Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life-Chapter 457 - 455: Dancing Together

As the sun set, the workshop doors opened, and the ladies who had been busy all day streamed out. Regardless of whether they were young or old, their faces bore the same smiles, walking with a lively energy. There was no sign of work fatigue in their eyes, only a look towards a better life.

To them, spinning and weaving used to be a monotonous life with no hope, day after day, but now...

Ever since they started working in the workshop, household chores were no longer solely their responsibility. The elderly women who couldn’t work in the workshop took on the housework, and in some families, even the elderly men were cooking meals—which was unthinkable in a traditional large extended family living together, but it happened.

There was no other way. Sons, daughters-in-law, and even their wives were all busy, either going to sea to fish or entering the workshop to spin and weave. So who was left at home but the old grandfathers who neither fished nor wove?

They might still be able to weave a few fishing nets or cut some bamboo for products, but how much was that worth?

Economic status decides family status, a truth universally acknowledged, even here in the Great Tang, even in the countryside.

Lin Wanwan, with a maid following her, strolled under the sunset, occasionally hearing the warm and cheerful greetings of "Teacher Lin" from her clansmen. She raised her hand like a great leader, waving continuously to the passing clansmen.

Initially, the people in the clan didn’t understand what Lin Wanwan’s waving meant. Nobody understood the meaning of this gesture. Was it a way of greeting among nobles?

Now, everyone was naturally used to it. This became the unique greeting style of their beloved Le’an Village Lady.

It was simple yet friendly and quickly became popular among the younger generation in the clan, with only the conservative elders sticking to ancient customs.

Little Qingyu had long brought her animal gang and little companions to the beach. Today, everyone was having a feast together, and the children were having a blast. Even those little ones, who were still unsteady on their feet, clapped along excitedly.

They were placed at the outermost circle by the older kids, only responsible for clapping and cheering, not allowed to participate.

The few mischievous ones moved around the lit bonfire and grill like slippery eels.

The adults busy chatting and grilling would catch them, give them a light smack on the bottom, and push them away: "Go, go, play on the side, come back when it’s ready to eat!"

"Can’t catch me! You can’t catch me!"

Especially clever ones like Tiezhu kept jumping around, testing the adults’ patience.

Amidst the laughter and joy, a sea eagle in the sky suddenly did a big circle and called out.

Lin Wanwan brushed aside her windswept hair and looked towards the village entrance. A flashily dressed figure on a horse caught her eye—it was Xiao Chong, whose arrival always seemed to bring its own aura.

As he neared Lin Wanwan, Xiao Chong leapt off his horse and folded his arms in salute, saying, "Cousin, greetings."

"Cousin, greetings," Lin Wanwan returned the salute with a smile, "Perfect timing, we’re just about to start the feast!"

"Is today’s feast by the sea?" Xiao Chong handed the horse reins to Shuqin, who then led the horses towards the Lin Mansion.

"Didn’t Brother Dugu come with you?" Walking a few steps with Xiao Chong, Lin Wanwan remembered she had also invited someone else.

Xiao Chong shook his head and replied, "Brother Xiwen suddenly had an eye ailment today. Doctor Chen is giving him acupuncture. He can’t be exposed to the wind, so he didn’t come. He asked me to apologize on his behalf."

Lin Wanwan nodded, understanding, "Oh, that’s how it is."

The two walked to the beach together, and the clansmen greeted them warmly.

"Clan Leader, everyone is here. Shall we start the feast?" A clansman in charge of roasting the whole sheep couldn’t help but ask.

The clan leader in the crowd chuckled, "It’s not me hosting; why ask me? Better ask Lady Wan."

Lin Wanwan laughed and chimed in, "Let’s start! Everyone, eat heartily, finish all the lamb today!"

"Ho ho ho! Eat, eat, eat!"

The students, who had their fill of fun, each returned to their parents, greedily watching the lamb rotating on the grills. The aromatic scent of roasted lamb filled the air, making mouths water.

The school provided the children with rice for lunch, which was never lacking, but lamb was not a daily occurrence and often alternated with seafood.

For Lin Wanwan, it was a reasonable dietary arrangement, but for the children, they had grown tired of seafood.

So today, with so much roasted lamb, there was no one present who wasn’t happy.

Apart from lamb, Lin Wanwan also prepared turbid wine and aged liquor. Tonight, there was plenty of both meat and drinks.

The feast commenced, and everyone rushed to the various roasting spots for lamb, ignoring the large basins of seafood laid out on long tables.

Only Lin Wanwan and Xiao Chong were interested in the freshest seafood. The latter picked up a large crab with a smile, "Autumn is high, and crabs are fat. Right after Mid-Autumn is the perfect time to eat crabs."

Lin Wanwan also picked up one and replied with a smile, "Exactly! A few days ago, I held a Mid-Autumn crab feast, inviting many ladies over."

Xiao Chong laughed, "I heard. There were not only crabs but also grapes from the Western Regions, making the ladies talk about it for days afterward. Their husbands couldn’t help but mention it when they came to work at the county government, lamenting that being men, they couldn’t follow their wives to join the feast."

Hearing this, Lin Wanwan laughed, and the two sat side by side by the long table handling the large crabs in their hands.

The maid nearby wanted to help peel the crabs but was shooed away by Lin Wanwan, "You all go and get what you want to eat. Don’t worry about us. Tonight’s feast disregards rank. Enjoy together!"

Shortly after the feast began, the sun completely sank below the sea, and night fell, but several large bonfires and grills illuminated the seaside as brightly as daylight.

The crowd joyfully began to dance, a scene of singing and dancing filled with happiness.

A countryside feast in the Great Tang might lack poetry or wine, but it must never lack song and dance.

From south to north, when Tang people hold a feast, there’s inevitably singing and dancing.

Lin Family Manor used to be poor, and it wasn’t easy to hold a feast unrelated to seafood. Their tables were always full of the cheapest shellfish.

A scene like today’s, with roasted lamb everywhere, was practically a dream come true.

Apart from lamb, the sea rice with sausage, made into cured meat rice, was also quite enticing.

Except for the school children, the rest of the Lin Clan was tasting sea rice for the first time. They dared not take more, but one bowl per person was fine.

Because there were many people, everyone brought their own bowls and chopsticks from home. Nobody worried about mixing them up since everyone recognized their own things, just like in daily life when sharing dishes.

Just after eating two mantis shrimp, Lin Wanwan was pulled to dance by Lin Qinshi.

She quickly wiped her hands with a handkerchief and pulled Xiao Chong along, "Cousin, come and dance too!"

Xiao Chong naturally got up to follow, without a word of refuse. As a native of Tang Land, Xiao Chong’s dancing skills far surpassed Lin Wanwan’s!