Chapter 1007: Chapter 1001: Temple Fair (Part 1)
This is her first time visiting a temple fair, and she hadn’t expected the Capital’s temple fair to be so lively!
Everywhere she looked, colorful lanterns were hung at varying heights. Each lantern was lit brightly, illuminating the street as if it were daytime, dazzling like neon lights.
Pedestrians were shoulder to shoulder, vendors crowded on both sides, with cries and the sounds of gongs and opera singing. There were even some young women dressed in bright colors with powdered faces and heavy perfume, boldly waving handkerchiefs and flirting with passersby on both sides.
The carriage could hardly move, so Fourth Master Xiao instructed Tiancheng to stop the carriage at the side. Through the curtain, he said, "There’s a restaurant not far ahead; let’s go sit over there."
Xiqiu wore a veiled hat, and Bihuai was excited, lifting the carriage curtain to look outside. She said to Xiqiu, "Madam, let me help you down."
"Alright." Xiqiu held onto Bihuai’s hand to come out and saw Fourth Master Xiao standing below. Xiqiu stepped down the footstool, and Fourth Master Xiao pointed to the two-story restaurant not far ahead: "Let’s go there!"
Xiqiu agreed and walked through the bustling crowd with the help of Bihuai and Lyuzhi.
Zhi was already sitting on Tiancheng’s shoulders, while Tong Minzhi was holding a candied hawthorn in one hand and a big paper bag in the other. He peeled a chestnut and stood on tiptoe to stuff it into the excited Zhi’s mouth, who was looking around, exclaiming, "Seventh Uncle, look, there’s a big dragon lantern over there!"
Perched high, he could see clearly. Xiqiu looked up but only saw a bit of light; Tong Minzhi jumped but couldn’t find it either and said, "We’ll go there later." Then, he stuffed another candied hawthorn into Zhi’s mouth. Zhi’s small mouth was stuffed, squinting with a smile, and he turned to find Xiqiu: "Mother, look quickly, there’s a play being performed over there."
Xiqiu was infected by his excitement and couldn’t help but laugh.
Lyuzhi was fine as she had been in the Capital for several years before entering the manor, and had visited temple fairs before, but Bihuai was looking around with wide eyes, tightly clutching Xiqiu’s arm. Seeing a row of stalls selling hairpins, rouge, and other women’s items, and various strange-shaped lanterns, she appeared eager to try. Xiqiu smiled and said, "When I go upstairs later, you can go around with Lyuzhi, but don’t get lost."
Bihuai’s eyes lit up, and showing a rare childlike side, she nodded and said, "I won’t get lost." She and Lyuzhi laughed together.
Fourth Master Xiao walked ahead of Xiqiu, opening the way, and a few old women following surrounded Xiqiu in the center so that such a formation did not attract the attention of passersby. Perhaps it was common for noblewomen like Xiqiu to come out to temple fairs...
Finally, they managed to squeeze through the crowd to the restaurant designated by Fourth Master Xiao. Xiqiu felt as if she had been trekking for ages, breaking out in a slight sweat. As soon as they entered the restaurant’s door, someone who seemed very familiar approached without greeting, simply raising a hand: "Please!" leading them directly to a private room by the window on the second floor.
Once inside, after the tea and snacks were served, someone who seemed to be the shopkeeper came by to greet them, cupping his hands to Fourth Master Xiao: "Fourth Master, the tea and snacks are prepared, just as you usually like." After speaking, he quickly glanced at the small-statured woman sitting next to him, wearing a plain tobacco-colored overcoat and a veiled hat, quickly lowering his head, thinking to himself: Is this the famed Fourth Madam? She truly is dignified, elegant, and noble...
Thinking this, he looked again at Zhi and Tong Minzhi, who were standing by the window, laughing and chatting about the street scene, and added, "If you need anything, Fourth Master, just call for me!" Seeing Fourth Master Xiao nod slightly, he bowed and backed out. The maid waiting outside closed the door.
"Mother!" Zhi ran over, and with no outsiders in the room, Bihuai went to help Xiqiu remove her veil. Xiqiu used a cloth to wipe Zhi’s mouth. Zhi, showing his small teeth stained with malt sugar, excitedly said, "Can I go with Seventh Uncle and Tiancheng to look at the front for a while? We’ll be back soon."
Xiqiu handed him some clear water to rinse his mouth while looking at Fourth Master Xiao: "You should ask your father about this."
"Father!" Zhi swallowed the water, smiling brightly at Fourth Master Xiao: "I’ll be back soon."
Fourth Master Xiao put down his teacup and replied, "You must stay with your uncle and Tiancheng, and don’t wander too far!" Hearing his father’s approval, Zhi smiled broadly, nodding repeatedly: "Okay!" Then turned to take Tong Minzhi’s hand.
Tong Minzhi walked over with a smile to greet Fourth Master Xiao and Xiqiu: "We’ll just walk around nearby and be back soon." Xiqiu agreed and gave some reminders. Seeing Bihuai waiting on the side, she said, "You can go as well, but come back here in an hour."
Bihuai smiled broadly, nodding: "Okay!" Saying that, she took Lyuzhi’s hand, gave some instructions to the maid standing guard, then closed the door, and the five of them laughed and went downstairs.
Only Fourth Master Xiao and Xiqiu remained in the room. Naturally, he took Xiqiu’s hand, warming it in his palm: "Are you tired?" Xiqiu smiled, shaking her head, and Fourth Master Xiao led her to stand: "Come over here and have a look; in the daytime, you can see all the way to the southern city gate."
Xiqiu followed him, looking south, and asked, "Is it the gate Min entered through when entering the city?" Fourth Master Xiao nodded, then pointed toward the Imperial City: "Our home is over there." Xiqiu leaned forward to look.
"I’ve lived in the Capital for so many years, yet I still can’t tell directions," she chuckled lightly, "Not going out often leaves me without a sense of direction!"
Fourth Master Xiao wrapped an arm around her waist, speaking softly: "When matters at court settle, we’ll go visit places. We can see the misty rain of Jiangnan and the lonely smoke of the desert."
Xiqiu often dreamed of such things before, but as the years passed, such dreams were like bubbles—long shattered, leaving no trace. She replied: "...Like in the operas, I should dress as a boy and follow Fourth Master across the world?"
Fourth Master Xiao looked down at her, smiling and raising a brow: "If I had such a servant with me, wouldn’t it be a series of troubles?"
Xiqiu covered her face and laughed as well. Disguising as a servant would only attract gossip unless she wore a veil...
They leaned down again to discuss the lanterns on the street. Xiqiu recalled the familiarity between the shopkeeper and Fourth Master Xiao and asked, "Does Fourth Master come here often?" Fourth Master Xiao’s lips curled, with a hint of teasing: "Yes, this is a room I reserve long-term..."
Xiqiu raised her head to look at him, asking, "Here?" Then paused, recalling the women standing at the roadside below, jokingly asking: "Isn’t a place like Chunli Building nearby?"
Fourth Master Xiao responded smoothly: "Yes, just a street away!" Finishing his words, seeing Xiqiu lower her gaze, he leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek, chuckling softly: "What’s wrong?"
Xiqiu was taken aback, shaking her head: "Nothing, I was just looking at a pretty lantern below, so I took a closer look." Her face showed no change, yet Fourth Master Xiao was surprised by her reaction. He had expected her to dig deeper into the matter, but she didn’t pursue it further after her initial questions, causing him to ask: "You don’t mind?"
