This is Hong Xiaoduo's second Spring Festival in this dynasty. Compared to the last time at Dawuguan, there is one more person, Feiyan.
It was much more lively than that time, and the economic conditions were much better than a year ago.
That year, we spent the New Year in an inn. Look at us now, we can even afford to rent a house for the New Year.
Looking at the table full of dishes, there was a truly abundant feast of chicken, duck, fish, mutton, and beef, and even several kinds of drinks.
Although the only regret this Chinese New Year was the absence of Kaiyang, everyone was happy for Kaiyang.
Everyone says that one misses their loved ones even more during festivals, but Hong Xiaoduo still felt no sadness at all. So what if she was in modern times? Her father had one family, and her mother had one family. No matter who she spent the festival with, she always felt like the one who was superfluous.
Unlike now, it's so lively and the atmosphere is so nice. We're not related by blood, but we're like family.
After finishing their New Year's Eve dinner, Hong Xiaoduo took out the lucky money she had prepared and distributed it to Aping. He was clearly taken aback, genuinely not expecting to receive one, and it looked no different from everyone else's.
The identical red brocade pouches were placed in the bamboo basket; she just picked one up casually and gave it to him, and the one she gave him wasn't placed separately.
When he received the brocade bag, it felt like a gold ingot. Aping was too embarrassed to open it right away, but Yaoguang and the others opened it with smiles. Only then did he follow suit and see that his New Year's money was exactly the same as everyone else's. It consisted of two five-tael silver ingots, as well as some loose silver and copper coins.
"This is New Year's money. We'll get up early tomorrow to pay New Year's visits, and there will be more red envelopes," Tianquan whispered to Aping, who was sitting next to him.
"Alright, after you've cleaned up the dishes, I'll take you to get some fun toys," Hong Xiaoduo said with a smile, looking at the little money-grubbers.
As soon as the words were spoken, the little ones immediately got up and rushed to tidy up.
"You take them out to play, I'll take care of the chores," Fei Yan said with a smile.
“It’ll be done quickly if we all work together, why should you suffer all by yourself?” Hong Xiaoduo said, as she also helped with tidying up.
Upon hearing this, Feiyan said nothing more.
When she first followed her, she thought she would be a maidservant to repay her kindness. But she was never treated like a servant. Feiyan felt that her background was unfortunate, but also fortunate, because she had met her.
Soon, the table was tidied up, and Tianxuan washed the dishes in a few minutes.
Following Hong Xiaoduo's instructions, Quan Jinghuai and his eldest apprentice moved the long table outside the hall, set out dried fruits and snacks, and Feiyan boiled water to prepare tea.
"Mom, everything's packed. Where are the fun things to do?" Yao Guang rushed over and asked anxiously.
Hong Xiaoduo smiled and looked at Quan Jinghuai, saying, "Big brother, let's go, help us move it."
"Move?" Quan Jinghuai was very puzzled. What toys had she prepared for the children that required his help to "move" them?
When they arrived at the storeroom and saw the huge pile of things inside, Quan Jinghuai and his disciples were dumbfounded.
Several large objects were set off on the ground; they had seen them elsewhere and called them fireworks.
Generally, these fireworks are only purchased for major festivals, royal families, officials, and wealthy and powerful families for their birthday banquets. They are a symbol of status and wealth and cannot be afforded by ordinary people.
But she actually prepared so much?
And when did you buy them? This whole pile would take a whole horse-drawn cart to haul, and nobody remembers it at all.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and move them! Tian Shu, you two carry one, and the rest of you carry the smaller ones. Fei Yan, you take the smaller ones." Hong Xiaoduo urged and directed as she picked up the largest one and headed out.
Hearing her urging, everyone snapped out of their daze and quickly started moving things out.
"Big brother, do you know when this was bought?" Tianji, who was carrying a firework with Tianshu, asked in a low voice.
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. Tell them all about it later. From now on, don't pry into anything she hasn't mentioned the source of."
"If outsiders ask, just say it was prepared by the master, and we don't know anything about it," Tian Shu said in a low voice with a warning.
Tianji didn't dare ask why and immediately agreed.
It took ten people, big and small, two trips to finally move all the stuff to the front of the hall.
Hong Xiaoduo gestured for everyone to sit down, then took the largest firework, found a safe distance to place it down, beckoned Tian Shu to come closer, lit an incense stick, and taught him how to light the fuse.
Tian Shu is considered both bold and meticulous, but since it was his first time lighting this thing, he was a little excited. His hand trembled and he tried to light the fuse several times but failed. Finally, he lit it, and Hong Xiaoduo called him to run back to the long table together.
With a muffled thud, a fireball-like object shot into the sky with a sharp whistling sound, then exploded in mid-air, blooming like a colorful chrysanthemum.
Before this one has even faded, another one appears, and another one appears.
Wow……
Wow...
Feiyan excitedly exclaimed when she heard the news.
Even Quan Jinghuai, who had once enjoyed the fireworks display in the capital, was incredibly shocked. This fireworks display was far more stunning and beautiful than any he had ever seen in the capital.
This firework had 30 launch tubes, and after the last chrysanthemum bloomed, the night sky was already filled with smoke.
Just as Hong Xiaoduo was about to hug the second one, Quan Jinghuai strode over, picked her up, and put her in her seat. Tian Shu quickly went over and lit the fuse.
As the master and apprentice hurried back to the table and turned to look at the night sky, they saw that the shape of this firework was different from the previous one. This one bloomed like a magnificent waterfall, which was even more spectacular and stunning.
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