Chapter 1379 Finally, it's Dragon Boat Festival!
Finally, it's the Dragon Boat Festival.
The Dragon Boat Festival banquet has finally begun.
The streets were filled with women and girls carrying colorful fans and hanging sachets, and even the men wore flower hairpins on their foreheads. Everyone was joyful and happy.
The streets were filled with the aroma of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), and many children wore colorful gourd-like ornaments tied to their wrists, which they called "longevity threads." Those from wealthier families had soaked them in medicinal water, and since it was a time when mosquitoes, snakes, and ants were more active, the smell of these ornaments was just what they needed to ward them off.
In the midst of a sea of people, if people gather in one place, it is either a performance of acrobatics or a Western Region dancer performing on the street.
There were no more thugs or hooligans on the streets, nor the domineering attitude of spoiled rich kids. Everyone seemed to be willing to go out. Although there were people dressed in official robes serving as attendants, many people greeted each other on this important day. Most of these people nodded in acknowledgment, while others stopped to chat for a few words.
The Empress once said, "From the people, to the people," and many officials put this into practice.
Those people who usually chatted merrily in teahouses and taverns were still talking today. They talked about the fifth brother of the Shu King kneeling outside the Imperial Academy, how the Shu King had broken his arm, and how many students had spat on him while he was kneeling there.
They talked about the Empress's astonishing competition at the martial arts arena two days ago, about the fate of the kings, princes and princesses of the surrendered kingdoms, and about the ongoing war in the northern and western regions.
They chatted further about the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival banquet. Everyone present was in high spirits when the topic of the banquet came up, and some of the gossips were even spreading rumors, such as, "How the Empress is doing today, I'll probably be doing the same thing tomorrow."
There was a small stall selling ice bowls. The shopkeeper took all kinds of seasonal fresh goods, such as lotus seeds, water chestnuts, and chicken head rice, chilled them, added sugar, sprinkled on a handful of almonds, hazelnuts, and sesame seeds, threw in a few candied fruits, and placed them on a fresh lotus leaf.
Wow, it looks and smells amazing! I was already drooling before I even tasted it.
Yu Taohua held one in each hand, a daughter and a son, and the two children's eyes widened in amazement.
Yu Taohua looked at his wife and said, "Wife, why are you so nervous?"
The wife of this dignified swordsman was named Guo Xiaohua. She had no martial arts skills, could barely read, and was not particularly beautiful, but not bad either; she was extremely ordinary-looking.
Although she has dressed up and is wearing silk clothes that she would never dare to wear on a normal day, it is immediately obvious that she is completely different from the women raised in the inner courtyards of wealthy families.
Guo Xiaohua glared at Yu Taohua: "Do I have to say it?"
Yu Taohua smiled wryly: "It's just going into the palace for a banquet, what's there to be nervous about? Besides, our daughter called the Empress her godmother that day, and let me tell you, she agreed. With that, who wouldn't look up to you once you're in?"
Guo Xiaohua kicked her husband under the table without hesitation, and muttered, "Don't talk nonsense. If others hear this, you might be able to do whatever you want, but I'm not afraid of dying. What will happen to the child?"
Yu Taohua chuckled, looking at his wife. "How should I put it? After all these years, you still don't understand my position as your husband."
My relationship with the Empress is rock solid.
Guo Xiaohua was indeed nervous, or rather, she had been very nervous ever since she entered Beijing. Even when meeting those senior figures in the martial arts world, Guo Xiaohua was not nervous at all.
After all, they are just ordinary people.
but.
The place we're going to now is the royal palace.
Ordinary people are inherently afraid of officials, let alone the imperial palace, which even officials fear.
Yu Taohua just smiled, unusually not with that damned look, and reached out to grab her wife's hand.
At this moment, the ice bowl was brought out, and Yu Taohua handed one to her wife: "Eat a little bit, don't think about things like not being able to use the toilet in the palace. How can a person not poop and pee? You've only eaten one naan bread all day."
Guo Xiaohua shook her head: "I asked around, and they said that if officials go to the palace, they don't eat for two days!"
Yu Taohua immediately retorted, "Let him go!"
Before he could finish speaking, seeing his wife's angry brows, he immediately changed his tune: "No way! How could I not eat? And my dear wife, don't worry, I've arranged everything."
Guo Xiaohua ignored them and looked at the two children who were happily eating. The food the children were eating was naturally not cold, but seeing the two children eating like this, she began to wonder if she should not have brought the two children into the palace, and whether she should not have gone in either. What if the children needed to use the toilet or made a fuss?
He had no choice but to listen to Yu Taohua before, but now that he thinks about it, he shouldn't have listened to her.
But just as Guo Xiaohua was about to look at Yu Taohua and say those words...
Yu Taohua smiled and said, "Let's go in and broaden our horizons. Isn't this a great opportunity? Besides, our daughter and son will have connections in the capital. Didn't you say before that there are many people in the capital? If we opened our noodle shop here, we would definitely make a fortune. Let's go in today and meet some important people. It will be easier to open the shop."
Guo Xiaohua naturally knew that for the sake of her daughter and son's future prospects, Beijing was actually the best place to live.
Parents who love their children plan deeply for their future.
This is what made Guo Xiaohua unable to resist her husband's wishes, but how could she not be nervous?
Yu Taohua continued, "And don't worry, it's not just the two of us ordinary folks going today, there are quite a few people, and some of them will bow respectfully to you when they see you."
Guo Xiaohua nodded, said nothing more, and then looked away.
Guo Xiaohua was taken aback when she saw a young man with a red string tied around his wrist. However, unlike the longevity thread worn during the Dragon Boat Festival, the other end of the red string dragged on the ground, as if it were tied up, which was very strange.
The young man sighed, looking somewhat dejected.
Holding a food box in his hand, he was putting an ice bowl into the food box, clearly intending to take it away.
Right next to the young man, two women dressed in Japanese attire stood quietly to his side.
It was clear that they were a master and servant, and the girl, who had an exceptionally pretty and serene appearance, looked at the young man with eyes full of admiration and longing.
After all, the young man was exceptionally handsome at first glance, although the meaning of the red string on his wrist was unclear.
It's only natural that such a young man would be favored by that girl.
But that's not what surprised Guo Xiaohua.
What puzzled her was that, not far away, a girl was hiding behind a pillar on the other side of the stall, secretly watching the young man and the Japanese woman.
"What are you looking at?" Yu Taohua spotted Wu Mao walking towards Zhuque Avenue in the crowd.
But he didn't say hello, mainly because he thought that if Wu Mao was involved, then Xia Tingyu might be involved as well.
Just thinking about that girl with naturally alluring, fox-like eyes, even though she's a nice girl, I have to keep my distance. I feel like I'll be taken advantage of after just a few words.
For the first time, he saw his wife looking curiously elsewhere.
Only then did she look over, and Yu Taohua stared at the furtive girl, "That girl..."
After a moment's thought, Yu Taohua spoke up: "I remember her name is Zhao Huniu? She's General Zhao Wuxu's daughter. What's going on here?"
But before she could finish speaking, Yu Taohua immediately looked at her wife and said, "Wife, I swear to God! You were definitely not spying on me!"
Guo Xiaohua was already used to Yu Taohua's nonsense, so she ignored it.
At this moment, Xia Tingyu leaned against the fence of the stall and looked at Yu Taohua: "Senior Peach Blossom?"
P.S.: What a load of rubbish about a good sleep schedule!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
