Chapter 43 Dragon Boat Festival
On the fifth day of May, the Shen family had breakfast together in the morning. The court sympathized with its subordinates and no one in the court or the country had to go to work during the Dragon Boat Festival.
"Manman, come here." He Ying took out the colorful rope she had woven herself and wanted to put it on Shen Yuan.
"May you be blessed with good health, happiness and freedom from disease and disaster."
"Thank you, sister-in-law." Shen Yuan shook his wrist, and the small golden bell hanging on the colorful rope made a crisp sound.
"Manman, come to daddy."
"Here I come." Shen Yuan, who was already accustomed to the procedure, ran to her father, raised her head obediently, and let her father draw a "王" character on her forehead with realgar wine.
Originally she had her brother to accompany her, but now that her brother is married, she is the only "king" left in the family.
"Whose little tiger ran away?" Shen Su stretched out his hand and flicked his sister's forehead in a mean manner, which earned him a glare in return.
"Yours! Ouch!"
"You are already grown up, but you still bully your sister. Hurry up and have breakfast."
After the family had finished breakfast, Shen Yuan, with the majestic "王" character on his forehead, a colorful rope woven by his sister-in-law on his hand, and an exquisite mugwort purse hanging on his body, went out happily with his family to watch the dragon boat race.
Shen Yuan could feel the hustle and bustle of the street even when he was sitting in the carriage. There were many children playing on the street, wearing colorful clothes and with all kinds of colorful ropes tied around their wrists. Although each family had a different weaving method, the meaning was the same.
There is a bunch of mugwort stuck on the door of every house and shop on the street.
In the capital city, the Ziyang River runs through the city. Today's dragon boat race is held on this Ziyang River.
About a month ago, some people started to reserve seats at the restaurant. The closer it got to the Dragon Boat Festival, the more popular the seats became. He Ying had thought of this early on and sent someone to reserve a private room more than a month ago.
The private rooms of each restaurant were almost all reserved by the dignitaries of the capital. The common people of the capital crowded along the shore, looking for seats and standing side by side. They were a little tired, but they couldn't help but watch the excitement.
Just like the last Cuju match, today there were also smart people who set up stalls along the river bank to sell seasonal food or a simple bowl of cold tea.
The weather in May is already hot. Even a simple bowl of cool tea or a bowl of mung bean water can earn you a lot in a day.
As soon as Shen Yuan got off the carriage, her eyes were fixed on a stall selling icy red bean glutinous rice balls, but she didn't dare to say anything because her father was standing next to her.
Finally, Shen Su couldn't bear to see his sister's greedy eyes anymore, so he went over and bought two bowls.
The green outside and white inside bamboo tube, red bean paste, and snow-white glutinous rice balls are a delight to look at.
In addition to food, some smart people simply sell small wooden stools on the river bank. They can be rented or sold. If you are tired of standing, you can buy or rent one and sit down.
A small wooden stool is not expensive. It is very useful to take it home as a small furniture after the dragon boat race. Therefore, the sales volume is very good.
"Yuanyuan!"
Before entering the restaurant, Shen Yuan heard Yan Siyu calling her. The two hadn't seen each other for quite some time since the last Cuju match.
When Yan Siyu saw Shen Yuan, she didn't care about her mother and brother behind her and ran forward. But at least she didn't forget to greet Shen Yun and Shen Su and He Ying.
Yan Siyu's mother, Madam Yan, was very helpless. She had kept her daughter at home to learn etiquette for some time, but it seemed that all the etiquette she had learned was in vain.
Coincidentally, the private rooms of the two families happened to be next door, and the two girls, who had not seen each other for a long time, went upstairs together hand in hand.
During the conversation, Shen Yuan learned that Yan Siyu's father was also participating in the competition today.
"Originally my brother was going to go too, but he went with my dad to practice twice and was kicked out by my dad."
Yan Sijue was talking to Shen Su, and had no idea that he had been sold out by his careless sister.
The annual Dragon Boat Race during the Dragon Boat Festival is called a competition, but in fact it is just for the people to have fun. No matter whether you are a civil official or a military officer, everyone in the court can form a team as long as they can form a dragon boat team and participate in the competition.
Previously, during the Dragon Boat Festival, Shen Yuan came here to watch the dragon boat race. She didn't remember who won the race, but she only remembered that after the race, the imperial guards who jumped into the river to rescue people were the busiest people in the entire race.
The two families went to their respective private rooms and separated. The store had prepared some snacks for each room. If you wanted to eat something else, you could order some.
But I also brought rice dumplings and other snacks from home. It’s so lively here, so I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
Shen Yuan leaned against the window, looking at the still relatively calm river, and asked Shen Yun: "Dad, why don't you and my brother participate in the dragon boat race?"
As far as Shen Yuan could remember, her father and her brother had never raced in a dragon boat. Shen Yuan had seen an old man with gray hair participate in the race before, so it was not because of his age.
He Ying was actually a little curious about this question. Her father had rowed a dragon boat once, but her father-in-law had never seen it.
Shen Yun poured himself a cup of tea silently without saying anything. Shen Yun knew that his father was afraid of losing face.
He had no choice but to speak up. Shen Su cleared his throat and told a secret that was not really a secret.
"Men in the Shen family are born not good at sex." This is what Shen Su's father told him when he was a child.
When he was a child, he lived in his hometown for a while. It was clearly a water town in the south of the Yangtze River. Seeing other children paddling in the water to play, he also pestered his father and said that he wanted to learn how to swim. At that time, his father looked at him deeply, did not say much, and asked the servants to teach him.
Unexpectedly, he had drunk all the water from several rivers near the Shen family, but he still didn't learn it.
Later his father told him that all the men in the Shen family were like this and he would never be able to learn from them.
There were imperial guards watching during the competition, so they certainly wouldn't drown, but just being pulled out of the water would be embarrassing enough, so it was better for the father and son not to join in the fun.
"The men in the Shen family can't do it, but who knows if the women can." Shen Yuan pointed at himself, "I haven't learned how to swim either, maybe I can learn it once I try."
Shen Yun thought about it and felt that what his daughter said made sense. Perhaps the skill of swimming was all passed on to the girl from the Shen family.
"There are two hot spring resorts outside our city. Although they are not big, they have two pools. You can go there to learn when winter comes."
“Knock knock—”
"Mammy, why are you here?"
As they were talking, there was a knock on the door. He Ying didn't expect that the person who came was the nanny beside her mother.
The nanny bowed to everyone and replied, "Madam remembers you and Miss Yuanyuan and asked me to bring you some colorful ropes and rice dumplings."
The maid behind the nanny was holding a tray with three colorful ropes neatly placed on it and a plate of rice dumplings. Yingchun quickly stepped forward to take it.
Shen Yun also smiled and said, "I'm sorry to trouble you, mother-in-law. Yingniang will go to see your mother with Su'er later."
"yes."
He Ying nodded in agreement.
The nanny saw all this and was very happy. Her father-in-law had a kind nature and her daughter lived a comfortable life.