The two of them were playing chess to kill time from the afternoon to dark, but they eventually started a fire. By then it was dark, the wind and snow had stopped, and thousands of lights illuminated the cold winter night sky, but the two of them were lying on the couch, hugging their fox fur coats, too lazy to move.
"It's getting late..." Sui Sui yawned lazily. Even though she said that, she didn't move a finger. The man's arms were warm, and being held by him was like soaking in a hot spring, which softened her bones.
Huan Xuan said, "It's time to get up and go see the lanterns."
As he spoke, he hugged her tighter, with no intention of getting up at all.
Sui Sui said, "It doesn't matter if you stay here for a while. Just lie down for another quarter of an hour."
"You go to sleep first," Huan Xuan bent down and kissed her eyelids, "I'll call you when the quarter is up."
Sui Sui said, "You are more tired than me, so you should get some sleep too. Anyway, the Heshi market has a whole night, so it won't be too late to go there after midnight."
Huan Xuan hesitated for a moment before following suit: "Okay."
When they woke up again, the candle had burned out and they could faintly hear the sounds of sheng, flute and drums coming from outside.
Sui Sui poked Huan Xuan's chest, and Huan Xuan asked, "Awake?"
Sui Sui nodded.
Huan Xuan asked, "You're thirsty, would you like some water?"
Sui Sui nodded again.
"I'll go warm up the jujube soup." Huan Xuan was about to get up, but an arm wrapped around his waist like a vine.
"I'll just drink something cold, and then I'll hug you." Sui Sui's voice was a little hoarse and nasal, which made people's hearts itch.
The two of them stayed together for a while, and Huan Xuan finally got up, lit a fire in the small stove, and simmered the jujube soup.
Sui Sui sat on the couch, sipping the jujube soup, and handed the remaining half cup to Huan Xuan: "That's enough."
Huan Xuan took it naturally and drank the remaining half cup in one gulp.
"What time is it?" Sui Sui asked.
Huan Xuan said: "The ugly one is already gone."
"It's so late," Sui Sui said, "I'm afraid it will be dawn by the time we get to the Baihe River..."
Huan Xuan asked, "Do you want to see the lights?"
Sui Sui was too lazy to move: "It's the same every year, but this is your first year in Weibo. You haven't seen the city of He, so go ahead..."
Huan Xuan said: "You know I don't like crowded places. If you are tired of watching, we won't watch it anymore."
Sui Sui blushed a little: "Then I'll take you to see it tomorrow. Anyway, He City will be closed until the end of the month."
Huan Xuan said, "I'll go light up all the lights in the yard, it will be the same."
Sui Sui also put on his clothes and stood up: "I'll order with you."
The two men got up immediately, rummaged through the boxes and cabinets to find all the lamps and lit them. They added oil to the lanterns under the corridor and hung glass lamps on the trees in the courtyard. Soon, the huge courtyard was dotted with lights, making the icicles under the eaves and on the grass and trees sparkle like crystal.
The two of them, wearing fox furs, leaned against the railings and admired the lights in the courtyard. The blooming red plum blossoms looked like clusters of burning flames in the light.
"Do you like it?" Huan Xuan asked.
Sui Sui nodded.
Huan Xuan stood behind her, hugged her with his fox fur, and kissed her gently from earlobe to earlobe: "Do you want to go light the lanterns?"
Sui Sui said: "The river is frozen, and the pond in the back garden is also frozen. We can only release it next year."
Huan Xuan said, "Next year, next year. We promised that I will accompany you to release the first day of the lunar year this year."
Sui Sui asked, "Are we really going to put it in the bathtub?"
Huan Xuan said righteously: "I have to put it in the bathtub. I must do what I promised you."
Sui Sui knew that he was stubborn, so she raised her head and kissed his beautiful jawline: "Forget it, forget it. I'll just stay with you."
Back in the room, Sui Sui took out the sandalwood box from the cupboard. They took off their robes and went to the bathhouse wearing only their undergarments.
The bathing pool was misty. The two of them sat shoulder to shoulder on the white stone steps with their feet immersed in the warm water.
Sui Sui opened the lid of the sandalwood box, carefully took out the ill-fated glass lotus lamp, and placed it in Huan Xuan's palm.
Huan Xuan gently moved a small brass rod at the bottom of the lotus lamp. He didn't know what spring was triggered, but he saw the petals that were originally closed slowly open, revealing the wick and the candle wax made in the shape of a lotus heart.
Sui Sui couldn't help but exclaimed, "Ah!" and gently touched the crystal clear lotus petals with his fingertips: "It actually has a spring installed. Which craftsman has such a clever idea? Was it made in the palace? Every year, the Yuan Palace gives out lanterns, but I've never seen one as exquisite as this one."
Huan Xuan raised his chin slightly and said, "There is only this one in Chang'an."
He paused, looking both proud and embarrassed: "The style of the lamp and the structure of the spring were all drawn by me." After all, these fancy tricks were not part of his job.
Sui Sui was amused by his behavior and bit his cheek: "How come my husband is so smart?"
Huan Xuan's ears turned red. "It's just a trifle. The gift I give you can't be something vulgar."
He cleared his throat and said, "Turn on the lights."
He started a fire from the oil lamp by the pool, carefully lit the glass lamp, and then extinguished all the lights in the bathhouse.
The bathhouse was suddenly dark, with only a glass lamp emitting a faint light.
The two walked along the steps to the center of the pool, and the water slowly reached their waists. Huan Xuan placed the lamp in Sui Sui's palm, and his palm covered hers. The flickering flames reflected two pairs of eyes, and the smiles in their eyes were like the gentle ripples in the pool.
He placed the lamp gently on the water surface and gave it a light push with his fingertips. The lotus lamp floated out slowly with the waves.
"very nice… "
Before he uttered the word "look", he saw the lotus lantern gradually tilting and slowly sinking into the water as if it could not bear the weight.
The two were stunned for a moment. When they came back to fish out the lantern, it was too late. With a hissing sound, the flame went out, and the lotus lantern completely sank into the pool.
No one said anything and the air seemed to have frozen. Fortunately, it was dark and one could not see the embarrassment on each other's faces.
After a while, Sui Sui coughed twice and said, "It's because I need to repair the house."
Huan Xuan said "hmm".
Sui Sui said: "The picture you drew will never be wrong."
Huan Xuan remained silent.
Sui Sui continued, "Such a beautiful lantern should be kept on the desk. It would be a pity to release the river lanterns. Next year, we will ask someone to make a few paper lanterns and release them in the river..."
Huan Xuan still said nothing.
Sui Sui groped in the dark and approached him: "Don't be sad..."
Before she could finish her words, someone suddenly pulled her body, and she slipped and fell into the pool.
Then a pair of slender and strong hands lifted her waist.
"Huan Ziheng!" Sui Sui kicked the man's chest, "I'm trying to comfort you with good intentions..."
Huan Xuan grabbed her ankle and said, "I'm so sad that I failed to release the river lanterns. I need your comfort." Then he turned his head away.
Her waist and soles were itchy all the time, and she was soon out of breath from the double attack. She cursed while laughing, but gradually she could no longer curse, and the only sound in the darkness was the splashing of water.
…
When the two of them were putting lanterns in the bathing pool, almost all the men, women, old and young in Wei Bo came to Baihe to watch the lanterns.
The canal that meandered through Weizhou City was covered with thick ice. All the shops and pavilions on the river were built with ice. Some taverns even had couches carved out of ice and covered with thick fur, so it was not cold to sit on them.
Thousands of lights dot the room, and tourists walking through it feel like they are walking in a galaxy in the sky.
Nanny Gao usually talks about Chang'an every other sentence, but now she is speechless. She wishes she could grow ten or eight pairs of eyes to take in the entire magnificent glass world.
Harujo, holding a lantern in one hand and holding her arm with the other, was also dazzled.
Ma Zhongshun cautiously took a step behind them, but had no time to look at the beautiful ice lanterns. His eyes were always fixed on the back of Chun Tiao's head.
Chun Tiao asked Madam Gao, "There are singing and dancing performances on the big ice boat at the top. Do you want to go and watch it?"
Grandma Gao stood on tiptoe and looked around. She saw a huge crowd of people. She shook her head and said, "It's not like we haven't seen many operas in Chang'an. I won't join in the fun."
She turned her head and glanced at Ma Zhongshun, and said meaningfully, "You young people go and have a look. I just happened to be stopping by this tavern to rest and order a bowl of milk wine."
Chun Tiao likes lively places and hesitated: "How can Mammy do it alone? I will stay here to accompany Mammy, and Brother Ma can go and watch."
Ma Zhongshun said hurriedly, "I will stay to accompany Madam, and Miss Chun Tiao will go and see."
Grandma Gao said with a sigh, "What's there for an old lady in her seventies to be afraid of? Can I get lost if I just sit in the tavern for a while? How can a young girl like Chun Tiao squeeze into the crowd by herself? You go with her."
Then he waved his hand impatiently: "Go quickly, stop talking nonsense."
Chun Tiao and Ma Zhongshun walked towards the ice boat one after another. Standing close to it, the ice-carved building ship looked even more magnificent.
A group of actors were performing the pole-seeking dance on the roof of the ship. A girl of fifteen or sixteen was holding a pole on her head, and a child of seven or eight was standing upside down on the pole and dancing, which drew exclamations from the crowd.
Suddenly, the pole shook, and the child on the top of the pole tilted his body and fell headfirst.
The crowd burst into exclamations, and Chun Tiao screamed in fright, and then a rough, warm hand clumsily blocked her eyes.
Ma Zhongshun said: "Don't be afraid."
Just as the child was about to fall onto the ice, suddenly a fire dragon rose up along the ice, just in time to hold the child on its back, and slowly rose into the air. Everyone suddenly realized what had happened, forgave them for the well-rehearsed trick, and applauded.
Chun Tiao's eyes were covered by Ma Zhongshun, and he missed the most exciting moment.
Ma Zhongshun was at a loss: "I'm sorry, Miss Chun Tiao... I..."
Chun Tiao said: "What's the big deal? Just come back and see it next year."
Ma Zhongshun let out a long sigh and touched the back of his head: "I'm just afraid that Miss Chun Tiao will be angry with me."
Chun Tiao said: "How can I get angry so easily? Do I have a bad temper?"
Ma Zhongshun stammered and was speechless. Chun Tiao's temper was not good. She was a bit aggressive in Shanchiyuan. He didn't know what to do. He was afraid that she would be angry if he told her the truth, but he was afraid of appearing to be slick and unreliable if he said nice things to coax her.
Harujo laughed and said, "Let's go."
Ma Zhongshun asked: "Where are you going?"
Chun Tiao said, "Come back, Mammy is staying in the tavern alone."
Ma Zhongshun said "Oh" and felt a little disappointed. The time he had alone was so short and he messed it up.
Chun Tiao laughed and said, "You made me miss the exciting part. I will punish you by buying me a bowl of milk."
After saying that, he turned around and ran back to where he came from.
Ma Zhongshun was stunned for a while, came back, slapped his forehead, and hurriedly chased after him.
…
On the other side of the ship, Tian Yuerong and Guan Liulang stood shoulder to shoulder.
Tian Yuerong crossed her arms and frowned, "I've watched this illusion five or six times, but I still don't understand how they changed."
Guan Liulang said: "They make a living from this, how can it be so easy to see through them."
He worked tirelessly carrying large and small bags, all of which contained the various foods and gadgets they had bought at the River Lantern Market. Guard Tian had just received a reward from the general when he was young, and at a time when he had the most money, he bought everything he saw.
Tian Yuerong stamped her feet and said in annoyance, "I just can't give up. If I secretly arrest the boss and interrogate him, will he confess?"
Guan Liulang was horrified: "This guy is bullying others with his power, Commander Tian, please think twice!"
Tian Yuerong laughed so hard that she fell backwards: "I was just kidding. No wonder they all call you Guan Mu."
Guan Liulang blushed and said, "I'm sorry to make Commander Tian laugh again..."
Tian Yuerong finally laughed enough: "I'm a little tired, let's find a place to sit down."
The two walked away, and Tian Yuerong said, "I am like this. I have to get to the bottom of everything."
Guan Liulang said: "Why don't I go and ask around..."
Tian Yuerong shook her head and said, "No need, it's probably just a trick. But I have another matter that I want you to solve, I don't know if you are willing to tell me."
Guan Liudao: "What's the matter?"
Tian Yuerong rolled her eyes and asked, "How did your husband get his sword to the Luoyang market?"
Guan Liulang said in embarrassment: "Did General Xiao ask you to find out?"
Tian Yuerong said: "I am just curious. As soon as I wake up, I feel itchy inside. Sometimes I can't sleep at night. If you don't want to tell me, forget it."
Guan Liulang hesitated and said, "It's really not a big deal, but I'm embarrassed to let the general know."
Tian Yuerong said nothing, just looked up at him.
Guan Liulang made up his mind and said, "I will tell you in private, don't tell General Xiao."
Tian Yuerong raised her eyebrows: "Do you think I look like this kind of person?"
Guan Liulang said with embarrassment: "I am just a mean person..."
Tian Yuerong smiled: "I don't blame you. You will know me after spending more time with me. So what is the matter with that chaotic sea?"
…
The next day, after lunch, Sui Sui went to the courtyard, and when he came back, he looked at Huan Xuan with a smile.
Huan Xuan saw that she was smiling with ill intentions, and his heart trembled: "What's wrong?"
Sui Sui stretched out his hand and spread his palm: "Give it to me."
Huan Xuan asked: "What?"
Sui Sui said, "Let me see if there is a fool who has exchanged a peerless sword for a jade pendant or some priceless treasure."
Huan Xuan was startled, then his face flushed, and he gritted his teeth, "Who said that? Is it Song Jiu?"
Sui Sui said: "Don't worry about who said it, let me take a look."
Huan Xuan said: "Smash it and throw it away."
Sui Sui asked: "What kind of jade pendant?"
Huan Xuan said: "It's nothing special, just an ordinary jade pendant."
Sui Sui poked him in the chest: "What a fool."
Then he took off the sword from his waist and stuffed it into his arms: "Take it, and don't sell it."
Huan Xuan took it unconsciously, and immediately felt something wrong in his palm. He lowered his head and found that she had given him a messy feeling.
He recognized the knife without even looking at the inscription on it. It was the famous knife Jingsha that struck fear into countless people.