Roi céleste

Chapitre 19

I realized today is Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day).

...

Hua Mei and I walked towards the market, and we both gasped in surprise from afar.

The market was a sea of people, making it difficult for vehicles and horses to move. I overheard passersby saying that the market had been set up as the Qixi Festival Market, where people buy and sell items for the festival. People start preparing for the festival as early as the first day of the seventh lunar month. The Qixi Festival Market is bustling with people and vehicles. Three days before the festival, vehicles and horses cannot pass and are blocked. They are unable to leave until nightfall.

Upon hearing this, Hua Mei became interested and insisted on celebrating the festival properly. She dragged me into the crowd and bought a bunch of snacks such as Qiaoguo, lotus pods, white lotus root, and red water chestnuts with the others. We left satisfied after we were all sweaty from the crowd.

As night fell, Hua Mei set up tables and chairs in the backyard of the inn, arranging a feast with wine, dried meat, and fruits. She prayed for skill in the courtyard. I, Qing Jiu, Bai Ya, and Qian Lou were also dragged along.

Three grown men watched us thread the seven-holed needle with varying expressions. Qingjiu, still unable to forget romance, recited a line: "Walking under the moon with intention, emotions arise uncontrollably. A wisp of light from my sleeve, I raise my sleeve to play with two needles."

The poem is good, but unfortunately, rough women like Huamei and I, who have never even touched a needle and thread before, let alone wielded swords, spent nearly half an hour trying to thread a needle under the moon, our eyes nearly blinded, and still to no avail. It would be more appropriate to say, "The needle leans, as if the moon is dim; the thread scatters, as if the wind is coming to vent its frustration."

Bai Ya couldn't help but laugh out loud, forced by the enraged Hua Mei to catch a spider. She'd heard that if you caught a spider, put it in a box, and opened the box the next day to find a web already spun, it was considered a lucky find. Then, in the dark, Bai Ya encountered a poisonous spider and was innocently stung. He glared at Hua Mei through gritted teeth before running off to find a doctor.

After a while, Hua Mei dragged the helpless Qian Lou out to stroll through the night market for some reason. Before leaving, I secretly gave her a thumbs-up.

So the once lively backyard was suddenly left with only Qingjiu and me.

It wasn't raining right now, so I couldn't purify myself into Guanyin and speak eloquently. As a result, there was a moment of silence, and the atmosphere became a bit awkward.

I racked my brains for a while, not knowing what to say. I looked at Qingjiu, who was leisurely peeling lotus seeds.

Watching his well-defined, musician-like hands skillfully peel lotus seeds, it was hard to imagine such beautiful hands wielding a sword.

At this moment, Qing Jiu leaned against the table, his black hair flowing like water, his head slightly lowered, and his long eyelashes drooping. Moonlight lingered on them, giving them a faint glow, as if he were about to ascend to immortality at any moment. Fortunately, his movements when he was injured were more human, making him look much more like a human being...

I couldn't help but glance at the lotus seeds that were gradually piling up on the plate. They looked white and tender, and seemed delicious... I was tempted to reach out and take some, but then I thought to myself that I was snatching food from the mouth of a jinx, so I immediately sat up straight and kept my eyes fixed straight ahead.

Not long after, I chuckled to myself out of boredom, and was about to suggest that I go out for a stroll when Qingjiu stopped what she was doing and pushed the plate of peeled lotus seeds in front of me.

I was stunned.

"...Aren't you going to eat?" Qingjiu asked softly.

"But this wasn't given to me by Palace Master Qing—"

"Just call me Qingjiu."

"Hmm... Qingjiu, you've peeled them for so long and worked so hard, you should eat them yourself."

As I was holding the plate, about to put the lotus seeds back in front of him, Qingjiu suddenly reached out and grabbed my hand, stopping me.

Then we were both stunned, and both of us quickly withdrew our hands.

"...Weren't you just looking at these lotus seeds?" Qingjiu's awkwardness quickly faded, and she smiled gently at me again.

I don't know why, but I found his fake, fake smile rather appealing, so I decided to start eating. And it really did taste good—tender and sweet.

I consciously returned the remaining half-cup of the cup, looking grateful: "...Thank you."

Qingjiu looked up and smiled at me. Under the bright moonlight, her smile was as gentle as the water deep within the tea smoke.

Looking at Qingjiu, I felt a pang of sadness. How much did Heaven truly favor this person before me...?

While I was still in a daze, Qingjiu smiled and said to me, "Let's go check out the night market too."

...

The streets at night have a different charm than during the day, not to mention the night of Qixi Festival, when talented men and beautiful women gather under the flowers and moon, the sound of phoenix flutes plays, the jade pot shines, and the streets are filled with the fragrance of precious horses and carved carriages.

Passing by some grand mansions, one could vaguely see ornate pavilions nestled within their courtyards. Upon arriving at the night market, it suddenly came alive with activity, thousands of lanterns illuminating the streets, and red-sleeved beauties thronging the tall buildings.

The roadside was lined with small vendors, hawking their wares of seven-holed needles, or needles made of gold, silver, brass, and other items for the Qiqiao Festival. Women on the street wore colorful ribbons, some with sisters, some with gentlemen by their side, chatting and laughing, their voices filled with subtle fragrance.

A person as elegant and otherworldly as Qing Jiu attracts attention wherever he goes. Many girls exchange flirtatious glances with him, and I also received some unfriendly stares.

I was strolling leisurely down the street when my gaze swept over Qingjiu, only to find him glancing at the pastry shop.

I asked curiously, "Qinggong—Qingjiu, do you want to eat that pastry?"

Qingjiu nodded with a smile, and we walked over. The vendor called out, "Giving away clever treats!" and gave us a paper bag containing a piece of candy shaped like the Weaver Girl. He enthusiastically explained that it was called "clever candy."

Later, we ate various small flower-shaped pastries made of glutinous rice, sugar, and deep-fried; we also tasted malt sugar cakes, commonly known as "Qiaoguozi," which have a custom of men eating round ones and women eating semi-circular ones; and finally, we drank Qiaoya soup.

Although it was just to try something new, I ended up feeling so full that I practically ate with Qingjiu, while Qingjiu seemed perfectly fine.

Another half hour passed, and Qingjiu's eyes lit up. Pointing to a small shop, he said to me with a smile, "Let's go eat dumplings."

I, a tough woman, was startled. I stared at the slender man in front of me, looking him up and down twice, then at his flat stomach for a long time. Then I looked at my own slightly protruding belly. Before I could say anything, a couple passed by. The woman looked at us and complained, "Look, look, other husbands are willing to bring their pregnant wives out. I begged you for ages before you reluctantly came out with me." Then the husband gave us a long pleading talk and walked away.

On the spot, the pregnant tiger's body cracked...

...

Note: 1. The Han River is also known as the Han River. In ancient times, it was called the Mian River. Together with the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, and the Huai River, it is called "Jianghe Huaihan".

2. I've researched too much information about Qixi Festival to list it all. I've included some local customs in Xiangyang, so please don't take it too seriously.

Twenty-five cups of preserved wine

The wax wine, its flames gleaming, its aroma filling the air. Sealed in mud, the wax wine reveals a whole new flavor. The king's bottle, white as ants, exudes the fragrance of wax wine; a golden whip and a white horse, entwined in purple robes, symbolize its presence.

...

As I sat on a small bench by the street, watching Qingjiu elegantly eating dumplings at a roadside stall, my expression was extremely blank.

Why does this malevolent spirit seem so human? He's the dignified ruler of a palace, so handsome and elegant, yet he's eating dumplings at a street stall, and seems to be enjoying himself immensely!

Why is this jinx so inhuman? After dinner, he ate a bag of crispy pastries, a packet of dried fruit, a stack of fried dough sticks, a bowl of fried dough sticks, and a bowl of scallion soup, and he still managed to eat dumplings, and only his second bowl!?

"Um, Qingjiu... don't you feel full?" I finally couldn't help but ask.

Qingjiu stopped what she was doing, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and when she saw my shocked face, she paused for a moment, her eyes flashed, and suddenly her nose wrinkled. She raised her hand and pinched her pointed chin before looking at me again and whispering, "Did I scare you like this?"

As I watched Qingjiu's movements, my whole body stiffened, and a sentence involuntarily floated into my mind: Is this... an expression of embarrassment...?

There is no such thing as the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. The disappearance of a large number of magpies is actually a sign of an unusual celestial phenomenon... definitely.

Seeing my expression, Qingjiu clearly thought I had hit the nail on the head and explained, "Actually, my appetite has been different from that of ordinary people since I was a child. I need to eat a lot every day."

"Huh? When I was with you guys before, your appetite seemed normal." I asked in surprise.

Qing Jiu smiled faintly: "Actually, I always eat something after my meal."

I was about to ask again when it suddenly dawned on me. This trait, after all, was a weakness that could be exploited. Given his intelligence, he would naturally try to conceal it, and there couldn't be many people who knew this. So...

Why...why are you telling me this?

Unexpectedly, Qing Jiu was also stunned by my question. He stared at me, his pupils suddenly contracted, and a cold light seemed to flash in his eyes. In an instant, he returned to normal and smiled, "We will be together for a year. With Miss Qing's intelligence, it is only a matter of time before she finds out."

"Since you want me to call you Qingjiu... then you can just call me Guyi." I said, puzzled.

Qingjiu nodded and said, "Some of these dumplings contain coins, needles, and red dates. I've heard that if you find a coin, you'll be lucky; if you find a needle, you'll be skillful; and if you find a date, you'll get married early."

"Wow, this is so interesting," I sat up and looked at the dumplings in the bowl. "So, Qingjiu, what did you eat?"

Her phoenix eyes curved slightly. "...a few red dates."

"That's too much of a stretch," I waved my hand. "You're an eighteen-year-old man, and you're still not married. Why are you getting married so early?"

Qingjiu touched his nose helplessly and said, "Most people in the martial arts world don't get married until they're in their twenties, right?"

I grunted and stopped talking, my eyes fixed on the bowl of dumplings. But if I ordered another bowl, I couldn't possibly finish it, and wasting food would be a sin...

Just as I was struggling with this dilemma, a clean, white hand pulled a pair of chopsticks from the chopstick holder and placed them in front of me.

I was taken aback, and then I realized: "But you're eating, isn't this a bit inappropriate of me to do this..."

Seeing Qing Jiu's slightly mischievous look, probably thinking, "I never thought the usually magnanimous Qing would care about such things," I snatched the chopsticks and said boldly, "We are men of the martial world, not bound by formalities. Then I'll accept your kindness and eat only one!"

She casually picked up a dumpling and put it directly into her mouth, then exclaimed in alarm, "Don't eat it directly, be careful not to eat something—" Her voice stopped abruptly when she saw my pained expression.

I was so lucky that I was furious with everyone and everyone else. I gritted my teeth, pulled a needle out of my tongue, threw it on the ground and stomped on it. I looked up angrily and saw Qingjiu's smiling face.

Seeing my gloomy expression, Qingjiu immediately suppressed his smile and said, "No wonder you're so good at using copper coin darts, Guyi. You're truly skillful."

I ignored that argument, and just covered my mouth, pointing resentfully at the bowl of dumplings, "Waste is shameful, Palace Master Qing, you must finish this bowl of dumplings!"

Then Qingjiu pocketed three copper coins.

Looking at the person across from me, smiling smugly, I felt an urge to pound my chest and scream: Heavens above, why was I born if not you?!

I returned to my inn room, feeling indignant. Because of the slight pain in my tongue, I couldn't sleep and was sitting at the table feeling depressed when the waiter knocked on the door and came in with a dose of ointment.

I asked, puzzled, "Who sent it? What's it for?"

The waiter only said one sentence: "Spread it on your tongue, then hold it in your mouth."

...

A few days later, we continued south by boat, and yesterday we entered a sparsely populated waterway.

The wind rustled the leaves on both banks, and a lone boat drifted slowly downstream under the sun. We, who had grown tired of the monotonous waterscape, all huddled in the cabin, and several disciples from the Tian Shu Palace also slumped dejectedly in a corner.

Around noon, several crew members rushed in, their faces filled with terror, stammering, "There are... there are several ships that suddenly appeared and surrounded us. They seem... they seem to be water ghosts..."

Hua Mei slammed her hand on the table and asked loudly, "Is this really true?"

The boatman, sweating profusely, nodded frantically. "And there are quite a few people."

Then Huamei and I rushed out at lightning speed. The crew members looked at us with excited expressions as if we were crazy.

Sure enough, our boat was surrounded by several iron-hulled pointed boats, each with nearly ten people, totaling thirty or forty people, while we only had about ten people. In terms of numbers, the other side was indeed at a greater advantage.

On the main ship, which was flying a large flag, stood a burly man holding a large knife at the front. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a woman with a horizontal scar on her forehead and a fierce expression.

This, this is a real tomboy, I'm so inadequate in comparison...

Hua Mei was also somewhat surprised that the leader of this group of water ghosts was a woman. She raised an eyebrow, but before she could speak, a burly man standing behind the scarred woman shouted fiercely, "Everyone on the boat, come out with me and stand on the bow. Anyone who dares to resist, the hammer in my hand doesn't discriminate!"

As the man spoke, Qingjiu, the three protectors, the disciples of Tian Shu Palace, and the terrified crew members all came out.

The burly man smiled smugly and roared, "Not bad, you're all very obedient. I'll spare your lives. Liu Laoliu, take the brothers aboard and tie these people up first."

Hua Mei sneered, untied the whip from her waist, and lashed it hard on the ground. With a thunderous sound, a dent immediately appeared on the deck. "Who allowed you scum to board the ship?"

The Tian Shu Palace disciples, who were about to step forward with indignant expressions, retreated when they saw the protector make a move.

When the pirates heard Hua Mei call them "trash," they were immediately enraged and picked up their weapons, intending to force their way onto the ship. However, the female pirate leader blocked their way, frowned, glanced at Hua Mei, and said, "...That woman is a bit difficult to deal with."

I stepped forward and said with a smile, "To be honest, I'm not easy to deal with either." As I spoke, I raised my hand and shot out three copper coin darts in succession.