Chapter 131 Prayer
Eunuch Li was afraid that these muscular men would rebel, but it was getting late, and now was the perfect time to go to the river. He was in a dilemma.
Xie Mianmian patted the shoulders of the two beasts on either side and said, "You two stay here and keep them in check. Come find Mianmian when the government officials arrive, okay?"
One beast might not be enough; two would be just right.
The two beasts looked troubled. What if they encountered danger again when they weren't with Mianmian?
"Human hearts are unpredictable." Xie Mianmian pointed to the child who was still asleep on the chair.
"This has already come true. There are so many people outside, there's no danger. Mianmian will go to the riverbank and save you a big spot. We'll release river lanterns together later!"
The two beasts, successfully fooled by Xie Mianmian, nodded, their faces full of anticipation.
They've never participated in this kind of mysterious blessing ceremony unique to two-legged creatures before; it should be a lot of fun.
Xie Mianmian waved to the two beasts left in the shop, and the group headed towards He Chuan's lantern stall.
A man and a woman were still chatting behind the stall, the atmosphere was just right, and Xie Mianmian could still hear her second sister praising her when she walked over.
"I have never seen such a skillful person; you are the only one."
Wow, what high praise! Xie Mianmian had never received such praise from her second sister before. She looked at her chubby little hands. But her second sister had said that she was the most well-behaved child in the world, hehe.
The little girl tugged at Xie Mingyi's sleeve, "Mianmian is back! The food at that restaurant was so delicious. Can Mianmian bring that chef back to the manor?"
Xie Mingyi said helplessly, "How can you take away someone else's chef without reason?"
"That shop has closed down now, and the chef has nowhere to go, but his cucumber salad was really delicious."
Xie Mianmian winked at Eunuch Li, "Quickly say something for Mianmian! We agreed before we came that we'd keep it from Second Sister for now, and we'd talk about it after the river lanterns are released."
Eunuch Li smiled and said, "What the princess said is indeed true."
Xie Mingyi pinched Xie Mianmian's soft, chubby cheeks. "Alright, you really are the biggest glutton in the world."
"Let's go release river lanterns, everyone!"
He Chuan grinned and took out the finished river lanterns. "I wonder if I have the honor of using these river lanterns to accompany you in your prayers?"
Everyone agreed that such exquisite river lanterns were something they couldn't have wanted.
And so, the group, carrying loads of river lanterns, found a quiet spot by the Liu River.
The so-called Willow River, as its name suggests, is lined with a row of willow trees along its banks. The delicate willow leaves flutter in the wind, like a flowing emerald green dress.
Strands of willow leaves brushed against Xie Mingyi's hair, and then there was the sound of her heart pounding. He Chuan quickly lowered his head and tidied up the things in his hands, not daring to look any longer.
But one can't help but steal a few glances; Miss Xie, fluttering in the willow leaves under the bright night sky, is probably a sight one will only see once in a lifetime.
What kind of lucky limited edition is this?
He Chuan placed the river lanterns on the ground one by one. These were lotus-shaped river lanterns, with delicate pink petals blooming in layers.
The petals curled slightly at the edges. Xie Mianmian gently picked up a flower and felt as if she had truly plucked a vibrant lotus.
He Chuan then took out several calligraphy brushes and handed them to everyone, saying, "We can write our wishes on the flower petals, and I believe they will come true."
Xie Mianmian lightly moistened her brush and carefully wrote on a petal, "May everyone be safe and sound."
Finally, when it came time to sign her name, Xie Mianmian took a shortcut. She drew a simple little figure to represent herself, and after looking around, she realized that the two beasts hadn't arrived yet.
Xie Mianmian licked her lips, picked up her pen, and drew a small snake on the left side of the little figure, and a large dog that had been blacked out on the right side.
He paused, then drew a small white dog in the little figure's arms, and then drew a bird in the shape of the Chinese character "人" (person) in mid-air.
After admiring her masterpiece for a while, Xie Mianmian smiled with satisfaction.
While everyone was busy writing their wishes and no one was paying attention to her, Xie Mianmian parted a petal.
With her head bowed and her eyes almost touching the ink, the child wrote the word "mother" with utmost seriousness, as if she could see the person from her dreams one last time through the cold ink.
After finishing writing, the chubby little hand touched the still-wet ink, and the little mouth blew air into it.
Once the ink had completely dried, Xie Mianmian concealed the unusual petal within it, so no one could discover her hidden thoughts.
Xie Mianmian lowered her eyes. She knew that the river lanterns released by people during the Ghost Festival were not only a sincere prayer for peace and health, but also a way to commemorate their ancestors and express their grief.
"Mianmian has finished writing."
She moved closer to the Seventh Prince, wanting to see his prayer, but the Seventh Prince held the lotus lantern high, preventing her from seeing it.
"If you see it, it won't work anymore," the Seventh Prince said.
Xie Mianmian babbled on, "Who said you can't see it? Then who can know your wish? If no one knows, how can they help you fulfill it?"
"Then who will look at the river lanterns placed in the water?" the Seventh Prince asked rhetorically.
Xie Mianmian pouted, "Of course it's... a god. He'll grant our wishes if he sees them."
The Seventh Prince gestured for her to look at the river, "There are so many river lanterns, thousands upon thousands of wishes, how could the gods possibly handle them all?"
People along the riverbanks began releasing river lanterns one after another, the twinkling candlelight resembling stars falling into the tranquil Liu River.
Xie Mianmian held the river lantern in one hand and put the other on her hip, then pouted and asked, "Since Young Master Zhou doesn't believe in gods, why did you write down your wish?"
The Seventh Prince gazed gently at the river lanterns. "Of course, it's to remind myself that I will fulfill my wishes."
He looked at Xie Mianmian, whose cheeks were puffed out, with amusement. "You can also tell me your wishes, and if I'm in a good mood, I'll grant them all for you."
"You're bad." Xie Mianmian turned her head away.
The seventh prince found the angry child amusing and chased after him, saying, "I am more effective than any ethereal deity."
Xie Mianmian turned her head away again. The Seventh Prince has turned bad. He wasn't like this before.
He Chuan also wrote down his wishes. He didn't write anything about wanting to be the top scholar in the imperial examination. He would work hard in the autumn examination, but the only thing he wasn't sure about was his sweetheart.
He hoped to see her every year from now on, but He Chuan wasn't greedy; seeing her a few times a year would be fine too.
Compared to their elaborate and extravagant wishes, Xie Mingyi simply hopes that her family can all be safe and sound; that is enough for her.
He Chuan took out a tinderbox and lit the candles on everyone's river lanterns.
The candle radiates a bright, dazzling, and intense light from the center of the lotus, like a seed carrying hope.
He Chuan said, "Once the lotus lanterns are placed in the river, there will be a different scene."
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