Chapter 56 Paper Doll Lamp
When he got home, his mother and younger brother were not there; they had gone to the end of the street to burn paper clothes with the neighbors.
Several gold and silver ingots lay scattered on the ground in the courtyard, along with some gold and white copper coins. In this dimly lit environment, the atmosphere felt strangely unsettling.
Torn white lanterns and paper houses were carelessly tossed in a corner, while mythical beasts such as lions, tigers, and cranes, seemingly ruined, were similarly piled up in a dark corner.
Even though those eyes weren't moving, she felt as if they were staring at her.
A cold wind swept up fallen leaves from the ground, and the place was empty and deserted, as if the outside world had isolated it from the rest of the world.
Tu Miaoling's face turned pale, and she stood at the door, somewhat hesitant to go in.
She never imagined that Tao'er would live in such an environment, and she couldn't imagine how scared she would be if she lived there.
"What's wrong, Miaoling?"
A pretty young girl stood in the center of the courtyard, wearing a light blue top and skirt, with her hair in a scorpion braid, and a sweet and charming smile.
It was abrupt yet surprisingly blended perfectly with the environment.
Tao Tao looked around and suddenly realized what was going on. She quickly went over and took her hand.
Having spent so many days together, she originally thought Tu Miaoling had nothing to hide, but she forgot that girls also have things they are afraid of.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here, I'll protect you."
Feeling the warmth of her palm, she gradually came to her senses and said with feigned ease, "What's the big deal! I'm not afraid at all. I've slaughtered so many pigs, I have a lot of malevolent energy, so 'they' wouldn't dare come near me."
Tao Tao smiled without saying a word as she watched her stubborn expression.
"Then you sit here, I'll go in and get my things."
She asked Tu Miaoling to sit on a bench in the courtyard and wait for her, then went into the house.
After Tao Tao went inside, the courtyard became completely quiet, with only her there.
Tu Miaoling lowered her head, suppressing the urge to look around, afraid that she might see something she shouldn't, especially since it was the Ghost Festival.
But after waiting for a while, the person inside still hadn't come out, and she couldn't wait any longer, so she started calling out to her.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, she turned around abruptly and saw a paper figure inexplicably appear not far behind her, with a white face and red lips, which frightened her so much that she screamed.
"ah!!"
"What's wrong? What happened?"
Upon hearing the noise, Tao Tao rushed out to check if she was injured.
Tu Miaoling squatted on the ground, covering her face with her hands, wishing she could shrink herself into a crack in the ground.
Upon seeing this, she quickly put down what she was holding, hugged her, and gently stroked her back to comfort her.
"It's alright, it's alright, I'm here, don't worry, these are all inanimate objects."
She sobbed, "...Tao'er, your...your family is so terrible..."
Tao Tao looked at the paper figure facing them and remembered that it was originally lying in the corner, which she had used to practice. She didn't expect it to stand up when the wind blew it.
No wonder she was so frightened.
Tao Tao stood up, walked towards the paper figure, frowned, reached out and twisted off the paper figure's head, and tore off its paper clothes.
Then he returned to her side.
"Okay, I've taken care of it. It won't scare you anymore."
Upon hearing this, Tu Miaoling quietly raised her head to look at her. Looking at the owner of this pure and innocent face, she felt an unusual sense of security.
She clearly looks like she needs to be pitied and protected, but in the end, it was she who was protecting her.
Tu Miaoling blushed with embarrassment.
Tao Tao took a large straw mat and spread it on the ground, placed the paper-making tools on it, and gestured for her to sit down.
This straw mat is woven from rice straw and is about an inch thick. She usually sits on the ground covered with the straw mat to make paper crafts, which is convenient and comfortable.
Paper-made items are made primarily of bamboo, wood, hemp thread, and Xuan paper. Bamboo and wood form the framework, while thread is used to bind the parts, and Xuan paper is pasted on to cover the exposed framework.
Draw facial features, glue on hair, and put on a pretty dress, and you're basically done.
Tu Miaoling looked curiously at the little girl in front of her. She had pigtails, rosy cheeks, a round and chubby face, and a small mouth.
It's a little creepy, yet strangely cute.
The girl was about seven inches tall, with an iron ring twisted on her head, threaded through a hemp rope, and hung from a bamboo pole. A hole was cut out from her back, through which a small candle was placed.
The limited-edition lanterns for the Ghost Festival are now complete.
"How is it? Isn't it beautiful?"
The little girl's features were drawn so delicately and adorably that they were almost too lifelike to look at directly.
Tu Miaoling didn't understand her hobbies, but she tried very hard to understand them.
Her lips twitched slightly, then she nodded: "Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful, you could be an artist."
"Hey? Haven't you added the finishing touch yet?"
She pointed to a paper figure with large eyes, but no pupils, and said in surprise.
Tao Tao glanced at it and said, "Let's not light it. Today is the Ghost Festival, and besides, this lantern is just for fun."
In ancient times, paper figures were never painted with ink and brushes, as it was believed that this would imbue them with a spirit, which could lead to bad things, such as the paper figure coming back to life or being possessed by wandering ghosts, bringing disaster.
Although drawing eyes on paper figures is no longer such a taboo thing in later generations, it is still the present day, and the funeral industry has unspoken rules that should be followed.
However, some customers are unaware of this and insist on getting the finishing touch. In this case, you can use a needle to prick the eye.
She handed the finished paper lantern to Tu Miaoling and said with a smile, "This is for you."
"ah?!"
Tu Miaoling stared at her with wide eyes, her face showing reluctance, her fingers trembling, but she dared not take it.
With a soft "pfft".
Tao Tao smiled and said, "Just kidding. Let's go. You take the flower lantern, and I'll carry this paper figure lantern."
Walking down the bustling street, shouts and exclamations came from all directions. Many people who passed by her turned around and looked at the lamp in her hand with curiosity, surprise, and a little fear.
The two were chatting and laughing when suddenly one of them bumped into her without apologizing and looked at her with an unfriendly expression.
Just as Tao Tao was about to say something, her eyes suddenly froze, and her throat tightened. The woman said nothing and hurriedly plunged into the crowd.
Tu Miaoling scolded angrily, "Why didn't you apologize when you bumped into someone?! Hey! Don't go..."
Seeing that the person was gone, Tao Tao hurriedly pushed through the crowd to chase after him, darting left and right, only to find that the person had long since disappeared.
Tu Miaoling hurriedly followed, "Excuse me, excuse me... Tao'er..."
After the crowd finally dispersed, she was seen standing there motionless, her expression somewhat grave.
Tu Miaoling thought she wanted to confront someone, and said angrily, "If I caught that blind fool, I'd give her a good slap!"
"Tao'er, did you hurt yourself anywhere?"
Tao Tao suddenly came to her senses and shook her head: "It's alright."
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