La lluvia primaveral es como el vino, los sauces son como el humo

Capítulo 17

Yichun picked up the small bag next to her clothes, but before she could open it, the contents rolled out heavily. It was a blue beaded flower and two pearl earrings.

She carefully held it in her hand and examined it closely, saying softly, "I like it. You have a good eye for things, especially lamb kidneys. I really like it."

A huge weight was lifted from his heart. He lowered his head and said, "Well... I'm glad you like it. It wasn't for nothing that I spent two or three days running around like this..."

It turns out that he hadn't been seen for the past few days while she was recuperating from her injury; he had gone out specifically to buy things for her.

While touched, Yichun suddenly felt something was amiss. She examined the pearl earrings and clothes for a long time before turning around abruptly: "They must be very expensive! You didn't spend all ten taels of silver, did you?!"

Yang Shen glared at her: "How could I be as extravagant as you? When I was at Xiaoyao Sect, the young lady gave me some very valuable clothes, and I sold them for five taels of silver."

Clothes and jewelry worth five taels of silver! Yi Chun suddenly felt dizzy. In her fifteen years of life, she had never owned such expensive clothes. Immediately, she respectfully folded the clothes neatly and carefully placed them into her bundle along with the jewelry, almost kneeling down to worship them with her hands clasped together.

Yang Shen said in a low voice, "You...don't want to wear it?"

Yichun turned back to him and smiled slightly: "No, the clothes and jewelry are too beautiful, I can't bear to wear them. I'll wear them out to play when the weather and my injury have healed."

He smiled, touched his nose, and didn't know what to say.

Suddenly, he felt her walk over, brush his thick bangs back, and press her palm against his forehead, startling him so much that he trembled and his breathing became somewhat disordered.

She leaned closer to examine his face, and he passively looked at her, his heart pounding with anxiety. He thought to himself that she wasn't ugly at all, just a little dark-skinned. Once her injuries healed and her skin returned to its fair complexion, paired with those bright, clear eyes, she would definitely be very beautiful.

Yichun watched for a long time, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter, innocent and straightforward.

"Put your hair up, that will make you look more energetic."

Yang Shen lowered his eyelashes and felt her hand leave his forehead, leaving behind the refreshing scent of soap pods.

He said softly, "...Okay, if you like it, I'll put my hair up like that from now on."

Yichun spread her long hair on the windowsill, letting the breeze dry it gently. Sunlight shone on her, giving her a soft, golden edge. Every now and then, she would prop her head up and yawn lazily.

Like a cat, Yang Shen thought.

You just can't touch it.

****

Every year in mid-March, Tanzhou hosts a temple fair at the nearby Kaifu Temple, which is a lively and bustling event.

Although Yichun's injuries hadn't fully healed, she couldn't miss such a lively event. She changed into the new silk skirt Yang Shen had bought for her and looked at herself in the mirror from left to right.

The little girl in the bronze mirror seemed to have gotten a bit paler. It was hard to tell if it was because she had been staying in the inn to recover from her injuries and had become pale, or if the color of her clothes made her skin look whiter. She was a world apart from her previous disheveled appearance.

Yang Shen glanced at her and then lowered his head. After a long while, he said, "...It suits you very well, you're quite pretty."

Yichun carefully lifted her skirt as she went downstairs, pinching his arm as she said, "You must be careful walking today. You can't waste five taels of silver worth of clothes!"

He could only manage a dry laugh.

The streets were bustling with people, and in the middle of the avenue, someone was dancing with a lion, making a loud and rhythmic commotion with gongs and drums. On both sides, various vendors had set up long stalls, beckoning people to come and watch. The colorful ribbons on the girls' skirts fluttered in the wind, making it seem as if the whole sky had turned into a kaleidoscope of colors.

Yi Chun held onto the two clay monkeys, reluctant to let go, while Yang Shen was fascinated by the various wooden masks. In the end, each of them carried a pile of things to Kaifu Temple to burn incense and draw lots.

When the old monk in the temple saw them, he stroked his white beard and smiled, "You've come to ask about your marriage prospects, haven't you?"

Yang Shen waved his hands frantically, "No, no!" He almost dropped everything in his hands; he was really feeling guilty.

The white-bearded monk smiled and said, "This humble monk understands; those who come to inquire about marriage will not be accepted. Please come in, both of you."

"I really didn't..." Before he could finish his anxious explanation, Yichun tugged at his sleeve: "Go inside! Isn't it fun? Let's see what kind of wife you'll marry in the future!"

The things he was carrying immediately fell to the ground with a clatter, making him look quite disheveled.

In the end, they respectfully burned incense and held the divination stick container, shaking it devoutly.

What outcome was he hoping for? He didn't even understand himself. He couldn't help but quietly open his eyes, gazing at the pale blue figure kneeling beside him. She was careless and casually shook the table a couple of times, quickly dropping a fortune stick, which she happily grabbed and ran off to find the inscription.

I'm curious to know what she's praying for—a smooth marriage? What kind of ideal husband will she marry? When she shakes the fortune sticks, does she, like him, have those few moments when, involuntarily, a glimpse of her clothes floats into her mind?

It was precisely because of that occasional appearance that he couldn't help but feel piety.

He was looking forward to it, really looking forward to it.

A bamboo stick fell to the ground. He carefully picked it up and went outside to find the fortune slip.

The young novice monk handed him a red paper packet and said with a smile, "Congratulations, benefactor, this is an extremely auspicious fortune slip."

Yang Shen couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips, and foolishly agreed, then hurriedly turned around to look for her.

The ginkgo trees in the temple have just sprouted tender green leaves, which are covered with fortune slips drawn by many people. The red and white colors stand out against the new green leaves.

Yichun stood under the tree, imitating the others, tying the fortune slips to a branch. Sunlight streamed down the branches, falling on her thick hair, her expression one of childlike focus, her lips slightly pouting. Because she was clumsy and couldn't tie it properly, she frowned anxiously, her impatience mixed with stubbornness, as if she was determined to complete the task.

He slowly walked over, took the fortune slip, and easily tied it to a tree branch for her.

"What kind of fortune slip is it?" he asked casually.

Yichun shrugged: "It's so-so. It seems my marriage prospects are just so-so, nothing to look forward to."

Yang Shen coughed, put his hand to his lips, and said in a low voice, "We can't say that... Who knows what will happen in the future."

Seeing him clutching his fortune slip like it was a precious treasure, she couldn't help but reach out and snatch it to look at it: "Wow! A very auspicious fortune! What good luck! You'll definitely marry a wonderful wife in the future!"

He quickly snatched the fortune slip back, carefully folded it, and put it in his pocket: "Don't talk nonsense. Let's go, there are still many more we haven't seen."

Not far from Kaifu Temple, a woman's shrill voice suddenly rang out: "You have the nerve to ask for three taels of silver for these tattered clothes?! Three copper coins would be more like it!"