Chapter 229: Farewell
Mid-Autumn Festival, admiring the moon and eating crab.
A cup of chrysanthemum wine, two taels of crab meat.
Under the big tree hung full of lanterns, the table was laden with rich dishes, the family eating and chatting with laughter, occasionally tilting their heads to admire the bright full moon in the night sky.
Yuan Yuan sat on her mother’s lap, her small hand grabbing a crab leg, squinting her eyes and poking the chopsticks into the middle, and a tender piece of crab meat was pushed out along with the force.
“Here.” Yuan Yuan raised her small hand, bringing the peeled crab leg meat to Shang Wan’s mouth.
Shang Wan lowered her head to take it in her mouth, and smoothly kissed the small hand.
Yuan Yuan grinned, lowering her head to continue peeling the crab.
Though the small hands were short, they were nimble, and with the strength of an ability user, breaking open the crab was effortless.
“Let’s go release river lanterns.” Chu Xu couldn’t sit still, grabbing half a lotus seed paste mooncake and suggesting.
Everyone had almost finished eating, so they took their lanterns or river lanterns and headed together to the riverside.
Tonight’s moonlight was exceptionally bright, casting a layer of silver light, so clear that the path underfoot could be seen even without lanterns.
On the way, they met quite a few villagers, some holding torches, others like Shang Wan and her group, carrying lanterns in hand.
Everyone’s faces were smiling, the children the most excited, bouncing and jumping around the adults, hugging their lotus lanterns like treasures.
The village had a custom of releasing river lanterns during the Mid-Autumn Festival to pray for blessings; in previous years, they would also hold a sacrificial rite to the river god on this day, praying for a smooth year ahead without floods.
This year without the village chief organizing, only releasing river lanterns remained.
Everyone chatted as they walked to the riverside; by the time they arrived, quite a few lotus lanterns were already floating in the river, interspersed with a few rabbit lanterns and little boat-shaped ones, looking childlike and cute.
Shang Wan’s group walked a stretch downstream, where there were fewer people and it was more convenient to release lanterns.
Shi Tou unfolded lantern after lantern of lotus lanterns, took out a fire starter, and lit them one by one.
Tiny points of firelight lit up from the center of the lotus lanterns, illuminating the small characters written on the inside.
The characters were either elegant and flowing, upright and proper, or childish.
The river surface rippled gently, the lanterns carrying prayers drifting downstream with the water.
The night breeze brushed over, making the lanterns in the river spin around.
Shang Wan watched with narrowed eyes, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
A point of fluorescence swayed leisurely past her eyes; Shang Wan turned her head to look, her eyes slowly widening.
Only to see swarms of fireflies flying out from the reed marsh, their glow connecting into patches, flickering faintly, as if a river of stars had turned upside down and fallen to earth.
A child excitedly jumped up, “Mom, look!”
“Grandpa, there are so many glowing bugs!”
“Wow, so pretty!”
The crowd by the riverside stared in a daze, their gazes following the glow, suddenly halting sharply.
Rabbit… rabbit?
Only to see the dancing fireflies slowly forming a huge rabbit head in mid-air, with two big buck teeth, looking quite ferocious.
Before the crowd could react, the rabbit head turned into a dog head.
That snout was pointed, looking somewhat like a wolf.
Shang Wan’s eye corner twitched, and she lowered her head to look at the baby in her arms.
The little baby girl had a pair of round, sparkling big eyes full of colorful lights, clearly the sudden fireflies were her handiwork.
Seeing the fireflies form a deer, Shang Wan felt that if this continued, it might be passed off as a miracle or auspicious sign, so she quickly called out, “Good baby.”
Yuan Yuan looked up at her, colorful lights flashing in her eyes.
Shang Wan pointed at the fireflies and said softly, “Let’s go home and play.”
Yuan Yuan blinked her eyes, the colorful lights in her eyes gradually fading.
The fireflies that had just formed a flock of birds suddenly dispersed, turning into light spots and quickly vanishing deep into the reed marsh.
“Why did they disappear?”
“I hadn’t seen enough yet.”
“It must be the river god hearing our prayers and showing a sign.”
“But there was no sacrificial rite this year.”
“There definitely won’t be floods next year!”
While the villagers were discussing, Shang Wan’s group had quietly slipped out of the crowd and gone home.
Once there was no one around, Chu Xu asked in a small voice, “Was it Yuan Yuan who did it?”
Shang Wan and the others didn’t answer, but not refuting was as good as admitting it.
Chu Xu immediately looked at Yuan Yuan with envy and admiration, such a magical ability, so amazing!
“A Nian, can you promise Aunt Shang one thing?”
Chu Xu blinked his eyes in confusion, “What is it?”
“Don’t tell anyone about Yuan Yuan’s ability.”
“Why?” Chu Xu thought such an ability was super magical; if told, others would all envy Yuan Yuan.
Shang Wan said, “If a child carries a thousand gold through a bustling market, what would happen?”
Chu Xu had learned this and answered, “They would be robbed.”
Shang Wan nodded and lifted her finger to point at Yuan Yuan.
Chu Xu looked at Shang Wan then at Yuan Yuan, his cat-like eyes turning, and his clever little head immediately understood.
Yuan Yuan was the thousand gold; if said, she would be robbed.
He still wanted to wait for Yuan Yuan to grow up and convince her to become a female general, and she couldn’t be robbed by others.
Thinking of this, the child held his small face seriously and nodded, promising, “I guarantee I won’t even tell Elder Brother.”
“Thank you.” Shang Wan reached out to ruffle the child’s head.
Chu Xu grinned, reached out to pick up Yuan Yuan, and ran ahead chattering.
He wanted to say goodbye to Yuan Yuan again and ask when she would want to become a general.
·
Deep into the night.
“Uncle Lu, can I come in?” Chu Xu knocked on the ajar study room door.
“Come in.”
Chu Xu pushed the door open and entered, “Uncle Lu, I have something to say to you.”
The child’s expression was serious, as if about to say something important.
Lu Chengjing put down his book and nodded to him, “Sit and say.”
“No need to sit, Aunt Shang will take me to enter the city soon.” Chu Xu ran to stand by Lu Chengjing, tilting his face up to look at him seriously.
Lu Chengjing felt puzzled by his gaze, “What do you want to say?”
“Uncle Lu, you will definitely pass the imperial exam, right?”
Lu Chengjing: “???”
Chu Xu looked at him eagerly, his cat-like eyes blinking, determined to get an answer from Lu Chengjing.
But with countless variables, how could Lu Chengjing be certain?
“Actually, I want to go to the capital city with you all more.” Chu Xu pouted his small mouth, “But Elder Brother wants me to go with that one surnamed Zhong.”
Lu Chengjing saw the child was a bit worried and said warmly, “He will protect you.”
“I don’t like him.” Chu Xu wrinkled his nose, “He’s not a good person.”
Lu Chengjing: “You don’t need to like him, just treat him as a guard.”
“What kind of guard is like that.” Chu Xu pursed his lips, muttering something upon thinking of it, “I’m not afraid of him.”
He looked up at Lu Chengjing again, with a bit of expectation, “Uncle Lu, come with me; I’ll open a spiritual medicine pavilion for you in the capital city, okay?”
Lu Chengjing: “…”
He shook his head and reached out to ruffle the child’s head.
Chu Xu sighed, “Shops in the capital city are so valuable, why won’t you and Aunt Shang go?”
The child drooped his head in disappointment; he had a great time at the Lu Family and was reluctant to part from everyone.
“We will meet again.” Lu Chengjing still comforted the child.
Chu Xu sniffled and looked up at him, “You promise.”
Meeting those watery cat-like eyes, Lu Chengjing nodded gently, “Alright, I promise.”
Chu Xu held back again and again but still couldn’t help his eyes reddening, tears welling up uncontrollably.
“I’ll wait for you in the capital city!”
The child quickly reached out to hug Lu Chengjing, then turned and ran out of the study room.
