Li Jin bent his index finger and gently tapped Duoduo on the forehead.
"Are you treating your teacher like a beast of burden?"
Duoduo covered her forehead, looking completely confused.
"I don't ride you, Teacher, so how could I be treating you like a horse?"
Li Jin looked at his wife, who was laughing out loud, and he couldn't help but laugh too.
"Forget it, who told you to be my student? Free it is. Money can't buy my willingness anyway."
Duoduo happily curtsied to Li Jin. "Thank you, Teacher!"
After curtsying, Duoduo stood up. "Teacher, Aunt Xu gets seventy percent of the share, so you aren't exactly helping for nothing!"
Li Jin looked at his secretly smiling wife. "Are you bullying a child? Isn't that a bit much?"
Xu Jinxin rolled her eyes.
"Li Jin, I am your wife! Don't take someone else's side!"
Li Jin rubbed the tip of his nose awkwardly. "I'm just stating the facts."
Duoduo and Yingniang watched Li Jin and Xu Jinxin bicker, both giggling happily.
With a goal in mind, everyone now had something to do.
Keke spent her days reviewing medical records, Xu Jinxin sat to the side writing up a business plan, and Su Xian led Yingniang in making clothes.
In the blink of an eye, two days passed.
The boat finally docked at the pier.
Duoduo and Yingniang had already changed into boys' clothes in advance.
Everyone stood at the bow in high spirits, disembarking one by one.
Xiao Yi announced that they would stay in the city for one night before moving on.
Lüdou packed the important belongings and placed them in the carriage.
Aside from the guards left behind to watch the luggage, everyone else followed along and got off the boat.
This pier was a small one, not too far from the city gates.
The carriage traveled for only the time it takes an incense stick to burn before reaching the city gates.
Yunxiao flashed his waist token, and the soldiers guarding the gate hurriedly made way.
As the carriage slowly entered the city gates, Duoduo couldn't contain her curiosity and lifted the carriage curtain to look outside.
The streets on both sides were bustling with people coming and going. It was very lively.
Not only men, but even women were walking openly on the streets.
Duoduo noticed that they weren't wearing veiled hats or face veils.
Furthermore, the women all seemed to be dressed up, their faces beaming with smiles.
"Father, are they celebrating a festival?"
Duoduo was a bit puzzled because she saw that in front of some shops, things tied with red string were hanging by the doors.
Xiao Yi lifted his gaze from his book. "Today is the Dragon Boat Festival."
The Dragon Boat Festival?
Duoduo remembered.
In previous years on the Dragon Boat Festival, Lüdou would always tie colorful threads on her.
This year, being on the road, Lüdou must have forgotten.
Hearing Xiao Yi's words, Su Xian also remembered what day it was.
"Oh my! It's already the Dragon Boat Festival."
"Oh no, I forgot to embroider the Five Poisons pouches! I knew I had forgotten something!"
Su Xian looked full of regret.
A few days ago, she had been telling Lianxin that she felt like she had forgotten to do something.
Lianxin had even comforted her, saying that if she forgot, it surely wasn't anything important.
How was this not important? This was simply the most important thing!
Xiao Yi glanced at Su Xian. "It's fine. We can just buy a few later."
Su Xian still felt very remorseful.
"How can store-bought ones be as effective as homemade ones?"
Duoduo looked at the bustling crowds on both sides, itching to join in.
"Father, can I go down and look around? There are so many people outside!"
Xiao Yi looked at the crowds outside and frowned.
He did not like crowded places.
Seeing Xiao Yi frown, Su Xian patted Duoduo's shoulder.
"Wouldn't it be better if we went to the inn and settled down first before coming out to stroll?"
Duoduo nodded regretfully. "Alright!"
Yunxiao quickly had the guards find the largest inn, booking two premium rooms and two large communal rooms.
The carriage stopped in the backyard of the inn, and Xiao Yi and the others got out.
Seeing Duoduo, Yingniang skipped over.
"Duoduo, we are going out to explore the streets later. Are you coming?"
Duoduo nodded. "Yes!"
After resting briefly at the inn, the group prepared to head out.
"Father, you should come with us!" Duoduo pleaded, clinging to Xiao Yi.
"You read on the boat, and you're still reading after getting off. You're going to ruin your eyes!"
"Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles! Since you're already here, you should go out and take a look."
Worried she wouldn't be able to persuade Xiao Yi, Duoduo added, "My sister and her whole family are going out to stroll."
"If you don't go, Mother won't go either, and I'll be all by myself. It'll be so lonely!"
Duoduo held Xiao Yi's hand, pretending to be pitiful.
Xiao Yi looked at Duoduo's expression and pursed his lips.
"When did I say I wasn't going out?"
Hearing this, surprise and joy burst into Duoduo's eyes.
"Father, are you coming with us? Are you really coming with us?"
Seeing that Duoduo was so happy just because he agreed to come along, the corners of Xiao Yi's lips curled up.
"If you keep nagging, I'll change my mind."
Duoduo hurriedly pushed his wheelchair outward. "Mother, let's go quickly!"
When Xiao Yi's family reached the entrance of the inn, Li Jin's family was already waiting there.
Seeing Xiao Yi, Li Jin smiled.
"Today is a nice day. Let's celebrate the festival together."
Duoduo skipped over and grabbed Yingniang's hand.
"Sister!"
Yingniang shook her head. "I'm wearing men's clothes, so you have to call me Brother!"
Duoduo looked at Yingniang and laughed. "Then you have to call me Little Brother!"
Yingniang shook her head again. "I'll still just call you Duoduo."
Chatting, the two children skipped ahead.
Yunxiao pushed Xiao Yi, Xu Jinxin linked arms with Su Xian, and Li Jin walked beside them.
The group quickly merged into the crowded streets.
"Oh, they sell Five Poisons pouches here!" Su Xian spotted a stall and immediately pulled Xu Jinxin to a stop.
Xu Jinxin and Su Xian picked out a pouch for everyone to wear.
Seeing that they bought so many, the shopkeeper threw in two extra five-colored threads for Duoduo and Yingniang.
Su Xian tied them around the two children's wrists, and then the group continued moving forward.
The Dragon Boat Festival was a major holiday among the common people.
Not only did they eat zongzi, but there were also dragon boat races.
The people on the streets were all heading to watch the races.
Caught in the flow of the crowd, Xiao Yi and the others had no choice but to head toward the river as well.
The dragon boat races were taking place upstream from the pier.
The area was already packed with a sea of spectators.
The best viewing spots had been claimed by the local wealthy gentry.
In the end, Duoduo and the others only managed to grab a spot slightly further away.
To the sound of gongs and drums, the participating dragon boats lined up at the starting point.
As the flags waved and the gongs and drums roared, the dragon boat rowers began paddling furiously, wishing they could reach the finish line in a single bound.
The spectators shouted at the top of their lungs, cheering on the racing dragon boats.
More and more people kept pushing their way toward the riverbank.
Worried that something might happen, Li Jin shielded Duoduo and Yingniang in front of him.
Xu Jinxin also held tightly onto Su Xian, while Yunxiao kept a vigilant watch on their surroundings.
Duoduo and Yingniang jumped up and down, loudly cheering for the dragon boats.
In the blink of an eye, one dragon boat overtook the others and took the lead.
