The streets of Xiangyang were originally very wide, but due to the large number of people, it seemed very crowded at this time. The night has not stopped people's enthusiasm for shopping, and the streets are brightly lit. Since there are so many people watching, there must be something special. Liu Xun and Cai Wenji finally squeezed in.
"Dear folks, elders, brothers and sisters. We will hold a riddle guessing contest at the end of the year. Those who guess the right one will get a five-baht; those who match three will get five five-baht coins; those who match five will get ten five-baht coins."
It turned out to be a riddle guessing contest held by the inn to attract customers. Liu Xun looked up and saw that the lantern riddle was a large round lantern with bamboo sticks hung with red lines around it. On the bamboo sticks, the original problem of the lantern riddle was written with one sentence. At this time, many young girls and boys were laughing and making noises, and from time to time there were bursts of laughter, and from time to time they fell into silence, obviously trapped by the riddle.
"Okay, then you hurry up and ask the question." Someone in the crowd kept urging the boss, all wanting to get this generous reward.
The shopkeeper said, "Don't worry, everyone will be rewarded as long as you guess it right. I won't break my promise."
"Then don't rush, just ask the question." Everyone urged again. The crowd onlookers did not all want to guess lantern riddles, but wanted to have fun. After all, at the end of the year, the busyness of the year has come to an end, and you can have a good rest. It is rare to encounter such a lively scene, everyone is very happy.
The shopkeeper of the inn walked to the lantern, untied the red thread, and took off a bamboo stick. He looked at the bamboo sticks and smiled, and said to the crowd: "When the first day of the Lunar New Year is the Spring Festival, the puzzle is'the first day of the new year', type a idiom."
It is indeed a bit difficult to type an idiom after saying two words. Some people scratch their heads, and some are buried in thought, but they don't have any clues. The shopkeeper of the inn was very proud to see that everyone hadn't guessed it yet.
Liu Xun in the crowd thought for a moment, and suddenly realized.
"I guessed it."
Cai Wenji already knew the answer, looking at Liu Xun with big piercing eyes, very cute.
"Actually, I guessed it too, but let you say it." Liu Xun was embarrassed to compete with a 13 or 4 year old girl.
"Don't anyone guess it? Then I..."
"I know." Cai Wenji shouted loudly before the shopkeeper had finished speaking.
Cai Wenji's shout could not help but aroused everyone's curious eyes, and their eyes were full of suspicion. No one believes that a little girl can guess such a riddle
The shopkeeper of the inn saw that the respondent was only a 13 or 14-year-old girl, and was very despised in his heart, but still patiently asked: "Little girl, do you also guess lantern riddles?"
It is normal for the shopkeeper of the inn and the crowd of onlookers to have such a reaction. At that time, what the society advocated was "Women's ignorance is virtue." The vast majority of women have not read books and cannot recognize the words. How can they guess lantern riddles
As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the riddles had already appeared. At that time, some "politicians" used the metaphors of Han folk tales and legends in their speeches in order to propagate their opinions and mobilize the monarchs of various countries. At that time, this method was called "crypto" or "thin words". In the Han Dynasty, it gradually evolved into a riddle that deciphered the form and meaning of the text. The riddles at this time are still relatively crude, created by the folks as well as by the literati. By the end of the Han Dynasty, writing forms of riddles had become very popular.
However, they didn't know that Cai Wenji had been reading poems and books since he was a child, and the small riddles couldn't bother him at all.
Cai Wenji arched her hands and said, "The little girl knows a few words and understands a little bit."
"Then, please tell me the answer."
Everyone was waiting to see Cai Wenji's joke, some of them laughed in advance. In their consciousness, women are untalented.
Liu Xun is very confident in Cai Wenji. In the past few months with Cai Wenji, Liu Xun deeply felt Cai Wenji's intelligence and talent. She has read many ancient books and is knowledgeable. He also writes good handwriting, even Liu Xun sighs inferiorly.
"The first day of the new year represents the first day of the first lunar month of the coming year, and now it is the twelfth lunar month. When the first day of the new year comes, the month and day are different from now, so the answer is'changing with each passing day'."
Cai Yan not only gave the correct answer, but also solved the puzzle in detail.
Cai Wenji's answer received a little applause, and everyone's opinions on her changed a little. However, some people say that Cai Wenji happened to guess the puzzle he would do, and it was more of a coincidence than a real talent.
They still don't want to believe that a teenage girl is better than them, and this is still machismo at work.
The shopkeeper of the inn was also very unconvinced, and once again walked to the big red lantern, untied a red string, and took a bamboo stick. Facing the light, the shopkeeper's face reappeared with a smile. He walked up to Cai Wenji and said, "If you can guess this puzzle, I will give you five five baht coins."
He had long believed in his heart that Cai Wenji couldn't guess, so he had to increase his bet so that he could increase the gimmick without spending money.
Cai Wenji looked complacent, nodded repeatedly, and accepted the challenge happily. Liu Xun on the side kept casting approving glances.
"A crescent moon is shining on the branches, two stars hang in the sky, type a word." The shopkeeper of the inn said the puzzle.
This puzzle is much harder than the one just now, and many people don't even know what word can be typed.
Cai Wenji, at first hearing this riddle, there is no clue in her heart, no clue at all. However, she is a talented woman after all, after carefully savoring a few sentences, a word slowly came to mind.
"The answer should be the word'autumn."
Cai Wenji excitedly said the answer. Everyone was very surprised. They didn't expect that this little girl would be more brave as she fought, and such a difficult riddle could be blurted out.
"Why is the word'autumn'?" The inn shopkeeper was unwilling, he thought it must be Cai Wenji's random guess.
"The branch is a'wood', a crescent moon means a'stiffness', two stars mean two points, and the world is a'person', which together make up the word'autumn'." Cai Wenji replied fluently, not at all. Stage fright.
"This girl is not easy."
"You can't underestimate women in the future."
Everyone was talking about it, the attitude has changed a bit, and the number of people who have a good impression of Cai Wenji has gradually increased.
"Continue to ask questions, I have to solve five questions in a row." Cai Yan urged the shopkeeper to quickly ask questions. Now she is full of confidence and determined to solve five questions in a row.
"Yeah, don't dawdle."
There are more and more people watching the excitement, and everyone is very curious whether this little girl can solve five questions in a row and break the record.
"You have solved two puzzles, and three more puzzles, I will give you five taels of gold."
"Okay, it's a deal. If I can't do it, I don't need all the seven five bahts I originally earned."
Cai Wenji is not afraid of the challenge of the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper of the inn quickly walked to the big red lantern, uncovered the red string one by one, took off the three bamboo sticks, and then quickly turned back. He picked up a bamboo stick, looked carefully under the light, and then slowly said, "There is no water in the pool, and there is no mud on the ground. Type a word."
"Yes." Cai Wenji blurted out without even thinking about it.
"Well, it is indeed'Ye.' Three points of water are removed from the'Pool', and soil is removed from the'Earth'. It happens to be the word'Ye'." After hearing Cai Wenji's answer, everyone talked.
Although this lantern riddle is relatively simple, the speed at which Cai Wenji solves it is very surprising, and it is simply blurt out.
Liu Xun was also suppressed by Cai Wenji. Although he knew Wenji was very talented and quick-thinking, he still didn't understand very deeply. Today, he has really seen Cai Wenji's talents.
"Well, talented girl! It really makes me wait ashamed."
Many people began to admire this little girl and were impressed by her talent. Wen Ji is not only young and beautiful, but also very talented. The girls and young women on the side are beginning to be jealous of Cai Wenji. They think it is very unfair that God has given Cai Wenji all the good things.
But where do they know that Cai Wenji's knowledge is based on their own hard work. The good results seem to be dazzling, but the hardships are unknown. Behind the glamour, there is often a bumpy experience.
Cai Yan has been through hardships since he was a child, and lost his family and his family. However, this did not stop Cai Yan's enthusiasm for learning. Cai Yan learned a lot from Cai Yong and Mi Heng successively. Cai Yan's memory is very good, and he can basically remember it. Many ancient books and classics have long been familiar with him. It is precisely because she has mastered so much knowledge that the small riddles can't trouble her at all.
"The moon sets and the geese are in formation, type one word."
The shopkeeper of the inn said that he was weak, and it seemed that the five taels of gold would be taken out soon.
"Rouge's'Rouge'."
"Okay, really a genius." After hearing Cai Yan's answer, everyone cheered loudly. Now they have completely put aside gender discrimination, and now appreciate this talented woman.
"The shopkeeper, it's dying. You can't even fight a girl."
"Hahaha..."
Everyone laughed when they heard it, and the shopkeeper became the object of their ridicule.
"I didn't make the puzzle, I just read it out."
The shopkeeper of the inn defended, his blushing face showed that he was ashamed.
"Don't quarrel, let the shopkeeper read out the fifth puzzle."
Seeing that the crowd was noisy, Liu Xun came out to calm everyone's emotions so as not to affect Cai Yan's guessing.
"This question is not so easy."
The shopkeeper cleared his throat and said, still very unconvinced in his heart.
"Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, hit one idiom."
"What does this mean? It is really confusing to let others say an idiom for nine."
Everyone talked about it, this is obviously embarrassing, and Cai Yan may not be able to solve this mystery this time.
Hearing everyone's discussion, the inn shopkeeper's mouth turned up, showing a triumphant smile.
"This is not difficult." Cai Wenji said calmly, "Isn't it just'lack of food and clothing'!"
"wonderful!"
After Liu Xun heard this, he couldn't help clapping.
"Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, there are missing'one' and'ten'. According to the homophony, it means'lack of food and clothing'.
Cai Wenji's explanation is quite thorough.
"Well, I will never break my promise when I speak."
As he said, the shopkeeper respectfully handed over ten taels of gold.
"I'll accept the extra."
Cai Yan is not polite.
The shopkeeper was very trustworthy, and everyone enthusiastically joined the guessing activity.
Cai Yan did not continue to join in the fun there, but dragged Liu Xun away. Cai Yan gave all the gold he had just obtained to the beggar on the side of the road.
"I hope that the Han Dynasty can rejuvenate as soon as possible, the world can be unified soon, and the people will no longer suffer." Cai Wenji said to herself.
"I didn't expect Wen Ji to have the world in mind."
Liu Xun said with a smile. However, he also thinks Wen Ji's statement makes sense. Liu Xun also knows that it is not so easy to revive the Han room, and the road ahead is still very difficult. However, the New Year is approaching anyway, and new hope may follow.