Chapter 1757 – Daily Life at the Lantern Festival
“Why are you dressed so plainly today?”
Feng Gui stepped out and noticed his wife’s makeup was rather understated, which seemed out of place.
In Xiangyang, the atmosphere was very open; women’s makeup was typically bright and vibrant. In recent years, the dyeing techniques had improved tremendously, and vivid reds and purples were no longer just for those with family wealth. Walking down the street, women’s clothes were a riot of colors.
Among the shops under the Feng family, those catering to women and children were the most profitable.
Feng Gui wasn’t an outdated man; if the trend was for brighter styles, he certainly wouldn’t stop his wife from pursuing fashion.
However, since she married him, she had always been cautious, opting for understated and slightly aged jewelry and attire.
It was fine on regular days, but today, with such festivities outside, she should dress more cheerfully.
Feng Gui even had people deliver plenty of fabric, jewelry, and cosmetics to his wife, but she stubbornly stayed in the room, refusing to make an appearance.
His wife smiled and said, “Dressing too flamboyantly isn’t good; I’m worried about attracting gossip.”
Feng Gui replied, “What gossip could there be?”
His wife chuckled without saying anything more, and then Feng Gui frowned, recalling that both of them were on their second marriages.
Though Feng Gui was the clan leader of the Feng family, in this chaotic era, it seemed they had positioned themselves well. Not to mention moving upward, maintaining their previous glory was still manageable. Yet, he had legitimate sons, and it wasn’t a case of a deceased wife but rather a divorced one. His legitimate son’s mother was still alive, making his situation less desirable in the noble marriage market, despite the family prestige.
High-ranking families would hardly consider marrying their legitimate daughters to him; no matter how clean Feng Gui’s reputation was and with no concubines in his household, his personal circumstances weren’t ideal. His daughter would merely become a mother of two children, and should they have a legitimate son later, it would only make her a third son, which would be quite disadvantageous.
Lower-class families wanted to achieve this kind of elevation, but the standards set by the Feng matriarch were too high for them to meet.
In the end, after much deliberation, the Feng matriarch had worried herself to greyness, and just when Feng Gui thought about remaining single, they unexpectedly found a suitable match.
This candidate wasn’t bad; he had a distinguished family background, a father who was a scholar, and a mother from a prominent lineage. At fifteen, he was engaged to a talented young scion from the gentry. Oh, and Feng Gui actually knew that talented young man; they had some past connections, and when the young man married, Feng Gui even sent a congratulatory gift.
Too bad this guy was a short-lived fellow; he got married and, less than a month in, thought about gallivanting. While racing, he got thrown off his horse and trampled.
Leaving behind a beautiful widow who had never given birth, she had to return to her family out of pressure from rumors about her “killing her husband.” Feng Gui attended that talented young man’s funeral, reflecting on it for several days, only to find out a few years later he had married that widow.
Anyway, Feng Gui truly liked his current wife, especially when compared to his first one.
“What’s there to fear about gossip? Do you expect them to come over and chew you out?” Feng Gui said. “Didn’t the household just send out a batch of winter clothes? That whole canary yellow outfit looks nice, and I remember they made two new sets of headpieces?”
After all, she was the Feng matriarch; her wealth couldn’t just be dismissed with the phrase “family has mines.” She shouldn’t dress as poorly as a small household.
His wife looked at Feng Gui with some resignation.
In the end, she couldn’t resist and went back to change into a new outfit, also adjusting her makeup.
One couldn’t deny, the fresh colors paired with bold makeup created an unexpected visual impact, making her the center of attention the moment she stood there.
While waiting for his wife, Feng Gui played cards with their two legitimate sons.
He had to complain about Lan Ting and Jiang Pengji for bringing too many entertaining gadgets.
Wasn’t she supposed to be off fighting? How did she find time for these trivialities?
Feng Gui’s wife had probably been a widow for too long, and it was a little hard for her to adapt to such vibrant colors, especially with people watching her.
However, when she saw women on the street dressed even more flamboyantly than she was, her tension began to fade.
The New Year Lantern Festival was held in the largest commercial district of Xiangyang County, and during this time, every household hung red lanterns outside, with bright street lamps illuminating the night and crowds milling about. Besides the usual activities like riddle guessing and lantern painting, there were also all sorts of new entertainment projects, such as the official theater company setting up a stage for performances, mostly popular and festive plays, all accessible with cheap tickets.
Of course, the Lantern Festival also featured plenty of food and drink. Under the leadership of the somewhat unreliable lord Jiang Pengji, Xiangyang County was incredibly enthusiastic about culinary innovation. While there were some questionable dishes, most were quite tasty and easy to make, perfect for roadside stalls.
Just how captivating was the Lantern Festival?
As Feng Gui walked along, he spotted many familiar faces—those who were the most critical of Jiang Pengji, with one person having argued just yesterday that she placed too much emphasis on commerce, losing sight of what was important; however, their words didn’t match their actions, as their bodies were quite honest.
Feng Gui greeted them from a distance, and they responded with an awkward yet polite smile.
Even the nobility would come out to join the festivities, not to mention the common folk.
Feng Gui didn’t mimic the common people by eating as he walked, but he did buy quite a few snacks and found a nearby elegant room to enjoy them slowly.
“Uncle! Aunt!”
As Feng Gui entered the establishment with his wife and servant, he heard Changsheng calling.
Turning around, he saw Changsheng standing next to their second brother Feng Jin, along with Feng Yi, who bore a painful expression, and several other young men and women, whose appearances ranged from familiar to unfamiliar. Judging by their demeanor, they likely weren’t commoners but friends from the academy.
Changsheng whispered something to the others and brought Feng Yi over to pay his respects.
“Where are your two brothers?”
Feng Gui replied, “They’re older now; they shouldn’t be constrained. They accepted a friend’s invitation to go out and have fun.”
Though his two sons had been swayed by their late mother, Feng Gui kept them close and raised them himself, eventually sending them to Golden Scales Academy for proper training. He was relieved to see that their childhood shadows seemed to have faded. Now, when they stepped out, they truly looked like proper Feng family scions. He had even heard that they had stayed up late studying for their graduation assessments; he felt quite gratified.
Balancing work and play was the way forward.
Having studied hard recently, it was only reasonable for them to get out and socialize a bit during the holiday. Of course, the real reason was that Feng Gui thought his wife was still young, and if he took the sons out with him, people might mistake it as an old father taking his daughters-in-law out:з
“I heard Brother Rongli say that your two brothers have been terribly tired lately. Uncle, you should encourage them, so they don’t push themselves too hard.”
Feng Gui’s sons’ talents could only be described as average, and they were also the oldest among their peers, naturally facing a lot of pressure.
If they got held back a year, how would that reflect on the Feng family’s honor?
Feng Gui nodded in agreement.
The Feng family tradition has always been strict in childhood and loose in adulthood.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have ended up with such a strange character like Feng Jue.
His sons… he really should pay them more attention.
After chatting briefly, Feng Gui decided to let Changsheng play on his own. With an elder around, the young ones wouldn’t enjoy themselves fully.
Today was a day perfect for running into acquaintances.
Just as Feng Gui had been complaining about his third brother Feng Jue, he spotted him as soon as he ascended the stairs.
Feng Jue was engaged in a fierce stare-off with Feng Jin.
The three Feng brothers were gathered together for the first time in years.
