Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Dragon and Phoenix Candles
Qin Sanfulang saw from afar several children from the Qin family coming over with three dimly lit things that looked like lanterns. Behind them were children from several other families. They surrounded Qin An and the others, looking curiously at the toys in their arms, shouting from time to time, chattering, and it was very lively.
"Big Egg." Qin Mu called out, ran a few steps closer, put down the backpack, and took out the lantern inside. "Big Egg and Erdan, this is the lantern made by my brother-in-law. Do you want it~"
"Wow, they are so beautiful, can we really have them?" The cute rabbits painted vividly on several lanterns immediately attracted Dadan's attention. The little guy obviously liked them very much and his eyes never left the lanterns.
Qin An nodded. "Sure! My brother-in-law said these lanterns can be given to friends as New Year's gifts. Big Egg, pick whichever one you like."
The lanterns made by Xu Yunfan are of different sizes. Considering that Xiaobao, Sandan and the other two children who often play with Qin An are only three or four years old, with short arms and little strength, he specially made a few small ones. But in the eyes of the children, these lanterns are really beautiful and cute.
There were shapes of rabbits holding peaches, long-eared foxes, cats with big eyes, and dogs sticking out their tongues to look cute. Seeing these, the lanterns in the two backpacks made the children clap their hands excitedly.
There was a commotion at the gate of the courtyard. Several families nearby could hear a group of children outside shouting "Ya Ya," saying things like, "So cute, so beautiful, what is this? This is a big bug, this is a little puppy..." In short, it was a mess, but their excitement was palpable.
Big beast?
dog?
Upon hearing this, the adults couldn't sit still. They thought that a starving wild dog had come from somewhere, and the children were ignorant and would excitedly shout "Ya Ya" when they saw it.
Thinking of this, the villagers from several nearby houses stopped lighting fires and ran out to see what was going on.
But where is the dog outside?
There was just a group of noisy kids gathered together.
"Brother An, what are you doing?" Qin Er's wife came out to see. After she finished asking, she found that Qin An took out several small things from his backpack and laid them out on the ground. "Hey, what are these?"
"Sister-in-law, these are the lanterns that Brother-in-law made!" Qin An raised his little face, "Brother-in-law said that these can be given to good friends as New Year gifts. Dadan and the others are Brother-in-law's friends, so Brother-in-law wants to give the lanterns to them."
Qin Er's wife looked at it curiously, "Is this a lantern? Why isn't it lit?"
Obviously, what Qin Ersaozi asked expressed the thoughts of other children and even adults.
Xiaobao held up his tiger lantern and said, "Auntie, look!" After that, Xiaobao turned on the small light in the lantern. As soon as the light came on, the little guys started crying again. If Xu Yunfan was here, he would probably burst into tears.
But the adults present were attracted by the lantern in Xiaobao's hand. "Is this the bright thing like the one in Xiaoqin's house?"
Since Qin Run's birthday, the yard of Xiao Qin's family has been brightly lit every night. Although it is not as bright as day, it is a light that they have never seen after nightfall in their decades of life. Every night, when they can't sleep or fall asleep quickly, they will take a walk to Xiao Qin's house, and then sit together in groups of three or four to discuss and envy. Not only do people from the village come to see it every night, but even people from other villages come to see it. The girls and boys who go to see it are reluctant to go back every night.
Now, Xu Yunfan actually installed a small lamp on the lantern. Although it was only a small lamp, its brightness was not low and could not be compared with that of a candle.
Several children screamed and when they noticed the adults' burning gazes behind them, they hugged the lanterns tightly in their arms, and ran away together, calling their friends.
With the lanterns, they no longer had to play at home. Soon, other children saw the light and ran over. The group of children was like three busy markets.
A group of adults looked at the children playing together happily and couldn't help feeling a lot of emotions in their hearts.
Capital city.
Qi Xiu Ze had just returned home from dinner with some of his friends when a servant came running over and said, "Third Young Master, you're finally back! The eldest young master and the others have been looking for you."
"What happened?"
"I don't know, but the master seems very worried. Go over and take a look!"
Qi Xiu Ze didn't dare to delay and hurried to the living room. In the living room, Qi Yuanyang and his sons were troubled by something and were sighing in worry.
"Father, big brother, and second brother." Qi Xiu Ze called out, "What are you doing?"
"Third brother, you're back just in time. You should think of a solution for your eldest brother." Qi Xiuyuan stood up and brought Qi Xiuze to the seat next to him. "Hurry and sit down."
Qi Xiuyuan's sudden politeness startled Qi Xiu Ze, "Second brother, don't be so nice to me. I'm scared."
"Look at what you said, it seems like I have ulterior motives." Qi Xiuyuan said: "This time, you have to help your eldest brother and second brother."
"What's wrong? You have to tell me what happened first, then I know if I can help!"
"Isn't it because Fang Peizhou, the eldest son of the Fang family, is getting married? He ordered a pair of dragon and phoenix candles from us last month. Our caravan bought the goods in the neighboring country, but it's winter now, and the snow is even heavier in the Great North. Something happened to our caravan's horses, and the pair of dragon and phoenix candles were broken. It's too late to go back and buy them now. Qi Peizhou already paid all the money last month. If we can't get the dragon and phoenix candles now, we'd be breaking our promise."
As an imperial merchant, the most important thing is "reputation", which was also the foundation for the Qi family to be promoted to an imperial merchant.
The Fang family has a high status and is somewhat related to the royal family, so it is not easy to offend them.
In traditional customs, lighting the "flower candle" is a very important part of the marriage process.
The candles in the "bridal chamber" need to burn for a whole day and a night, starting from being lit in the morning and not being extinguished until the next morning, which symbolizes the long-lasting love between the newlyweds. The rich and powerful families, if they have the means, will have the candles burn for three days and three nights, which symbolizes the continuous incense. Ordinary candles will certainly not be able to meet this length of time.
The Fang family was a wealthy family with high official status. When their eldest son got married, the Fang family spent a huge sum of money to have the Qi family buy a pair of dragon and phoenix candles from the neighboring country.
In the Dayan Dynasty, where all candles were imported, a pair of dragon and phoenix candles was worth a fortune, which was no joke.
It is obviously impossible to let the caravan turn back now, but this thing is ridiculously expensive. If it is not ordered in advance, not to mention other merchants, even the Qi family will not buy it back easily.
"Father, elder brother and second brother, what do you mean?" How could Qi Xiu Ze not understand the meaning?
Qi Yuanyang: "How about you write a letter and see if Xu Yunfan has any solution?"
The three of them, father and son, discussed the matter for a whole morning. After much thought, they decided that only Xu Yunfan, who was good at sitting by candlelight, could find a solution. If he couldn't do it, then let alone the others.
Qi Xiu Ze said in embarrassment: "Those are dragon and phoenix candles. Not to mention the difficulty of making them, it's New Year's Day now..." As a brother, he didn't have the nerve to speak.
"I know. Then what do you think we should do now?" Qi Xiufu was so angry that Fang Peizhou was about to die. He told the girl about it before he even got the goods. As a result, Fang Peizhou's fiancée Wu Lan and a group of friends started to flatter him.
There was no other way. The man specially prepared dragon and phoenix candles, which not only shows that he values the marriage, but also values the woman's feelings. Which woman would not be happy when her fiancé values her so much?
When you are happy, you want to share the joy with others and brag about it.
Now everyone knew that the Fang family had prepared dragon and phoenix candles, and they were all waiting to take a good look at them on the wedding day.
If the Fang family can't get the candles, who will be embarrassed?
Once the Fang and Wu families vent their anger on the Qi family, the reputation that the Qi family has accumulated will probably be damaged.
If there was a way, Qi Yuanyang didn't want to trouble Xu Yunfan.
Qi Xiu Ze had no choice but to say, "Then I'll write him a letter and ask him. If he can accept it, everyone will be happy. If he can't do it, don't be angry with him."
"Look at what you're saying. Is your father that kind of petty person? Hurry up and write it. I'll have someone send it over as fast as possible."
Qi Xiu Ze immediately gave a letter to the secret guard trained by Qi Yuanyang to deliver personally. However, the secret guard returned empty-handed. Qi Yuanyang asked where the letter was, and the secret guard honestly replied, "Young Master Xu hasn't replied yet."
Qi Yuanyang and his sons felt a sinking feeling in their hearts, thinking, now that's good, they have to go to the Fang family to apologize.
Just as Qi Yuanyang waved his hand to let the secret guard retreat, the secret guard hesitated and did not leave. He clasped his fists and said, "Master Xu did not reply to the letter, but he asked his subordinates to pass on a message to the master."
"What?" Qi Yuanyang thought, probably just some polite words.
"Master Xu asked the master to wait."
Qi Xiuyuan changed his previous dejection: "Why didn't you say these words just now?" He made him disappointed in vain, and even thought of apologizing.
The secret guard said innocently: "Master, you didn't ask!"
Qi family father and son: "..."
Ever since receiving Qi Xiu Ze's letter, Xu Yunfan has been so happy that he doesn't know what to do.
I was worried before that I didn’t have enough money to buy a house in Beijing, but now the money is delivered to my doorstep.
What a coincidence!
Xu Yunfan had something important to do, which gave him a good excuse to refuse the dinner invitation.
It was a big deal. When the villagers who came to call Xu Yunfan for dinner learned that Xu Yunfan was busy preparing goods for the young master in the capital, they didn't dare to urge him. Xu Yunfan happily ran to find Xu Yi and asked him to help him buy paraffin wax at Qi's store.
Making dragon and phoenix candles is a process that tests one's skills and patience, and one cannot be impatient at all. The Fang family's marriage is scheduled for the 12th, which means there are still eleven days left.
Qin Run was worried, "Yunfan, can you really make this?"
"Sure." Xu Yunfan said shamelessly, "It's nothing."
Qi Xiu Ze wrote in the letter that the daughter of the Wu family accidentally let the cat out of the bag after learning that the Fang family had ordered dragon and phoenix candles, and now the guests from both families are waiting to see them.
Xu Yunfan pouted, "When we get married, I'll be your partner. Don't worry, I'll make sure our wedding is a grand one."
"Is this thing troublesome to make?" Qin Run didn't ask for a big and lively wedding, he only cared about whether Xu Yunfan would be tired.
But Xu Yunfan knew that when he went to the capital, Qin Run's identity would be something that others could only dream of. As the son of a prince and a general, it went without saying how noble his status was. If he wanted to marry Qin Run, what would others think if the wedding was not grand enough?
Sometimes, as one's status and position increase, people become more fond of comparison. Although comparison is not advisable, Xu Yunfan will never let Qin Run be laughed at.
Also, when the time comes, the betrothal gifts and other things will probably drive him crazy.
Xu Yunfan now has only one idea, which is to make money and save up for the betrothal gift.
Thinking about this, Xu Yunfan said ambiguously: "It's not troublesome, but to say it's not troublesome actually tests my patience a bit."
Xu Yunfan spent several days to make a pair of dragon and phoenix candles. The golden-tailed phoenix and the circling golden dragon were carved by Xu Yunfan so vividly that they looked like the real thing. Qin Run opened his mouth so wide that he could almost fit an egg in it.
Li Liu envied, "No wonder those high-ranking officials would spend a fortune to light a pair of candles like this on their wedding night. Now that I've seen it, I understand what good value for money means."
Xu Yunfan laughed and teased, "When Sixth Brother gets married, I'll be your free match."
"Master, stop joking with me." Li Liu shook his head. His master was really not serious at all.
Xiaobao stood on tiptoe with his hands on the edge of the table, his round eyes fixed on the dragon and phoenix candles on the table, "Father, when Xiaobao gets married in the future, can you also be good to Xiaobao?"
"Good thing you." Xu Yunfan slapped Xiaobao's mushroom head and said earnestly: "If you want it, do it yourself. Don't count on me for everything. If you bite my old things in the future, I will beat your butt until it blooms. Do you believe it? You have to learn from your father, me. I am knowledgeable and have a strong memory. I am clever and dexterous. Starting from scratch is not a problem. Snakes have their own ways, and rats have their own ways. People with ability have many ways to make money and will never starve to death. In the future, I can only give you a start-up fund. Don't expect anything else. If you want to think about the little things of your father, I will beat you to death. If anyone of you fights for that little bit of property in the future, I will beat the big ones first and then the small ones, and finally let you all leave the house."
Xiaobao muttered in a baby voice, "Father just loves to brag!"
Qin An and Qin Mu joined in the fun, "Brother, will you make it for us in the future?"
Xu Yunfan touched Qin An and Qin Mu's heads and said gently, "Of course you are my brothers-in-law."
Qin Run shook his head and sighed when he saw Xu Yunfan's different treatment of the three children. Xu Yunfan was really rough with Xiaobao, but he was very willing to do whatever he wanted with Qin An and Qin Mu. Sometimes, Xiaobao was just a by-product. Usually, when Xu Yunfan played with Xiaobao, Xiaobao was always the one who got cheated. Fortunately, Xiaobao had a good attitude and didn't take it seriously, otherwise the child would probably become autistic.
The dragon and phoenix candles were made, the New Year had passed, and a letter arrived from Zhang Jing. Regarding the dancers he had asked him to keep an eye out for, Zhang Jing had found him a few, including three women and three boys.
Zhang Jing handed the six indentures to Xu Yunfan. "Some of these people were orphans, while others were sold to the Willow Land when they were young. We won't talk about their past experiences, but these six people have been dancing since they were young, so their backgrounds are relatively clean."
"Oh, in that case, will the brothel owner let them go?" Xu Yunfan had met six people before, and they were all quite pretty. With such looks, the brothel owner probably wouldn't let them go easily.
Zhang Jing laughed and said, "The madam doesn't want to let them go, but they're all selling their art instead of their bodies. They've saved up money for over a decade to redeem themselves. Now that money's in their pocket, it's theirs. Why would the madam keep the money and not take it? Why would she keep it to herself and cause unpleasantness?"
Since these people had clean identities, Xu Yunfan handed over the money and took them away.
However, Xu Yunfan did not leave the people in Dali Village, but asked Xu Yi and others to take them to the capital.
Before leaving, Xu Yunfan assigned the task, and Xu Yi and his companions followed suit and carried out their tasks.
Something happened to the Qi family caravan. The Fang family and other outsiders were unaware of this. However, as good friends of Qi Xiu Ze, Xie Baizhou and the others definitely knew about it. When they learned that the dragon and phoenix candles made by Xu Yunfan had been delivered, the young masters who usually slept until noon got up early in the morning and ran to the Qi family.
When Xu Yi handed the dragon and phoenix candle to Qi Yuanyang, Qi Yuanyang took a few breaths and carefully opened the box.
Several heads immediately came forward.
After a long while, someone cursed, "Damn it, we've been ripped off."
Look at the dragon and phoenix candles in the box. The dragon is a dragon and the phoenix is a phoenix. Not to mention how noble and majestic their golden color is, just looking at their shapes, they completely conform to the domineering posture of the dragon and phoenix in their minds.
But the dragon and phoenix candles they bought from the neighboring country at a huge cost are a perfect match with the ones made by Xu Yunfan. There is really no harm without comparison.
The dragon and phoenix candles I bought from my neighboring country were simply carved by an artist onto the candles and then decorated with other decorations. However, since the candles themselves were cylindrical, it was probably difficult for the artist to express himself, and the carved dragons and phoenixes were barely passable, which was indeed a bit perfunctory.
Look at the pair made by Xu Yunfan, they are lifelike, every phoenix feather and the look of looking down on the world are all vivid, the dragon and phoenix seem to be attracted and hovering above them, so realistic and fascinating.
"Father, this..." Qi Xiufu wanted to keep it for himself. After all, he was a man and he would get married one day.
Qi Yuanyang closed the box with a snap, his mouth twitching, "Don't have any evil ideas, this kind of thing is not accepted in our family." Although he was reluctant, as a businessman, how could he go back on his word.
Qi Xiuyuan: "Father, it seems Xu Yunfan really knows a lot. If this pair of dragon and phoenix candles is really sold to the Fang family, I guess we will have guests coming to our house again."
"Yeah." Qi Xiufu thought, it would be fine if Xu Yunfan could mass-produce, but when they cooperated on the candles, that guy didn't say anything much. It was estimated that he would not be able to make more of this thing. In this way, without exposing Xu Yunfan, they would offend people again.
Last time about the fireworks incident, some people were saying that the Qi family looked down on them, so they kept it a secret and didn’t say anything for them. It would have been fine, but they didn’t even tell anyone. What does this mean?
In their opinion, who would be so stupid as to turn away money that is delivered to their door?
Later it was learned that the fireworks were brought to Mr. Qi by Xu Yunfan and were not made by him himself, so those who were not in the know did not say much.
Xie Baizhou and the others were all amazed when they saw this. "Wow, our brothers actually have such skills!"
"You really can't judge a person by his appearance." Shen Ruxi thought to himself, if he had Xu Yunfan's ability, then why would he be a teacher? Wouldn't it be better to make a fortune with this skill than to receive a monthly salary of twenty taels?
Xu Yunfan knows a lot, but he is not only motivated but also has lofty goals. Alas, compared with Xu Yunfan, these unmotivated people are really ashamed of themselves.
After Xu Yi and his companions delivered the goods to Qi Mansion, they did not stay long and rode back to the farm. Because there were too many pedestrians on the street, they had to slow down. When they saw a luxurious carriage, he had seen many such carriages when he was with the prince before, and there was nothing worth being amazed or curious about. For some reason, Xu, who was walking in front, looked over subconsciously.
Xu Yi and his group were all dressed in the same color uniform, and Xu Yunfan was a man who knew how to show off. He used all the money earned from the restaurant in the first half month of opening to buy him more than a dozen horses. Even the wrist guards and belts on Xu Yi and his group were customized by him personally. Needless to say, when Xu Yi and his group put them on, the effect was very impressive.
Each of them holds the reins in one hand, a bow in the other, and a quiver on the back. Even on a busy street, the group is still ready to go, like a beast crawling in the grass, ready to give its prey a fatal blow at any time. The whole team gives off a sense of oppression that keeps strangers away, and pedestrians on the road can't help but step aside when seeing this.
Upon learning that his grandson had been found and would be coming to Beijing soon, Lord Qin was radiant and went out for several days just to decorate a room for his grandson.
On the way back home, Lord Qin had a smile on his face. He lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked out. The New Year had passed, but the festive atmosphere was still there. The streets were bustling with people taking their young children out for a stroll and the hawking of small vendors. These were all part of the daily lives of the lower-class people. Lord Qin listened and watched, but he didn't feel bored.
As Lord Qin was watching, he suddenly saw a group of people riding horses in front of him. Who was this family? He seemed to have never seen them before. Driven by curiosity, he turned his head and saw a familiar face.
With just one glance, Lord Qin seemed to be frozen in place. When he came to his senses, he hurriedly turned his head to look back, but the figure on horseback had quickly disappeared from his sight. At that moment, Lord Qin felt a heartache that made his whole body tremble, so much so that his voice inevitably trembled: "Turn around, turn around..."
The guard driving the carriage outside didn't know why his master was so anxious. He couldn't wait any longer and jumped off the carriage without caring about his own safety without waiting for the carriage to turn around.
Lord Qin stumbled twice, ignoring his twisted ankle, and ran forward anxiously. The guards saw him and hurried to catch up, "Lord, what are you doing?"
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