Chapter 28 Tonight, the moon rises above the willow branches; our rendezvous is after dusk. ...
Even though they initially traveled together, everyone eventually got caught up in their own lively activities.
Lan Shexiang's eyes flickered slightly as she caught sight of a familiar figure in sky blue ahead, handsome and gentle. She lifted her skirt and chased after him. Xie Hongying was drawn to a horse harness stall on the street corner, while Yi Ruxu became increasingly confident in solving the riddles, showing the momentum of someone who would win.
In the blink of an eye, only Wen Shiqin and Su Jinxiu remained by the Magpie Bridge.
He had clearly heard the words that the marriage stone could not be turned. His older sister was a blockhead and certainly did not understand the deeper meaning of those words, but he was very perceptive.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile as he looked at Su Jinxiu in front of him.
Su Jinxiu was puzzled and felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, so she avoided his eyes and simply strolled along the riverbank with him.
Before long, we arrived at the floating lantern ferry. Although the busiest time had passed, there were still many people squatting on the riverbank, releasing various kinds of river lanterns into the water.
One by one, the lamps, carrying people's wishes, drifted away into the distance, their warm glow spreading across half the river's surface.
Seeing the longing in Su Jinxiu's eyes, Wen Shiqin led her to a nearby stall, where he selected a jade rabbit lantern for her and a lotus lantern for himself.
The stall owner handed over two wolf-hair brushes and said with a smile, "You two can write your wishes on a piece of paper and then put it in the lamp."
Su Jinxiu took the pen, quietly moved to the side, and turned her back. Wen Shiqin also moved to the other side, the two of them keeping a great distance from each other, neither wanting the other to see their wishes.
The stall owner watched with amusement. Having sold river lanterns for so many years, this was the first time he had ever seen a couple so guarded about their wishes. It was truly a novel sight.
After they had both finished writing, they walked to the willow tree by the river, squatted down together, and gently placed the river lantern into the water.
When placing the lotus lantern, Wen Shiqin deliberately pushed it towards Su Jinxiu, causing Su Jinxiu's jade rabbit lantern to sway on the water and almost tip over.
The water reflected her slightly angry face, as well as Wen Shiqin's gloating smile.
Across the shimmering water, the girl turned and glared at the boy: "If I drown, you'll have to compensate me!"
“It didn’t flood, it’s perfectly fine, isn’t it? Don’t be angry, sister, I’m protecting your lantern. From now on, if there are any big storms ahead, let me shield you first.” Wen Shiqin said, then leaned closer to her and pointed out the jade rabbit lantern and lotus lantern leaning against each other on the water. “If you are a jade rabbit fairy from heaven, then I am your lotus throne. I will carry you to travel through the three thousand worlds, and you will help me overcome my boundless karmic obstacles, how about it?”
Su Jinxiu was still annoyed, but she couldn't help but laugh when she heard this. Not wanting him to see it, she quickly turned her head away.
He then rested his head on his hand, gazing at her profile with great interest: "Speaking of which, sister, you treasure this river lantern so much. Could it be that there's some special wish hidden inside?"
"I'm not telling you, it won't work if I tell you." Su Jinxiu stood up and walked straight onto the Magpie Bridge.
Wen Shiqin quickly caught up with her. Su Jinxiu did not stop, so he turned around and walked backwards, his gaze always fixed on her.
A girl in red walked slowly behind, while a boy in white walked backwards on the Magpie Bridge. For a moment, it was impossible to tell whether they were the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl keeping their rendezvous on Qixi Festival, or lovers meeting under the moonlit willow branches at dusk.
"If my sister won't tell me, then it can't hurt for me to guess, can it?"
Su Jinxiu neither refused nor agreed, but simply carried the plum blossom lantern and walked slowly.
Wen Shiqin took this as a tacit agreement, his gaze sweeping over the longevity lock on her chest, and asked:
"May I live to be a hundred years old?"
"...Count me in."
May your embroidery workshop prosper and your business flourish!
"...Count me in too."
Wen Shiqin had hit the nail on the head regarding his first two wishes, and he could not hide his pride. He stopped in his tracks and stared intently at Su Jinxiu.
Su Jinxiu's hand holding the lantern trembled slightly, and her heart was in turmoil, fearing that he would also reveal her most secret third wish.
"willing……"
Just as he was about to open his mouth, an old man selling candied hawthorns happened to pass by, shouting loudly as he walked away.
Su Jinxiu had a sudden inspiration and quickly said, "Let's go eat candied hawthorns!" She was about to run over when Wen Shiqin grabbed her wrist.
"Sister, still trying to hide?" He raised an eyebrow. "When we parted at Huayun Pavilion, you said you'd wait until I came back. Now I'm back."
Su Jinxiu was speechless, and stammered, "I...I'll go buy some candied hawthorns, and we can eat them and talk when we get back, okay?"
Wen Shiqin saw through her little trick, but didn't expose her. He figured she wouldn't be able to escape sooner or later, so he leaned back against the bridge wall and said, "Alright, go ahead."
Su Jinxiu felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly turned around and ran down the bridge to chase after the figure selling candied hawthorns. However, her joy turned to sorrow when she accidentally missed a step on the bridge, twisted her ankle, and cried out in pain as she sat heavily on the ground.
Then Wen Shiqin, who had come quickly, picked her up and placed her on a stone bench not far away.
As he carefully lifted her skirt to check her ankles, he couldn't help but scold her: "Sister, you're really something. You even fell down while trying to string candied hawthorns. I just saw a three-year-old child running more steadily than you."
Just as Su Jinxiu frowned, about to refute, Wen Shiqin touched the swollen area, causing her to hiss and gasp in pain.
Wen Shiqin immediately stopped, looked up, and the playfulness in his eyes faded, leaving only concern: "Does it hurt a lot?"
Su Jinxiu nodded gently.
"Sit still and don't move. I'll go to the pharmacy over there and get some medicine packets to apply to your face." He said, trying to get up, but Su Jinxiu grabbed his wrist.
Wen Shiqin froze instantly, thinking she had something important to say. He then turned around and stared at her intently, his expression extremely solemn, as if he were waiting for an important promise.
"Then bring back a string of candied hawthorns while you're at it."
Wen Shiqin closed his eyes briefly, had no choice but to agree, and quickly left.
After Wen Shiqin left, Su Jinxiu sat listlessly, sometimes touching the embroidery on her skirt, sometimes looking at the pairs of birds on the branches. As she looked around, she was surprised to see Yi Ruxu.
Yi Ruxu rushed over with a happy expression, holding a carved wooden box in her hand. Seeing Su Jinxiu sitting on the stone bench, she quickly asked, "Qiaoniang? Why have you been sitting here for so long?"
Su Jinxiu smiled faintly and pointed to her ankle: "I just twisted my ankle because I was looking at the lanterns. It's nothing serious."
Yi Ruxu frowned instantly: "In that case, I'll go to the pharmacy right away and find you some ointment to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis!"
"No need, no need," Su Jinxiu quickly waved her hand, "Aqin has already gone."
Yi Ruxu was relieved and sat down beside her as instructed, handing her the wooden box in her hand: "Take a look at this."
Su Jinxiu opened the box as instructed, and there lay a pure gold necklace inside. The craftsmanship was extremely exquisite, with the main body of the necklace carved with intricate auspicious cloud patterns, showing the ingenuity of the craftsman in every detail.
Her eyes widened involuntarily: "Brother Ruxu, this is..."
"The grand prize from the lantern riddle contest just now," Yi Ruxu said with a smile, "I thought you might like it, so I brought it to you."
Su Jinxiu was surprised to hear this: "I just heard that the riddle had three layers of mechanisms and was very complicated. Many talented people were at a loss for what to do!"
Yi Ruxu was a little embarrassed and scratched his head: "It was just a lucky break. Qiaoniang, you are my kindred spirit. I don't need this myself, but a young lady should like it, so I'm giving it to you."
"This is unacceptable," Su Jinxiu quickly closed the box and pushed it back. "How can I accept such a valuable gift? Wouldn't it be better to give it to a girl you like in the future?"
Yi Ruxu refused to accept it, but stared at her intently: "I am all alone, without any relatives or friends. Only you in this world understand me. If you don't accept it, it means you think I am vulgar."
In a few words, he stuffed the wooden box into her arms. Su Jinxiu couldn't refuse, so she had no choice but to accept it.
Seeing her accept the gift, Yi Ruxu smiled with satisfaction: "Qiaoniang, you've always taken such good care of me. If it weren't for your constant praise, I wouldn't have the knowledge I have today." At this point, his expression suddenly became serious. "Qiaoniang, I've received guidance from a senior, and I plan to study at Bailudong Academy after passing the provincial examination in August. If I can achieve a top-three ranking in the next spring's imperial examination, then I will return..."
As they were talking, a gentle evening breeze blew by, and a few willow leaves drifted down onto his shoulder.
Su Jinxiu subconsciously raised her hand, wanting to brush it away for him.
But just as her hand touched his shoulder, a cold voice suddenly came from behind, sending chills down her spine.
"Oh."
What will happen upon your return?
A note from the author:
Yo yo yo yo yo [milk tea]
Note:
The line "The moon rises above the willow tips, a rendezvous after dusk" is quoted from Ouyang Xiu's poem "Sheng Chazi: Lantern Festival".
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com