CH 6

Lantern Festival [2]

The crowd burst out laughing, starting to jeer rowdily. The young master next to Liang Yanbei laughed and said, “Stop spouting nonsense and bring out the questions.”

“Okay, okay. Here we go!” The female brothel keeper was grinning from ear to ear as she called out to her servants. They came out carrying a seven-foot-tall signboard with red paper hanging on it. The brothel keeper reached out and tore out the first sheet, only for it to read, “A knife floats in the water with eyes and no eyebrows. Name the animal.”

Once the puzzle was out, the people present at the scene began to ponder, trying to find the question’s answer, and started to discuss in whispers. Wen Chan looked at Liang Yanbei’s side profile, seeing his vague silhouette rubbed by a more and more clear red light. He could see that thick pair of eyebrows showing his calmness, and those slightly drooped down eyes as if he was contemplating the question. The figure of Liang Yanbei stood quietly in this mortal world.

Wen Chan felt that he was like an exiled immortal who had fallen into the mortal world. The more he looked at him, the more his heart violently pounded.

Within a few moments, Liang Yanbei answered, “It’s fish.”

The people who were previously struggling to figure out the answer suddenly saw the light1 after hearing him and echoed, “That’s right, that’s right. It’s a fish.”

The female brothel keeper said, “Congratulations to this young gentleman. The answer is correct.” With that, she tore off another piece of paper and revealed the next puzzle.

“The willow buds after the lantern festival, what is the idiom that says this?”

This time also, Liang Yanbei was quick with answering. He was even faster than the last time, and when everyone else was still reading the question, he answered the question instantly, “A new branch grows out of a knot2.”

“Congratulations, young gentleman, for getting the right answer again.” The brothel keeper smiled and clapped her hands twice, revealing the last question.

“Spend your days in peace. Say the word which denotes this.” A word puzzle.

If he answers this last question correctly, Liang Yanbei can choose any one girl from the Yufu brothel that. He can even choose the famous beauty3 of the brothel. This made many of the onlookers envious.

When the crowd was gleefully waiting for him to say the answer, he curved his eyes and spread out his hands with a smile, “This last question is a bit difficult. I actually think that I won’t be able to get it.”

The female brothel keeper came forward to accept the silver taels in all smiles, “This young gentleman is truly an efficient person. The next time you come to my Yufu brothel, I will definitely keep you well entertained.”

Liang Yanbei looked back at the crowd after saying a few polite lines to the brothel keeper to dispatch her. But when he turned back, that person who looked like a little girl in his festive clothing was already gone.

Surprisingly, Ah Fu was also fascinated by it. By baring his fangs, he frightened a child to the point of making them cry.

Wen Chan also felt that the lotus lantern was quite beautiful. So he said to Shu Hua, “You go shoot the arrows. Let’s take down that lotus lantern.”

Shu Hua accepted his order and left the crowd, picking up a bow. His archery skills have always been excellent, and the distance to the lantern was easy to reach. Without waiting for the stall owner’s greeting, Shu Hua bent the bow and shot the lantern.

There was a huge roar of approval. The crowd started to jeer rowdily, building up huge momentum.

The stall owner went over to take down the lamp that the arrow shot. He took a look at the words on it, and read aloud, “This young master should listen carefully. At the end of the year, there is no shortage of fish and rice. State a word which has this meaning.”

In truth, it was very simple. Wen Chan was able to find the answer fast, but just as he was about to open his mouth, he was cut off by a delicate voice, “The answer is scales, the scales of a fish.9”

Once this voice rang out, numerous people turned to look at her. And Wen Chan did too.

Translator’s corner

Ah Fu is a really cute little bunny. But a bit disobedient too.

I thought of posting new chapters every Sunday. So stay tuned for the new chapters.