Chapter 48 Shen Jizhao grabbed her waist
The lantern competition was held under several old trees in Suyang that had stood for decades. These old trees were thick and sturdy, with lush branches and leaves, and were only a few feet apart. Their branches and leaves intertwined, making it impossible to distinguish one from another. From a distance, all that could be seen was a verdant expanse.
During the sweltering summer, many people often seek refuge from the heat here, making it a popular spot for crowds to gather and enjoy the scenery. This is also a major attraction in Suyang.
There is no fixed time limit for the lantern festival; anyone who wants to come can participate as long as it is before 7 PM.
The rules are that each participant hangs their lantern on the branches of these old trees. People will tie a silk ribbon to their favorite lantern according to their own preferences. At the end, the person whose lantern has the most silk ribbons wins.
However, there are some rules to follow when hanging lanterns. If the lanterns are hung too high, people won't be able to tie the silk ribbons to them. If they are hung too low, they won't be easily seen by people in the distance.
Therefore, Jiang Shuifu arrived early and chose a suitable branch to hang it on.
Although she was very confident in her lanterns, the aroma of wine couldn't compete with the alley's depth; she absolutely had to have that fragrant, golden-yellow pastry.
"Wow! This lady's sparrow lantern can actually move! The sparrow seems to be flapping its feathers and pecking at the flowers in the basket!"
"It's true, this sparrow is really good at moving! It even pecked a flower petal with its beak!"
"Oh my god! That's amazing, Mom! I want a sparrow lantern too, make it for me!"
As soon as Jiang Shuifu's lantern appeared, a crowd suddenly surged up under the old tree, where there were only a few people before.
They all stared wide-eyed at the bird on the flower basket, then exclaimed in amazement, and as a result, many silk ribbons were tied to her flower basket.
Her lanterns sparked a craze for hanging lanterns. After all, festivals are all about having fun, and before long, more and more lanterns were hanging on the trees, more than ever before during any Flower Festival.
The lanterns on the trees each had their own unique charm and beauty; there were lanterns shaped like flowers and plants, lotus flowers, lions, and crimson gauze...
All the lanterns are made with care and meticulous craftsmanship. The animals are lifelike, and the plants are rich and realistic in color, just like real objects.
The lantern competition was truly a dazzling display of diverse styles, each with its own unique charm, making it a feast for the eyes and a source of great joy.
From afar, all that could be seen was a bustling crowd, tying silk ribbons to lanterns, with colorful silk fluttering in the breeze.
Currently, the Flower Basket Sparrow Lantern still has the highest number of votes, far surpassing all other lanterns.
Jiang Shuifu's smile grew even brighter. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before she won. The children around her were also very happy, playing with their lanterns and showing them off to the other children.
"My older sister made this for us! Isn't it beautiful! Do you want to play with it?"
Doujie is holding a carp lantern, Huge is holding a Guan Dao lantern, and Xiaomei is holding a rabbit lantern.
But the next moment, her smile was abruptly cut short; what happened next taught her that one should not be too happy too soon.
Her flower basket bird lamp was designed to be lightweight, so it couldn't have too many lamp parts; otherwise, the bird would be easily overlooked, and the overall effect would be greatly diminished.
Normally, lanterns have rings at the bottom so people can tie silk ribbons to them. Even though she had filled the bottom with rings, the lantern was small and the space was limited. She hadn't expected her lantern to be so popular. When she ran out of rings, people could only tie them to flower baskets or even birds.
This makes the bird vulnerable to damage. The reason the bird can flap its feathers is because there are mechanisms set up at its feet that pull on its wings.
Well, what a coincidence!
"Sister, our Sparrow's foot is injured!"
Xiao Mei Bao's words made Jiang Shui Fu stare wide-eyed for a long time before she believed it: her sparrow couldn't move, and the mechanism had been destroyed.
As a result, her lanterns lost much of their charm. Moreover, this mechanism was the result of her many refinements and improvements, all for the sake of making a splash.
The sparrow lost its vitality and could no longer move. The silk she had given her had also gone to others. Although many people still gave her things because of her beauty, it was not what she wanted.
She wants to win glory.
Her brows furrowed and her lips drooped as she stepped forward to take down the lantern that had been destroyed in battle. She was extremely anxious; what was she going to do?
"I have a plan, leave it to me!"
Just then, a familiar, clear voice, like a mountain spring, suddenly rang in her ear. Then, the person reached out from behind her, slid his hand across her forearm, and reached her palm.
Jiang Shuifu turned her head to the side and saw his profile when he looked down. His profile was even more handsome than his face, with a straight nose and red lips.
His profile continued to slide down, stopping abruptly when it reached her shoulder.
From this position, he could just take the sparrow lantern from her hand, even though she had twisted her ankle.
It was He Beiqing again.
This is someone she has met countless times.
He Beiqing immediately examined the broken lantern in his hand, fiddling with its base.
Throughout this process, he didn't frown or purse his lips even once, so she optimistically raised an eyebrow:
"It should be easy, right?"
He gave a completely opposite answer: it wasn't as simple as the mechanism being broken between the wire and the switch; the entire mechanism was broken in the middle, meaning it was now completely useless.
Jiang Shuifu pursed her lips. He still looked so confident, which made him misunderstand.
He Beiqing caught her disdain and looked at her with interest: "Just because it's difficult doesn't mean I can't do it!"
The crowd was so large and there were so many onlookers coming and going that, before she knew it, someone behind her pushed up, and with such force, Jiang Shuifu bumped into the person next to her.
She disregarded her own safety and reached out to protect Meibao and the others.
However, her strength was still no match for the pressure and interference from the majority of people outside.
Just as she was about to be knocked down by the force, a large, masculine hand appeared on her wrist in the next instant.
He Beiqing firmly grasped her wrist, and his strength flowed continuously, allowing her to slowly regain her balance. Even if someone bumped into her, she wouldn't fall.
As soon as the crowd dispersed, he immediately let go of her hand. Jiang Shuifu also withdrew her wrist and rotated it a few times, feeling quite uncomfortable. The two were caught in a brief stalemate.
until……
Would you like some candied hawthorn berries?
He Beiqing conjured up three candied hawthorns from who-knows-where.
The three children's eyes lit up when they saw it, and they all rushed to grab the thing from his hand. He raised his hand and made them line up. The children immediately stopped making a fuss and waited for the string of sweet candied hawthorns.
The children were enjoying their food immensely, with Mei Bao's mouth covered in red marks from eating.
Jiang Shuifu had no idea what he was up to, or what the candied hawthorns had to do with repairing lanterns.
"Everyone who sees it gets a share, how could Miss Fu be left out!"
Suddenly, a candied hawthorn appeared in front of her. He kept shaking the candied hawthorn in his hand, as if asking her to eat it to show off his success.
How did he conjure up another one?
And she even got a share!
Hers was bigger and rounder than theirs, and bright red; it looked very appetizing!
Jiang Shuifu shook her head. She's not a child!
Unexpectedly, he said:
"You said this afternoon that Tiger is spoiled, Bean is spoiled, and Sister is spoiled. I suppose Miss Fu is too. Since she grew up spoiled, she is no different from them. Being spoiled is not a right exclusive to young children."
Being pampered is not a right unique to young children.
So that's how it can be said.
But in her past experiences, what she heard was:
You must set an example for the harem!
No out-of-line behavior is allowed!
Be aware of your own identity and role!
You have to behave properly, otherwise how can you be worthy of a proper wife!
It seems that ever since she got married, she no longer has the right to be willful and spoiled, and everyone accepts this as fact.
But... why can't we?
Jiang Shuifu slowly raised her hand, firmly took the candied hawthorn, took a bite, and found it both sour and sweet—just her favorite flavor. She smiled knowingly.
"tasty."
No matter how happy she was eating, she couldn't escape her earlier confusion. It turned out that even if the past was over, it couldn't completely erase his discipline towards her.
She never wanted to see him again in her life.
He Beiqing took the bamboo skewers that the girls had finished eating, folded and refolded them, and in no time, he created an even stronger and more reliable mechanism based on the original one.
He laughed lightly and suddenly handed the lantern to her. "The sparrow can fly again. Tonight, you will surely win the championship!"
Jiang Shuifu held the repaired lantern and stared blankly as he attracted people.
“Our sparrow lantern can not only fly and flap its wings, but now it can also shake its head and peck at the flowers for everyone. If you like this sparrow lantern, tie the silk ribbon to my hand.”
If you tie it to his hands, he won't break the lantern.
Unexpectedly, he was incredibly meticulous.
The repaired lanterns have more functions, and the sparrow's silly pecks left and right make everyone laugh, winning it even more favor.
Jiang Shuifu watched him work so hard, his arms wrapped with colorful silk ribbons until his flesh was hard and engorged with blood. After a long while, she finally smiled.
Without a doubt, she was the final winner of this lantern competition.
But she didn't get the crispy yellow pastry she wanted.
"I'm so sorry, we really can't give you the Qiongsu Xianghuang. If we can't, please understand, madam. This is our fault. Although we don't have Qiongsu Xianghuang, we are willing to make amends. How about this, we will give you a pair of kingfisher feather and white jade earrings, which we guarantee will be unique in the entire Suyang area!"
Jiang Shuifu was not satisfied with this explanation. It was clearly agreed upon, so how could it be changed at the last minute? She was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Those who wished to listen could only bow and scrape, begging for mercy.
"We can't say that! We're just business people, please don't make things difficult for us, madam! It's just not okay, no matter what we say!"
In the end, Yuantingfang uttered a vague statement.
"She's already...taken!"
Upon hearing this, He Beiqing's expression immediately changed, and a hint of darkness flickered in his eyes.
Jiang Shuifu complained as she walked:
"How could this happen? The delicious Qiong Su Xiang Huang that I was about to get has all slipped away! Humph! Who is this 'Ming Hua' anyway? Who's so amazing!"
It was completely dark by now. The other children had already been taken back by their uncle, leaving only her and He Beiqing.
The streets were still bustling, with many people worshipping the Goddess of Flowers in front of the temple. The atmosphere was lively, noisy, and filled with laughter.
There were plenty of beautiful women on the street. Along the way, she had already encountered many "flower goddesses" such as lotus, apricot, peach, and hairpin flowers. They all nodded to each other in greeting and exchanged small gifts.
Jiang Shuifu was busy giving out gifts when suddenly someone poked her back. She moved her shoulder to tell him to stop bothering her, but the finger on her back didn't stop and poked and tapped her again, making her feel a little itchy.
She finally turned around, her tone unfriendly as she questioned, "You..."
what?
Before he could even ask a question, He Beiqing unexpectedly raised the lantern, his eyes sparkling with a smile:
Would you like some flower cake?
Her eyes lowered, and she saw a bag of freshly baked, steaming, and fragrant flower cakes hanging from the lamp on her flower basket. Next to the flower cakes, there was also a box with a carved floral lid.
What's in the box?
She picked it up, smelled it, and her eyes suddenly widened as she stared intently at him.
He was very casual, not even meeting her gaze. Instead, he found a rock to sit on, bent his legs, and lazily said:
"Miss Fu likes spices, and I happened to be bored at the time and know a little about them, so I made a box of them. Does Miss Fu mind?"
He actually made a box of spices for her himself, because she liked them?
Jiang Shuifu didn't quite understand the logic behind it, nor did she understand his behavior.
But the spices he made smelled really good, better than any spices she had ever used.
It smelled like it was made from flowers, but she couldn't tell what kind of flowers they were. She only knew that it was very fragrant, but not overpowering, yet it lasted a long time.
She knew that this incense was not something that could be made casually; it must have taken a lot of effort.
This fragrance is what women love most.
She was somewhat tempted, so she accepted it, and then gave a sly smile:
"Come with me!"
He Beiqing was pulled along by her and they ran, passing countless people in the background, until they reached the temple before stopping.
Jiang Shuifu was panting heavily from running, but her eyes were shining brightly. She jumped over to face him:
"There's a folk legend that if you offer incense to the Goddess of Flowers, she can grant you one wish. I'm not a stingy person, so if you give me something, I'll give you my wish in return. That way, you can make two wishes!"
She handed the incense to He Beiqing, then knelt down first to offer sacrifices to the Goddess of Flowers. She was almost finished praying when he still stood there, dumbfounded, so she urged him:
"Hurry up! The sooner the Goddess of Flowers hears your wish, the sooner she can grant it!"
He Beiqing walked to her side, but still did not kneel down. Only after she finished bowing and stood up, and she urged him again, did he slowly begin to worship.
What are his wishes?
He thought about it carefully.
After the ceremony with the Flower Goddess, Jiang Shuifu personally tied a red silk ribbon around his neck. "Hang it on the tree branch. I know you've never done this before. If you don't, how can the Flower Goddess bless you?"
He Beiqing gently stroked the silk ribbon on his wrist. Bless him? This was the first time someone had told him they hoped he would be blessed.
He nodded and chuckled softly, "Okay."
He walked to the big tree and leaped up. Before hanging it, he glanced at Jiang Shuifu in the distance below. She was teasing the sparrows with a lantern in her hand, and her laughter was like the sound of silver bells.
He was drawn to the glittering pomegranate-shaped gemstone hairpin in her hair; it suited her perfectly.
Seeing her happy, he should have smiled back, but for some reason, the corners of his mouth just wouldn't curve into a wide arc.
He thought that perhaps it was because this year's Flower Festival was the happiest festival he had ever experienced.
The next moment, he couldn't laugh anymore. The temple, which had been peaceful just moments before, suddenly burst into flames, engulfing the person under the tree, while she remained completely unaware.
"Watch out, run!"
He Beiqing roared and flew to save her. Jiang Shuifu was frightened by the roar and the crowd of people running forward behind her. The lantern in her hand was knocked away and went straight towards the fire.
She instinctively headed towards the lantern; it was her lantern, after all, that had helped her win first place, and she couldn't let anything happen to it.
She wasn't recklessly rushing to save it; the lantern hadn't been hit directly into the fire yet, and was still some distance away. She was sure she could save it in time.
She ran incredibly fast, a smirk playing on her lips, and was about to save the lantern, just ten steps away.
Unexpectedly, the temple had many flower hairpin stands, and one of these stands caught fire and crashed straight down on her.
"ah!"
Jiang Shuifu cried out as she looked at the wooden frame engulfed in flames above her head. At the speed at which it was falling, she knew she was doomed.
At this critical moment, a man's hand suddenly appeared on her waist.
His hand, as always, had prominent veins, as if the blood vessels were about to burst. His strength was still great, but he deliberately relaxed it a little, afraid of hurting her.
The man grabbed her waist as if protecting his entire world. His face was covered with tiny scratches from leaves, and dust and grit had gotten stuck inside, causing many of the wounds to fester.
He coaxed her gently:
"It's alright, Shuifu! Don't be afraid! I'm here!"
He Beiqing's leap was forced to turn, and his feet could no longer move forward even half a step. The scene not far away shocked him greatly.
He's here! He actually came! The journey that took two months, he completed in just half a month!
The pain of being slammed into her body by flames that Jiang Shuifu had imagined did not come. Instead, she was completely protected in a man's arms.
She thought it was He Beiqing; he had rescued her so quickly, he must be injured. She looked up guiltily and asked with concern:
"You didn't..."
However, she didn't say anything; her pupils just dilated infinitely, and her mouth opened wide, remaining like this for a very, very long time.
She felt as if a series of thunderbolts struck her ears, leaving her completely numb and unable to recognize who the person in front of her was.
He Beiqing knelt down and bowed to the man, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness! May Your Highness be well!"
Jiang Shuifu slowly came to her senses and finally believed that what she was seeing was real.
It really is him, it really is him.
Shen Jizhao!
"How...it's you!"
She took a breath and began to struggle.
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Author's Note: The male lead has finally appeared! Let's all give him a slap to welcome him!
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