Fourth Master, along with Tenth Master and Fourteenth Master, went to the riverbank to watch the local celebrations for the Dragon Boat Festival. Before they knew it, the festival was almost here. Local customs include dragon boat races and then a trip to Mount Wutai to worship Buddha and offer incense.
Rows of finished dragon boats, adorned with lanterns, floated on the river, appearing somewhat eerie in the pitch-black night. However, the lively chatter along the riverbank quickly dispelled any sense of unease. People were placing small slips of paper with blessings for their families written on them inside lotus lanterns, letting them float away. It was said that this was a way of praying to the river god for blessings, and it was very effective.
"Fourth Brother! Let's go release a lantern too!" Tenth Master thought of Shuhui and the big, healthy son she had given him. Since taking Shuhui as his concubine, Tenth Master seemed much more composed and knew how to behave appropriately.
"Sending him to this is like asking a pig to climb a tree!" Fourteen said with a grin.
Fourth Master glared at him and said to Tenth Master, "Let's go, let's release the lanterns!"
After saying that, Fourth Master and Tenth Master walked together toward the group of vendors selling paper lotus lanterns, leaving the dazed Fourteenth Master standing there. However, he just smiled and immediately chased after them.
The three men approached the vendor and chose their preferred lotus flower designs. The vendor, an old man, noticed the three men looked unfamiliar and asked with a smile, "You three gentlemen aren't from around here, are you?"
Fourteen raised an eyebrow at him and chuckled, "Old man, you have a good eye. But how did you know we're not locals?"
The old man chuckled and said, “I’ve been selling lotus lanterns here for over twenty years. I’ve watched people come here to release lotus lanterns every year for over twenty years. You guys look like you’re seeing these lotus lanterns for the first time, so I figured you’re not locals.”
Fourth Master nodded and said, "Old man, you have a good eye. You recognize everyone you've met in the past twenty years?"
The old man nodded smugly and boasted to Fourth Master, "I don't have any other skills, but my memory is unwavering. I can remember almost everyone I've met before when I see them again."
Before Fourth Master could speak, a clear voice suddenly rang out from behind the old man: "Father, quickly give me ten lotus lanterns!"
A little girl, no more than fourteen years old, popped out from under the old man's arm and said cheerfully, "A customer over there wants ten lanterns. Dad, hurry up and give them to me!"
Seeing that Fourth Master and the others were picking through their food, the old man said to the little girl, "Xiniu, you stay here and keep an eye on things. I'll go get some from your mother. We don't have enough for ten here."
Xi Niu nodded and instructed her father, "Dad, go and get it. I'll watch over it!"
After the old man left, Fourth Master and the other two each took a lotus lantern. They saw the little girl staring blankly at Fourteen. No wonder, Fourteen was only nineteen, tall and handsome, his hormones practically bursting out of him.
"Little girl, our fourteenth brother charges a fee, you know, if you keep looking like that!" the tenth master joked. The fourth master also smiled.
When Xi Niu heard what the Tenth Master said, her face immediately flushed red. However, she was not ashamed and pouted, saying, "I think he should just give him one. Why should he give both of you?"
The girl's words immediately made Fourteenth Prince blush. Although he now had several princesses in his household besides Wanyan, and was no stranger to matters between men and women, this was the first time he had been confessed to by a young girl like this.
"Hey, Fourteenth Prince, you've got some luck with women today!" Tenth Prince teased Fourteenth Prince, amused by Xi Niu's straightforward personality.
"Lotus lantern, twenty copper coins, twenty for each of you two, yours? It's free, you can have it." Xi Niu truly refused to accept fourteen coins.
Tenth Master immediately took out a tael of silver from his purse and handed it to Xiniu, saying, "Keep the change."
Fourteen immediately took out a tael of silver from his purse and handed it to Xiniu, saying, "We are strangers, I don't need you to give me this!"
Fourth Master glanced at them, a smile curving his lips as he watched the two brothers chatting and laughing with a little girl.
"I said I don't want your money, and that means I don't want it." When Xi Niu saw that Fourteen refused to take her lamp, she immediately said angrily, "I still need to give you your money. My father never lets me take more money from guests."
After saying that, the girl immediately took out some copper coins from her purse and returned them to Master Shi.
"The young lady is quite spirited. How many outsiders come here every year?" Fourth Master asked.
"Not many, they're all from the same village, so we don't charge much. But there have been quite a few outsiders this year!" Xiniu said.
"Oh, how many people?" Fourth Master asked.
"I don't know, but I saw some strangers over there. They looked strange, like they were buying a boat, and they were talking to my brother Erganzi about it. My brother Erganzi is famous for making the best dragon boats. Last year, he even won first place in the dragon boat race. These outsiders actually want to participate in our county's dragon boat race." Although Xi Niu had a certain liking for Fourteenth Prince, she also had a good impression of the calm and collected Fourth Prince, so she kept talking.
"Oh? What kind of reward is there for winning first place in the dragon boat race?" Fourth Master and Tenth Master exchanged a glance and asked.
“You can go to the temple on Mount Wutai to receive blessings from the abbot. You haven’t even asked around, but the blessings from the abbot of Mount Wutai here are an incredible blessing that everyone wants. Every year, they put in all their effort to prepare the dragon boats to win this dragon boat race.” Seeing that Fourth Master knew nothing, Xi Niu began to introduce him to the local customs and traditions.
It wasn't until the old man returned with a basket of lotus lanterns that Xiniu took ten lanterns from her father's basket and went to find the customer who bought her lotus lanterns. When she left, she looked at the Fourteenth Master with reluctance.
"Fourteenth Master, why don't you take that little girl who sells lotus lanterns as your wife? She's quite pretty and straightforward," the Tenth Master joked with Fourteenth Master.
"If you want to accept it, you can accept it yourself." Ever since a girl confessed her feelings to him, Fourteen has felt extremely uncomfortable.
"Let's go release river lanterns!" Fourth Master stopped the two of them from joking around.
The three of them walked towards the river with lotus lanterns, but Fourth Master was thinking about what Xiniu had just said.
After writing down their blessings, the three of them placed their blessings into paper lanterns, and then, following the example of the locals, released the lotus lanterns into the river.
As Fourth Master gazed at the endless stream of river lanterns, he thought of Lanqin, and the zongzi she had once made for him. He wondered what she must be like now, pregnant with two children.
"Fourth Brother, what did you write?" Tenth Master asked, seeing Fourth Brother's calm expression.
"Naturally, I pray for peace and prosperity for the Qing Dynasty, and for Father Emperor to enjoy long life and good fortune!" Fourth Prince said casually.
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