The atmosphere in Zhushan is getting more and more tense.
It was obviously only a matter for the ninth tower, but the strength of the entire Zhushan was mobilized, and other towers were also taking this opportunity to prepare poems.
Instead, it turned into a grand event in Zhushan.
The poem on the ninth floor was finalized within five days. It was written by a scribe on the third floor. I heard that it was unanimously praised by the captain and the deputy mountain master, and even the deputy mountain master nodded.
The tense and oppressive atmosphere on the first floor relaxed slightly, but some people were still unwilling to give in.
Since there is no way to become the main recommendation of poetry, you can only rely on yourself.
On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, the academy has a holiday.
Most of the people in the Self-cultivation Institute have left, but there are still about six to seven adults left in the Tiandi Institute.
"Brother Zhou, Brother An, aren't you leaving?"
Li Changan basically checked the time every ten breaths. His chair seemed to have nails growing out of it. He could not sit still. He finally got through the break and immediately packed up his things and prepared to go back.
"Why are we going? Later, we and Yang Xuan will go to Jiaofangsi to drink wine, will you go?" Zhou Ziyu said boredly, holding his chin with one hand.
After drinking together last time, the relationship between the three of them got better, and they introduced a few more people they had fun with, and the relationship gradually became more familiar.
"Forget it, I still have people in my family and I'm not interested in it. Let's wait until next time." Li Changan decisively refused.
Annan suddenly came over, with the fragrance filling his nostrils, and said in a frivolous tone, "They are always prevaricating us next time. Brother Taibai is still just a baby, right?"
Zhou Ziyu immediately became energetic, "Really? No way?"
Yang Xuan came over and said in surprise, "What young boy? Is he new from the Jiaofang Division?"
Li Changan rolled his eyes and said angrily, "I'm too lazy to pay attention to you. I'll withdraw first. If you need anything, use your identity jade token to find me."
After saying that, he ran away.
…
The 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, New Year’s Eve, early morning,
Li Changan got up from the warm bed, and Liu Zhiyin happened to walk out from the opposite side.
Originally, in addition to the main hall in the middle, the north house had two rooms, east and west, one used as a bedroom and the other as a study.
As a result, Liu Linglong refused and occupied the west room. Liu Zhiyin had no choice but to sleep with her.
The east wing was used as a study.
"Erlang, why don't you sleep a little longer?" Liu Zhiyin stepped forward and put a coat on Li Changan and asked softly.
"It's okay, my sister-in-law and I will cook together and post couplets after the meal." Li Changan said with a smile.
It's quite warm inside the house, but it's as cold as an ice cave outside.
Li Changan relit the charcoal stove, rubbed his hands and followed Liu Zhiyin into the kitchen.
"The rock candy has been made, just knock it out later."
Li Changan opened the seal on the jar in the corner of the kitchen, broke off a small piece of rock sugar that had condensed on the wall of the jar, and walked to Liu Zhiyin like a treasure.
Liu Zhiyin's heart unconsciously surged with warmth, and there was a little more tenderness in her smiling eyes.
"Here, have a taste." Li Changan held the rock candy and handed it to Liu Zhiyin's mouth.
Liu Zhiyin's face instantly turned pink, and her eyes gained a hint of water color.
After hesitating for a moment, Liu Zhiyin slowly opened his mouth.
It's sweet and has a tea aroma, sweet but not greasy.
Li Changan didn't seem to notice anything strange about Liu Zhiyin, so he threw a piece into his mouth, smacked his lips and said, "I'll give it to Linglong to try it later. This little girl has been pestering me for several days."
"Linglong is actually not young anymore. Many people as old as Linglong have families." Liu Zhiyin raised his eyes and looked at Li Changan,
Li Changan was startled, a sourness suddenly appeared in his heart, and his throat began to feel dry, "Sister-in-law... what are you going to do?"
"Great, then I will marry my brother tomorrow."
Suddenly there was a cheer outside the door, and Liu Linglong, who was wrapped up in a round shape, ran in happily, hugged Li Changan from behind, and jumped to put her little head on Li Changan's shoulder.
"Brother, I want to give you a baby!"
Li Changan's head was covered with black lines, and the trace of reluctance in his heart dissipated instantly, "Come down quickly."
"I don't."
"If you don't come down, I'm going to beat you."
"I won't. Beat me until I cry. Brother, you will be sad too." Liu Linglong pressed against Li Changan's back.
"Do you still want to eat rock candy?" Li Changan showed his trump card.
As expected, Liu Linglong let go of Li Changan, stuck her head out, and blinked her big eyes, "Where are they? Okay, brother, why are you and your sister eating behind my back?"
Li Changan twitched his lips, wanting to explain the word "stealing" to Liu Linglong.
Unable to withstand Liu Linglong's tossing, Li Changan had no choice but to crack rock candy honestly.
Looking at Liu Linglong, who was jumping and chattering around Li Changan, Liu Zhiyin's heart became softer and softer, that's fine, this way our family can be together forever.
After breakfast, Li Changan and Liu Linglong started noisily preparing to post couplets.
"Brother, what should we eat tonight?" Liu Linglong helped stir the paste.
"Didn't you just have breakfast? Why are you thinking about finishing your meal again?"
"But today is New Year's Eve. If you want to stay up late, you must eat delicious food."
"Don't worry, there will be something for you to eat when the time comes." Liu Zhiyin boiled a pot of hot water and poured it into a bucket, then picked up a piece of bacon and washed it.
"I have to eat a lot of delicious food." Liu Linglong pouted, obviously not very satisfied with the bacon.
"Why do you want to eat so much delicious food?" Li Changan asked with a smile.
Liu Linglong patted her chest, as cheerful as a deer, "Because I want to give birth to a baby for my brother. Don't you have to eat delicious food after giving birth?"
Li Changan almost wanted to vomit blood. From the moment he ran into the kitchen, having children has almost become Liu Linglong's mantra.
Tapping Liu Linglong's little forehead, Li Changan said helplessly, "Little girl, hurry up and get to work."
"Humph." Liu Linglong raised her chin, "These past few days, my sister and I have been bathing in the medicinal soup prepared by my brother every day, and we will soon be adults."
Hearing this, Li Changan couldn't help but look at Liu Zhiyin and Liu Linglong a few more times. The effects of the medicinal soup bath were only slowly felt, but after soaking for five days, some changes could indeed be seen.
They seem to be getting whiter, even the thin calluses on the hands of my sister-in-law and younger sister are fading away, and their faces are becoming more and more rosy, white and rosy.
"I'm not happy!" Liu Linglong stepped on Li Changan's foot. "Brother looks at my sister more than me. I just looked at my sister seven times and only looked at me five times."
After shouting this sentence, Li Changan and Liu Zhiyin's faces suddenly turned red.
"Liu Linglong, are you feeling itchy?" Li Changan shouted in a stern tone.
"Just a little bit..." Liu Linglong stuck out her tongue and ran to Liu Zhiyin's side, holding her little face in her hands.
"Sister, can we marry my brother together? But if I say yes, I want to give birth to the child first, so that my sister's child can call my child brother."
As expected, Liu Linglong could not escape a beating. Liu Zhiyin, who was shy and anxious, could no longer care about her shyness. She grabbed Liu Linglong and slapped her on the buttocks.
"Ah...brother save me, sister is going to beat your wife to death."
"Ugh...sister, do you want to monopolize your brother? So you want to beat me to death?"
"Wow...for such a long time, my sister has been looking at my brother wrongly. I knew..."
After the beating, Liu Linglong was indeed honest.
But Liu Zhiyin was so embarrassed that he couldn't even lift his head, and the bacon in his hands was almost bald.
No matter how thick-skinned Li Changan was, he couldn't stand Liu Linglong's talk, so he went into the kitchen and started frying the base.
Today is New Year's Eve, I have to make something delicious.
…
It was getting late, and I finally felt relaxed.
Li Changan was in the corner of the yard, facing north, burning paper money, and then returned to the house.
The family is sitting around the charcoal stove. The table is filled with delicious food. Liu Linglong narrates and there is also a basket of melon seeds and peanut snacks bought today.
"Erlang, there is a grand poetry gathering in the county today, and it is held by the academy. Why don't you go?" Liu Zhiyin asked, taking a piece of braised pork to Li Chang'an.
Li Changan shook his head and explained, "This poetry meeting is related to the Wenchang Monument of the county. It is useless for me to go. The result has already been decided."
Although it was time to rest, the commotion in the academy was getting louder and louder.
Various counties have organized poetry gatherings of varying sizes, and all county Wenchang steles have been opened. Almost all literati from all over the country have gathered together, creating a huge momentum.
There is only one purpose, which is to promote the "Wangchuan Feelings" that the Ninth Tower has just announced recently.
"It's good to go and see something. You just went to the academy and made more friends... Linglong and I have not studied, so we can't help you with many things..."
Liu Zhiyin was chattering, but the concern in his words was beyond words.
Li Changan picked out a piece of steamed pork for Linglong and said with a smile, "I have made a few good friends during this period, but I want to spend more time with my sister-in-law and little sister than with them."
Liu Zhiyin lowered his head while eating, his eyes full of joy.
Liu Linglong pouted, "Brother, I want..."
Before he finished speaking, Li Changan and Liu Zhiyin both looked over, and Liu Linglong immediately lowered her head, "Okay, I won't say anything today."
"Sister-in-law, little sister, how about I teach you how to read and write?" Li Changan said.
"Really?" Liu Zhiyin looked at Li Changan in surprise, "But will it waste time? Forget it, Erlang's time is more important..."
As he spoke, Liu Zhiyin lowered his head again, feeling a little disappointed.
Erlang is willing to teach him how to read and write, which shows that Erlang does not dislike them and is willing to be with them for a long time.
But Erlang's time is precious now, and he and his younger sister must not affect Erlang.
Li Changan raised his hand, subconsciously wanting to hit Liu Zhiyin on the head, but he took it back halfway, feeling full of pity in his heart. His sister-in-law valued him more than he did.
"Sister-in-law, you and my little sister are the most important to me..."
Liu Zhiyin did not raise her head, but tears quietly fell from the corners of her eyes. It was sour, but her heart was warm.
"Crack!"
"Crack!"
…
Suddenly there was a loud noise outside.
Liu Linglong put down her chopsticks and ran out cheering, "Brothers and sisters, come out quickly, the firecrackers are starting to set off outside!"
"Wow, it's starting to snow again..."
Li Changan stood up with a smile and looked at Liu Zhiyin, whose shoulders were trembling slightly. The emotions in his heart seemed to be overflowing. He carefully took Liu Zhiyin's increasingly soft and smooth hand,
"Sister-in-law, let's go out too."
Liu Zhiyin didn't dare to look at Li Changan at all, her face turned red with embarrassment, but she didn't move away.
It wasn't until he was about to cross the threshold that Liu Zhiyin exerted a little force, and Li Changan let go of her hand.
Liu Linglong jumped up and down in the yard, laughing.
Li Changan raised his head and let the snowflakes fall on his face to cool down the heat in his heart.
Prayer lanterns flew over the county city, fluttering in the wind.
In the direction of the academy, the lights were brightly lit, and bursts of cheers could even be heard, resounding throughout the sky.
"One year is about to pass. I hope our family will be safe next year." Liu Zhiyin's voice was gentle and waxy. He looked at Li Changan and then at Liu Linglong. He couldn't get enough of it.
Wait until the long bell rings over the county town,
Liu Linglong grinned at Li Changan and said loudly and happily, "Brother, I want to give you a child!"
Li Changan was about to raise his hand.
Liu Linglong jumped away immediately, giggling, "It's already the new year, I can say it."
"Look at your smile, your mouth is so wide open." Li Changan said helplessly.
"Brother, what is your wish?" Liu Linglong came over again and looked at Li Changan eagerly. Liu Zhiyin also looked at Li Changan.
"I definitely hope that our family will be healthy and safe."
"No, no, my sister has already made this wish. My brother wants to change it so that we can have one more wish." Liu Linglong held Li Changan's arm and shook it.
"Then I really didn't expect it... By the way, I hope to have another hundred wishes!"
"Ah, brother, you are a shameless person..." Liu Linglong gritted her teeth and pounced on Li Changan.
The charcoal fire was burning in the house, which was as warm as spring, and the family of three was enjoying themselves happily.
Li Changan looked at the falling snow outside the door, and in the literary palace in his mind, literary energy surged and gathered into a pen.
On the bronze ancient writing paper, small characters in block letters appeared one after another,
""Ascending the Ninth Tower""
"The sun disappears behind the mountains, and the rivers flow into the sea."
"If you want to see a thousand miles away, reach a higher level."
————————
Note: "Climbing the Ninth Tower" was adapted from "Climbing the Stork Tower", the name was slightly modified, and "Yellow River" was changed to "Jianghe".