In mid-April, the Qingcai Festival arrived.
The mountain flowers bloomed vibrantly, petals falling in a riot of colour. In the peach blossom grove, the entire forest was filled with pink mist, resembling a fairyland.
In recent years, perhaps due to the Peach Blossom Fairy’s blessings, the peach blossom grove had noticeably expanded, with peach trees gradually spreading from the edges towards the deep forests of the east and south.
The peach trees and their blossoms in the grove seemed to grow increasingly imbued with an ethereal charm. Even the common folk who ate the ordinary peaches from the grove felt their health improve.
As a result, more and more people came to offer incense and prayers at the Peach Blossom Shrine. Whether their prayers were answered or not, their sincerity was enough. The incense at the shrine was inexpensive, and they could always return to fulfil their vows if their wishes came true.
In the northeast corner of the peach grove, a place shrouded by a maze array and an illusion technique, imperceptible to ordinary mortals…
The wild grass swayed gently, lush and dense, while the peach trees stood in myriad graceful forms, their blossoms swaying in the breeze.
In the distance, mountain shadows stretched endlessly, while nearby, a stream gurgled softly.
Within the peach grove, by the stream, a pavilion held round tables and stools. Under the peach trees, stone tables and benches were arranged, and on the grass, scattered desks and cushions were placed.
The area was not large but was arranged with an elegant, natural harmony.
On the tables and desks were wooden trays and porcelain bottles.
The wooden trays held an assortment of fruits: apples, sweet oranges, bananas, cherries, strawberries, watermelons, grapes, and other fresh produce.
The porcelain bottles contained low-alcohol beverages like Huadiao wine, plum wine, and grape wine, enough to make one tipsy but not drunken.
Besides fruits and drinks, there were several sets of mahjong and Go boards for the guests’ entertainment. Nearby, musical instruments like a zither, flute, and pipa were placed, along with rice paper, long tables, brushes, ink, and pigments.
“Brother Lu, you’ve prepared everything so thoroughly, perfectly to my taste!”
“The setting is delightful too. This gathering feels far more interesting than my father’s banquets with the aquatic tribes, drinking, listening to music, and watching dances!”
The first to arrive were Zhu Yushan and Li Hanyu, the couple. Guided to the venue by a Peach Blossom Heavenly Maiden, they saw Shen Ying and Liu Qingyan playing a game of Go, while Lu Zheng sat at the side of a stone table, serving tea to Shen Ying one moment and offering fruit to Liu Qingyan the next, looking quite relaxed.
Meanwhile, Liu Qingquan, accompanied by Xiao Cui, was engrossed in a new game of checkers Lu Zheng had introduced, both playing with great enthusiasm.
“Brother Zhu, good to see you! Sister-in-law, hello!”
Shen Ying and Liu Qingyan paused their game, and Lu Zheng stood with the two women to greet the guests, leading them to a stone table under a tree.
“Very well, indeed. Yushan has been secluded, studying again recently. We haven’t been out in ages. It was only because of your invitation, Brother Lu, that I dragged him here to relax,” Li Hanyu said.
Lu Zheng blinked, nodded, and said to Zhu Yushan, “Brother Zhu, studying is important, but you should balance work and rest. Secluding yourself for intense study isn’t good for your health…”
Zhu Yushan nodded, “I know, but with exams approaching, I’m reviewing diligently to avoid any oversights.”
“Ah, yes, yes!” Lu Zheng nodded earnestly, then picked a sweet orange from the wooden tray and handed it to Zhu Yushan, “Brother Zhu, try this orange. It tastes great.”
“Thank you.” Zhu Yushan took the orange, peeled it casually, ate a piece, and then, with a flick of his wrist, pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Lu Zheng, “This is my latest policy essay. Brother Lu, take a look and offer some critique.”
Lu Zheng, “…”
Heaven knows if you’ll even make it to the exam this year. What’s the point of this essay?
But he couldn’t say that. Having spent over three years in the Jing Dynasty, Lu Zheng’s knowledge of Confucian scholarship was sufficient for casual discussion, if not for exams.
So, he could handle Zhu Yushan’s request.
Lu Zheng took the essay, skimmed it, and began a discussion with Zhu Yushan that might have been entirely pointless.
When the discussion ended, the five women from Wuxiu Manor—Hua Yixing and her companions—arrived.
“Young Master Lu! Young Master Zhu!”
“Greetings, Sister Li! Hello, Miss Shen! Qingyan, we’re late!”
Upon arriving, the five women apologised first. Then, with a gentle wave of Yu Mingxin’s sleeves, dozens of colourful birds flew out, some circling in the air, others perching on branches, their soft chirps adding vibrant life to the peach grove.
One bird landed on Liu Qingquan’s shoulder, tilting its head to peer at the checkerboard, as if curious.
As expected of a yellow oriole spirit, not only was her singing exceptional, but she also had a knack for controlling birds.
Lin Jing’er and Hu Cainiang opened the bamboo baskets on their backs, and with a wave, hundreds of vibrant wildflowers flew out, landing and rooting in the soil, making the venue even more radiant.
“You’ve all gone to such trouble!”
Shen Ying and Liu Qingyan laughed heartily, inviting the five women to sit.
Hua Yixing and the others had met Zhu Yushan and his wife before, so after greetings, and with enough people present, they quickly formed a mahjong table.
Li Hanyu, Hua Yixing, Lin Jing’er, and Hu Cainiang started playing!
The women played cards, while the men stayed out of it. As hosts, Shen Ying and Liu Qingyan needed to greet guests.
Yu Mingxin and Bai Ting’er’s wits weren’t sharp enough for the strategic card game, so they soon noticed Liu Qingquan and Xiao Cui playing checkers.
“What’s this?” Bai Ting’er asked curiously.
“It’s checkers!” Liu Qingquan, deep in thought, glanced at Bai Ting’er, her eyes lighting up, “Come, come, let’s play together. Checkers can be played with four people.”
“Really?” Yu Mingxin chimed in, looking at the board, “Could it support up to six players?”
“Exactly, exactly! Two players make it too simple. Let’s play with four!”
Liu Qingquan pulled Yu Mingxin and Bai Ting’er to sit, resetting the board.
Xiao Cui said with mock indignation, “You little schemer, I was about to win!”
“No way!” Liu Qingquan retorted, “The game was still unclear, the pieces all jumbled. How could you tell who was winning?”
Xiao Cui pouted helplessly but couldn’t argue with a child, especially since this child was the host’s sister-in-law!
So, she sat with Yu Mingxin and Bai Ting’er, took blue and yellow wooden pieces from the checker box, placed them in their positions, and began explaining the rules of checkers to the two women.
The rules of checkers were simple, only slightly more complex than tic-tac-toe. Yu Mingxin and Bai Ting’er quickly learned, and with great enthusiasm, they joined Liu Qingquan and Xiao Cui in a lively four-player match.
