Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

The group, after finishing the remaining dumplings, felt even hungrier. After all, Li Xingzhi's dumplings, with their many toppings and dipping sauce, were truly mouthwatering! They hadn't felt anything special before eating them, but after finishing them, their cravings were insatiable.

At Li Xingzhi's urging, a group of people rushed over to make dumplings. The little girl even got her face covered in white ash, which was a rare source of amusement for them. Even the rather dignified middle-aged man next to them joined in, and the atmosphere in the temple instantly became harmonious and lively.

However, with so many people, the dumplings they made were all oddly shaped. Only the woman and her maids made them nicer. Little Dog Egg had some experience and made them quite decently. Of course, they couldn't make dumplings as plump, beautiful, and cute as Li Xingzhi's crescent shapes.

Two more large pots were cooked before everyone was full. Only the middle-aged man and the beautiful young woman restrained themselves a little, but they weren't much better off. As for the armored soldiers and their servants, they all had protruding bellies and were burping, which made the dignified middle-aged man frown.

However, Li Xingzhi's goal was finally achieved. Nearby, the little dog Egg was playing with the little girl, teasing Little Gold. The little mouse, already white, was now covered in flour, jumping around on the little girl and occasionally making funny faces, making the girl giggle like a silver bell, like a cute little elf. Seeing the little girl's delighted expression, Cui Zhiwen and his wife didn't stop them, but simply watched from the sidelines. Mrs. Cui's face was full of loving kindness and gentleness!

After the meal, Li Xingzhi brought out a large basin of tangerines, oranges, green olives, and other fruits from who-knows-where. The tangerines had a yellowish-green peel, the oranges were the size of a man's fist and had a bright orange color, and the other fruits were all of the highest quality. The auspicious and festive meaning of the fruits was self-evident.

There was another small bowl filled with rice cakes skewered with bamboo sticks, just right for grilling. Wang Xiucai and Xiao Gou Dan were already used to Li Xingzhi's elusive appearances, and although the others felt something was strange, they couldn't figure out what it was, so they kept their questions to themselves.

Everyone took a large orange. After all, they had never seen such big and beautiful oranges before. Even Cui Zhiwen couldn't help but take one and play with it in his hand. The little girl was already impatient for her mother to cut it open and eat it. With a slender finger, the orange was cut open, and the orange juice splashed out. A fresh and fruity aroma also wafted out, making everyone who was already full look forward to it.

Li Xingzhi, meanwhile, slowly roasted a rice cake by the fire until the outer layer was golden brown and the inside puffed up. He then gently bit into it, slowly pulling it apart. The outer layer was crispy, while the glutinous inside stretched out, releasing a fragrant aroma of sticky rice. Seeing this, the people around him no longer held back, playing with the exotic fruit in one hand while roasting rice cakes in the other.

At this time, the atmosphere inside the temple became lively. Li Xingzhi placed three tiger skins next to the fire. Li Xingzhi, Wang Xiucai, and Xiao Gou Dan sat on one of the skins. The other two skins were occupied by the woman, the dignified middle-aged man, and the little girl, respectively. Behind them were the steward and two maids. As for the others, they sat further away, and another fire was lit, with them sitting around it.

After talking, Li Xingzhi learned that the middle-aged man in front of him was named Cui Zhiwen. He was on his way to take up his post as magistrate of Changsha County. He encountered heavy snow on the way and took shelter in this temple. The woman was his wife, Zheng, and the girl next to her was their daughter.

Cui Zhixing didn't know much about Li Xingzhi and the other two, and Li Xingzhi didn't mention them much either. However, he noticed that although their temperament and speech were quite different from others, they were open-minded and had the air of a magnanimous person, unlike bad people. Of course, if he had met the previous scholar Wang, he wouldn't have thought so.

Inside the temple, flames roared and the atmosphere was lively; even the cold wind and snow couldn't extinguish the heat. Several servants had already cleared a large open space in front of the temple and lit a fire. According to Tang Dynasty customs, this was called "courtyard flaming." If it were in a courtyard, the flames would soar into the sky, illuminating the street. People gathered bamboo poles that had been prepared beforehand and placed them section by section into the fire. The hollow bamboo sections crackled and popped as they burned, occasionally releasing golden-red sparks, creating a festive sight—this was the Tang Dynasty's equivalent of "firecrackers."

Although it wasn't as grand as in later generations, it had a more lively atmosphere and became much more bustling. The little dog Egg and the cute little girl each took a small bamboo stick to burn, laughing and joking from time to time, which was quite childlike.

Before the firecrackers had even finished burning, several miles away, Changsha was ablaze with lights, and bells and drums resounded, marking the passing of the old year and the welcoming of the new!

The raging fire shot straight into the sky, the heat waves surged, and the flames made people's faces turn red. Coupled with the constant crackling of firecrackers, it was truly a lively and festive occasion!

Hearing the sounds of bells and drums resounding from the city, everyone stood up. Children bowed to their elders, and servants kowtowed to their masters, saying auspicious words such as "May your blessings extend into the new day, and your longevity be boundless" or "May your blessings and happiness begin anew, and may your long life be prolonged."

Li Xingzhi followed local customs and bowed to Magistrate Zhang and Scholar Wang, treating them as elders.

Meanwhile, the little dog Egg followed the little girl, bowing and paying respects here and there. Magistrate Cui presented the little dog Egg with a thick copy of the Spring and Autumn Annals. In ancient times, giving a book was considered a significant gift, reflecting his appreciation for the little dog Egg's intelligence and treating him as a junior.

Li Xingzhi thought for a moment, then pulled out a small jade cicada from somewhere and gave it to the little girl. The little girl touched it; the jade was lustrous and smooth, and although it wasn't very clear in the night, she liked it very much.

After the firecrackers were finished, Li Xingzhi brought out several large, square tubes from behind the door. Although no one knew what they were, the armored soldiers beside him, at Magistrate Cui's instruction, helped to move them. Although these things were large, they were not heavy, and the dozen or so were quickly moved by Li Xingzhi and his men to a place some distance away from the temple gate.

Li Xingzhi found the fuses one by one, then gave each of the armored soldiers and servants who were carrying things a stick of incense. At Li Xingzhi's command, everyone lit the fuses together.

Having received Li Xingzhi's prior instructions, although no one understood why, they all ran back together after lighting the fire. They had only run about ten meters when several thunderous booms echoed, and even those servants who were somewhat prepared were terrified, their faces turning pale.

The two little figures, reminded by Li Xingzhi, had already covered their ears. Several points of light shot out from the square bamboo tubes, instantly reaching the sky, exploding into golden, silver, red, and blue fireworks. The crowd in front of the temple gasped in astonishment. Even the usually composed Zhang Zhiwen stared wide-eyed at the sky, while some servants knelt on the ground, crying out for divine intervention!

Li Xingzhi was unaware that this commotion had caused an uproar throughout Changsha, with all sorts of rumors and gossip circulating.

However, he couldn't care less about such things, after all, this was his first New Year in the Tang Dynasty. A year had passed in the blink of an eye, and reflecting on yesterday's events was like looking at flowers through a fog. Gazing at the dazzling fireworks in the sky, he couldn't help but wonder: Was it Zhuangzi dreaming of being a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of being Zhuangzi?

Li Xingzhi looked up at the sky, and he could still vaguely see his parents' smiles. The friends he had shared drinks with were still there yesterday, but he had already arrived in another world. He didn't know if he had returned to a thousand years ago or arrived in another world that was moving forward.

"Being a stranger alone in a foreign land, thinking about family every holiday season."

The crowd stared at the colorful fireworks in the sky, speechless for a long time, some in amazement, others like Li Xingzhi, seeing something else in the dazzling flames.

Perhaps only two children can enjoy the beauty and purity of it all!

Back at the temple, the crowd remained bewildered, looking at Li Xingzhi with a mixture of surprise and fear. Li Xingzhi, however, didn't bother to explain. Gunpowder was already in use during the Sui and Tang dynasties; he had simply invented fireworks ahead of time, which was nothing special.

Back by the fire, everyone remained silent. The only sounds in the temple were the crackling of the firewood. After a while, whispers could be heard again. No one dared to speak loudly, as if afraid of disturbing something. Only Wang Xiucai remained silent, while the two children, who had been excited, were already drowsy.

Since it was New Year's Eve and they still had to stay up all night, Li Xingzhi looked at the people who were too full and sleepy, so he took out a packet of tea leaves, poured them into a large pot, and brewed a large pot of tea.

The popularity of tea drinking in the Tang Dynasty only began after Lu Yu wrote "The Classic of Tea." At that time, tea was merely a medicinal ingredient. Aside from some aristocratic families and temples in the south, few people drank tea, let alone those from the north. However, the people in the temple weren't at all surprised by Li Xingzhi's tea-making; they no longer considered him an ordinary person. But judging from their slightly furrowed brows, they were clearly not used to it.

After drinking the tea, everyone felt much more energetic. Some went about their business, while others chatted idly. Li Xingzhi simply sipped the aroma of the tea, sat silently by the fire, lost in thought...