Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 281 New Year’s Eve
After returning to the Imperial Academy from the Kaifeng government office, Lu Beigu spent another half afternoon reading.

Winter days are short and darkness falls early. Seeing that the sun was already setting outside, Lu Beigu tidied himself up, locked the door, and headed to Rainbow Bridge.

They hired a donkey cart from outside.

As he rode eastward in the car, observing the bustling city, he felt as if the chill had been somewhat dispelled by the festive atmosphere that filled Kaifeng during the New Year.

At this moment, the aroma of fried dough sticks, the salty and savory flavor of steamed and boiled preserved meats, and the unique smoke from burning Atractylodes lancea and Gleditsia sinensis to ward off disease create a strong and warm "New Year's flavor" that goes straight into people's noses.

Along the street, on the lintels of every household, newly replaced peach wood charms were dazzlingly red, depicting the fierce-looking Shen Tu and Yu Lei, or simply writing two large names of the gods, silently driving away the bad luck of the old year.

The donkey cart could only go about a mile before reaching the Rainbow Bridge when it could no longer move.

"Let's stop here," Lu Beigu said upon seeing the situation.

"Young master, ten coins."

"."

Normally, although prices in Kaifeng are high, the cost of goods over a distance of a few miles should not exceed ten coins.

However, it was freezing cold in winter, and it was also the Lunar New Year, so the price was a bit higher, and he didn't mind.

Lu Beigu paid the driver his fare, then got off the bus and followed the crowd, trying to squeeze onto the Rainbow Bridge.

It's almost impossible to move an inch here.

He was surrounded by a throng of people, and his ears were filled with a deafening cacophony of sounds: vendors hawking their wares, children screaming, and the drumbeats of Nuo opera, creating a massive wave of noise that made him dizzy.

He had only taken a few steps forward when a gust of wind blew, and a plume of hot white steam covered Lu Beigu's face.

It was a stall selling "prison pills".

The water in the big pot was boiling vigorously, and the plump white fish bobbed up and down. The stall owner deftly grabbed a slotted spoon to prevent them from sticking to the pot, calling out to the vendor.

"A freshly made prison pill—"

"Delicious batu!"

Not to be outdone, the stall selling mutton soup next door was also eager to compete, with the stall owner echoing the other's calls, and the rich aroma of the mutton bone soup made people's mouths water.

There were also exquisite stalls selling "late-night snacks," with candied apricots, golden candied oranges, and glossy hazelnuts served in small, finely woven bamboo boxes for people to choose from as gifts.

Lu Beigu finally managed to squeeze to the highest point of the bridge arch, and took a breath while holding onto the cold wooden railing.

Looking around, the boats on the Bian River are much denser than usual, and many boats have hung colorful lights on their bows and sterns, with the lights reflected on the water and swaying with the waves.

Following the crowd, we slowly crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Once we reached the north side, there weren't many food stalls left.

The north side of the bridge was crowded with temporary stalls selling New Year's goods. The stalls selling New Year's paintings were packed with people. The brightly colored paintings were layered on top of each other. The angry eyes of Zhong Kui catching ghosts and the smiling face of the God of Wealth looked very vivid in the light of the setting sun.

However, the most bustling stalls were definitely the ones where people were allowed to close their doors, and they were almost all surrounded by a crowd of idle people watching the spectacle.

Lu Beigu came to a ring toss stall and took a look.

The stakes were one copper coin. You could toss rings and keep whichever ring landed on the ring. The winners would happily take away clay figurines of "Mohele" or silk hair ornaments, while the losers would sigh and lament.

"Young master, would you like to try your luck?"

"Come on."

Lu Beigu was quite interested and also took out a coin.

The stall owner gave him a hoop made of bamboo strips.

Hefting the ring in his hand, Lu Beigu knew there was a reason for it. Bamboo is generally light and tough, making it float more easily in flight than a metal ring, and it is also more susceptible to crosswinds.

In addition, the circle itself is small, so it is easy to encounter situations where you aim clearly, throw it and feel it's about right, but you just can't hit the target.

Therefore, Lu Beigu did not plan to go out of his way to find the prizes. He simply flicked his wrist and threw the bamboo ring at the pile of prizes ten steps away.

"I'll just take whichever one I get," he thought to himself.

"Wow!"

"Ahem, this young man has been diagnosed."

Amidst the soft gasps of the crowd, Lu Beigu realized that he had actually guessed one correctly.

The bamboo ring fit perfectly onto a "Mohele" (a type of toy).

Mohelu is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word, sometimes also translated as "Mohoulu". He is the son of Buddha Shakyamuni and one of the eight classes of gods and dragons in Buddhism. After being introduced to China, he underwent a period of Sinicization and his image evolved from a snake-headed human body to an innocent and cute child image, often wearing a half-sleeved dress with lotus leaves and holding a lotus leaf.

Women who have not yet given birth pray to it for the early birth of a son, while women who have already given birth pray that their children will grow up healthy.

These small clay figurines were also given entertainment value by ordinary people in the Song Dynasty. Children would often imitate the shape of the clay figurine to play games, which became a folk activity.

The stall owner handed the "Mohele" to Lu Beigu. Lu Beigu looked at it and saw that although the painting was complete, it was not very bright. He guessed it was leftover from this year's Qixi Festival.

If you walk further ahead, there are several banner shops along the street.

Women came and went, staring at the moth, butterfly, and flower-shaped ornaments made of gold and silver foil and colorful silk. They bargained with the shopkeepers, and once they reached an agreement, the women would pay and happily insert the ornaments into their hair buns. As their necks swayed, the ornaments shimmered and sparkled.

Lu Beigu went inside and spent several dozen coins to buy a hairpin.

When I arrived at my sister's house, the small tofu shop had already hung up a curtain indicating that it was closed for business.

Before he could even knock, Lu Beigu had already seen his nephew through the crack in the door.

Jia An, wearing a newly starched jacket, was peeking through the crack in the door at the bizarre and lively scene outside. His face was flushed with excitement, and he wasn't afraid of his uncle.

"Sister, I'm here!"

"You're here. Jia An, what are you doing here?"

Upon hearing his mother's words, Jia An stuck out his tongue and pulled his head back through the crack in the door.

His sister opened the door, and he went inside.

Lu Nanzhi had changed into a clean indigo-colored jacket and skirt today, her hair tied up with a wooden hairpin. Inside the shop, the stove was burning brightly, and mutton was stewing in a pot, its rich aroma almost overpowering the various smells wafting from the market outside. Lu Beigu put down the things he had brought for his sister's family: a hairpin for his sister, a small clay figurine for his nephew, and a small jar of wine.

This jar of wine was a gift from Song Xiang in return. The jar is made of red earthenware and looks quite exquisite.

Lu Beigu guessed that there were too many things in the mansion's warehouse, and the steward didn't know what to give in return, so he simply brought out wine that anyone could drink.

"They're family, they're already here, why bring anything?"

Lu Nanzhi said this, but her hands still naturally picked up the hairpin, replaced the wooden hairpin, and looked at herself in the bronze mirror at home.

She thought to herself, "My brother is still thoughtful; he noticed that my wooden hairpin is too old."

"Sit down quickly!" After trying on the hairpin, Lu Nanzhi smiled and pressed Lu Beigu onto the long bench, then poured him a bowl of hot water.

"Uncle, I want to go out and play!"

Jia An clung to Lu Beigu's knees, tilting her little face up, her eyes filled with undisguised longing.

Because her father, Jia Yan, was never home, and Lu Nanzhi was afraid that her child would run around and be abducted. Hongqiao was a place with a huge flow of people, and all sorts of people could be found there.

Therefore, Jia An usually stayed at home to help his mother and rarely had the opportunity to go out to play. Even when he did go out, he would only play with his friends not far from the door.

Lu Nanzhi was busy at the stove preparing the New Year's Eve dinner when she heard this and immediately frowned: "It's crowded outside, and it's almost dark."

"Sister, let me take him out to play."

Lu Beigu gently ruffled Jia An's soft hair, which felt a little dry: "Today is New Year's Eve, and Hongqiao is at its liveliest. It would be a shame to miss it. We're in the area north of the bridge, and we'll definitely be back before dark."

Lu Nanzhi's heart softened instantly when she saw her son's eyes light up.

She knew her son was lonely most of the time, and it was a rare treat that his uncle had come, especially since it was the lively time of the Lunar New Year.

She sighed, squatted down to straighten Jia An's collar, and tightened his jacket: "Then you have to listen to your uncle! Don't run around! Don't leave your uncle's side! You have to hold your uncle's hand the whole time, understand?"

"Mmm! Mmm!" Jia An nodded her little head like a pestle being pounded, and couldn't wait to grab Lu Beigu's hand.

"Go on, go on, don't stay out too late, there's still meat stewing in the pot."

Not far from the door, Jia An pointed to a place ahead that was completely surrounded by people, where cheers and sighs of regret rose and fell.

"Uncle, what's that?"

“That’s ‘Washington Sumo’.”

Lu Bei looked around; the crowd was so large that he couldn't see anything inside. "It's very lively, but there are too many people; we can't get through."

Jia An tried his best to stand on tiptoe but still couldn't see, and he jumped up and down in frustration.

Seeing this, Lu Beigu smiled slightly, bent down, and steadily put his hands under Jia An's armpits. With a little effort, he lifted Jia An high up and then let him sit steadily on his neck.

"Ah!" Jia An let out a short exclamation, followed by an indescribable excitement.

The field of vision suddenly increased!

It was as if the whole world was unfolding beneath his feet!

The crowded people who could only be seen as adults' legs and waists just moments before had now turned into a dark mass overhead, and he could finally see the simple earthen platform clearly!

On the stage, two burly men wearing only short trousers were wrestling, their muscles bulging and their sweat glistening in the torchlight.

One of them suddenly executed a "dove spin," slamming his opponent to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and deafening cheers. Coins rained down on the center of the stage once again.

"Uncle! I saw it! He's been knocked down! He's down!" Jia An twisted and turned on his shoulder.

This was a perspective he had never had before; he felt like a great general overlooking the "battlefield."

Lu Beigu held his calf firmly, looked up and asked with a smile, "Did you see clearly?"

"Wow! That's amazing!" Jia An nodded vigorously, his eyes still glued to the stage, unwilling to look away.

"Uncle! Look! There's still a fire over there!"

Jia An pointed to another spot not far away where a fire-breathing acrobat was performing.

A shirtless man took a deep breath, his chest bulged, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of strong liquor.

"Boom!" A blazing fire dragon soared into the sky.

Jia An instinctively shrank back in fright, then couldn't help but stretch her neck forward, letting out a gasp of "Wow!" as she tightly gripped Lu Beigu's hand.

After watching the excitement for a while, Lu Beigu finally put Jia An down, who was still engrossed in the spectacle.

The little guy landed on his feet, still a bit dizzy and excited, and kept chattering, repeating what he had just seen while holding Lu Beigu's hand.

They wandered around for a while longer and saw a Nuo opera troupe wearing ferocious masks, beating waist drums, and wielding axes and shields, moving through the crowd to exorcise evil spirits, which attracted the crowd to both avoid them and watch with curiosity.

At first, Jia An was a little afraid of those blue-faced, fanged masks and clung tightly to Lu Beigu, but when he saw the auspicious characters played by the children following behind the group, he relaxed.

Soon, his gaze was drawn to the clanging sound of metal plates being struck nearby.

The vendors carried huge bundles of straw, which were filled with crystal-clear "sticky candy" that shone alluringly under the lamplight.

A group of children, about his age, surrounded the vendor, watching him longingly. Some were licking the candy they had just bought, their little faces full of sweet satisfaction.

"Uncle," Jia An's voice carried a hint of longing.

Lu Beigu understood, led him over, spent three coins to buy the largest, amber-colored toothbrush, and handed it to Jia An.

The little guy took the candy, carefully licked it, and the pure sweetness instantly melted on his tongue, making him squint his eyes in happiness. The fear he had felt earlier from being startled by the flames was completely forgotten.

Lu Beigu didn't go far; he just strolled around the neighborhood.

Before long, it was dusk.

(End of this chapter)