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Li Zhoule suddenly remembered that the Dragon Boat Festival was known as "Nine Poison Day," and there was a custom in the folk tradition of "hiding from Duanwu." Parents would send their children to their grandmother's house to avoid bad luck, and some newly married women would also return to their maternal homes for safety. He smiled and said, "I didn't think of it at first."
Aunt Manchong chuckled, "You haven't even married or had children yet. Once you become a mother, you'll keep these customs and taboos in mind all the time."
Man Jin laughed and asked, "Zhou Le, when are you going to marry Zi Xia?"
Li Zhoule's face turned red as he replied, "W-We’re not in a hurry."
"Not in a hurry? Your sister Rainflower was already pregnant at your age, and you're not anxious?" Aunt Manchong widened her eyes. "Is it because you don't have any elders to take charge? I can help you with that; how about I take the lead?"
Wen Zixia quickly thanked Aunt Manchong, saying, "Auntie, we appreciate your good intentions, but Zhou Le and I are fine. We'll wait until I pass the Scholar exam before we make a grand wedding."
"Good, that's the spirit," Uncle Man Cang praised while patting his thigh. "Zi Xia, once you pass the Scholar exam, I'll find a matchmaker for you to propose to the Li Family."
Uncle Man Jin added with a smile, "I'll help you catch a big goose so that you can make a grand entrance."
The other villagers also expressed their willingness to help. Wen Zixia bowed in gratitude as they all merrily made their way to the riverside.
The river was called Tuo Shui River, the largest river in Jingyang County. It spanned five hundred meters wide and usually had boats passing through. However, today all other boats were diverted elsewhere for the dragon boat races, leaving only a dozen dragon boats on the river, all organized by wealthy families from the county town. Before the wars and disasters, there had been as many as fifty dragon boats participating in the races, with some affluent villages also joining in. However, after years of disaster and conflict, even basic sustenance had become an issue for the common people; who had the time or energy to build and race dragon boats?
Wen Zixue recalled never having seen such a lively dragon boat race—after all, with meals being a struggle, how could Wen Zixia bring them to watch? Now watching the excitement unfold filled him with joy; he wished he could jump onto a boat himself and paddle. Wen Ziyu held onto his brother tightly, fearing he might recklessly jump into the river. Li Yishu held Hanno's digital camera that had been sent over and opened it according to Professor Hanno's instructions, filming the river scene. The three of them kept their distance from Li Zhoule and Wen Zixia so they could have their private conversation without being blinded by their display of affection—Hanno's words.
When Guan Rulin arrived and saw the clear divide between the two groups, he couldn't help but chuckle and asked Li Yishu, "Li Yishu, what's that black thing in your hand?"
"Nothing much," Li Yishu quickly hid the camera inside his coat. "It's just a toy I made myself; it's quite ugly. I didn't want to show it to the teacher."
Guan Rulin had no intention of looking at such a dark and ugly thing—the camera manufacturer: "Smash your rotten bananas, how dare you slander our products!"—but he used the opportunity to separate Wen Zixia from Li Zhoule while talking to Li Yishu. "Don't worry, I won't look."
Wen Zixia walked over with a smile. "Master Guan, are you here to see me?"
Guan Rulin nodded with a smile. "That's right. Come with me; the County Magistrate wants to see you."
Wen Zixia was surprised. "The County Magistrate wants to see me?"
For ordinary people in ancient times, the county magistrate was an unattainable figure. Upon hearing that the County Magistrate wanted to see her, even Wen Zixia, who had met "immortals," felt a bit panicked and worriedly asked Guan Rulin, "How would the County Magistrate know about me?"
Guan Rulin reassured her, "Don't worry, it's nothing serious. I mentioned you to the County Magistrate. Your knowledge is solid, and your insights are exceptional; you will definitely excel in the county examination. The County Magistrate values talent and wants to meet you."
Since the incident with the Celestial Seeds, Guan Rulin had gained recognition from the County Magistrate and was occasionally called upon to assist or attend gatherings in the county. This time for Duanwu, the County Magistrate had also invited Guan Rulin. A group of people discussed everything from dragon boat racing to the origins of Duanwu and even composed poetry on the theme of Duanwu. Guan Rulin recommended Wen Zixia, hoping to give her a chance to shine in front of the wealthy and learned individuals in the county.
Wen Zixia listened to this and felt both amused and helpless. Although she was well-versed in knowledge and could easily write letters, she lacked a certain flair for poetry. However, this was Guan Rulin's good intention; she couldn't refuse, especially since the County Magistrate had specifically requested her presence. Reluctantly, Wen Zixia thanked Guan Rulin for his kindness, adjusted her clothing, and prepared to accompany him to meet the County Magistrate.
Li Zhoule approached Wen Zixia and said, "Do you remember the Duanwu poem that Sister Han wrote for us earlier?"
She knew Wen Zixia well and understood her current predicament.
Wen Zixia frowned upon hearing this. "No, that's what Sister Han wrote; how can I use it without permission?"
Li Zhoule replied, "Sister Han wouldn't mind. Besides, have you thought about what you want to write now?"
Wen Zixia (づ﹏ど) replied softly, "...No."
"Li Zhoule, the County Magistrate, called your name. If you can't come up with good verses, not only will you lose face, but you'll also bring shame to the County Magistrate. This won't bode well for your future Scientific Expedition. Regardless, you need to get through this hurdle first. Later, we can apologize together to Sister Han."
Wen Zixia was not as stubborn as other scholars who refused to adapt. Although he felt a bit uncomfortable, he accepted Li Zhoule's suggestion. After meeting with the magistrate, Wen Zixia picked up his brush and wrote an appropriate poem: "Together we frighten the dragons on the water, unaware that it is the Mulan boat. The cloud banners flutter in the blue sky, while thunder drums echo in the flowing emerald waters. The unjust spirit of Qu Yuan lingers eternally, and the customs of Chu remain to this day. On a leisurely day at the riverside pavilion, I drunkenly recite 'Li Sao' without understanding my sorrow."
"Excellent!" The crowd exclaimed, "This poem should be the best."
The County Magistrate was very pleased and praised Wen Zixia repeatedly, assuring him that he would definitely make it onto the list for the county examination. With the magistrate's promise, Wen Zixia sighed in relief. If he hadn't followed Li Zhoule's advice today, his future might have truly been affected.
As evening approached, villagers began to return home one after another. Upon arriving at the Li Family residence, Wen Zixia went to the storage room with Li Zhoule to write down today's events and sincerely apologize, sending it via a Porcelain Jar to Hanno. Hanno was in her rented room when she saw the letter; she smiled and tapped on the Porcelain Jar to open a video call.
"Sister Han," both Li Zhoule and Wen Zixia called out upon seeing Hanno, but on her end, she could only see their lips moving without hearing any sound.
Hanno quickly wrote down a line and showed it to Li Zhoule and Wen Zixia: "I already know about the situation. I don't mind at all that Zi Xia used my poem to win others' praise; in fact, I'm quite happy to help Zi Xia."
Wen Zixia felt both ashamed and happy upon hearing this: "Sister Han, from now on I will work hard to learn poetry and write my own verses; I won't plagiarize your work again."
Hanno smiled: "'Noon Viewing of Dragon Boat Races' is not my work; it belongs to a predecessor. I believe he wouldn't mind you presenting his poem in another world."
Wen Zixia replied, "But I still feel that it's not right to do so."
Hanno said, "In urgent matters, one must act according to circumstances. When lacking warmth and gentleness, one must hold steady and not rely solely on expedient measures; thus, many do not adhere closely."
Wen Zixia nodded: "I understand now. But just this once—I will strive to improve myself and never depend on others again."
Hanno praised him: "You have ambition; good child."
Wen Zixia blushed at the compliments.
The three on each side chatted for a while until the blue light from the Porcelain Jar began to fade. Hanno, realizing that the energy was about to run out, turned off the video communication. Thinking of Wen Zixia's guilty expression, Hanno couldn't help but smile again. The modern Duanwu Festival was truly less interesting than in ancient times; look at how others celebrated with dragon boat races and poetry gatherings. In contrast, what did modern people do? Aside from eating a couple of rice dumplings, life went on as usual—how dull. Hanno looked at the Porcelain Jar and remembered that during festivals, the trash can would connect to other worlds. He decided to hold a universal celebration and invite people from other worlds to enjoy rice dumplings.
With his wallet in hand, Hanno left the district and ran to the Footbridge. The vendor selling steamed buns had already set up shop, and sure enough, they were also selling rice dumplings for the occasion. He bought twenty each of red bean and savory meat dumplings. As he descended the Footbridge, he spotted an elderly man with gray hair selling a basket of sweet potatoes by the bridge. Feeling a pang of sympathy, Hanno took out five hundred yuan and bought both the thirty pounds of sweet potatoes and the bamboo basket. Passing by a convenience store in the district, he thought it wouldn't do to eat only rice dumplings without something to drink, so he kindly purchased two one-liter bottles of purified water to take back to his rental apartment.
Initially, he intended to save the sweet potatoes for sending to the Li siblings later, but recalling that Li Zhoule's family had already planted plenty of sweet potatoes, Hanno changed his mind. He tossed all the sweet potatoes and rice dumplings into the Porcelain Jar and stared intently at it. To his surprise, it revealed something different this time. As these items disappeared, the Porcelain Jar emitted faint red and blue glows that quickly faded away—so subtle that one would hardly notice unless looking closely.
"Who will be lucky enough to know about this young lady's Duanwu Festival gift?"
…………
The World of the Unparalleled Twins.
In a sealed stone chamber with its door shut tight and surrounded by stone walls—essentially mountain walls—a remarkably beautiful woman exerted all her strength trying to smash through them with a stone statue, but unfortunately, it didn’t budge an inch.
This woman was extraordinarily beautiful, possessing an exquisite face and bright eyes, exuding an ethereal grace that radiated an enchanting charm as if she were a celestial being from above.
A young handsome man lounged nearby and said lazily to her, "There's no need to keep smashing; since Wei Wuyou has plotted against us by locking us in this stone chamber, no amount of brute force will open it."
The beautiful Cold Beauty whipped her head around and glared fiercely at the young man. He seemed completely unfazed by her anger and even flashed her a radiant smile.
Cold Beauty turned her face away, unwilling to look at him any longer as if he were something filthy. Another beautiful woman approached Cold Beauty's side and gently advised her, "Sister, you're tired too; why not take a break?"
This second beautiful woman had her own charm compared to Cold Beauty; her stunning looks and noble demeanor were equally captivating. She was also a breathtaking beauty with a sweet smile that surpassed spring flowers. Her lively eyes sparkled with indescribable wisdom yet retained a youthful innocence. However, beneath her slender figure lay an undeniable deformity in her left hand and foot that evoked sympathy in those who looked upon her.
"Rest," the cold woman scoffed. "We have no provisions or water with us. If we don't break through this stone door and the mountain wall quickly, we might end up starving or dying of thirst. Are you just planning to wait for death without doing anything?"
The beautiful woman shook her head vigorously.
The young man, however, chuckled derisively. "We're not waiting for death; we're conserving our energy. Moon Invitation Master, you've exhausted so much of your inner strength and stamina. Do you think you can recover without food or water?"
The Cold Beauty, also known as Moon Invitation Master, glared at the young man. "That's still better than you doing nothing at all."
Yuer laughed lightly. "I'm not doing nothing; I'm just planning before acting to avoid wasting energy."
The beautiful woman, known as Compassionate Star Master, asked, "So have you figured out how to get out yet?"
Yuer straightened her face. "No."
Moon Invitation Master sneered, "Aren't you the one who claims to be the smartest? What's wrong? Stuck now?"
Yuer sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "There's nothing we can do here. Even if we wanted to dig through the mountain, we have no tools."
Compassionate Star Master said impatiently, "So what should we do? Just wait for death like my sister suggested?"
Yuer replied, "There is one more way."
Compassionate Star Master asked eagerly, "What way?"
Yuer said earnestly with a hint of humor, "Let's pray. We can ask the gods to open the stone door for us or to provide us with some food and drink so that we can hold on until Hua Wuqie comes to rescue us."
Moon Invitation Master glared at Fish with a face full of murderous intent and said, "You're asking for death."
As soon as the words left his mouth, several items appeared out of thin air above the stone chamber and plopped onto the ground. The three of them focused their attention: were those zongzi? And what were the other two items? They looked like Glass Bottles filled with clear water.
The three of them were dumbfounded.
The first clever one, Fish, was stunned—∑(￣□￣*|||—"The gods really have manifested!"
Moon Invitation Master and Compassionate Star Master were equally astonished (╯□╰)—"Are there really gods in this world?"
It was Fish who reacted quickly, picking up a zongzi, peeling back the leaves, and taking big bites—after all, they had been hungry for an entire day.
Compassionate Star Master looked at Fish like a martyr, saying, "You're just going to eat it? Aren't you afraid the zongzi might be poisoned?"
Fish thought Compassionate Star Master was asking a foolish question: "How could something given by a god possibly be poisonous? If the gods wanted our lives, they could easily let us starve or die of thirst; why would they bother to give us food and water just to poison us?"
He then grabbed a bottle of Purified Water, opened the cap, and took a sip of the clear water. "Refreshing!"
Don't ask how Fish managed to easily open the cap of the Purified Water bottle; after all, he was the first clever one.
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