Bianjing

The Rainbow Bridge was shrouded in a thin mist in the early morning, and the bluestone pavement was still covered with dew.

Fried Fish was the first to hop and skip onto the bridge, holding a candied hawthorn skewer he had just bought. Dog Egg flapped his wings and chased after him, trying to peck at the hawthorn.

"Slow down."

Xi Jiang's voice came from behind. He was carrying a bamboo basket filled with freshly picked herbs.

"Be careful not to fall."

Shiyun walked at the back, his fingertips gently fiddling with the jade pendant at his waist. His gaze swept over the murmuring water below the bridge, and he suddenly stopped.

"The water level is good today."

Zui Qingfeng, with a newly bought menthol cigarette dangling from his lips, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

"Would you like to play the zither?"

"Um."

Shiyun nodded.

"Find a quiet place."

The group chose a teahouse by the water to rest.

The second-floor seating area offers a panoramic view of the entire Rainbow Bridge.

"Waiter! Bring me your best tea!"

The eldest brother slammed his fist on the table and shouted, the peacock feathers on his colorful headgear trembling with his movements.

Chen Ze frowned.

"Be quiet."

"What's there to be afraid of!"

The eldest brother disagreed.

"Our Hundred Birds Gang is the coolest guys wherever we go!"

Pan-fried Fish, leaning on the railing, suddenly pointed down and shouted.

"Look! Someone's performing!"

On the open ground at the bridgehead, several itinerant performers were putting on acrobatics.

A girl in red, walking on stilts, wielded a long sword with great skill and flair.

"A showpiece."

Chen Ze commented.

Xi Jiang seemed to be deep in thought.

"Her footwork...is quite skillful."

Shiyun followed his gaze and nodded slightly.

"But I only learned the basics."

After three rounds of tea, Shiyun suddenly stood up.

"I'll be right back."

A moment later, clear and melodious zither music drifted from under the bridge.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Shiyun sitting on a protruding rock with the paulownia wood zither on her lap.

The sound of flowing water and the music of the zither blended together, attracting passersby to stop and watch.

Xi Jiang also came downstairs at some point and stood not far away, listening quietly.

He was still holding the basket of herbs in his hand, but his gaze remained fixed on the person playing the zither.

"Why doesn't Brother Xijiang go closer to listen?"

"Frying Fish," he asked curiously.

Zui Qingfeng exhaled a smoke ring.

"Some people just like to watch from afar."

Just as the music was reaching its climax, a drunkard staggered toward Shiyun.

"What kind of crap is that?!"

The drunkard shouted with a slurred speech.

"Give me the 'Eighteen Touches'!"

Shiyun didn't even flinch, her fingertips still moving across the strings.

Enraged at being ignored, the drunkard reached out to overturn the zither.

"Bang!"

A sunflower seed hit his wrist precisely.

"Ouch!"

The drunkard winced in pain and looked up to see Chen Ze coldly pinching a second sunflower seed by the second-floor railing.

"roll."

A single word was enough to scare the drunkard so much that he tumbled and scrambled away.

In the afternoon, the crowd dispersed to browse the market.

The eldest brother lingered in front of a mask stall, insisting on buying a colorful ghost face mask.

While frying fish, he was drawn to a sugar painting stall and insisted that the master craftsman paint one in Gou Dan's likeness.

"This chicken is so ugly."

The old master looked at Gou Dan with disdain.

"Who are you calling a chicken?!"

Dog Egg bristled and lunged forward to peck people, but Xi Jiang grabbed him by the neck.

"Feel sorry."

Xi Jiang nodded to the startled master craftsman, then turned to scold Gou Dan.

"If you keep making a fuss, I won't buy you bugs to eat."

Dog Egg immediately wilted and obediently squatted on Xi Jiang's shoulder.

On the other side, Zui Qingfeng stopped in front of a spice stall.

He picked up a packet of dried mint leaves and smelled them, when suddenly he heard familiar piano music coming from behind him.

Looking back, Shiyun was standing in front of a calligraphy and painting stall not far away, her fingers gently stroking a landscape painting.

"like?"

Zui Qingfeng went over and asked.

Shiyun shook her head.

"A counterfeit."

He paused, then added.

"But the artistic conception is good."

As evening fell, the group gathered at the bridgehead.

The eldest brother, wearing his newly bought colorful mask, insisted on scaring the fried fish.

Fried Fish chased after Dog Egg, holding a sugar painting, saying he was going to stuff it into Dog Egg's mouth.

Xi Jiang and Shi Yun walked at the back, each holding a newly bought river lantern.

"Make a wish?" Xi Jiang asked.

Shiyun looked at the distant mountains painted on the lamp and said softly.

"I hope it will be the same this time next year."

Xi Jiang chuckled softly.

"Such a simple wish?"

"Simplicity is key."

Shiyun took the lamp from his hand, and the two lamps were placed in the water together, drifting slowly away with the current.

Zui Qingfeng leaned against the bridge railing, watching this scene, his pipe twirling between his fingers.

"Tsk, sour."

Chen Ze, standing beside him, surprisingly chimed in, "Better than the boss."

On the way back, the eldest brother was still excitedly talking about what he had seen and heard during the day.

Pan-fried Fish was so sleepy that he was swaying from side to side, so Xi Jiang carried him on his back.

Dog Egg perched on Xi Jiang's shoulder, occasionally stealing glances at the sugar painting in Jian Yu's hand.

Shiyun walked at the back, her fingers unconsciously tapping the jade pendant at her waist, as if recalling the music she played that day.

"Are you coming again tomorrow?"

"Drunk Breeze" suddenly asked.

The eldest brother immediately raised his hand.

"Come on! I want to buy that colorful kite too!"

Chen Ze snorted coldly, but did not object.

Xi Jiang glanced at the sleeping Jianyu on her back, then looked at Shiyun, and said softly.

"When it's time to come, it will come naturally."

The lights of the Rainbow Bridge gradually faded into the distance behind them, but the laughter and joy seemed to still linger gently in the flowing water beneath the bridge.

(Later, the leader actually bought that colorful kite, but the first time he flew it, it got caught on the tallest sycamore tree in the gang. It's still floating on the treetop to this day, becoming a unique symbol of the Hundred Birds Gang.)