Finest Servant

Chapter 275

Chapter 275

Chapter 275 The Lantern Festival

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month was the Lantern Festival, commonly known among the people as the Shangyuan Festival, or colloquially as the "Lantern Festival." By tradition, the Spring Festival was considered finished only after the Lantern Festival's celebrations had concluded. As such, the Lantern Festival was one of the most significant holidays in Great Hua.

[TL: The name "Shangyuan" literally translates to "first evening" or "first night" and refers to the first full moon of the lunar year.]

The tradition of the Lantern Festival was said to have been passed down since the time of Xiang Yu, the founding emperor of the Great Chu Dynasty. During the Chu-Han contention, it was rumored that the Jade Emperor ordered the Fire Deity to set the capital city ablaze on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Xiang Yu, the Emperor of Great Chu, had a dream about this and thus led his ministers and the citizens of the capital to welcome the Fire Deity, pleading bitterly. The Fire Deity, unwilling to cause widespread destruction yet also afraid of defying the heavens, was caught in a predicament when a wise man proposed a strategy. That night, lanterns were lit everywhere in the capital, from the imperial palace to the common people's courtyards, making the city as bright as day. The blazing light pierced through the clouds, deceiving the Jade Emperor into believing that heavenly fire had already descended. From then on, every fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the capital would light all its lanterns in commemoration. This marked the origin of the Lantern Festival's custom. In order to pay respects to the Fire Deity, people would make balls of glutinous rice flour as offerings. Resembling pearls, they were called "tangyuan" in the South and commonly known as "yuanxiao" in the North.

On the day of the Lantern Festival, the beginning of spring and the reawakening of all things, people who had stayed indoors throughout winter would begin to emerge, making it even more lively than the Spring Festival. However, on the fifteenth day, according to Great Hua customs, it was the time to eat yuanxiao before one could go out on a journey.

Lin Wanrong and the two young ladies' carriage entered the city. The Eldest Miss, gazing at the scenery outside, sighed softly, "We've been traveling since the third day of the New Year until today. We've been on the road for over ten days, and we've unknowingly arrived at the Lantern Festival."

While most people spent the Lantern Festival with family, enjoying a harmonious and joyful time, they had left on a journey since the third day of the lunar new year, which was indeed strenuous.

The Second Miss, experiencing a long journey for the first time, had slightly red eyes as she said, "Sister, I miss mother. I wonder what she is doing alone at home, has she eaten any yuanxiao?"

Upon hearing the two young ladies, Lin Wanrong also felt uncomfortable. He wondered what his wife, Qiaoqiao, was doing at the moment. Was she staring blankly at the white yuanxiao in her bowl, dropping her tears into it? He thought about their farewell when she had fainted crying in his arms. Lin Wanrong couldn't help but feel a twinge in his heart. Indeed, having a wife was to have worries. Fortunately, Xian'er had received a message from Sister An earlier and had arrived in the capital beforehand. Otherwise, who knew what kind of scene it would have been.

"Misses, will we have a place to eat yuanxiao tonight? I'm a little hungry," Lin Wanrong chuckled, diverting the sisters' attention.

"All you think about is eating!" The Eldest Miss playfully scolded, "Once we get to the branch office in the capital, will you be lacking anything?"

The carriage moved a few steps and then could no longer progress. Coinciding with the Lantern Festival, the entire capital was out to admire the lanterns. The roads were unbearably congested, not just for carriages but even pedestrians found it difficult to get through.

Yushuang, being young and after missing her mother for a while, looked at the bustling scene outside and suddenly felt an urge to join. Wiping her tears, she suggested, "Sister, since the carriage can't move forward, why don't we get down and walk? Today is the Lantern Festival, and it's lively outside. Let's go out and see?"

The Eldest Miss was mature and steady and The Xiao family was not to be trifled with in Jinling. However, this was the capital city, where nobody knew the Xiao family, so it was better to be cautious.

Seeing the Eldest Miss shake her head slightly, the Second Miss clung to Yuruo's arm and cooed, "Sister, it's rare for us to be here on this auspicious day of the Lantern Festival. Let's go out and have some fun!"

This young lady... The Eldest Miss let out a helpless sigh, glanced at Lin San, and sought his opinion, "What do you think?"

Lin Wanrong let out a wry smile, "The carriage can hardly move an inch right now. Even if we didn't want to get off, we have to. Let's grant the Second Miss her wish."

Yushuang gave him a sweet smile, biting her red lips. If it weren't for her sister being nearby, she would have jumped on him and hugged his neck already. The Eldest Miss resigned herself and said, "Alright then. But this is the capital, not Jinling. We must be careful, especially you!" She glared at him, a hint of reproach in her eyes. "There are many people outside. We three should stick together. We must not get separated."

‘Three people together? How should we walk? I haven't tried that before.’ Lin Wanrong chuckled, lifted the curtain, and jumped off the carriage, looking around.

The moon was bright, rising from the east, making the capital seem draped in a layer of silver. The city was bustling, with lanterns everywhere, people coming and going like a surging tide. Each person held a small lantern in their hand. Even the sons and daughters of the rich, surrounded by dozens of servants, carried lanterns of various sizes, making the street impassable.

Both sides of the street were adorned with high-hanging colored lanterns. Horse lanterns, jade rabbit lanterns, gourd lanterns, watermelon lanterns, cat lanterns, doll lanterns, peacock lanterns, and Shen Gongbao lanterns. All of them were realistic and beautifully crafted, like competing flowers in full bloom. The crowd was busy admiring and pointing at the variety of lanterns, laughter and joy filled the air, even more lively than the New Year's Eve.

[TL: Shen Gongbao is a character from Chinese folklore, particularly known for his role in the classical novel "Investiture of the Gods" (also known as "Fengshen Yanyi" or "Creation of the Gods"), which is a 16th-century Chinese novel and one of the major vernacular Chinese works in the Gods-and-Demons (shenmo) genre written during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).]

Lin Wanrong glanced around and couldn't help but shake his head. No matter the era, the capital always had the most people, it was a golden rule.

The sisters stepped down from the carriage and also looked ahead. The younger sister was young and her face flushed with excitement, "Lin San, is this the Lantern Festival in the capital? It's even more lively than the lanterns on our Qinhuai River."

Although the Eldest Miss had traveled to many places, this bustling scene was her first. She looked around and sighed deeply, "Who can sit idle when the moon is seen? Who doesn't come to see the lanterns? In Jinling, we used to appreciate the lanterns at this time of the year. When I was a child, my mother took me to see them a few times. I thought at the time that the south of the Yangtze River was the most prosperous place in the world. Now that I am here in the capital, seeing this lantern festival, I realize that my perspective was too narrow."

"Crowds do not equate to prosperity. I still miss Jinling a bit more." Lin Wanrong said with a faint smile, full of profound meaning.

A wave of the bustling crowd surged forward, leaving the two young ladies with ashen faces. Lin Wanrong quickly spread his arms to shield the ladies, laughing, "Don't be scared, that's what happens when there's a crowd. Besides, you two are so beautiful, it would be unusual if people weren't drawn to you. I'll join the pushing and shoving later on, for your sake."

The younger lady giggled, while the elder one gently said, "Let's not stir up any trouble, we've just arrived in the capital city and should be cautious. Lin San, it's crowded here, hold onto Yushuang. We need to stay together, we can't get separated."

"Look!" the younger lady cried out suddenly, a slender finger pointing in the distance, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

The elder sister and Lin Wanrong followed her gaze, and saw a grandly erected light city on a distant platform, towering and radiant, its glow mingling with the moonlight. The magnificently imposing gate, and the shimmering sea of lights atop the city, was a majestic sight that left onlookers in awe. At the heart of the light city, a nine-lotus treasure lantern stood, surrounded by a sea of lights and throngs of people.

"This must be the official lantern," the elder sister murmured.

"What's an official lantern?" Lin Wanrong asked curiously. When it came to these matters, he was utterly naive.

The elder sister looked at him, smiling. "So, there are things you don't know after all. I had thought nothing in the world could stymie you."

She took this opportunity to playfully tease Lin Wanrong, who responded with a chuckle. "If one can know seventy or eighty percent of all things in the world, it would be a great fortune."

"Blowing your own trumpet." The elder sister giggled behind her hand, a delicate blush coloring her face. "The so-called 'official lantern' is the lantern made with funds from the government. Every year at the Lantern Festival, it's actually a competition of lanterns, where wealthy and influential households all invest in making lanterns. The government is no exception, it's their way of participating in the public celebration. The larger and more beautiful the lantern, the higher their status."

So that's how it was. It was essentially a group of wealthy people flaunting their money. Lin Wanrong scornfully shrugged it off. With a northern nomad invasion imminent, it was disheartening to see the court wasting money on such extravagances rather than on more urgent matters.

The younger lady, who had been unable to contain her excitement, exclaimed in her sweet voice, "Sister, Lin San, let's move forward and buy some of these beautiful lanterns to look at." With that, she took Lin Wanrong's hand and led him forward, leaving the elder sister to shake her head in resignation, whispering into Lin Wanrong's ear, "Remember, we must stay together, we can't separate."

A warmth spread in Lin Wanrong's heart. Was the girl hinting at something? He laughed, nodding, "Remembered, always together, never to part, even if it kills us."

Xiao Yuruo's face flushed a deep shade of red. "I have no idea what you're rambling about, I can't be bothered with you. Yushuang, let's go."

The streets were packed with people, causing quite a crowd. The two ladies walked ahead, and Lin Wanrong, unwilling to let them out of his sight, quickly took a few steps forward, grabbing hold of Yushuang's small hand, eliciting a sweet smile from the younger lady.

Seeing the elder sister's unchanging expression, Lin Wanrong decided not to think too much about it. He stretched out his large hand, reaching directly for Xiao Yuruo's petite one.

The Eldest Miss's gaze fell on the lanterns ahead, her face a gentle shade of pink, her small hand trembling slightly, dampened by nervous perspiration. Lin Wanrong grabbed her little hand. She anxiously glanced at Yushuang, relieved to see no hint of suspicion in her eyes, before glaring resentfully at Lin Wanrong, her hand making a feeble attempt to escape his grip.

Lin Wanrong seriously said, "Hold tight, we can't afford to get separated. It's not easy to find each other in this crowd."

"I hate you," Eldest Miss bit her lip silently, too scared to speak or struggle further.

It wasn't his intention to upset her. Lin Wanrong, clasping Eldest Miss's hand, also felt a slight tremor in his heart.

From the beads of sweat in Eldest Miss's palm, he could feel her anxiety and excitement. Was she his older sister-in-law? Probably not. After holding the Second Miss's hand and now the Eldest Miss's, he was uncertain about who was who. It was all so confusing. He decided to let it be and not dwell on it too much. After all, regardless of the circumstances, they were still in this together. He chuckled, lightly tickling the palm of Eldest Miss's hand, reveling in a sense of unspoken triumph.

With a "boom," several splendid fireworks soared into the sky, exploding into a dazzling array of patterns. People craned their necks, cheer and applause filling the air. Everywhere you looked, there were colorful lanterns, their radiant hues fiercely competing for attention.

"The Wishing Tree!" Yushuang, leading the two, suddenly cried out.

The Wishing Tree? Lin Wanrong was taken aback. Was such a thing in existence already?

Following the direction pointed by the Second Miss, he saw a towering ginkgo tree on the street ahead. Judging by the size of its trunk and branches, it must have been thousands of years old. The tree was adorned with a variety of exquisite little lanterns, and colorful ribbons were wrapped around its branches. Under their combined glow, the tree was incredibly beautiful.

A thousand-year-old ginkgo was considered a great omen. According to the legend, making a wish under a ginkgo tree would make it come true. A multitude of women of all sorts had gathered under the tree, tying their wish-filled sachets onto the ribbons, adding colorful stones, and tossing them high onto the branches.

Seeing that the crowd was composed mainly of women, and therefore less dense, the Second Miss freed herself from Lin Wanrong's grasp. She pulled her sister along and said, "Sister, let's go make a wish. You, stay here and wait for us. Don't come over."

‘Damn it, without me, who will protect you? What if you encounter a group of lascivious women?’ He thought self-righteously. Displaying shameless perseverance, he trailed the two Misses, blending into the crowd of women.

Eldest Miss blushed slightly. Arguing with him was pointless, so she just let him be.

The young ladies who were making wishes hardly even noticed the presence of the green-capped servant. Perhaps in their eyes, a servant was barely considered a man. They didn't realize that this servant might be the most exceptional in history, having won over two sisters, indeed a role model envied by everyone in his profession.

Shameless men knew no fear. Lin Wanrong cast his eyes around, noticing the varied wishes written in the sachets of the young ladies.

"May I find my perfect suitor!"

"Wishing for young master Zhang next door to return soon!"

"Praying for the Undersecretary of the Ministry of War to take me as his eighteenth concubine!"

Lin Wanrong broke out in a cold sweat, deeply feeling he had come to the wrong place.

Yushuang whispered a few words into her sister's ear, then stole a glance at Lin Wanrong. Her face flushed slightly as she picked up a sachet and put her wish into it.

The Eldest Miss paused for a moment before writing down her wish as well, placing it at the other end of the rope. Yushuang lightly tossed her hand, and the sachet bearing the two sisters' wishes hung securely from the tree.

"We made it, we made it!" The younger sister exclaimed excitedly, her face full of joy. The Eldest Miss gazed gently, smiling faintly. The moonlight, lanterns, and fireworks illuminated the two sisters' flower-like faces, highlighting their graceful figures, rendering them unspeakably charming and attractive.

‘What a precise throw by my little sister-in-law!’

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, walking over to congratulate them. "Congratulations, congratulations. What did the Second Miss wish for?"

Yushuang replied coquettishly, "You shouldn't ask. Asking will render it ineffective."

Lin Wanrong leaned in and whispered, "Did you wish to start a family for the Lin Household soon? You don't have to tell me, I already know."

Yushuang let out a yelp, embarrassedly hiding behind her sister. The Eldest Miss gave him a sideways glance. "Stop bullying Yushuang!"

"What did the Eldest Miss wish for? Oh, forget I asked—"

The Eldest Miss huffed, "Every day I have to converse with you, my anger only increases." Lin Wanrong was accustomed to their daily bickering and the added heat. Moreover, having Yushuang by his side, this secret pursuit was more exciting than openly courting the Eldest Miss. Men always enjoyed such things, didn't they?

"Ladies, would you like to buy lanterns? Top-quality lanterns for the Lantern Festival, twenty taels each. Guaranteed to make your wishes come true and bring you sweet dreams," cried a few vendors nearby. The ladies who had made their wishes were already carrying several lanterns, looking as lovely as flowers.

‘Twenty taels each? Damn it, why don't you just rob someone? You need to have morals!’ Lin Wanrong, who came from a merchant background, looked down on these vendors. However, Yushuang was delighted and promptly approached, asking, "Is this a Double Fishes lantern?"

"Indeed, indeed. Miss, the Double Fishes lantern is based on the story of mutual help and support. It's perfect for a gift to your loved one," the vendors were accustomed to telling this to young ladies, and it almost always worked. Yushuang cast a shy look at Lin Wanrong, not daring to speak.

‘If the wife likes it, I must reluctantly fork out the money.’ Lin Wanrong stepped forward, pointing at the largest Double Fishes lantern. "This one, the biggest one, how much is it?"

"Fifty taels!" Seeing the good business of the night, the vendor raised the price exorbitantly.

‘Damn it, I could buy half a bottle of perfume with that.’ Lin Wanrong took out a banknote. "Here, a hundred taels. If you dare give me change, I'll smash your stall! Second Miss, do you like it?"

The peddler, upon hearing this, was inwardly taken aback. If he were to give him change, he'd be a fool, he thought. He wondered who this servant could be, audacious enough to flirt with a young lady. Such gall, such audacity!

Yushuang nodded slightly, her face flushed, her eyes full of soft affection. In a gentle voice, she said, "Lin San, thank you. Let us be like these fishes that help each other in hardship, forever together."

She picked up a small brush, delicately inscribing a line of characters: "In heaven, may we become lovebirds flying wing to wing!" After she finished, she let out a small whimper, handed the brush to Lin San, and shyly hurried away.

‘As an old married couple, what is there to be embarrassed about?’ Lin Wanrong chuckled, pulled out a pencil, and added a line on the back: "On earth, forever joined like the entwined branches." He lit the candle inside the lantern, and after a while, he and the Second Miss held up the Double Fishes. The lantern gradually ascended, slowly soaring into the sky. Yushuang's face was flush with excitement, she clung to his hand with an affectionate, honeyed look of unspeakable joy.

The Eldest Miss watched the pair and sighed softly. Lin Wanrong chortled, "Miss, whichever lantern you like, I'll buy for you as well. The silver notes I'm carrying are quite burdensome, really bothersome. It would be nice to lighten the load a bit."

The Second Miss chimed in, "Sister, you should choose one as well. Lin San, you can't favor one over the other, you need to give sister a lantern too."

‘Oh dear, Miss. That's not how you use the idiom 'favoring one and discriminating against the other'. It could cause misunderstandings.’ His mind was racing, but he felt somewhat pleased, lightly caressing the hand of the Second Miss he held.

The Eldest Miss's cheeks flushed, and she snorted, "Mother has placed all the silver notes with you. You're being reckless with money, spending so frivolously. Be careful, I might report you to mother." She was getting smarter, knowing she had no way to handle Lin San, so she shifted all responsibility to Madam Xiao, which was quite a significant improvement.

Lin Wanrong laughed, "These notes are the result of my hard work, there's no misuse of public funds. Please, feel free to choose your lantern."

The Eldest Miss blushed slightly, walked to the lantern stall, and carefully began to choose a lantern. Mandarin duck lanterns, lotus lanterns, Guanyin lanterns; she looked at one after another, unsure of which one to pick.

Lin Wanrong picked up a lantern and said, "Choose this one. This one is good."

Xiao Yuruo looked at the lantern in her hand; it was a Matchmaker Red String lantern, as tall as a person. The benevolent-faced matchmaker was tying a red string around the ankles of a young man and woman, a gentle smile on his face.

Xiao Yuruo's heart pounded. She stole a quick glance at him and quickly turned her head away. Recalling the incident on the boat where the red string had been cut by Qin Xian'er, causing her immense pain, her eyes grew a bit moist. She bit her silver teeth lightly, glanced at Yushuang, and said nothing.

Lin Wanrong didn't care what the young ladies were thinking anymore, and lifted the red string lantern, asking, "Boss, how much is this?"

Seeing that he was a big spender, the owner said, "You've already bought a lantern, sir, so I can give you a bit of a discount on this one, fifty taels of silver. I'm practically losing money at that price!"

"What?" Lin Wanrong exclaimed, "Fifty taels of silver?"

The shopkeeper was taken aback. "Well, sir, there's room for negotiation. How about I knock off another ten taels, how does that sound?"

"Damn! How could such a nice lantern only be worth fifty taels?" Lin Wanrong angrily retorted, "If you don't increase the price to one hundred taels, I won't buy it."

The shopkeeper was stunned for a moment, then stammered, "O-one hundred taels?"

"Babbling, how can you do big business like this?" Lin Wanrong shoved the banknote at him, took the red string lantern, and handed it to Xiao Yuruo, chuckling, "This is for you."

While others didn't understand his peculiar haggling, Xiao Yuruo understood clearly. Despite the absurdity of it, she couldn't help but laugh. Her eyes gathered a layer of mist as she quietly said, "Thank you, I really like it!"

From her bosom, she pulled out a piece of red string—the very same one that had been cut by Xian'er. Her face blushed as she sneakily glanced at him, her hands trembling slightly as she tied the red string onto the figures on the lantern.

"Sister, what are you doing?" the Second Miss asked, confused.

"This is a poignant story. I'll tell you after the rice is cooked," Lin Wanrong chuckled mischievously.

The Eldest Miss picked up the brush, unsure of what to write. After much hesitation, she wrote, "Longing as endless as the dust—"

‘Is she waiting for me to continue? The Second Miss is still here!’ Lin Wanrong grinned, about to step forward with the pencil in hand when his gaze swept towards the distance. Suddenly, there was a "clatter," and the pencil in his hand fell to the ground.

Lin Wanrong stood still as if struck by lightning, rooted to the spot, unable to move a muscle!

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