Two people, one unfamiliar with the route and without a goal, wandered around and actually merged into the dynasty, enjoying the New Year's Eve of 1539.

After about an hour of walking, they saw a large, prestigious household surrounded by many people; the scene was very lively.

"Let's go check it out; where there are many people, we'll definitely be able to gather some information!" Li Qianxia dragged Yang Qinglan forward.

"You said the same thing when we were looking at the chest crushing the rock earlier." Yang Qinglan, her face carved ice and snow, wore a mildly helpless smile.

She didn't stop her, without a goal, unable to gather information, the only thing left to do was to broaden one's horizons.

The heavy snow had stopped, children were playing snowball fights by the roadside, and the snow crunched underfoot.

Approaching the crowd, Li Qianxia, using the height of a modern person, a player's visual and auditory acuity, peered around trying to figure out what was happening.

It turned out to be a wealthy family, setting up booths in front of their home where children could recite a poem about New Year's Eve and receive a handful of sweets, a bag of sunflower seeds, and a Yongle Tongbao coin.

Adults faced higher demands: they had to compose poems, verses, or couplets on the spot, or write a good calligraphy piece. If approved, they would receive a tael of silver, a couplet, and two New Year prints.

"I'm good at this!" Li Qianxia excitedly shook Yang Qinglan's arm.

Yang Qinglan hadn't expected her to have this skill; worthy of being the twin sister of Ming City's top science scholar.

"Are you going to compose a poem, a verse, or write a couplet? Or calligraphy?" she asked.

Li Qianxia was deep in thought, not hearing her speak.

Yang Qinglan didn't disturb her, looked around, and listened to the conversations; adults were giving ideas to the children. A shy child clung to his mother's skirt, too scared to step forward despite his parents' prompts.

A group of scholars was also in deep thought, exactly like Li Qianxia.

"I've got it!" Li Qianxia pushed forward, "Wang Anshi wrote a poem called 'New Year's Day.'"

The sister-in-law quickly grabbed her sister-in-law; had they been a moment later, their family's face would be lost in the Great Ming Dynasty.

"What's wrong?" Li Qianxia looked puzzled.

"Only children are allowed to recite poetry." Yang Qinglan said, her voice a mix of resignation and amusement, speaking softly.

"But I am a child!"

"...You're twenty-one this year. In this era, if things went well, you might already be the mother of three or four children."

Li Qianxia pouted, her delicate little nose snorted lightly, seemingly defiant about the fact that she was not considered a child.

While they were talking, a child broke through the crowd.

Dressed in new clothes, but from the appearance, one could tell he was from a poor family.

"What are you going to recite?" The steward in charge of the booth asked with a smile.

"A poem." the child replied crisply.

"Good, go ahead."

"'New Year's Day,' Song Dynasty, Wang Anshi. 'Firecrackers sound off the old year, spring wind warms and welcomes the Tu Su wine.'"

His voice was youthful and distinct, shaking his head as he recited, almost incredible that he was really back in the Ming Dynasty.

When the child reached the line "Thousands of doors and households," Yang Qinglan smiled and whispered to Li Qianxia, "Look, that's a real child."

"Thousands of doors and households... Thousands of doors and households..." The child paced, clutching his hands tightly together, his whole body tense.

"No one make a sound, prompting doesn't count!" The steward spoke loudly, stopping the adults from causing a disturbance.

"He's far beyond me." Li Qianxia didn't know what she was proud of, then used the 'Voice Transmission' skill that Yang Qinglan had developed from the 'Constricted Spotted Mushroom Style·Illusion Hearing' over the past half month.

"Thousands of doors and households... the radiant sun! Always replace the old charms with new peaches!"

"Well done!" The adults clapped vigorously.

The steward handed out the sweets, sunflower seeds, and a copper coin to the child, as if awarding a prize.

The child grabbed the gifts and ran off, his mouth agape, eager to show off to his friends and family, but someone caught his shoulder on the way.

"Hey." The child looked up and saw a very beautiful, pretty sister.

"I helped you; give me the sweets." Li Qianxia held out her hand, teasing him with a smile.

The child recognized her voice; it was the person who had just helped him.

The child hesitated for a moment, loathe to part with his sweets but not daring to refuse her, he licked the sweet and then, with great reluctance, handed it to Li Qianxia.

"Go on, take it!" Li Qianxia laughed and scolded.

The child bolted, not understanding why she didn't want it, but what did that matter to him?

Children sharing a licked sweet is not uncommon, not just in the ancient times, but even in some modern rural areas.

The reasons are both economic hardship and the fact that children generally don't care much about distance and hygiene.

"This kid, playing that trick with me; I've been playing it for five hundred years later, and every time my brother could only eat my saliva." Li Qianxia boasted to Yang Qinglan.

People's attention gradually shifted from reciting and writing poems to Li Qianxia.

Her black satin-like long hair, beckoning eyes when she smiled, bright red lips, and a red dress set off her delicate face.

She had just used mana ("Ability"), causing the spell that hid her appearance and demeanor to fail.

Yang Qinglan glanced at her, Li Qianxia heard her voice and quickly cast another spell on herself.

At that moment, the crowd suddenly stirred.

"Eh? Where's the candy?"

"The candy flew away!"

The two hastily looked, only to see the candy previously stacked on the paper zooming into the sky one piece at a time.

"An immortal, it must be an immortal!"

"Immortals also come out for a stroll!"

"Bless my parents with a long life of a hundred years, and my wife and daughter with safety all their lives, and my wives and concubines in multitudes."

"You short-lived thief, you dare have wives and concubines, tomorrow I'll play an old monk striking a bell!"

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