Chapter 263 Temple Fair

After midnight, it was the first day of the New Year of Xinchou!

The sound of firecrackers was obviously more lively, and Xiao Yu was already drunk.

Duan Rong's dark face was also slightly red. He sat half paralyzed on the armchair and waved his hand, saying, "I can't do it anymore."

"What can't you do? I must drink you to defeat today!" Xiao Yu leaned on the table with his elbows and looked at Duan Rong with a peachy face.

Duan Rong said, "Is it not okay for me to admit defeat?"

"No!" Xiao Yu said, "I don't want you to admit defeat, I want you to really lose!"

"I really lose."

"Don't talk nonsense, get up! Drink again!"

Duan Rong didn't get up. He kicked the two empty wine jars at his feet and said, "They are all empty, where is the wine?"

Xiao Yu shook the wine jar on the table again and found that it was empty.

The two of them had already drunk three jars of wine. And what they drank was not rice wine or yellow wine, but aged strong liquor, Bamboo Leaf Green.

Seeing that there was really no wine, Xiao Yu stopped yelling. She lay on the table, and her head ached as the alcohol took effect.

Xiao Yu frowned, turned her head and looked at Duan Rong, and said, "There is a temple fair at the City God Temple on the first day of the new year. It is very lively. Dad has bad legs and feet, and Xiao Qi is injured. You can accompany me to go shopping."

Duan Rong leaned on the handrail, twisted his body that was about to slip down, and smiled, "That's great. I like to go to the temple fair the most."

Duan Rong said the truth. The temple fair at the City God Temple on the first day of the new year is the most lively time of the year in Xiangu County.

It has been almost a year since my soul passed through this world. I missed the temple fair on the Grain Full Festival while on the way to escort. I have to go to the temple fair on the first day of the new year.

Duan Rong just responded, Xiao Yu had already fallen asleep by the table. Duan Rong half-collapsed on the armchair, tilted his head, and fell asleep.

The sound of firecrackers from far and near mixed together, forming a rumbling sound.

It was obviously the most intense time for the firecrackers. Most people could not stand it for a hundred years, and they were ready to go to bed after setting off a few firecrackers.

Duan Rong was awakened by the rumbling sound of firecrackers. He wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and sat up.

The cold air rushed in from all directions, and the air was also filled with a faint smell of burnt sulfur. Duan Rong's alcohol had dissipated by this time. He stood up and stretched his body. He wanted to go back to Liulu to sleep.

Duan Rong turned his head and saw Xiao Yu sleeping on the armchair next to him. She rested her head on the back of the chair, her face tilted towards Duan Rong, and her long black hair fell down like a waterfall.

The moment Duan Rong looked over, his eyes lit up. He saw a kind of tranquil beauty on Xiao Yu's face. Xiao Yu's mutton-like nose wings moved slightly, and her breathing was subtle and long...

The dim light hit her face, and the blush on her face had not faded, which contrasted with her fair skin. The three colors intersected, like a flower with complex colors, blooming in the dark night...

Duan Rong's eyes fell on Xiao Yu's two red lips, which were like the pistil of this beautiful flower...

Red lips were blazing, and Duan Rong's heart was shaken!

Duan Rong suppressed the throbbing in his heart and prepared to leave. He just walked to the door and suddenly felt that Xiao Yu had drunk a lot of wine. If she slept here like this, the cold air would hit her body and it would be easy to catch a cold.

Duan Rong walked back, infused his internal breath, and suddenly grabbed the armchair and lifted it up. Duan Rong controlled the angle of the armchair so that Xiao Yu could nestle steadily in it.

Duan Rong walked into Xiao Yu's boudoir holding the armchair like this, with a feeling of a king lifting a tripod.

The moment she entered the room, a faint fragrance came over her.

Duan Rong walked to the bed with the armchair in his hand. Duan Rong's waist slowly sank, and he lifted the armchair and tilted it on the bed. Xiao Yu slid off the armchair, snorted lightly, and fell on the soft bed...

Duan Rong put Xiao Yu's legs in place, took off his shoes, and covered Xiao Yu with a quilt before turning away.

The moment Duan Rong turned around, Xiao Yu opened her eyes in the dark. She looked at Duan Rong's burly back in the dark, and a familiar warmth flowed through her heart. Until Duan Rong's back disappeared in a ball of yellow light at the door, she hugged the quilt inside, and murmured happily in her heart: "Elm knot..."

Duan Rong walked out of the hall, and he didn't go through the courtyard gate. He directly showed his body shape, climbed over the courtyard wall, returned to Liulu, and fell asleep with the quilt.

Duan Rong slept until dawn, and then got up to wash.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Duan Rong washed more carefully and brushed his teeth with salt until they were white and shiny.

Duan Rong had just finished washing when there was a knock at the gate.

Duan Rong scanned the gate with his spiritual sense and saw Xiao Yu standing outside the gate.

Duan Rong opened the gate and saw Xiao Yu standing there in a moon-white skirt. When the breeze blew, her skirt swayed lightly like a water lotus.

Xiao Yu stuffed a steaming dry lotus leaf into Duan Rong's hand.

That was the breakfast she brought to Duan Rong, steamed, fried and buns.

"Let's go. The temple fair has begun."

"So early?"

"It's still early! Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year."

Duan Rong closed the gate, took a bite of fried fish, looked at Xiao Yu's skirt and said, "Is this skirt newly made? I've never seen you wear it."

"Of course you have to wear new clothes for the Chinese New Year. I ordered them at the tailor shop before the New Year, one for me and one for Xiao Qi."

"Only children wear new clothes. Adults wear the same old ones."

Duan Rong has been wearing two sets of escort clothes for the past six months. Although he has made a lot of money, he has hardly ever been to a clothing store. As for the tailor shop, he doesn't even know where the door is.

When Xiao Yu saw Duan Rong laughing at her for being a child, she turned her head and rolled her eyes at Duan Rong, saying angrily, "You can't stop your mouth even when you're eating!"

After Xiao Yu finished speaking, she walked forward quickly.

"Why are you walking so fast?" Duan Rong took a bite of fried pork belly and quickly caught up with him.

The two walked to the block of the City God Temple. As expected, the temple fair had already begun. Early in the morning, the streets in front of the City God Temple were already crowded with people.

The hawking sounds of the street vendors were even more frequent. The white air exhaled by the hawkers mixed with the morning mist and floated above people's heads...

There were people making candy figures, selling candied haws, spinning cotton candy, popcorn, rolling egg rolls...

There were all kinds of juggling, fire-breathing and sword-swallowing, everything...

There were people crowded in front of each stall. Duan Rong had a hard time grabbing two strings of candied haws with syrup hanging from the crowded crowd.

He handed a string to Xiao Yu, who took it with a smile and said, "Only after eating candied haws can you celebrate the New Year."

The two ate candied haws while watching the stalls.

They stopped in front of a juggling stall that performed fire-breathing and sword-swallowing. The man was performing sword-swallowing and swallowed a long sword that flashed with cold light into his mouth.

Duan Rong smiled slightly. He didn't need to use his spiritual sense to know that there was a mechanism on the sword.

However, there was still a cry of surprise from the crowd.

At this moment, a burly man with a beard as messy as weeds suddenly pulled out a knife with a swish sound and roared, "I see that you have done something to your sword. If you can swallow my knife, I will recognize you as capable!"

The sword-swallower looked at the provocative man with an ugly face.

There were people who broke the scene early in the morning, which immediately attracted people's attention. Not only did passers-by gather around, but even people from the two stalls next to it were attracted.

The brute shook the steel knife in his hand and said, "What? Don't dare!"

"Swallow!"

"Swallow!"

At this time, some people in the crowd began to make a noise.

The sword swallower was in a dilemma and had to reluctantly take the knife from the brute. Amid the shouts of the people, he stabbed the tip of the knife into his mouth.

The crowd of onlookers gasped!

Then the sword swallower swallowed the knife bit by bit.

Duan Rong's eyebrows jumped. The provocative brute was obviously a shill.

Xiao Yu also saw that the two left the stall here, and many people also saw it. They all dispersed with curses, but the people surrounding the sword swallowing stall were more than twice as many as before!

The two continued to stroll and stopped at an old man who was performing monkey shows.

After the monkey went through the fire ring, it actually took the monkey keeper's pipe, stuffed tobacco into it, lit it on the fire ring, and started smoking.

The posture of blowing smoke was so sophisticated, just like a human...

"This monkey is really a genius!" Xiao Yu was amused and laughed.

Duan Rong was also amused, so he threw a few pieces of silver to the monkey holding the gong, as a reward for the Jianghu craftsman.

No mistakes, one post, one content, one 6, one book, one bar!

Perhaps seeing that Duan Rong was quite generous, the two just turned around and left the stall, and someone passed by Duan Rong.

The moment the man approached, Duan Rong's heart moved. "A Qingcha."

He had swallowed the spirit of Fang Jingbao's jade ring in Weiyangfang, and had already achieved the realm of the master-level Qingcha magic hand.

Before the man made a move, Duan Rong had already seen what he was going to do.

"Not bad!" Duan Rong commented in his heart, still walking with Xiao Yu, laughing and talking.

The man took something out of Duan Rong's arms, and it was slightly cool to the touch. He was delighted, thinking it was a silver ingot. When he opened his hand, he saw a bright red candied haws wrapped in sugar in his palm.

How could this man not know that he had met a master? He turned his head with fear and glanced at Duan Rong's back, and immediately shrank his head and got into the crowd...

Duan Rong looked back at the man, and then continued to walk along the street with Xiao Yu.

The two walked along the way, watched many acrobatics, and ate a lot of snacks, and then arrived at the gate of the City God Temple.

There was already a long queue at the gate of the City God Temple!

Duan Rong said: "The incense of the City God is very popular!"

Xiao Yu said: "Not only the incense. It is said that the prayer cards on the first day of the New Year are also the most effective."

"Prayer cards?"

At this time, two people came out of the temple gate, walked quickly to the ancient mulberry tree not far away, stood under the tree, threw it up to the sky, and wanted to hang the prayer cards in their hands on the branches of the ancient mulberry tree.

Xiao Yu said: "As long as it can be hung on the ancient mulberry, it will be accepted by the City God."

It was winter, the leaves were withered, and the branches of this thousand-year-old ancient mulberry tree were high. The two people threw it several times but failed to hang it.

At this time, a young man in gorgeous clothes reached out and threw it, and the prayer card in his hand was firmly hung at the highest point of the treetop, which made the two people envious.

Duan Rong's eyes condensed. The young man reached out and threw it, which was a hidden weapon technique, and it was not weaker than his.

Duan Rong looked at the man, and it turned out to be Tao Rong, the son of Tao Jiusong, the owner of the weapons shop.

A few months ago, Duan Rong had heard rumors in the teahouse that Tao Rong had already achieved the realm of inner breath.

Tao Rong noticed Duan Rong's gaze and turned his head to look over. He didn't know Duan Rong, but he knew Xiao Yu, so he nodded slightly to Xiao Yu and turned away.

Duan Rong knew that this person would definitely participate in the March 3rd registered disciple assessment.

Obviously a strong enemy!

Duan Rong and Xiao Yu lined up in a long line for half an hour before they finally kowtowed to the City God and burned incense, and then received the prayer board from the old temple priest Xu Dongyang.

The prayer board was blank, and you need to write your wishes.

Xiao Yu and Duan Rong came to the table in the corner, picked up the pens prepared on it, and wrote down their wishes.

Duan Rong looked at Xiao Yu and smiled, "What did you write?"

Xiao Yu held the board in his arms and said, "What do you care about me?"

Duan Rong used his spiritual sense to penetrate and could easily spy, but he never used this method to spy on his friends for no reason, which not only consumed his soul, but also was a bit mean.

After they finished writing, they took the prayer board out of the temple gate and came to the ancient mulberry tree. Both of them were accomplished warriors. They reached out and threw the board and hung it up!

Xiao Yu looked at the shaking board on the dry mulberry tree in the winter sun, her eyes flickered, she turned her head to look at Duan Rong and said, "Let's go, let's go back."

Duan Rong walked behind Xiao Yu, looking at Xiao Yu's thoughtful profile, the warm winter sun illuminated the fluff on her cheeks.

Duan Rong's heart suddenly rose with a sense of peace and tranquility.

Duan Rong knew that this feeling was given to him by Xiao Yu.

The relationship between him and Xiao Yu was obviously not a love between children, but that faint feeling was another kind of emotion.

Duan Rong's parents died early in his previous life. He had not had a family yet, and his soul had already traveled to the world of Jiuzhou, but when he came here, his parents also died.

He has been a human for two lives, but he has never felt the warmth of family.

But for some reason, when he looked at Xiao Yu, he suddenly felt a warm and stable feeling.

Behind the two of them, many prayer boards were hung on the ancient mulberry tree at the entrance of the City God Temple. Duan Rong and Xiao Yu's prayer boards were also hung on it, swaying in the wind.

Xiao Yu's prayer board read: I only wish your heart is like mine.

Duan Rong's prayer board only had three words: Taiyi Gate.

The year had passed, and it was the sixth day of the first lunar month in a blink of an eye.

The business of the escort agency was about to open, but Ruan Fengshan had been in the backyard, closed the door and refused to see anyone, and never showed up.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month, Zheng Wei, Ruan Fengshan's personal servant, suddenly sent an order and took the document with the seal of the escort agency and Ruan Fengshan's private seal.

The document had only one line of words: From now on, Xiao Zongting will be the chief of Yuanshun Escort Agency, and be fully responsible for the business of the escort agency.

Xiao Zongting received the document and was confused. He ran to the backyard to ask for an interview with Ruan Fengshan, but was turned away again.

Xiao Zongting was helpless, but he had served Yuanshun Escort Agency all his life, and his deep feelings for this place were difficult for ordinary people to understand. Since Ruan Fengshan had handed over the management of the escort agency to him, he would do his best no matter what.

After Sun Huang's death, the second escort team was leaderless.

Moreover, March 3 was the day for the assessment of registered disciples. Duan Rong and Xiao Yu had to prepare for the assessment and had no time for the affairs of the escort agency for the time being.

Xiao Zongting directly cut off the second escort team, merged the escort masters and porters into the remaining escort teams, and Duan Rong and Xiao Yu took time off from work to practice and prepare for the assessment!