At 1 a.m., shopkeeper Wang came knocking on the door and invited Xu Jiang and Lou Yunchun to watch the dragon boat race together.
Xu Jiang got up like a wandering soul and washed herself, while Lou Yunchun waited beside her with the ointment. After she finished washing, he applied the ointment and massaged her skin.
"The bruises have faded a lot. The ointment from Master Lin's academy is very effective."
Xu Jiang half-closed his eyes and did not answer.
The sound of breakfast vendors came from the street, and he asked again, "What do you want for breakfast?"
Xu Jiang pried open her eyes and glanced at him.
Lou Yunchun couldn't help laughing, "Still angry?"
Xu Jiang smirked and said, "No."
"Well, no."
After Lou Yunchun applied the medicine on her, he took two bowls and went to the alley entrance to wait for the vendor.
Xu Jiang was peeping in from the doorway, and when he saw him greeting Shopkeeper Wang and chatting with the vendors in a familiar and natural manner, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
Today's breakfast was green bean porridge and rice dumplings. Xu Jiang enjoyed it very much and became friends with Lou Yunchun again.
After the meal, Xu Jiang went to wash the dishes and prepare dry food, while Lou Yunchun went to feed the geese, water the horses, and feed the donkeys. Then he fetched water to wash the donkeys and horses and put on the saddles.
After the two of them had packed up and checked the front shop and the backyard, they each led their donkey and horse to meet up with Manager Wang and his family.
Shopkeeper Wang borrowed an ox cart and took his wife, children and a lot of food to watch the dragon boat race.
When Xu Jiang saw the little girl from the Wang family, she stuffed a five-colored sachet into her hand. There was a small bell attached to the bottom of the sachet, which jingled when moved, making her giggle.
The little girl drooled and said dully, "Thank you." (Thank you, auntie)
Xu Jiang was pleasantly surprised and said, "She can speak now."
"She's been learning from adults lately, and her brother loves to teach her, so she's learned quite a few words." Qin kissed her daughter lovingly on the cheek, then pulled out a sachet from her sleeve and gave it to Xu Jiang. "I embroidered this myself. Inside is a peace charm I bought from the land temple when I returned home a few days ago. I heard it's very effective. Wearing it can ward off disasters and misfortunes."
Xu Jiang quickly reached out to take it, and said gratefully, "Sister-in-law, I really don't know how to repay your kindness."
"We're all family, so what's the point of repaying or not?" Qin shook her daughter's hand, and the bell rang softly. "Maimai, isn't it?"
Shopkeeper Wang's daughter, nicknamed Mai Mai.
Mai Mai seemed to understand, but not quite, “Seems.” (Yes)
Xu Jiang looked at the mother and daughter, her heart softened, and she then wore the sachet around her waist.
Shopkeeper Wang helped his wife and children onto the carriage. He sat in the front, holding the reins. Then, whipping the whip, he called to his daughter, "Maimai, hold on tight. We're going to watch the dragon boat race."
Mai Mai was so engrossed in playing with the sachet that he didn't respond. Instead, Xiao Wang raised his arms and shouted from inside the truck bed, "Let's go! Let's go watch the dragon boat race!"
With the ox cart in front and the donkeys and horses following behind, the group happily headed towards Longshou Township.
During the Dragon Boat Festival, dragon boat races are organized along the Wei River. Each village along the river carries two dragon boats into the water and competes in the upstream and downstream areas. The top five boats will compete in Longshou Township.
The winner will be awarded one hundred gold coins by the court.
Yesterday, the top five boats in the upper and lower reaches of the Wei River were determined, and today ten dragon boats will compete in Longshou Township.
Because the Wei River flooded this year, while the dragon boat race was being held, various villages and communities held sacrifices on the banks of the Wei River, one to pay tribute to Qu Yuan, and the other to appease the anger of the river god. Therefore, there were more people watching the race this year than in previous years.
Shopkeeper Wang had gone to check the route yesterday and said he'd found a good spot. It's high, sparsely populated, and offers a panoramic view of the entire dragon boat race, though it requires a detour, so we'd have to set off early.
The group walked out of the city talking and laughing, and finally, under the guidance of Manager Wang, they left the official road where cars and horses converged and walked on a secluded country road.
The voices gradually faded away, the dust from the carriages and horses faded away, and the noise faded away. Everyone looked much more relaxed.
Gazing out from afar, one can see fragrant trees lining the road, green wheat fields, verdant peaks opposite each other, and colorful clouds floating in the sky.
What a leisurely summer scene.
Xu Jiang tightened the reins, fearing that the stupid donkey would run into the rice fields.
Shopkeeper Wang pointed to a hill at the end of the rice field and shouted to everyone, "It's right there."
Then they all went to the end of the field.
As we approached the hill, we gradually heard the sound of Feng Shui, and as we got closer, the terrain suddenly rose.
Looking down, the slope has been turned into a mulberry forest by farmers. It is midsummer now, and the green shade is like a waterfall, flowing into the Wei River, making half of the river look rustling.
Lou Yunchun pointed to a village near the mulberry forest and said to Xu Jiang, "This is a silkworm village. Many villagers raise silkworms, so they plant more mulberry trees."
Xu Jiang looked towards the village and saw a group of villagers carrying a sheep and heading towards the Wei River with gongs ringing.
This is to worship the river god.
The two men stopped and looked for a while, then were startled back to their senses by the call of Shopkeeper Wang, and hurriedly followed.
Shopkeeper Wang parked the ox cart on a grassy field and helped his wife and children get off. Xu Jiang and Lou Yunchun also got off and found a cypress tree to tie the donkey and horse.
The group continued to walk up and came to a huge rock. The rock was flat and smooth, and they could climb up along the stone steps the size of a foot that the villagers had carved out.
Climbing up the rocks, the wind and smoke are clear, the sky and mountains are the same color, and the scenery is suddenly open.
Looking down from the edge of the abyss, the sky is reflected in the water, the current flows east and west, and the dragon boat goes down with the flow.
"Look, the dragon boats are coming!" The Wang family's child pointed at the dragon boats and shouted, but was slapped on the head by the shopkeeper Wang.
"Go down carefully and feed the Dragon King." Then he pulled him a few steps inside.
Qin stood inside, holding her daughter and looking out. Mai Mai shook the sachet in her hand, and the sound of the bell flew away on the wind, echoing the sound of the sacrificial gong.
The villagers of Can Village sank the prepared offerings into the river. After the sacrifice, the villagers knelt on the ground and sang sacrificial words to the river god.
Shopkeeper Wang brought mats and cushions and laid them out under the pine trees that grew out of the cracks in the huge rocks. The shade was perfect for people to rest.
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