In the pavilion in the courtyard, the waiters of the palace family are shuttling back and forth, placing many food plates and melon and fruit drinks on several long tables, and the host has prepared a sumptuous buffet for tonight's guests, and some pastries brought by the guests are also sent here and placed out for everyone to eat.

After a while, the waiters were ready, and a middle-aged man in a black kimono with a white scarf on his head walked to the bottom of the steps of the corridor of the central hall, where a large drum had already been set up. I saw him pick up the mallet and hit the drum three times with great force, "Knock, knock, knock". This is the official start of tonight's event. The visitors in the courtyard fell silent, and everyone gathered in front of the steps of the atrium.

An elderly man with white eyebrows, a respected elder in the neighborhood named Akira Aimoto, who ran a tavern in the area, got up and walked to the steps. He cleared his throat, "Everyone's worked hard! What a beautiful night tonight, this is a festival for young people, but I can't help but let me, an old man, speak! ”

The crowd burst into light-hearted laughter.

Akira Aimoto continued: "I really want to thank the Miyai family for bringing this beautiful party to the neighbors every year on Tanabata, and I know that there are many young couples who make love here every year, what a happy thing! Shouldn't we thank the host who sent out the invitation, even though I think of the beautiful moments of our youth? ”

"Thank you!" "Thank you, Miyai!" "Thank you, Miss Masami!" Everyone agreed.

On the stage, Masami Miyai stood up and bowed to everyone.

"According to the custom, every year at the Tanabata party, we hold a cooking contest and a lantern riddle game with prizes. It is hoped that through such gatherings, young people today will not forget the virtue of hard work of their predecessors. Tonight, the Miyai family has prepared a sumptuous dinner for us, and Ms. Miyai has prepared pastries for everyone to taste, and I have also brought you the best wine in the store, so please feel free to enjoy it now! ”

Amid the warm cheers and applause of the crowd, the waiters in the garden lit the fireworks, "Bang! Boom! Bang! Syllable! Beautiful flowers roared and bloomed to light up the night sky, and young people applauded and looked up excitedly.

Under the personal guidance of Masami Miyai, the elders on the stage first walked to the pavilion and took some pastries and drinks on the dining table. After the elders have eaten their food, the young people begin to enjoy the dinner freely. The Miyaai family arranged for many waiters to walk through the garden, holding wine trays in their hands, and visitors could feel free to take a glass of wine in the hands of the waiters, or they could hand back the used plates to the waiters.

Fang Ming and the others also came to the pavilion, the table was full of all kinds of food boxes, there were all kinds of pastries, there were pastries, hair cakes, corn tortillas, peach crisps, pine nut cakes, grilled sausages, ham, there were also some simple sushi rolls, rice balls and fried rice, and some fruits, there were red lings, white lotus root slices, lotus pods, watermelon slices, peaches, apple slices, and then there was a steaming cauldron next to it, there were many dumplings boiling in it, and the waiter put the boiled dumplings out and put them in a large plate for people to eat. The waiter next to him handed over the plate, and Fang Ming and the others also took some food at random.

Zheng Yuanji and Dandan walked to a stone bench and sat down, next to a cluster of green bamboos, with a lot of golden cardboard tied to the bamboo branches. Dandan looked at a few photos, and Zheng Yuanji asked, "What is written on it?" ”

Some words of blessing are written, and some are written about some wishes. It turns out that the Tanabata Festival in Japan is similar to the customs in our hometown, which is really interesting. ”

"Where is your hometown?"

"I'm from Shandong, but I haven't been back for a long time because I'm busy with work. Today's holiday, I am reminded of the scene when I was still in college, and I spent the Qixi Festival with my sisters during the summer vacation. ”

"How do you celebrate the Qixi Festival?"

"There is no such a big gathering in our hometown, but some good sisters in the neighborhood get together, and everyone will do needlework, embroidery, weaving and so on together during the day to see whose craftsmanship is good. You also have to steam steamed buns, steamed dumplings, those steamed buns should be made into various animal shapes, and the top is red, which is fun. In the evening, we have to follow our mother and mother-in-law to make incense and make wishes, which is also a very lively festival. ”

"Worship what? What do you wish for? ”

"Worship the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. The Weaver Girl's female worker is the best, we hope that we can be as ingenious as the Weaver Girl, girls, do a good job of needlework in order to marry a good family in the future! Hehe. ”

"You don't have to do needlework, you can already marry the best guy now!" Zheng Yuanji put his arm around Dandan's shoulders and said.

"Humph! A girl like me works all day and has no time to fall in love, her hands and feet are rude, sometimes she is as fierce as a tigress, and she will beat people, and boys are afraid of me, who will she marry? ”

"Knowingly asked! Marry me! I think you're very gentle, not fierce at all. Even if you beat me, you're happy! But I know you can't beat me up, hehe. ”

Dandan didn't speak, looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to him, and then raised his eyes to look at Zheng Yuanji's eyes, wanting to see his truth from his eyes. Zheng Yuanji's attitude towards her in the past few days, of course she understood, he was gentle and flattering to him in every way, but he never had other ideas, because Zheng Yuanji was a rich child, he was a soldier, and the two people who were completely unrelated to each other were only together because of the task this time, just to make a show. Although it seems that Zheng Yuanji is really good to himself, he has also experienced romance and tenderness that he has never experienced in the past few days, which is a temptation and satisfaction that all women can't resist, but who knows that this is not a game that Brother Gongzi is used to? Therefore, I never dared to take it seriously in my heart.

Dandan shook his head slightly and said, "You tell me such a thing, I know you have to behave like this, but I am still very happy to hear it, thank you, don't think about it too much, I won't take it seriously." ”

"You misunderstood me, I'm not acting, I'm telling the truth. I volunteered to participate in the mission, just to be with you. ”

Dandan was afraid that Zheng Yuanji would be heard if he said that he had leaked his mouth, so he quickly stretched out his index finger to block his mouth. Glancing around, there was no one. She approached Zheng Yuanji's ear and whispered, "Don't talk nonsense, be careful that I beat you!" After saying this, I couldn't help but laugh. In the eyes of others, these two are completely lovers flirting with each other.

Zheng Yuanji took advantage of the situation to hug Dandan tighter, and whispered: "I'm serious about you, I'm really in love with you!" From the first time I saw you in the square, it was love at first sight, and my heart has long belonged to you. ”

"We're not the same kind of people, we won't be together, and we'll be separated when we go back."

"Okay, I'll not say it yet. I'll prove it to you. After speaking, he leaned forward and kissed Dandan on the cheek. Dandan's face flushed, and she smiled and leaned on his shoulder, twisting his hand his thigh. said: "Don't want to live anymore? Dare to eat my tofu? ”

Zheng Yuan opened his mouth wide in pain and didn't dare to make a sound, and hurriedly begged for mercy, "I was wrong, let me go." Hey? What are they doing? ”

Dandan let go of him and said with a smile: "Now you know that I am fierce, right?" Don't try to distract me. After speaking, he still glanced at the direction of Zheng Yuanji's finger, "Oh, really! They're setting up incense. It seems that there is also a ritual to worship the Weaver Girl! It's so interesting! Let's go, let's take a look. ”

As he spoke, he reached out and took Zheng Yuanji's hand and walked towards the middle of the garden. She twisted Zheng Yuanji just now, and now she also wants to take the initiative to make up for it.

In front of the magpie bridge in the garden, the waiter has already set up an incense table. The incense burner is surrounded by offerings to the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, including tea, wine, fresh fruits, longan, red dates, hazelnuts, peanuts, melon seeds and flowers.

The drummer first struck three times on the side of the drum with a mallet and then struck it on the drum surface, "Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang". The beating of drums announces the start of the ceremony.