After lunch, Mu Bingyue took the story she wrote to the Cui Book House.

Cao Shu saw Mu Bingyue at the door, and his excited eyes lit up. Without waiting for Mu Bingyue to approach, he greeted him.

The two began to discuss some specific matters again, and it was dark after a while, but fortunately, when Mu Bingyue left, she told Li that she didn't have to wait for her, so Mu Bingyue was not in a hurry to go back, she had dinner there and stayed until late at night.

Now Mu Bingyue lives alone in the west wing of the main house, the Li family lives in the east room, Shen Xue and Li Tong live in the east wing, and Li'er lives in the west wing by herself.

Mu Bingyue didn't get home until late, she took it easy and went back to the house by herself, she didn't freshen up when she was tired, she fell directly on the bed and fell asleep, but she didn't know that Li waited until she came back to sleep.

After a few days, the number of people going to the tea shop began to increase, one because of the new year, and the other because they all went to listen to the story.

In the New Year, everyone doesn't have much work on hand, and the tea in the teahouse is cheap, so it is full of people every day.

A few days later, Shen Xue heard about it, and only dragged the Li family and them to listen to it, but Mu Bingyue didn't go because she had to rush the manuscript overnight at home.

Extract Book House

Cao Shu took what Mu Bingyue wrote, and looked at it with relish by himself, until he finished reading it, he couldn't put it down, looked at Mu Bingyue who was writing with an eyebrow pencil on the side, his eyebrows were crooked, and he smiled: "I really admire the little girl's master more and more!" It's a shame that we didn't get to see each other! ”

Mu Bingyue put down his pen and said with a smile: "He doesn't like restraint as an old man, he often travels all over the world, and he has seen and heard more, and his thoughts are not bound by the cognition in this world, so it is a little bizarre." ”

Cao Shu listened to the words and said: "It's not just bizarre, it's just incredible! …… After listening to what the storyteller said, those literati felt that they had not heard enough, and after knowing that we had sold it, they all rushed to buy it from us! Even the old man's books that no one cares about, now some people are starting to read them! ”

Mu Bingyue knew that he cherished those books the most, but fortunately, people were not too pedantic, otherwise she would not dare to write those bizarre stories to him.

Mu Bingyue saw Cao Shu turning his arms and wrists from time to time, and knew that he was afraid that he must be busy with her books in the past few days, so he proposed: "There is a scholar on the street who writes letters for others, why don't Grandpa Cao spend money to hire him to write for him." ”

Cao Shu listened and patted his head, "Why didn't the old man think of it?" ”

Mu Bingyue didn't want too many people to know about her business, and instructed: "Grandpa Cao, the family teacher is indifferent and doesn't love fame and fortune, if someone follows the source to find a teacher...... The tutor will definitely annoy me."

Cao Shu was also anxious when he heard this, he had already regarded Mu Bingyue's master as a god, how dare he be offended: "How can that be good?"

Looking at the old man's sincere eyes, Mu Bingyue suppressed the shame in her heart and said: "Grandpa Cao, we just said that we got a box of books by accident, and we don't know the source, I think those who are curious about the books will definitely ask Grandpa Cao, and then we will only do not know, and no one will bother the family teacher." ”

Cao Shu listened and nodded: "But you can't let people bother Mr." But there is still regret in the words.

Mu Bingyue didn't know what to do, and was busy diverting the topic, "Grandpa Cao, you can hire someone to make lanterns." ”

Cao Shu then turned back to his mind and discussed with Mu Bingyue.

On the fifteenth night of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival.

A bright moon hung in the sky, sparsely dotted with jewel-like stars.

The tea shops in the commercial street have gradually listed lanterns for sale.

All kinds of lanterns have already been lit, illuminating the streets of Huaixian County as bright as day.

Some are painted with figures, some are painted with flowers and plants, some are painted with birds and beasts, KitKat has mica screens, crystal curtains, ten thousand eyes, and more luxurious such as filament, fish carp, colored beads, bright corners, carved sheepskin, tassel treasure belt; There are so many items that it is difficult to enumerate.

Everyone went out to see the lanterns, and Mu Bingyue was also pulled out by her family.

Shen Xue admired while watching, her eyes lit up, and she pulled Mu Bingyue and Li'er to walk without stopping.

A lion dance team danced over, the crowd surged, Shen Xue was afraid of being separated, and dragged Mu Bingyue and the others tightly.

After finally rounding out with the Li family, Shen Xue heard that someone would give a bounty if she guessed the lantern riddle correctly, so she pulled Mu Bingyue and ran forward without saying a word, and she didn't even watch her favorite lion dance.

Home is so close, Li is not afraid that a few people will be lost, so he did not follow.

Shen Xue pulled Mu Bingyue and the others, and squeezed to the front of the crowd in three or two clicks.

I saw two flagpoles erected in front of the door of the Cuishu House, two ropes were pulled in the middle, and about thirty yarn lanterns inlaid with silk yarn were hung on the ropes below, and ten exotic filament lamps, that is, glass lamps, were hung on the ropes above. There is also a wheel in the open space next to it, with ten grids, each of which has something of value written on it.

Cao Shu saw Mu Bingyue in the crowd, nodded with a smile, and when he saw that the people around him were almost there, he clapped his hands and said after calming down: "Little Lao'er is here to wish you all a prosperous New Year and all the best." ”

Everyone also bowed their hands to Cao Shu.

Cao Shu continued with a smile: "Today is the Lantern Festival, and Wencui Bookstore is also here to join in the excitement and meet friends with literature. Here I will first tell you the rules, these 30 lantern riddles with yarn lanterns have a reward for those who answer correctly. There are ten riddles of glass lamps on it, and anyone who has three correct answers can be drawn once. After speaking, he pointed to the wheel of wealth, and everyone looked at it and saw that it was written with some valuable things, and the cheapest one was more than a dozen dollars, and a tael of silver was written on it, and they couldn't help but be speechless.

Cao Shu paused and continued: "There will be a palace lamp carved from red wood later, if anyone answers correctly, not only can they take away the palace lamp, but they can also get ten taels of silver." ”

As soon as people heard this, the atmosphere suddenly boiled, and they were eager to try.

"Everyone can rest assured that they are all homely things, and it will not be too difficult." Cao Shu saw that everyone's appetite had been aroused, and he didn't delay any longer: "I won't say more, let's go to the first level first, and the limit is ten gongs." The rules of the second level will be explained in detail to you later, and you can receive the reward after the end. ”

Xiao Liuzi received the signal, picked up a gauze lamp, and turned around on the sidelines, while the newly hired scholar read: "The mouth is sharp, the belly is big, and the ears are high, so you can avoid hunger and cold." The amount is too small to accommodate large things, and two or three inches of water make waves. ”

When everyone heard this, they began to meditate, and they couldn't think of it for a long time, so they looked at others.

Shen Xue pulled Mu Bingyue's sleeve, turned her head and said, "Miss, what is it?" ”

How could Mu Bingyue dismantle her own platform, she just said that she didn't know.

At this time, ten gongs had passed, and Cao Shu stepped forward and smiled: "It's a teapot." ”

There was a voice of sudden realization from the audience, and Shen Xue also sighed, saying why she was so stupid.

Cao Shu saw that the voice in the audience was quieter, and motioned for Xiao Liuzi to take down a lamp.

The scholar said loudly: "There is a face without a mouth, there are feet without hands, although there are four legs, I can't walk." ”

There was a discussion from the audience, "How can there be feet without hands, and feet can't walk on their own?" ……”

When the time came, Cao Shu saw that no one answered, so he smiled and revealed the answer: "It's the table." ”

There was a sudden sound of realization from the crowd again, and Shen Xue also hit her head.

Everyone couldn't help but wait with bated breath for the next fascination.

"The third mystery is that there are roots that do not stick to the mud, and there are leaves that do not bloom; Drifting east and west, never going home. ”

As soon as the voice fell, a handsome man in green clothes replied, "duckweed", it seems that he has found a way.

Cao Shu smiled, "Childe is right." ”

"The fourth question, I can't hold it with my hands, I can't split it with a knife, I have to be invited to cook and do laundry."

There was silence all around, people looked at me and I looked at you, and the last person hesitated: "Is it a tree?" “

Cao Shu shook his head, and at this time he had struck the gong seven times, and the man guessed again: "I know, it's the pot." ”

Cao Shu smiled and shook his head again, the man didn't say anything more, Cao Shu saw that the time was up, and said, "It's water." ”

The man also patted his head, and the people around him didn't laugh at him when they saw it.

"The fifth mystery comes from the water, and I am afraid of the water, and when I wash it with water, I will disappear without a trace."

"It's salt," the boatman thought about it, and quickly concluded.

Cao Shu said: "That's right, it's salt." ”

It seems that everyone is in a state of flux.

"The sixth fan, the dragon lies cross-legged in winter, and there are many branches and leaves in summer; The dragon's whiskers grow upwards, and pearls grow downwards. ”

A group of people were chattering and chattering, but in the end, no one guessed.

Cao Shu revealed: "It's grapes." ”

Everyone sighed again, as if they were blaming themselves for not thinking of it!

"The seventh fan, wood is made of railings and bamboo is made of heart, there are millions of soldiers hidden in the house, and one day the notice will arrive, so that the five fingers are busy with the soldiers."

When everyone heard this, they complained that it was too difficult, and when they saw that the time was up, one of them said loudly: "Give me some hints!" Everyone in the audience agreed.

It was to entertain the public, and Cao Shu was not embarrassed, and said: "Mr. Bookkeeper will often use it." ”

One of them exclaimed, "It's an abacus." ”

Cao Shu nodded, and the people in the audience also looked at the man with a smile, and the man arched his hand to the surroundings embarrassedly.

"The eighth fan, there are red and green are not flowers, there are branches and leaves are not trees, colorful dwelling in the water, it is an animal under the sea."

"It's coral."

Everyone saw that it was the man in Tsing Yi who had answered a question correctly just now, and everyone secretly praised him when they saw that his face was handsome and extraordinary. Someone has already recognized that it is the eldest son of Wang Yuanwai's family.

Cao Shu smiled and nodded, "But it's coral." ”

"The ninth fan, a single-timber high-rise building, no tiles and no bricks, people walk underwater, and water flows above people."

It became more and more difficult for everyone to get lost in the straight way, and they all asked Cao Shu to give another hint, and before Cao Shu could speak, a beautiful girl who was about fifteen or sixteen years old like a hibiscus out of the water said: "But an umbrella? ”

The voice was clear and lovely, and everyone looked at her and praised her when they saw her eyebrows and eyes.

When the daughter saw everyone looking at her, she couldn't help but be ashamed, and the blushing Shuangxia added a bit of luster to it.

Cao Shu smiled: "Miss is right. ”

"The tenth fan, the gentleman in the flowers is bright and fragrant, the beauty of the empty valley is famous, and the demeanor is admirable, even if no one is self-flattering."

The boy in Tsing Yi thought for a moment and replied, "It's an orchid." ”

Everyone saw that he answered the three questions correctly, and they all praised the son in blue, and the people next to him praised the prince one after another, pouting their lips with disdain, so that they raised their spirits and waited for the next question.