Having dealt with one matter, the master set off in a rather pleasant mood. Along the way, he either played chess with Anke, discussed poetry with Anke and Qing'er, or gazed at the scenery outside the window, listening to Xiao Yanzi's chatter beside him. Relatively speaking, it was a fairly harmonious journey.
Yongqi had been feeling very confused since yesterday, and gradually rode his horse closer to Ertai. He seemed to feel that this was the place that suited him best, while he only felt oppressed by Erkang's side.
Ertai looked at the taciturn Yongqi and wanted to comfort him, but he didn't know where to begin. He could only let the Fifth Prince figure things out for himself; he wouldn't understand unless he saw and experienced it firsthand.
Furen, riding ahead, looked at his two sons who were now like strangers. Furen could only sigh helplessly, but seeing his younger son so understanding now, he felt gratified.
And so, riding the wind and enjoying the scenery, we slowly arrived at Plum Blossom Town.
Before we even reached the old man's farm, we could hear them banging gongs and drums.
"How lively! Uncle!" An Ke lifted the curtain of the carriage, listening to the deafening sounds of gongs and drums outside, a happy smile spreading across his face. If he remembered correctly, they should be celebrating the harvest right now.
"Then let's all get out of the car and go see what happened." Seeing his niece peeking around so curiously, Old Master Ai couldn't help but chuckle. He himself had also wanted to go and see. Since the old man had said so, no one could disagree.
To avoid disturbing the villagers of Plum Blossom Town, the master suggested they walk in quietly. He stepped down from the carriage first, helped An'an up, and then led the way. Following him were the rest of the group, who walked in a large procession towards Plum Blossom Town.
As soon as we entered Meihua Town, we saw a huge farm with a flag hanging above it that read: "Abundant Harvest".
Young and middle-aged men were singing and dancing. The men wore white clothes with red belts around their waists and were playing drums. The women wore colorful clothes, also with red belts and drums.
They formed a large, imposing group, weaving through the villagers. Wherever Anke went, she stood with her uncle. This was not only at her uncle's request, but also so that if there was any danger, Anke could fight them.
The two women standing nearby, who were probably seeing a foreigner for the first time, were carefully examining Benjamin and discussing him in what they thought were very quiet voices.
“Hey, look at that person, his eyes are green. And his hair is different from ours, it's brown.”
"That's a foreigner, he looks so different from us, it's really strange."
“It really is!” the two women said, while carefully scanning Benjamin with their eyes.
Benjamin wasn't annoyed; he simply smiled faintly at the two women. But that smile looked undeniably helpless. Yes, if he were in his Great Britain, he would be perfectly normal.
Anke finally understood the poem: "Alone in a foreign land, I am a stranger; on every festive occasion, I miss my family all the more." For Benjamin, wasn't this also a foreign land?
Looking at the scene before him, Fu Heng smiled broadly and stood beside his master, saying, "Master, Plum Blossom Town has had a bumper harvest this year and is celebrating. There are people everywhere, and I haven't had time to inquire about the situation yet. But it seems to be doing quite well."
The old man chuckled and patted Fuheng on the shoulder, pointing with his folding fan at the jubilant villagers before him. "Fuheng, is there any need to ask? Isn't seeing is believing? Hahaha!"
Master Ji chimed in, "This just so happens to coincide with the harvest season; there's even a waist drum performance going on."
Physician Hu: "I've gone out with the master several times, but this is the first time I've encountered such a lively scene."
When Yongqi dismounted, he initially intended to keep his distance from them, to think things through and stay clear-headed. But Xiaoyanzi, without a word, dragged him to the front of the villagers. After all, she was the girl he liked, and Yongqi instantly forgot about his plan to think things through.
"There are several types of waist drums, including the Hengshan Old Waist Drum, the Civil Waist Drum, the Military Waist Drum, and the Ansai Waist Drum, but the most famous is the Ansai Waist Drum from Shaanxi," An Ke blurted out, looking at the scene before her. "We're really lucky; otherwise, how could we have seen such a lively waist drum performance?"
"An'an, how do you know everything?" Qing'er looked at An Ke with admiration.
"That's naturally because I often travel and enjoy the scenery with my father," Anke jokingly recounted how Prince Rui had trained and tempered her. "As the saying goes, 'Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.' I've read ten thousand books and traveled ten thousand miles. If I don't keep these things in my mind, then I've truly lived in vain." After saying that, Anke playfully stuck out her tongue at Qing'er.
"Have you ever seen a real Ansai waist drum?" Qing'er asked with longing, while also waiting for Anke's follow-up.
"Of course! We've come all this way, how could we bear to leave without seeing a real Ansai waist drum performance? It's like saying, 'If you don't see it, you're missing out!'" Anke still retains a traditional Chinese spirit: "Since we're already here..."
"That's wonderful. I wish I could see it too if I had the chance." Qing'er's tone carried a hint of regret. Being able to accompany the master on this incognito trip was something An Ke had already requested for her. If she returned to the Forbidden City, it would probably be very difficult to leave the palace again, let alone travel to Shaanxi. Some things are destined to be regrets, and some things are destined to remain dreams buried in one's heart.
Anke patted Qing'er's arm empathetically, wanting to comfort her but unsure where to begin. The palace was full of rules, and even the most vibrant person would be confined by these constraints. Anke's mind raced. If her father returned, could she take Qing'er out of the palace for a few days? The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed! If her father disagreed, she could simply plead with her mother. After all, her mother made all the decisions at home.
Mother agreed, and Father didn't dare say anything.
Prince Rui: What did you say? As the head of the family…
Princess Consort Rui: Hmm? (Her scrutinizing gaze falls on Prince Rui)
Prince Rui: Such a large palace, and the Princess Consort still manages it with such care. (Smiles ingratiatingly) (?????)
An elderly man dressed simply, looking at the scene before him, said happily, "We've been waiting for this harvest for three years!"
The observant Qing'er immediately noticed the key point in the old man's words, "Grandpa, according to you, there were no good harvests in the first three years?"
Upon hearing this, the old man, who had been beaming with happiness, immediately changed his expression, his brow furrowing with worry. "Yes, we farmers all depend on the heavens for our livelihood. If it doesn't rain, the fields will dry up. It's been so hard for us. This year, we'll finally be able to eat our white rice."
The villagers behind him echoed the old man's words, "Yes, we have rice to eat."
The old man noticed their clothes and hesitated before speaking, "Judging from your attire, you must be from out of town, right? This is my threshing ground. This year's harvest is bountiful, so we've all come together to celebrate and have a good time. Hahaha!" Seeing the abundant harvest, the old man's face once again beamed with a happy smile.
Yes, in the eyes of farmers, grain is the most precious thing. We should really remember the saying: "Every grain of rice is hard-earned." Who knows the toil behind every single grain of rice on the plate?
Seeing the happy smiles on the villagers' faces, Anke also smiled from the bottom of his heart.
Benjamin, caught up in the lively atmosphere, quickly ran back to the carriage and grabbed his sketchbook and charcoal pencils. "Such a beautiful scene, it would be a shame not to draw it."
It was Yongqi, the brother Benjamin met in China, who truly understood him. "Yes, you must paint this carefully. Such a beautiful scene must be preserved forever. It also serves as a reminder to cherish and value food. I really wish my mother could see this beautiful scene with her own eyes. When we return to the palace, perhaps we can hold this painting and let my mother take a look!"
It must be said that even though Consort Yu had lost the Emperor's favor, she still had a filial son like the Fifth Prince. (Ahem, of course, it would be even better if he weren't so confused about Xiao Yanzi's matter.)
As they talked, Benjamin began sketching out the framework in his notebook. Anke was also quite looking forward to seeing Benjamin's finished product. A few days ago, when Huanzhugege was under house arrest, she visited Ruyi Pavilion quite often and saw many of Benjamin's works. They were simply incredibly lifelike.
Although Anke has learned some painting over the years since her transmigration, compared to a professional artist like Benjamin, she's still like someone showing off their skills in front of an expert.
The villagers, who were celebrating their success, probably noticed these "outsiders" and enthusiastically ran out from the group to sincerely invite and win them over.
The girls were the first to come towards Anke and Qing'er. "Come on, come on, dance with us. It's okay, dance with us."
Seeing this, An quickly waved her hands, stiffly pulling her arm away from the girls' grasp. She still didn't like strangers touching her; it felt creepy. Besides, it was better to stay obediently by the master's side.
Seeing that An Ke wasn't going, Qing'er also had no intention of jumping. She waved her hands repeatedly, refusing.
Seeing that they couldn't pull the two beautiful girls, the girls ran to the side to try and pull Xiao Yanzi and Ziwei.
Seeing that the master hadn't explicitly forbade her to go, and despite Anke and Qing'er's refusals, Xiao Yanzi figured she could still go and have some fun. Without waiting for an invitation, she went along with them. Ziwei, wanting to stay with the master, also shook her head and refused.
The girls were so proactive that the men in the audience also came down to invite them. They grabbed Yongqi, Ertai, and Erkang, chanting, "Come on, come on, dance with us!"
Yongqi initially insisted on his position, saying, "No, no, I won't."
A young man walked straight up to Benjamin, looked at him, and shook his head. "No, foreigners won't do. They're too tall."
Benjamin's competitive spirit immediately ignited upon hearing this, and he grabbed the young man's clothes as if he were trying to sell himself. "Hey, what do you mean foreigners aren't good enough? I'm the best foreigner, especially in music, and I've been learning to dance since I was a child. I'll show you." With that, he handed his sketchbook to Master Ji, who was standing nearby.
He tied a waist drum to himself, squeezed through the crowd, walked to Xiao Yanzi's side, and started playing the waist drum with her. Sure enough, Yongqi's principles were immediately broken.
Yongqi pursed his lips, his eyes fixed on the two people surrounded by the crowd. Moreover, with Xiaoyanzi's sincere call, Yongqi couldn't care less about his young master's airs. He used his lightness skill to get between the two, took the waist drum from someone else, and started dancing and twisting with Xiaoyanzi and Benjamin.
The master watched with a smile, not finding anything wrong with Yongqi's behavior. Such approachability was a good thing; only by being approachable could one truly understand the feelings of the people.
The three of them, like clowns, started playing a different kind of waist drum. Not to mention, Xiao Yanzi, who used to be an acrobat, gave the waist drum a whole new twist. Surprisingly, Yongqi and Benjamin were able to coordinate so perfectly.
The master and his entourage cheered for the three of them. An Ke also clapped, a rare occurrence for her. She truly admired their talent, and even if Xiao Yanzi wasn't exceptional, she still appreciated any admirable quality she possessed.
After watching for a while, Erkang also wanted to go in and dance with Ziwei. However, he didn't want to stand out too much. So he encouraged Ertai and Qing'er to dance together. Unfortunately, Ertai kept his distance from any woman around him and bluntly rejected his own brother. As for Qing'er, she was even less likely to go; she wouldn't go for the encore.
Left with no other option, Erkang invited Ziwei to go with him. Ziwei hesitated for a moment. Seeing that her master didn't react, she had no choice but to go dancing with Erkang.
Seeing this, the old man asked his niece with curiosity, "An'an, why don't you go jump?"
“If An’an also jumps, who will protect Uncle’s safety? Besides, I think I’m a bit uncoordinated, so I won’t go up there and embarrass myself.” An Ke made excuses for herself with righteous indignation, and the last sentence was said in a soft voice.
"If you say you're uncoordinated, then there aren't many in the palace who are. If you don't want to go, then don't go. Enjoying the scenery here with your uncle is just as good." Although the master didn't say it on his face, he was still very happy that his niece was with him.
Little Swallow jumped around inside, smiling at Yongqi. "I think we should buy a drum and take it home later, so we can dance for your grandma and your mother."
Yongqi chuckled in response, "If my grandma and mother saw us like this, they'd probably fall off their chairs in shock. Hahaha!"
"It's rare, truly rare, to see such a peaceful and prosperous country." The old man humbly praised himself, after all, the peace and prosperity of the country must be attributed to his leadership.
Before the old man could finish his remark, a group of fierce-looking men with sticks kicked the dancing young man to the ground.
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