The invasion of the abyss begins with the Laughing at the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 46: One Year Old Amidst the Sound of Firecrackers
On December 30th, the end of the year, Shenjiawu Fort is decorated with lights and there is a festive atmosphere everywhere.

Paper-cut monkeys with different expressions and beautiful shapes appear on the windows of every household, adding a lot of color to the lonely winter.

In the streets and alleys, children with pigtails dressed in new clothes and carrying small and exquisite lanterns are playing and playing everywhere, leaving behind strings of laughter like silver bells.

"These paper-cuts pasted on the windows are really beautiful. Each one is vivid and full of charm."

"Fortress Lord Shen is such a good man. He never oppresses us common people. He pays us well and allows us to have a good year."

This winter is exceptionally cold, but everyone's hearts are extremely warm. Looking at the red paper-cuts on the window, a happy smile flashes across their faces and their eyes are full of hope.

In previous years, under the oppression of the Wang family, the people in the fort worked hard for a year, but in the end they still owed money to Master Wang. Their work was in vain, and the New Year was meaningless.

It was a luxury to be able to hang peach charms on the door, not to mention the colorful paper-cuts. Under Shen Yuanliang's governance, their days became more and more hopeful.

The wide training ground was bustling with activity at this moment. Thirty or forty large stoves were lined up in a row. Under the red fire, delicious dishes were served on the table one after another.

There is all kinds of chicken, duck, fish and meat. The hot food is filled with a very tempting smell, making people drool and want to feast on it.

"A year has passed with the sound of firecrackers, and the spring breeze brings warmth to Tusu."

"Today is New Year's Eve. On behalf of the Shen family, I wish everyone a safe and prosperous year."

"Here, drink this cup to the full."

Looking at the thousands of people of all ages below the stage, Shen Yuanliang, dressed in red and green, picked up the large coarse porcelain bowl and drank it all in one gulp, looking very heroic.

There are year-end banquets in the southeastern coastal areas, and even in the distant Forbidden City, the emperor is entertaining civil and military officials, and the wonderful music, singing and dancing are dazzling.

Being outside the Great Wall, Shen Yuanliang specially summoned his servants and stewards and held a banquet in the parade ground to thank them for their efforts.

There were about three hundred servants, plus numerous stewards and their families, making a grand gathering of nearly a thousand people, and more than a hundred square tables were filled to the brim.

Looking at the brightly colored delicacies in front of them and smelling the aroma of meat, everyone devoured the food voraciously. The entire banquet was extremely simple, with no extra sounds, no singing or dancing, and no music.

The sun set, and after an hour, this simple banquet came to an end in the afterglow. Everyone had bulging bellies and greasy faces.

Inside the ancestral hall

Densely packed tablets stand in the solemn ancestral hall, as if they have traveled through the long river of time and witnessed the ups and downs, honor and disgrace, success and decline of the Shen family.

The Shen family was also a large family in its day, with many talented people in the family, including many who passed the imperial examinations and many who succeeded in the imperial examinations. The highest-ranking official was the second-rank Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

However, due to a sudden change, the once powerful Shen family collapsed and gradually declined, leaving only Shen Yuanliang's branch.

The elm wood altar was filled with a wide variety of offerings, including a piece of pig, a piece of mutton, five kinds of fish paste, meat paste, pickled tea, five kinds of rice and flour, five kinds of fruits, and so on.

Under the tablet, the three-foot-high incense in the incense burner flickered, and curls of white smoke rose up, with a fairy air floating in the air, as if you were in a fairyland.

"Time passes slowly, and the love for ancestors grows strong; with the blessing of the gods, the family fortune prospers."

"Today I pay my respects to my ancestors and pray that they rest in peace and that the next generation is healthy. The spring breeze brings warmth and the autumn rain moistens the heart. I wish the family harmony and happiness and longevity."

"Respectfully presented by your unworthy descendant Shen Yuanliang!" After kneeling three times and kowtowed nine times respectfully, Shen Yuanliang knelt on the cushion, muttering something. His face was very serious and pious. His eyes seemed to have experienced the changes of time and space, witnessing the arduous journey of his ancestors.

Comparing the prosperous Shen family in the past with the declining descendants of the Shen family today, Shen Yuanliang secretly made a decision to make the Shen family rise again and become a famous family in the eyes of the world.

"Brother Liang, from now on, the Shen family will be handed over to you."

Looking at the heavy tablet of her husband, Shen Chen, with a wooden hairpin in her hair, wiped away her tears, grabbed Shen Yuanliang's hand, and spoke very solemnly.

At present, there is only one male left in the Shen family, Shen Yuanliang. They are all women and cannot show up in public. The future of the Shen family depends entirely on Shen Yuanliang.

During this period, the Shen family has grown from a small family on the verge of bankruptcy to a wealthy family with thousands of acres of fertile land and hundreds of servants. Shen Chen has seen it all and is very confident in Shen Yuanliang.

"Don't worry, mother."

Shen Yuanliang looked at Shen Chenshi, Shen Qianqian, and Li Waner, nodded heavily, and said with a firm look in his eyes.

If the king wants the minister to die, the minister has to die.

Because of one sentence, the Shen family was confiscated and exiled. Thousands of clansmen were exiled from the misty land of Jiangnan to the bitter and cold land outside the Great Wall. In the end, only they survived. One can imagine the hardships they went through.

Hundreds of years have passed, and now the world is no longer dominated by the emperor alone. The power belongs to themselves. As long as they proceed step by step, the Shen family will be able to regain its glory.

"Boom!"

As the night deepens, brilliant fireworks bloom above the fort, depicting the romance that belongs only to the descendants of Yan and Huang.

The stars, sun and moon are high in the sky, snow and fireworks are scattered all over the sea.

Starting from the invention of gunpowder in the Tang Dynasty, by the Song Dynasty, all kinds of fireworks were innovated by skilled craftsmen, and the craftsmanship also evolved into a variety of techniques such as rolling tubes, cutting tubes, pasting the bottom, filling with mud, igniting gunpowder, and sealing the eyes.

This year was the first New Year's Eve that Shen Yuanliang celebrated after awakening his wisdom, and it was also a crucial year for the rise of the Shen family. Although he was a bit stingy with money, he waved his hand and all kinds of fireworks filled the warehouse.

"What beautiful fireworks! Xiaocao has never seen such beautiful fireworks in her life."

"Wow! The fireworks are so white, just like snow. They are so beautiful. Isn't it just like what is described in the poem, with fireworks all night long?"

"Every year is like this day. I hope it will be the same next year. God bless Lord Shen to be safe and sound."

After offering sacrifices to their ancestors, people went out of their homes one after another, strolled through the gradually bustling streets, ate delicious snacks, and admired the unique fireworks in the sky.

Compared to the hustle and bustle of Shenjiawu Fort, Huya Mountain is also brightly lit, but silent.

Led by the big boss "Zuoshandiao", all the people held a wooden stick shaped like chopsticks in their mouths, walked on the hard ground against the howling wind, and headed towards Shenjiawu Fort.

Twenty miles away in the Yongning City Military Headquarters, Shi Guangxian was toasting and greeting the many bandit leaders and the "remnants" of the Wang family who had come from afar with a smile on his face.

The graceful singing and dancing made everyone intoxicated and their hearts warm.

(End of this chapter)