Transmigration: From Farmer To Empress
Chapter 335 Proposal(1)_1

Chapter 335: Chapter 335 Proposal(1)_1

The ’Lantern Festival’ is also known as ’Yuanxiao Festival’. The term ’Yuan’ refers to the first lunar month, and ’xiao’ was an ancient term for night. Given that the full moon on the fifteenth day is the first of the year, the fifteenth of the first lunar month is hence known as the ’Yuanxiao Festival’. It is also known as Little New Year, Yuanxi, or Lantern Festival, being the first significant festival after Spring Festival.

The Lantern Festival in the Great Jin Nation was similar to the custom of Cai Wei’s world, where on the bright moonlit night, lanterns were lit and lantern riddles played, lion dances and dragon dances performed, with the entire nation celebrating, creating an incredibly bustling atmosphere.

After Cai Wei and her group solved some lantern riddles, they walked through the lively and bustling streets, making their way to Cao Jin’s restaurant while enjoying friendly banter.

Along the way, Cai Wei saw an old blind lady accompanied by a little girl of around eight or nine, shivering as they begged among the crowd. The freezing weather had turned their lips violet, their worn and thin clothing no match for the cold. Their pale faces made them seem all the more pitiful.

Having witnessed the death of an old beggar when she first arrived in this world, Cai Wei made it a habit to offer some coins every time she encountered a beggar. Seeing these pitiful elders and the young girl, she could not turn a blind eye. She took out her purse and poured out all the scattered silver inside; around seven or eight taels, which she then placed in the old lady’s hand.

Upon examining the unexpected windfall, the old lady was so shocked that with her granddaughter, she attempted to kowtow to Cai Wei which Cai Wei promptly stopped.

"Old lady, how can you, at such age, bow to me? Wouldn’t that be extremely ill-fated?"

With tears streaming down her old face, the lady said, "We, grandmother and granddaughter, haven’t eaten for two days. We were hoping to have a full meal on the Lantern Festival. However, meeting you and having received so much silver means we don’t have to suffer from hunger and cold anymore. You have given us a new lease of life. Despite having nothing to offer in return, wouldn’t it weigh heavily on my conscience if I don’t at least kowtow to you?"

Cai Wei supported her. Regardless of what she said, Cai Wei absolutely refused to accept her kowtow.

Other beggars, seeing Cai Wei’s generosity, thought that they had met a god of wealth. They, too, came over to kowtow and plead for alms.

Having given all her scattered silver to the old lady, Cai Wei found herself without any change. Noticing the beggars gathering around her, she had a brainwave and decided to distribute the exquisite lanterns that she had won at the Lantern Riddle Conference. These lanterns, carefully crafted by skilled artisans, could easily be sold for a high price, which in turn could be converted to silver.

As she distributed the lanterns, she chose the best ones for those who were old and unable to work, while the children who seemed capable were given the lesser lanterns. Those who were young, strong and fit but chose to beg didn’t receive any attention, despite their energetic kowtowing.

Huo Yuan had noticed Cai Wei’s actions from the very start. Although he was engaged in a conversation with Mu Zhongqing, he was keeping an eye on Cai Wei. Seeing her surrounded by a group of beggars, he excused himself to rush over and help her.

Seeing him join in as well, Cai Wei also took the few lanterns from his hand and gave them away.

Huo Yuan, noticing her good intentions, supported her actions. He instructed his servant to convert a hundred taels of silver into copper coins at the moneylending institution across the street, to be distributed among the beggars.

Cai Wei, seeing his generous behavior, couldn’t help but chuckle and say, "Big Brother Huo, if you have the surplus to spare, why not establish a nursing home to support the old, the young, the sick and the disabled? It will surely be seen as a meritorious deed. If you continue to simply distribute large amounts of silver at random, it would most likely end up in the hands of beggars who are fit and strong. They might spend it on alcohol or gambling, and it will never reach those who genuinely need help. Wouldn’t that be a betrayal of your original intention to help the elderly and the impoverished?"