Chapter 36 March , Today and the Past

March 3rd, Water God Festival.

Today, Minjiang Prefecture is extremely lively, with lanterns and decorations everywhere, and gongs and drums playing. It is a completely different scene from the villages and towns outside the city.

on the street.

The common people surrounded the procession, and the first to come were young men dressed in costumes similar to those of theatrical idols.

Then came the adults walking on stilts, playing the roles of various folk gods, and the unique folk flavor of the south of the Three Rivers came to the fore.

"The gods are patrolling the area!" a long shout was heard.

The gongs and drums are loud, and the firecrackers are all fired.

The cheers of the people suddenly resounded through the sky.

A strong man, with his upper body naked, stood on a sedan chair carried by four people, muttering to himself and swinging an iron spike ball tied to a rope at himself, as if he was possessed by a god.

Subsequently.

A 100-meter-long dragon, with golden scales and red fins, moves with the wind. The men dancing the dragon hold wooden sticks in high spirits.

"Help the queen in the sedan chair!"

"Make way, let me help you!"

"Hahaha, everyone come and share in the good fortune..."

An eight-person sedan chair, carrying the statue of Sanshui Niangniang, who is worshipped by the people of Sanjiang, is located in the center of the team.

One place per line.

The people living nearby offer incense, candles and paper money to the incense burner, praying for good luck, a good harvest and good health for their families this year.

The team of several hundred meters moved forward slowly towards the Tengkong Building by the Qingyuan Lake.

at this time.

On the bank of Qingyuan Lake, on the top of Tengkong Building.

Two figures stood by the window in the room, looking at the scenery of Qingyuan Lake.

A man was wearing a purple robe, with a jade-like face and a green beard under his chin. He stood like a green pine, with a red sandalwood sword on his waist, and had an elegant demeanor.

There is someone beside me.

Dressed in Taoist attire and with his hair in a casual bun, he looked like a carefree wanderer. Even when standing in front of the window, he leaned lazily against the railing and said in an equally lazy voice, "Brother Xian Yu, after so many years, you are still so upright and well-behaved!"

Chen Guzhou, whose courtesy name is Xianyu.

When the fathers named him, they may have had the idea of ​​"it is better to retreat and weave a net than to envy the fish by the river."

"When you are in a position, you should abide by the rules."

Chen Guzhou stared at the waves of Qingyuan Lake without looking away: "Brother Qingyuan is not in Donglin, but you have come to this place like mine. I don't know why you came here?"

Qing Yuanzi said, "My name is Qing Yuan, and I ended up in Qingyuan Lake. Isn't that heaven's will? Does it mean that we should have a purpose in mind when doing anything?"

"Brother Qingyuan is right."

Chen Guzhou smiled and turned around and said, "You...really still the kind of person who does whatever you want."

"Ha ha ha ha"

The two looked at each other and laughed.

The atmosphere suddenly became much more intimate.

The two hadn't seen each other for decades, and when they smiled at each other, it was as if they were back in the past.

"Qingyuan, how about you and I drink three cups together after today's Tengkong Banquet?" Chen Guzhou said.

"No need."

Qing Yuanzi waved his hand and said, "I am just passing by. I will leave after asking you a question."

"Oh, what's that?"

Chen Guzhou was stunned.

Qing Yuanzi, who used to enjoy wine, didn't drink today.

"What happened to Huang Lu'an."

Qing Yuanzi's expression suddenly became serious.

"I heard some things on the road... Do you really want to build this embankment?"

Hear the words.

Chen Guzhou looked at the water of Qingyuan Lake and did not speak for a long time.

half an hour.

He turned to face Qing Yuanzi and said calmly, "Yes."

"It has to be built?"

Qing Yuanzi couldn't help but take a step forward.

“It must be built.”

Chen Guzhou looked calm.

"Twenty-five years ago, you built the Green Willow Bank, which cost the people a lot of money and labor. Now, the people of Minjiang River have finally breathed a sigh of relief, and you want to build the Yellow Reed Bank?" Qing Yuanzi raised his voice unconsciously.

"Brother Qingyuan. With your personality, you actually care about the lives of ordinary people?"

Chen Guzhou turned around and his attitude suddenly became a little unfamiliar.

"Ha~"

Qing Yuanzi sneered and said, "Of course I don't care. Life and death are reincarnations, and the world is vast. This world is too big for me to manage and care about."

"But, what about you?"

"It's been twenty-five years, Xianyu, you still can't get over this hurdle?" "No."

Chen Guzhou said clearly and neatly.

"you……"

Qing Yuanzi pointed at him for a long while and said angrily: "So, you have been the governor of Minjiang River for your whole life, and you are willing to be the governor of Minjiang River for your whole life, but for your whole life... you can only be the governor of this shitty Minjiang River!"

"Do you really have to build that damned Huang Lu An?"

Hear the words.

Chen Guzhou just looked at Qingyuan Lake indifferently.

Then he said calmly: "The construction of the Green Willow Bank will bring harm to the present generation but benefit future generations. The same is true for the Yellow Reed Bank."

Qing Yuanzi asked anxiously, "So you are willing to bear this stigma for the rest of your life?"

Chen Guzhou's expression remained calm. "The higher-ups want to build dikes and dams to clear the three rivers. No one dares to take this position, and they don't want to tarnish their reputation. Only I... this stigma can only be borne by Chen."

and so.

Chen Guzhou, who bore all the people's grievances, could only be the prefect of Minjiang River for the rest of his life, and he had no hope of promotion in his official career from then on.

silence.

Facing the righteous Chen Guzhou, Qing Yuanzi could no longer utter a word.

"Knock knock~~" There was a knock on the door.

"Your Excellency. The auspicious time has arrived and the ceremony is ready." A voice sounded outside the door.

"I'm leaving."

Chen Guzhou turned and walked towards the door, saying, "Brother, if you have nothing else to do, please feel free to come."

"and many more!"

Qing Yuanzi shouted.

"Brother Qingyuan, is there anything else?" Chen Guzhou heard this but did not stop.

"It's the same sentence I said 25 years ago. You...really don't want to follow me back to the mountains?" Qing Yuanzi said with a very serious look. This sentence was probably what he really wanted to say today.

Crunch~!

no answer.

The door closed straight away.

Qing Yuanzi's expression suddenly dimmed.

Lifelong friends parted ways for their own ideals and eventually embarked on two paths of no return.

but.

If he had not done so, he would not be the Chen Guzhou that he admired.

Qing Yuanzi smiled bitterly and looked up at the sky. A lone goose flew across the sky.

Lone Goose Sword Technique...

I hope that one day, I can see it freed from all constraints and regain its former glory.

After a while.

A streak of light passed across the sky above Qingyuan Lake.

In front of the empty building.

Chen Guzhou looked back and murmured in a low voice: "Maybe... after I build Huangluan, Brother Qingyuan."

"Boom boom boom boom~"

"Boom boom boom boom~~"

'Boom boom boom boom boom, boom boom boom boom~~~'

The sound of gongs and drums filled the air with joy.

The procession of the gods had stopped in the square in front of the Tengkong Building. At this time, two lions, one yellow and one red, were dancing and flying on the plum blossom poles in the center of the square, attracting cheers from the crowd.

Judging from the agile posture, the lion dancer inside is probably also an expert in spiritual practice.

suddenly.

The two lions stopped on the plum blossom pile, shook their heads together, lowered their heads and swung them around.

"Shake the lion's head to return the gift to the elders and fellow villagers!" a voice shouted.

"Good! Good!"

"color!"

There was an endless stream of applause.

Chen Guzhou stood in front of the crowd, with a smile on his face. Behind him were the officials, nobles, wealthy businessmen, and gang members from Minjiang.

"Shake the lion's head twice, paying tribute to the gods, ghosts, and ancestors!" the voice shouted again.

The two lions took a step forward and shook their heads again, drawing enthusiastic applause from the audience.

"The Lion's Head Flips Three Times... Thank you all for your support!"

boom!
The heated atmosphere reached its peak at this moment.

Suddenly, the red lion leaped into the air and shook its head violently, getting closer and closer to the crowd in front of the Tengkong Building.

"Gah-"

A loud duck call was heard from the sky.

It was like some strange signal.

　I noticed that today is the third day of the third lunar month. Isn’t that a coincidence?
　　
　
(End of this chapter)