There’s no room for joking.
The tradition in the first month was to perform dragon and lion dances, to create a lively atmosphere regardless of poverty. The elaborately decorated lions and dragons with gold and colorful paintings were not found here. Rather, the people gathered tattered cloth, stuffed it with dry straw, and clumsily lifted them up to dance.
The dragon moved crookedly and awkwardly, but the children still excitedly followed from behind while shouting. Without drums and gongs, they held broken utensils in their hands to create the beat.
In other places, this was the time for bamboo burning and firecracker sounds. However, there was no bamboo here, and everyone was poor. Bamboo was a valuable resource, so no one wanted to waste it. The firecrackers emitting white smoke that the wealthy households in the county set off were even more unaffordable. The idea of expelling evil and seeking good fortune became an impossibility. Instead, they joined forces and brought out whatever they have to make noise together. The resulting cacophony was neither pleasant nor loud.
The laughter and conversation of the people were louder than the noise they made. Mo Li also stepped out of the house and saw the dragon, which was a mishmash of colors and unattractive, awkwardly turning into the alley. Meng Qi had been peering from under the eaves for a long time, wearing a disdainful expression toward the dragon but saying nothing.
“They’re dancing quite well.”
“Well, it’s alright.”
Both of them were speaking without conviction. This was not really dragon dancing; it was just people carrying a dragon around.
This dragon lacked flexible joints made from bamboo strips, and people dared not exert force for fear of the dragon falling apart. The occasional ups and downs were not part of dragon dancing, but rather the individuals holding the dragon casually waving their arms. From a distance, the dragon’s body appeared rigid and jerky.
Clearly, none of these people knew how to properly dance a dragon.
But what does it matter?
Smiling Mrs. Yin, with poor eyesight, described how splendid the dragon was, and a man by the roadside insisted that he was even better. He rolled up his sleeves, joined the procession, and took over the dragon pole. They shouted and tried to surpass the ones in front. When they reached the street corner, the person holding the dragon ball in front loudly declared:
“May there be an abundant harvest of the five grains!”
“May every household be peaceful!”
Then, a resounding response rose. At first, it was not very organized, but after a few moments, young and old, everyone spoke in unison.
Someone wiped away tears from their face and stood alone under the eaves. Mo Li saw Qiu Hong mixed in the crowd, smiling with reddened eyes.
“When I was in the capital, there used to be lantern festivals every year during the Lantern Festival. The dragon balls were painted with brilliant colors, and more than a dozen large dragons competed on the stage. Laughter and applause filled the air. Children rode on their parents’ necks, and booking a window seat in a restaurant had to be done a month in advance. The dragon’s mouth even had mechanisms that could briefly spew fire, and acrobats holding red silk could perform three beautiful somersaults… The lanterns never went out, and the night lasted until dawn. It was truly spectacular.”
Meng Qi looked melancholic and sighed softly. The glorious era of the Chu Dynasty was an irretrievable thing of the past.
“There must still be lantern festivals in the current capital.”
“It’s not the same,” Meng Qi shook his head slightly. “After the Qi Dynasty unified the world, there were no more lantern festivals during the Lantern Festival. Even if the current emperor lifted the curfew this year, there won’t be any folk artists from Jiangnan, nor the grape wine from the Western Regions and the precious pearls from the Southern Border.”
The Qi Dynasty couldn’t intimidate the neighboring vassal states; they lost Jiangnan first and then Chu territory. The common people were displaced, so on the Lantern Festival night, how many skilled folk artists could be seen?
“You lived in the capital for many years?”
“Since I became the State Teacher,” Meng Qi paused, then continued, “My memories of the past are quite blurry, but the lively scenes in the streets and temple fairs are very familiar. It feels like I’ve seen them in a dream, just like this wild gathering. The voices I hear in the early morning seem like something I’ve experienced before.”
Mo Li thought to himself that the dragon vein of the capital only took shape after countless years. Before that, he was not like himself, confined to the solitude of deep mountains and forests. The capital had been the capital of various dynasties, and prosperity once accompanied the dragon vein in its slumber.
The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments were never-ending, with countless poems and songs, and an endless display of elegance and splendor. How many talented scholars recited verses with gentle melodies, and how many beautiful women felt sentimental? In the end, wars erupted, and prosperity turned to ashes. The city was filled with mourning and sorrowful cries.
The victors would step over blood and ascend the throne in the imperial city. It was a cycle, and the descendants of today’s winners would meet the same fate as today’s losers.
Day after day, year after year, what thoughts would awaken in the dragon vein of the capital? Could it be that the dragon veins had no emotions towards the people who lived above them?
Did Meng Qi, who helped Emperor Yuan of Chu pacify the world and yearned for a peaceful era, hope for this outcome?
“We said we would stay here for three days, but we ended up staying here for quite a while. By this time tomorrow, we should be leaving.”
Mo Li watched as the dragon passed by the front of the house, with people occasionally coming over to greet him.
So they acquired some miscellaneous items, including a bowl of steaming soup dumplings. The dumplings were made of coarse flour, slightly yellow in color, with no filling inside, gently floating in the broth.
“What flavor is it?” Meng Qi looked at Mo Li and asked.
Mo Li smiled. What flavor could it be? There was no soy sauce or salt in the soup.
“Why don’t you try one yourself? Then you’ll know,” Mo Li held the bowl and handed Meng Qi the spoon he was holding.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to find another spoon; there simply weren’t any spoons in the house. The bowl of soup dumplings, along with the spoon, was brought by someone else.
Meng Qi carefully held the spoon.
The weather was too cold, and as he leaned closer to the bowl, white mist filled the air, making it almost impossible to see the other side.
Meng Qi slowly ate one of the soup dumplings, and after a moment, he said, “It’s sweet.”
“Sugar is even more expensive than salt. We can’t afford it. How could there be sweetness?”
Mo Li doubted Meng Qi’s sense of taste.
“Physician, try it.”
Meng Qi naturally scooped up another dumpling with the spoon and presented it to Mo Li.
Mo Li was half-believing and half-doubting. If there was sugar in it, this bowl of soup dumplings must not be eaten anymore. They would have to send it back to the person who gave it, and who knows, maybe that family wouldn’t even want to eat it and would give it all to them.
He lowered his head and swallowed the dumpling on the spoon.
…there’s no sweetness?
Mo Li raised his head in confusion and saw a smile in Meng Qi’s eyes through the mist, leaving him stunned.
Was he being tricked?
“Brother Meng, please don’t joke.”
“Not a joke. When you’re happy in your heart, everything you eat tastes sweet.”
Meng Qi stirred the spoon in the bowl and ate two more dumplings, the smile on his lips unstoppable.
Mo Li wasn’t angry and continued to hold the bowl. “What brings you such joy?”
“At this time, in this place, meeting the people I see, and… you, Physician.”
Meng Qi raised his eyes, and the mist had already dissipated. The expression on his face left Mo Li dumbfounded.
Was this the joy of finding one’s kind?
No, that’s not it.
Mo Li, the Physician, thought to himself that the look in Meng Qi’s eyes was like that of a fierce beast seeing its prey.
His eyes gleamed with joy, his mouth watering.
Mo Li blinked, and that look in Meng Qi’s eyes transformed into pure delight as if his previous perception was mistaken.
“Give me your hand.”
“…”
Mo Li didn’t give Meng Qi a chance to refuse and forcefully took his pulse.
His heart seemed to be beating a bit faster, and his internal energy was somewhat abnormal.
Upon closer examination, the yang energy was flowing through the meridians…
Mo Li stood there stiffly, his head feeling somewhat hazy.
In disbelief, he probed again, but Meng Qi suddenly withdrew his hand.
Both of them looked at each other, the atmosphere becoming awkward.
Meng Qi almost blurted out his condition when he spoke earlier. He almost lost control of his lower body—his mind buzzed, unsure if his condition had worsened or if he truly had such thoughts about the Physician in his heart.
Mo Li, on the other hand, was stunned and pondered. In humans, a certain sign would be… well, all things in the world have the desire to procreate, but do the dragon veins also have it? How does a mountain reproduce?
Mo Li’s gaze shifted downward, staring at Meng Qi’s lower abdomen. However, even if a martial arts master had desires, they could forcefully suppress them with inner strength, and nothing would show on the surface.
“Physician, I might have gone astray just now…”
Meng Qi’s voice was weak and feeble, but Mo Li didn’t believe a word.
Both of them were racking their brains, one desperately trying to turn this page and move on, while the other stubbornly clung to this page and refused to let go.
“There was no going astray like that.”
“I had a seizure just now because I haven’t taken my calming pill in a long time…”
“When you had a seizure, you only thought about killing someone, not spending a spring night with anyone,” Mo Li said mercilessly.
Meng Qi’s mouth twitched, realizing that there was no stepping back. He had to find a way down on his own, but the Physician even took away the ladder! Was this really a Physician? Was there any sympathy left?
Meng Qi wanted to say that he had eaten something wrong. He remembered that when he was conquering the world, there was a shortage of food in the army. Several generals, including himself, led the way in reducing their food intake. They were starving, so they went into the mountains to hunt and gather wild vegetables. They had a meal of deer meat and wild vegetables, and whatever was left was given to their subordinates as a treat. But in the middle of the night, everyone felt like there was fire burning inside them and had no choice but to jump into the river.
After soaking in cold water, they quickly regained consciousness. It was such an embarrassing incident that no one wanted to mention it, but too many people were affected, and some would accidentally reveal the secret when drunk.
After investigating, they found that the problem was not with the deer meat but with the wild vegetables. Or rather, individually they were fine, but combining them was deadly. Now it was winter, and there were no wild vegetables to be found. Moreover, the food Meng Qi had been eating these days, the Physician had also eaten, so it couldn’t be used as an excuse!
Feeling annoyed and restless, Meng Qi lost control again.
“What spring night, how could I think of spending it with you, Physician…”
Meng Qi suddenly bit his tongue, the pain instantly bringing him back to his senses, and he blurted out, “Lantern Festival.”
“Oh…”
Mo Li nodded, took the bowl, and went inside the house, slamming the door shut.
Meng Qi, holding the spoon, stood there and suddenly realized what he had said. He hurriedly pushed the door. Fortunately, the house was dilapidated and had no latch.
“Physician, I didn’t mean to say Lantern Festival… No, I did mean that…”
Mo Li placed the bowl on the table without lifting his head and said, “You don’t need to say more. I already understand.”
Meng Qi was shocked, and he threw the spoon back into the bowl, catching up with Mo Li and continuing, “I can’t even figure out what the other me is thinking. How could you know? Do you know…”
“You want to spend a spring night with me.”
Mo Li said expressionlessly, his ears feeling a bit hot, but his hair covered them, so no one could tell.
Meng Qi: “…”
This was not just about not having a ladder. It was about tearing down the entire house!
There’s no room for joking.
The tradition in the first month was to perform dragon and lion dances, to create a lively atmosphere regardless of poverty. The elaborately decorated lions and dragons with gold and colorful paintings were not found here. Rather, the people gathered tattered cloth, stuffed it with dry straw, and clumsily lifted them up to dance.
The dragon moved crookedly and awkwardly, but the children still excitedly followed from behind while shouting. Without drums and gongs, they held broken utensils in their hands to create the beat.
In other places, this was the time for bamboo burning and firecracker sounds. However, there was no bamboo here, and everyone was poor. Bamboo was a valuable resource, so no one wanted to waste it. The firecrackers emitting white smoke that the wealthy households in the county set off were even more unaffordable. The idea of expelling evil and seeking good fortune became an impossibility. Instead, they joined forces and brought out whatever they have to make noise together. The resulting cacophony was neither pleasant nor loud.
The laughter and conversation of the people were louder than the noise they made. Mo Li also stepped out of the house and saw the dragon, which was a mishmash of colors and unattractive, awkwardly turning into the alley. Meng Qi had been peering from under the eaves for a long time, wearing a disdainful expression toward the dragon but saying nothing.
“They’re dancing quite well.”
“Well, it’s alright.”
Both of them were speaking without conviction. This was not really dragon dancing; it was just people carrying a dragon around.
This dragon lacked flexible joints made from bamboo strips, and people dared not exert force for fear of the dragon falling apart. The occasional ups and downs were not part of dragon dancing, but rather the individuals holding the dragon casually waving their arms. From a distance, the dragon’s body appeared rigid and jerky.
Clearly, none of these people knew how to properly dance a dragon.
But what does it matter?
Smiling Mrs. Yin, with poor eyesight, described how splendid the dragon was, and a man by the roadside insisted that he was even better. He rolled up his sleeves, joined the procession, and took over the dragon pole. They shouted and tried to surpass the ones in front. When they reached the street corner, the person holding the dragon ball in front loudly declared:
“May there be an abundant harvest of the five grains!”
“May every household be peaceful!”
Then, a resounding response rose. At first, it was not very organized, but after a few moments, young and old, everyone spoke in unison.
Someone wiped away tears from their face and stood alone under the eaves. Mo Li saw Qiu Hong mixed in the crowd, smiling with reddened eyes.
“When I was in the capital, there used to be lantern festivals every year during the Lantern Festival. The dragon balls were painted with brilliant colors, and more than a dozen large dragons competed on the stage. Laughter and applause filled the air. Children rode on their parents’ necks, and booking a window seat in a restaurant had to be done a month in advance. The dragon’s mouth even had mechanisms that could briefly spew fire, and acrobats holding red silk could perform three beautiful somersaults… The lanterns never went out, and the night lasted until dawn. It was truly spectacular.”
Meng Qi looked melancholic and sighed softly. The glorious era of the Chu Dynasty was an irretrievable thing of the past.
“There must still be lantern festivals in the current capital.”
“It’s not the same,” Meng Qi shook his head slightly. “After the Qi Dynasty unified the world, there were no more lantern festivals during the Lantern Festival. Even if the current emperor lifted the curfew this year, there won’t be any folk artists from Jiangnan, nor the grape wine from the Western Regions and the precious pearls from the Southern Border.”
The Qi Dynasty couldn’t intimidate the neighboring vassal states; they lost Jiangnan first and then Chu territory. The common people were displaced, so on the Lantern Festival night, how many skilled folk artists could be seen?
“You lived in the capital for many years?”
“Since I became the State Teacher,” Meng Qi paused, then continued, “My memories of the past are quite blurry, but the lively scenes in the streets and temple fairs are very familiar. It feels like I’ve seen them in a dream, just like this wild gathering. The voices I hear in the early morning seem like something I’ve experienced before.”
Mo Li thought to himself that the dragon vein of the capital only took shape after countless years. Before that, he was not like himself, confined to the solitude of deep mountains and forests. The capital had been the capital of various dynasties, and prosperity once accompanied the dragon vein in its slumber.
The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments were never-ending, with countless poems and songs, and an endless display of elegance and splendor. How many talented scholars recited verses with gentle melodies, and how many beautiful women felt sentimental? In the end, wars erupted, and prosperity turned to ashes. The city was filled with mourning and sorrowful cries.
The victors would step over blood and ascend the throne in the imperial city. It was a cycle, and the descendants of today’s winners would meet the same fate as today’s losers.
Day after day, year after year, what thoughts would awaken in the dragon vein of the capital? Could it be that the dragon veins had no emotions towards the people who lived above them?
Did Meng Qi, who helped Emperor Yuan of Chu pacify the world and yearned for a peaceful era, hope for this outcome?
“We said we would stay here for three days, but we ended up staying here for quite a while. By this time tomorrow, we should be leaving.”
Mo Li watched as the dragon passed by the front of the house, with people occasionally coming over to greet him.
So they acquired some miscellaneous items, including a bowl of steaming soup dumplings. The dumplings were made of coarse flour, slightly yellow in color, with no filling inside, gently floating in the broth.
“What flavor is it?” Meng Qi looked at Mo Li and asked.
Mo Li smiled. What flavor could it be? There was no soy sauce or salt in the soup.
“Why don’t you try one yourself? Then you’ll know,” Mo Li held the bowl and handed Meng Qi the spoon he was holding.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to find another spoon; there simply weren’t any spoons in the house. The bowl of soup dumplings, along with the spoon, was brought by someone else.
Meng Qi carefully held the spoon.
The weather was too cold, and as he leaned closer to the bowl, white mist filled the air, making it almost impossible to see the other side.
Meng Qi slowly ate one of the soup dumplings, and after a moment, he said, “It’s sweet.”
“Sugar is even more expensive than salt. We can’t afford it. How could there be sweetness?”
Mo Li doubted Meng Qi’s sense of taste.
“Physician, try it.”
Meng Qi naturally scooped up another dumpling with the spoon and presented it to Mo Li.
Mo Li was half-believing and half-doubting. If there was sugar in it, this bowl of soup dumplings must not be eaten anymore. They would have to send it back to the person who gave it, and who knows, maybe that family wouldn’t even want to eat it and would give it all to them.
He lowered his head and swallowed the dumpling on the spoon.
…there’s no sweetness?
Mo Li raised his head in confusion and saw a smile in Meng Qi’s eyes through the mist, leaving him stunned.
Was he being tricked?
“Brother Meng, please don’t joke.”
“Not a joke. When you’re happy in your heart, everything you eat tastes sweet.”
Meng Qi stirred the spoon in the bowl and ate two more dumplings, the smile on his lips unstoppable.
Mo Li wasn’t angry and continued to hold the bowl. “What brings you such joy?”
“At this time, in this place, meeting the people I see, and… you, Physician.”
Meng Qi raised his eyes, and the mist had already dissipated. The expression on his face left Mo Li dumbfounded.
Was this the joy of finding one’s kind?
No, that’s not it.
Mo Li, the Physician, thought to himself that the look in Meng Qi’s eyes was like that of a fierce beast seeing its prey.
His eyes gleamed with joy, his mouth watering.
Mo Li blinked, and that look in Meng Qi’s eyes transformed into pure delight as if his previous perception was mistaken.
“Give me your hand.”
“…”
Mo Li didn’t give Meng Qi a chance to refuse and forcefully took his pulse.
His heart seemed to be beating a bit faster, and his internal energy was somewhat abnormal.
Upon closer examination, the yang energy was flowing through the meridians…
Mo Li stood there stiffly, his head feeling somewhat hazy.
In disbelief, he probed again, but Meng Qi suddenly withdrew his hand.
Both of them looked at each other, the atmosphere becoming awkward.
Meng Qi almost blurted out his condition when he spoke earlier. He almost lost control of his lower body—his mind buzzed, unsure if his condition had worsened or if he truly had such thoughts about the Physician in his heart.
Mo Li, on the other hand, was stunned and pondered. In humans, a certain sign would be… well, all things in the world have the desire to procreate, but do the dragon veins also have it? How does a mountain reproduce?
Mo Li’s gaze shifted downward, staring at Meng Qi’s lower abdomen. However, even if a martial arts master had desires, they could forcefully suppress them with inner strength, and nothing would show on the surface.
“Physician, I might have gone astray just now…”
Meng Qi’s voice was weak and feeble, but Mo Li didn’t believe a word.
Both of them were racking their brains, one desperately trying to turn this page and move on, while the other stubbornly clung to this page and refused to let go.
“There was no going astray like that.”
“I had a seizure just now because I haven’t taken my calming pill in a long time…”
“When you had a seizure, you only thought about killing someone, not spending a spring night with anyone,” Mo Li said mercilessly.
Meng Qi’s mouth twitched, realizing that there was no stepping back. He had to find a way down on his own, but the Physician even took away the ladder! Was this really a Physician? Was there any sympathy left?
Meng Qi wanted to say that he had eaten something wrong. He remembered that when he was conquering the world, there was a shortage of food in the army. Several generals, including himself, led the way in reducing their food intake. They were starving, so they went into the mountains to hunt and gather wild vegetables. They had a meal of deer meat and wild vegetables, and whatever was left was given to their subordinates as a treat. But in the middle of the night, everyone felt like there was fire burning inside them and had no choice but to jump into the river.
After soaking in cold water, they quickly regained consciousness. It was such an embarrassing incident that no one wanted to mention it, but too many people were affected, and some would accidentally reveal the secret when drunk.
After investigating, they found that the problem was not with the deer meat but with the wild vegetables. Or rather, individually they were fine, but combining them was deadly. Now it was winter, and there were no wild vegetables to be found. Moreover, the food Meng Qi had been eating these days, the Physician had also eaten, so it couldn’t be used as an excuse!
Feeling annoyed and restless, Meng Qi lost control again.
“What spring night, how could I think of spending it with you, Physician…”
Meng Qi suddenly bit his tongue, the pain instantly bringing him back to his senses, and he blurted out, “Lantern Festival.”
“Oh…”
Mo Li nodded, took the bowl, and went inside the house, slamming the door shut.
Meng Qi, holding the spoon, stood there and suddenly realized what he had said. He hurriedly pushed the door. Fortunately, the house was dilapidated and had no latch.
“Physician, I didn’t mean to say Lantern Festival… No, I did mean that…”
Mo Li placed the bowl on the table without lifting his head and said, “You don’t need to say more. I already understand.”
Meng Qi was shocked, and he threw the spoon back into the bowl, catching up with Mo Li and continuing, “I can’t even figure out what the other me is thinking. How could you know? Do you know…”
“You want to spend a spring night with me.”
Mo Li said expressionlessly, his ears feeling a bit hot, but his hair covered them, so no one could tell.
Meng Qi: “…”
This was not just about not having a ladder. It was about tearing down the entire house!
