A Journey to Huang Province

The crackling sound of firecrackers came from the end of the long street, and every household had long poles with firecrackers hanging in front of their doors, with bits of red paper flying everywhere on the ground.

Red Mountain shook his neck and stuck out his tongue to lick away the scraps of paper from the corner of his mouth.

The lingering Sulfur in the air made it sneeze repeatedly, and before it knew it, several pieces of Forsythia Paper were stuck to its face.

At the entrance of the Yang Residence, Xu Zishuai idly kicked at the scraps of paper, occasionally gazing at the long street, when he saw Liang Qu riding up on horseback and shouting loudly.

"A Shui! You said you'd arrive at 5 PM, how come you're right on time?"

Liang Qu dismounted and asked, "Something came up this afternoon, which delayed me a little. Is everyone here?"

"That's right, we've been waiting for you alone!" Xu Zishuai patted Red Mountain's rump, letting the clever Dragon Blood Horse go into the stable by itself. He then turned to the gatekeeper and said, "Fu Bo, everyone's here. Let's set off the closing firecrackers! Help me get rid of this bad luck! May next year be much better!"

"Prepared early this morning! Guaranteed to ensure that you, Fourth Young Master, leave with nothing but a bright future!"

The old gatekeeper, Uncle Fu Bo, with a broad smile, went to the gate of the house, picked up three strings of firecrackers, held them high, and lit them one by one with long incense sticks.

Crackling sounds!

The explosion was deafening, releasing a strong Sulfur.

The firecrackers set off before dinner send off all the unpleasantness of the old year!

The gate slammed shut amidst the fervor, blocking the red paper scraps.

Liang Qu walked down the steps and asked with a smile, "Senior brother, why are you standing at the door waiting for me today? Why are you being so attentive?"

"Who's going to wait for you? The cold wind is howling outside. My Master's Wife didn't see you and sent me out to check. She said if you don't come in soon, she'll lock you out and not let you in!"

"I believe the first part, but you probably made up the second half yourself, didn't you, senior brother?"

The two chatted as they walked through the covered corridor and into the more lively hall.

The Spring Couplets at the entrance of the entire hall have all been replaced with new ones and red paper has been pasted on them. The floor is covered with broken shells of melon seeds and peanuts.

The warm air from the heater made me feel relaxed all over.

Liang Qu took off his coat, and the maidservant serving him took it and hung it on the dragon gate rack next to him.

When the people in the hall saw Liang Qu arrive, they made a commotion.

"Junior brother, we've been waiting for you! You're so slow!"

"They said it was time of the Rooster, and it really is! Not a moment too early!"

"Junior brother, it's time to replace the fourth-grade Dragon Blood Horse. The claim that it can't even catch up with a shadow is mostly just hype."

"How about this, senior brother, to help junior brother, I'll take a small loss and trade you my Red Eye Horse! What do you say?"

"Oh no, I didn't time it right."

Liang Qu apologized repeatedly.

The two short spears given by the Toad were incredibly powerful, and he couldn't decide where to put them for a moment.

Whether you put it at home or on a boat, it could all explode in an instant if you're not careful. It was so hard to build.

After much deliberation, Liang Qu personally placed them in the giant rock where he had once found Awei and the Water Ganoderma.

I had to send the ship there in the afternoon, and time was already tight. Unfortunately, we were delayed.

Fortunately, they weren't late, just a little late. It was still early before lunchtime, so everyone sat in the hall and ate a casual meal.

Liang Qu stepped forward to greet his Master Master's Wife, and then sat down in his assigned seat.

"Perfect timing, it's rare to have everyone here." Yang Dongxiong put down his teacup. "There's something I need to tell you all."

Hearing that their Master had something to say, all the disciples straightened their backs and sat upright.

Yu Dun asked, "Master, what is it?"

"It's nothing major. Your master's Master's Wife and I are planning to go to Huang Province this September or October."

Sixth Senior Brother Cao Rang was stunned. "Huang Province? What are Master Master's Wife doing in Huang Province?"

Xu Zishuai asked shrewdly, "Is your Master's Wife going back to her parents' home?"

Xu Shi nodded. "After this year, my father will turn eighty-nine at the end of November. As the saying goes, it's better to celebrate early than late, so we're preparing to hold a birthday banquet this year."

Everyone suddenly realized.

As expected.

Huang Province is located west of Southern Zhili, which is neither too far nor too close.

Unless there are special circumstances, I won't go there. Of everyone present, only my Master's Wife has connections with Huang Province.

As for the birthday banquet.

Yang Dongxiong rose from humble beginnings, joined the army to pursue his future, and by the time he had achieved something, his parents, both well past the age of fifty, had passed away peacefully at the ages of seventy-three and eighty-two, respectively.

The Master's Wife, Xu Shi, was different. The Xu Family of Huang Province, even if they weren't high-ranking officials or relatives of the emperor, were still a prestigious family.

Parents and relatives who live in comfort and ease, without much hardship, naturally enjoy long lifespans.

An old saying goes that seventy years old is a "great birthday", eighty years old is a "superior birthday", ninety years old is a "long life", and one hundred years old is a "century-old birthday".

Liang Qu believes that the general sayings are something like "Men celebrate the approaching year, women celebrate the full year" and "Every nine years should be a year of great celebration."

Odd numbers are considered Yang, even numbers are considered Yin, and males are considered Yang, while females are considered Yin.

Therefore, nine is the largest yang number, and ten is the largest yin number.

Therefore, men should celebrate their birthdays a year in advance.

This 89th birthday banquet is actually equivalent to a grand 90th birthday banquet, and it should be a large and joyous celebration.

However, to be honest, there were too many similar rules, and Liang Qu was not familiar with the local customs of Huang Province. He couldn't quite figure out the reason, but that was the final result.

Xu Shi had not returned home for four or five years, and as her biological daughter, she was obliged to return for her 90th birthday.

Without becoming Grandmaster, one cannot live to be three hundred years old; every time we meet again, it will be one less time to see each other.

"Is the eldest brother also going back?"

A brilliant idea flashed in Liang Qu's mind.

The eldest brother is Yang Dongxiong's biological son, and since it's his maternal grandfather's birthday, he should come back for a visit.

Yang Dongxiong affirmed, "Your eldest brother will naturally go. He hasn't taken leave to visit his family for five years, so this is a good opportunity for him to come out."

So I'm asking if anyone's going to join me, so we can get to know the talented young people of Huang Province and their impressive cultural background."

Hu Qi asked, "Master Master's Wife, how do you plan to get to Huang Province?"

"By boat, traveling west along the Jianghuai, it would take at least two months to go round trip. It's not a short time. If you don't have the time, there's no need to force yourself."

"Go ahead, why not? It's a good opportunity to see what the Central Plains is like. It's been so long since I've seen my senior brother."

Xu Zishuai was the first to respond.

He was carefree and didn't work anywhere; he could leave whenever he wanted.

Xiang ChangSong and Hu Qi exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement.

"Let's go too, and see our senior brother."

Xiang ChangSong, Hu Qi, and Liang Qu were the last to join the sect and had never met their senior brother before, so they should meet him.

As for the Martial Arts School, there is a cycle for apprentices to learn martial arts. Since it is still early in September, it is perfectly acceptable to temporarily accept apprentices and take a break for a few months.

"And you?" Yang Dongxiong looked at the other disciples.

Yu Dun wasn't quite sure. He had joined the sect the earliest, unlike his fellow disciples who hadn't seen their senior brother much. "There's still half a year left. It's hard to say for sure. Before the summer planting season, Ping Yang County will be abolished and replaced by a prefecture. I might not have time then."

Liang Qu himself certainly wanted to go.

The Huai River has five lakes, with the Jianghuai being the largest.

It can only be compared to the other four lakes combined, but it should not be underestimated.

Pengze is close to Huang Province, so a trip there might bring other fortuitous opportunity.

But like Yu Dun, he wasn't sure if he would be available, so he would have to make other arrangements.

"That's true. Most of you are busy with your work, and it's hard to say what will happen in six months. There's no need to rush to give an answer. Let's talk about it again in August. Let's eat first!"

"Alright! Let's eat!"

"What delicious dishes has Master prepared this year?!"

"Of course you won't go hungry!"