Chapter 024 Chrysanthemum Banquet

In a blink of an eye, it was October 9th, the day of the Chrysanthemum Banquet.

Yuan Ming and Ji Qingyue got up early, had breakfast, took some snacks, and came to the foot of Yuxu Mountain.

Yuxu Mountain is a famous scenic spot in Shifang Town. The cool weather in this season is most suitable for going out for fun. Looking around, there are quite a few people on the mountain road.

They left early and walked slowly along the way, and they could also enjoy the scenery on the mountain. The autumn wind blew, and red leaves were everywhere. Yuan Ming stopped from time to time. The peaceful Xinhu Lake was stirred up by a few waves, and he was actually in a poetic mood and couldn't help wanting to write a few poems.

He understood a little bit why the Chrysanthemum Banquet was held halfway up the mountain.

Compared to Yuan Ming, Ji Qingyue is more lively and active. Whenever he sees a nice leaf, he picks it up and jumps around. He disappears from time to time and reappears quickly.

When they arrived at the banquet venue, Qiuju Garden, Yuan Ming had a handful of leaves of various colors in his hands, all picked by Ji Qingyue.

Qiuju Garden does not receive tourists today. Only those who hold a chrysanthemum banquet invitation can enter. Of course, in order to show the town governor's preference for literati, their family members can also enter, but they can only appreciate the flowers outside and cannot participate in the poetry meeting.

Qin Qiaoer had just given birth, and she was wearing very thick clothes and had her face wrapped with cloth. Except for nodding to Yuan Ming and Ji Qingyue when she first saw them, as a greeting, she kept her head down and said nothing.

Ji Qingyue tugged at Yuan Ming's sleeve and said worriedly, "Why do I feel that Qin Qiaoer is not in a good mood today? Will anything happen?"

According to their plan, the most important part should be completed by Qin Qiaoer. If she doesn't cooperate, it will be a waste of time.

Yuan Ming turned his head and looked at Qin Qiaoer, sneering, "It's her business. If she doesn't do it, then you don't have to care about it in the future."

Ji Qingyue subconsciously wanted to refute, but combined with the attitude of the Qin family towards him in the past few days, he felt that Yuan Ming was right and nodded silently.

Qin Qiaoer noticed the look in Yuan Ming's eyes and grabbed the hem of her skirt tightly, with her knuckles slightly white.

Before everyone arrived and the banquet started, Yuan Ming took Ji Qingyue to look around Qiuju Garden.

Chrysanthemums are a very common flower, and they don't have a very attractive fragrance, but when they are gathered together in large pieces, with all kinds of colors mixed together, they are really spectacular.

Ji Qingyue was like a butterfly, flying through the flowers, running around, feeling very comfortable.

Yuan Ming was standing by, looking at him with a smile on his face.

"Ji Qingyue is really good, free, cute, and kind." Qin Qiaoer suddenly said, "Mr. Yuan, he will always be happy, right?"

Yuan Ming said lightly, "Miss Qin, don't worry about me and Qingqing, you just need to take care of your own business."

Qin Qiaoer took a deep breath and suddenly laughed, "Okay, then I wish him happiness forever, and that he can always smile as happily as he can."

It was clearly a beautiful blessing, but Qin Qiaoer's voice was cold and full of malice, which made people frown involuntarily.

"Okay, you guys have fun. I'll find a place to sit down. I don't want to see too many people." Qin Qiaoer turned around and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely go to the poetry party and won't let your husband down."

Yuan Ming watched Qin Qiaoer leave his sight. Not only was there no anger in his eyes, but there was a little smile.

He knew that everything was under his control.

After a while, Ji Qingyue was tired from playing. When he ran back to Yuan Ming, his forehead was full of sweat.

He looked around and asked curiously, "Where is Qingqiaoer?"

Yuan Ming spread his hands and pursed his lips, "She said she wanted to find a quiet place to be alone."

Hearing this, Ji Qingyue's eyebrows wrinkled. He originally felt that Qin Qiaoer was very abnormal today, and now another person ran away, and a feeling of uneasiness surged in his heart.

Yuan Ming, however, seemed to worry about nothing. He patted Ji Qingyue on the head as if to comfort her and said, "Don't think too much. Just enjoy the flowers. I told you that this is her business. If she doesn't care, no matter how much we do, it will be useless."

Ji Qingyue nodded.

He was originally a person who didn't take anything to heart. After taking Yuan Ming's reassurance, he suddenly became heartless. He dragged Yuan Ming around, looking at flowers here and smelling grass there.

More and more students came to the banquet, and soon someone saw Yuan Ming. Seeing him smiling happily with his husband, they looked at each other and were very surprised.

After all, Yuan Ming had always been indifferent in the school. Even the few people who had the best relationship with him had never seen him so emotional.

One of the men wearing a scarf quickly closed his folding fan and said to Zhao Yucheng next to him: "I didn't expect Brother Yuan and his husband have such a good relationship. I used to joke that a man like him, even if he married, would mostly do so for his own future and it's impossible for him to really invest too much emotion in her."

Zhao Yucheng also felt a little emotional, but he would not show it in front of others. He smiled and said: "Brother Yuan is just a little indifferent, he is not a monk, what's so strange about having someone he likes?"

"Tsk!" That person tutted, "I just think that Brother Yuan is a bit of a contrast. My cousin thought he was handsome, but I thought he wasn't a caring person, so I didn't introduce him to her. If I had known this, why did I introduce him to her?"

Someone laughed, "Could it be your cousin with a waist as thick as a barrel and who eats eight meals a day? With her looks, how could Yuan Ming possibly be interested in her? Look at her husband."

"You!"

The two people must be quite familiar with each other. They started to quarrel and left the place soon. Seeing that Yuan Ming was no longer the focus of the topic, Zhao Yucheng breathed a sigh of relief.

Thinking of what might happen tonight, Zhao Yucheng pursed his lips. That person did say something right. Yuan Ming is really good to his husband.

Thinking of this, Zhao Yucheng did not intend to go forward to disturb others, and also walked away.

Not far away, Yuan Ming and Ji Qingyue were immersed in their own world, having a great time. They had no idea what was happening here, nor did they know that they had just been talked about.

As the sun gradually moved directly above the sky, the chrysanthemum banquet also kicked off.

After the banquet officially began, Yuan Ming had to follow the main force to the venue, and Ji Qingyue naturally could not go.

After instructing him to stay outside and not run around, Yuanming left with Zhao Yucheng.

Zhao Yucheng remembered what the previous person said, and couldn't help teasing him: "Brother Yuan is so good to your husband. Not only did he take him to the chrysanthemum banquet, but he also treated him like a child, afraid that he would bump into anything."

Yuan Ming smiled and did not refute. "Qingqing is just a child, so I should care about her more."

Zhao Yucheng was slightly startled and wanted to say something else, but the town guard spoke.

The town guard of Shifang Town is a fat old man who looks much kinder than Ji Fulai, but in fact, that is not necessarily the case.

Yuanming didn't remember much about Shifang Town, and he only knew the town guard.

He was seen holding a glass of wine in his hand, smiling and respectfully toasting to the nearly one hundred students and scholars below.

The town guard raised the wine, so there was no reason for others not to follow suit. All of a sudden, everyone raised a glass of wine in their hands, and Yuan Ming and Zhao Yucheng were no exception.

After an impassioned speech, the town guard drank the glass of wine and announced the official start of the Chrysanthemum Banquet and Poetry Meeting.

The Chrysanthemum Banquet is divided into three parts. Now is the free poetry discussion section. Several people get together, improvise poems, and vote for the most outstanding one. After the second section begins, the poems will be handed over to the town guard for unified comments.

Therefore, the second section is the town guard's comments on the poems and the distribution of prizes. Whether it is the most outstanding poem in the group or the masterpiece selected by the town guard, they will be rewarded with money. Of

course, everyone present is not for money. If you can get the town guard's favor, it will be easier for you to do things in the future. If you are lucky, you will be directly favored by the town guard and recruited as a son-in-law.

The last section is the most lively banquet, singing and dancing performances, and talent shows.

Of course, Yuanming had no interest in money or the favor of the town governor. He came here just to broaden his horizons and accompany Ji Qingyue to appreciate flowers.

Moreover, Zhao Yucheng was determined to get the daughter of the town governor, so he certainly couldn't interfere.

The two found a quiet place. Zhao Yucheng looked at the chrysanthemums all over the mountain and turned to look at Yuan Ming.

"Brother Yuan, have you thought about what poem you want to write?"

Yuan Ming nodded: "Write about autumn chrysanthemums."

Zhao Yucheng was a little surprised. Although this was a chrysanthemum banquet, not many people wrote about chrysanthemums. Because the tradition of the chrysanthemum banquet has been around for decades, the poems about chrysanthemums in the past few decades have become commonplace, and it is difficult for anyone to stand out.

Now everyone has learned to be smart, either using the mountain breeze as a medium, or using the people around them as a guide, and few people write about flowers directly.

Zhao Yucheng changed his mind and thought that Yuan Ming might not be unaware of this truth, but he simply had no intention of winning.

Thinking of this, he saw Yuan Ming had already picked up the pen and quickly wrote.

Zhao Yucheng did not speak, but sat on the other side and began to write down the poem that he had prepared countless times in his mind.

Free-style poetry can be cheated, and no one can really improvise.

In a moment, both of them finished writing, put down their pens at the same time, and looked at each other.

"Brother Yuan, please give me some advice." Zhao Yucheng handed over the finished poem.

Yuan Ming stopped him from taking his poem and put it away in his sleeve: "Brother Zhao is so talented that I am willing to admit that he is better."