When they reached the moat, they saw that there were already many tourists on the arched bridge, leaning on the railing and looking at the river dotted with lotus lanterns and the boats coming and going.
Zhuque held their hands and kept pushing forward. Finally, she found a good spot. She lit a lotus lantern, gently placed it on the river, and then closed her eyes to make a wish. Yun'er and Cheng Xiran followed her example.
After their lotus lanterns floated away with the current, they gradually left the crowd.
"I didn't expect you, Zhuque, who rarely go out, would know about these things," Cheng Xiran said casually. Then she bought two sugar-coated haws on a stick and gave them to the other two.
Zhuque's eyes were full of excitement. "Miss, you don't know. I was ill in bed a couple of days ago. I asked the old nurses in the mansion, and I heard about these from them... Well, next we can go to the West Street to watch the variety shows. I heard there will even be the performance of breaking a big stone on the chest."
With that, she grabbed Yun'er's hand and rushed forward, constantly turning back to urge Cheng Xiran to hurry up.
Yes, life is full of more hardships than joys, so one should cherish every moment. She had been worrying about Helian Duo in her heart. Maybe that guy didn't even think about her at all.
Thinking of this, Cheng Xiran gradually became more lively and began to shuttle through the crowded people with them.
The numerous variety shows dazzled them. There were sword - dancing, handstands, stilt - walking, animal - taming, lion - dancing and so on. Zhuque and Yun'er were very interested in the sword - swallowing performance. Cheng Xiran walked up to a peddler nearby. Looking at the dazzling array of small gifts, she knew this was a riddle - guessing activity.
She immediately took a fancy to a pair of small clay figurines on the shelf. They were brightly colored and well - made.
"I want that pair of small clay figurines. How many riddles do I need to guess correctly?" Cheng Xiran said straightforwardly.
The old woman laughed and replied, "Girl, these two are a pair of lucky dolls, symbols of good fortune. You have good taste. You've picked the best ones at once. If you want this pair, you need to guess ten riddles correctly, from easy to difficult. You can take them if you guess right, but if you make a mistake, you lose the chance."
Who was she? She was an editor, well - read and knowledgeable. Naturally, she was full of confidence.
"Let's start," she said.
The old woman prepared for a while and then began to pose riddles for Cheng Xiran.
"Guess a Chinese character. The clue is 'At the end of the year, there is no shortage of fish and rice'."
Cheng Xiran's eyes curved slightly, with a faint smile on her lips. "It's '鳞' (lín, which combines the character for 'fish' and the context of the end of the year)."
After that, she guessed five or six more riddles without any difficulty. Her quick answers attracted many onlookers, and each correct answer was greeted with applause.
But the last riddle really stumped Cheng Xiran.
"Guess an idiom. The clue is 'Smelling the coffin and finding it fragrant'."
Everyone began to discuss the final answer. Cheng Xiran scratched her head but couldn't come up with the answer. Seeing that the pair of small clay figurines she wanted was about to slip away, she started to get anxious.
"The answer is 'about to die'," a very familiar male voice came into her ears and finally landed on her heart.
She turned her head and saw that it was Helian Duo.
Her heart skipped a beat, and her heartbeat accelerated.
The old woman grinned. "Do you two know each other?"
"We don't," Helian Duo said casually.
The old woman was a bit at a loss, holding the pair of small clay figurines. "Then who should I give these to?"
Helian Duo said coldly, "Give them to this girl."