Chapter 229: Lantern Festival (Part 3)
The little hand knocked gently on the half-open door. The people in the room might have thought that it was the middle-aged woman who had returned.
He raised his voice and said, "Why are you knocking? Come in."
Baoya pushed the door open with a creaky sound and went in.
There was a screen blocking the doorway, behind which was a flickering flame and swaying warm candles.
"Qianqiong, do you have hot tea?"
A familiar voice sounded, and Baoya happily ran over with her short legs.
"Granny Yu! It's me!"
Yunhua and Yunyue also shouted, "Grandma Yu!"
The old man sitting in the armchair beside the table was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "Oh, how did you little kids find your way here?"
"Mother-in-law, you haven't been to my shop for a long time."
Baoya's soft little hands rested on Grandma Yu's knees, her face full of grievance: "My sisters and I have prepared a return gift for you, but if you hadn't come, we wouldn't be able to give it to you."
"Well, I, an old woman, will give each of you a handkerchief, and there will be a return gift." Grandma Yu reached out and touched Baoya's head and smiled.
"Of course there are," Yunyue said beside her, "The handkerchief you embroidered, mother-in-law, is the most beautiful handkerchief I have ever seen!"
Yunhua also nodded: "Grandma is very powerful."
"You only know how to make the old woman happy."
The three little girls gathered around Grandma Yu. The four of them were talking and laughing, and the atmosphere was lively and joyful for a while.
At this moment, the door creaked again, and this time it was Qianqiong who came back.
Qian Qiong entered the private room carrying a teapot. She was startled when she saw three little kids, and then she remembered something.
He smiled and said, "You are the children of the Yun family that Madam Yu often talks about, right?"
Baoya, Yunhua and Yunyue nodded together.
Hearing Qian Qiong's voice, Granny Yu spoke: "Qian Qiong was my maid who served me in my early years, and now she is the closest person to me. You can just call her Aunt Qiong."
The three little girls called out in unison: "Auntie Qiong!"
"Why."
Qian Qiong smiled and agreed, pouring tea for Grandma Yu: "Madam Yu, the tea is warm, would you like to try it?"
As she spoke, she handed over the poured teacup. Grandma Yu reached out to take it, but her hand missed Qian Qiong's. She fumbled around for a few times before Qian Qiong put the cup into her hand and she was able to hold it firmly.
Noticing the intense gazes of the three little kids around her, Granny Yu seemed a little embarrassed and explained, "Ah, that's how it is when you get old. Your eyesight is getting worse."
"My mother-in-law is not old." Baoya did not disturb her while she was drinking tea. She stood behind her and massaged her shoulders.
Yunhua and Yunyue massaged her legs from the left and right.
Yunyue: "Grandma's handkerchief is so beautifully embroidered, and her eyesight is so good!"
Grandma Yu shook her head and smiled: "It's getting worse day by day."
As he spoke, he took another sip of tea, but suddenly started coughing.
Qian Qiong suddenly became nervous and ran over to pat her back with Bao Ya, while worriedly scolding: "Please go slowly, you've only just recovered from your illness."
Baoya frowned: "Aunt Qiong, is mother-in-law sick?"
"Don't listen to her nonsense, it was just a cold wind." Grandma Yu said kindly, "I rested for a few days, so I couldn't come to see you. What's the matter, are you worried about me?"
Baoya nodded, and Yunhua and Yunyue gathered together to ask about her mother-in-law's health.
She was a little distracted and thought of the strange beast in "Classic of Mountains and Seas", the Heluo fish.
The Heluo fish has one head and ten bodies. Its cry sounds like a dog barking and it is said to be able to cure all diseases.
It would be great if she could dream of the Heluo fish, maybe the Heluo fish could help her cure her mother-in-law's illness.
"Baoya, Huaya, Yueya, the lantern parade is about to begin, why don't you come quickly!"
Yun Chenglu was calling them from outside.
Baoya and the others quickly said goodbye to Grandma Yu and Qianqiong, and ran out of the private room to find Yun Chenglu, Yun Chengfu, Rong He and others.
The door of the private room creaked shut, and Qianqiong took out a thick rabbit fur cloak and put it on Grandma Yu.
"It snowed a couple of days ago, and it's cold at night. Madam Yu, why don't we just stay inside and listen to the fun."
Granny Yu coughed a few times but shook her head: "Let's go and have a look. I've been here for so long and I haven't seen a lantern parade yet."
Seeing that she insisted, Qian Qiong did not force her anymore. She wrapped the cloak around her and helped her slowly out of the private room.
In the corridor outside the fifth floor, Baoya, Yunhua, Yunyue, Yunchengfu, Yunchenglu, and Ronghe, six children lined up in a row, leaning on the railings and looking down.
Lantern parade is a custom in Ping'an Town.
There would be craftsmen who specialized in making lanterns, who would make all sorts of beautiful large lanterns, place them on flatbed carts pulled by oxen and horses, and parade along the streets, with beautifully dressed dancers dancing in front and behind the carts.
People watching on the street would carry small baskets filled with ribbons and flower petals and sprinkle them on the lanterns and dancers.
Baoya's eyes widened as she watched five cars filled with various lanterns slowly passing by the observation building.
Five carriages were connected end to end, with only a man in gorgeous clothes leading the way at the front of the team. The five horses were pulling the lantern carriages obediently one after another.
The car is filled with various beautiful large lanterns.
She saw an enlarged version of the Eight Immortals Lantern, with the eight immortals all made to look lifelike; there were also lanterns with two dragons playing with a pearl, lanterns with a phoenix dancing in the sky, and lanterns with thousands of horses galloping, all emitting dazzling lights of various colors, which were particularly spectacular and beautiful.
Just as she was engrossed in watching, Rong He suddenly handed her a small basket and said, "Here, sprinkle flower petals on the lanterns and dancers to share in the festive atmosphere."
There is also such a saying, but it is quite interesting.
Baoya took it and said, "Thank you, Brother Rong."
However, this scene was seen by Yun Chengfu who was standing next to him.
The eldest brother of the Yun family frowned and stared at Rong He coldly.
This kid is starting to show his affection now?
He had previously praised Rong He for knowing how to please others and for giving him the "Records of the Scenery of the Great Kang Kingdom".
It turns out that he was planning to target his sister!
Rong He actually delivered the flower baskets to everyone one by one, and the one he delivered to Bao Ya happened to be the last one. After delivering the flowers, he returned to his own seat.
As he was walking back, he suddenly felt a cold gaze staring at him from behind, which made him feel very uncomfortable.
He looked back and didn't find anything wrong. Yunyue excitedly pulled him to see the lantern car, and he didn't think about it anymore.
Baoya was completely unaware of this and was happily scattering flower petals.
At this moment, Yunhua, who was standing not far from her, suddenly screamed:
"Ah! My lantern!"
Yunhua was standing in a corner, close to the stairs.
When Baoya heard the sound, she turned around and saw a little girl in a bright red jacket and skirt running up the stairs in a hurry. She bumped into her third sister and knocked the lantern out of her sister's hand.
The little girl bumped into someone, but she didn't care and kept running forward.
Baoya frowned, a hint of displeasure flashing through her heart.
She glanced at Yunhua's lantern, which happened to be hanging on the protruding eaves of the fourth floor.
She bit her lip, flicked her right wrist, and threw the dragon beard noodles away.
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