After Shen Tan's wedding, it was the middle of winter, and it was not wise to go to the north at this time, so this delay went directly to the beginning of spring.

The biggest news in Kaichun is that Wang Banxi is pregnant.

Not to mention Shen Tan, the entire royal family was immersed in joy, and Shen Qi was also very happy, this was the first eldest grandson of the royal family, and Emperor Wanzhen was happy for several days.

The good news came out less than two months after getting married, which shows that Wang Banxi is deeply favored by Shen Tan.

Contrary to Wang Banxi, after Ji Ningxin started spring, there was news that she was unwell and needed to lie down for a long time, and Ji Fu has been sending people to see Ji Ningxin, but no other problems can be found, as if Ji Ningxin is really sick.

Shen Qi was happy for Wang Banxi, because in this life, Wang Banxi and Shen Tan lived completely different lives.

Wang Banxi was not frail or sick, and even had children, and Shen Tan did not die alone.

As for Ji Ningxin, Shen Qi didn't know, but maybe Tang Zongjiu's words came true, and she didn't need to clean it up.

Originally, the Wu sisters went with them, but because Wang Banxi was pregnant, they were not at ease, so they decided to stay in the imperial capital.

In this way, Shen Qi and the others set off for the north.

Spring in the north is a picture of life that is gradually unfolding.

After a long, bitter winter, the earth seems to have woken up from its slumber and changed into a new green dress.

Sunlight shines through the sparse clouds and onto the vast fields, and the golden glow intertwines with the verdant meadows to create a beautiful picture.

The branches of the trees began to glow with a faint green, and the buds poked their heads out of the bark, looking curiously at the world around them.

The gentle breeze blows through, bringing the freshness of the earth and the seductive fragrance of flowers in the distance, making you feel like you're in a dreamlike wonderland.

It took Shen Qi and his entourage less than a month to arrive at the most prosperous city in the north, Ningbei City.

Unlike the small bridges and flowing water of Chunfeng City in the south, Ningbei City in the north is a magnificent city.

The tall and sturdy walls are like an impregnable barrier, and the texture of the bricks and stones on the walls has been eroded by wind and rain, but they are still as strong as ever.

The streets of the city are wide and straight, paved with bluestone, smooth and solid, lined with shops and banners.

In the north, people on horseback can be seen everywhere, dressed in a variety of costumes and moving from bustling street markets.

The city of Ningbei is surrounded by fertile farmland and orchards, where farmers work hard to grow a variety of grains and fruit trees.

The Gusu family also has some industries in the north, so it is also suitable to prepare a more elegant residence for Shen Qi and his party.

Before Shen Qi left Chunfeng City, he had asked Boss Qin and Boss Ding what the north was like.

What they mentioned the most was that the northerners all spoke with strength.

The so-called speaking with strength is literally speaking with strength, if you want to be the president of the Chamber of Commerce, then you must have the strongest strength to do it, otherwise no one will be convinced even if you are Emperor Wanzhen.

The reason why the north will become a word hall is because of the rules of the northerners' shopping mall, whoever can come out on top in the final annual competition can become the president of the chamber of commerce in the next year, if there is one person who can win every year, then it will be this person every year.

Therefore, several bosses in the south have not been able to gain a foothold in the north, because in terms of the industry in the north, they are indeed inferior to others.

Because the Ding family is in the clothing business, they have the most dealings with the north, after all, the north is rich in cotton.

This time, the Ding family sent the son of Ding Rongda's younger brother, Ding Yuhang, the head of the Ding family, to come together, so as not to be fooled by Shen Qi and the others.

Originally, Ding Rongda seemed to let his son Ding Yuchi come, but he was afraid that his stupid son was not clear in his mind, so he replaced him with a nephew who did things more appropriately.

Ding Yuchi is a tall person, who speaks and does things steadily, and is careful.

Along the way, Shen Qi and the others were introduced to a lot of things about the north.

For example, although all the industries of the chamber of commerce in the north are all Yiyantang, people honestly pay taxes, and the wife is under the supervision of the imperial court, and there is never any emperor of the soil, let alone the idea of rebellion, so Emperor Wanzhen has always been at ease with the north to hand over to the local government.

It's just that how much of this money that should have belonged to the imperial court was swallowed, so it is unknown.

Soon, the group came to the residence arranged by Gusu's family for Shen Qi.

The residences in the north are still named "Tang Mansion".

The entire Tang Mansion is a civil structure, and the tall courtyard walls are made of thick rammed earth, which appears to be strong and durable.

The courtyard walls are covered with blue-gray tiles, arranged neatly, exuding a sense of the vicissitudes of time.

The gate faces south, flanked by tall stone lions, their eyes are round, and they are majestic.

The first thing that catches your eye when you enter the precincts is a spacious courtyard.

The courtyard floor is paved with bluestone slabs, which are flat and smooth. In the middle of the courtyard is a tall plane tree with lush foliage, bringing a touch of coolness to the courtyard.

The courtyard is surrounded by a cloister that connects the various rooms, and the pillars of the cloister are carved with elaborate patterns that show the skill of the craftsmen.

The main house of the house faces north and faces south and is the core of the entire house.

It is tall and spacious, with a roof covered with thick straw, which is warm in winter and cool in summer.

The doors and windows of the main house are carved with exquisite patterns, which looks simple and elegant. The furnishings in the house are simple and practical, the furniture is mainly wood, revealing a natural fragrance, and some calligraphy and paintings are hung on the wall, adding a bit of cultural atmosphere.

On both sides of the main house, there are some partial rooms and side rooms, which are obviously for the people to live in, although they are partial houses, but they are also clean and neatly arranged.

This time in the residence, the patriarch of the Gusu family obviously said that it was an "ordinary residence", Shen Qi really thought it was just an ordinary place, but he didn't expect it to be so "ordinary".

In any case, this is the intention of the Gusu family, and Shen Qi and his party will stay.

After everyone rested, Shen Qi and Tang Zongjiu came to the downtown block to feel the richness of Ningbei City.

At this time, it is time for thousands of homes to turn on the stove and cook.

In the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun casts on the ancient thriving street markets, dyeing the shops, stalls and crowds on both sides of the street a warm gold.

The bluestone pavement on the street is still clean and tidy after a day of trampling, reflecting the light of the setting sun, like a golden ribbon running through the city.

In front of the shops, there are all kinds of lanterns, some of which are delicately painted and some of which are written with auspicious sentences.

As night falls, these lanterns are lit up one by one, emitting a soft and warm glow, adding a touch of mystery and romance to the streets.

The stalls are filled with a wide variety of goods: colorful silks, delicate ceramic ware, fragrant pastries, fresh fruits...... The shouts of the vendors are intertwined with the bargaining of the customers, forming a unique symphony of the market.

At the end of the day's work, the people went out of their homes to the market.

They gather in groups to chat, or wander leisurely between the stalls, looking for their favorite goods.

Children frolicked through the crowd, their laughter and running figures adding a bit of vitality and vitality to the bustling street market.

As night progresses, the lights in the market get brighter and the crowds get denser.

"What day is it? Why are so many people out there? Shen Qi was deeply attracted by this prosperous scene.

"Your Highness, don't you know?" Ding Yuhang asked.

"Today is the second day of the second month of February." Tang Zongjiu reminded on the side.

"Ahh Today is the second day of February! "Shen Qi has been on the road all these days, completely forgetting the time.

At the beginning of February, the second dragon raised its head.

"Dragon" refers to the 28 Nakshatras of the Oriental Canglong Seven Constellations, at the beginning of each year in the middle of the spring moon (Dou refers to the east), the "Dragon Horn Star" rises from the eastern horizon, so it is called "the dragon raises its head".

The people of Xi believed that the dragon was in charge of the rainfall, and the rain determined the harvest of farming, and the harvest of farming determined people's living standards, and the dragon became the most important "totem" of the farming society.

The dragon head festival marks the growth of yang energy, the increase of rain, and the vitality of all things, which is a day to pray for good wind and rain, drive away evil spirits, and accept auspicious transport.

"The dragon head festival in the north, everyone will celebrate outside all day long, and the vendors will not close, and they are all looking forward to the harvest in the coming year." Ding Yuhang was also deeply attracted by this prosperous scene.

At this moment, there was a sudden commotion ahead.

Shen Qi looked over when he heard this, but saw a high platform nearly twenty zhang high not far away, and on the high platform was a golden ball the size of a human head.

The next moment, I heard the sound of a gong striking.

The people on the side ran towards the high platform.

"It's going to be, it's going to be

"That's a golden ball of pure gold! This year, the Chu family's handwriting is still so big. ”

"Such a big gold ball is worth tens of thousands of taels of gold, right?"

"No, I don't know who will win this year."

"It is said that the first family to win the championship at the beginning of the year will be smooth sailing until the end of the year and become the new president of the Chamber of Commerce in the coming year!"

"This golden ball, the Chu family has occupied it for several years, right?"

"It's been three years! The Chu family is full of talents, and I see that this year has to be theirs! ”

"I'm also optimistic about the Chu family, where is the strength of the people, it is stronger than others."

Shen Qi listened to it and glanced at Ding Yuhang.

"This is a tradition of northerners every year, on the dragon head festival, set up a rich reward, and then let the young disciples of each family to compete, generally more than 10,000 taels of things, indicating that there is a lot of money in the coming year, even if it is just passers-by, the powerful can also go up to grab it, you know, northerners speak with strength."

Shen Qi nodded, looking at the golden ball that glowed with golden light in the night.

"Just now, the people said that winning the championship in the first competition every year indicates that they are expected to win the president of the Chamber of Commerce this year?"

"Yes, it's just an allegory, and it doesn't work every time, but the plan of the year lies in spring, and a good omen is a good start." Ding Yuhang explained.

"There are a lot of games in the north?" Shen Qi then asked.

"Of course, northerners like to compete, everything is to talk about the competition, if you win the top spot in all the competitions this year, then even if the big competition at the end of the year is not the first, as long as you are in the top five, you will be the president of the next chamber of commerce."

"I see......" Shen Qi looked at the golden ball, his eyes flickering.

"I'll go." Tang Zongjiu glanced at Shen Qi and said.

"Junge, you understand me too well." Shen Qi smiled with crooked eyebrows, "They like to compete, then we will win them in a dignified manner, and then win the Northern Mall!" ”

"Hmm."

The fierce strength of the northerners also aroused Tang Zongjiu's desire to win.

Men always have some inexplicable desire to win in some strange places.

Compared with the smoky miasma at the beginning of the south, Tang Zongjiu prefers the north.

There's nothing pretentious, just do what you have.

Another burst of "bells, bells, bells, bells".

"Come on, come on, come ——!" A strong voice came from the flat ground next to the high platform.

A big man with a short shirt on his upper body and big pants on his lower body, holding a gong in one hand and a wooden stick in the other, shouted while knocking.

"This year's prize is a golden ball of pure gold! Worth fifty taels of gold! ”

"Shhhh

Everyone gasped, fifty taels of gold, not fifty taels of silver!

At this time, the bottom of the high platform was already full of people, and different families were standing in different places, even wearing different colors of clothes.

In front of each family, there stood a man, both male and female.

Tall, short, fat and thin vary.

"Look! That's the son of the Chen family! ”

"That's Miss Jin! Miss Kim! Miss Kim! Miss Kim! ”

There seemed to be a lot of support for Miss Kim in the crowd, and there was a big craze for a while.

"Ah, Li Gongzi! It's Li Gongzi! ”

"Look, Young Master Chu is here!"

As soon as he heard that someone from the Chu family was coming, the crowd seemed to be lively again.

"Young Master Chu! Young Master Chu! Young Master Chu! ”

Shen Qi had never seen such a scene, and was deeply shocked by this scene of loud voices.

She also truly experienced the northerners' pursuit of "strength".

"Quiet! Be quiet! Be quiet! The big man shouted.

"This year's competition for the dragon is attended by the Chen family, the Jin family, the Li family, the Chu family, the Zhou family, and the Zheng family. Don't miss it when you walk by, anyone can! ”

Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads.

These families are all well-known big families in the north, and these sons and ladies are also the leaders of the younger generation in the north, even if the people in the north are martial, they cannot be the opponents of these people.

The big man looked around, and when he saw that no one raised his hand, he struck the gong.

"Then I declare—"

"Me!"

Shen Qi's loud and crisp voice came from the crowd.

She was dressed in a grass green embroidered lake-colored plum blossom twelve Hunan skirts, and her pretty face was bright and bright with a little powder.

This stunning face made everyone dumbfounded on the spot.

The key is that with a small body like her, is it really okay to compete with those people?

"You?"

Even the big man had questions: "Girl, this is not a joke. ”

Those boys who are ready to play, which one is not strong and sturdy, even the young lady of the Jin family is tall and has inconspicuous but delicate muscles.

On the other hand, Shen Qi, how can this soft and weak appearance be compared with others?

At this time, Tang Zongjiu stepped forward and blocked everyone's eyes from looking at Shen Qi.

As soon as Tang Zongjiu's strange master was like jade, and the appearance of the son's peerless appearance appeared, it immediately attracted the eyes of all the women.

There are many rough men in the north, and it is rare that the son of the Chu family has a chic and dignified figure, and Tang Zongjiu is even more personable.

How can you not be the envy of everyone?

Shen Qi's little face suddenly poked out from behind Tang Zongjiu.

"My husband signed up!"

She spoke delicately, and her soft voice made everyone feel numb.

It's just that when the word "husband" appeared, everyone felt a sense of loss in their hearts.

It turned out to be a husband and wife.

Regarding the matter of Heli, Tang Zong didn't say a word after drinking, and Shen Qi naturally didn't think it existed.

The relationship between the two has not only not been alienated because of this, but has become worse than before.

The strong man glanced at Tang Zongjiu, although Tang Zongjiu was very tall, but his body was one less circle than the others present.

But after all, people are guests, and since they come, they naturally won't favor one over the other.

"What is your surname?" Dahan asked.

"Don't have your surname Tang." Tang Zongjiu said.

"Is Tang Gongzi going to participate in this competition?" Dahan asked again.

"Yes." Tang Zongjiu bowed his head.

"Are you sure?" Dahan paused, "There is a possibility that you will get injured in the game." ”

"Sure." Tang Zongjiu said.

At this time, there were many people on the side who dissuaded him.

"Tang Gongzi, although it is to please his wife, it is really hurt, and it is not worth it."

"Yes, yes, we have a lot of new and interesting things in Ningbei City tonight, the two of you are here to play, right? Anything else can please Madame Zun. ”

"Yes, Tang Gongzi, the sons of the previous families have reached out one by one, the game is very important to them, and they will really get hurt."

"Forget it, Tang Gongzi, Mrs. Zun must be reluctant to let you get hurt."

"yes, forget it."

Tang Zongjiu ignored the words of others, took Shen Qi's hand, and slowly walked towards several teams on the high platform.

When such a golden boy and girl walked into the crowd, everyone couldn't help but get out of the way.

Seeing that the two of them really came over, Dahan was not ambiguous, "Bang-" and said: "The Tang family participates in the competition!" ”

As soon as these words came out, everyone's eyes couldn't help but drift to the Tang family's team of only two people.

Including several men and women who will be participating in the competition.

"Hmph, I can't help myself."

I don't know who sneered.

But this is also the voice of everyone present.

In order to please his wife, it is really not that he will be beaten down for a while, not only will he not be pleased, but he will probably lose face.

After all, there is a lake under the high platform.

It's not a good thing for such a handsome son to become a soup chicken.

"Bang

After three gongs, the strong man said loudly.

"Grab the dragon head on the dragon head festival! It's game on! ”

With an order, everyone in the audience suddenly rushed to the high platform.

Tang Zongjiu is no exception.

Whether you are a master or not, you will know as soon as you make a shot.

Everyone saw that others were thinner than others, but the light exercise method was actually above everyone.

He's a master!

This was the first reaction in the hearts of the people.

At this time, several people who had already jumped to the high platform shot at Tang Zongjiu at the same time!