Chapter 7, Lantern Festival (3)

In the oval-shaped courtyard, there are all sorts of features including rockeries, streams, and sun crowns. A little girl in a green dress approached and offered to help him take down the sword from his back

He has a plethora of poems about the Lantern Festival in his mind, but the crux of the issue is not this. Originally, Lin Xinru's calligraphy was very beautiful; however, after he arrived, he did not practice or pay attention to this aspect. Now, even holding a brush feels awkward. He still reluctantly holds the brush in the manner he remembers from the past.

He thought for a moment and then simply drew a circle on the lantern

"The notorious bandit?" Lin Xin immediately thought of his master, Uncle Yun. This fellow taught them techniques that were truly insidious, despicable, and vile. ... If one were to speak of the strongest bandit in the vicinity, it might very well refer to this master uncle.

Immediately, a chorus of hissing surrounded the area

Father, I will go out and take a look" Lin Xinhui stood up and said loudly

Extending his hand, Lin Xin's fingers dipped into the water of the pool, which was icy and somewhat piercing. His fingers stirred up a few ripples on the water's surface, spreading outwards, startling several fish that quickly darted to a distant corner.

The Lantern Festival is approaching, and this filling was brought from the seaside of Yundihai...

The lanterns hanging on the columns of the house on both sides suddenly went out with a whoosh

When it was Lin Xin's turn, he had no knowledge of poetry and was not interested in it; he felt quite accomplished just being able to recognize all the characters in this place

Next is the second child, Lin Xinyue

Next is the second child, Lin Xinyue, who is the girl that went to the outer city to become a shopkeeper. She greeted Lin Xin with a smile when she sat down.

Following the stone bridge, a servant led him and An Ying to their respective rooms. After carefully advising An Ying a few words, Lin Xin walked into his small courtyard

Lao San has a slightly dark complexion, a robust physique, and is dressed in the distinctive gray-black uniform of the military, exuding a strong sense of heroism

In the center of the hall, which is fully painted in red, there is an area as large as a basketball court, arranged with two rows of single tables and chairs.

Sigh ... ...

Lin Xin sat in the chair, took a sip of tea, and listened to Lin Zhiwen as he meticulously recounted the annual summary, inquiring about the situations of various families, as well as reports on various matters both large and small from different places, which made him feel drowsy.

Then there is the third brother Lin Xinhui, who raises his hand to reveal a handful of broken silver

Lin Zhiwen also shook his head in speechlessness. The fourth brother, Lin Xinguang, let out a cold laugh, turned his head away, seemingly too lazy to even look at Lin Xin

The people around were laughing loudly. The others also began to laugh joyfully.

Lin Xinhui, having come from a military background, somehow found a sharp knife and brandished it as he exited the main hall. Behind him followed several strong men with ill intentions.

Then there is the third one, the third brother is a soldier, and surprisingly he also recited a fine poem, which is also about the Lantern Festival. It is evident that he had prepared it in advance

The children, with their little faces flushed, obediently expressed their gratitude

The lanterns that were just extinguished were clearly not an accident; it was evident that someone had directly snuffed them out with a palm wind. This kind of palm strength is something he has only seen in his master uncle, Yunzi.

From the tallest to the shortest, from the oldest to the youngest, everyone takes their seats accordingly

Lin Xinguang let out a cold snort from a short distance away, merely glancing at him before shaking his head and chatting with the nearby Lin Xinhui.

What makes you think I have lost weight

An Ying and other guests are seated in the additional rows of seats on the periphery. The sparse arrangement gives the impression that there are not many people.

At that moment, the leader sitting in the chair suddenly felt a gaze from all around him, hearing some unfamiliar individuals inquiring about his situation. Despite his thick-skinned nature, he felt somewhat embarrassed at that moment

Master Lin Xinguang, each person receives one tael and five cash of broken silver

Following the somewhat narrow alley, I entered the main courtyard's hall directly with others

Indeed, as expected of the Fourth Master, the future county magistrate, his actions are truly grand.

Suddenly, the people in the hall began to stir restlessly

Old Master Lin Zhiwen and Second Uncle Lin Zhiwu sat in the center, with Lin Xin occupying the first seat on the left. He walked over and boldly took a seat.

Now, looking at the inscription, he held the brush and pondered for a long time, glancing around. He noticed that all eyes were focused on him. An Ying also stood up behind him, tiptoeing to look at him, her face filled with anticipation

Then, raising his head, he saw servants lined up, holding lanterns, starting from the last one, the fourth brother.

Lin Xin slightly nodded

After sunset, Lin Xin took An Ying out to stroll around the house, and then they headed towards the main courtyard, as the Lantern Festival celebration required a communal dinner.

Indeed, I heard that a small household in the eastern part of the city was completely exterminated a few days ago, from the eighty-year-old mother to the three-year-old child, not a single one was spared, it is simply brutal. Zhao Yuniang pulled Lin Xin into the room to sit down, while the young maid brought hot water and dampened a towel, wiping Lin Xin's cheeks.

Lao Si Lin Xinguang, upon sitting down, maintained a steady gaze without looking aside, slightly closed his eyes to rest his spirit; even before assuming the position of county magistrate, he had already learned the demeanor almost perfectly.

Looking back at An Ying, he realized that this guy had somehow already stood behind him.

She did not inscribe any words, only mentioned two sentences

The woman, dressed in a water-red long skirt and adorned with a phoenix-headed gold hairpin, clearly exhibited great beauty in her youth. However, there was a subtle hint of sorrow in her expression, as if she had been frowning all along

"Master Lin Xinhui, one tael of silver for each person!" shouted the servant of the singer with joy.

"This time when you return, do not go up the mountain," Zhao Yuniang said softly. "Recently, things at home have not been peaceful, and I do not have much energy to take care of you. The wilderness on the mountain is chaotic; I have heard that a notorious bandit has recently appeared nearby, killing without hesitation, and even the authorities cannot do anything about him. If you were to encounter him, it would be troublesome."

The grayish-white sky outside gradually darkened, and the little girl in the green dress finally entered, carrying a basin of hot water. Accompanying her was a beautiful middle-aged woman.

While practicing swordsmanship, Lin Xin was entangled in his thoughts. This time, he intended to purchase medicinal herbs and see if he could resolve the issue with the Long-Eared Tiger. However, the money required for the herbs was no small amount; if he were to follow the formula for the Guiyuan Pill, it would take at least over one hundred taels of silver to produce a batch. The last time the dojo repelled the Hengdao Sect, it could be considered a windfall, and after converting the scattered knives into money, along with the expenses for food and daily needs, there was still about twenty taels left. This was far from enough. The last time the dojo repelled the Hengdao Sect, it could be considered a windfall, and after converting the scattered knives into money, along with the expenses for food and daily needs, there was still about twenty taels left. This was far from enough.

It is nothing; we have trained in martial arts and possess no wealth, so even if the bandits want to rob someone, they would not choose us first. The dojo is completely destitute and has nothing at all

Lao Si Lin Xin Guang smiled as he took the brush, dipped it in ink, and quickly inscribed a short poem on the lantern

Standing in the yard, Lin Xin scanned the surroundings and found a stool from inside the house, placing it by the rockery before sitting down.

Lantern Festival Inscription, Begin

"You have lost weight again..." Lin Xinru's mother walked over and gently touched Lin Xin's face

"Yes, be more careful." Lin Zhiwen showed no signs of surprise, clearly having anticipated this. He ordered someone to relight the lanterns

Lin Xin sat in his seat, his brows slightly furrowed. He had heard earlier that the Lin family seemed to be encountering some troubles, and he did not expect that problems would arise now. It is important to note that this is the Lantern Festival, the time when there are the most people available.

The remaining maids and servants, along with the young masters and young ladies from various families, totaled a substantial number of thirty to forty individuals.

This place is Lin Xinru's home, yet it is not Lin Xin's home. Sitting here, there is a sense of familiarity in the memories, but at this moment, it is only strange.

Shh ... ...

Then a group of children rushed in, all young masters and young ladies from various households, lining up to receive their rewards.

No need. " Lin Xin shook his head, " You go help me boil some water for a bath. "

Lin Xin shook his head. Hearing the sound of guests entering from a distance outside, it seemed that the second and third brothers were accompanying their father, Lin Zhiwen, to receive the guests. Additionally, the doorman was continuously expressing his acknowledgments, clearly indicating that the visitors had brought a considerable number of gifts

He watched as several yellow fish swam slowly, shaking their heads and tails, in the pool before him, while a few green leaves of unknown origin floated on the water's surface

Lin Xinguang clasped his hands and bowed slightly to those around him, remaining silent. After finishing, he sat upright in his seat with a smile.

Someone has broken in! Suddenly, there was a loud shout from outside, but the voice was abruptly cut off, as if someone had forcefully choked it.

The flowing light and the full moon, the fiery trees and silver flowers

He suddenly heard a burst of singing, though he did not know how much time had passed

Each person receives 1.25.

After chatting with my mother for a while, she directly inquired about An Ying, appearing quite enthusiastic. However, from her tone, it seemed she intended to make An Ying a concubine. Lin Xin casually brushed it off and finally managed to send her away.

Lin Zhiwen's words were not finished when a sudden gust of cold wind blew in from outside the hall. It was so cold that one couldn't help but shiver

Even with the presence of Master Bo Yunzi, it is likely that ordinary river bandits would not dare to come. One must understand that in this day and age, a person who can travel freely across the vast expanse of the south and north without encountering any trouble is undoubtedly someone with exceptional skills and martial prowess. After all, there are many fierce beasts and bandits in the deep mountains and wilderness. The fact that one can travel alone without incident speaks volumes.

Lin Xinyi felt a headache coming on; this was his mother... No... it was the mother of this body... Zhao Yuniang

That person is quite impressive, An Ying whispered, her eyes shining a little

In recent days, Lin Xin has noticeably felt that he has gained several pounds

Lin Xin was still waiting for the children to run over and ask him for money, but unexpectedly, those children retreated directly, and they simply went to the second child instead, finishing the matter there. Even the ones who sang Nuo also went down, clearly having no intention of letting him distribute rewards. After all, among his four children, he had no income and could only rely on the family's support, making it indeed inappropriate for him to distribute rewards

"Good, sir." The young girl replied and stepped out. She had been taking care of Lin Xinru since she was little, so there was no sense of estrangement.

Then there was the second child, Lin Xinyue, who also pulled out a large handful of silver coins from her money pouch and distributed them with a beaming smile

Lin Zhiwen frowned, about to continue speaking

One can still faintly see the guards patrolling and changing shifts outside

Hundreds of taels of silver... when converted to the price of goods, it amounts to over one hundred thousand... Lin Xin's heart became increasingly troubled; even though his family was a wealthy landlord, this sum of money was not something that could be easily obtained.

The fourth brother smiled as he took out some small silver coins from his money bag and distributed them one by one to the children.

Reciting it softly, he immediately won a round of applause from everyone

On the right side are several sons and daughters of my second uncle's family, among whom is Lin Xinyuan, who had previously met Lin Xin. Among these individuals, some have started families while others have not

It is too boring to just stay like this... Lin Xin stood up and returned to his room, took down the long sword he was carrying on his back, and began to practice the Hong Song sword technique slowly without drawing it from its sheath. It would take quite some time to practice it to the point of becoming instinctive.

People on both sides begin to sing the oath