TTTQF Chapter 32

Give It To You

“Come and have a look! Handcrafted exquisite lanterns, designed by you to illuminate your beautiful life, offering you a unique and exceptional experience.”

As evening approaches, the surroundings begin to bustle with activity, and the crowd grows larger. Seeing the perfect opportunity, Jiang Miao immediately steps out and loudly shouts the advertising slogans he had thought of before.

In the midst of the surrounding shouts of “Pancakes, get your hot pancakes!” and “Steamed buns, warm steamed buns!” along with “Candied hawthorns for sale!”, Jiang Miao’s unique pitch stands out.

Jiang Miao calls out energetically, deeply missing the modern loudspeakers that could replay a recorded message all day without pause.

“What did you just say?” A few scholars, drawn by his voice, come over and look at the table behind him, somewhat puzzled by his words.

“Gentlemen, you look like well-educated people. Look here, we have paper, pens, and paint. Pay a small fee, and you can create your own lantern designs. Whether you paint or write poetry on them, it’s up to you. Such a lantern would be unique. I bet no one else on this street will have the same one. Moreover, if any of you have a lady you admire, you could make an extra lantern to give to her. It’s a sincere and heartfelt gift that’s sure to impress her!”

Jiang Miao raises his voice, not only explaining to the few scholars in front of him but also addressing the onlookers behind them.

The scholars blush slightly; being in the prime of their youth, how could they not have thoughts of romance? Giving a unique lantern to the girl they like seems like a great idea. However, they appear somewhat reluctant.

“This is quite novel. Fine, I’ll make one. I really don’t want something that everyone else has.”

“Exactly, usually when you go out, three or four out of ten are the same, so boring. I’ll make one too!”

“I’ll make two. You have to give me matching frames.”

“Sure, sure, gentlemen, come and choose at your leisure. My small business sells these lanterns for a fair price of thirty wen each. Buying one is a great deal!”

The price is a little higher than the similar ordinary lanterns sold at other stalls, but this slight difference is negligible in the eyes of the scholars. Having a place where they can showcase their talents and carry their creations for others to admire—isn’t that much more rewarding than winning prizes from guessing lantern riddles?

“Your brush is quite poor,” one of the scholars complains as he writes. The brush isn’t just stiff but also split and shedding.

Jiang Miao, being frugal, has bought the cheapest brushes available, so they naturally don’t feel as good as the ones the scholars usually use for writing and painting.

“The brush may be poor, but your handwriting is excellent. What’s it called… ‘iron strokes with silver hooks,’ right? I bet even if you used just the brush handle, you’d still write beautifully,” Jiang Miao says, feigning amazement and praising the scholar’s handwriting.

“…” The scholar, though shy, can’t help but feel proud and stops complaining. He focuses more intently on his writing, seemingly determined to produce the best calligraphy with the worst materials.

The other scholars remain silent. They can’t let others think their good handwriting is due to the quality of the paper and brushes.

After they finish drawing the pictures and writing the poems, Jiang Miao takes the paper, carefully glues it onto the lantern frame with paste, and then attaches a short candle to the bottom. A lantern is thus completed.

“Gentlemen, your lanterns are ready,” Jiang Miao says, handing over a finished lantern. This particular one depicts a cluster of orchids by a stream, looking lush and vibrant. It’s quite beautiful.

The scholar seems pleased as he takes the lantern and inspects it closely.

Other scholars’ lanterns are also gradually completed, each with different designs and poems. They look much better than the mass-produced lanterns on the street. At least, to these individualistic scholars, they are very satisfied with their works.

After this group finishes, other onlookers, previously hesitant, come forward to pay as well. The sense of accomplishment from making their own lanterns is undoubtedly fulfilling. Moreover, having something unique to show off when asked by others is a big draw. After all, it would be embarrassing if others had something they didn’t

Jiang Miao smiles broadly, directing Xiao Shitou to collect the money while showing everyone the lantern frames and helping them choose the right paper for their poetry and drawings.

Xiao Shitou stands nearby, clutching the money pouch his brother has entrusted him with, bubbling with excitement as he listens to the clinking sound of coins falling into the pouch.

The Yuanxiao stall owner, who had previously mocked Jiang Miao, now stands dumbfounded, watching the bustling business across the street, his mind filled with countless questions.

Perhaps he should let these guests shape the Yuanxiao themselves and put them in to roll?

…

“Ah Che, let’s go out for a walk!”

On days like the Lantern Festival, Han Qin, who loves excitement, spends the entire afternoon in the Duke of Zhongguo’s mansion trying to persuade Pei Che to go out with him. Among the four of them, Su Jin is the least interested in festivities and prefers to stay home alone rather than go out on such days. Hezhen has recently been assigned a task by his father and can’t get away. Only Pei Che has some leisure time, and Han Qin isn’t about to let him off the hook.

“I’m not going.”

Pei Che stands in front of a plum tree, observing it closely. Lately, he has been studying how to better capture light in his paintings and realizes that the appearance of objects should differ when viewed from different angles. Previously, he has always painted based on the impressions left by common sights without considering the rationality of it.

“You’ve been staring at this tree all afternoon. What’s so special about it? If you really like it, why don’t I take you to my father’s plum garden? Also, since when did you start liking plum trees? Weren’t bamboo trees your favorite?” Han Qin rambles on, circling the tree. No matter how he looks at it, it’s just an ordinary red plum tree.

“Let’s go!” Pei Che, a bit exasperated, agrees. With Han Qin’s voice constantly chattering beside him, there’s no way he can concentrate.

By the time they step out, it’s already late, but the soft glow from the lanterns hanging along the roadside illuminates the entire street. The gentle yellow and pale red hues envelop the surroundings, adding a touch of warmth to the cold night.

Han Qin looks around and stops in front of a shop. There’s a large crowd gathered in the open space outside, with a rack in the center covered with various lanterns. At the very top hangs an exquisite revolving palace lantern, painted with twelve lady figures. As the lantern spins, the figures appear to dance gracefully, almost as if they were alive.

“Shopkeeper, how much is this lantern?” Han Qin, who has always loved painting lady figures, feels an instant affection for this lantern, which is different from the ones he usually paints. He turns to ask an old man standing in front of the shop.

The shopkeeper strokes his beard and smiles, “This young master, the twelve lady lantern is today’s prize. Only those who can solve the ten riddles posed by the shop in one go can take it home.”

Han Qin’s eyes sparkle. “Interesting. So, no one has been able to solve all ten riddles today? How does it work?”

“You need to pay two taels of silver first. If you solve all ten riddles, not only can you take the prize, but the silver will also be returned to you. If you fail, you can choose any other lantern below. Moreover, each person only has one chance.”

He smiles as he speaks, which explains why there are many onlookers but few challengers. If you can’t solve all ten riddles at once, it’s like spending two taels of silver to buy a lantern worth only a few dozen coins. Who would want that? Many self-assured scholars eagerly pay the fee, but after failing to solve several riddles, they leave with red faces.

Han Qin glances at the lower lanterns, which are ordinary and can’t compare to the one at the top. He raises his hand, and the servant following him respectfully hands over two taels of silver.

“Bring out your riddles.”

“Li Chun, bring the riddles over,” the old shopkeeper calls out. The assistant brings the riddles over. These are completely different from the previous ones, eliminating the possibility of cheating by memorizing the riddles. No one knows where the shopkeeper has found so many riddles.

Han Qin answers the first few riddles without hesitation. When he reaches the seventh riddle, he is stumped. The riddle is “I alone cannot leave,” and requires guessing a character.

Pei Che thinks for a moment and silently answers in his mind: 圄 (yǔ).

Sure enough, after Han Qin gives up, the shopkeeper reveals the answer: “The answer is 圄, meaning ‘imprisoned’.”

Han Qin suddenly understands. The character 吾 (I) inside the character 口 (mouth) indeed means “I alone cannot leave.” He regrets overthinking the riddle by breaking down the character 吾 (I) in different ways.

Feeling frustrated, he randomly picks a peach-shaped lantern from the rack and walks over to Pei Che. “Did you figure it out just now?”

Before Pei Che can answer, Han Qin continues, “You must have solved it. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have hesitated. Ah, how embarrassing!”

Han Qin glares at the twelve lady lantern above and suddenly has an idea. “Ah Che, why don’t you give it a try? You might win that lantern and give it to someone.” For example, give it to him.

Just as Pei Che is about to refuse, Han Qin takes two taels of silver and goes to the shopkeeper, pointing at Pei Che, who is standing on the periphery. Everyone’s eyes follow his gesture.

After seeing his face clearly, everyone is surprised that the gentleman who has been silently standing there is even more handsome than the previous one who attempted the riddles!

Pei Che clears his throat with a slight cough, drawing everyone’s attention back. He steps forward a few paces and politely says, “Please present the riddle, shopkeeper.”

“润 (rùn)!” The sound of a barking dog, muffled by a gate, represents the character 润, doesn’t it?

“Correct. Now, young master, listen to the next one: ‘Enter the gate with no barking dog,’ guess the character.”

“问 (wèn)!” Without a barking dog, only the mouth remains; a mouth inside a gate forms the character 问.

“Young master, listen again…”

“Young master, listen again…”

“He’s really impressive, isn’t he? This is the ninth one, right?” someone finally can’t help but whisper. Among the riddles, there are character guesses, plant guesses, idioms, and poetry lines. Yet, this young master has nearly solved each one quickly. Could he really solve all ten in one go?

“Yes, let’s see how he handles the last one!”

The crowd is getting excited. Their current mood is even more tense than that of the young master guessing the riddles. Initially, they were guessing how soon he would fail, but now that only one riddle remains, they are fervently hoping he will guess all of them correctly.

“This final riddle, please listen carefully. ‘Mountains overlapping into the clouds,’ guess the character. However, to solve this character, you must use another riddle that must be symmetrical. You have the time of half an incense stick.”

The crowd gasps. The character riddle itself isn’t too difficult, but finding a matching symmetrical riddle in such a short time is the real challenge. It seems unlikely that the twelve lady palace lantern will be won today.

Time passes bit by bit, and seeing the half-burned incense stick nearing its end, everyone holds their breath, waiting for the last bit of ash to fall and for the shopkeeper to announce the answer.

“岁岁除夕隐故居 (Year after year, New Year’s Eve hides the old home).” Just as the final ash falls, a clear and melodious voice speaks leisurely.

Han Qin repeats it silently, his eyes brightening. He steps forward and says, “Shopkeeper, does this riddle have the same answer? Is the symmetry correct?”

The old shopkeeper, full of surprise, nods, “The symmetry is perfect. Young master, the two taels of silver and the palace lantern are yours.”

Someone who doesn’t understand the meaning can’t help but ask the person next to him, “What were the two answers to the riddles just now?”

The person beside explains, “Mountains overlapping into the clouds give us ‘出’ (chū), as layers of clouds come and go, which makes ‘屈’ (qū). And ‘岁岁除夕’ (suì suì chúxī) means ‘出’ (leaving), and ‘隐入故居’ (yǐn rù gùjū) also implies ‘屈’ (returning).”

Everyone around suddenly realizes this, but no one notices that the two who answered the questions have already left under the cover of their attendants.

(“山山重叠入云层 (Mountains overlapping into the clouds)” referred to the character 岚 (lán), which depicts mountains and mist. “岁岁除夕隐故居 (Year after year, New Year’s Eve hides the old home)” referred to the same concept of hiding and the passage of time, fitting the symmetry perfectly.)

Pei Che carries the lantern while Han Qin walks beside him, glancing at the lantern repeatedly. Normally, Pei Che would have already offered him the lantern he didn’t like, but just now, Han Qin asked him to answer the riddles, which annoyed him a bit. So, he deliberately holds onto the lantern and pretends not to notice Han Qin’s hesitant expression as if he wants to say something.

“Look, the monkey show is here!” Someone shouts, and suddenly the crowd surges forward. For most people, watching the monkey show is much more interesting than seeing lanterns.

Pei Che is swept along passively with the crowd. Being tall, he manages to squeeze out after a few steps at an intersection, but Han Qin is nowhere to be seen.

Frowning, Pei Che hands the lantern to the servant who squeezed out with him and orders, “You all go and find Master Han. If there are many people, hold this lantern high; you’ll surely find him. I’ll look around here.” He doesn’t like crowded places.

The servants do as he says. Once they leave, Pei Che steps forward along the street.

Compared to the main street, this one isn’t any less crowded, with vendors selling trinkets lining both sides of the street. As he passes a stall selling buns, Pei Che halts and sees a middle-aged man standing behind the stall.

“Brother Wang, your tiger lantern looks really majestic.”

“No, no, your Hundred Flowers lantern is truly exquisite.”

Two scholars carrying lanterns pass by Pei Che, their mutual compliments catching his attention. He looks at the lanterns in their hands and notices that the paintings on them are somewhat exaggerated.

However, can one draw the lantern designs oneself?

Having stared at the plum tree all afternoon, Pei Che feels an urge to try his hand. He thinks about going over to paint a lantern design himself, to see if he can have some enlightenment this afternoon.

…

“Excuse me, this customer, sorry, but we’re closing up shop. Please come back tomorrow.” Jiang Miao is busy tidying up the items on the table, his head lowered. A figure blocks his path, casting a shadow in front of him. Thinking it’s a customer there to paint lantern surfaces, he casually speaks to dismiss them.

“Jiang Miao?” Unexpectedly, the visitor calls out his name directly.

He looks up and is met with a strikingly handsome face that’s hard to forget.

“Master Pei? What a coincidence! Are you also here for the lantern festival?” Jiang Miao pauses and greets him with a smile.

“I thought you were selling buns,” Pei Che remarks, recalling his earlier stop at the bun stall, surprised by the vendor’s change of business, momentarily thinking he had recognized the wrong person.

“Isn’t it just to earn some extra money in this festive season? But selling buns is still my main business. Would you like some longevity peaches?” After returning for a while, business for longevity peaches had slowed down for Jiang Miao.

“No rush for the longevity peaches. Tell me, what’s the deal with these lantern designs?”

Since Pei Che is a regular customer, and considering he had previously allowed them a free ride, Jiang Miao naturally hesitates to mention closing the stall. He rearranges the things he had just tidied up and places them back on display. “These lantern faces are designed for you to paint yourself. Once painted, you just stick them onto the frame I’ve prepared. This way, the lanterns can be truly unique, don’t you think?”

Pei Che gives Jiang Miao a peculiar look. He always feels the vendor is particularly resourceful, especially in business, where he can think of things others couldn’t think of.

“What’s wrong, Master Pei?” Jiang Miao waves a hand in front of him.

“…Nothing. How much for one of these lanterns? I’d like to paint one myself.”

“They’re cheap, only thirty wen each.” Jiang Miao quotes without much thought, only realizing afterward that he might have been a bit stingy. Last time, Pei Che had let them ride for free. Just as he’s about to offer one as a gift, he notices Pei Che reaching instinctively behind him. Following his gaze, Jiang Miao sees there’s no one behind him.

Pei Che momentarily freezes. He isn’t accustomed to carrying money on him. He looks down at himself, then suddenly removes a pendant from his waist and holds it out to Jiang Miao.

“I’ll trade this with you.”

Jiang Miao looks at the jade pendant emitting a warm glow. Even though he isn’t familiar with jade, he can tell it’s definitely valuable. Trading this for a thirty-wen lantern? What a spendthrift!

“Master Pei, if it’s inconvenient for you now, it’s alright. Consider this lantern my gift to you.” Seeing that he’s about to refuse, Jiang Miao immediately says, “Last time you gave me and Xiao Shitou a ride, I didn’t pay you either. Let’s just consider it, making friends.”

After hearing what he said, Pei Che has no choice but to put the pendant away and tie it back around his waist, but he has never tied it before, so it’s easy to take off, but difficult to put back on.

“I’ll help you!” Seeing him fumble with it, Jiang Miao steps out from behind the table and gently bends over to tie the pendant for him. Pei Che feels a bit stiff again; it reminds him of the last time Jiang Miao tied his sleeves for him, they also got this close.

“There, all set!” After securing it, Jiang Miao lightly pats his waist, realizing he might have overstepped. Fortunately, Pei Che seems not to notice. Jiang Miao quickly retreats back to the table and hands him a brush.

“I’ve almost sold out of these frames. There are only two rabbit lanterns left. You can paint on these.” He hands Pei Che a piece of rabbit-shaped paper.

Pei Che takes the brush, somewhat lost in thought, but catches on to Jiang Miao’s key words. By the time he regains his senses, Jiang Miao has already finished pasting the rabbit lanterns and hands them over.

“I didn’t expect you to like rabbits. It just happens that these are the last rabbit lanterns!” Jiang Miao chuckles inwardly at the sight of the two cute rabbits on the lantern face.

Pei Che takes the lantern, about to say something, when Han Qin’s shout comes from nearby.

“He must be looking for you. You should go over!” Jiang Miao says, “We’re about to close up and go back!” With that, he lowers his head and starts tidying up the things on the table.

Pei Che can only thank him and heads towards the direction of the voice.

“A Che, is that a rabbit lantern in your hand? It looks quite interesting. Since the Twelve Ladies lantern won’t be given to me, how about giving me this one? I’ll take it back to please my little sister!” He reaches out to take it.

Pei Che glares at him, sidesteps, and then swats his hand away.

“The Twelve Ladies lantern is yours! As for this lantern… I’m taking it back to give to Mu’er.”

Han Qin is pleasantly surprised by the unexpected gift and forgets to pursue the pain in his hand from Pei Che’s earlier slap. He eagerly takes the Twelve Ladies lantern from the servant’s hand and admires it happily.

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