Chapter 69 What is a Jiali? I only had a big banquet once in the village.
With these questions in mind, Master Lu went out to inspect the scene in person early the next morning.
His eyes were sharp and carried a steady majesty.
The soles of Mr. Lu's official boots were made of thick, layered soles, tightly stitched with hemp thread. When he stepped on the ground, he felt very stable and made a dull sound, alerting everyone.
The candidates' hearts were trembling, and they were more or less nervous.
Some people were frowning, still struggling hard with the obscure test questions, while others were typing out drafts quickly and copying them down with great speed.
The rich kids who sat in the "Tianzihao" had relatively spacious rooms.
The youngest son of the Dali Temple's chief was squeezed in among them, yet he still felt cramped. His gorgeous brocade robe was wrinkled from being pressed, and he was like a bird in a cage, his heart already flying away.
"How long are we going to have to sit here?" The Pei family's child frowned and took a bite of salted fish.
The dried fish originally had a salty, fragrant and firm texture, but he only tasted a fishy smell.
"What a bunch of stupid, useless slaves! If you can't buy everything, why don't you just grab a few more bags of instant noodles?" He cursed in his heart.
What's with the limited edition sale? Do you really think you're a famous chef?
As a result, he also disliked Miss Gui.
The sound of footsteps gradually approached, and Master Lu finally arrived at the Tianzihao dormitory.
The young man from the Pei family felt a little guilty and pretended to be in deep thought.
The swelling on the right side of his cheek from the beating hadn't subsided yet, and his small eyes, narrowed into slits, seemed to be focused on the paper, but in fact they were empty and blurry.
I was weaving a fantasy in my mind about having a carefree time in a brothel after the exam.
Mr. Lu stopped in the middle of the aisle and looked around.
Although the Pei family's child usually behaved recklessly, his fat body was squirming restlessly, as if the ground was burning his feet.
His Adam's apple rolled and he swallowed dryly.
I didn't know what to do for a long time, so I could only pretend to continue eating the salted fish.
“Snap!”
A piece of salted fish that was not held firmly fell straight into the center of the test paper, leaving a greasy stain.
"Oh no." The young man from the Pei family pursed his lips nervously.
No matter how ignorant he was, he knew the consequences of defacing examination papers.
If one makes the mistake of disrespecting the emperor's grace in such a serious examination, he will be sentenced to a low score at best, and lose the opportunity of fame and honor at worst.
Fortunately, my father is the chief judge of the Dali Temple.
The youngest son of the Pei family forced himself to calm down. Since his father had already made connections, he would definitely get a good result in the end no matter what.
Moreover, Mr. Lu in the middle of the aisle did not linger on him and walked away, as if he had not noticed his little action.
The Pei family's child finally breathed a sigh of relief.
At least I managed to make it to the end of the second scientific examination.
The Imperial Examination Hall was unlocked and everything was safe and sound.
The chief examiner, Master Lu, watched the candidates leave from afar. Some were jubilant and happy, while others were dejected.
Now that the spring breeze was chilly, cold sweat broke out on his back.
"Cheating in the imperial examination is a capital crime," he murmured.
If this matter is confirmed, he will also be blamed. If the emperor investigates, losing his official hat is not a small matter, I am afraid that there will be a bloody storm in the court.
Master Lu felt as if his heart had fallen into a cold cave.
The candidates did not know that their fate was being controlled by an invisible giant hand.
Their biggest regret is that they cannot attend the second food competition between Guiji Braised Food Shop and Cuiyuanlou in person.
The person in charge of Cuiyuanlou firmly believes that these candidates are just shills hired by the braised food shop.
So it is necessary to choose a place far away from the central city.
"Ms. Gui, is it inconvenient to temporarily change the venue of the competition to the suburban port?" asked the owner of Cuiyuan Tower hypocritically.
Looking around, thousands of sails are competing on the wide river.
This river is a route for transporting grain, and is also an important route for the distribution of goods from the north to the south. The ships traveling back and forth have a deep draft, and their white sails are swollen and full by the river breeze.
The riverside wharf is lined with shops and bustling with people.
"One, two, hey yo, one, two..." The porters were shirtless, their muscles bulging, and the loud shouts continued.
The female workers skillfully sorted the delicate goods and placed them in reed baskets and hemp bags.
Even though the wages for unloading a load of cargo have been reduced from ten copper coins to eight, how can one not work hard when the whole family is crying for food?
"Boss Gao, do you still need fresh fish shipped 800 miles by expedited water transport today?" Gui Zhier asked curiously, "We're a small business, so it doesn't matter where we are."
She smiled slightly, making it hard to tell whether she was being sarcastic or not.
The person in charge of Cuiyuan Tower remained calm, but his breathing became rough.
The failure in the last competition was a slap in the face.
Not only did he have to get rid of his colleagues who came to make sarcastic remarks about him, he also became a laughing stock among the people after dinner.
Cuiyuanlou's shad noodles have no successor, while Gui Niangzi's braised food shop is the best in Beijing.
How can the reputation of a century-old brand be shaken by a storyteller clapping his hands and spreading some rumors?
"Enough of small talk, this round of competition is a celebratory banquet, please treat me." The person in charge was resentful and waved his sleeves suddenly.
A Jiali Banquet, as the name suggests, is a banquet used for celebratory events.
In the life of ordinary people, from the coming-of-age ceremony for men and the coming-of-age ceremony for women to the happy wedding, a banquet is held for celebration.
To take a broader view, the Lu Ming Banquet held by the newly-elected scholars and the Qiong Lin Banquet after the announcement of the spring examination results are no exception.
When the two apprentices first received the test questions and listened to Gui Zhier's explanation, they panicked.
There are many types of ceremonies, and the procedures are often grand and complicated. Correspondingly, banquets must also embody auspicious meanings.
"My dear, we don't know these etiquettes, do we?" The girl with the ponytail spoke haltingly. "We did have a big feast in the village once."
She was too embarrassed to fight for the food and missed a plate of shiny big pork elbow. She still drools when she thinks about it.
"It's also like having a buffet, it's quite similar." Gui Zhier was stunned at first, then a smile spread across the corners of her lips, and she immediately had an idea in her mind.
The time and place of the cooking competition were in line with the wishes of the head of Cuiyuan Tower.
Don't be led by the nose when it comes to content!
Isn’t it just a happy ceremony? The customs and habits vary from place to place.
You bully me from the north because you are country people who don't know etiquette. On the contrary, I would like to say that the land and water shape the people, and the north has its own unique etiquette.
"So what kind of banquet are you guys planning to hold?" The head of Cuiyuan Tower scratched his ears, looking puzzled.
He pouted and his brows were twisted into a rope.
"Labor banquet." Guizhier answered decisively.
Labor Day in Zhenbei Prefecture is a day for farmers and servants to celebrate hard work.
On this day, the working people stopped farming and working, gathered in the countryside, sang and danced, prayed for good weather, and shared delicious food to express their gratitude for the emperor's grace.
"Never heard of it." The referee looked confused.
They had lived in Hangzhou for a long time and had never known about the barbaric and backward place like the northern border. Naturally, they were stunned by Guizhi'er's deception.
Labor Day, doesn't sound like there's anything wrong with it.
"Well said!" The porters who had just finished unloading the goods on the river bank were watching the excitement and were the first to applaud and cheer.
The working people of Daliang should unite, labor is the most glorious.
After hearing what Miss Gui said, I felt inexplicably happy.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
