Seeing everyone in such a state, Li Ying finally let out a sigh of relief.
She stayed up all night to make a few more red silk flowers. The next day was the food festival of the Dance Competition. Tying them on the heads of the roasted whole lambs would be a good omen for a successful start.
It was the opening day. The music troupes had already arrived backstage early with their dancing girls.
Li Ying wanted to wait for the performance with A Man, but A Man refused no matter what. She didn't want Li Ying to be distracted on her account, so she only left Granny Sun to accompany Li Ying.
The audience seats were all occupied. Even though A Man was usually broad - minded, she couldn't help feeling a bit nervous. Her little hands were terribly cold.
She was the last to perform. If she danced well, she would receive a standing ovation. But if her performance was not satisfactory, it might make people feel disappointed.
She didn't really care about winning the championship of the Dance Competition. But if her poor performance affected her sister's business...
Granny Sun didn't know how to console her. She could only stand by anxiously. It was Shi Hu who knocked on the door three times lightly and came in with a bunch of bright mountain flowers.
"Miss A Man, I, I've watched the others outside. Their dancing skills are no match for yours. Don't be nervous! These flowers... I'm giving them to you!"
He stammered, stuffed the flowers into A Man's hands, then blushed and ran away in a hurry.
Looking at his back, A Man somehow felt relieved.
Dancing was all about following one's heart! If she lost today, she could just help her sister herd sheep in the future!
She took a deep breath, picked a flower from the bunch, pinned it on her temple, and slowly walked onto the stage.
Li Ying, Lu Xunguang, Shi Hu... All the familiar faces were smiling at her from the audience.
Several candles on the stage had gone out. Only a sky lantern above her head shrouded A Man in a halo of golden light.
A Man's eyes sparkled as she gave a captivating smile.
The drums roared and the Hu music was melodious. A Man danced on the drum. Her skirt fluttered like a burning flame, and her beauty was breathtaking.
At the end of the dance, the whole audience erupted into thunderous applause.
A Man's victory was well - deserved.
After all the dancing girls had shown their performances, it was time for the first round of judges' scoring and audience voting.
Taking advantage of this moment, Li Ying's roasted whole lambs came out of the oven piping hot.
She lined up several lambs in the middle of the venue. Such an unprecedented spectacle left the diners gaping in amazement.
The ribbon - cutting and the first slice of the lamb were naturally reserved for the county magistrate. He made a long and flowery speech of congratulations. The second slice was made by Yan Lianzhi.
Yan Lianzhi didn't like empty formalities. He made a hasty cut and then handed the knife to the owner. The scholars and candidates who had come here just to see this great Confucian of the time were extremely excited and cheered loudly.
All the lights were turned off. A bonfire blazed in the middle of the stage. The dancing girls who had finished their performances mingled with the crowd, laughing and joking. They took the hands of the diners around them and danced wildly around the bonfire without worrying about the grace of their steps, freely releasing their energy.
When they were exhausted and the moon had slowly risen into the sky, Li Ying led the fisher girls out of the backstage gracefully. In their hands were the sky lanterns made by Carpenter Li and others.
Each diner received a lantern. By the light of the charcoal fire, they wrote down their unfulfilled wishes on the lanterns. They only waited for Yan Lianzhi's order, then lit the lanterns and slowly released them into the sky.
In the night, thousands of flickering orange lights rose into the sky, carrying the joy and sorrow in everyone's hearts. They illuminated the star - filled night sky as bright as day. Everyone's eyes were filled with warm light, and they could see the deep emotion in each other's pupils.
The opening ceremony of this Dance Competition was a perfect combination of timing, location, and human factors. It was simply an audio - visual feast!
The peddlers also made a fortune. Canned snacks, rolling lanterns, and folding fans, the so - called "cultural and creative products", were very popular. Many diners who had planned to return home that day had already bought souvenirs.
For those who didn't want to stay in the town's inns, Li Ying had already arranged "camping equipment". For just ten copper coins, they could rent a bamboo tent by the sea.
Under the sky curtain, sipping a cup of green tea, inviting a few friends, and enjoying the rising moon and the tides on the sea. The sea breeze was cool, and the waves murmured. How poetic!
This night, this seemingly ordinary seaside fishing village was destined to be a place of bright lights and colorful lanterns, a night without darkness!
Su Buchi sat beside Yan Lianzhi. Looking at Li Ying's back fluttering in the wind, he felt a sense of regret in his heart.
What kind of woman was she exactly!
He had tasted the deliciousness of the "roasted whole lamb" the day before. Although he understood why his master was so fond of it, he didn't feel much.
After all, she was just a woman who was extremely good at cooking.
But today, seeing Li Ying's various strategies with his own eyes, he was shocked to find that Miss Li had great wisdom in her heart. Her talent was no less than that of a man, which made him feel ashamed of himself!
Yan Lianzhi noticed the fleeting look of admiration in his eyes and smiled imperceptibly.
This book - worm apprentice was not too stupid after all.
It seemed that the days of living closely with this young man in the future would be quite interesting.
Li Ying had no idea what was going on in the minds of this master - apprentice pair. She just stared fixedly at the sky lanterns rising higher and higher until they finally turned into tiny stars in the sky. Although she was the planner of this "sky lantern ceremony", she still couldn't help being deeply moved when she saw such a spectacular scene with her own eyes.
Lu Xunguang stood beside her. On the beach, many lovers like them couldn't hold back their emotions and tightly clasped their hands together.
The bolder ones even took advantage of the cover of the night to kiss each other.
Lu Xunguang wanted to put his arm around her waist, but after hesitating for a while, he finally gave up.
He said softly, "A Ying, congratulations."
Li Ying turned to look at him with a smiling face. Her charming face was as beautiful as a peach blossom.
He tried his best to suppress the agitation in his heart before saying in a deep voice, "A Ying, do you want to go for a walk? I know a wonderful scenic spot not far from the town."
Li Ying was still in high spirits and couldn't calm down for a long time. She was just looking for a quiet place to sort out her chaotic emotions from this night. Hearing his words, she naturally and trustingly reached out her hand.
There was a hidden current in Lu Xunguang's pupils.
He gently held her little hand in his palm, and then the two of them quietly left through the noisy crowd.
After a long time, he finally stopped.
Li Ying's figure was shrouded in a hazy shadow. She slowly looked up. In front of her was a huge banyan tree with lush branches. Countless aerial roots were swaying gently in the night wind. The bright moonlight shone through the branches and softly fell on Lu Xunguang's face.
Li Ying looked into his eyes.
They were as deep as the sea behind them, clearly reflecting her own reflection.