Chapter 114 Celebration (Part 5): Saying Goodbye to the Old Year and Welcoming the New Year
"tasty!"
Outsiders who had never tasted the food bestowed by the goddess were amazed: fresh ingredients and rich seasonings intertwined to create a table full of delicacies.
How can there be such delicious food!
I don't know how the meat was processed, but it had no unpleasant smell at all, only the delicious taste of meat.
The vegetables are fresh and tender, as if they were just picked, and have their own natural sweetness.
The soup has a rich and mellow flavor and a strong aroma.
The dessert has a rich milky aroma, a delicate texture, and is sweet and delicious.
...
A visitor from out of town had tears in his eyes, saying, "Only after this meal have I truly lived."
His wife, sitting next to him, took a sip of lotus seed and lily bulb soup, and squinted her eyes with pleasure. "What were we eating before?"
Someone at the table was gnawing on a pig's trotter, exclaiming as they ate, "I can't believe pig's trotters can be made so delicious!"
"Yes, I don't know how it's made, I just can't make it taste like this." A chef looked at the chicken soup on the table and pondered.
A young man picked up a piece of braised pork, quickly ate half a bowl of rice, and said, "So this is the kind of delicious food those aristocratic families eat every day!"
“Exactly, exactly. Those with power and influence eat dragon liver and phoenix gall, while we poor people can’t even afford grass roots.” His companion recalled the bitter days during the drought and took a bitter bite of cold beef salad.
"Here in Jinzhou is blessed by the goddess and is eating very well."
“Look around, people from other places are not as strong as the people of Jinzhou. They are all raised by the goddess herself.”
A young girl really liked the spicy crab. She ate one, then felt too embarrassed to take another, so she picked up a shrimp instead. "Can the people of Jinzhou eat this well every day?" she asked.
Her best friend casually placed a crab in her bowl and said, "The new governor is a woman. She must have something outstanding about her to become governor."
The girl picked it up with delight and gave her best friend a thank-you look. Her best friend blinked to indicate that she was welcome.
The girl said, "If I could eat spicy crab every day, I would be willing to be with her!"
An older man at the next table listened to the younger people's conversation, looked up at the entire scene, and asked, "How many people are here?" "Tens of thousands, I suppose."
He Qinglan is actually able to feed tens of thousands of people at the same time!
No wonder the entire Jinzhou followed her orders, conquered Jinzhou for her, and appointed her as the governor.
Food is the most important thing for people, and she is the most important thing for Jinzhou.
She will also...
Cao Ruheng was deprived of his freedom to drink alcohol and could only hold a glass of juice while watching his subordinates and the people from the Jinzhou Administrative Office drink heartily.
One person offered a toast with a smile, while another downed the entire glass in one gulp, earning a chorus of "Bravo!" Cao Ruheng was even more frustrated.
Cheng Hui, who had also been deprived of his freedom to drink, offered Cao Ruheng a cup of tea and asked him to try the dishes.
Cao Ruheng felt slightly better. He and Cheng Hui ate tea and juice instead of alcohol, and after taking a sip, they started eating.
Because of the climate in Ningzhou, people cannot eat strong-flavored dishes; they can only eat light food, otherwise their bodies cannot handle it.
Many people who enjoy strong flavors have finally found a treat in Jinzhou.
Cao Ruheng was the same; he especially loved Mapo Tofu.
After taking a few spoonfuls, he thought of his wife and realized that he must bring her to Jinzhou to try it sometime in the future.
He Qinglan held a glass of fruit wine and looked calmly at the people who came to toast her one after another.
The people from Jinzhou were sincere, and the people from Ningzhou were polite and courteous. Their toasts were especially beautiful.
He Qinglan was very accommodating and drank all the toasts offered to her.
Both host and guests enjoyed themselves.
The only ones who ate relatively restrainedly were those who were about to perform on stage.
The staff in charge of the party repeatedly reminded everyone: "Don't eat too much, and don't eat anything you can't eat. If you have a stomachache and can't go on stage, don't blame us for not reminding you!"
Upon hearing this, everyone restrained their eating habits.
After all, we've rehearsed so hard for so long. If we can't go on stage because of an upset stomach, we'll be so upset.
The person from □□ continued to reassure them, "Don't worry, don't worry, we've prepared a late-night snack. Everyone can eat as much as they want after the performance."
A girl who was performing the opening dance chuckled, "It sounds like, as long as you finish dancing, you don't have to worry about getting a stomachache."
“That’s true,” the lead dancer said. “I only watch you until you’re on stage. After you’re done dancing, I don’t care how much fun you have.”
The opera singer patted his stomach, put down his chopsticks, and said, "I'm going to get my makeup done. I'll eat after I finish performing."
"Where are you in the queue?" the acrobat asked.
The opera singer replied, "Our makeup takes longer to prepare, so we appear on stage later."
The singer drooled over the table full of food but didn't eat any, only consuming some light dishes. She said, "Keep it up!"
The opera singer smiled and nodded, "You keep it up too!"
night.
The bright moon hangs high in the night sky, casting its gentle light.
A bonfire was lit in the square, and lanterns were hung on the stage, illuminating the scene as if it were daytime.
The gala began amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd.
The first thing was an opening dance.
Young girls dressed in bright colors and soft fabrics danced gracefully to the music. Their steps were light and their figures were beautiful. They twirled and leaped like falling feathers or fluttering butterflies.
Those who don't know anything about it simply watch the spectacle, while those who do show expressions of amazement. The music and dance are things they've never heard of or seen before; they're quite novel, and they wonder where the performers learned them.
The second program was a crosstalk performance. Considering that dancing is not unusual and that people are used to seeing dancing, a crosstalk performance was specially arranged after the opening dance to amuse the audience.
Two young men dressed in long gowns stood on the stage, each holding a megaphone. They politely greeted the audience and then began their performance.
They were quick-witted and spoke fluently, naturally, and humorously, quickly making the audience burst into laughter.
The staff backstage and the publicity department breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the laughter coming from the front.
They looked at each other and laughed.
"The person who suggested sketch comedy and crosstalk is brilliant," someone couldn't help but exclaim. "This is so exciting!"
"Yes, we really liked it during rehearsals, didn't we all laugh about it several times?"
“We’ve watched it several times and it still makes us laugh, so of course the common people will also find it entertaining.”
At first, we selected many people with quick wit to perform crosstalk, but the two people we finally chose were not only eloquent and had strong performance skills, but they also understood how to interact with the audience without any formal instruction.
A young man's voice came from the front desk, "Don't you think so?"
Many people in the audience shouted, "Yes!"
"That's right, that's right!"
Young man: "Oh dear, folks, do you agree?"
The audience shouted in unison, "Disagree!"
Gu Lanying laughed. "Is this what they call talent?"
The propaganda department echoed, "Everyone has their own strengths; it's just a matter of whether they have the opportunity to showcase them. That's what that means, right?"
"I used to think those two talked too much, but I never expected they would be so good at crosstalk."
"Hey, could they open a restaurant and perform crosstalk for people in the future?"
"Bullshit! With so much work to do, how can we let them go off to perform stand-up comedy all the time?"
Gu Lanying feigned a thoughtful expression and said, "That's not necessarily a bad thing."
Everyone was shocked: Minister, what are you trying to do? Who are you plotting against?
Their minister didn't say anything, only instructing them to remain vigilant.
"If anyone feels unwell, call the doctor immediately."
Everyone nodded; most of the doctors from the clinic were here.
The third performance was a song. Five women of different ages stood in a neat row and sang a folk song from Yunhe County.
They sang solos or in groups. Their melodious voices were captivating.
The fourth program was a male chorus, in which dozens of soldiers in military uniforms stood on the stage and, led by three lead singers, sang a high-spirited and passionate military song.
The songs of the crowd intertwined, converging into a surging tide that stirred the hearts of all.
Among the audience were those skilled in music, who listened with rapt attention.
She thought to herself that a chorus really does have a power that a solo can't match, especially since they sing in layers: some people sing first, and some sing later, and together they really are like the wind blowing the sea, spreading out in layers.
She was so impressed that she wanted to find someone to give it a try.
After that, there were skits, acrobatics, opera singing, martial arts demonstrations, magic tricks, instrumental ensembles, and more...
The performances were all excellent, drawing continuous cheers and applause from the audience.
The people watched and laughed, excitedly discussing the scene with those around them.
"Those actors really did a great job."
"They actually used Cantonese instead of singing, but that's quite unique."
"It's hilarious too."
"I can't understand the opera singers, but this performance of theirs..."
"Sketch comedy".
"Yes, I can understand comedy sketches, they're so interesting."
Traditional opera is indeed somewhat highbrow and has a limited audience; some people find it incomprehensible and uninteresting, preferring more colloquial sketches.
But those who love traditional opera look down on sketch comedy.
"They have no taste. Of course, drama is much better. In terms of singing and acting, how can a skit compare?"
"Hey, those plays you just saw were different ones, weren't they? I've never heard of them before."
"I've never heard of 'The Case of Chen Shimei,' 'The Injustice to Dou E,' 'The Legend of the White Snake,' 'Hua Mulan,' 'Dingjun Mountain,' or 'The Empty City Stratagem.'"
"But both the lyrics and the music are superb!"
"So those tricks are actually something that ordinary people can perform."
"You mean magic?"
"Yes, my dad was fooled before. They insisted that he was an immortal who used magic."
"Tsk tsk, but I didn't expect these techniques to be so simple. I can learn them too."
"Jinzhou is quite..."
He actually put on a magic show, performing the tricks that con artists often use, and then explained to everyone how he did it.
"Those boxers are really good at it."
"It looks very powerful and imposing."
“My son is fascinated by it and keeps asking to learn it too.”
"That's a good idea. While they're still young, we should send them to learn some kung fu so they can protect themselves, right?"
"If I study well in the future, I can join the city guard team and have a job."
"The suona truly lives up to its reputation as a rogue instrument."
"The person playing the suona is quite good, but I really don't like it."
"The erhu is very good. I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to hear her play a piece on her own."
"The young man playing the flute is quite handsome."
"The girl playing the pipa looks familiar; she seems to be from some department of the administrative office..."
Time flies, and before we knew it, it was time for the last program.
Five men and five women stood on the stage, and behind them stood everyone who had participated in the performance that evening.
Everyone sang "Unforgettable Tonight" together.
Amidst the resounding singing, Kongming lanterns were released around the square.
One by one, the lights soared into the night sky, rising higher and higher amidst the gasps of the crowd.
The orange lights shone brightly on the people under the night sky.
Say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new spring.
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