At the beginning, he took his seven younger siblings to join Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhongding pushed a small bamboo cart, holding Zhonghua's hand, and squeezed towards the gate of Longfu Temple with the crowd.

Longfu Temple faces south and has three large gates, the middle one being the largest, while the east and west ones are slightly smaller.

On both sides of the deep space, there are statues of the Four Heavenly Kings.

There are two Heavenly Kings on each side, and a large passageway in the middle, which feels more than ten meters deep.

These four statues are said to have disappeared during that decade.

Later, when the Dongsi People's Market was built, this place was also demolished.

People have forgotten that there were once four statues here.

We passed through the mountain gate.

Enter the second main hall.

Then I saw the six big characters "Dongsi People's Market".

The words inscribed by Mr. Dong.

It was glittering with gold.

Before Yi Zhongding could even properly examine the bustling market...

Zhong Ren and Zhong Min, sitting in the small bamboo cart, jumped up excitedly inside.

"Sugar, sugar, fruit, candy fruit."

Zhongren stretched out her little hands, one tugging at his clothes, the other pointing to the vendor selling candied hawthorns in front of them.

The two little ones had candied hawthorns last time.

I know it's sweet and delicious.

That's why I still can't forget it.

Yi Zhongding looked down and saw that the two little ones were drooling with envy.

I couldn't help but laugh.

If it weren't for the last three words.

He didn't even know if the two little ones were calling him "brother" or "Guoguo."

"Sister-in-law, candied hawthorn."

Zhongyao also pointed at the vendors and shouted back to his sister-in-law.

"Haha, look at these kids, how clever they are. They've only eaten it once, but they remember it and know it's delicious."

"Zhu Zi, go buy some for the old man. One skewer for each of you kids, the big one that costs one cent, that'll be exactly one dollar."

Yi Zhonghai pulled the cart with one hand and took out money from his pocket with the other, smiling as he spoke.

"Alright."

He Yuzhu took the money and ran over to buy it.

A short while later.

He came back with ten candied hawthorns in his hand and distributed them one by one.

He was also eating a skewer himself.

One bite.

One hawthorn fruit was gone.

Yi Zhongding then wrapped his string of beads in the oil paper provided by the merchant and divided it into three parts.

Then he handed it to Yi Zhonghai and his sister-in-law, saying, "Brother and sister-in-law, you should eat too. On this joyous occasion, taste the sweetness, and the coming year will be even sweeter."

Yi Zhonghai and the other man did not refuse, and took the candied hawthorns and started eating them.

The only difference was that their smiles were even brighter.

"Hey, you little rascal, you're so bossy! You already have one, but you're still trying to take it from your brother."

"Eat yours, don't steal your brother's."

Hearing the crying, Yi Zhongding looked down and saw two babies fussing in the bamboo cart. He chuckled and said...

Zhongmin, that little guy, won't eat what's in his own hand.

Instead, she reached out a chubby little hand to take Zhongren's candied hawthorn.

He's always been a bit mischievous.

He always bullies Zhongren.

Zhong Ren is rather simple-minded and always lets his younger brother bully him.

But she didn't want to give it to him, so she used her little hand to push her younger brother away.

With his elder brother's words in mind.

Zhongmin didn't argue and just kept eating her candied hawthorn.

Twins seem to like to snatch things from each other.

The mediation just ended here.

The two little babies, Zhongxin and Zhongyan, whom the older sister-in-law was pushing, also started making a fuss.

This time they actually transferred someone.

Zhongxin, the older brother, stole his younger brother's place.

Both those who couldn't grab the items and those who couldn't push them away started crying.

Zhongyao and Zhongmiao didn't fight over the food; they each ate quietly.

"Little brother is naughty, but Miaomiao is good and doesn't steal from her sister."

Zhong Miao watched his four younger brothers making a ruckus, and didn't forget to praise himself.

"Haha, you're all good girls. Your little brother is still young, but Yaoyao and Miaomiao are little adults and very sensible."

Yi Zhonghai was amused and burst into laughter.

"These kids are just like I was when I was little. They love to snatch food from my hand and eat it, as if it tastes better that way."

He Yuzhu looked at this scene with a doting gaze and smiled at his younger sister.

"Silly brother, you're talking nonsense, I would never do that."

He Yushui gave him a shy pat.

A lot of laughter.

The group continued their stroll.

We haven't gone very far.

The toddlers each had a candied hawthorn in one hand and a colorful little windmill in the other.

Yi Zhongding also witnessed the prosperity of this era.

There are also some historical marks that are rarely seen in later generations.

Such as sugar blowing, shadow puppetry, diabolo, ground diabolo, flag playing, crosstalk, double act, stilt walking...

The stalls selling shadow puppets attracted the most people.

After all, a fascinating world can be seen through a tiny aperture.

For children whose curiosity is at its peak.

That would be the most fun ever.

However, adults are more interested in the vendor's singing style.

Because the stall owner will add lyrics to each picture and then sing it out with his good voice.

Such as stories from the Ming Dynasty:

Once the stall owner and the others were seated and their eyes were on each other, he pulled open the picture frame and continued singing:

"Look further in, and there's another layer, above the Qing Dynasty, that's the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty had sixteen emperors, and the last emperor, Chongzhen, was a time of great turmoil. Three years of drought followed by three years of floods, rice became incredibly expensive, prices skyrocketed. The wealthy sold their mules and horses, while the poor sold their children. The common people suffered terribly, and that's when a national hero emerged. Who was this hero? That was the Rebel King, his name was Li Zicheng..."

The stall owner's singing style had a unique charm.

It looks a bit like the Jingdong drum.

Most of the onlookers stayed because of her singing voice.

In addition to these, there are dough figurines, puppeteers, bristle figurines, shadow puppets...

These things depict the characters so vividly and realistically.

Most of the people gathered around were theatergoers or children.

Theatergoers buy a pre-recorded play to enjoy at home.

The children were bought to play house.

Just buy what looks good.

But these things aren't cheap.

So you can often see children lingering there, looking conflicted.

It takes me a very long time to finally decide to buy one or two cheap and nice-looking items.

There are no anime characters like Ultraman yet.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have had to agonize over it for so long.

Let's walk a little further in.

Then I saw a children's toy stall: small drums, small cymbals, small cloth figures, cloth tigers, big-headed dolls, face masks, small knives and gun handles, bamboo horses, longevity god heads, lion heads, big-headed monks teasing Liu Cui, etc.

Many children gathered around to watch.

But Yi Zhonghua and his little kids weren't interested.

After all, many toy manufacturers can make them.

They weren't as good-looking or fun as the puppeteer we just saw.

Yi Zhongding also saw five exquisite golden nanmu caissons that are no longer in Longfu Temple.

The caisson ceiling in the central hall, resembling a celestial palace with four levels, adorned with golden clouds and colorful mist, is exquisitely crafted and represents the pinnacle of architectural wisdom.

Seeing this.

Yi Zhongding was even more disappointed by the caisson ceiling of the Citian Guangfu Main Hall, which was destroyed by fire.

How magnificent and grand that must be!

Unfortunately, later generations can only imagine it from the description in "A Brief Account of the Scenery of the Imperial Capital" that "the ceiling in the palace was designed in the west, with the Eight Heavenly Dragons and the Huazang Realm all present."

But strangely enough, there is no Chinese architectural style in later generations.

This is rather ironic.

The living rooms of the mansions that you can see all have monotonous but huge "light fixtures" hanging above them.

No matter how beautiful or gorgeous it is.

How can it be compared to such a caisson ceiling?