On the winter solstice, several snowfalls had already occurred in Liaodong, and everything was covered in white.
Xu Zhi busied herself making dumplings, with fillings of cabbage and pork, and sauerkraut and pork, with plenty of pork. Everyone ate them with grease dripping from their mouths.
Xu Bai and Chen Yuyuan went over to join in the fun. After eating dumplings, they noticed the weather was overcast again, and they estimated that there would be another heavy snowfall that night.
Xu Bai got excited and pulled Chen Yuyuan and a few children to make ice lanterns together.
Although it was the winter solstice and not yet the coldest time, it was already the time when water would freeze instantly. Xu Bai naturally knew how to make beautiful ice lanterns. He instructed someone to fetch various colors of paint from his study, dye the water used to make the ice lanterns in different colors, freeze it first, then hollow out the middle and carve it into various shapes.
Xu Bai worked with great enthusiasm. At first, the children just watched him work from the sidelines. But gradually, they became more than just watching. They found a frozen block of ice and started working on it according to their own ideas. Some of their creations looked quite decent, while others were completely unsure of what they were making. But everyone was very excited and chattered excitedly with their friends about their ideas.
As dusk falls and twilight descends, the ice lanterns that have been made in the courtyard are lit, their candlelight casting various colors and emitting a dazzling array of lights. Walking among them feels like a dream.
Children love novelty, and they kept making all sorts of exclamations as they watched. Xu Bai saw that it was getting late and said goodbye to Chen Yuyuan.
Xu Zhi quickly pulled him aside and said, "It's getting late. Have dinner here before you go home."
Xu Bai said with a smile, "So that my sister knows, when I came here this morning, my mother told me to have dumplings with my sister here at noon, and to have dumplings with my uncle and parents when I go home in the evening."
Hearing Xu Bai say this, Xu Zhi stopped stopping him. Instead, she gave Xu Bai and Chen Yuyuan each a small ice lantern tied with a rope, and let the two of them carry it home.
Because they were nearby, Xu Bai and Chen Yuyuan didn't ride horses, but walked over with several guards. It was already getting dark, and carrying this ice lantern was really useful.
Xu Bai and Chen Yuyuan did not refuse, and carrying the ice lantern, they followed the guards home.
Because of the cold weather and the curfew in Liaodong Prefecture, there were few people on the streets as it got late. However, the ice lanterns that Xu Bai and Chen Yuyuan were carrying were quite eye-catching. Some people simply stood by the roadside and waited for Xu Bai and his group to come up to them. They took a closer look, and some of the more outgoing people even made Xu Bai stop to examine the ice lanterns carefully and ask how they were made.
There was nothing technically demanding, and Xu Bai answered all their questions without reservation. When they returned home, the dumplings were already prepared. Upon seeing the two of them return, Chen Zhaoci quickly had the dumplings put into the pot and took the ice lantern from Xu Bai's hand.
Chen Zhaoci looked at it with great interest and said, "Wow, this lantern is beautifully made."
Xu Rao came out of the inner room with a book in her hand. When she saw the lantern in Chen Zhaoci's hand, her eyes lit up. She nodded and said, "It is quite beautiful."
Seeing that his parents both thought it looked beautiful, Xu Bai had a sudden inspiration and said to Xu Rao, "Dad, since it looks so good, why don't we set up some ice lanterns in the city and have an ice lantern exhibition?"
Xu Rao listened, thought about it carefully, and said, "Liaodong is not like the capital. There is a curfew at night. Who will you show it to if it's done?"
Xu Bai said, "It can be shown to people during the day."
Xu Rao shook his head and said, "How can the effect be as good during the day as at night? Besides, the Jurchens in the north have been making trouble lately, and I'm afraid they'll take this opportunity to cause trouble."
Upon hearing this, Xu Bai asked in surprise, "Father, what message has arrived?"
Xu Rao let Xu Bai and Chen Yuyuan into the house. Bai Wei and Bai Mi led people to put the cooked dumplings on the kang table in the room, while Chen Zhaoci went to get vinegar, garlic, and sesame oil.
Xu Rao said, "It's getting late, let's eat and talk."
Xu Bai agreed to Chen Yuyuan's request, slipped on his shoes, and got onto the kang (heated brick bed). Since it was cold in Liaodong, they ate their meals on the kang inside the house, where it was warm.
Dumplings are not only filled with cabbage and pork, but also with chives and eggs.
Not only was Xu Bai surprised to find chives in his food, but Chen Yuyuan was also very surprised.
Chen Zhaoci said with a smile, "I planted a bunch in the greenhouse in the backyard. I didn't harvest much, just enough for these two trays. That's all."
Xu Bai sighed and said, "It's too cold here in winter. It's much better in Hexi. We can still have fresh vegetables even in winter."
Chen Zhaoci said, "Yes, your brother isn't here, so there are many things I don't understand. I led people to figure out how to build that greenhouse. The flowers and plants are growing very well, but the vegetables we planted are not growing very well."
Xu Bai and Chen Yuyuan had been inside that greenhouse several times. Just as Chen Zhaoci said, the greenhouse was always lush and green, but the vegetables they planted were not growing well.
Xu Bai calculated the time and said, "My brother should be taking the exam next spring. After he finishes, he'll bring his wife to stay with us for a while."
Chen Zhaoci said with a smile, "If they don't come, your great-uncle and I will take you two back to the capital. Your eldest brother's imperial examination is a big deal. Since your father can't go, we still have to go back."
Xu Bai nodded and said, "So you were going back to accompany me to the exam. You should have said so earlier. This is a must."
Xu Bai ate a dumpling, thought for a moment, and said to Xu Rao, "Dad, we've all gone back, leaving you all alone here. You must be so lonely."
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