Chapter 63: The Lushanyang Spring Festival (Part One)

People from every corner of Xiaohe Township flocked to Lushang Town, turning it into a bustling and exceptionally lively sea of people.

Scattered firecracker sounds echoed everywhere in Lushang Town. A group of mischievous urchins lit a firecracker in the corner of a public latrine, tossed it inside, and scattered with a roar of laughter. From within the latrine came a muffled "Bang!" explosion, followed by an old man clutching his trousers as he roared out in fury...

Both sides of the official roadway were occupied by stalls of all sizes, packed closely together. A wide variety of novel trinkets attracted clusters of men and women, young and old.

Vendors selling small snacks, needles and thread, wild pheasants and ducks, melon seeds and fruits, various cheap pieces of jewelry, and daily necessities...

At the entrance of the Yichun Brothel, a group of young women dressed in bright reds and greens, led by the madam, were aggressively arguing with a vendor pushing a wooden ox-cart loaded with sundries. The ox-cart was blocking their doorway and cutting off their business.

However, the small-peddler stalls could not hold the interest of the young scholars. They dashed swiftly through the small town toward the Earth God Temple at the northernmost edge.

"Brother Qing!"

Hearing someone call his name from the side, Li Yanqing turned his head to see Aunt Gu waving at him. Aunt Gu’s home was not far from his own; ever since Uncle Hu’s family moved away, they had become his closest neighbors.

"What is Auntie doing here?" Li Yanqing ran over and asked with a smile.

Aunt Gu beamed and said, "We happened to raise a few chickens and ducks at home, so I seized this opportunity to bring them here to sell. Would Brother Qing like to buy a couple of chickens to take home and nourish yourself?"

Only then did Li Yanqing notice the two bamboo cages placed at Aunt Gu’s feet, containing a dozen chickens and ducks.

"Alright! Why don't you take a few chickens and ducks over to Uncle Zhong's place?"

Aunt Gu’s face blossomed into a wide smile. "As expected of our Brother Qing, always so straightforward!"

"Auntie, where are Uncle and Zhuzi and the others?"

"Zhuzi was roped in by the village head to beat the drum, and your uncle... Oh! He was right here just a moment ago."

Aunt Gu searched around for her husband, only to find him hiding in a corner, craning his neck and grinning foolishly as he stared at a group of courtesans from the Yichun Brothel. Seized with sudden fury, she marched over and grabbed her husband by the ear. "If you dare look over there again, watch out or this old lady will pluck your eyeballs out!"

Li Yanqing stuck out his tongue, feeling as though he had meddled too much. He called out loudly, "Auntie, just take the chickens and ducks to my house, and I'll have Uncle Zhong pay you later."

With that, he slipped away like a wisp of smoke...

The Earth God Temple was located at the northernmost edge of the small town, near the foot of Mount Lu and not far from the Li Family ancestral hall. The Earth God Temple was a very small structure dedicated to the Earth God of Xiaohe Township.

However, in front of the temple lay an open clearing of several hundred mu. This was both the villagers' threshing ground and the cultural and recreational center of Xiaohe Township, where various festivals and celebrations were held.

The grand curtain of the Xiaohe Township Spring Festival rose right here. Canopy tents for the continuous feast were set up all around the open clearing. All thirteen villages had their own arenas, and in front of every canopy, two or three young fellows pounded frantically on gongs and drums, trying to overwhelm the others with sheer momentum.

Li Yanqing found the canopy tent belonging to Liwen Village. Compared to the neighboring Zhao Family Village, Liwen Village's tent was slightly smaller, but it was much larger than Qianshan Village's—truly better than some, even if falling short of others.

The great drum of Liwen Village was mounted under a large tree. Aunt Gu's son, Gu Dazhu, was hammering the drum with all his might. Broad-shouldered and powerfully built, he was only seventeen years old, exceptionally honest and hardworking, spending his days farming the fields alongside his father.

"Zhuzi, want to swap turns?" Li Yanqing stepped forward, rubbing his hands together and asking with a smile.

"I've only just started. The village head was looking for you a moment ago; he's inside the tent."

The former head of Liwen Village was Li Zhen, the father of Li Er. After Li Zhen was promoted to chief bailiff, the headship of Liwen Village was taken over by Jiaotou Li Dayin. Not yet forty years old this year, Li Dayin was remarkably lean, standing in sharp contrast to his tall and robust brother, Li Guang. His family lived at the eastern end of the village and possessed over a hundred mu of prime paddy fields, making them a fairly wealthy household in the village.

At that moment, Li Dayin was sitting at a table chatting with several guests. Li Yanqing stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Did Third Uncle look for me for something?"

"Qing'er has come just in time!"

Li Dayin introduced him to a couple in their thirties sitting nearby. "This is Master Qin and his wife, coming from Tangbei Township. Master Qin's wife is from our Xiaohe Township, and according custom, she is visiting her maiden home today."

He then introduced Li Yanqing to the couple, "This is the Brother Qing you were asking about."

Seeing that they were brightly dressed, affluent in appearance, and well-groomed—especially with Madam Qin wearing a face-shielding veil—it was evident they were a prominent family from Tangbei Township. Li Yanqing quickly bowed and offered his greetings, "Yanqing pays his respects to Master Qin and Madam!"

The couple looked Li Yanqing up and down carefully. In particular, Madam Qin lifted her veil to scrutinize Li Yanqing from head to toe. Exchanging glances, the couple was clearly very satisfied with him.

Especially since Li Yanqing addressed her as "Madam," it showed him to be well-read and respectful of elders, unlike Li Dayin who crudely referred to his own wife simply as "the old woman."

"Is the young master still studying at the Lushang Academy?" Master Qin asked with a smile.

Li Yanqing respectfully replied, "In two days, Yanqing will take the examination for the county school."

"With the young master's talent, passing the county school should be no problem at all, and passing the provincial examination in a couple of years will be a breeze. I hope the young master will study diligently and one day pass the imperial examinations to bring honor to his ancestors."

"Thank you, Master Qin, for your encouragement!"

"I heard your honored father is not at home. Do you know when he will return?"

"My father is in Anyang County and will be back before long."

"Oh! That is somewhat regrettable."

Hesitating for a moment, Li Yanqing asked, "Did Master Qin have business with my father?"

Master Qin was named Qin Xuan. His grandfather had once served as a vice-prefect, and his family was the wealthiest clan in Tangbei County second only to the Zhang family. He maintained a good relationship with Li Yanqing's maternal grandfather, Ding Zhong. Eager to form a connection with the Qin family, Ding Zhong had proactively proposed a marriage alliance with Qin Xuan.

Yet his own sons and grandsons were all good-for-nothings whom the Qin family looked down upon. Thus, he thought of his maternal grandson, Li Yanqing, and wished to have Li Yanqing marry Qin Xuan's daughter.

Hearing that Li Yanqing was a child prodigy from five years ago, Qin Xuan was actually quite tempted. Seizing the opportunity of his wife returning to visit her family for the Spring Festival, he decided to take a look at Li Yanqing in person. Being a relatively open-minded man, he also hoped his daughter would be satisfied with him.

Qin Xuan chuckled, turned around, and beckoned, "Man'er, come over here."

Li Yanqing had long since noticed a young maiden standing nearby, though he had felt too shy to look closely. Now that the maiden stepped forward and stood bashfully behind her mother, Li Yanqing finally got a clear look at her appearance.

She appeared to be around twelve or thirteen years old, remarkably tall, wearing her hair in double-looped buns adorned with a large red pomegranate silk flower. With an oval face, a pair of delicate, curved eyebrows, and a very refined appearance, she wore a red-faced, white-bottomed beizi jacket made of fine silk.

"This is my little daughter, Man'er,"

Qin Xuan introduced Li Yanqing to his daughter, "He is the maternal grandson of Magistrate Ding, and once won first place at the Children's Association."

Li Yanqing felt his heart skip a beat. He instantly recalled the message his master had passed along to him—could she possibly be the young maiden arranged for him to meet in marriage?!

Qin Man'er cast a stealthy glance at Li Yanqing, her face instantly turning as crimson as fire, and quickly averted her gaze.

At that moment, the panting voices of Wang Gu and Tang Huai came from the doorway of the canopy. "Old Li, we've been searching everywhere for you!"

Catching sight of Li Yanqing at last, Wang Gu and Tang Huai ducked in under the edge of the canopy, ran up to him, and complained, "What are you hiding in here for?"

Only then did the two notice the Qin couple before them, and when they looked up to see the blushing Qin Man'er, both of them froze in astonishment.

"Since you have guests, we won't disturb you."

The two turned to slip away, but Li Yanqing hurriedly grabbed them, turning to Qin Xuan and Madam Qin to say, "If the two elders have no further instructions, this junior will take his leave."

"Go on, go on!" Qin Xuan laughed heartily. "We mustn't delay your Spring Festival outings."

Bowing, Li Yanqing hurried away. At that moment, seeing another guest arrive at the entrance, Li Dayin stood up to welcome them.

Only then did Qin Xuan softly ask his wife, "Madam, what do you think of him?"

Madam Qin thought for a moment and said, "I always feel he lacks something compared to Master Xian. Perhaps their family statuses aren't quite evenly matched!"

Madam Qin pulled her precious daughter closer and asked, "Man'er, what do you think?"

Qin Man'er was somewhat annoyed that Li Yanqing hadn't paid her any mind and left without even a greeting. Her pretty face darkened, and she said coldly, "Daughter thinks he is still just an immature child!"

Qin Xuan had formed a fairly good impression of Li Yanqing, but since neither his wife nor his daughter was particularly satisfied, he had no choice but to drop this matchmaking prospect.

Looking at the villagers chatting animatedly all around, he stood up and said, "It's too noisy and cluttered here; this isn't a place for us to linger. Let's go!"

The three of them, accompanied by two maidservants, departed through the rear exit of the canopy tent.

......

[Old Gao drew inspiration for writing about the Spring Festival from poetic descriptions. Lu Xun's "Village Opera" in the past was also about the Spring Festival. Even now, many places still celebrate it. Whether Old Gao has portrayed it accurately or not, all beautiful things are worth cherishing. Once again, I ask everyone for votes!]