Master Li, the bamboo craftsman, specially made a batch of small bamboo lanterns. Covered with red silk, they looked like floating red clouds when lit and hung on the bows of the boats, adding a festive touch.
Li Ying repeatedly reminded everyone to clean the small fishing boats thoroughly. They rinsed the boats again and again with clean water to get rid of the fishy smell and the old patina. The boats were neatly lined up under the dock, looking surprisingly beautiful.
Lu Xunguang once offered to lend his boat to Li Ying, but she had already planned to make congee-based hot pots, so it was not suitable to set up on a boat.
She got the county magistrate's warrant and took care of all the trivial matters at the dock in advance. She arranged rows of brand-new tables, chairs, and benches.
Those diners who had bought food on the fishing boats and were tired from strolling could come here to take a rest.
As the twilight deepened, Lu Xunguang had been missing for several days. Li Ying guessed that maybe he was too embarrassed to show up because he knew he had misidentified A Man...
However, as she stood on tiptoe, looking in the direction of the dock, she couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy.
Was he not going to come?
The diners took their seats in twos and threes. Lady Li whispered, "A Ying, should we start the opening ceremony?"
Li Ying saw from afar that the county magistrate had stepped onto the stage erected in the middle of the dock with a dignified gait and was about to make an "opening speech" in all seriousness. She had no choice but to gather her thoughts, calm herself down, and quietly walk behind the stage.
According to the process she had set, after the county magistrate's speech, it would be the opening song she had prepared in advance.
Several charming musicians were dressed in green ruqun with skirts tied under the bust. They wore the celestial maid hanging hairstyle and had pink peonies in their hair, looking extremely charming. The red silk shawls fluttered with their movements, making them look as graceful as startled swans, with their skirt belts fluttering in the wind.
The diners had never seen women dressed like this before. They only felt that the colors were bright and the girls had flower-shaped ornaments on their foreheads. Their skin was fairer than snow, and their fingers were slender. Each of them had an otherworldly air and was worthy of admiration but not desecration.
Everyone put away their thoughts of joking while listening to the music and watched the stage intently. They saw the musicians bow slightly, then sit down calmly, holding lutes and vertical flutes in their arms, and nod to the audience.
The song was "Rhythm of the Silk Road Dance", which Li Ying had selected in advance. When she was still in the modern era, she had been lucky enough to appreciate it. Relying on her remaining memory of the melody and after repeated discussions with the musicians, she finally managed to compose it again.
This Hu tune was full of the sounds of drums and the tinkling of lutes, very lively. It was perfect for an opening.
Sure enough, as expected, after the song ended, the applause from the audience was continuous.
After that, it was A Man's turn to take the stage.
But when the musicians retreated to the four corners of the stage and the lute strings were plucked, it was actually an ancient tune, "Ambush from All Sides"!
This was not part of her arrangement. Li Ying frowned slightly, and Grandma Sun also looked puzzled.
"A Ying, what's this...?"
Could it be that there were some villains coming to cause trouble again?
Seeing that the diners were even more excited, Li Ying clenched her fists, calmed down, and waited and watched.
"Wow!"
Suddenly, an exclamation erupted from the crowd. Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw that it was Old Zheng. He was holding the bamboo rolling lantern high in his hand. The light was like a torch, as if the old man had embraced the bright moon in the sky!
A lifelike golden-scaled dragon leaped through the bustling crowd and jumped directly onto the center of the stage. It nimbly played with Old Zheng's rolling lantern.
What a wonderful show of the dragon playing with the pearl!
The small fishing village was remote and closed. The villagers had no entertainment activities throughout the year. Moreover, the dragon dance with the rolling lantern was such a rare spectacle! Even the county magistrate, who considered himself well-informed, was stunned.
The diners were even more dumbfounded. They didn't even notice that the grilled sausages and squids in their hands had gotten cold!
It wasn't until the song ended that the dragon dancers emerged one by one, showing their familiar smiling faces.
Shi Hu, Su Mu... The apprentices from Deji Hall stood behind Old Zheng and walked up to Li Ying generously, bowing slightly.
"Congratulations to Lady Li on the grand opening of the fishing village night market!"
Li Ying never expected that they would prepare such a surprise for her. She was so excited that she didn't know what to do for a moment.
Needless to say, the rolling lantern must have been made by Lu Xunguang. But after looking around for a long time, she still couldn't find his figure. She asked anxiously, "Grandpa, where is Lu Xunguang...?"
Old Zheng casually handed the rolling lantern to Shi Hu, took a deep puff from his pipe, and said calmly, "Girl, don't be impatient."
Li Ying knew that she couldn't get any answer, so she had to suppress her curiosity.
At this time, the musicians had already formed a circle. Their soft waists were like layers of lotus flowers, slowly unfolding backward, revealing A Man standing in the middle.
She was wearing the Flying Apsara skirt that Li Ying had custom-made. There were shiny silver bells on her slender neck and wrists. Her snow-white feet were bare, and every step she took made the ornaments jingle.
A Man also held a lute in her hand. It was as white as jade but a bit smaller than an ordinary lute, looking extremely cute.
She gently plucked the strings of the lute. The bells and drums rang together, and the sound of the lute was tinkling. Sometimes she held the lute on her shoulder, and sometimes she held it behind her back. Her body was as light as a wisp of green smoke in the desert. Every spin of hers brought a gust of fragrant wind!
Her captivating eyes were full of charm. Everyone was so mesmerized that they didn't know if such a charming but not vulgar, gorgeous but not coquettish woman was real or a dream.
Li Ying smiled slightly.
She had indeed chosen well.
With the Flying Apsara dance and the reverse-playing of the lute, as a Hu girl, A Man could surely perform the Hu Xuan dance to perfection.
She could almost assert that after today, the Hu Xuan dance would surely become famous!
Li Ying composed herself. Seeing that the song was coming to an end and the lingering sound was still in the air, she got up and prepared to give the final opening speech.
But Old Zheng knocked on his pipe and said in a deep voice, "Girl, don't be in a hurry."
After A Man finished dancing, she gave a charming smile to the diners with her bright eyes and then quietly stepped down with the musicians.
The stage was empty. The diners were about to leave in twos and threes when suddenly the candles at the four corners went out. A commotion arose in the crowd.
They heard a dull sound, as if a wooden stick had been struck hard.
Li Ying was startled. Before she could react, the sky above them, which was as dark as ink, suddenly brightened up like daytime, and countless fireworks bloomed!
Red flames like shooting stars fell one after another, making everyone's eyes shine with golden light.
Li Ying was stunned. Some of the diners were the first to react and exclaimed, "Iron flower show! It's an iron flower show!"
The molten iron splashed everywhere. With a heavy strike, it turned into a sky full of stars. It wasn't fireworks, but it was more beautiful than fireworks. Li Ying was so captivated that she stared blankly.
"The iron flowers bring good luck. The first strike wishes for good governance and harmony among the people!"
"The second strike wishes for a hundred blessings from heaven!"
"The third strike wishes for prosperity in all industries!"
"The fourth strike wishes for continuous progress!"
In the sky full of dazzling lights, whose voice was that loud and clear prayer if not Lu Xunguang's!