Chapter 130
In the evening, the entire Qingquan County streets are hung with colorful lanterns. There is no curfew tonight, and every household in Qingquan is ready to come out to watch the lanterns and celebrate the Lantern Festival.
Lin Qingyuan was clamoring to leave quickly. Lin Shuge brought a few bowls of glutinous rice balls and said, "We've been busy all afternoon. Why don't you try the glutinous rice balls you made?"
Lin Qingyuan then sat down, picked up a bowl of glutinous rice balls and started eating. Lin Shuge also called on Xie Chen and Lin Xuan, who were watching the show, to try it quickly. After tasting, they went out to watch the lanterns.
In the afternoon, the whole family worked together to make two kinds of glutinous rice balls with different fillings. One was filled with black sesame, mixed with sesame honey, and ground into a quicksand-like state. Softened lard was then added as the filling. It was very sweet at first bite, and the filling flowed into the mouth, sweet but not greasy, with the fragrance of sesame, the richness of lard and the softness of glutinous rice, which was very memorable.
There is also another type with jujube paste filling, which is very finely beaten, and tastes soft and sweet, complementing the smoothness of glutinous rice.
After eating the dumplings, Lin Shuge waved his hand and announced that everyone could go out. Lin Qingyuan and Lin Xuan had been waiting for this sentence for a long time. Upon hearing this, they ran out with the lights in their hands. Lin Shuge could only remind them loudly to be careful.
Xie Chen was still refilling his second bowl, "Brother, don't worry. There are so many officers and soldiers checking everything tonight, nothing will go wrong."
Seeing that he was enjoying his meal, Lin Shuge thought that Zhongxuan was really supportive and that it was worth it for him to make the meal with all his tired hands.
"Zhongxuan, let's go after we finish eating." Lin Shuge supported his face with his hands and looked at him. Suddenly, a spoon filled with glutinous rice balls appeared beside his mouth. "Brother, have another one."
Lin Shuge ate it with a red face. Xie Chen chuckled, "Brother is always shy. It's just the two of us, and no one can see it."
As soon as he finished speaking, he was lectured by the furious Lin Shuge, from how he didn't restrain himself and was almost caught by Lin Xuan to the last time he was seen by A'er. Xie Chen ate while listening to the scolding. He had a smile on his face, but when he heard A'er, he showed a hint of anger.
Lin Shuge realized that he had said something wrong and stopped to look at him. Xie Chen did not react much, but whispered that he wanted to finish eating quickly so that he could go to see the lanterns.
After what happened last time, Lin Shuge was a little angry with A'er. But when A'er saw him later, he made jokes, apologized and made amends, saying that he was just joking with him and asked him and Xie Chen not to bother with him. Lin Shuge didn't know what to say.
"Brother, it's getting late, let's go." Xie Chen stood up and put the dishes into the kitchen, then took something out of the room and hid it behind him, and put it in front of Lin Shuge when he came out.
At this time, the afterglow of the sun had been swallowed up by the darkness, the full moon had risen, and the faint light spread all over the earth. The lamp in Xie Chen's hand looked bright and dreamy in the darkness. It was actually a rabbit-shaped lamp. Lin Shuge remembered the things Xie Chen had given him in the past, many of which had rabbits in them. How much did he like rabbits?
"Is this for me?" Lin Shuge looked at Xie Chen with sparkling eyes.
Xie Chen lowered his head and kissed him before saying, "Someone gave me a lantern, and this is my return gift to my sweetheart."
Perhaps the darkness stimulated Lin Shuge's courage. He suddenly rushed forward and hugged Xie Chen. Xie Chen was holding a lamp in his hand and could only support him with one hand. "Are you going to throw yourself into my arms, my sweetheart?"
"So do you want it or not?"
"You're already in my arms, how can I refuse?" Xie Chen lowered his head and was about to kiss her. There was a commotion outside and someone was shouting "Captain".
The two of them separated with red faces. Lin Shuge took the lamp from him and watched Xie Chen also take the Ruihe Lantern he had given him, and they walked out together.
"The lanterns you two masters have are so beautiful." He Xin said as soon as he saw them. The rabbit lantern was cute and exquisite, and the auspicious crane lantern had an elegant posture. He knew at a glance that they must have been gifts from the two to each other.
Xie Chen looked at everyone and patted He Xin and Lao Zhang on the shoulders, "Perform well tonight."
"The response to our Cuju game this afternoon was very good. Tonight is just a free competition. If you perform well, will Lord Lin give you a reward?" Old Zhang shouted.
"Okay, as long as we perform well tonight, everyone will have a chance." Lin Shuge said with a smile.
"Brother, don't listen to what they say."
"Sir, this is not right. Sir Lin is here, so of course we should listen to him. Don't you agree?" The soldiers laughed and shouted "Yes".
Xie Chen sent away Old Zhang, who was looking for fun and was not afraid of getting involved, and asked him to go ahead with the soldiers. He and Lin Shuge walked out of the county government office holding lanterns.
There are different types of lanterns hanging on the street, including Panchi lanterns, bat lanterns, flower and grass lanterns, and other lanterns of various colors and shapes hanging all over the street. There were crowds of people, and pedestrians were holding various lanterns in their hands, making the entire street as bright as day.
Lin Shuge stopped in front of a Panchi lantern, which was later called a revolving lantern. The paper spokes turned and the objects moved with the scenery. Several shadows of paintings appeared in the flickering candlelight, chasing each other, like a dream or illusion.
"Brother, do you like this lamp?" Xie Chen asked.
"I've heard of it before, but this is the first time I've seen it. It just seems novel to me. Let's go, let's hurry over there." Lin Shuge urged.
Xie Chen glanced at the lantern and said nothing more.
When they walked to a place, they saw a crowd of people, and the people spontaneously surrounded a place. Lin Shuge said to Xie Chen: "It's time to start."
As he was talking, someone came out and said, "It's a festive occasion. There are two Cuju teams in Qingquan County that have not yet decided the winner this afternoon. The adults thought that today would be a lively day, so they invited the two teams to hold a white-ball competition for everyone to enjoy and have fun with the people."
The Baida competition is equivalent to the later fancy football. It consists of two teams with equal number of players. The players take turns to perform, using any part of their body except their hands to push the ball. The team whose ball lands first loses.
As he spoke, people came out from both sides. On one side was Lao Zhang, followed by four others, each holding a round ball in their hands. On the other side was He Xin, with the same configuration as Lao Zhang, followed by four people holding balls.
The people outside the stadium were extremely excited and spontaneously split into two groups. They were obviously people who had watched the game in the afternoon.
With the sound of a gong, Lao Zhang threw the ball up, and the round ball passed from one arm to the other. Then he shook his shoulders and passed it to his chest. He used his chest to push it several times but it didn't fall to the ground. The people watching the performance immediately cheered.
"I didn't realize that Lao Zhang's Cuju skills are so good?" Lin Shuge said.
"Brother, you don't know, but he has to participate in every Cuju competition in the army. He has participated in it so many times, and I would be embarrassed for him if he didn't perform well." Xie Chen said.
There was another round of cheers from the side. It turned out to be He Xin. Unlike Lao Zhang, he started with his feet, and bounced dozens of times in a row without any effort. The competition was so exciting right from the beginning, and the people were naturally happy to watch it.
"How come He Xin is so powerful? Not all of your subordinates are masters, right? What about Zhong Xuan, I have never seen your skills." Lin Shuge looked at Xie Chen curiously.
"Let brother see it later." Xie Chen said in a low voice with a puzzled look.
Lin Shuge thought for a while and said, "Zhongxuan, you can try this kind of competition in the army. Divide the soldiers into two teams, set up guards on both sides, and then the two teams compete in shooting. The team that scores the most goals wins. This form of competition can better test the coordination ability of the team members." It is just like the ball-building competition in later generations.
"It's a good idea. It's more fun than the military drama. I'll organize one in the spring. Brother, you have to come and watch."
As the two were talking, the competition on the stage was in full swing. Judging from the situation, the team led by He Xin had good coordination and more advanced skills, and they seemed to be winning.
"Brother, which team do you think will win?" Xie Chen asked with a smile.
"It looks like He Xin's team has the upper hand."
Someone nearby said, "That's not necessarily true. Maybe the red team will win." The red team referred to Lao Zhang's team.
Someone immediately retorted: "It's obviously the yellow team that's leading. It must be the yellow team."
In an instant, the people in the surrounding areas refused to give in to each other and cheered for the team they supported. The sound spread far away, and people in the distance heard the excitement here and began to crowd over here.
"Brother, there are more and more people, let's go over there." Xie Chen said while protecting Lin Shuge with one hand.
"good."
As soon as he walked out of the intersection, he heard thunderous applause from behind. It turned out that the competition had been decided. Lin Shuge looked back and saw the referee holding up Lao Zhang's hand high. Lao Zhang's team actually turned defeat into victory.
"Old Zhang is good at hiding his weaknesses. Every time the army plays Cuju, he will keep a trick up his sleeve. His advantage is not obvious in the early stage, but he becomes more and more courageous in the later stages. Every time the soldiers play Cuju, they don't like to play against him." Xie Chen took the initiative to explain.
Lin Shuge sighed, "No wonder it wasn't obvious just now, so this is the case."
"Brother, look over there." Xie Chen pointed to a place, and saw flowing light, iron trees and silver flowers, like thousands of stars falling, dazzling and brilliant. It turned out that this was the scene when the east wind blew thousands of flowers at night. There were many young ladies around, and they were shocked when they saw this scene.
"I originally thought that such an effect could not be achieved." Lin Shuge laughed. He had only seen it once in modern times and could only rely on the description of the craftsman based on what he had seen. Fortunately, the craftsman had good understanding and craftsmanship, so it was a feast for the eyes.
Seeing the nostalgic look on Lin Shuge's face, Xie Chen couldn't help but ask, "Brother, have you seen him before?"
Lin Shuge looked at him, his eyes moved slightly, and he nodded.
Suddenly there was a commotion on the street. The two turned around and saw that people were dancing dragons and lions, beating gongs and drums. It was very lively. A crowd came over. Xie Chen pulled Lin Shuge and strode forward.
The lights were dimming, and the two held hands through their sleeves, "Brother, wait for me."
After Xie Chen finished speaking, he dodged and Lin Shuge called out to him several times but to no avail. He could only stand in the distance and wait. After an unknown amount of time, a clear bell rang out. He looked in the direction of the sound. The moon was as cool as water. Xie Chen stood tall with a revolving lantern in his hand. He got closer and closer. Lin Shuge could only see his figure and the pattern on the lantern becoming clearer and clearer under the cover of the night.
"Did you go buy a lamp?" Lin Shuge asked.
"I just heard the stall owner say that if you guess the riddles, you can win this lantern, so I'll give it to my brother." Xie Chen said in a soft voice with a smile.
Lin Shuge looked up at him and said, "I like both of them. As long as they are given by you, I like them all."
Xie Chen had an obvious smile on his lips. He leaned over and kissed him on the lips. Lin Shuge's eyes gradually became blurred. He didn't notice that Xie Chen was looking into the distance, his eyes full of provocation.
Opposite the two of them, someone stared at the scene in a daze, and then left in dismay.
It was Taran and Ale.
Xie Chen watched A'er chasing after Taran with a slightly cold look in his eyes, but when his gaze turned to Lin Shuge, his eyes became warm again.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
