On the night of the Lantern Festival, Nanjing was like a city that never sleeps, with lights twinkling and crowds of people everywhere.
The Dali Temple and the Jingzhao Yin dispatched a large number of constables to the busiest streets to maintain order, uphold justice, and protect the people.
On the city tower and the observation platform, there were personnel on guard, closely monitoring for any unusual activity, in preparation for any eventuality.
The busiest place tonight is the long street, which is not only filled with stalls selling all kinds of lanterns, but also with many street performers.
Even more extravagantly, there were floats from Liuxiang Pavilion parading through the streets, with dancers draped in thin veils gracefully dancing on the rooftops.
The unique silk and bamboo music of the Western Regions attracted many men, women, and children to watch. No one felt uncomfortable with the dancers' attire; most people watched with admiration.
Jiang Yue watched with great interest for a long time, which reminded her of the scenes she saw in TV dramas in her previous life. At that time, she was not on the ground, but she felt that the scene was beautiful and the characters were performed in a moving way.
But now that she's there in person, the audiovisual effects are truly breathtaking.
No wonder people say that Nanjing is a den of iniquity, where a thousand pieces of gold are spent to win a smile from a beautiful woman.
No wonder some female protagonists in palace intrigue and domestic dramas, whether through a rags-to-riches story or a natural talent for business, thrive and attract numerous men...
If she were a man, how could she not love beautiful women? How could she not love wealth? How could she not love power?
"Mom, I want that rabbit lantern!"
Qingyao looked around intently, her gaze finally settling on a blue rabbit lantern.
She remembered that rabbits' eyes were all red, so why was that one blue?
"Okay, Mom will take you to buy it."
Jiang Yue looked away and followed the direction her daughter was pointing.
It's a beautifully crafted jade rabbit with blue eyes, which looks very endearing. No wonder my daughter likes it.
"Uh-huh."
Qingyao nodded and smiled, revealing two small tiger teeth.
Jiang Yue affectionately took her daughter's hand, slowly weaving through the crowd to reach the stall, and asked:
"Boss, how much is this lantern?"
The boss was extremely busy, and upon hearing this, he glanced at the person who had asked the question and casually replied:
"One tael of silver."
"One ounce?"
Before her mother could speak, Qingyao exclaimed in surprise, then pulled her mother aside and whispered:
"Mom, this lamp is too expensive, let's not buy it!"
"Yaoyao, do you like this lamp?"
"I like it, but it's too expensive. In Peach Blossom County, this lamp is worth at most twenty copper coins. I know you have money, but this isn't how you spend it!"
After buying the lamp, my daughter's novelty wore off after tonight, and the lamp became meaningless.
Instead of spending an ounce of silver on this, we should spend the same amount on some good food so that more of our fellow villagers can enjoy it when we get home. That would be much more meaningful.
Qingyao said calmly, she was not going to be a sucker and make her mother spend one or two taels of silver to buy this lamp!
"Sorry to bother you~"
After listening to her daughter's words, Jiang Yue smiled and nodded, then apologized to the stall owner and left with her daughter.
"Tch, you poor wretch."
The stall owner was unimpressed. Tonight is the Lantern Festival, and many talented men and beautiful women will be meeting. His lanterns, let alone one or two taels, could sell for ten taels!
But will things really go as smoothly as he thinks?
"Old woman, look! It's breathing fire! What a skill!"
"Grandpa, please move aside, you're blocking my view!"
"You brat, don't move around! How are you going to get Uncle Xie to hold you steady?"
"No problem~"
"Be careful, there are too many people, Madam. Let me help you to a less crowded place."
"Okay, sure."
"Uncle Han, I see candied hawthorns!"
"Yes, I'll buy it."
"Giggle~"
......
In the teahouse with the best view along the street, a private room on the second floor has been reserved.
Qingshan helped his wife up, and they leaned against the window to watch the bustling scene of the long street.
Occasionally, you can even spot your own family members moving around in the crowd...
"Husband, child, you kicked me!"
"You brat, don't you dare bully your mother!"
"Husband, how did you know it would be a boy?"
"Sour for a boy, spicy for a girl. You've been eating sour foods a lot this time, and your belly is pointed, so it must be a boy."
What if this baby is a girl?
"Whether you're a young lady or not, Wan'er will definitely be a good older sister."
"Okay~"
"Shh, it's alright. The Da Shi family already has two sons. Besides, my second brother and sister-in-law are married, and they can have more children. Our family doesn't have a gold mine, so we don't need sons to inherit our wealth."
"My lord, how fortunate I am to be bound to you in this life!"
"It's all because of our mother; without her, we wouldn't have the good life we have today!"
"Yes, Mother will live to be a hundred!"
"must."
........
"Hurry up, brother-in-law!"
"Niannian, how dare you talk to your brother-in-law like that?"
"Sister, that's what I've always said, and it will always be the same, hehehe~"
"Brother-in-law, I want to eat wontons. Would you and my sister like a bowl too?"
"Waaaaah, Yueyue still feels sorry for her brother-in-law~"
"Boss, four bowls of wontons, please!"
"Okay~"
Qingsong's smile froze on his face. He and his wife, plus their two younger sisters-in-law, that's four bowls.
In the end, it was all for naught.
Waaaaah~
......
Since the matchmaking, Xu Miaoyun has chosen one of her father's two new favorite students as the one who caught her climbing over the wall last time.
Why?
In comparison, the other person, Changjun, seemed much more dull-witted and slow-witted.
The one named Qingyun was a bit more interesting. For example, the other party clearly recognized that she was the one who slapped him, but she didn't show it on the surface, as if nothing had happened.
The more this happened, the more interested she became, and the more she wanted to provoke the other party and challenge their bottom line!
After her father had chosen the right person for her, he earnestly advised her not to throw tantrums like a spoiled princess in the future, and then praised her for her good judgment.
Um?
Did her father think she judged people by their appearance?
Cough cough, is she that kind of person?
The Crown Prince often visits their Xu residence, but she remains unmoved. Wu Qingyun, in terms of appearance, is nowhere near as handsome as the Crown Prince.
Hmph, you underestimated her~
The mother smiled but said nothing. After she knew that the person had been chosen, she sent people to deliver many beautiful clothes and jewelry.
Tonight, at the lantern festival, her mother told her to dress up nicely and stroll through the festival with her chosen person. That way, her father could easily arrange their marriage tomorrow...
So, dressed beautifully, she reached out her hand in full view of everyone, signaling for the other person to help her down from the carriage.
Qingyun frowned, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with being so affectionate with a young woman in front of everyone.
Therefore, he whispered:
"It's only a short distance, you can just jump down."
"No, that would be impolite!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Miaoyun glared at him angrily. It was so high, if she jumped down, wouldn't she have any dignity left?
"trouble."
Qingyun's heart was beating a little fast. He had never been so intimate with any girl other than his sister before; it was truly...
I'm at a loss.
"Hold on tight."
He extended his hand, revealing a warm and indulgent smile; anyone would think the two were very close...
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