Chapter 19 Pear Blossom Lantern Festival (1)
Having been in Li County for two years, Wang Dongdong is most looking forward to the annual Pear Blossom Lantern Festival.
In late spring, it is the time when the pear blossoms bloom most brilliantly. The white pear blossoms spread all over the mountains and plains like brocade clouds. The pear blossoms blow down like snow, and piles of jade and snow fall all over the ground, decorating Li County. Like a fairyland.
To celebrate such a beautiful occasion, Li County specially set up "Pear Blossom Day" and held "Pear Blossom Lantern Festival" for three consecutive days in the evening.
Of course, what Wang Dongdong likes most is that both the Li County Government Office and the Weaving Institute have three days off for bathing.
Although Li County is only a small county, this is the most important event in Li County. Even people from outside will come to visit and watch, so it is natural to be careless.
The magistrate of Li County specially summoned skilled craftsmen to make fancy lanterns, some in the shape of a pear tree, some in the auspicious shape of a dragon and phoenix, and some in the shape of a beautiful palace or jade house. Scholars nearby also volunteered to paint and write inscriptions on it, adding to its elegance.
As night falls, Li County is bustling with activity, with red gauze fluttering, pear blossoms like clouds, and lights like the sea.
Wang Dongdong and his two little sisters, both wearing pink and white pear blossom skirts for the occasion, walked hand in hand into the brightly lit market.
There are a dazzling array of stalls along the street, with all kinds of snacks and handicrafts. They were so greedy for the freshly baked pear blossom cakes with fragrant aroma that they bought a few, and then they saw a bunch of children. The old man who was selling sugar paintings also joined in the fun, and then left with a satisfied little rabbit made of sugar paintings.
Wang Dongdong and the others were stopping to choose at a stall selling sachets, handkerchiefs, and hair flowers. Suddenly they heard loud cheers and applause from behind. They turned around and saw that there were people dancing dragons and lions. Colorful dragons were dancing. The long body is tumbling around, the dragon head in front is chasing the dragon ball energetically, and the lion dancer on the side is catering to the dragon dance, jumping up and down, and it is so naive that it wins bursts of applause.
Going a little further, there were still people juggling and forging ironwork, and they were also surrounded.
Along the way, Wang Dongdong also met many colleagues from the Weaving Institute. It seemed that in addition to Liu Sheng, who was obsessed with work, Zhang Yuanzheng, who had never been happy with the people, and some who missed their family, almost the entire Li County Weaving Institute There must be more than a dozen people at this lantern festival.
“Look! These lanterns are so beautiful!”
Suddenly, one of Wang Dongdong’s little sisters, Yue Shan, pointed forward excitedly and pulled Wang Dongdong and another sister, Yi Chunxian, over.
Taking a closer look, it is true that the lanterns hanging on the stalls are very exquisite, including revolving lanterns, jade rabbit lanterns, cat lanterns, gourd lanterns, etc., with different colors and vivid images, and there are notes on them. It turns out that they are guessing lantern riddles.
"Girl, guess one article once, come and guess, if you guess right, I will give it to you." The stall owner is an old scholar who looks like an old scholar. He took the initiative to see Yue Shan's interest.
As soon as Yue Shan's eyes lit up, she had already fallen in love with the jade rabbit lantern. When she saw the riddle on it - "There are mountains on all sides, and the mountains are all connected", she couldn't help but feel distressed. The other two people They also gathered around to help the staff.
Yi Chunxian, who usually doesn't talk much and loves to read, whispered: "It's the word 'tian'."
"This girl is so smart!" The stall owner clapped his hands in appreciation and smiled. He took the Jade Rabbit Lantern and gave it to Yi Chunxian. Yi Chunxian handed it to Yue Shan, but Yue Shan refused to accept it.
"You guessed this Chunxian, it's yours, I have to get it myself!" With that said, Yue Shan continued to give another article, looking for the next target.
Wang Dongdong was confident in his IQ and felt that it was not appropriate to participate, lest his wallet would be empty, but he was so excited by the excitement that he finally couldn't help but join in.
Then they held their half-empty money bags angrily and retreated empty-handed.
“The lantern riddles at this stall are a bit difficult, let’s look at something else.” Yue Shan was a little embarrassed and looked at the exquisite and lovely jade rabbit lantern in Yi Chunxian’s hand with eager eyes.
Wang Dongdong nodded: "Let's go. This stall owner did it on purpose. It must have nothing to do with our strength!"
The two quickly moved to the next lantern riddle guessing stall. The lanterns on that stall were not as exquisite as the previous one, but they had already guessed the first thing, and the lanterns were the second best. They only wanted to prove themselves.
Seeing the two people's intoxication, Yi Chunxian shook his head helplessly and followed closely with the jade rabbit lantern.
She and Yue Shan have been good sisters since childhood, and they are now helping together in Yue Shan's tailor shop.
Wang Dongdong got to know them because one time several hooligans were harassing and causing trouble in the shop. When she saw an injustice, she came to her aid and drove away the hooligans for them. Later, the three of them became acquainted and worked alone in Li County. Wang Dongdong has these two local best friends.
Since we have agreed that we are good sisters going to the lantern festival together, we naturally want to advance and retreat together.
...The three of them strolled around the market, guessed lantern riddles, and when they got tired, they sat down to drink tea and eat snacks. Unknowingly, the night was getting darker.
No one noticed that the Supreme God’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Yue Shan only wore a thin skirt and no jacket in order to look good. She began to feel the chill late at night, and she trembled with coldness while holding her arms.
Yi Chunxian's jade rabbit lamp also went out, and the hand holding the lamp turned blue from the cold.
"It's windy and cold at night, it's time to go home." Upon seeing this, Wang Dongdong said proactively.
Although she also felt that it suddenly became a lot colder, she had cultivation and her ability to withstand the cold was better than ordinary people. However, Yue Shan and Yi Chunxian couldn't stand it, and they would get cold if they continued like this. .
The three of them walked back along the street, thinking of sending Yue Shan home first.
The streets are still crowded with people, the music and singing never stops, and the pear blossoms fall so gracefully that the whole street turns a desolate white color.
“Girl, do you want to guess lantern riddles?”
Just after turning a corner, a stall owner greeted me warmly.
There are colorful lanterns hanging on his stall, but the workmanship feels rough and the colors are too bright. For example, the goldfish lantern has big and small eyes, and the scales on its body are mottled and green, and it looks like it is sick; and the doll lantern has snow-white skin, two bright blushes on its face, and blood-red lips. The dark eyes were wide open, as if staring straight at him, which looked a little weird.
The three girls were so ugly by these lamps that Yue Shan refused first and said: "No, no, no."
Then they hurried on and did not see the stall owner behind them. He looked at them with a spiteful face.
Just after taking a few steps, another voice came from the side: "Girl, do you want to play lantern riddles?"
The voice was gloomy, and they followed the sound and saw an old woman with a pale face. The lanterns on her stall were made even uglier than the last one.
The chicken lantern with a pig's head on top, the head lantern with only a sister's head, the skinned monkey lantern...all of them are twisted and scary.
Wang Dongdong felt something was wrong, but before she could say anything, Yue Shan said impatiently: "No need."
The aunt's face became paler, and her eyes Staring at Yue Shan, the whites of her eyes almost protruded out of their sockets.
Wang Dongdong felt that he should think of something, but his brain seemed to be covered with a film, and he could only be pulled forward by Yue Shan.
Yi Chunxian also felt a little uneasy and silently tightened the jade rabbit lantern in her hand.
The noise on the street became a little distant, and the strange silence seemed to be mixed with some screams and wailing.
The dancing dragon head walking up and down in the distance kept staring at them, its body twisting and bulging inside. The thin cloth on the dragon's body vaguely revealed some bulging flesh, and even some bulging flesh could be seen. The human head is squeezed inside, and the legs underneath the body are densely packed.
The craftsman on the other side of the iron flower maker worked tirelessly to hit the iron juice into the sky. The golden fireworks were like fireworks, but he seemed to have forgotten all the taboos. When the fireworks fell, they fell directly on himself, burning hot. His skin was burnt black and blistered, but he seemed indifferent and continued to take the iron juice and beat it, until the whole body was covered with blood and flesh, almost to the point of seeing the bones.
No, no, everything is wrong, but Wang Dongdong can't tell what exactly is wrong.
At this time, another lantern riddle stall appeared in front of me.
This time, the lanterns on the stalls are all bright red, including bright red rabbits, bright red moons, bright red monkeys and bright red dolls.
“Want to guess lantern riddles?”
The stall owner asked with two round eyes without eyelids on his bright red face, grinning with two rows of white teeth.
Finally signed a contract! One more chapter to celebrate!
(End of this chapter)