29 The Lantern Festival Pt 2 (1/2)
The district was occupied with energetic people roaming around. Families, couples, and friends always looked forward to the lantern festival because they believed that the wishes you make that day would come true. Music was presented by a group of men, playing on the traditional guzheng and another one with a pipa.
Suyin was in the room in the inn after she failed to find Qin Fuhua, who was nowhere to be discovered anywhere. Since she didn't want to bump into anyone else, she chose to stay back in the room to study some more while she had the time to. Chinese medicine during this time period was more complex than the ones that she was taught in her era.
Maybe because it was the modern technology that helped shape up medicine and the lack of the old herbs only discovered in this time period was what Suyin had trouble distinguishing them.
If Suyin needed a specific item or herb, she would go to a pharmacy to ask for the prescriptions, but over here, even some of the medicine that is essential would be needed to be obtained in areas that grew the certain item rather than going to a pharmacy store.
The sun was gradually settled in, so the townspeople were eager to attend to the lantern festival. Suyin was too immersed in her book, that the voices of the people jabbering downstairs and outside caused her to close the book since she couldn't concentrate.
”Time for the festival then!” Suyin said with an enthusiastic tone, looking at the crowds of people strolling around the district from the balcony. It was like a stream full of people. On the right side, the people would be walking up ahead, and on the other side, they were moving in, heading down the path.
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A green, jade hairpin was secured on Suyin's bun, the same one used that the maids had applied on her hair a couple of days before. Suyin had enough money to buy herself a decent amount of lipstick sheets used for the lips and a small, tiny clay pot about the size of a coin that was applied for eyeliner.
Suyin wanted to look at least nice for the celebration since she never got the chance to go out for the lantern festival. This was the first time ever and what was beautiful and better about celebrating the lantern festival during this time period was the fact that the sky was so dark, that there were so many stars that dispersed everywhere.
Unlike the modern era where light pollution from luminous sources would hinder most of the stars in the night. This obscurity was astonishingly different from the other nights. Suyin leaped out from the inn with a plain, cheap outfit that she bought and bustled down to the middle of Liaoping, where the big plum blossom tree and the pond resided.
Hordes of people filled the walkway and Suyin couldn't even move a single inch until she waited for a good minute or so because people were out getting their fortunes and compatibility read from some of the vendors.
”Come get your chicken skewers here!”
Suyin escorted to the side of the pathway to go to the vendor that sold the meat.
”Hello! How much would you like?” The vendor asked Suyin. Suyin grinned and lifted one finger up.
”Just one.”
”That will be 2 yen,” the lady stated. Suyin took out two coins and delivered it to the lady, who then gave the chicken skewer to Suyin.
”Thank you” Suyin smiled, spinning around.
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Suyin was about to go back in the pathway, but someone pushed a girl in front of Suyin, causing the girl's hair to fall down. Her hairpin dropped on the ground right in front of Suyin's foot.
Suyin bent down and grabbed the swan hairpin, returning it to the girl.
She caught the hairpin from Suyin, looking up at her, ”Thank you.” Suyin was started at the sight of this girl because... it was the lady that she had saved back at the Xinyi inn!
Suyin's expression looked calm, but lit a small smile seeing her face, ”No problem.”
”Have....I seen you before?” the girl inquired Suyin, staring at her carefully as Suyin shook her head in denial.
”I don't think so. You may have mistaken me for someone else.”
Suyin didn't want to let her know that she was actually that ”man” that rescued her back then. It was just something she wanted to do, and she didn't want to cause confusion or anything for her since Suyin knew she was presumably traumatized from the incident.
”Ah, I'm sorry.” The girl bowed, ”Thank you again.” She bustled off into the crowd, blending in as Suyin observed her.
”She's actually doing fine here.” Suyin felt convinced that she saved her life and she was doing fine now. Suyin was happy that she was able to help someone at least in this lifetime to get away from harm.
”It seems like the little Miss may know her.” A sound called behind her. His voice was deep and soft, yet had a sense of supremacy in his tone. Suyin froze up like an icicle and nonchalantly spun her head around.
”Y-You!” Suyin pointed to Qin Fuhua, who placed his hands behind his back cooly. He scowled at her fingers, lowering his brows and pushed her hand away.
”You dare to point a finger at me?” Qin Fuhua lowered himself to Suyin's ears to whisper. Suyin took a step away, raising both of her hands in a martial art of a way to defend herself.
”I didn't mean to. You just appeared out of nowhere like a ghost.” She retorted, glaring at him.
She paused, then peered around like a meerkat. How the hell did he just appear out of nowhere? ”What are you doing here? I thought something like this festival is not your kind of a thing.” Suyin crossed her arms, interrogating him now.
Qin Fuhua narrowed his eyebrows, shrugging his shoulders. ”There was nothing to do in the inn, so I decided to come out for a walk.”
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In reality, the Prince was out seeking for the girl in the crowd. He was stealthily watching her behind until he detected Suyin, who had helped her up.
When he saw her face, he could barely recognize her because she had makeup on. She was a beauty of a flower that blossomed even when the days were cold and dry. Contradicting to her outfit that was plain and common to those that are poor (obviously, she purchased it for a cheap price), her beauty was not neglected.
Qin Fuhua had lit a small curve to his lips, something that you would call a smile at the appearance of seeing her kind, reliable self from a distance.
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Qin Fuhua led the way, taking a few steps away from Suyin and halted. ”Are you coming?” He commanded.
Suyin looked up and responded. ”Yeah.” She went to him, trailing behind him as the two began to walk down the district.
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As the night grew darker, more people overfilled the roads. It was at this point where Suyin had struggled to catch up to Qin Fuhua, who casually marched onward, not turning his back to her. Suyin had to bounce a couple of times to see his back because of how occupied it was, almost losing him in the crowds.
”Wait!” Suyin hesitated as she saw a hand stuck out in front of her from the crowd, staring up to the owner of the hand.
”If you don't want to get lost, hold my hand.” Qin Fuhua uttered, faint enough for her hear within the crowd. Suyin hesitated, then pressed her lips, taking his hands as he hauled her to him.
”So short.” He commented, which caused Suyin to give him a nasty glare.
”At least I can run fast!”
”Fast enough to be caught by people.” He added on, eyeing her at the side of his view. Suyin opened her mouth as if she was offended, with Qin Fuhua lighting up a sneer on his face.
”It's almost time to release the lanterns!” A child yelled, holding out his lantern up in the sky.
Suyin lit a small smile to her face, saddened that she didn't carry her lantern with her as she attended the child and his parents pass by the two. Qin Fuhua was observing the whole time and stopped his footsteps at a little cart full of lanterns.
”Young lady and young man! You two seem like a great pair together!” The man greeted out, with a hunch back as he gestured them to come to him. His wrinkled eyes made his eyes smaller, but he had a sincere tone that drew Suyin in.
”Ah, sorry we are not a couple--”
Qin Fuhua lured her to the little cart loaded with lanterns.
”Ah, what a pair, but it seems like you two don't have a lantern for the festival, hm?” The old man thoroughly seized one of the lanterns from his cart and held it in front of Suyin, whose eyes were lit with joy as she gazed at the lantern, formed like a flower.
”This is for you, young beautiful lady.” He smiled. A couple of his teeth missing but it was the most genuine smile ever. ”I hope you two the best and give you guys my sincere blessings.”
”Thank you so much!”
Suyin returned to Qin Fuhua, who did not show any emotions and held the lantern up. It was about the size of a pillow, big enough to see the little details of the flower. ”Look what I got! A lantern!”