Chapter 92 Lantern Festival

Li Daoxuan was quite busy on the Lantern Festival.

Not only was the Li family compound filled with lanterns, but the young masters and young ladies also started making flower lanterns.

The eldest brother Li Mingda made a fish lantern, which looked quite lively after being painted with flower paper. The second sister Li Changying made a lotus lantern, with blessings written on all four sides and a marriage matchmaker sitting in the middle, which was quite thoughtful. The children born to the other concubines also made lanterns of various forms. Such a lively scene was rare in the previous life.

After all, with the development of urbanization, people become colder and some traditions will naturally become indifferent.

People are no longer the same as they used to be, and things are no longer the same as they used to be. No one can tell what is good or bad.

However, Li Daoxuan really liked this festive atmosphere, and even the maids and servants at home would make lanterns and pray for blessings. One can imagine how lively the streets and alleys of Jinling and the Qinhuai River would be at night.

Although his craftsmanship was not very good, Li Daoxuan still made a jade rabbit lantern. He simply wrote the word "Fu", which looked quite elegant, and was also a reward for his diligent calligraphy practice in recent days.

I was pasting paper-cut patterns on lanterns in the yard when I heard a little girl's childish and timid voice behind me: "Third brother, can you help me too?"

Li Daoxuan turned around when he heard the voice and saw a girl wearing a light blue dress and pigtails.

She has a pair of big black eyes that are very attractive, a beautiful nose and a small mouth, and is well-behaved and cute. She has inherited the good qualities of the second concubine and will be a beauty when she grows up. Especially the cinnabar mole between her eyebrows, which is really eye-catching.

Li Daoxuan knew her, after all, he had met her many times at family dinners. She was the second concubine's child, named Li Yuzhen, only ten years old this year, and had a five-year-old sister who was very smart. The two sisters were not very popular with the second concubine, and she could always be heard scolding the children on weekdays.

It was said that she had given birth to two money-losing girls, who were neither favored nor able to carry on the family line. His disdain was evident in his words, and Li Daoxuan felt sorry for these two illegitimate sisters.

After all, no matter whether it is a boy or a girl, they are their own flesh and blood, born after ten months of pregnancy. Why should they be treated so harshly?

But in this era, everything seems so natural.

Li Daoxuan bent down to wipe the sweat off his sister's head, looked at her with a smile and asked, "Ah Zhen, how can I help you?"

Li Yuzhen handed over a woven lantern, with a hint of nervousness on her quiet face: "I, I heard that my third brother is a Taoist priest, so I want him to help write a few words and pray for blessings."

After she finished speaking, anxiety appeared in her eyes. Li Daoxuan looked at her and understood that she was worried about being rejected but also had some expectations.

So Li Daoxuan took the lantern in her hand and took a closer look. It was a crudely made lantern. A few bamboo ribs were simply tied together and forced towards the lotus. It was obvious that the person who made this lantern had put a lot of effort into it, but it still lacked some craftsmanship.

"You did it?"

"Yeah." Li Yuzhen nodded seriously.

"Well done." Li Daoxuan praised.

The little white face showed a look of joy, but she tried her best not to show it. Her little hands kept pinching the handkerchief, which showed how happy the little girl was to receive praise.

"What do you want to write?" Li Daoxuan asked with his head down.

"do not know."

“Then I’ll just write whatever I want.”

"it is good."

He picked up a pen and wrote the word "Ankang" on the lantern. He then chose another side and pasted two "Fu" stickers on it. He shook it in his hand. Compared with the plain lantern just now, it had more colors and looked much more refined.

Li Yuzhen opened his eyes wide and stared at the words on the lantern for a long time.

"Do you know him?" Li Daoxuan asked with a smile.

"I don't know him." Li Yuzhen shook her head, her pigtails swinging rapidly.

After hearing what she said, Li Daoxuan finally realized that the second concubine probably disliked her daughters, so she did not let her two daughters go to school to learn to read, even though the Li family did not lack the money to hire a teacher.

Li Daoxuan reached out and rubbed Li Yuzhen's head, and said in a gentle voice: "These two words are pronounced 'Ankang'."

"Ankang?"

"Yes, it means safe and healthy."

"So that's how it is. I wish you peace and health." "An, Kang." Li Yuzhen looked at the two words on the lantern seriously.

"Third brother, you are so awesome."

"Why is Third Brother so powerful?" Li Daoxuan said with a smile.

"He can read and write. He can also cast spells and catch monsters. Third brother is the most powerful one." Li Yuzhen's words amused Li Daoxuan. He looked at the little girl's sincere attitude with a smile, picked up the pen and wrote a few more.

"Come, Third Brother will teach you a few more characters. Look, this is Li, this is Yu, and this is Zhen. Put them together and you get Li Yuzhen."

"Li, Yu, Zhen. Is this my name?" Li Yuzhen asked curiously.

"Yes, that's your name. Li Yuzhen."

"Li Yuzhen."

Li Yuzhen stared at the three words on the paper with her big eyes. This was the first time in her life that she knew how to write her name. Li Daoxuan didn't understand what kind of emotions and feelings she had in her heart.

Perhaps to him, he was just teaching his illegitimate sister a few words.

The half-siblings were learning to read and write in the yard, and there were many visitors to the Li family outside the yard.

The farmer from Lijia Village brought some things, and Li Yanming followed Li Laosan to the mansion. When he entered the Li family's house, Li Laosan looked around like a country roe deer. He breathed in and out, and his eyes were as big as beads.

Li Yanming was also shocked by the Li family's house. After all, he had never seen such a nice place since he was a child. The tiles, the walls, and the stone-paved ground all showed the wealth of the Li family. But he was just a child after all, and he got used to it after seeing it many times. The big house did not attract him, but the rockery in the lotus pond made him excited.

"I wonder what it will feel like to climb up there." Li Yanming thought to himself.

Li Laosan brought Li Yanming and everyone from Lijia Village to the main hall. They first paid their respects to Master Li, and then counted and handed over the things received from the farm.

Last year the weather was good and the tributes were more than in previous years.

Li Laosan bowed down and patted Li Yanming on the head: "Ming boy, why don't you pay your respects to the master?"

Li Yanming bowed obediently, lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Hello, Master."

"Stand up, we are all family, why are there so many rules?" Mr. Li said kindly and asked the people from Lijia Village to sit down and drink tea.

These peasants who lived on the soil had never sat on a good chair before. They lifted their buttocks left and right, fearing that their clothes would stain the carved lacquered mahogany chairs. Even when they took the tea from the maid, they were submissive.

Mr. Li looked at the people in the room and said a few words. Then he gave some money to the villagers. Everyone who got the money smiled. Some who came for the first time suddenly realized something. They thought it was no wonder that every year they rushed to send gifts to Mr. Li. It turned out that there was such a good thing.

Li Laosan took the money and thanked him profusely. Then he told Master Li what happened at home, and said with shame, "My boy's life was saved by Master San. If it weren't for Master San's talisman, I'm afraid that this boy would have been taken away by the water ghost."

Upon hearing this, Master Li sighed, nodded, and said, "You are lucky to be alive." Then he warned, "Don't take Daoxuan's things without permission in the future."

"Master is right. I will tell my sister-in-law when I get home." Li Laosan quickly admitted his mistake. Although this matter had nothing to do with him, the sister-in-law took the Third Young Master's things anyway. We share honor and disgrace, so Li Laosan naturally felt ashamed.

"Because of this matter, I wanted to come here to thank the Third Young Master, and let Yanming thank him as well." Li Laosan patted Li Yanming's head and said with a naive smile.

"Come here and let me take a look." Mr. Li looked at Li Yanming for a while and called him over.

Li Yanming was a little nervous and walked to Mr. Li obediently. When Mr. Li looked her up and down, her heart beat like a girl about to get married.

"The boy looks quite energetic and clever. How old is he?"

"My lord, I will be nine years old in June." Li Yanming answered childishly.

"Three years younger than my third son." Master Li stroked his beard and looked at him, nodding with satisfaction. "I think you are quite clever. Did your father let you learn to read and write?"

"Not yet. Daddy said he would tell Aung that I should go to school."

"Oh? Then do you want to be the third young master's servant? You can also learn cultural knowledge from him."

"This..." Li Yanming was confused when asked by Master Li. He didn't know how to answer for a moment and could only look at Li Laosan helplessly.

(End of this chapter)