Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

In the Tang Dynasty, people called the first day of the new year "Yuanri".

Before dawn, Li Xingzhi had already prepared new clothes for Little Dog Egg. In later generations, there was also the custom of wearing new clothes for the New Year, but in cities, such customs were no longer so prevalent.

In the Tang Dynasty, these 'new clothes' were much more elaborate.

Li Xingzhi also followed local customs—starting from the inside, he wore a close-fitting silk undergarment, and on the outside, a white fox fur top and bottom, with the fur side facing outwards.

But that's not all. Wearing it like that in public would be against etiquette; the fluffy mess might make someone mistake it for a savage! Therefore, a brightly colored silk outer garment, called a "xi" in the Tang Dynasty, was added. Wearing this, one would instantly look like a wealthy young gentleman!

Over there, the little girl from the Cui family was already dressed in beautiful clothes, her face rosy and quite adorable. A handsome little boy with rosy lips and white teeth, and a lovely little girl with fair skin—the two standing together were truly a perfect couple! Even Madam Cui nodded repeatedly in admiration.

Little Dog Egg, dressed warmly, happily walked out with Miss Cui. By then, it was already dawn, and only the two children had just woken up. Little Dog Egg reached the temple gate; the bonfire in front of the temple had long since gone out, even the last wisps of ashes had been swept away by the wind. On either side of the temple gate, Li Xingzhi had pasted a pair of Spring Festival couplets—

First line: Five blessings ward off three calamities

Second line: May countless calamities be buried throughout eternity.

Li Xingzhi's couplet was written in regular script. Although it wasn't particularly beautiful, it already showed the style of a family even before Yan Zhenqing was born!

Those who lack a deep understanding of calligraphy might find the characters rather unremarkable, their turns and twists appearing rather stiff. However, to someone like Cui Zhiwen, who is fond of calligraphy and has achieved some skill, the style and spirit of a master could be discerned! He couldn't help but exclaim, "Excellent!"

The little dog and the little girl looked at the Spring Festival couplets with great curiosity. There were no door gods at this time; Qin Qiong was still alive and well. Two red peachwood charms hung on either side of the temple gate, one inscribed with "Shen Tu" and the other with "Yu Lei," said to have the power to ward off evil. Apart from the couplets, everything else was arranged by Li Xingzhi after specifically consulting with Wang Xiucai.

After all the traditional New Year's Day preparations are completed on the morning of the festival, people exchange prayers, enter the temple gate, light a large fire, and then begin their meal.

The special drinks for New Year's Day mainly include "Tusu wine" and "Jiaobai wine". "Tusu" is a medicine made from a variety of medicinal materials such as asarum and dried ginger. People soak this medicine in well water and then draw water to drink on this day; some people also use this medicine to make medicinal wine.

As for "Pepper and Cypress Wine," its name suggests it's wine infused with Sichuan peppercorns and cypress leaves. It's said that drinking this wine can ward off poisons and evil spirits, and prolong life. Of course, the Zhang family didn't have any of these items, nor did Li Xingzhi, but they were available in the system shop!

When the wine was served, Little Dog Egg and Cui's little girl drank first, and then Li Xingzhi picked up his wine glass, smelled the spicy and strange aroma, frowned, and drank it down in one gulp.

There's a rule about drinking this wine: the children have to drink first. The saying goes, "The young gain a year, so they drink first to celebrate; the old lose a year, so they drink last." This means that children drink to celebrate growing a year older, and older people drink to celebrate growing a year older.

Then, servants from the Cui family brought out the "Five Spicy Dishes Platter" that Li Xingzhi had prepared earlier.

What is the "Five Spicy Dishes Platter"? On the delicate, milky-white porcelain plate, garlic, shallots, chives, rapeseed, and coriander are arranged, their white and green colors reflected in the plate, which is very beautiful. However, the pungent and spicy smell makes people hesitate to eat it!

When Wang Xiucai mentioned "yuntai" and "husui," Li Xingzhi was puzzled for a long time before he finally understood that they were rapeseed and cilantro, respectively. Although Li Xingzhi wasn't used to calling them that, that's what the people of the Tang Dynasty called them, so he simply went with the flow.

The Tang people ate the "Five Spicy Dishes" to dispel stagnant energy in the five internal organs and prevent epidemics. Li Xingzhi could only endure the spiciness and obediently ate it. The two children next to him frowned deeply, but they still ate quite a lot.

After finishing the "Five Spicy Dishes," the next dish is "Jiaoya Tang" (a type of sweet syrup).

'饧' means sugar cubes. 'Jiaoya tang' is, as the name suggests, a sugar cube that is a little sticky to the teeth. It is a dessert made from barley, wheat or glutinous rice. It is not very sweet and its main component is maltose.

However, for the Tang Dynasty, when the sugar-making method was only recently introduced, this kind of thing was already quite precious. Judging from the little girl's attempt to maintain a ladylike demeanor, she probably didn't eat much of it on a daily basis. Little Dog Egg, on the other hand, was more restrained and had learned Li Xingzhi's usual manners quite well.

After eating the "sticky candy," everyone's appetite was whetted, and their stomachs were rumbling with hunger. At this time, the dumplings that had just been cooked, also known as "tangzhong laowan" from the Tang Dynasty, were already on the plate. Even though they had eaten their fill the day before, everyone was immediately tempted by the cute crescent-shaped dumplings served on a large, delicate, milky-white porcelain plate, and their mouths watered. Li Xingzhi was no exception. Garlic, vinegar, and chili oil were already prepared on the side, and everyone began to eat with great enthusiasm.

After eating dumplings, it was nearly 9:00 AM. By then, much of the snow had melted, making it barely possible to drive. The Cui family began packing their belongings, bid farewell to Li Xingzhi, and headed towards Changsha.

Sitting in the carriage, Cui Zhiwen looked at the thing his little daughter was constantly rubbing in her hands and asked with some curiosity, "Ru'er, let Grandpa see it." He knew his own daughter well; although she was young, she had seen many good things and had a discerning eye.

The little girl reluctantly handed the small jade cicada to Zhang Zhiwen, looking pitiful. The young woman next to her couldn't stand it anymore and scolded, "How old are you? Still fighting with Ru'er for things."

"Don't you know our daughter's taste?"

Zheng was naturally quite curious and leaned over to look at what Zhang Lang was holding.

Jade cicadas, also known as cicada ornaments, were worn as ornaments in life and placed in the mouths of the deceased. They first appeared in the Stone Age and became more common in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. They were worn as ornaments to symbolize purity and nobility. Since the Han Dynasty, the metamorphosis of cicadas has been used to symbolize rebirth. When placed in the mouths of the deceased, they are also called "jade cicadas" or "jade mouth ornaments".

The jade cicada given to me by Li Xingzhi is about three centimeters long and less than two centimeters wide. It is crystal clear and lustrous, carved from the finest mutton fat white jade. The body is flat and thin, with two protruding eyes. The wings are carved on the front using the Han eight-cut technique, and the abdomen is carved on the back. The work is smooth and natural, and the craftsmanship is exquisite and delicate!

Mutton fat jade is the finest of jades, symbolizing not only the virtues of a gentleman—benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, courage, and purity—but also emotions such as beauty, nobility, auspiciousness, gentleness, and tranquility. In ancient times, only emperors and high-ranking officials were entitled to wear this superior white jade!

This was something Li Xingzhi hadn't expected.

Cui Jialang and Cui Zhengshi carefully examined the jade cicada. Their first thought was to return it to its owner immediately. This gift was far too valuable, and even the well-traveled couple felt they couldn't accept it!

Seeing Xiao Ru'er's reluctant expression, Cui Zhiwen changed his mind. He recalled how indifferent Li Xingzhi had been when he gave him the things in the dilapidated temple. Since he had already taken them, returning them would be too pretentious. Besides, Li Xingzhi might not have had any ulterior motives, nor might he even care about these things.

Li Xingzhi packed his things inside the temple, left Dahuang and Diandian at the temple gate to guard the house, and then he and Wang Xiucai took Xiaogou Dan and headed into the city.

On New Year's Day, people usually visit relatives and friends, and shops of all sizes close during this period, only reopening on the fifth day of the new year.

Li Xingzhi and his entourage headed to Ping'anfang to visit Big Beard Wei Xishi and Tu Dalang. Big Beard was considered Li Xingzhi's great benefactor, and Tu Dalang was also a good person. Although he later learned that Li Xingzhi had made a lot of money selling his family's large intestines, he didn't try anything with them or take the opportunity to raise the price. He was a decent person.

When they arrived at the gate of Wei Xishi's courtyard, it was rather deserted. After all, he was a Hu person, and on the first day of the Lunar New Year, not many people came to visit him.

When Wei Xishi saw Li Xingzhi and his entourage, although he was somewhat surprised by their extraordinary attire, he still warmly invited them to take their seats. The main hall contained only a few tables and chairs. The group took off their shoes and went in, casually sitting cross-legged to the side. After all, they were quite familiar with each other, and there was no need to sit formally and make things difficult for themselves. Of course, Li Xingzhi couldn't resist giving a rather rambling explanation of Wang Xiucai's identity.

When visiting someone's home, it's natural to bring some gifts. Li Xingzhi didn't bring much; he only brought two bolts of fine silk and a document with instructions on how to make braised meat and spices.

This gift may seem insignificant to Li Xingzhi, but it was quite remarkable in the eyes of Wei Xishi and other people of the Tang Dynasty! Not to mention the silk, although Wei Xishi cherished it, even the best things have a price.

The other method of making braising spices and braised meat is extraordinary. It is something that can support a family for a lifetime and benefit future generations. Although Wei Xishi coveted it, he still postponed it.

After much persuasion from Li Xingzhi, Wei Xishi finally accepted the offer. This made Li Xingzhi even more convinced that Wei Xishi was a trustworthy person, proving that the saying "righteousness often comes from humble backgrounds" was no exaggeration.

After having a meal at the bearded man's house, Li Xingzhi said goodbye and left with a return gift. Although he didn't care much for the gift, he couldn't help but take the sentiment seriously.

After leaving Wei Dalang's house, we headed towards Tu Dalang's house. The two houses were in the same neighborhood, not far apart after a few turns. Compared to Wei Dahu's house, Tu Dalang's house was much more lively.

Although butchers are looked down upon, it must be admitted that most butchers are strong and powerful and do not lack money. Such people come into contact with all sorts of people from all walks of life. The reason why Li Xingzhi could sell intestines so peacefully was because Tu Dalang had genuinely contributed his efforts. If it weren't for Wang Xiucai's reminder, Li Xingzhi would not have known the inside story.

Li Xingzhi prepared gifts, including two bolts of fine silk and a piece of paper with instructions on how to make large intestines.

Following the servants of Tu Dalang's family into the main hall, a wave of heat hit us. Inside, the atmosphere was bustling with activity, with people drinking, playing drinking games, and a group of burly men with bare chests making the scene very lively.

Upon arriving at the main hall, Madam Tu had already come out to greet them.

Although Tang Dynasty society was relatively open, even women in noble families generally kept themselves covered when going out. It wasn't until the Wu Zhou Dynasty that various "immoral" or "scandalous" incidents began to occur. However, among the lower classes, there were far fewer such restrictions. Female business owners were common, and even the butcher's family, often perceived as uncouth by ordinary people, had far fewer taboos!

After taking off his shoes and entering the hall, Tu Dalang was about to get up to greet Li Xingzhi and his party when he heard their arrival. However, he saw that the three of them were dressed in extraordinary clothes and had an outstanding temperament. The entire hall fell silent. Only then did Tu Dalang recognize that the people in front of him were Li Xingzhi and his party. Of course, Li Xingzhi would inevitably make up a story about Wang Xiucai's identity.

After Li Xingzhi and the others sat down, the hall became lively again. However, people would occasionally glance at them, as they were curious about how Tu Dalang had become acquainted with such a "distinguished person".

After sitting at Tu Dalang's house for a while and eating a little something, Li Xingzhi thanked him and left after exchanging a few polite words. He was not used to the atmosphere there, but Wang Xiucai was very calm.