This little incident didn't dampen anyone's spirits; the children happily ate their fill and then went to play with firecrackers. When they got tired, they joined the adults in keeping watch!
Several families planned to keep vigil in the main room all night, and after midnight, they would burn incense, paper money, and set off firecrackers!
The tedious night watch is truly unbearable, every minute feels like an eternity. I remember when I could watch the Spring Festival Gala or binge-watch dramas on my phone, staying up all night wasn't so bad! But in this place with virtually no entertainment, it's just empty, lonely, and cold! We can't exactly chat until dawn, can we? We don't have that much to say!
After thinking for a moment, Qin San Niang turned around and took out a deck of cards from her spatial storage, saying that these were valuable items she had obtained in Jiangzhou! She then explained how to play cards to everyone... Let's play Dou Dizhu, the only card game Qin San Niang is good at!
"These cards are exquisite, and the paper is excellent!" He Yingyuan exclaimed, examining the cards with great appreciation.
When did Dasheng acquire such high-quality paper? The colors of the paintings on it are breathtakingly vibrant, and they don't fade when touched. Could they be printed on? This is beyond the capabilities of current technology! Could they be from overseas?
However, he also knew that Qin San Niang was no ordinary person and always had something good to offer. He Yingyuan just felt that he was still too ignorant and had missed many interesting things in his previous life because he was trapped in the court.
Everyone was very interested in these playing cards. Liao Hongying had seen leaf cards before, but these cards were much better than leaf cards! The pictures on them, as her husband had said, were lifelike.
"These cards are called playing cards. I bought them from a vendor for a full five hundred coins. They were his family heirlooms. He would never have sold them if there hadn't been an emergency at home!"
"We have nothing to do on night watch, so why don't we use it? It'll be a good way to show its value!" Qin San Niang quickly changed the subject, afraid they would keep asking questions. After all, it's not easy to keep a lie, so she simply said that she got it by chance, and as for anything else, don't ask her, she won't know anything anyway!
Looking at her eldest daughter, Liu wondered if she had obtained the skill from some deity. She quickly took over the conversation, "Third Sister, how do we play this game? Your mother has lived all these years, and this is the first time I've ever touched a card!"
What Liu said was true. These peasants, with their muddy backs, always faced the loess soil and turned their backs to the sky. Even on New Year's Day, when they could be a little less busy, they still had to rack their brains to prepare food and sacrifices. With so little food, how to make it taste good was a skill in itself!
Wu Chunhua laughed and said that she had never touched a card before! But she had seen the landlord's wife play mahjong before, and those women seemed to be very addicted to it, so it must be a lot of fun.
"By the way, Third Sister, shall we have a prize? A penny or two is fine, but I can't bear to part with more than that!" Wu Chunhua was much more lively now and was eager to try her luck. However, she was still worried about what would happen if she lost money, so she simply told Third Sister.
Before Qin San Niang could even reply, Liu Shi objected, "Of course! We're just having fun, why would we need a prize? Let's just play around!"
“Mother, sister-in-law, it’s no fun without a wager. How about we use one coin as a wager and have some fun? Brother He and Qingshan can join in too, and men can play as well.”
Gu Qingshan and He Yingyuan exchanged a glance, indicating that they really didn't want to play. That was something women played; how could they, grown men, let such things ruin their lives? Men could play too, but that was in casinos, where the stakes were huge, and one night could bankrupt someone!
Soon, they learned what it meant to be slapped in the face.
After Qin San Niang finished explaining the rules, everyone said they understood. Those who didn't understand a little bit eventually figured it out as they played.
The more they played this game of Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game), the more interesting it became, and even the older boy and Luo Huan next to them were captivated by it.
Luo Huan had seen women playing cards before, but he hadn't realized it was so interesting, or perhaps he hadn't studied it in depth. Now, watching it, he realized it was a battle of wits and courage, quite like a fierce struggle.
At first, only Qin San Niang and her son, Wu Chunhua, and Liao Hongying played. As an experienced player, Qin San Niang naturally won frequently. However, later on, everyone understood the rules, and the game became more difficult. Eventually, Wu Chunhua and the others were also able to win occasionally.
Liu was getting old and got tired after a few rounds, so Da Wa or Luo Huan had to take over. Soon, He Xiucai replaced Liao Hongying, and Gu Qingshan also joined the battle, turning it into a fight between several men. Surprisingly, in terms of playing cards, besides He Xiucai, Luo Huan was the best!
Qin San Niang sighed again, "This Luo Huan is no simple man."
According to Fatty, he also saw Luo Huan taste Fenjiu and look very shocked. He never expected that Luo Huan would be such a connoisseur of liquor!
Of course, Qin San Niang didn't think that way. At Luo Huan's age, he shouldn't be able to tell the quality of the wine, and the boy wasn't a connoisseur of wine either. But he could appreciate wine. What did that mean? It meant that this boy was someone special. He could read and do math, appreciate wine, and was adaptable. Plus, he had a resolute and upright appearance. He was definitely not an ordinary farm boy.
However, she wouldn't ask that question; if someone doesn't want to tell you, asking won't help. When they're willing to talk, she'll naturally be open and honest.
In short, with playing cards, vigil is no longer boring! Time flies!
Taking advantage of the time, Qin San Niang took out hawthorns from her spatial storage, found a smooth stone to use as a water board, and made candied hawthorns for the children that they had been clamoring for for a long time.
The candied hawthorns, coated in sugar frost, can stay outside for quite a few days in this weather!
Tomorrow, if the children go out to play, they can also bring other children from the village along. All the children in Shiligou know about these children, and because Erwa is very generous and He Mingzhe is the future teacher's son, they are quite popular.
As for Anan and Azhi, since they are already seven years old, they are not allowed to go out freely. Fortunately, they come from a farming family, so there aren't so many rules. The two little girls occasionally go out for a stroll, but they don't run wild, thanks to Azhi, who is quite sensible!
Liu was very fond of Azhi, and even secretly told Qin Sanniang that she wondered if Azhi could be married to her eldest son. As the eldest daughter-in-law, the steady and well-behaved Azhi would be very suitable. Qin Sanniang was also quite pleased with this.
However, as a modern woman, she felt it was inappropriate to discuss marriage with two teenagers. Besides, marriage is a woman's most important event, and Azhi hasn't met many boys yet. If she still thinks Da Wa is good when she's older, then she could help him out. Moreover, she wasn't sure of Da Wa's feelings; what if he liked another young woman?
Sigh, never mind, let's wait until they're older!
Liu sighed helplessly, thinking to herself that who knows when that would be? Besides, girls should be engaged at the age of fourteen. If you don't hurry up, aren't you afraid that someone will beat you to it?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com