Chapter 27 On the seventh day of the seventh month, I envy not the meeting of the two stars, for my beloved is by my side.
It is now the scorching heat of July, and after the moon shines brightly and the fragrance of osmanthus fades, we must prepare light cotton clothes in advance, hoping to give them to her in September. Finally, when the Great Cold arrives and she puts on her winter clothes, she will have been here for about a year.
On the night of the Qixi Festival, we light lamps to ignite the flames; on the Mid-Autumn Festival, we drink osmanthus wine under the moon; and on the winter solstice, the evening sky threatens snow. Reflecting on the seasons and daily routines that follow, I find myself unconsciously embracing a figure that accompanies me day and night.
With such anticipation, the Qixi Festival has arrived, the Milky Way shines brightly, and thousands of homes resonate with the sounds of music.
Having heard Lan Shexiang mention the local customs, Su Jinxiu had been preparing meticulously for the Qixi Festival well in advance.
They cut green bamboo into a frame, wove bamboo into a shed, and then used colorful silk ribbons as curtains to create a fairy pavilion. On it, they carved images of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl and other immortals. This fairy pavilion was placed in the courtyard to await the arrival of the two stars when they crossed the Milky Way to pray for skill.
She is now doing well in her business and has plenty of spare money, which she has used to renovate her old house in Xiuxiang.
Initially, I intended to find a spacious house in Bowei Lane, but then I thought of the lively atmosphere of Xiu Lane, so I didn't move. Instead, I renovated this place to make it more livable.
A new gate was added, the space was expanded to create a courtyard, and the rooms were all renovated. Bluestone was laid in front of the steps, and orchids and osmanthus were planted all around, their fragrance filling the air with the breeze. Her bedroom and Wen Shiqin's bedroom faced each other from east to west, separated by a hall. They saw each other morning and evening, and felt even closer together.
On his way home, Wen Shiqin carried two Mohele (a type of ancient Chinese wine vessel) in his sleeve and walked briskly.
He spotted the Mohler doll at the market; the male doll had a golden crown and brocade robe, while the female doll had double buns hanging down her shoulders. They looked like a miniature couple, and their close embrace made him immediately take out his money.
Hearing the sound in the lamplight, Su Jinxiu turned around, her attire making her seem as if she had stepped out of a Tang Dynasty painting.
The bright red, high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) spread out like a crimson sunset, embroidered with intricate lotus flower patterns. The blue-and-white gradient shawl worn over it is like smoke and mist, contrasting elegantly with the red of the dress. Her black hair is styled into symmetrical buns, adorned with pearl hairpins and a red velvet flower. Two thin braids hang down in front of her chest, each ending in a small silver bell that jingles as she moves.
Wen Shiqin stood frozen at the threshold, all the words he had just spoken vanishing. He was used to seeing his elder sister in plain clothes, but he never imagined that she would look so stunning in bright clothes and makeup.
"Aqin?" Su Jinxiu saw him standing frozen on the threshold for a long time without saying a word, so she took the palace lantern and stepped forward, waving her slender hand in front of his eyes.
Wen Shiqin then came to his senses and his gaze fell on the lantern in her hand. It was made of plum branches, with a gilded plum blossom sticking out from among the gnarled branches. Below it hung a milky white gauze palace lantern, which looked like a proud plum branch burning with light in the snow.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he chuckled, "I thought it was a beautiful fairy who had fallen from the sky; I didn't recognize her as my elder sister for a moment."
Su Jinxiu blushed with a rosy glow at his praise. She lowered her eyes to look at the palace lantern in her hand and said softly, "This is a dress that I went to the brocade bureau with Shexiang a few days ago to choose. I was worried that it would be too bright and tacky."
Wen Shiqin shook his head hurriedly and was about to take out the Mohele from his sleeve when Xie Hongying's loud voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Qiao Niang! Hurry up and let's go, the streets are getting lively!"
Su Jinxiu looked outside and saw Yi Ruxu, Xie Hongying, and Lan Shexiang standing at the door, all dressed in their finest attire. She immediately grabbed Wen Shiqin's sleeve, her eyes shining: "Let's go too."
Seeing this, Wen Shiqin quietly put the Mohele back into his sleeve and let her lead him outside.
As soon as you enter Zhuque Avenue, the bustling atmosphere of Qixi Festival arrives.
The sounds of the Qixi Festival market in front of Panlou wafted through the curtains and mingled with the melodious singing of the musicians on the tower. The streets were teeming with people and crowded with carriages and horses, making it difficult to even find a place to stand.
Lan Shexiang tugged at Su Jinxiu's sleeve: "Why don't we go to the Matchmaker's Tower first? It should be more secluded there."
Su Jinxiu nodded in agreement. As soon as the group of five arrived at the Yue Lao Tower, the old woman guarding the tower stopped them with her cane: "Gentlemen, please don't be offended, this tower is a place for young women to seek marriage, and men are not allowed to enter."
Su Jinxiu turned to Wen Shiqin and the other two and said with a smile, "Why don't you go and guess the riddles first? Shexiang and I will go up and take a look and then come back."
After they agreed, she and Lan Shexiang linked arms and walked gracefully up the steps.
The two climbed the steps to the top floor of the Yue Lao Tower, where they saw a vermilion and gold-painted statue of Yue Lao standing in the center, holding a red thread and smiling.
Su Jinxiu and Lan Shexiang took the incense and candles prepared on the table, lit them, knelt down side by side, lowered their eyebrows and eyes, and looked devout.
Lan Shexiang first offered a soft prayer: "May the gods have mercy and grant us a good match. I do not ask for gold and jade, but only that my lover's heart be like mine, and that we will stay together until we grow old."
Su Jinxiu nodded in response: "I kowtow to the Old Man Under the Moon, and pray that everything in the world will go smoothly. If I am destined to be with someone, I hope to find a kindred spirit and live a peaceful life together. If not, I pray that I may be healthy and live a life without regrets."
After the prayer, the two bowed again and rose, then slowly strolled around the long platform to admire the scenery inside the building.
The interior is elegantly furnished, with several silk paintings of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl hanging on the walls. Occasionally, an old fortune teller with graying temples sits in a corner, with divination sticks spread out in front of her, waiting for those who seek her advice, but without uttering a single word to solicit business.
Descending to the second floor, one suddenly sees a white jade platform. The platform is not large, but it is carved with miniature landscapes.
With piled stones forming mountains and springs diverted to create streams, it truly resembles a miniature paradise.
In the center of Peach Blossom Spring lies a palm-sized blue stone with the four characters "Marriage is predestined" carved on its surface. A bronze pointer is also embedded beside it, and two young women are gently turning the pointer around the stone.
The old woman standing by smiled and pointed. When the pointer stopped, the two people thanked her with beaming smiles and left with the red rope given to them on the table.
"What is this for?" Lan Shexiang asked curiously.
Su Jinxiu also found it intriguing and pulled her closer. Just as she was about to ask, the old woman spoke first: "Do the young ladies want to try turning the marriage stone? The closer the pointer gets to the Peach Blossom Spring mark, the better it is a sign that a good match is coming soon."
Su Jinxiu didn't believe in these things at first, but the lively atmosphere piqued her interest, and she said with a smile, "In that case, let's give it a try."
Lan Shexiang stepped forward first, her delicate hand gently pressing the pointer. With a slight exertion of force in her wrist, the copper needle began to spin around the bluestone. When it stopped, it pointed precisely to the nearest mark on the small peach grove.
The old woman immediately laughed and said, "Oh my, young lady, you are so lucky! This is a sign of good fortune; within half a year, a good match will surely come knocking!"
Seeing this, Su Jinxiu remembered the man she had mentioned in private earlier and teased, "Could it be that the one you've been longing for is going to bump into you tonight?"
Lan Shexiang became even more shy after being teased, and hurriedly pushed her arm: "Stop teasing me, it's your turn, turn around and let me see you."
Su Jinxiu smiled and stepped forward as instructed, rolled up her sleeves to reveal a section of her fair wrist, and gently pressed her delicate hand on the copper needle. However, as soon as she applied pressure with her fingertips, the copper needle did not budge.
She paused slightly, then applied even more force, but the needle remained as steady as a rock, without wobbling an inch.
She looked at the old woman with surprise, then glanced at Lan Shexiang, assuming it was just bad luck, and muttered, "Why is it so heavy?"
The old woman looked at her with a meaningful gaze and a faint smile on her lips, but said nothing more.
Su Jinxiu felt a little disappointed. After thanking the old woman, she took Lan Shexiang's hand and said, "Perhaps this needle is unfamiliar with us. Let's go and find them."
When the group found Wen Shiqin and his two companions in front of Zhuijin Tower, Xie Hongying was standing on tiptoe, trying to guess riddles in front of the numerous lanterns hanging there.
Upon seeing this, Lan Shexiang immediately described the scenery inside the Yue Lao Tower to them. When she got excited, she even described in detail the fruits in front of the Yue Lao statue and the elegant furnishings inside the pavilion.
Xie Hongying's eyes lit up as she listened, and she slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "What an interesting place! If I had known, I would have disguised myself as a girl and sneaked in to take a look, but the old woman guarding the pavilion wouldn't let men in!"
Upon hearing this, Wen Shiqin glanced at him sideways and said slowly, "With your broad shoulders and thick back, if you were to dress up as a girl, I'm afraid you would be kicked out by the old women as a villain as soon as you arrive at the pavilion, thus defiling their peaceful place."
Xie Hongying immediately bristled: "Wen Shiqin, what you're saying is unbearable! If I were to wear makeup, I would definitely look quite charming!"
The two bantered back and forth, drawing the attention of those around them. Only Yi Ruxu's gaze fell on the top prize hanging on the second floor of Zhuijinlou, lost in thought.
Zhuijinlou was covered with all kinds of lanterns from bottom to top, some vermilion, some moon white, and some gilded. As the lanterns flickered, people gathered around to guess the riddles.
"Raising my head to gaze at the bright moon, what Chinese medicine is this? Could it be Angelica sinensis?"
"It looks like Huai Shu Di!"
This lantern riddle contest was originally structured in layers, with each layer requiring a correct answer to advance to the next, and the difficulty increasing with each layer.
The lower levels consist mostly of simple word puzzles and object riddles, which ordinary people can solve with a little thought. The second level adds poetic allusions and literary references, requiring those who have read several books to even attempt them. Further up, it is said that even learned scholars would ponder for a long time.
And hanging at the very top is the coveted grand prize: a gold necklace with auspicious cloud patterns.
The young women all stood on tiptoe to look upstairs, their chatter filling the air: "I heard that necklace was a gift from the late emperor to his most beloved concubine, Consort Chen. Later, Consort Chen returned it, and it ended up here!"
"Everyone says that if you get this ring, everything will go smoothly for you, even your marriage will be successful!"
Amidst the commotion, Lan Shexiang suddenly remembered something and added with a smile, "Oh, right, we also spun the marriage stone in the building. When Qiaoniang tried to spin it, the copper needle didn't budge at all, how strange!"
Su Jinxiu was also looking up at the riddle on the lantern sign beside her. Hearing this, she muttered helplessly, "It's strange. It was fine when I was taking the Hunan exam, but I can't move it when I touch it. Is it really just bad luck for me today?" She added, "Then I'll guess a riddle. Maybe it can break this bad luck."
As soon as she finished speaking, and was about to ponder the riddle's words, Lan Shexiang suddenly tugged at her sleeve and said with a smile, "This isn't just bad luck for you."
Su Jinxiu turned to look at her with a puzzled expression.
After saying that, she leaned close to Su Jinxiu's ear, her warm breath gently brushing against it, and whispered eight words.
"Far away, yet right before my eyes."
A note from the author:
Chinese server support player Lan Shexiang [Milk Tea]
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