I walked along carrying a peony lantern. People were parading in the street, and I pulled Xie Yuancheng along with me. It felt like I was in Sizhou, where some people were also walking around carrying lanterns, and we were acting as inside agents in the city.
"Ying'er, come closer to me." Xie Yuancheng squeezed two people over, and I took his hand and walked with him. The peony lantern was just enough to light the way.
"Yuancheng, what are they doing? They're walking at a leisurely pace, and they even have smiles on their faces."
"Go to the Heavenly Lantern Palace to pay respects to the Heavenly Maiden and pray for a smooth year, just to get good luck."
“I understand. When we pass by the Twenty-Four Bridges later, we can light up the lanterns. I don’t like watching lantern displays. With you by my side, why would I need to worship the gods?”
"That sweet talk of hers, she really knows how to coax me." Xie Yuancheng pulled me out, almost setting my peony lantern on fire.
“Yuancheng, you’re so naughty! This is a peony lantern you made for me. It has your painting on it, as well as my portrait. The bottom has red tassels and white jade rings that you made. It’s worth several taels of silver if you buy it. I’m going to hang it in the yard and look at it every day.”
"Okay, I'll do whatever Ying'er says." Xie Yuancheng hugged me right there in the street. Luckily, it was a lively day with lots of people, and I didn't know anyone. I blushed and pulled him along as we ran.
In the dim light, the streets were crowded with people. We ran all the way carrying the peony lantern, but didn't run into anyone we knew. I love pulling him along as we run through the streets, as if we could run into the future.
"Ying'er, slow down. If you fall, you'll get a beating when we get home." Xie Yuancheng smiled and took my hand. The Twenty-Four Bridges were already ahead, and I was very careful with my feet so I wouldn't fall.
"No, the bridge is just ahead. I want to release a lantern for you, I want to be with you." I pulled Xie Yuancheng along, holding up a peony lantern to light his way.
Xie Yuancheng was pulling at me, and he almost lifted my skirt up. "Yuancheng, stop! If you tear my skirt, people will want you to carry it when we get home."
“Carry me, don’t walk with Ying’er.” He really knows how to do that. When he picked me up, I was almost scared. The peony lantern almost fell. I could only hold him tightly and hold the lantern in front of me. “I can see. Ying’er’s eyesight is not good. I’ve been by your side for so many years. Why do you still want to play tricks on me?”
"Who's playing tricks on you? Going to release lanterns with you is playing tricks on me. I'm never going out with you again." I just wouldn't reply to him, let's see what he does.
"You little rascal, you dare talk back to me? I'll teach you a lesson!" He really knew how to hit me. I quickly braced myself. "So? Do you want to talk back?"
"Yes, I did something wrong before. Little Chengcheng, please be magnanimous. Don't hold it against a young lady like me during the New Year. That's not very gentlemanly of you."
"That's a good boy. If you go against me again next time, I won't be polite." You've never been polite to me either, have you? I nodded, leaning against him. My arms were getting sore. We finally reached the bottom of the bridge.
I held up the peony lantern for him to see. "The peony on it is painted so well. Under the lantern, it looks just like a real peony. If peonies had spirits, they would definitely be able to meet Lü Dongbin during the Lantern Festival. Maybe the two immortals could even have a romantic encounter, and we could also see the fairy ascending to heaven."
"My dear Ying'er, I'm just drawing you a lantern and that's all I have to say. If I were to draw you a beautiful woman carrying a lantern, would you say that the Goddess of Wushan has appeared?"
“That’s right, my husband can do everything, so I’ll praise you.” I carried the lantern for him. Several people were laughing just now. Fortunately, the night was dark and there was a thin mist, so I couldn’t see Xie Yuancheng’s face clearly. Otherwise, another group of women who liked life in the Marquis’s mansion would have come.
"Where's the lantern? Didn't you bring it?" Xie Yuancheng was deliberately trying to make things difficult for me. The lantern was clearly with him, yet he still wanted to take it from me. "What's wrong? If Ying'er doesn't give us the lantern, how are we supposed to release it? We can release the lantern inside the mansion, and it can even float to the river outside. You just had to come out."
"Yuancheng~" I deliberately fiddled with the peony lantern, slightly raising my head, and conveying my feelings to him with my eyes filled with the light. It took me most of the day to master this.
"If you dare flirt with me outside again, we're going back right now!" Knowing he couldn't stand it, I held the lamp in front of me and slowly walked forward.
Xie Yuancheng followed me. I took the small path, which was paved with stones and less crowded. There weren't many people releasing lanterns here; they were all below, where they could see the river, talk to each other, and sit down—it was much better than here.
"If you try to run away again, I'll carry you home." Xie Yuancheng blocked my way, and the river was right in front of us. "You still want to run? Even if you cry your heart out in my arms, don't try to play tricks on me."
"Yuancheng~ I'm going to release lanterns~" I held up a peony lantern for him to see, but I blew it out. "No way! If you kiss someone outside, I won't talk to you when we get back."
"What do you want me to do? I'm not going to do what Ying'er wants and throw away the peony lantern. If you don't throw it away, I'll jump into the river with you. Lots of people will be watching."
"If it's lost, it's lost, but you have to pick it up for me, and it can't be damaged."
"Of course." Xie Yuancheng breathed on my face, and I smiled. I threw it into the river, but Xie Yuancheng stopped me as soon as I got to the riverbank.
"Alright, this lantern has really opened my eyes tonight. If Ying'er doesn't come up with a solo lantern dance for me when we get back, I won't let you off the hook."
"What?!" I tried to grab the lantern, but Xie Yuancheng's kung fu is much better than mine. It would be a miracle if I could even get it.
"Come and try to steal it again, why aren't you stealing it anymore?" Xie Yuancheng waved the lamp in front of me, and all I could see was the glittering jade ring on the lamp and the gold thread on the paper that was not easily visible.
"I'm so tired, hurry up and give me the lantern so I can take care of Xiao Chengcheng when we get back." I sat down on the ground and stopped trying to take it from him. Unless Xie Yuancheng was waterproof, I wouldn't be able to get it.
"Ying'er, you've really gone too far. All you do is tease me and then pretend to be innocent." Xie Yuancheng put the peony lantern aside, clapped his hands twice, and two people came out.
Before I could even react, they took the peony lantern, leaving behind only one flower lantern. "Why is there only one? I want to release it with you."
"We're husband and wife, so one lantern is just right. If we put two lanterns, we'll look like lovers." The way she says that makes it sound like we're not lovers, like she's both wife and lover.
"You're the most right." I called Xie Yuancheng over, took his hand, and walked downstairs. He needed to light his tinder, so I quickly carried the lantern to the other side.
"You water ghost!" I was about to say something to him when I heard a voice from not far away. When I tried to stand up, Xie Yuancheng pressed me down.
"If this is about releasing lanterns, then the water ghost is the water lantern. Ying'er will find out soon enough."
"A water ghost is a water lantern? Could it be a lantern hidden in the water? That shouldn't be possible. Lanterns would go out if they got into water or were blown out by the wind."
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