cotton-padded jacket, strolling under the big poplar tree in the front yard.

Behind them, Sun Zhan Dou was following closely step by step with a big smile on his face.

The plump old woman walked around with her hands behind her back, glancing here and there as if she were saying something. Lu Meiyin just smiled and occasionally glanced towards the door.

"Brother Xiang Dong!" Lin Gouwa knew a little about Liu Dezhu and Lu Meiyin's affair, and he wrung his hands anxiously, "What was Master Liu doing out there? This gave them an opening!"

Others may not know what Liu Dezhu is doing outside, but Chen Xiangdong knows very well.

He looked out the door for a while but didn't see Liu Dezhu. He then whispered to Li Mancang, "Mancang, go to the security department and find Xu Erdao. Tell him that the guy he chased away yesterday has come back. Tell him to come over here immediately to protect the personal safety of our troupe's employees."

Upon hearing this, Li Mancang was taken aback at first, then gave Chen Xiangdong a thumbs up: "Brother Xiangdong, you're really too clever!"

"Shupi, hurry up and go!" Chen Xiangdong glared at him.

Li Mancang chuckled, mimicked the police officer's salute, and straightened his back: "Understood!"

After saying that, he ran off to the backyard and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Lin Gouwa blinked his eyes, which were almost slits, and leaned closer, rubbing his hands together, looking eager to try: "Brother Xiangdong, what about me? What should I do?"

"you?"

Chen Xiangdong was taken aback at first, then a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: Why not take this opportunity to make their relationship public and completely seal the bond between Liu Dezhu and Lu Meiyin!

He sized Lin Gouwa up and down, quickly calculating in his mind, and a meaningful smile slowly appeared on his face.

"Doggy!"

Chen Xiangdong solemnly raised his hand and patted Lin Gouwa's shoulder, startling the boy who instinctively shrank back and stammered, "Brother, w-what's wrong?"

"There's a very difficult task ahead, and after much thought, I've concluded that only you are capable of handling it!"

"what?"

Upon hearing the words "extremely difficult," Lin Gouwa's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly regretted his impulsive words and taking on the task for himself. He staggered back half a step, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace: "W-what is it?"

Then Chen Xiangdong leaned close to his ear, lowered his voice, and said something like this and that.

As Lin Gouwa listened, his little eyes grew brighter and brighter, and his mouth stretched wider and wider. He patted his chest and assured him, "Brother, don't worry, I can handle this perfectly!"

After saying that, he turned around excitedly and ran straight towards the rehearsal hall.

Chen Xiangdong quietly crouched behind the porch pillar, watching Lu Meiyin and the others' every move from afar.

He was just thinking that it should be about time when suddenly three people came running from the backyard. Xu Erdao, who was leading the way, was running so fast that his hat was askew. From a distance, he shouted at Sun Zhan Dou, "Hey! You, surnamed Sun!"

"I just chased you away yesterday, and you dare to come back? Today I'm going to take this coward to the police station!" Xu Erdao shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing throughout the courtyard. After shouting, he glanced around furtively. He was incredibly excited; today, he could finally make a name for himself in front of the whole regiment.

With a wave of his hand, his only two trusted lieutenants—his nephew Xu Xiaoshuan and his nephew Wu Dabao—immediately roared and rushed in from both flanks, one carrying a broom and the other gripping a mop handle, ready to charge forward and capture Sun in battle.

Seeing the three "weak, sick, and disabled" guards from the county theater troupe's security department, excluding the gatekeeper Old Hu, charging towards them with an imposing, turtle-like gait, Sun Zhan Dou was immediately startled by their imposing presence.

Since being listed as the county theater troupe's "number one terrorist," he had specifically inquired about the security department's details:

Hu Xiaolian, who was preparing to work his way up to retirement in the gatehouse, Xu Erdao, who was good for nothing, Xu Xiaoshuan with bronchitis, and Wu Dabao, who was mute, were the epitome of the old, weak, sick, and disabled. Normally, he wouldn't even give them a second glance!

But now that three top generals have been dispatched, Sun Zhan Dou's mind raced. If these three guys surrounded him, and one of them accidentally tripped and fell, he could be charged extortionately for medical expenses alone, which would be enough to keep him in debt for half a year!

"No, no, no! I'm leaving now, I'm leaving right now!"

He didn't even bother to say goodbye to Lu Meiyin and the fat old lady; he turned around and dashed out the door in a flash.

The fat old woman was startled and staggered backward, thinking to herself, "Why are all city people so twisted? They want to hit people as soon as they meet them."

At this moment, many of the troupe's staff and students who heard the commotion gathered in the front yard.

Surrounded by so many people witnessing his display of power, Xu Erdao felt incredibly pleased. Although Sun Zhandou had already disappeared, he still acted like a theatrical performer, his front leg bent and his back leg kicking, one hand on his hip, the other pointing towards the gate, and he shouted in a booming voice, "Where do you think you're going!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Liu Dezhu, carrying a large pig's head, strode into the courtyard and was stunned into his spot by the shout.

Everyone in the courtyard turned to look at him. Liu Dezhu's hand trembled, and he asked in surprise and doubt, "W-what's wrong?"