The bright moon hangs in the sky, fireworks light up the heavens, and drums and gongs resound.
All sorts of lanterns, like a hundred flowers in full bloom, shimmered and shone brightly, hanging high in the colorful streets. But the most spectacular and eye-catching of all was the lifelike, enormous fire dragon lantern that meandered along the riverbank in the city.
As the carriage drew ever closer to the bustling, almost boiling, lights of the surrounding houses, and passed through the crowds, it soon came to a stop in a deep alley near Wanjiao Pavilion, in front of a small, humble house.
After safely delivering the three women, Yi Shangjun reluctantly stuffed almost all of his travel money into the hands of his maid Yan'er, gave her a few more earnest instructions, and sincerely thanked Lanxiang before hurriedly embarking on his journey home alone.
At this moment, Yan'er, supported and accompanied by Lanxiang, stood at the door, feeling the still slightly chilly night breeze. Watching the carriage drive away and its receding figure, she silently murmured to herself, "Young Master, things are really different from before."
Lanxiang, holding Yan'er's hand, followed her gaze to the departing carriage. Hearing the sound, she turned her gaze back to Yan'er's face and asked with some curiosity, "Oh? Your young master is different from before? What was he like before, and what is he like now?"
Yan'er then looked away, smiled at Lanxiang, and the two of them turned back and stepped over the threshold into the house. Yan'er said leisurely, "The young master used to be carefree, unruly, and idle. But now he not only knows how to strive for improvement and has become much gentler, but he is also quite responsible. Most importantly, now he calls my young lady 'Big Sister' all the time. If the young lady knew, how happy she would be... Miss."
Unexpectedly, when her young master was mentioned, Yan'er's eyes immediately filled with tears again. Under the dim light of the courtyard lamp, the teardrops glistened on her tender little face, clearly visible.
"Alright, alright, now that Miss Yi's talisman has arrived, and with Yan'er's help, I believe we'll soon have news of her." Lanxiang comforted her, wiping away her tears with a silk handkerchief.
Unexpectedly, Yan'er retorted, "'Amulet'? How could a mere maid like me possibly be Miss's amulet?"
"If it wasn't you? Then who could it be?" Lanxiang asked curiously.
Yan'er was silent for a moment, then thought for a moment and suddenly said, seemingly unsure, "Miss's protective charm should be... His Highness Prince Qin... or perhaps someone named Young Master Yi..."
"Oh? That sounds like a story. Why don't you... tell me about it?" Lanxiang teased with a smile.
The two women chatted happily and amicably as they hurried into the house.
In the corner of the courtyard under the moonlight, several crabapple and red plum trees bloomed quietly and exuded fragrance in the noisy night.
Inside the house, Lanxiang's grandmother, who said, "Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure," had already prepared a sumptuous Lantern Festival reunion dinner for her, naturally including a bowl of steaming hot glutinous rice balls that symbolize family reunion.
Having endured all the hardships of the past, this family has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel, and can be described as "people reunited, the moon full, and flowers blooming even more beautifully."
The shadows cast by the red candles on the window revealed a joyful and harmonious scene inside, with everyone praying that the flickering candles would soon bring the good news they longed for.
In contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city, Taohuadian Village offers a unique and tranquil escape, a place where one can find peace amidst blooming flowers and spend their life in quiet contemplation.
The lanterns in the village are not as elaborate as those in the city; most of them are rabbit lanterns.
Because the simple and honest farmers have regarded rabbits as auspicious creatures for generations, using them to welcome the gods and receive blessings. People use this to pray for the protection of the gods in the sky, hoping for a bountiful harvest, prosperous livestock, and good health for the whole family in the coming year.
People have always believed that wherever the rabbit lantern goes, it means that it brings good fortune and luck.
"It is said that tonight, anyone who crosses all the bridges in the village will be blessed with good fortune and free from all illnesses." After leaving the house, the woman, who had lost her memory and sight, was held tightly by Huan'er's hand. Along the way, Huan'er talked incessantly and vividly about everything she had seen and heard, and the woman listened attentively, her ears tucked in.
However, she had a vague feeling that the custom Huan'er was describing seemed to be something she had heard of somewhere before, like "walking across three bridges".
"The fire trees and silver flowers are dazzlingly red, and the drums and trumpets resound to the sky, celebrating the spring breeze." As night falls and the bright moon rises, the mountains and fields seem to be draped in a layer of silvery-white gauze. The lights and moonlight shine together, creating a truly colorful spectacle.
Perhaps because the air is fresher in the countryside, the light emitted by those lamps seems brighter and more dazzling.
The crowd that had agreed to cross the bridge together each carried a twinkling rabbit lantern, resembling a long, majestic dragon. It was a sea of fiery red lights, dazzling and overwhelming. They left their footprints tonight in every corner of this bustling land.
"Who can sit idly when the moon is shining? Where can one not come to see the lanterns?" Such a spectacle naturally attracted many people to come out and watch.
Everyone says the Yellow River has nine bends and eighteen turns, but none of the people strolling along the lantern festival know exactly how many turns they've made. They seem to wander left and right, south and north...
Amidst the vibrant sea of lights, a sea of people thronged the area. Whether they were standing by admiring the lanterns or strolling among them, their faces were all beaming with boundless happiness and joy. They repeatedly chanted in unison, "Swimming with lanterns, adding oil to the lanterns, it's New Year's Eve..."
Perhaps because Huan'er was too excited about this rare and lively scene, she was careless and didn't pay attention. When the lantern procession passed by her, the blind and amnesiac woman she was holding was accidentally bumped by a passerby, and the woman staggered.
When Huan'er saw this, she was so startled that she quickly helped him to his feet.
The girl who bumped into the woman realized she had caused trouble, so she stopped in a panic. Only then did she see that the woman she had bumped into had blank eyes and was actually blind.
He immediately bent down and apologized repeatedly, saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, are you alright?"
Huan'er was about to teach the girl a lesson when the woman quickly grabbed her tightly and said with a smile, "It's alright, it's alright. It's my own fault. My eyes are injured and I've become like this. I really shouldn't have come out and disturbed everyone's good mood."
“Here, this is for you. Since you’re sick or injured, you should definitely go for a lantern parade and walk across the bridge. It’s said to cure all ailments, and it really works… You can have the girl next to you help you walk slowly at the back of the procession.” The somewhat playful girl gazed at the woman’s face for a moment, pursed her lips, and then, with a flash of inspiration, handed one of the two lifelike rabbit lanterns she was carrying to the woman.
Just as the woman was about to refuse, the playful girl smiled at Huan'er like a butterfly, then turned and flew away.
Huan'er took the lantern from the woman's hand, glanced around, and said with concern, "Miss, are you tired? There's a Dream Pavilion here. Let's sit down and rest for a while."
The woman nodded and smiled at him, then helped him into a pavilion called "Dream Pavilion" to sit down.
Just then, the pitch-black night sky was suddenly illuminated by a burst of dazzling fireworks with a 'bang', the light and color spreading across the sky, making it extremely bright.
Huan'er suddenly stood up, looked up at it with a face full of joy and fascination, and exclaimed, "So beautiful!"
Beside the Dream Pavilion, a waterwheel, situated on the bank of a rushing river, sprays water like pearls against the backdrop of majestic, undulating, and lush green mountains. While irrigating the village's crops, it also becomes a beautiful feature of the village, forming a stunning pastoral scene with the mountains, the pavilion, and everything else.
At this moment, the woman sat quietly on one side of the pavilion, recalling everything that had happened that day—the only thing she remembered. She couldn't help but murmur, "The east wind releases a thousand trees of flowers at night, and blows down stars like rain. Fragrant carriages and jeweled horses fill the road, the sound of phoenix flutes stirs, the jade pot shines, and fish and dragons dance all night. Moths, willow branches, and golden threads adorn the scene, laughter and fragrance linger. I searched for him a thousand times in the crowd, and suddenly, turning around, I found him where the lights were dim."
"Whose poem is the young lady reciting? Huan'er has never heard it before, it sounds so beautiful... 'The east wind releases a thousand trees of flowers at night, and blows down stars like rain...'"
Upon hearing this, Huan'er opened her big, round eyes, turned around, looked at the woman with curiosity, and asked, repeating the question aloud.
The woman pursed her lips slightly, smiled gently in the direction of Huan'er's voice, and said, "Huan'er, you should go and join everyone in the lantern parade and bridge walk to pray for blessings. I'll wait for you here; nothing will happen. The Lantern Festival is a rare occasion, only once a year."
Huan'er is still a child after all. Hearing this, I naturally longed for her, but I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
Because of her silence, the woman seemed to sense her worry and insisted on comforting her, "Huan'er, go with peace of mind, I can do it. Life is long, and no matter what, I will try to rely on myself. Good times are short, don't waste this beautiful night."
Huan'er thought for a moment and then said, "Then... young lady, just stay here and don't go anywhere. Wait for Huan'er to come back and take you home."
The woman nodded and smiled at him, saying, "Yes, you go ahead. Where else can I go in my condition?"
So Huan'er picked up the rabbit lantern that the clumsy but charming girl had given her, which was lying on the ground, and hurriedly flew out of the Dream Pavilion to chase after the lantern parade.
"Well said, well said..." Just then, someone suddenly appeared...
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