When Bai Lu's attention was drawn away from the girls' envious whispers, the child beside her was already quite drunk.
Xiao Wei couldn't stop him no matter what.
The child kept repeating to himself, "Lulu agreed... agreed..."
Bai Lu didn't remember when she had agreed, but she did remember hearing a voice asking her, "Is it okay?" as the fireworks exploded in the sky.
At the same time, even more little girls' voices rang out, filling both of her ears with a booming sound.
So I had no time to think about it until now.
The spectacular fireworks display lasted until 11 p.m.
After having eaten and drunk their fill, the neighbors began to walk upstream along the Gui River in groups, with bright red lanterns illuminating the way.
The lights shone brightly all the way to the temple.
Temples enshrine various deities, with a long history dating back to ancient times. They have different names in different regions, but the only constant is that they are places where people can pray for blessings and make wishes.
May our country be prosperous and our people at peace, our families healthy and well, our country flourish, our weather be favorable, and our harvests be plentiful.
The most effective time, according to popular belief, is the first incense stick of the new year.
Commonly known as the first incense.
Everyone wanted to be the first to offer incense, so they gathered outside the temple with their incense sticks, and the crowd was so dense that they didn't back down.
Everyone waits until midnight, when the temple keeper retreats and the passage is wide open, to be the first to insert the first incense stick into the incense burner.
Bailu knew about this long-standing folk culture because it also existed in the capital.
However, in later generations, the position of the first incense offering became determined by money; whoever offered the highest price would get the position and be the first to offer incense.
This is in stark contrast to the fair competition we are currently facing.
As times change, not only skyscrapers and the internet, but also the big and small things around us are being assimilated.
Xiao Cheng is now a big shot in the new town. Many of his neighbors work in the fruit factory and have voluntarily stepped down to the second line, giving the boss a first-tier position.
Along with Xiao Cheng, the first-tier team includes Li Jianfeng, Luo Shiliu, Xiao Dazhuang, and Wang Hao.
At 11:50 p.m., the refined and elegant scholar appeared, holding three incense sticks, and the crowded people immediately made way for him.
Bai Lu watched as Lin Jinfan greeted her and then walked steadily toward the first group.
Whether Li Jianfeng was drunk and wanted to cause trouble or had some other special idea, he gave up his seat next to Xiao Cheng without saying a word when he saw Lin Jinfan coming over.
The current first-tier positions are now Xiao Cheng and Lin Jinfan, both standing in the very center of the temple entrance.
Li Jianfeng, Luo Shiliu, Xiao Dazhuang, and Wang Hao are paired up.
They stood on either side of Xiao Cheng and Lin Jinfan respectively.
The scene was so grand that the atmosphere became tense at times.
Xiao Xiaohai wanted to punch Lin Jinfan away: "What are you doing here?"
Lin Jinfan glanced at the oversized incense in his hand, then calmly turned his gaze back to the normal-sized incense in his own hand.
"Offer incense."
Xiao Xiao narrowed his eyes and warned in a stern voice, "Don't think that just because you treated Lulu to a big chicken leg during the New Year in the past, I'll let you have your way."
Lin Jinfan glanced at him in surprise, smelled the alcohol, and looked away: "I don't need you to give way."
Xiao Xiaohai snorted coldly: "You better not play the victim in front of Lulu when you get hit by a car."
Lin Jinfan remained calm and spoke in his usual gentle tone: "Unless you did it on purpose."
Xiao the child wanted to break his neck.
"It's 11:59 PM!" A shout from someone in the crowd interrupted the battle.
The atmosphere instantly returned to boiling point.
Everyone craned their necks, excitedly and curiously waiting to see who would be the first to offer incense.
Everyone had the same thought: Xiao Cheng or Lin Jinfan must be one of the two.
After all, whether you look at it openly or indirectly, Xiao Cheng and Lin Jinfan are rivals in love.
Xiao Cheng has only one younger brother, Xiao Wei.
Lin Jinfan has only one relative, her mother.
No matter how you look at it, all the relatives and friends think that Xiao Cheng and Lin Jinfan are evenly matched rivals in love.
The competition to be the first to offer incense is definitely for the White Dew season.
This is the best show of the year.
Whoever wins the first incense offering will be the subject of gossip and conversation for the entire following year.
"Should we help Brother Cheng capture the scholar?" Xiao Dazhuang asked Wang Hao beside him with a serious expression.
Wang Hao came to pray for his son's well-being. To be honest, he didn't want to help anyone; he just wanted to be the first to offer incense.
But given the current situation, he couldn't compete with anyone: "Then let's help Cheng-ge."
Just as Xiao Dazhuang was about to nod in agreement, he accidentally saw Bai Lu's smiling face and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
"Is my sister-in-law looking at us?"
"What are you thinking? If your sister-in-law wants to see someone, she should see Cheng-ge..." Wang Hao's words, which were full of certainty, came to an abrupt halt when he saw Bai Lu's standard smiling face.
"What my sister-in-law means is fair competition," Luo Shiliu added remotely.
Xiao Dazhuang thought for a moment and seemed to understand: "There are too many people here, it might not be good for us to help Brother Cheng."
"Lin Jinfan was the top scholar in the imperial examination. Aunt Li and Aunt Fang often said that he was a good role model for the children's studies. Many neighbors agreed, and my mother also agreed."
“If we help Brother Cheng stop Lin Jinfan in front of hundreds of people, it might cause dissatisfaction among them and may even affect Brother Cheng’s reputation. Brother Cheng is running a big business now, and his reputation can’t be ruined.”
Luo Shiliu exclaimed, marveling at how the honest man had suddenly become so clever: "Who told you that?"
Xiao Dazhuang shook his head: "My mom just told me not to meddle in other people's business when I go out today. I've seen my sister-in-law handle similar situations like this before, so I guess she means the same thing this time."
Luo Shiliu: "Oh...I see."
Wang Hao: "Then we won't help anyone."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
