After being busy for a long time, he was suddenly free. Although he was a little bored, Lu Heng did not seem at a loss.
Time seems to have gone back to three years ago. During the day, I was calculating daily necessities, and at night, I was joking and chatting. The difference from Jiangning is that this is Zhoushan, Zhejiang. And there are more people here.
On New Year's Eve, during the day, Lu Heng and a group of curious old naughty boys were studying fireworks at home.
By the time it gets dark and every household holds up a red lantern, they are almost done.
When it came to making firecrackers, at the beginning, Kong Kanglian felt extremely disdainful of Lu Heng's work, which was done by craftsmen. However, when the first firework used for testing rose into the sky, it bloomed brilliantly.
After the fireworks. On this weekday, the scholar who thought that all things were inferior but the only one with a good education was already busy squatting with Lu Heng and starting to prepare the ingredients with his own hands.
Agui squatted there, eating the medicine pestle, and carefully pounded the gunpowder. Then, he crushed it into dough with a stick and put it aside.
"Master Lu, where do you put these copper powder and iron powder?" Kong Kanglian's face was covered with stains, and he squatted there, happily spraying two packets of metal powder, and asked curiously.
For several days after arriving, Kong Kanglian kept calling Lu Heng by the name "Sir". Although Lu Heng told him several times to call him by his first name. But every time the issue of title came up, this seemingly amiable old man would start talking again.
Become that old scholar who refuses to change.
The courtesy cannot be discarded, which made Lu Heng roll his eyes.
Over the past few days, after Lu Heng corrected him several times to no avail, he didn't bother to take care of it anymore.
"One tael, five dollars!" Lu Heng, who was busy filling the medicine powder into the paper tube, carefully sealed it, and heard Kong Kanglian's question. He replied unhurriedly.
"Oh!" Kong Kanglian nodded, carrying two portions of metal powder to the ingredients.
Monk Fahai sat cross-legged in front of a shrine at home, chanting sutras and praying respectfully. His expression was solemn and solemn, and he was mumbling something.
However, if someone came close at this time, they would be able to tell that the monk was not reciting sutras at all, but was instead reciting, when will the meal be served, and when will the meal be served.
A group of people are busy with their own work and cooperate very well.
There will be sounds of children playing outside the yard, which is very lively. There will also be neighbors coming to borrow things. Seeing these men squatting in the yard and working on a weird thing, the neighbors were curious.
Ask the previous question, what is that.
However, after Liu Qingqing enthusiastically lent them some money, the neighbors praised him and turned around and left.
"Will they pay it back?" Kong Kanglian saw the neighbors walking out with the money, with surprise on their faces, as if they were getting candy from children. She couldn't help but feel sorry for Lu Heng, the big guy.
Feeling worried.
The festive atmosphere was getting thicker and thicker in the air. When Lu Heng and the others made their hundredth firecracker, they looked up and realized that the sky was getting dark.
The blue night covers the world, the sky is filled with twinkling stars, thousands of lights are on the ground, and occasionally sporadic fireworks bloom in the night sky, it is extremely beautiful.
At the gate of the manor, Lu Heng and a group of men also carried lanterns and stepped on ladders to hang red lanterns on both sides of the door lintel.
The red light swayed and the lights were dim. It cast a fiery red festive light.
Not long after, a scent that made people intoxicated and salivated came from the manor.
Under the leadership of Liu Qingqing, the women brought the prepared New Year's Eve dinner to the hall and greeted the group of people in the yard who were setting up a fire to eat.
From the time it got dark until now, Lu Heng built this fire that was three meters high. He used nearly a hundred kilograms of charcoal to build a fire as strong as the pagoda it is today.
Later, Lu Heng walked into the room, picked up a writing brush, wrote a banner saying "Purple Energy Comes from the East", and handed it to Agui to stick it on the fire.
Entered the house and finished washing.
A group of people took their seats one after another.
"It's so rich!" Monk Fahai, who was already croaking with hunger, immediately moved his index fingers when he saw the table full of delicacies. He picked up his chopsticks and stretched his hands towards the plates of fried meat.
On the side, Kong Kanglian looked at this eminent monk, whom even His Majesty was full of praise for, eating and drinking without any regard for the Buddhist precepts, and was dumbfounded.
"After the wine and meat pass through the intestines, the Lord Buddha will remain in his heart!" Monk Fahai said the mantra skillfully and said it to Kong Kanglian in a serious manner. Then he picked up his chopsticks and started eating.
Kong Kanglian was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but be astonished.
"Is this okay?"
Seeing that everyone was talking and laughing, they were in high spirits. As the head of the family, Lu Heng smiled slightly, raised his glass, and looked around.
Everyone put down their chopsticks and raised their wine cups with smiles in their eyes.
Lu Heng picked up the drink, coughed, and said with a smile: "New year, new beginning. Happy New Year, everyone!"
"Happy New Year, Mr. Lu!" Kong Kanglian had a strict upbringing since childhood, and had never had such a relaxing experience. Seeing Lu Heng's casual words, the old man's face turned red with excitement, and he laughed loudly.
After he finished speaking, no one echoed his words. Everyone looked at him strangely.
Kong Kanglian was stunned for a moment, suddenly embarrassed, and lowered her head in shame.
However, the next moment, everyone's enthusiasm melted the old man's slightly nervous heart.
After Lu Heng spoke, a group of people picked up their wine glasses, stood up, and bumped into each other.
"Happy New Year to Mr. Lu Lang!"
Drinks were flying and everyone was in high spirits.
The men were in a good mood and drank a lot. After a while, they all put on wine bowls. The wine bowls were filled with wine, and the men picked up the wine bowls and clinked them with each other.
"Go one!"
…
After dinner, before the girls could take action, Lu Heng and Monk Fahai moved away from the banquet. Their movements were natural and their expressions were natural. It looked like this was not the first time they had done this kind of thing of washing pots and dishes.
Kong Kanglian, who was still sitting on the chair and thinking about Junzi's distant kitchen, saw that besides him, the three men were busy washing pots and dishes. Embarrassed, she also rolled up her sleeves and joined the cleaning process.
.
After doing all this, the men returned to the brightly lit hall.
The girls have already finished cleaning the hall, and the table in the center has been covered with a layer of red velvet. On the table, mahjong has been laid out.
The girls stood in front of the table and looked at Lu Heng with smiles.
The girls, who had drunk some wine, had their pretty faces slightly reddened and looked radiant. Under the bright candlelight, they looked extremely beautiful.
Lu Heng smiled, walked over, and sat down first. Then, Monk Fahai also sat down. After the girls gave way to each other for a while, Liu Qingqing, representing the women of the Lu family, sat on Lu Heng's left hand side.
Three without one is not enough.
Lu Heng raised his head, pointed at the chair opposite, looked at Kong Kanglian and said, "Here's one!"
Kong Kanglian, who had fallen deeply today, looked at the mahjong on the table and hesitated, wondering whether he should step forward and play this gambling game that scholars despised and hated.
"Don't worry, it's all Xiao Hu!" Agui, who was watching the battle, whispered to Kong Kanglian.
After saying these words, Kong Kanglian, who was a little drunk, was immediately furious. Without saying anything, he sat on the chair, turned his head, and snorted: "I can afford to lose!"
He skillfully picked up the dice and rolled it.
What a master!
Lu Heng and others looked at each other with extremely surprised expressions in their eyes.
So...the gambling begins!
At the beginning, Lu Heng killed three people in a row, and the money from the three families was piled in front of Lu Heng.
Liu Qingqing frowned slightly, with a solemn expression. She pinched a mahjong with her bare hands, took a look, and smiled. Monk Fahai sat there, looking at his cards with a red face, and kept raising his sleeves.
, wiping the sweat from nervousness on his forehead.
Among the three people, Kong Kanglian lost the most. For a moment, the old man was furious, playing cards, and yelling.
"bump……"
"eat……"
"Bang..."
Just when Lao Kong was shouting and getting excited, Lu Heng, who was sitting opposite, wiped a card with his fingers. Without looking at it, he slapped it on the table and wiped the card with his finger.
Pushed him down and said lightly: "What a fool!"
Kong Kanglian blushed and was too lazy to look. She waved her hand and urged: "Come again, come again!"
Half an hour later, Kong Kanglian, who was eager to kill, finally saved the defeat. He also won back the money he lost, and also won a lot of money from Monk Fa Hai.
On the side, Liu Qingqing only lost two hands, with no trace of joy on her face as she lost. She turned her head, pouted, and looked at Lu Heng resentfully.
Lu Heng coughed and pretended not to notice.
Liu Qingqing suddenly became furious and kicked him hard with her little foot hidden under the table.
Feeling the pain, Lu Heng's mouth twitched. He sighed and reluctantly played a card.
After Liu Qingqing saw the card, she smiled. She said "Top", took the card played by Lu Heng, pushed the card down with a crash, and lightly opened her lips: "Thirteen!"
Kong Kanglian, whose income had just improved, immediately became confused after seeing Liu Qingqing's cards.
The cards were played until Haishi.
Hearing the sound of firecrackers outside, it gradually became louder and louder. Only then did everyone disperse without feeling satisfied.
In the final result, due to Lu Heng's intervention, Liu Qingqing won a great victory. The girls burst into cheers and rushed over with a clatter, pocketing all the money on the table.
Monk Fahai giggled. A dead pig is not afraid of boiling water. He has no money anyway.
Kong Kanglian, on the other hand, had messy hair, dark circles under her eyes, and was completely defeated. When she reached out and touched her body, she seemed to have less than ten copper coins in her body.
However, one of these two people is an eminent monk, and the other is a mature man. At this time, how could he not notice the fishiness in it?
For a moment, both of their eyes were locked on Lu Heng.
Monk Fahai's eyes were full of resentment, while Kong Kanglian's eyes were full of anger.
"Ahem!" Lu Heng coughed without changing his expression, turned around and left: "Agui, put all the firecrackers in the yard. In a while, it will be time to wake up!"
Agui chuckled and quickly followed the young master away: "Okay!"
"Sin!" Monk Fahai clasped his hands together and sighed helplessly.
"Despicable!" Kong Kanglian was furious, trembling with anger.
…
At twelve o'clock, a group of people walked out of the hall and stood in front of the roaring fire in the yard.
The head of the family, Lu Heng, stepped forward to light the fire. A group of people stood behind and watched.
When the flames soaring into the sky illuminate the world.
The gorgeous fireworks also soared into the sky.
Bang bang bang...
The fireworks flying into the sky bloomed into various flower shapes in the sky, attracting countless people in Zhoushan Town to look up.
In a remote corner of the city, in the yard of a poor family,
The lady was wearing thin clothes, holding the little girl in her arms, standing in the yard, looking at the various fireworks blooming in the sky. Her eyes were filled with excitement.
In her arms, the little girl moved excitedly: "Mom, look, that's a lotus!"
"Yeah, it's a chrysanthemum this time!"
"Ah, my dear, look, there are words in the fireworks!"
The cold wind blows frequently, blowing on the body, making people shiver with cold.
After the woman tightened the clothes around her daughter, she reached out to touch her cute little red face and asked softly: "Does it look good?"
"It's beautiful, it's so beautiful!" The little girl's eyes flashed with excitement and she cheered with joy.
…
"Fire trees and silver flowers never leave the sky!" Lu Heng raised his head, looked at the sky, moved his lips slightly, and murmured.
Looking back on the past three years, there have been disappointments, happiness, joy, and anger. However, most of them have been gains.
Turning his head and looking at the four beautiful wives behind him, Lu Heng smiled slightly and stretched out his arms.
Beside her, Liu Qingqing and a group of women saw her husband opening his arms towards her. The women blushed and walked over. Lu Heng hugged them in his arms.
The girls blushed and squeezed into Lu Heng's arms, enjoying their husband's strong embrace. Their faces were filled with happiness.
Looking at the four wives with fragrant peaches and plums in his arms, each with his own merits, Lu Heng was moved in his heart: "Thank you!"
At this moment, Lu Heng finally let go of everything on his mind.
Go to hell Turks, go to hell Tokyo, go to hell politics. Being able to let my family live a good life is what I should do.
Lu Heng took a deep breath, his eyes flashed with bright colors, his voice trembled, and he said to the girls: "We depend on each other for life and death, we will never leave you!!"
…
After New Year's Eve, the next day is the Spring Festival.
Early in the morning, children from the neighborhood came to the door asking for lucky money.
The adults were hiding outside the door, passing through the cracks in the door, looking at their children expectantly, holding out their fists to cheer their children secretly.
Seeing the male owner of the house, he laughed and distributed red envelopes one by one to the children.
The parents hiding outside the door were beaming with joy.
After their children came out, the parents quickly took their children back home.
Close the door, some even hang the curtains, and light candles.
The family gathered around the woman and watched excitedly as she opened the red envelope.
Hey, is there another one inside?
The woman frowned, curious.
Then, take another one apart.
Ah? There’s more?
In this way, after opening more than a dozen of them in succession, a copper plate fell out with a clang, and a small piece of paper.
"You're so stingy, bah!" the woman cursed and threw her companion to the ground. Then, after taking a look at it, she walked down to pick it up and hid it in her arms.
The children beside me, who were waiting for the new year's money, burst into tears when they saw their mother embezzling the income from their hard work.
The woman was already upset, so she slapped her in the face.
When the man in the family saw that the woman dared to have a son, he was immediately furious. He went up to her, pushed her to the ground, rode on her, and slapped her hard.
The child is crying and the woman is crying too.
When he was tired from the beating, the man turned over, picked up the note that had fallen aside and took a look at it, and suddenly he was sweating profusely.
There are a few words written on the note: I borrowed one tael of silver yesterday, and the interest rate is one penny today. And so on!
After reading the note, the man's vision turned black and he almost fainted to the ground. In anger, he rushed forward again, pushed his wife who had just gotten up to the ground again, and punched and kicked her again.
"It's all you, it's all you, trying to defraud people of their money, now is the time. What should I do?"
The woman struggled and cried: "Yesterday you said that I was a fool and asked me to go over and swindle money. Now you are beating me up, do you really think that I am easy to bully?"
Crackling, the doubles match begins.
As a result, during the Spring Festival, which was supposed to be a joyful time, the neighbors seemed to be crying as if something had happened. It was surprising.
In the Peach Blossom Manor, Kong Kanglian, who has no money to go home, is listening to the neighbors whose homes are experiencing civil war not far away.
With a sigh, he put his hands behind his back, hummed a little tune, and walked home leisurely under the rising sun.
A dragon swims in shallow water and is teased by a shrimp, a tiger falls flat and is bullied by a dog?
Bah! Do you believe what the scholars say?
How silly!
…
After the Spring Festival, it’s the Lantern Festival.
After eating the glutinous rice balls made by the girls, Lu Heng took the girls out of the manor and went to the market to watch the lights.
Monk Fahai and Agui put their arms around each other, followed closely behind.
Kong Kanglian, who became the housekeeper of Peach Blossom Manor, completely lost her aloofness as a gentleman and made small profits. Along the way, she counted today's expenses silently on her fingers.
There were many pedestrians on the road. They were laughing and laughing, and it was so lively.
The children carried homemade lanterns and hurriedly followed the adults. The adults hugged their children like little ones and warned them repeatedly not to get lost.
But after seeing Lu Heng, the neighbors who had been insulted by Lu Heng no longer had the previous contempt. Instead, they all licked their faces and came up to say hello.
Seeing Lu Heng smiling and nodding, without mentioning the loan sharking matter, the neighbors breathed a sigh of relief and felt very happy in their hearts.
Several neighbors have already stepped forward and said they would take Lu Heng and his family to watch the lantern market.
Lu Heng smiled and declined their kindness, then he took his wives and walked into the colorful and crowded lantern market ahead.
The four ladies were all as beautiful as angels. Along the way, they attracted countless people to stop and miss them.
Of course, there are also some short-sighted local gangsters who come forward and try to molest them. But Agui and the monk are there to clear the way, and anyone with a bit of discernment knows that these people are not to be trifled with.
There were also a few people who were not afraid of death. They squeezed over and started to use their hands and feet. However, they were slapped by Agui and were knocked around in circles. After that, they became dizzy and couldn't distinguish anything.