20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 688: Riddles [Part ]

During the remaining days, Jiang Lianheng stayed at the outer house, playing with his youngest son, learning Russian, and hearing some information about the Marshal's Mansion from Zhuang Shuning. He was able to have some leisure time.

After all, the general direction of setting up the sand and gravel plant has been determined, and how to proceed in the future will be left to Nanfeng and Xifeng, and he is too lazy to ask about the details.

During this period, Jiang Lianheng once suggested that Jiang Chengzhi go to the mansion in the north of the city to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, but was flatly rejected by Zhuang Shuning.

"Once the child is taken away, can we bring him back?" Zhuang Shuning had her own concerns.

After hearing what she said, Jiang Lianheng had no choice but to give up and stop forcing it.

The days passed quickly, and within a few days, the weather had turned cooler, and the crescent moon in the night sky was gradually becoming fuller.

Five days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Jiang Lianheng left his residence in the south of the city and began to take care of his official relationships.

There have been many personnel transfers in the provincial government recently. Naturally, new officials have to pay tribute and show filial piety when they take office. And those old acquaintances who have just lost their real power and become idlers, because of their many years of friendship, cannot turn their backs on them immediately. They still have to express what they should express. After all, seniority is important in officialdom, and who can say whether they will be able to make a comeback in the future?
Giving timely assistance is far better than icing on the cake, and Jiang Lianheng is willing to maintain this favor.

It's just a gift anyway, and it doesn't cost much. If the bet wins, the future benefits will definitely far exceed today's filial piety.

At the same time, Zhuang Shuning also went to the old house of the Marshal's Mansion with the identity of a "card friend" and played mahjong with Lao Zhang's wives and concubines for a few days. He lost some money and gave some gifts. He could be said to have represented the Jiang family to infiltrate the wives group of the Fengtian high-level officials.

In the spirit of reciprocity, the Jiang family not only takes care of the white world, but also accepts gifts from the black world.

Money is like water, but if it flows upstream, it is the common people who suffer in the end.

……

……

The atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival is becoming increasingly intense, the provincial capital is becoming more and more lively day by day, and every household is decorated with lights and decorations.

The wanderers returned home and families reunited. The lanterns inside and outside the city were as dense as stars, and the scene was filled with joy. The dark clouds of the Zhi-Feng War seemed to have dissipated, and people's lives finally returned to normal.

Night markets have been opened in Xiaoxiguan, Xiaoheyan, the north and south markets, and several other busy streets in Fengtian, but the most lively place is still Huangsi Square.

The temple on Huangsi Square is fully called "Lotus Pure Land Shisheng Temple".

Because it was built by order of Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty, Huang Taiji, successive Qing emperors would definitely visit the temple to worship Buddha when they visited Shengjing in the east, so it became a veritable "Imperial Temple" in the eyes of the people.

The temple houses a pure gold Buddha statue, which is the invincible and supreme guardian deity of Tibetan Buddhism - Mahakala.

It is said to be very effective, probably because it is made of pure gold!
In any case, the Qing Dynasty had fallen, and the "imperial temple" became a "civilian temple", and it was suddenly filled with the atmosphere of fireworks.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, a night market lantern festival has begun at Huangsi Square.

In such a lively occasion, children from every household naturally clamored to go, and Jiang Ya was no exception.

A few days before the Lantern Festival, the girl started thinking about it at home.

However, Hu Xiaoyan is disabled and has difficulty traveling; Jiang Lianheng is busy with official duties, which of course involves various dinner parties.

Since his parents couldn't accompany him, the task of visiting the Lantern Festival naturally fell on Dongfeng.

So, on the first day of the Lantern Festival, Zhang Zhengdong called a few bodyguards to accompany Jiang Ya, Jiang Chengye, Sister Hua and Xu Ruqing to visit Huangsi Square.

Needless to say, the scene that night was magnificent, with huge crowds of people and a very lively atmosphere.

The streets were so crowded that it was hard to fall. If you were not careful, your shoes would be stepped on and knocked off. You finally picked them up, but when you touched your pocket, the money was gone.

This is no wonder, as every festive season when the city is bustling is when the old gangs open their shops to do business.

Jin Ping Cai Gua, Pi Tuan Tiao Liu, Feng Ma Yan Que, Heng Ge Lan Rong, all are eyeing this piece of fat meat. If you take your children out shopping, you have to be careful, because in the blink of an eye, happiness may turn into tragedy.

However, the Jiang family doesn't have to worry at all.

With his fame and bodyguards accompanying him, all he had to do was to have fun and have fun. However, Dongfeng and the bodyguards were very nervous. They were always on edge, afraid that they would make any mistakes.

Jiang Ya had two buns on her head and wore a red dress, with a thin cotton waistcoat embroidered with round flowers as the outer layer. The collar and cuffs were trimmed with white rabbit fur. Her eyes were clear and bright, and her eyes were full of colorful lanterns. She looked so festive.

The girl was very active, flitting back and forth in the square like a swallow, and when she saw a stall she would go over to ask questions.

She was not afraid of strangers. When she saw other children holding small red lanterns, she immediately ran up to them and asked with a smile, "Where did you buy this?"

When someone told her, she ran back and begged Uncle Dong to buy one for her, and also remembered to bring one for her younger brother.

Looking around, there are always all kinds of snacks, such as crispy candies, sachima, fried tofu, and waves of fireworks rising up, filled with lights, making people feel happy.

Although Jiang Ya was young, she was thoughtful. When she saw the man selling sugar paintings, she ran over and shouted at the top of her voice: "Give me ten sugar figures!"

Dongfeng hurriedly advised, "Niece, can you eat ten sugar figurines? Just buy two, one for you and one for Chengye."

Jiang Ya was stunned, and pointed blankly at the bodyguards behind him, and asked: "Don't these uncles want to eat?"

"No, no." Everyone waved their hands quickly.

"Eat, eat!" Jiang Ya said with a smile, "I'll treat you, Uncle Dong, give me the money!"

Zhang Zhengdong shook his head and smiled bitterly: "You are good at offering gifts to Buddha."

I was about to tell the stall owner that I only wanted to buy two, but the vendors doing business at the Lantern Festival always listened to what they said. I don't know how his hands were so fast. With a few strokes, he had already drawn three or five sugar figures. Counting the ones I had made in advance, there were a total of ten. He quickly handed them over with a smile on his face, and said, "I won't give him any time to refuse."
"Thank you for your care, gentlemen! Thank you for your care!"

Dongfeng was about to get angry, but Xu Ruqing said, "It's a big holiday, don't get upset over such a small amount of money, just buy it!"

As he said that, he paid the stall owner.

Jiang Ya took the candy figure excitedly and immediately distributed it to everyone one by one.

Seeing that it was given by the eldest lady, the bodyguard did not dare to refuse it, so he had to thank her and took it reluctantly.

So, several burly men, each holding a sugar figure in their hands, followed Jiang Ya and walked quickly under the surprised gazes of the tourists.

The spectators couldn't help but whisper: "Look at these brothers, they are quite childlike!"

The bodyguards felt embarrassed and quickly chewed the candy man into pieces and swallowed it.

"There are lanterns over there!" Jiang Ya turned around and called out to everyone, "Little brother, let's go guess the lantern riddles, hurry up!"

After saying that, he walked over, grabbed Jiang Chengye's hand, and ran forward, scaring everyone to hurry up and follow him.

In front of a stall not far away, a stall owner wearing a long gown and a Liuhe hat was shouting and selling his wares. On the wooden shelf behind him, all kinds of flower candles and colorful lanterns were hung. Men, women, old and young were standing around. There were a few spectators who looked like scholars, pointing and talking at the riddles, and laughter could be heard one after another.

This situation and this scene can be described as:

A lamp as small as a bean is hung beside the door, and the weeds in the garden can grow at will; I want to ask but I am still hesitant, why should I bother thinking about fame and fortune?

Jiang Ya led her brother and squeezed through. She tilted her head and asked the stall owner, "How much for one guess?" "Oh, this lady is really pretty!" The stall owner smiled and pointed at two fingers, "Two cents for one guess, and there's a prize if you guess right!"

"This is quite expensive." Sister Hua and others also followed.

The stall owner raised his hand and pointed at the table, and said, "Hey, madam, look at my prize, it's not cheap at all!"

Everyone looked down and saw that the prizes displayed on the table were mostly study treasures, with a few fans occasionally. Although they were cheap items, they were definitely not worth a few cents of junk.

Xu Ruqing smiled and said, "Since we're all here at the Lantern Festival, we have to guess a lantern riddle anyway. We don't have much money, so don't spoil the children's fun."

The relationship between generations is deep in the heart.

There was no need to elaborate on how much the eldest aunt loved her two grandchildren. She agreed immediately and said to Jiang Ya, "Xiao Ya, go and choose one!"

Jiang Ya smiled and said, "Aunt, please pick one first and let me see it!"

Xu Ruqing nodded and smiled, "Okay, I'll choose one first, and you two can choose next."

After saying that, he looked at the lantern in front of him in a daze.

After thinking carefully for a moment, he finally lit a lantern with a pattern of "Winter Plum Blossoms on a White Background in Cold Mountains".

The stall owner did not hesitate and immediately took down the lantern, tore off the bottom cover, and handed it to Xu Ruqing while reading aloud.

"The leaves fall in the third month, and the flowers bloom in the second month; the waves of a thousand feet across the river, and the bamboos leaning against the bamboo poles - hit something!"

After finishing his speech, the stall owner smiled and bowed to the onlookers: "Everyone, this is a small business, please don't take my business. Let this old lady think about it carefully."

Xu Ruqing had once been a famous figure. As the former manager of Huifangli, how could he not be well-versed in poetry and prose?

After thinking for a moment, he finally asked tentatively, "Wind?"

"Wow!" the stall owner congratulated exaggeratedly, "Old Madam, I can see that you were a lady from a noble family back then, and you must have been well-read! Okay, old madam, you have solved the riddle, I will give you a silk fan and a picture of Chang'e flying to the moon, and wish you a long life and good health every year!"

Everyone was surprised.

Jiang Ya couldn't wait any longer, and hurriedly jumped up and down, saying, "It's my turn, it's my turn."

"Okay, okay, Miss, please pick one too!"

“I choose that one too!”

"You choose too..." The stall owner's face froze, and he couldn't help but smile awkwardly, "This lady, you are very smart, but you came here together, you can't choose the same one, can you change another one?"

Jiang Ya was a little unconvinced at first, until everyone explained the rules to her. Then she chose a lantern with a pattern of "clear sky and sails crossing the river".

As usual, the stall owner took down the lantern, took out the riddle, handed it to Jiang Ya, and introduced it loudly:

"Well, this riddle has a source. If you have seen it, then it's free. If you haven't seen it, then you can guess it."

Jiang Ya took it and looked down, only to see the riddle read:
"When the children on the steps look up, Qingming decorations are most appropriate; once the silk thread is broken, it is powerless, so don't complain to the east wind about the separation - guess an object."

"Why is this so difficult for me?" Jiang Ya scratched his head, unable to figure out the answer for a moment.

Jiang Chengye came over and saw the words "child lying on his back", "Qingming Festival", "gossamer thread", "east wind" on the riddle. After thinking for a while, he returned it to his sister in silence.

"Brother, can you guess it?" Jiang Ya asked.

The stall owner hurriedly said, "Hey, Miss, if others guess it, it can't be considered..."

Before he finished speaking, the stall owner suddenly stopped, and felt someone pulling his sleeve. He looked down and saw Zhang Zhengdong secretly stuffing a large sum of money into his hand. He understood what he meant, so he said nothing more and just said, "You came here together anyway, so it doesn't matter who guesses right."

However, Jiang Ya thought about it carefully for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out.

Seeing this, Jiang Chengye whispered in his sister's ear, "Sister, we played together last spring!"

Once reminded, Jiang Ya's eyes lit up immediately and she shouted, "I know, it's a kite!"

"Smart, young lady is really smart!" The stall owner pretended to lament, "Hey, everyone, look, this family of top scholars has come to my stall to mess up things. I can't live like this anymore, I can't live like this anymore."

Everyone laughed at him for being sweet-talking and said that he would surely have a prosperous business in the future.

Xu Ruqing was so happy that he gave the stall owner another two dollars.

The stall owner bowed and smiled, "Oh, thank you so much, old lady, as soon as you open your mouth, I will have good fortune. I can't kowtow enough and roll around in the mud. I wish you a happy smile and a happy family!"

"Where is my prize?" Jiang Ya asked.

The stall owner was overjoyed and said hurriedly, "Please choose whatever you want!"

Jiang Ya had no interest in the four treasures of the study. After hesitating for a while, she finally picked out a silk fan and a painting of Daiyu burying flowers, saying that she would give it to her mother when she got back.

The stall owner had already made money anyway, so he didn't take this small prize seriously. He immediately asked, "Who else wants to guess? This young master looks safe, why don't you come and guess?"

The words were given to Jiang Chengye, but he subconsciously turned his head to look at his mother.

"We're out playing today, so you can pick one too!" Sister Hua said softly and comfortingly.

Jiang Chengye then smiled, sucked his lower lip, walked over shyly, and stared at the lanterns on the shelf. He looked for a long time before choosing a "Scarlet Mountain Climbing and Herb Picking" lantern.

However, he did not tell the stall owner directly, but whispered to his sister first, and then his sister asked for it on his behalf.

"My little brother wants that red lantern!" Jiang Ya pointed on tiptoe, "The first lantern in the second row!"

"Oh, young master, do you want this?" the stall owner asked with a smile.

Jiang Chengye nodded but said nothing.

The stall owner was not surprised. He thought that since he was a child from a wealthy family, his family had many rules and his temperament was always a bit dull. So he took down the lantern as usual, took out the riddle, handed it to Jiang Chengye, and introduced it loudly:

"Oh, this riddle is quite appropriate: The body is upright and strong; although it cannot speak, it will respond to words - guess an object!"

As he said that, he reminded with a smile: "Young Master, take your time to guess. If you guess correctly, you will get a prize!"

After hearing the riddle, everyone started to guess secretly...

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PS The riddles in this chapter are not original.

(End of this chapter)