It was not until they saw an advertisement in the newspaper that Alfred had delivered in the morning that they learned a circus, previously closed due to the freezing cold of Gotham, was reopening.
Bruce and Selina thought that since Aisha loves watching Selina's acrobatics, the circus performance must be even better. If they could make Aisha fall asleep, then Bruce would have time to repair his Batmobile.
So they booked the tickets and went to support the circus on their second day of reopening.
Previously, this circus in Gotham's western suburbs was quite popular. The animal shows were rich and varied, especially several top-notch acrobats who could perform quite a few high-difficulty acrobatics.
But ever since Gotham suspended operations due to ground damage for a while, the circus's business has not been good. With the reopening, the circus owner warmly welcomed Mr. and Mrs. Wayne.
Not only because they came early, but more importantly, they had money. If they were pleased with the performances, they might invest, and the circus could potentially expand even more.
The circus owner initially wanted to invite the three of them to sit in the very middle of the front row, but Bruce declined. On one hand, the light there was too dazzling, and the distance to the ring of fire was too close, making it a bit hot. On the other hand, Aisha looked different from ordinary people, and with so many audience members in the center, she might be easily noticed.
Bruce and Selina chose to sit in the corner on the extreme right of the front row, which was close to both the circus's bathroom and the exit. In case of any emergency, they could leave immediately.
The audience entered in twos and threes. There were more people than on the first day, but there were still empty seats. The owner standing at the backstage door looked rather gloomy, apparently unsatisfied with this situation.
When he heard some noise coming out from backstage, he turned around to quiet them down, scolding, "What the hell are you doing? Why are you making so much noise? Haven't I reminded you? Mr. Wayne is here today, behave yourselves, idiots!"
Then, he complained as if venting, "It's all your fault! You still want salaries. Why can't you be like lions and elephants — working doggedly for me as long as you get something to eat?"
"You all saw it: the circus is not doing well. So, I can only give you one-third of your salaries this week."
The acrobats backstage were angry after hearing this. One particularly large man stood up and said, "Hey, Henry! You can't do this. We have been working for you for quite a while, and we brought in plenty of ticket money. We're performing dangerous, high-difficulty acts. We're risking our lives for that money. You can't just …"
"Grayson, you'd better smarten up! Do you still think it's the time when your Grayson family name was famous on the East Coast?"
"Don't forget, your father, old Grayson, fell into minced meat in an important performance, smashing your family's reputation. Otherwise, why would a noble Grayson come to perform in a small place like this?"
"Don't expect more. Listen, your wife is not well, constantly taking leaves. She is already a burden. Giving you full pay is already me letting you off the hook …"
The man called Grayson on the other side became enraged, veins popping out on his face. A few of his companions held him back, whispering words of comfort. In the end, he clenched his fist without speaking and walked back into the crowd.
The circus owner smirked triumphantly, "Don't think I don't know. That drag of your Grayson family also wants to join this business. Just let him be careful not to fall into minced meat like his grandfather …"
Hearing someone cursing his son, Grayson couldn't stand it anymore. Ignoring those holding him back, he strode forward and directly punched the circus owner. Pointing at the owner's nose, he said, "You said it yourself, Mr. Wayne is sitting outside. You still need me for today's performance."
"If I leave now, do you plan to use those lions and elephants to cozy up to Mr. Wayne for money?"
The circus owner wiped his nosebleed. His neck and face all reddened with anger. He glared at Grayson and said, "You'd better perform well today. If anything goes wrong, I'll throw your whole family out!"
Grayson snorted, turned and left.
In the audience, Bruce and Selina were waiting for the performance to start when they suddenly heard the bell ring twice. Then, a teenage boy with a basket came over and asked, "Would you like some pancakes or bread? We also have fried onions and cheese slices, only 15 cents a portion …"
Selina peeked into the basket he was carrying. Inside, there were delicious-looking foods. But Bruce just looked at the boy's face and asked, "You don't seem happy?"
The boy emotionlessly said, "If you don't want anything, I'll move on to ask others."
"Give me a pancake and add two slices of cheese," Selina told him. The boy bowed his head, took out the food from the basket for Selina, and realized that Bruce added an extra 10 cents tip. He hurriedly returned the money and said, "A portion only costs 15 cents. You gave too much for the tip …"
"You mustn't do this often, right?" Bruce looked into his eyes and said, "In a circus or a theater, tips for peddlers and flower boys are usually about the same price as what they sell ..."
Selina also nodded and said, "I did this when I was a child too. If the tip wasn't that much, and if we couldn't reach our target, we'd get beaten."
The boy sighed. "I am not some peddler. The circus owner just wouldn't let my father perform and only let me do this odd job because he dislikes him."
"So, what do you do? Could you possibly be a performer?"
Selina sized the boy up and down. He was not very old, but he was well-proportioned, with long arms and long legs, and you could even see some muscle marks on his arms.
"Of course I am a performer, and not just any performer. I am a member of the famous Grayson family of aerial acrobats. My dream is to become a great aerial acrobat like my great-grandfather, but …"
Saying this, he looked back at the backstage, as if afraid that someone was watching him. He said, "Thank you for your kindness, but 10 cents is too much. I only need half. I have to go ask others now. Goodbye."
Selina took the money he refunded. She muttered to herself, "The Grayson family? I seem to remember them. They aren't locals of Gotham, are they? It's rare to see such an innocent kid in Gotham ..."