Chapter 57 - 56 Grandpa Takes You to See the Lanterns 2

"After all, the chefs in the Imperial Kitchen were selected from outside, weren’t they? Moreover, the master chefs are good at making main courses, not so much street food!" Xia Ruqing nodded. "That’s what they call ’real masters are among the common folk’!" Little Zhuzi laughed again. "Outside, there’s not just our Great Chu Dynasty’s dishes and snacks, but also those from foreign lands." "Once, while following my master out on an errand, I saw some Dongying people eating raw fish meat! Tsk tsk..." "Truly, the world is vast and full of wonders!" Xia Ruqing paused mid-step. "Dongying?" Little Zhuzi hurriedly explained. "Since you, Master, don’t go out often, naturally you know less about these things." "Dongying lies to the northeast of our Great Chu Dynasty. It’s said that the people there live along the coast and rely on fishing for a living..." "No wonder they can eat raw fish meat then!" Xia Ruqing said with a chuckle. While talking, Xia Ruqing saw a small wonton stall not far away. Then, she felt hungry... So, she found herself caught in the dilemma of whether to eat at the street stall or maintain her elegant image. Little Zhuzi saw right through her thoughts. "Master, you..." "I’m hungry!" Xia Ruqing said bluntly. For a foodie, seeing delicious food but not being able to eat it is pure torture. "Do you want to eat wontons, Master? I’ll go and buy some for you right now!" Xia Ruqing hesitated for a while, feeling somewhat regretful. "Let’s forget about it." Wontons wouldn’t taste as good when taken away, and sitting on a little stool eating them indeed seemed quite unrefined. Although she had been unrestrained inside the palace, there had been no one around at the time. Now outside, if she were to behave inappropriately, that would be rather scandalous. Furthermore, there were chefs in the Imperial Kitchen who could make wontons, and theirs were tasty too, so she wasn’t missing out on a bowl of street wontons. The Emperor liked her, and she had to be tactful about it, right?! "Let’s go!" "Yes," Little Zhuzi agreed, feeling relieved inside. If the Master had ordered him to buy them, he truly wouldn’t have dared to refuse. But imagine, an Honored Lady from inside the palace, sitting at a little stool on the street, slurping wontons. That scene would have been quite unpleasant! Xia Ruqing thus walked away. However, how could she pass up such a good opportunity and not collect some tasty treats? So, she had Little Zhuzi get her a food box. Along the way, whenever they encountered something delicious—be it sweet, salty, fragrant, or stinky (PS: the stinky refers to stinky tofu, don’t misunderstand~)—they had it all packed inside. Of course, the prerequisite was that it had to keep well and not be like the wontons that would go soggy after a while! In less than a Shi Chen, the food box was full. Xia Ruqing was still slightly unsatisfied. Little Zhuzi then reminded her. "It’s almost time, we should head to Juxian Zhai now!" Xia Ruqing looked at the sky, and despite her reluctance, she had to lead everyone back. As they walked, she didn’t forget to instruct. "The stuff in this food box—I’m taking it back. Have someone watch it carefully, and don’t let anyone touch it!" "Rest assured, no one will touch it!" Little Zhuzi said with a smile. Only then did Xia Ruqing continue walking contentedly. At the entrance of Juxian Zhai, Zhao Junyao was just coming out, followed by a few well-dressed individuals. From a distance, they looked like businessmen. By the time Xia Ruqing arrived, those individuals had already left. She didn’t ask any questions, and just rushed forward with a smile, calling out, "Third Master..." Zhao Junyao saw her coming back, with Little Zhuzi carrying a big food box, knowing she had bought quite a lot of stuff. He smiled and asked, "Have you had enough of walking around?" "Not yet, but I’d rather watch the lanterns with you!" "Where haven’t you had enough? I’ll accompany you!" Xia Ruqing suddenly felt a little embarrassed. She couldn’t exactly say that she regretted not eating the wontons from the street stall, could she? Should she ask the Emperor to join her in eating them? Better not. Just as she was wondering how to respond, she suddenly saw a crowd gathered not far away, making a racket, their voices carrying a long distance. Xia Ruqing’s gaze involuntarily drifted in that direction. Zhao Junyao also noticed and immediately commanded, "Let’s go!" He then stepped towards the direction she was looking. "Third Master, didn’t you want to see the lanterns?" Xia Ruqing asked. Perhaps the Emperor had also come out to watch the lanterns, and if this delayed him, wouldn’t that be bad? "It’s still early, no rush!" Hearing this, Xia Ruqing didn’t say more but briskly caught up with him. The sky hadn’t darkened yet, and the lanterns hadn’t been lit—indeed, it was a bit early to watch the lanterns! As the group approached, they discovered it was a shop drumming up business. Just up front, someone was beating a gong while loudly hawking. "Ladies and gentlemen, come take a look, come see here..." Getting closer, Xia Ruqing realized it was a prize game. Someone in the crowd shouted. "Shopkeeper, how does this game work?" "That’s right, don’t just beat the gong—tell us about it!" another person responded impatiently. The middle-aged man looking like a shopkeeper smiled and put down the gong. He then explained in detail. "Everyone, don’t be hasty. This game is very simple!" "You all see this structure here—the items hanging from it are our shop’s best-selling items of the year," the shopkeeper said while pointing at a wooden frame more than ten feet tall. Items were bound to the frame with thin ropes, tied in row after row. There were large items like whole rolls of silk, and antiques and calligraphy paintings. Smaller items included rouge, face powder, hairpins, and various ornaments. Underneath the wooden frame, a thick layer of cotton padding was spread on the ground. The shopkeeper continued. "Every guest present can take one dart. If anyone can sever the thin rope with a dart, causing the item to fall onto the padding below, it will be yours," "and the shop will charge you nothing!" As soon as the shopkeeper finished speaking, a young attendant began distributing one dart to each onlooker from a basket. However, the spectating crowd erupted into a clamor, discussing animatedly amongst themselves. "Hitting the item itself would be one thing, but severing such a thin rope won’t be easy!" "That’s for sure! The ropes at the bottom are thicker and longer, easier to aim at!" "But the ones at the very top, the ropes are thinnest and shortest! How would you shoot that?" "Exactly! Hanging up there, once the wind blows, I can hardly see it! Let alone hit it accurately!" As the crowd discussed this way and that, another person asked. "What if the dart doesn’t break the rope but hits the item instead?" The shopkeeper chuckled and replied. "If you hit the item, naturally it doesn’t count!" The crowd reacted with a buzz, but still, many were eager to try. After all, it was free, so what if they got lucky! Standing outside the crowd, Xia Ruqing was also very excited. Ancient people were just so straightforward. Not like modern folks, with businesses running promotions that are all talk and no substance, and then they give you a bunch of vouchers, all just a trap! Zhao Junyao, standing beside her, was quite calm, his face still that ever unchanging seriousness. He glanced at Xia Ruqing, whose eyes shone brightly, and asked indifferently, "Do you want to go?" "Mhm, mhm, mhm!" Xia Ruqing nodded vigorously! It was free, after all. Joining in the fun would be entertaining, right?