Chapter 631
Xiaoling's parents could no longer contain their excitement when they heard the sound of artillery fire coming from afar, which became increasingly frequent and then got closer. They were waiting at the door.
"Here it comes!" Xiaoling's father stood on tiptoe to look, and saw a winding firecracker dragon with a golden head exposed at the corner of the street. The dragon's body tumbled up and down with the beat of the drum. Wherever it passed, the sound of firecrackers was deafening and the air was filled with smoke.
Seeing the children coming back with the firecracker dragon team, Xiaoling's mother quickly called out to them: "Come over and set off the firecrackers! If you're any later, the dragon will pass by!"
As she spoke, she stuffed a string of firecrackers wrapped in red paper into everyone's hands.
Xiaoling and Xiaohao were used to playing this game, so they lit the firecrackers together and threw them at the Paolong, skillfully avoiding hitting the "Dragon Swimming Hand".
Compared to them, Su Miao was a little timid and hesitated to take action. The sparks of the incense stick flickered in the night wind, but he didn't dare to get close to the fuse.
She watched the dragon dance team nervously, afraid that if she made a mistake, the firecrackers would hurt those figures moving through the smoke.
Seeing that the cannons were almost used up, she didn't make a single move.
The uncle dancing with the dragon head had already noticed the stunned pretty girl and shouted, "Little comrade! Feel free to throw it. Don't be afraid if it falls on us!"
Before the uncle finished speaking, a firecracker exploded at his feet. He jumped up with laughter, and the dragon head was raised high, and the scales sparkled in the firelight.
"Watch me!" Xiaoling suddenly grabbed the whole string of firecrackers, lit them, and threw them into the air.
The firecracker drew a fiery trail in the air, hit the dragon and bounced to the ground, instantly exploding into a dazzling spark.
Su Miao took a deep breath and finally mustered up the courage to bring the incense stick close to the fuse.
At the moment when sparks flew, she suddenly found that the longan was shining with a strange luster in the smoke, and the eyes dyed with rooster blood were moving like a living thing, looking straight at the firecrackers in her hand.
Su Miao was stunned and shocked.
"Miao Miao, throw it quickly!" Seeing her hesitation, Su Yuan was afraid that his daughter would be injured by the cannon, so he shouted loudly and pushed her hand at the same time.
Su Miao subconsciously followed his father's force and threw the firecracker out. The firecracker exploded into a circle of fire in mid-air, and the dragon's body just passed through it, drawing cheers from the crowd.
"So accurate! Miaomiao, you are such a great pitcher!" Xiaoling clapped her hands excitedly.
Xiaoling's family had finished setting off their firecrackers. As the firecracker dragon was heading towards the next house, she grabbed Su Miao and said, "Hurry! While the firepower is down, get inside the dragon's belly!"
"Drilling into the dragon's belly?" Su Miao blinked blankly, and before he could react, he was dragged forward.
Su Yuanzheng saw his daughter rushing into the smoke and hurriedly followed her.
Xiaoling pulled Su Miao and flexibly slipped under the cannon dragon's tumbling body. While passing under the dragon's belly, Su Miao could clearly hear the clattering sound of dragon scales colliding with each other above his head and smell the special smell of cotton cloth soaked in gunpowder.
When they came out from the other side, a new round of "bombing" began.
Only then did Su Miao have time to ask, "Sister Xiaoling! Is there any legend about drilling into the dragon's belly?"
"Yes! The elders say that if you get into the dragon's belly, you will be blessed by the dragon and enjoy a whole year of peace and happiness!"
"Ah! So that's how it is!! Then I should have run faster and made a few more moves!" Su Miao stomped his feet in annoyance.
Xiaoling's father laughed heartily upon hearing this. His rough laughter was particularly loud amid the sound of firecrackers:
"Don't worry! When the Paolongs gather in the square, we can go grab the Dragon Balls! Whatever we get will be a good omen!"
Because the cannon dragon moved slowly, they rested at home for a while, drank some ginger tea, and then marched leisurely towards the square.
On the way, Xiao Hao said to Su Miao and Su Yuanzheng: "When you grab the dragon treasure later, you don't have to stare at the dragon ball. In ancient times, it was said that pulling out the dragon's whiskers can keep the livestock free from disease and plague.
Picking up dragon skin can ensure a good harvest this year; the most difficult thing to grab is the dragon ball, if a merchant obtains this ball, he will have great wealth and prosperous business!
But now it’s not so clear cut, everything is good, and it’s a great fortune to grab some!”
Su Miao's eyes lit up when he heard this, revealing his money-grubbing nature.
She quietly tugged at her father's sleeve and whispered, "Dad, we're going to grab the Dragon Ball soon!"
Su Yuanzheng blinked knowingly, and the father and daughter clapped their hands in tacit understanding.
The square was already bustling with activity. Although the cannonballs hadn't arrived yet, the crowds rushing in from all directions had already completely surrounded the central area.
Street vendors took the opportunity to sell various snacks and toys. The sweet aroma of candied haws mixed with the smoke, creating a unique New Year atmosphere.
"Here they come!" The crowd suddenly became agitated.
I saw the largest golden dragon turning out from the corner of the street, with two long whiskers on the dragon's head fluttering in the wind, shining golden under the light.
The other dragons also returned to their positions one after another. Su Miao stood on tiptoe to count them. There were actually a lot more than when they set out from the temple. He must have heard that there were dragon dance teams from other places joining in.
The Cannon Dragon rejoiced in the square for a while. After two hours of dancing, the Cannon Dragon had been blown out with many "scars".
But these "scars" only add a bit of battle damage to their heroic appearance, without reducing their majesty at all. Instead, they make their dancing posture even more wild and unrestrained.
After a signal from the person holding the "dragon ball" in front of the dragon head, everyone stopped firing cannons, which meant that the dragon-blasting session was over.
When it came to the final stage, Su Miao and his father had already been staring at the "Dragon Ball" of the largest dragon, and were closely following the master who was dancing with the "Dragon Ball".
Although there were many people who shared the same mentality as them, the father and daughter gradually squeezed to the front with their superior physical conditions.
When the cannon dragon dance reaches its most enthusiastic state, the person holding the dragon ball takes it off. The master holding the dragon ball suddenly does a somersault and throws the dragon ball high into the air.
In an instant, the crowd rushed towards Paolong like a tide, grabbing everything.
The "dragon ball" thrown high up actually tilted towards the father and daughter, followed by a crowd of people.
Su Miao tried his best to resist the crowd and shouted to his father: "Dad! Jump up!"
So, when the "Dragon Ball" fell to a certain height, Su Yuanzheng seized the opportunity and jumped up suddenly. With his height advantage, he stood out among the people who jumped.
This middle-aged man, who was once the main player of the factory basketball team, seemed to have returned to his youth at this moment, and his slender fingers firmly grasped the dragon ball.
After he landed, four, five, or six hands reached out from around him to snatch it away. Su Yuan held the "Dragon Ball" tightly in his arms like playing basketball, and turned left and right to avoid the grabbing hands.
Seeing that the "Dragon Ball" had been settled, everyone turned around to look for new targets, and the Su family father and daughter were finally able to retreat.
When the father and daughter finally squeezed out of the encirclement, Su Miao's braids had already loosened, and a few strands of black hair were wet and stuck to her red cheeks.
She gasped for breath and tied up her loose hair again, but she couldn't hide the excitement in her eyes: "This battle! It's too intense!"
"Miao Miao! Look at our dragon ball!" Su Yuanzheng took out the "dragon ball" in his arms.
Su Miao reached out to take it and took a closer look. The "dragon ball" made of bamboo and covered with colored paper sparkled brightly in the lights and fire of the square.
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