Firecrackers exploded, and lanterns lit up like dragons. According to the custom of the Wu dynasty, lanterns would be lit in the city on the thirteenth day of the first month. On the seventeenth day of the first month, lanterns would be lit for a total of five days. Dragons and lions would dance throughout the night, but the fifteenth day of the Shangyuan Festival was naturally the most lively. The snow had not yet melted, but various lantern shows and poetry gatherings had already begun, and the scale was even larger than the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The liveliness of this night did not have the fireworks of the Mid-Autumn Festival poetry competition. It was more of a gathering that had not ended since the end of the year. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, people liked to enjoy the scholarly atmosphere of scholars, and were even more happy to see the elegance of many idols competing. On the night of the Shangyuan Festival, people were more focused on celebrating with their families and friends, eating lantern dumplings, guessing lantern riddles, strolling in the night market, and only then did they pay attention to the Misty Rain Pavilion where the scholars were.
The reason for this situation was complicated. The heavy snow blocked the roads, the number of passing merchants and pedestrians decreased, and some of the traveling students returned home before the end of the year. There were still various gatherings related to poetry, but it was not as distinct as it was every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Pu Garden Poetry Competition and the Still Water Poetry Competition were not officially held in the Shangyuan Festival. On this night, the students of Lichuan Academy mainly performed. Lichuan was actually the official school of Jiangning. If not for the influence of the Still Water Poetry Competition held by the Pan family, the quality of their students would be the highest.
Of course, even if many of the more formal poetry competitions were not held, there were still a large number of banquets for scholars to attend, and exchange their excellent works at the end of the year. Some of the Lichuan students would also spread out to participate in these banquets, and then use their own poems to steal the limelight from their classmates. In short, this night was more of a festive atmosphere since the end of the year.
After nightfall, there was a bustling scene. When the clock struck nine o 'clock in the evening, Ning Yi and Xiaochan were eating glutinous rice balls at a food stall near the Vermilion Bird Avenue. There were all kinds of lantern riddles around them, and the entire street was lit up as if it was daytime.
In the evening, Ning Yi and Su Tan'er followed Su Boyong to a Su mansion for a banquet at the home of a family friend. After the basic etiquette was done, Su Tan'er and Ning Yi said goodbye. They said that they were going to Zhuque Avenue for a walk, but in fact, it was not just for that.
A few of Su Tan 'er's shopkeepers were having a business discussion at the Brilliant Elegance Restaurant. Su Tan' er was very concerned about the outcome of the business. Hence, after having some fun on the road, she found a table in a small teahouse opposite the Brilliant Elegance Restaurant and sat down. She listened to the opera in the teahouse while waiting for the outcome. Ning Yi listened to the play with her for a while. When the young shopkeeper named Xi Junyu came to report the preliminary results, he got up and prepared to walk around for a while.
"Let's walk around Vermilion Bird Avenue and see what's good to eat. Try a little of everything."
"Remember to bring some back for me as well."
Su Tan'er smiled sweetly and said to him. Then Xiaochan also followed. When they went downstairs, she looked back and saw that Su Tan'er's eyes had already turned calm and relaxed as she talked to the young shopkeeper. Because Su Tan'er had taken him to various shops of the Su family before and after the New Year, Ning Yi had also met this shopkeeper several times. He was ambitious and capable, but he was sharp on the outside and not reserved enough. However, he was still quite outstanding. This made Ning Yi recall that many years ago when he was also young, he had also seen many young people like this. Some were friends, some were rivals. But in the end, the one who surprised him the most was the always indecisive Tang Mingyuan who followed behind him. Thinking about it this way, it was somewhat ironic.
Not long after, he and Xiaochan walked along the route of the food stalls near Vermilion Bird Avenue. There was still snow on both sides of the road that had not melted. There was a breeze near Qinhuai River, but it was not cold. The entire avenue felt like it was in full swing. There were dragon and lion dances, lantern shows, and sideshows. Steam rose from the stoves of various vendors. Xiaochan could not eat much, so she bought a small lantern and carried it in her hand. There was a picture of a cat on the lantern. Of course, this cat's forehead had a "King" character, so for the time being, it was thought to be a tiger.
"Young master, young master, how do you solve the lantern riddle of candied goldthread?"
"Could it be sharing weal and woe?"
"Young master, young master, yellow silk young woman, grandson, what is the mortar and mortar?"
"Oh, this is very difficult if you don't know. Cao Cao asked Yang Xiu, and the answer to the riddle is a wonderful answer."
"Young master, there is a very difficult one here. One shape and one body, four branches and eight heads. One eight five eight, flying spring flow … What is this … "
"… How would I know."
"So, young master, you also don't know …"
"Did the first two guess correctly? Did you ask them?"
"Young master, you're right."
"… Come over and eat some glutinous rice balls … After eating, I'll tell you it's a Jing character."
"Oh, so it's a Jing character."
Towards Xiaochan, she really could not get angry. After eating a few glutinous rice balls, she went to the next stall. This stall's spiced beans was Xiaochan's favorite. She bought half a porcelain cup and ate it slowly. The small lantern swayed, and after a while, she said absent-mindedly, "Miss is actually very tired."
"Hmm?"
"Just now … Just now, Miss was in the teahouse, and young master was about to leave. Actually, young master, you know a lot of things, right?"
That little face was a little serious. Ning Yi thought for a while, then smiled and nodded. "If the negotiation over there doesn't go well, it's still up to your young master to make the final decision. Actually, it's useless for me to be there. Sometimes, it's counterproductive."
"Indeed, young master, you know everything …" Xiaochan nodded. She looked at Ning Yi a few times, and was a little hesitant to speak. Finally, she said, "Young master, why don't you help Miss?"
"Your young master is very powerful, don't worry."
Xiaochan thought for a while, then smiled again. "Recently, Miss has been very happy."
"Hmm?"
"Because young master, in the past, Miss rarely talked so much to others … Uh, she did talk, but she was still very happy even when she didn't talk about business. Also, young master told stories, played chess … So, Xiaochan thought that if young master was willing to help Miss, Miss would definitely be even happier. Young master, you also know that Miss, she … Miss, after all, is a girl like Xiaochan. When she goes out to do things, there will always be people gossiping. Miss doesn't say it, but there must be a lot of things on her mind … "
Xiaochan was really thinking for Su Tan'er's sake. She mustered up a lot of courage to say this, but she was afraid that she would overstep her duty as a maidservant and make Ning Yi a little unhappy. She looked at Ning Yi from time to time, and then the reaction she got was that her whole face was pinched into a big pancake by Ning Yi.
"When did Chan'er enter the Su mansion?"
"The world is broken." Chan'er hesitated for a moment, then mumbled and gestured. When Ning Yi let go of her cheeks and turned to walk forward, she trotted to catch up with him and added, "Chan'er was sold here at the age of four."
"Four years old, so young …"
"So was Juan'er. Sister Xing'er was one year older than us. She was five years old at that time. Miss was eight years old at that time. " Xiaochan didn't avoid this and smiled a little sweetly. "I was too young at that time, and the sellers didn't want me. But it happened that the Su mansion needed a few girls, so Xiaochan chose them. My family originally wanted to sell my brother."
"I've never heard you mention your family."
"Xiaochan was sold to the Su mansion, so she became a member of the Su mansion. How can I mention them all day?" Xiaochan lowered her head and thought for a while. "Actually, Xiaochan doesn't remember much about her childhood. She was just hungry. I heard that she had a younger brother, but he starved to death not long after he was born. At that time, my family originally wanted to sell my brother, but he could do something. Later, they sold Xiaochan. After 25 years of selling, my family got 35 taels of silver. In fact, it was a blessing to be with Miss, and they didn't care how many years it took. Now Xiaochan sends 10 taels of silver to our family every year. My brother got married last year and wrote a letter to Xiaochan, saying that he married the prettiest girl in the neighboring village, but her handwriting is ugly … Well, Xiaochan went back the year before last, and she can go back to see sister-in-law in March this year … "
Many things were normal in today's society, so Xiaochan didn't feel much sadness when she talked about it. She became happy when she talked about it, but then she felt a little guilty and pursed her lips. "Young master …"
Ning Yi smiled. "So Tan'Er is like your sister, right?"
"Yes." The young girl quickly nodded, and then shook her head. "Xiaochan is just a servant, she doesn't dare to think like that."
"But she often talks to you about business, and often tells the shopkeepers that even if I help her, why is it different with me around?"
"But, but … young master is different …"
"Ha, don't think too much. The reason why your Miss can talk to me like that is because I don't understand, and I don't do business. If I can really help, then it will indeed become a business discussion. " Although she appeared innocent in front of Su Tan'Er, Xiaochan wasn't stupid. On the contrary, she was very smart. Ning Yi didn't care about her scheming for Su Tan'Er. It was human nature. At this time, the two of them walked forward in the crowd. Ning Yi smiled. "Your Miss is more powerful than you think. If she isn't that powerful, then there's no point in helping her. It's best if she stops early. Although I'm very happy that you think I'm powerful, but don't … uh … "
Ning Yi's voice stopped. Xiaochan's voice came from behind. "Young master is very powerful." Under the bright lantern light, Ning Yi frowned slightly and looked at his left hand in confusion. There was a bright red color on the outside of his thumb. It was sticky and had yet to dry. This was … blood.
Where did it come from …
Puzzled, he turned his head to take a look. The streets were brightly lit, people were coming and going, and all kinds of noises could be heard. At the end of Vermilion Bird Avenue, a yellow dragon danced along with the sound of gongs and drums. Amidst the bustling Upper Yuan Dynasty, a few bailiffs mingled among them, as if they were looking for something.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
