With a gentle toss, Hua Ying tossed the red rope in her hand into the air, finally landing at the highest point of the wishing tree.
Do you want to know what I wished for?
"It won't work if you say it out loud."
Hua Ying smiled and said, "You must be tired too. Let's stay at an inn tonight; it'll be more convenient."
Qin Luo joked, "Since you have money, I'll listen to you."
Are you hungry?
"Let's buy a steamed bun."
"Uh-huh."
Hongye Town, Hongyun Inn.
Qin Luo and Hua Ying entered the inn, and he asked with a smile, "Do you have any rooms available?"
The middle-aged innkeeper's face was full of smiles. "Sir, you've come at the perfect time. There's only one room left."
While Qin Luo was still hesitating, Hua Ying nodded and said softly, "Then bring a room."
The middle-aged innkeeper smiled and said, "Sir, the price for one night's stay is fifty coins, plus a fifty-coin deposit, making a total of one hundred coins."
Hua Ying took out a piece of broken silver and placed it on the counter. The middle-aged shopkeeper took out a key and said, "Sir, your room is on the second floor. Go upstairs and turn right. It's the innermost room."
"Thanks."
Qin Luo took the keys and went upstairs.
The middle-aged shopkeeper loudly reminded them, "There's free porridge in the morning, so please remember to get up early, gentlemen."
Upon entering the room, Huaying sat down at the table, lit a red candle, and said softly, "I'm not tired, you should rest first."
"good."
Qin Luo lay on the bed to rest.
Hua Ying rested her cheek on one hand and fiddled with the candlelight with the other, the room's light flickering.
"You should take a break too."
Qin Luo was so shaken that he couldn't sleep.
"call!"
The shadow of the flowers extinguished the candlelight.
The evening breeze gently pushed open the window, and the bright moonlight poured into the room. Qin Luo watched Hua Ying resting on the table. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he couldn't speak.
The next day, early morning.
Hua Ying opened her eyes and found herself lying in a warm bed, while Qin Luo stood by the window looking at the scenery.
"Aren't you asleep?"
"I woke up a long time ago."
As Qin Luo turned around, the bright morning sun shone behind him. He smiled and said, "Let's go downstairs and get something to eat."
Hua Ying nodded with a smile. They went to the dining area on the first floor of the inn. There was still some porridge in the wooden bucket and a few fried dumplings left on the plate.
Qin Luo joked with a smile, "If you sleep a little longer, we won't even get to eat the free porridge."
"Remember to call me next time."
"no problem."
Qin Luo drank a bowl of porridge and ate two fried dumplings. "It tastes alright, don't you want to try some?"
Hua Ying replied with a smile, "I'm not hungry yet."
After Qin Luo finished eating and drinking, he returned the key to the middle-aged shopkeeper, who then refunded their fifty-coin deposit.
Leaving Red Leaf Town, Qin Luo and Hua Ying continued north. The sky was high and the clouds were light, and the endless rice fields were rippling in the breeze, creating a beautiful scene.
Two weeks later.
Outside Taoyuan Town, ten miles of peach blossoms stretch as far as the eye can see.
As evening fell, the setting sun painted the ten miles of peach blossoms outside Taoyuan Town red, and the petals fluttered in the air, creating a dreamlike scene.
Hua Ying looked at the petal that had fallen into her hand and snorted softly, "It seems that only the peach blossoms at Longhu Temple don't like me."
Qin Luo chuckled and said, "Don't overthink it."
Hua Ying raised the peach blossom in her hand, "Let's go to the teahouse in front, have a pot of tea, and rest for a while."
"OK."
Qin Luo and Hua Ying arrived at the teahouse.
The thin old man wiped the table with a rag and said with a warm smile, "Esteemed guests, please have a seat here. I will make you some tea right away."
There was a wooden sign in the shed that stated the rules for charging for the tea stall: two coins per person, all-you-can-drink tea.
"Sir, this is your tea. Please enjoy it. If you need more, just call me." The old man placed the steaming teapot on the wooden table. The teapot was badly worn, covered with cracks, and looked very old.
In the tea stall, everyone drinks tea from bowls. Qin Luo knew that Hua Ying didn't drink tea, so he didn't pour her any.
The tea stall was bustling with people from Taoyuan Town, as well as outsiders passing through.
An old man wearing a straw hat sat at the next table, telling a story that attracted many outsiders to listen. "The ten miles of peach blossoms in Taoyuan Town were planted by the Peach Blossom Fairy. The Peach Blossom Fairy is a righteous god in the Heavenly Court. She is kind-hearted and often helps people in need."
"Later, a poor scholar came to Peach Blossom Town. He was penniless and told stories on the street to survive. Every time he told a story, a peach blossom would float by. At first, the poor scholar did not notice, but later he realized the existence of the Peach Blossom Fairy, so he would also tell stories when no one was around."
"Over time, the Peach Blossom Fairy revealed her true form and met the poor scholar. They held hands under the peach tree and became husband and wife under the witness of the Earth God. This was originally a beautiful story, but the Heavenly Court did not allow love between humans and immortals. The Heavenly Emperor gave them a chance, saying that as long as they separated, he would forgive them for what they had done, but they were willing to die together."
"The Heavenly Emperor unleashed a calamity, stripping the Peach Blossom Fairy of her celestial status, and the impoverished scholar was utterly destroyed."
After the old man finished speaking, there was a flurry of discussion in the teahouse. One young man clenched his fist and said, "That Heavenly Emperor really deserves to die!"
The burly man with a full beard laughed loudly, "It's obviously a story made up by a poor, pedantic scholar. These scholars don't study properly; all they do is make up stories. I stopped believing them a long time ago."
The old man in the straw hat said solemnly, "This story is definitely true; my grandfather told me it."
The burly man with a full beard laughed loudly: "Fellow villager, I've traveled all over the country and heard plenty of stories like this. There are even stories of love between humans and demons, between humans and ghosts, alluring fox spirits and gentle female ghosts falling in love with mediocre scholars. Is that reasonable?"
"That makes sense."
"Fine, don't believe me if you don't want to."
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