Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Master and Disciple? Then you two should bow first.
With Bai Lu's vocabulary, it was difficult to find adjectives that were precise enough to describe what he saw, but Huo Xuexiang could tell from his eyes how fascinated he was. He was simply mesmerized by the colorful scene.
"No rush, let's walk and watch." Huo Xuexiang gently pushed Bai Lu away, and the two of them completely merged into the crowd of people watching the lights.
During the Bailu Festival, you can see the lamps for worshipping gods displayed in various temples along the streets. Usually there is a large main lamp, but there are many small ones that are different from each other. Moreover, when auspicious times come, they will be assembled with singing and dancing troupes, and the statues of gods will be carried out to parade in the streets together.
The lamps for worshipping gods in every temple are different, and even passers-by say that the styles are different every year. Bai Lu looked at them and compared them in her mind. Although the lamp for worshipping gods of Lord Shen Guang was the largest and most spectacular, there were also some exquisite and smaller lamps.
Oh, why doesn’t Shenguan Bay let me be a judge? If I were to come, how would I rate them... Bai Lu has already started imagining it.
"The boss said before that there are ninety-nine temples. Now that I have counted them, it seems that it is not enough." Bai Lu also calculated the approximate area of the town based on the streets she had walked through and the area she had seen from the sky before.
Huo Xuexiang smiled and said, "This number is sometimes a figurative reference, just like a waterfall falling three thousand feet, it may not be a real three thousand."
"Playing word games again." Bai Lu said angrily. He had been fooled many times.
As time goes by, not only do the parade teams come out one after another, the sacrificial lanterns shine like a sea of stars, and many places also set up platforms for performances. Bai Lu gathers around to watch, having a great time.
As night fell, Bai Lu took off his gauze hat and took out a cloak instead. He and his master each wore one and put on a hat. No one noticed them. Besides, the weather was just getting cooler, so some passersby wore cloaks or capes, which were not conspicuous.
It can be seen that most people travel in groups, especially young men and women, and there are also singles who fall in love with each other and exchange glances on the spot. It seems that this is a place with a strong social attribute.
But because even the narrow streets were crowded with people, Bai Lu had to stand almost next to Huo Xuexiang. In the end, she simply grabbed Huo Xuexiang's clothes with one hand to prevent the two from being squeezed apart.
"Excuse me, thank you for your help..."
A scholar protected his wife with his hands and walked through the crowd. A little maidservant was accompanying him. When people saw him, most of them avoided him and some even called him "chief".
Bai Lu heard someone talking nearby:
"The leader and his wife have come to the Moon Temple again. It is true that they are deeply in love."
"You can tell from the leader's expression how much he loves Madam Zhong. They hold hands to worship the Moon God. Their affection is the envy of others."
"The headmaster's wife is well-versed in literature and calligraphy, and she often distributes porridge at the Moon Temple. A virtuous wife means a peaceful family..."
Oh, I roughly understood them as a model couple, but the specific words everyone used touched upon Bai Lu's huge blind spot in knowledge: "What is a mandarin duck? What does the leader do?"
"The chief is in charge of the general affairs of this town..." Huo Xuexiang said this and simply described it as "equivalent to Ning Yanhu of this town."
Bai Lu suddenly realized and understood completely: "Oh!!"
Then I couldn't help laughing, and felt that Master was becoming more and more flexible in teaching.
Huo Xuexiang also smiled. He really had to use some unconventional teaching methods when teaching Bai Lu.
"As for 鹣貽, it is the collective name of two animals. 鹣 is a love-winged bird, one with only the left wing and the other with only the right wing, and they can only fly together. 貽 is a flatfish, and they must also move together. Because they are always together, it is used to describe the deep love between husband and wife."
As soon as Huo Xuexiang finished explaining, Bai Lu looked at the two of them, who were also pressed together, and said meaningfully, "It might be too crowded to be together all the time!"
Just as he finished speaking, someone else came over and squeezed them even closer together.
Huo Xuexiang could feel that Bai Lu was almost completely in his arms. When he looked up, he saw that her green eyes reflected the light of the world, flickering gently like a dream.
Amid the noise, Huo Xuexiang pursed his lips slightly, without making any movement for a while. Bai Lu wanted to make a joke, but somehow she didn't say anything, as if she was distracted, with all sorts of thoughts flying around in her mind.
"Hey, are you two coming in?" The believer at the Moon Temple next door asked when he saw them hugging each other at the door. Many believers will come to volunteer at the Lantern Festival today.
The two turned around, and the believer saw them clearly and said, "Please go to the opposite side. This is the Moon Temple. The Temple of Lord Shenguang is opposite. You can go there to worship."
They even made way for the other side. The believers on the other side seemed to have heard what was happening and shouted, "This way, Lord Shen Guang is here. Are you two strangers? Don't go the wrong way."
"Hey?" Bai Lu didn't understand what he heard, but he could tell that the Shen Guang Hou Ye Temple was just across the street, but why did they have to go there? He remembered the Shen Guang Hou Ye's particularly spectacular lantern, and didn't know what it would look like when it was lit, so he followed the crowd into the temple across the street.
"Master, didn't a boss say that we can come to the Shen Guang Hou Ye Temple to worship? I wonder what the business scope here is?" Bai Lu looked around. Probably because of the social nature of tonight, there were many couples visiting here.
Eavesdrop!
The couple on the right, wearing hooded cloaks, the man said: "Let's go and pay our respects to the Marquis. I'm afraid my parents will come to arrest me. But I'm running out of money, so let's bring less offerings..."
Woman: "Qin Lang, I still have some money saved..."
It seems that he is not blessed by his family.
Bai Lu thought of Romeo and Juliet... No, in the East, the analogy should be Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai?
On the left, a man and a woman also wore veils to cover their faces. The man whispered, "Your husband won't be back tonight, will he?"
The woman laughed and said, "Don't worry, I can't make it back in time."
Um?
Bai Lu and Huo Xuexiang both paused for a moment. Uh... it seems like you guys are not blessed by your family...
Bai Lu screamed in her heart: Ahhhh, are all the people who come to this temple for some niche romance?
Oh, by the way, the boss said that since Lord Shen Guang is the new god, he should bless him in everything so that he can make a name for himself?
Yes, Shenguan Bay is said to have ninety-nine temples. It would be difficult to divide the market if everyone’s business overlapped. This is the importance of vertical segmentation, which is good for both the temples and the believers.
When you think about it this way, it’s a bit funny, so funny that Bai Lu seemed to have forgotten some details.
Until two scholars waiting in line to burn incense in front turned around and looked at the two strangers, it was unclear whether they were passing merchants or from other towns.
Their eyes met and Bai Lu smiled in a friendly manner as usual.
The scholar felt that he was a fellow traveler, so he smiled and said, "Brother, you are here to worship Lord Shen Guang as well? Don't you have any incense?"
As he spoke, he kindly gave them a few incense sticks. As for the offerings... he saw Bai Lu holding a bunch of things, including some cakes in her arms, so they must be offerings to the gods.
He was so kind. Bai Lu took the free stuff subconsciously and thought about it later.
Huo Xuexiang also slowly reached out and pinched the incense, then tilted his head towards Bai Lu, with a very familiar look of wanting to say something but stopping himself.
Bai Lu took the incense reflexively, then looked back at Huo Xuexiang, not knowing why her master was looking at her. Two seconds later, she reacted instantly and remembered what she had overlooked.
Oh! Those people just asked him and Huo Xuexiang to come here because they thought they were also——
No, you guys!!!
Bai Lu rarely felt so embarrassed, and said in a daze: "Uh, we are master and disciple, and he is my master."
The two scholars were in awe after hearing this, "Is it still an illicit love? Brother, please pay your respects first."
Bai Lu: “…………”
Bai Lu felt her ears getting hot. What kind of understanding ability do these two people have? !
His brain was stuck for a while... Bai Lu thought he should say something witty at this time, such as thank you guys, is that what I need? Or explain that you misunderstood?
At this moment, Bai Lu couldn't remember anything, everything was blank.
At this time, Huo Xuexiang silently pulled Bai Lu forward, passed the kind couple and stood in front of them, showing his composure as a master.
...That’s right, Master is right. We just need to go along with him now, otherwise everyone will be embarrassed.
Bai Lu looked around and was disappointed to find that the sacrificial lamps in the Shen Guang Hou Ye Temple had probably been taken out with the procession, so they were not in the temple, and even the altar was empty.
"Master, haven't all these statues gone out to parade? Is it still useful for everyone to come in and worship the gods? Or did Lord Shen Guang leave the office director here?"
"Have you seen that command flag? It is equivalent to distracting the spirit. Pilgrims can enter the temple and burn incense as usual during the parade." When Huo Xuexiang flicked the incense, Bai Lu seemed to see a little faint light in the temple, flying from the pilgrims to the command flag.
"That's..." Bai Lu didn't know what to say, she didn't know him.
Huo Xuexiang explained: "That is the power of will, the faith of mortals. There are also some at Liuxian Gorge."
Oh, those mortals who crossed the sea also believed in the earthly immortals...
The two men came closer, whispered a few words, lit the incense, and then left the team.
Because most of the people who come to the Temple of Lord Shen Guang do not have orthodox wishes, and due to the social nature of the Lantern Festival, most of them are couples. Everyone is just like each other, and no one looks at Bai Lu and the others strangely.
Still, quite open...
There are many temples in Shenguang Bay, but each temple is actually not very big, including the Shenguang Houye Temple. There is a big tree in the middle of the yard with many wishing charms hung on it, and the whole temple can be seen at a glance.
Bai Lu took a casual look around and was about to leave when she saw a half-grown local dog standing up from under the altar and trying to eat the offerings.
"Wangcai!" The temple keeper nearby frowned and was about to step forward and kick the dog.
"Huhuhuhu, Wangcai?" Bai Lu called out twice, and after receiving the general signal, the local dog immediately came over.
It has a white background with yellow patterns and fluffy fur, and a red rope tied around its neck to prove that it is not a stray dog.
Because she had just been scolded, only the tip of her pale pink tongue stuck out a little bit, her watery eyes were wide open, and her ears were drooping, looking pitiful.
Wangcai might have smelled the cakes and goat milk on Bailu's body, so he nudged him affectionately, and circled around him and Huo Xue to act cute, his tail almost leaving a shadow.
The temple keeper saw this and ignored it.
Bai Lu couldn't help but reach out and turn Wangcai over. The dog didn't resist at all. He exposed his belly and still looked at them with his tongue slightly sticking out.
"Swish!" Bai Lu turned around and made Wangcai spin upside down.
Wangcai: “…”
Temple priest: “…”
The dog was dizzy from the white dew and looked at him resentfully, probably not realizing that its true feelings had been misplaced.
But Bai Lu soon proved that Wangcai's cuteness was not in vain. She took out the snacks she bought for Wangcai to eat, and even borrowed a small bowl from the temple and poured in the goat milk she bought. Wangcai buried his whole head in the bowl and licked it.
After eating, Wangcai followed the two of them closely and did not stop until they reached the entrance of the Shenguang Houye Temple.
"Don't follow me, or people will think I stole a dog." Bai Lu glanced at the temple keeper guiltily, but the keeper didn't care at all. It was unclear if it was because he was too busy or if most dogs in towns were free-range.
Wangcai stuck out his tongue and squeezed in between them.
"You like us so much." Bai Lu and Huo Xuexiang stood so close that it could squeeze into the dog's head, which showed its determination and perseverance. Bai Lu joked, "Well, little dog, help me find the medicine store."
Wangcai tilted his head and looked at them.
Thinking of the phrase "xuanhu jishi", Bai Lu took out the gourd filled with goat milk again and made a hanging and swinging motion.
"Woo..." Wangcai hummed, and actually ran forward a few steps. Then he looked back at them, as if signaling them to follow.
Bai Lu stood up in surprise and ran forward two steps. He had originally wanted to ask passers-by, and it was just a casual question at this time. He didn't expect to really get something in return. It really shows that good deeds will be rewarded.
Wangcai jumped around among the parade team and the crowd watching the lanterns, looking back from time to time to make sure they were following him.
At this time, the night was getting deeper, and the dog's shadow was stretched out on the long bluestone street. No processions passed by on this road, so it was not that lively. Only the lanterns welcoming the gods under the eaves were lit.
From a distance, Bai Lu saw a sign with a gourd on it.
Wangcai stopped at the door of the drugstore, looked up at Bailu and wagged his tail as if asking for credit. Bailu gave him two more pieces of cakes, and the dog happily left with the cakes in his mouth.
It was a coincidence that many shop owners were not at home because of the parade, which gave Bai Lu and his friends the opportunity to break in. The two of them entered the pharmacy and flipped through the records of the doctors who were seeing patients there, checking them page by page, and just in case, they copied down all the babies born this year.
So far, there are about thirty people who have come to the pharmacy or received medical treatment at home. This number can be narrowed down to eight based on the month, but the dates are not recorded in such detail.
“Ancestor Keyun is on this list. Let’s compare them one by one.” After leaving the pharmacy, Bai Lu felt quite a bit of interest in solving a case with the list in his hand. Haha, let’s see how he unravels the mystery and finds Immortal Lord Keyun.
"Light the lamps, light the lamps!"
Bai Lu could faintly hear the voices from the neighboring street. What kind of lights were being lit?
I can't see this location either.
I want to watch the fun, too. I want to watch the fun, too. Bai Lu wanted to quicken his pace, but Huo Xuexiang, who was standing beside him, had already hugged him with one hand and jumped onto the roof. At this moment, a firework also soared into the sky and bloomed in the sky.
"Wow!" Bai Lu exclaimed in surprise, then glanced at the pedestrians below, afraid of being discovered, so he cast an invisibility spell on his and his master's cloaks.
In the darkness of the night, no one would look up and notice the master and disciple on the roof. Bai Lu sat here peacefully watching the fireworks in the sky.
Not only were there fireworks, but the parade teams had already completed their parade along the predetermined route, and then burned the sacrificial lamps in the open space - it turned out that at the end of the Lantern Festival, they would burn the carefully prepared sacrificial lamps along with paper gold ingots, colorful paper flowers and incense together.
The flames licked the exquisite and tall sacrificial lamp and engulfed it. There was kerosene in the lamp, and in order to make the lighting effect more spectacular, it was burning extremely spectacularly now, complementing the fireworks in the sky and illuminating the entire sky.
It makes people feel sad, but also beautiful.
From this perspective, you can see the entire scene, not just all the lights.
I don’t know how many young people fell in love tonight, and they went to the Lantern Festival in pairs. Those who are already married were also very sweet, and the whole family held hands and sang along with the drums. Their laughter could be heard even from the rooftops by Bai Lu.
Just like Valentine's Day, Bai Lu thought of the corresponding modern scene again.
But Bai Lu was not envious at all. Only lonely people would envy couples. Bai Lu looked up and saw that his master was with him.
Huo Xuexiang was still standing tall, but Bai Lu had already squatted down like a beast on the roof.
As if he noticed Bai Lu looking at him, Huo Xuexiang lowered his head and witnessed Bai Lu fiddling with the corner of his clothes. As he fiddled, he seemed to be tired and naturally leaned to the side, leaning against his legs, looking very leisurely.
Huo Xuexiang whispered a poem: "The sound of the phoenix flute moves, the light of the jade pot turns, and the fish and dragons dance all night."
Bai Lu looked up blankly, mumbling something.
Huo Xuexiang raised his head again and saw the lights were as bright as day.
moment.
"bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art, not in lone splendour..."
Bai Lu also recited a few sentences softly, and at first there was a mischievous smile in her tone, as if to say, I also want to read something you don’t know.
This is Keats's "The Splendid Star". The current atmosphere made Bai Lu think of this poem at the first time, probably because of the lovers on the street. The world changes, the stars remain unchanged, but some things transcend time and space.
Bai Lu smoothed out the wrinkled corners of Huo Xuexiang's clothes, his tone unconsciously becoming gentle, the verses of the poem lingering between his lips and teeth, gradually fading away.
Huo Xuexiang might not understand it, but from Bai Lu's soothing tone and rhythm, he could probably tell that it was a poem.
They both recited a poem that the other didn't understand, and didn't explain it. Looking at the beautiful scenery of the bay town, the night breeze was blowing, and the lights in the town showed their final splendor. Even if they didn't do anything, they felt indescribably comfortable.
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