"Children, don't be greedy. After Laba, it's New Year. Drink Laba porridge for a few days, and then it's the 23rd. On the 23rd, sticky sugar-coated melons, on the 24th, clean the house, on the 25th, grind tofu, on the 26th, cut pork, on the 27th, buy new clothes, on the 28th, let the dough rise, on the 29th, steam buns, stay up all night on the 30th, and go to pay New Year's greetings on the first day of the New Year..."
It was another sunny day. In an alley that intersects Xuanwumen Street, in the cold wind, a few children were busy setting off firecrackers. A few children watching nearby clapped their hands until they were red and sang catchy nursery rhymes.
The sound was so loud that a group of people on horseback passing by Xuanwumen Street stopped and looked in the direction of the sound. The young man in the lead was originally handsome, but there was an inch-long scar on his left cheek, which ruined his appearance and made him look a bit fierce. He listened carefully for a moment, until he finished listening to the whole nursery rhyme, and then he smiled thoughtfully.
"I remember that I didn't seem to hear such nursery rhymes during the New Year in the capital before."
Several tough guys looked at each other, and finally shook their heads to indicate that they had never heard of it before. Seeing this, the young man in the lead rode his horse to the roadside, found a pastry shop that was still open, and asked directly about the nursery rhyme. The clerk was frightened by the young man's appearance, and became a little cautious. After a while of consideration, he smiled and spoke.
"My lord, you are asking about this nursery rhyme. Many people in the capital know it! It is said that on the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the son-in-law of the Duke of Zhao's mansion coaxed a child who had fallen down in the temple. After a while, the word spread and many children could sing it. Within two days, all the children in the city were clapping and singing it non-stop. Don't tell me, it is really simple and easy to remember. It is quite interesting!"
Hearing the words "a perfect son-in-law", the scar on the young man's face trembled slightly, but then he smiled as if nothing had happened: "I have also heard of the reputation of Dr. Zhang, but I didn't expect that he would have the time to do such a thing."
"Well, he has done so many amazing things! The Imperial College Banshan Hall, you know it, sir? In the past, those dandy young men would fight cocks and walk dogs when they had nothing to do, it was a mess, but they have been studying hard these past few months. This time before the Chinese New Year, the Imperial College was on holiday, and there were actually quite a few people reviewing their lessons! It's really like the sun is rising from the west, so fresh!"
The clerk was obviously very talkative, and the young man with a scar on his face did not speak in a ferocious manner, but rather with a gentle and elegant air, so he felt relieved: "I heard that among those who are reviewing their lessons, there is the second son of the Duke of Zhao! It is said that he has finished most of his homework, with only a few math problems left, and he still refuses to ask for help from Lu Sanlang."
"Young Master, you seem to be from a wealthy family. Sanlang Lu should know him, right? Hey, he's the head monk of Jiuzhang Hall, a prodigal who was praised by the emperor himself as a genius. He's one of Dr. Zhang's most proud disciples, and he used to be a good friend of the second young master of the Duke of Zhao's mansion. Now that his former cronies have become famous, Young Master Zhu must be feeling resentful."
Hearing this, the young man nodded to the man, and sent someone to buy two boxes of snacks in the store. After paying, he said that no change was needed, which made the man who got the unexpected reward overjoyed. It was not until he left the store that he saw that the guards around him all had strange expressions, and it was clear that they had just been trying hard to hold back. The young man smiled and said, "Why, you all find it incredible?"