20demayo Chapter 349 Playing
Chapter 349 Playing
After a good day of rest, everyone had breakfast together.
Wen Zongji asked, "Mother-in-law, what are your plans?"
The eldest princess said, "You all go and have fun, I'll stay at the inn."
The eldest princess was getting on in years and didn't enjoy crowds as much anymore. After sitting on the boat for so long, she was tired and wanted to rest more.
Seeing the weariness on the Princess's face, Pei Rujing said, "Mother, you should rest well. Once you've had enough rest, you can come play with us."
The eldest princess laughed and said, "I can't play with you guys."
"Then we'll play with Mom."
"Alright, go ahead and have fun if you want."
Wen Zongji and his companions then got up, bid farewell to the princess, and left the inn with the children.
Standing at the entrance of the inn, Wen Zongqi looked at Wen Zongji and asked, "Third Brother, where shall we go for fun?"
Wen Zongji pondered for a moment, then beckoned the waiter over: "What are some fun places to visit in Hangzhou?"
Upon hearing this, the waiter immediately perked up: "Sir, there are many fun places in Hangzhou, such as Liuli Causeway, Broken Bridge, and Three Pools Mirroring the Moon. It's even more lively at night, with rows of painted boats, opera singers, and folk singers."
It's clear that the waiter highly regards his parents.
Wen Zongji looked at everyone and asked, "Shall we go and take a look at each place one by one?"
Everyone nodded. They were there for sightseeing, so naturally they would go wherever was most fun.
The first place the group went to was Liulidi.
This place was not originally a tourist attraction, but a river embankment built by officials for flood control. Willows and hibiscus were planted on the embankment, which was six miles long, hence the name.
Over time, the plants on Liulidi grew lush and green, creating a beautiful scene.
The scenery is most beautiful at dawn in spring. Now it is the end of August, and the willows on the embankment are still lush and green, and have not withered.
When the group arrived at Liuli Causeway, they were captivated by the beautiful scenery of the willows stretching for six miles. Pei Rujing exclaimed, "We should have brought Chen Dajia here."
It would be a shame not to capture such a beautiful scene in a painting.
Wen Zongji said, "Keeping it in your heart is just as good."
After saying that, Wen Zongji walked over, plucked a willow leaf, put it to his lips and blew a few tunes, trying out the tone and trying to find some of the feeling of blowing willow leaves in his previous life.
Pei Rujing's eyes lit up; she had no idea her husband possessed this ability.
Wen Zongqi was even more surprised: "When did Third Brother learn this?"
"It was a long time ago, I just learned it casually out of boredom."
Wen Zongqi was envious and jealous: "...Why can't I do that?"
Logically speaking, he should be more skilled at these kinds of fun activities.
Chen Xiu said to him, "Third Brother is so talented, it's not unusual for him to know such a small thing."
Wen Zongqi looked at him resentfully upon hearing this: "Wife, why do you boost the morale of others while diminishing your own?"
"Because I have self-awareness."
Wen Zongqi felt even more resentful.
Zhou Ge'er tugged at Wen Zongqi: "It's okay, Father, I don't know how either."
Wen Zongqi: "..."
The son was very thoughtful, but he wasn't comforted.
The group walked along the Liuli Causeway, enjoying the scenery. Wen Zongji could hardly remember the piece he wanted to learn, but he played a relatively simple one called "Two Tigers".
This is a piece of music from later generations; Wen Zongqi and others had never heard of it.
Pei Rujing asked, "Husband, what kind of music is this? It sounds a bit strange?"
Of course it's strange; this is music from later times, and it's different from the music of this era.
"I forgot where I heard it, but I thought it sounded nice, so I wrote it down."
Pei Rujing blinked: "Does it sound good?"
How can you hear anything beautiful in such simple tunes?
Although Pei Rujing wasn't interested in opera, she had listened to quite a few with the Princess and the Empress. In her opinion, the music of "Two Tigers" was too monotonous.
Wen Zongqi shook his head: "I don't understand these things."
Wen Zongji chose to skip the topic: "I never expected that this river embankment, which was used for flood control, could become a famous tourist attraction in Hangzhou. It was truly an unexpected success."
"The local officials were only thinking of the people at the time. They never expected that this six-mile dike would not only control the floods but also add a beautiful scene to Hangzhou, making their deeds even more famous."
"Officials who truly care about the people should be remembered for generations and become role models."
Wen Zongqi felt a bit of a toothache listening to this: "Third Brother, this isn't the imperial court or government office, so don't speak in such official jargon."
Wen Zongji glared at him: "These are my heartfelt words."
"I understand, I understand. You officials speak from the bottom of your hearts."
Wen Zongji: "..."
Wen Zongji decisively changed the subject and started arguing with Wen Zongqi, fearing he would be ridiculed for being stupid.
……
Wen Zongji and his group played for a long time, and only returned to the inn when it was almost time for dinner.
The eldest princess asked them where they had all gone.
Pei Rujing answered them one by one, and then said, "Mother, the waiter said the pleasure boats are very lively tonight, with singing. Would you like to go and see if these Jiangnan folk songs compare to those in the capital?"
These words appealed to the princess, who loved listening to music.
Wen Zongji noticed the princess's interest and immediately said, "Changdong, go and make the arrangements. We'll go after we finish dinner."
Chang Dong responded and left, saying, "Yes, young master."
Wen Zongqi said in a low voice, "Third Brother, I have no interest in listening to music."
Wen Zongji said, "We don't have to be together. If you don't like listening to music, you can go somewhere else to play."
The curfew in Jiangnan is not strict, and it is often lifted during festivals or for various other reasons, making the nights here very lively.
After Wen Zongji and the others finished their dinner, it was already dark. In the capital, at this time, there would be hardly anyone strolling on the streets.
In Jiangnan, perhaps because the Mid-Autumn Festival had just ended and the festive atmosphere had not completely dissipated, the streets were still bustling with people, with shoppers and vendors coming and going in an endless stream.
As the group passed a stall selling masks, the little ones were immediately drawn to it and couldn't move on.
Zhou Ge'er pointed to a dog mask: "Daddy, I want this."
Wen Zongqi patted his little head: "Couldn't you have chosen something more imposing?" He picked up a wolf mask and gave it to him, "This one is better."
Chen Xiu Nian remained silent.
There were lion masks and tiger masks next to him, and he chose a wolf mask, without saying how imposing it was.
This is a mask of a white wolf with its head held high, howling—majestic and handsome.
Zhou Ge'er readily accepted: "Father, please put it on for me."
The person selling masks is a shrewd businessman; they have masks for adults as well as masks for children.
However, there were no masks suitable for a child as young as Zhou Ge'er. But since there was a string on the back of the mask, if you tightened it a little, it would be wearable.
As soon as Zhou Ge'er put it on, he yelled at Rui Ge'er, "Third Brother, aren't you scared?"
Rui blinked in confusion: "Is that a wolf's howl?"
Why does it sound more like a dog barking?
Rui-ge'er just didn't like the way he was saying it, so he didn't say it.
But the unscrupulous father, Wen Zongqi, burst out laughing: "Stupid son, if you can't howl like a wolf, then don't howl... Ouch—it hurts!"
Chen Xiu Nian gritted her teeth and pinched his arm hard.