Chapter 160 Visiting the Lantern Festival
As night fell, the entire capital was not as silent as before. On the contrary, as every household lit candles and lanterns, the whole city became more and more lively.
It's the only day of the year without curfew, and no one wants to miss it.
The closer you are to the lantern festival, the brighter the lights are and the more people there are.
Rong Yanhui and Lu Mingxiu held Haohao and Yueyue respectively, while Lu Yao and Mo Zhu followed them in case they got lost in any unexpected situation.
This day of every year is the most lively and also the most dangerous. Many people with ill intentions take advantage of this day to do shameful things, such as cheating, stealing... In the past two years, the new emperor ascended the throne and rectified the security of the capital. It has improved a lot now, but it still cannot withstand the desperate actions of the vicious and evil people.
Thinking of the child who was lost that day, Lu Yao suddenly felt a little heavy, and she didn't know whether he was found.
Entering the lantern festival area, there are various stalls on both sides of the road, selling mutton soup, dough figurines, sugar paintings, toys, calligraphy and paintings, fortune telling, pitching pots, riddles... everything you can think of.
On the tree behind the stall, lanterns of various shapes are hung, illuminating the scene in front and igniting the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival.
The bustling crowds, the hawking of various vendors, the laughter of children...
No wonder today is said to be the busiest day of the year.
For safety reasons, they did not stop in front of each stall, but walked straight ahead.
Seeing so many people holding lanterns in their hands, Lu Yao felt a little annoyed. Why did she forget to prepare this?
Rong Yanhui saw this and thought she wanted to: "There is a lantern riddle in front, let's go and take a look."
Lu Mingxiu also agreed: "Little sister, take a look at what you want, and I will win it back for you."
"Daddy and uncle, there's also my sister and me." Seeing that the two men didn't bring him and his sister with them, Xiao Yunhao hurriedly spoke up to remind them.
Seeing the two children's anxious expressions, Lu Mingxiu didn't tease them. Instead, he asked politely, "What kind of lanterns do Haohao and Yueyue like?"
Little Xinyue smiled sweetly and spoke first: "Uncle, I like little rabbits." Little rabbits are the cutest.
Xiao Yunhao also said, "I like tigers." Tigers are the most majestic.
"Okay, it depends on uncle," Lu Mingxiu assured, "Everyone has one."
"I don't need it," Rong Yanhui smiled and shook his head: "I want to win the best one for Yaomei."
"Okay then," Lu Mingxiu said, "You take care of Xiaomei, and I'll take care of Haohao and Yueyue."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Mo Zhu, "What about Mo Zhu? What do you like?"
Mo Zhu thought about it and shook his head: "Let's see later."
He knew what his young master meant, but he wanted to try to win a lantern with his own ability.
With a goal in mind, they didn't delay and went straight to the place where the riddles were to be guessed.
Because it was still early, there were many people watching the fun at the stalls, but very few people actually spent money to guess the riddles.
Seeing that Lu Yao and her group wanted to solve the riddles, someone automatically gave up a seat for them.
Lu Mingxiu and Rong Yanhui asked about the rules of the game and directly gave the money corresponding to the lanterns to the stall owner.
The lanterns of Lao Hu and Xiaotu, which Xiao Yunhao and Xiao Yueyue like, are worth ten and fifteen cents respectively. As long as they answer the riddle correctly, they can not only take the lantern but also get back the copper coins they gave them. If they don't answer correctly, the lantern and copper coins will belong to the stall owner.
Because of this, most people would not try it easily and would wait here just to watch the fun.
Guessing lantern riddles and evaluating poetry are activities that many scholars enjoy. Not only can they get their favorite lanterns and show them off in front of the onlookers, but they can also become famous and gain the favor of those in higher positions, which is a win-win situation.
Therefore, many scholars will come out tonight to actively participate in many activities and show their faces, and ordinary people also like such activities the most. They do not have the opportunity to read and learn to read, but it does not affect their respect and yearning for scholars.
The first one to go on stage was Lu Mingxiu. The stall owner took out the corresponding riddle, and he did not disappoint the two children. He took a look at the riddle and said the answer without thinking.
The stall owner glanced at him, but was not very surprised. He set up a stall here every year and had seen too many of them. The two children looked at their uncle's energetic and confident appearance with admiration in their eyes.
"Uncle is so awesome!"
“Uncle is awesome!”
Lu Mingxiu listened to the children's praise with a normal expression. Only those who knew him well knew that he was in a good mood.
He didn't hesitate and moved on to the next puzzle, answering it without much thought.
The two children cheered and applauded their uncle.
"Uncle is so awesome!"
The stall owner remained calm, but did not dare to take it lightly. Fortunately, this person only asked for three riddles.
The third one, the stall owner took out a more difficult puzzle while the group was not paying attention. When Lu Mingxiu opened the puzzle and saw the riddle clearly, he looked at the stall owner meaningfully. The latter was observant of others' feelings and had a thick skin. Few could compare with him. Otherwise, he would not have been able to make a living.
Lu Mingxiu answered the riddle without much thought. The stall owner felt a little distressed when he kicked the lantern and copper coins over to him, but then he couldn't help but feel lucky that the man only answered three questions. Otherwise, his hope of making a fortune from today's business would be ruined.
Lu Mingxiu gave the lanterns to the two children and kept one for himself. Just as his younger sister said, it was a rare occasion for everyone to celebrate the festival together, so they still had to have a sense of ceremony.
Next up is Rong Yan’s turn to return to the court.
Lu Yao liked a lotus lantern. Rong Yanhui handed the copper coin to the stall owner, signaling him to give the puzzle quickly.
The stall owner was a little unsure. This man was with the young master just now. Could he be very powerful too?
Judging from their attire, they must be rich or noble. I can't afford to offend them, but I don't want them to make money either, so I increased the difficulty from the beginning.
After hearing the riddle, the people around couldn't help but wonder, this year's questions seem to be more difficult?
The way they looked at Lu Yao and her group became even more passionate, and some people who just wanted to watch the fun started to make trouble.
The stall owner bowed to the crowd and did not forget to attract customers for himself: "This year's lanterns have many new styles. If you win one, it will definitely make your wife and children happy."
"Don't panic, boss. This is just the beginning."
"People from Qingshan Academy will be here soon."
“…”
"Welcome everyone."
The stall owner was just being polite. He set up the stall mainly to make money and couldn't lose money.
When Rong Yan came back, he did not disappoint his sister Yao. To the shock of the stall owner, he told her his answer.
The stall owner looked at Lu Mingxiu, then at Rong Yanhui, and couldn't help but criticize this family in his heart. What kind of monsters are they?
The businessman was heartbroken, but he didn't show it on his face. Seeing more and more people gathered around, and many of them starting to choose their favorite lanterns, he instantly became happy: "Sir, do you want to continue?"
Rong Yanhui smiled and nodded.
Stall owner: “…”
He just watched as more and more guests arrived and continued to be polite.
Mo Zhu chuckled: "Boss, please hurry up. After we finish choosing, you can do other business, right?"
He was eager to try it.
After hearing this, the boss smiled and took out a box of puzzles for Rong Yanhui to choose from. The latter hesitated and directly picked one, opened it, took a look, and told the answer.
Next is Mozhu.
Mo Zhu has read a lot of books over the years while following his young master, and is particularly interested in various riddles. Therefore, lantern riddles are not very challenging for him.
This is indeed the case.
He happily took the lantern he had carefully selected and approached his young master, looking for praise. Lu Mingxiu praised him, "Very impressive."
This was the first time that Mo Zhu showed his talent to everyone. He was very happy to receive praise and felt that the lantern in his hand was brighter.
The stall owner looked at the happy group of people and began to feel uncomfortable again. He knew this was the case.
Fortunately, this group of people were not greedy and each of them took a lantern and left.
He grinned as he looked at the increasing number of customers around him.
It's just five lanterns, but he can still earn money from countless lanterns.
Lu Yao and her friends continued strolling around, each carrying a lantern, and soon arrived at the center of the lantern festival.
A high platform has been built here, and the award ceremony for the poetry competition will be held later.
At this moment, the students were writing furiously in the restaurant behind, writing down their favorite poems.
Lu Yao looked at her husband and brother, asking them if they wanted to give it a try. They both shook their heads. They already had a reputation, so there was no need to stand out in every aspect and steal the limelight from others.
Since they were unwilling, Lu Yao didn't say anything more, but waited to see the style of the winner tonight.
Rong Yanhui and Lu Mingxiu breathed a sigh of relief. They were willing to appreciate the brilliance of other students, but did not want to be in the spotlight.
Lu Yao found their expressions somewhat amusing. After being together for so many years, she still didn't understand their personalities. It was just a casual remark.
More and more people gathered around the platform. Lu Yao took a few people to a teahouse nearby. Sitting by the window, they could clearly see what was happening on the opposite side without having to squeeze with others.
The teahouse was already full of people at this time. They had the same idea as Lu Yao: if they came now, there would be no good seats.
Lu Mingxiu wanted to remind his little sister, but he couldn't bear to disturb her interest, so he had to follow behind with the child in his arms.
The expected rejection did not come, and the waiter warmly invited them upstairs.
Lu Yao turned around and winked at her brother. "How about it? Am I awesome, little sister?"
Lu Mingxiu put away his slightly shocked expression and gave him a thumbs up with the hand holding the lantern. He didn't expect that his younger sister had made arrangements in advance.
The group came to a private room by the window on the second floor. After they sat down, Lu Mingxiu asked, "Did you know we were coming back today?"
Lu Yao shook her head: "It's better to be prepared."
She really didn't know when the man and her brother would come back, but she also secretly imagined that they would give her a surprise, so she booked the best box in advance. If they didn't come back, she could afford this money. If they came back, everyone would be happy.
Sure enough, her arrangements were not in vain.
As soon as they sat down, the waiter brought a pot of tea, two plates of dim sum and other snacks, then left and considerately closed the door.
The soundproofing in the box was not very good, and the hustle and bustle of the crowd on the street could still reach their ears, but it was much better.
They drank tea, ate snacks, and watched the hustle and bustle on the street, which felt very good.
Little Xinyue and little Yunhao sat in their uncle's and father's arms respectively, leaning against the window, looking outside. If there was something they were curious about, Lu Mingxiu and Rong Yanhui would explain it to them, and time passed very quickly.
Soon, there was movement on the other side's platform.
A group of gorgeously dressed musicians and dancers appeared on the high stage, playing musical instruments, singing and dancing, setting the stage for the upcoming excitement.
"Wow, that sister is amazing."
"That brother is not bad either."
It was the first time for the two children to watch such a program. They were so happy that they exclaimed in surprise from time to time.
After the first performance was over, little Xinyue looked at her mother with anticipation: "Mom, can I learn that?"
Following the direction of her finger, there was a dancer in a dance costume holding a pipa. "She plays so beautifully."
Lu Yao originally wanted to wait until the child was older to let her learn music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but now that the child made the request, she naturally would not refuse.
only,
The child is still young and his fingers are too tender, so he needs to wait until he is older before learning to play this kind of instrument, but he can learn music theory knowledge in advance.
She looked at Xiao Yunhao again and asked him if he was interested.
Xiao Yunhao pointed to a guqin and said, "Mom, I want to learn guqin."
I have seen my two cousins play it before, but because they grew up in Fushan Village, it was not very convenient for them to practice. Even after so many years of learning, their skills were very average, and they could only barely play a piece of music with some bumps and bruises.
Therefore,
Even though his cousins once asked him if he wanted to study with them, he refused without hesitation.
Now looking at the performance on the stage, it turns out that it’s not the instrument that sounds bad, but the problem with the person playing the instrument.
"Have you all decided?" Lu Yao asked seriously.
In this regard, she is very open-minded.
What to learn, first of all, children must be interested in it. Interest is the best teacher. Because they like something, they will continue to explore, study and work hard. If they don’t like it, forcing them to learn will be counterproductive.
Xiao Yunhao and Xiao Xinyue nodded at the same time.
Seeing this, Lu Yao did not pour cold water on them. She said she would arrange it when she got back, but she also repeatedly warned them that once they made a choice, they must stick to it and not give up halfway.
Haohao and Yueyue are not the kind of people who get excited after only three minutes, nor are they the kind of children who act on impulse. Although they are moved by the performances on the stage, their choices are also made after careful consideration (the time of a show).
After the wonderful opening program ended, a man dressed as a shopkeeper came forward, bowed and greeted everyone: "Dear fellow villagers, relatives and friends, happy holidays."
The crowd watching responded with applause.
"This isn't the first time our Zhuangyuan Building has held a poetry competition, nor will it be the last... Every time, many outstanding students stand out, all of them influential figures. What kind of talent will emerge today? We'll wait and see. First, let's invite the top courtesan, Yu Niang, to demonstrate her unique skills for us."
Talented men and beautiful women, many students would invite famous prostitutes to entertain their literary and poetry gatherings. Zhuangyuanlou, as the most famous restaurant in the capital, often held literary and poetry gatherings, flower viewing gatherings, etc., and naturally famous prostitutes would not be absent.
One promoted the restaurant, and the other gilded his own reputation. It was mutually beneficial and the cooperation was pleasant.
Yu Niang performed a song of singing and playing. The beautiful guzheng music coupled with her gentle voice made everyone present intoxicated. How could you hear this without paying?
If you want to meet Yu Niang on a normal day, don’t even think about it unless you have a fortune of several thousand taels, let alone listen to music and chat with her.
Lu Yao also admired the beauty very seriously. Not to mention, the tune and voice were quite nice.
After the song ended, the highlight of the day began. Several young women came out in an orderly manner with their shortlisted works and displayed them in front of the crowd. They would stay in one place for a while to ensure that everyone could see them. After taking turns to show their works, they would act as human booths, standing in a fixed place and continue to show their works to the crowd.
After all the shortlisted works have been presented, it is time for the final voting session.
Those who participate in the voting are the onlookers at the scene. Zhuangyuanlou will distribute many special small cards to those who are willing to participate. When it comes to the voting session, you only need to put the small card into the small cardboard box in front of the corresponding work. Finally, the top ten with the highest votes will be comprehensively evaluated.
The comprehensive assessment will be professionally evaluated by specially invited famous teachers and Confucian scholars, who will finally rank them into three grades: A, B and C. Among them, there will be one A grade, two B grades, and the rest will be C grades. Each grade will have corresponding prizes and rewards.
Of course, the votes cast before are not useless. When evaluating the grades, if there are different opinions and it is difficult to tell which of the two works is better, the previous votes will be a reference, and the one with the most votes will win.
Therefore, for the many onlookers, their votes are of great significance. They cannot just vote casually to watch the fun. If the person elected is not good because of them, wouldn’t it be embarrassing for them as well?
Therefore, from the moment the works were exhibited, all the audience participating in the voting were extremely attentive and carefully appreciated the works. They were the ones who decided the fate of these literati and scholars, so they could not be careless.
Lu Yao looked at the excitement below and had no intention of joining in. Her husband and brother were much better than these people.
Xiao Yunhao also felt the same way. If his father, uncle, and cousins participated, they would definitely be in the top ten.
"Then your father and I won't snatch their opportunity." Lu Mingxiu said with a smile.
Little Xinyue didn't understand and asked, "Why?"
Rong Yanhui explained, "Studying is very expensive. For ordinary people from poor families, it would almost take the entire family's resources to support a single scholar. The rewards for poetry competitions are very generous, which can alleviate their pressure to a certain extent. At the same time, if someone is appreciated, it may be a chance to change their fate."
Therefore, this activity in Zhuangyuanlou is very popular among scholars.
They are not in bad condition, so there is no need for them to participate just for the title.
Xiao Yunhao nodded as if he understood, and although Xiao Xinyue was confused, she understood one thing, which was that this activity could help poor scholars.
"When Yueyue makes money in the future, she will also help others," she said.
Lu Mingxiu rubbed the little guy's head and felt so soft inside.
At first, he and his younger sister depended on each other for survival. When they were desperate, they also hoped that someone could give them even a little help. Finally, they met a kind doctor. Otherwise, his younger sister's sacrifice would have been in vain...
Seeing her brother like this, Lu Yao patted his shoulder and said, "Brother, once you have established your foothold in the court, let's find a way to set up a charity to specifically help those who are desperate but have good character and are ambitious."
When Lu Mingxiu heard what they said, his eyes lit up, but then he shook his head: "We can't take the lead in this kind of thing."
Many wealthy families give out porridge as a charity, but they do it either for fame and face, or for profit. There are also some who do good without expecting anything in return, but they are not many.
From the moment they decided to take the imperial examination, they were destined to enter the imperial court in the future. Therefore, they had to be on guard against certain things. They might do good things but end up being accused of something they didn't deserve, otherwise they would cry.
Rong Yanhui also understood what he meant and nodded in agreement: "There's no rush for now, let's wait for the opportunity."
As more and more people from the Rong family enter the court, there will definitely be many opportunities.
On the stage, the exciting moment of voting has begun. Many audiences lined up in long queues as instructed and went up one by one to vote for their favorite works.
Lu Yao quite liked this segment. She watched the other party vote with great interest.
Because there were so many people, even though everyone was very well-behaved, the voting took about a quarter of an hour.
Fortunately, the onlookers did not become impatient because of the long waiting time. On the contrary, they were very happy to see others appreciating their favorite works as much as they did.
"Oops, one voted."
"You have the same vision as me."
"What does this person mean? Why hasn't he voted yet?"
"Left, left, left, hurry up and shoot. Oh, you have no vision."
“…”
After the voting was finally over, a waiter immediately came down to count the votes on the spot. It was absolutely transparent and guaranteed openness, fairness and justice to a certain extent. Lu Yao was really curious about the transparency.
"Who do you think will make it to the finals?" Lu Yao was curious. Since they were free anyway, guessing together would be a way to participate.
"What do you think, little sister?" Lu Mingxiu raised his eyebrows at his little sister.
Lu Yao pointed at one of the paintings and said, "I like the song 'Snow Plum Blossoms'."
It not only vividly displays the beauty of winter, but also describes the joy of gathering with friends and the pleasure of communicating with each other. It is a blessing in life to enjoy the scenery, drink wine, discuss knowledge and make progress together with a few like-minded friends.
Rong Yanhui also pointed out a song he liked, which was a song describing the grand spectacle of fireworks on New Year's Eve.
In fact, many of the poems shortlisted today are about the grand fireworks show on New Year’s Eve. It can be seen that it is not just ordinary people who are shocked.
But the author of each poem has different experiences, different moods, and different intentions, so what he writes is different, and what the audience feels is also different.
Seeing that the two people had different choices, Lu Mingxiu also told them about his favorite work.
Mo Zhu was no exception and chose the poems he liked.
Well, four people is an option.
Xiao Yunhao and Xiao Xinyue naturally would not be left behind. Yueyue chose to be on the same side with her mother. Xiao Yunhao hesitated for a long time and finally chose his uncle.
Rong Yanhui was very hurt. He felt that he had raised such a grown-up son in vain.
Xiao Yunhao comforted his father: "Uncle is already very pitiful alone, Dad, please don't be jealous."
Rong Yan replied: "...Hmm?" Thinking of this, his mood instantly improved.
This time it was Lu Mingxiu's turn to be sad: "Haohao, uncle is not alone."
He has Mozhu, a younger sister, and two little cubs.
Xiao Yunhao shook his head and said seriously, "But I don't have an aunt."
"Yeah," Xiao Xinyue, as everyone's little tail, immediately echoed, "Uncle, when will we have an aunt?"
Lu Mingxiu: ...
Has he fallen to the point where he is even urging his nephews and nieces to get married?
Lu Yao smiled disrespectfully. She patted her brother's shoulder and said earnestly, "Brother, you're not a child anymore. You've already made your nephews and nieces worry about their lifelong affairs."
Lu Mingxiu rolled his eyes ungracefully: "That's also due to your influence."
His well-behaved nephews and nieces must have been "led astray" by their mother.
Xiao Yunhao immediately defended his mother: "Uncle, it has nothing to do with mother, we really want aunt."
Little Xinyue continued to nod "yeah", "brother is right."
Lu Mingxiu pinched the cheek of little Xinyue in his arms, "It's not like uncle can have an aunt just because he wants one. It all depends on fate."
His health is much better now, and he doesn't feel tired even when carrying the child while shopping. It's time for him to consider his lifelong affairs, but matters of the heart cannot be forced. The most important thing now is the imperial examinations. It won't be too late to consider personal issues after he reaches high school.
The two little guys' eyes lit up: "Uncle agreed to find Auntie?"
Lu Mingxiu was helpless: "If you worry so much, you might not grow taller."
What Xiao Yunhao and Xiao Xinyue want most now is to grow up quickly, so they naturally care a lot about their height. After hearing what he said, they shut up and stopped talking.
Rong Yanhui knew what his elder brother-in-law was thinking. In this situation, nothing he said would be good, so he had to change the subject. Lu Yao just said that, but she would not really force her brother to do anything in the name of caring for "your own good". Seeing her husband say that, she followed suit and talked about other things.
The topic was changed and Lu Mingxiu breathed a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that his younger sister and the others would continue talking.
As he was speaking, the first round of voting on the stage had ended and the subsequent judging session began.
The shopkeeper began to introduce the invited great scholars and famous teachers. Some of them were so famous that they had long been praised among the people. When they heard that they were coming, the audience cheered warmly.
After the special guests were introduced, their "performance" began.
They commented on each work one by one, pointing out its advantages and disadvantages. To a certain extent, this can be regarded as on-site teaching, and many people can learn a lot from it.
This is also one of the reasons why many readers come to participate in this poetry competition and hope to enter the final review.
The comments of the great scholars and masters are very accurate, and they know how to protect the self-esteem and face of the scholars. They point out the advantages directly and point out the shortcomings in a tactful way. This alone wins their favor and makes everyone follow them even more.
The special guests had seen such scenes before and were not affected at all, continuing with their next comments.
Soon, all ten works were reviewed one by one, and it was time for the final ranking.
I saw several great scholars and teachers gathered together to discuss in a low voice. It seemed that the level of these works was similar, and each of them had his own works to appreciate carefully. For a while, they were unable to sort them out smoothly.
In order to prevent the waiting audience from getting bored, Yu Niang performed another show, playing and singing a popular song, which made many people present sing along.
After the song was over, the shortlisted works were finally ranked.
The shopkeeper came out and stood in front of the platform with a list in his hand.
The final ranking is about to be announced.
"Thank you all for watching. I have the final rankings in my hand. I see you're all eager to know the results, so I won't keep you in suspense."
The shopkeeper didn't have much speaking skills, but this simple narration resonated with the audience. The crowd, which had been noisy before, suddenly quieted down, waiting to hear him announce the final answer.
The shopkeeper said he wouldn't keep you in suspense, so he would start reading from the last one, C.
In order to prevent the scholars from losing face, he specifically explained that because everyone's works were comparable and it was difficult to tell who was better at the moment, they were only divided into levels and ranked in no particular order, but according to the complexity of each person's surname.
Lu Yao raised her eyebrows. This Zhuangyuan Building is not simple.
From the programs they prepared, the settings of the competition, and the judging process, she even saw the shadows of various modern competitions and talent shows.
Could it be,
Besides her, the one who had abortion, are there any other fellow villagers?
The original content of Returning Home did not mention this part. I guess I was just overthinking it.
Yes, the wisdom of the ancients is not something that can be underestimated.
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