Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 235 - 234: Dragon Boat Race

The person giving orders on the shore struck the hammer on the copper gong!

"Dong!" With the sound of the gong, the eight racing teams, already tense, immediately dropped their paddles. The eight dragon boats shot out from under the stone bridge like arrows leaving the bowstring!

The speed was so fast that the spectators on the shore were dazzled, and their cheers rose in waves.

The eight dragon boats seemed to have their own accelerators, flying past the crowd’s eyes in no time.

Seeing dragon boat racing for the first time, the eyes of Da Lang’s brothers and sisters widened, their mouths agape in astonishment, unable to close again.

"So fast, so fast!" Sanlang exclaimed, looking up at Mother. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Qin Yao’s eyes were also drawn to the dragon boats, nodding in agreement: "Luckily, we’re standing high up, this spot is really good, or else we’d only get to see the dragon boats for a few seconds."

Each of the eight dragon boats carried differently colored flags, with the boat carrying the white flag leading from the start. If nothing unexpected happens, it will take first place.

However, the seven boats behind were not to be outdone, increasing their pace under the fierce drumming of their leaders, their paddles moving so fast they seemed to leave afterimages, actually catching up behind the white flag.

The intensity of the competition made the spectators excited beyond measure, the crowd subconsciously chasing the dragon boats, resulting in a continuous sound of "plop, plop" as people fell into the water.

Fortunately, the organizers had anticipated this, using bamboo poles and small boats to pull the people who fell into the water back up.

By now, the dragon boats had reached the middle section, and cheers as loud as those from the earlier spectators could be heard from behind.

"Here they come, here they come!" Liu Ji excitedly pointed east, his expression changing, "It’s actually the yellow flag in first place, the white flag has fallen to third!"

In the crowd, someone laid out their prepared betting cloth and called out loudly:

"Come on, come on, let’s place a bet! I’ll start, I bet the white flag will come back to take first!"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd got even more excited, placing money if they had it, and throwing jewelry and hairpins if they didn’t, just to join the excitement.

Some bet on the yellow flag taking first, some bet on a tie between yellow and white, and others bet on the last-place red flag, a variety of bets.

With the dragon boats in the river changing positions several times, the final outcome became more and more unpredictable.

Due to the narrow river, only four dragon boats could row side by side, leading to inevitable clashes between the boats as they tried to overtake each other.

At a turn, five dragon boats squeezed in together, getting stuck.

The three trailing teams took the opportunity to catch up, and in the rush, the five squeezed boat teams started paddling again, pushing at each other’s dragon heads and tails.

Qin Yao and her family of six, sitting in the tree, were as engrossed as those on the riverbanks placing bets.

Second Lang shouted directly: "White flag, run faster! Ignore them!"

Sanlang and Si Niang favored the yellow flag coming from behind. Although they didn’t shout out, they waved their little hands, whispering, "Come on, come on!"

Were it not for being held by Qin Yao, they might have already fallen into the river like those chasing the dragon boats in front, becoming drenched.

Liu Ji and Liu Li had differing preferences, one favoring the yellow flag, the other the white flag, cheering for their chosen teams while dismissively sneering at each other.

Influenced by the atmosphere, Qin Yao also relaxed, her emotions rising and falling with the progress of the dragon boat race.

Da Lang gave her a surprised glance.

Perhaps she herself was unaware; it had been two years since she last felt so at ease.

Even when chatting and laughing with the villagers, her hand would subconsciously clench into a fist, always on guard.

Before learning martial arts, Da Lang didn’t notice this small action.

But after practicing, he could sense it. Even in an utterly safe environment, without any threats, she would suddenly glance behind her.

Upon finding nothing, she’d let out a long sigh of relief, showing a look of gratitude.

It was as if she were a hunter living in a forest filled with constant danger and wild beasts, whose body had developed an instinctive response.

This bodily instinct made her remain ready to fight at the slightest disturbance, even when coming down to the safety of the mountain.

Yet today, amidst so many strangers, she loosened her clenched fist, with her palm hanging down naturally.

Da Lang guessed she might have gradually grown accustomed to the peaceful environment below the mountain.

The young man happily thought to himself, this is good because he hoped she could truly be happy.

Of the five dragon boats stuck together, two capsized at a cost, finally breaking through the turn.

With only the last hundred meters left to the finish, six dragon boats remained, fiercely contesting back and forth.

The rowers’ arms bulged with veins, teeth clenched, as they used all their strength, their faces flushed as they charged forward, making the spectators’ blood boil.

At the last fifty meters, the white flag, indeed the fiercest, once again broke through the siege, surpassing the second-place red flag by three or four meters to take first place.

The last twenty meters, and the white flag was far ahead.

The final five meters, the yellow flag, at an incredibly fast speed, surpassed three or four others, becoming second.

The final meter, yellow and white were parallel, indistinguishable by the naked eye as to who was in front.

"Dong!" With a sound of the gong, both dragon boats simultaneously crossed under the stone bridge, followed by the red, blue, and other teams.

Liu Ji shouted excitedly: "The white flag is first!"

Liu Li also shouted at the same time: "The yellow flag is first!"

"How could it be the yellow flag? I clearly saw the white flag’s dragon beard crossing under the bridge first!" Liu Ji rebutted Liu Li, displeased.

Liu Li found his statement absurd, "It was clearly the yellow flag’s ribbon that crossed the stone bridge first!"

The citizens betting on the ground also started arguing. The bookmakers betting on the white flag naturally hoped it would be first, leading to an intense dispute, and finally, unable to draw a conclusion, they all turned to look at Lord Prefect on the platform.

The officials on the platform were also in disarray because, in their view, both boats crossed the stone bridge simultaneously.

But there could only be one first place.

After some discussion, the Magistrate declared the white flag in first place because the white flag’s drummer touched the stone bridge’s archway first.

"How can that be!"

The girl lifted her cumbersome skirt, revealing lantern-style gauze pants underneath, and stepped onto a stool, shouting at the officials who decided the result:

"No one mentioned touching the archway as a rule! I refuse to accept this! The yellow team clearly crossed the stone bridge first, the yellow team is first place!"

Hearing this shout, the officials helplessly looked at Prefect He.

"He Zhanghua, what are you doing?" Prefect He sternly rebuked, "Get down; who allowed you up there!"

The spectators on the banks suddenly understood; it was the magistrate’s daughter.

"Looks like Miss He also bet on the yellow flag." Qin Yao said to Liu Li.

Liu Ji was infuriated, "Darling, why are you siding against me? With your sharp eyes, surely you saw clearly who crossed the bridge first, it was the white flag, wasn’t it?"

Qin Yao didn’t answer, instead, she asked him, "Why are you in such a hurry when you didn’t even make a bet, just enjoy the spectacle."

Liu Ji weakly looked up at her, his lips trembling, words on the tip of his tongue — all his private savings! Last night he had bet it all on the white flag!

Qin Yao incredulously raised an eyebrow, then her eyes dangerously narrowed...