Chapter 45: Shangyuan Festival – This Lantern is for You

He Xingchen woke up groggily, still half-dreaming he was back at his old home at the foot of the mountain. He called out, “Grandma!”

When no one responded, he sat up, rubbed his eyes, and finally remembered—they had moved to town.

He dressed quickly and went outside, where he saw his aunt swinging on the swing. He walked over to join her.

“Aunt,” he greeted her, then glanced at He Yunhuai standing nearby and added timidly, “Second Uncle.”

Last night, they had shared a bed. He had unconsciously snuggled into his uncle’s arms, but He Yunhuai had gently separated them with a blanket.

Having never slept alone before, He Xingchen had felt a sudden wave of hurt and secretly wiped away his tears. But his sniffling was too loud, and his uncle had noticed.

In the end, He Yunhuai had patted him to sleep.

Remembering it now, He Xingchen felt a little embarrassed.

“Are you hungry?” Su Yi’an asked, stopping He Yunhuai from pushing the swing. She swayed gently until the swing came to a stop.

“No,” he replied. But right after, his stomach growled—twice.

Su Yi’an hadn’t cooked breakfast that morning. She planned to take them out for the Lantern Festival, buy some treats, and try fuyuanzi, a sweet glutinous rice ball she’d never tasted before.

“Go wash up. Once Ningwen wakes up, we’ll all head out,” Su Yi’an said, getting off the swing and heading back inside to check on her younger sister.

Ningwen had helped clean the shop and run errands the day before and had been sleeping soundly ever since. If Su Yi’an hadn’t woken her, she might have slept through the morning.

After washing up, the four of them locked the house and headed to the market.

In the past, they had always gone to the market to work—setting up a food stall to earn money. But today, Su Yi’an let them roam freely, buying anything that caught their eye.

The market was bustling with vendors selling all sorts of goods, but flower lanterns dominated the scene. Nearly every stall had its own display of intricate designs.

These lanterns were more exquisite than any they’d seen before, coming in all shapes, sizes, and colors. No two were exactly alike. Last time, they had resisted the temptation to buy one, but today, Su Yi’an was determined to bring at least two home.

“Take your pick,” Su Yi’an said, pointing to the array ahead.

He Xingchen’s eyes sparkled. He wanted the fish lantern, but the goose one was just as charming. The more he looked, the more indecisive he became.

He Ningwen had no such trouble. She immediately chose the rabbit lantern. The paper lanterns weren’t expensive, so Su Yi’an bought all three.

“Aunt, one is enough,” He Xingchen said reluctantly, handing back the fish lantern. “I’ll take the goose.”

But Su Yi’an had already paid and didn’t want to return it. She let him keep it, promising to bring the fish lantern to Manmei next time they visited home.

Hearing it was for Manmei, He Xingchen finally accepted.

The four strolled along, pausing at stalls and browsing slowly, until they reached the street where they had previously set up their food stall by the academy.

Someone else had taken their old spot—a couple selling noodle soup. They even had a young girl with them and, at a glance, looked a bit like Su Yi’an’s group.

“Sister-in-law, four bowls of wonton, please,” Su Yi’an said, noting that the vendor had set up tables and chairs nearby. She led the others over to sit.

The couple turned to take the order and were surprised to see Su Yi’an and her companions.

A woman from a nearby stall came over, whispering, “You’re back late. That spot’s been taken for days.”

“I saw they sell Sausage Noodles, but they charge nine wen a bowl. My husband tried it once—never went back,” she said, looking wistfully at Su Yi’an. “Will you be setting up your stall again?”

They had worked alongside each other for a month. A bond had formed.

Su Yi’an looked at the occupied stall and shook her head. “Not this year.”

“Not all year?” the woman asked in surprise.

“We rented a shop. It’s just too hard to come into town during bad weather,” Su Yi’an explained. As she spoke, the wonton vendor brought over four steaming bowls. The portions were generous—they’d clearly added extra.

Even families who lived in town found hauling equipment exhausting, let alone those walking up from the villages.

“That’s great! We’ll definitely visit. Will you still be selling noodles?” the vendor asked.

He might hesitate over stir-fried dishes, but noodles? That was a sure bet.

“We will,” Su Yi’an said, pointing out the shop’s location before digging into her wontons.

A standard bowl had ten wontons, but theirs had twelve. Between the four bowls, they’d received almost an extra bowl’s worth.

Knowing how tough life was for street vendors, Su Yi’an quietly dropped enough coins for a fifth bowl into the pottery jar before leaving.

They continued browsing the market, buying two candied hawthorns and four meat pies.

The meat pies looked filling, but after one bite, He Xingchen realized there was barely any stuffing. He wrapped his pie back up, deciding to save it for later. When hunger truly hit, it would taste better—even without filling.

“Anything else you want to try? Grab more now—we won’t come out again this afternoon. If you want to see the lantern festival tonight, we’ll come back then,” Su Yi’an said, worried the children might get too tired.

He Ningwen pointed to a crowded stall ahead. “Sister Su, I want to try that!”

The crowd blocked the view, but since the little girl was curious, Su Yi’an went to take a look.

The vendor scooped small dough balls from a water basin, dried them off, and tossed them into sizzling oil. Within moments, they puffed into golden-brown spheres.

Because they were deep-fried, these “oil hammers” weren’t cheap—ten copper coins each. The vendor served them four to a stick.

Many customers were buying them. Su Yi’an ordered one for Ningwen. Her first bite revealed a sweet filling inside.

No wonder they were popular—children loved anything sweet.

Back at the shop, He Yunhuai stopped by the study again. This time, he not only copied books but also bought writing supplies: brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone.

He picked the cheapest options, spending under one qian of silver.

“Second Uncle, why did you buy so much paper?” He Xingchen asked, assuming it was for him. Even yellow paper was better than writing on the ground.

He Yunhuai took out three sheets and handed the rest to He Xingchen.

“For writing recipes,” he said, flattening the paper and instructing the boy to grind the ink.

It was Su Yi’an’s idea from that morning.

Now that they had a shop, they couldn’t just sell noodle soup. Stir-fried dishes required too many ingredients, and leftovers would spoil.

Instead, they planned to offer a few dishes daily and stop once they sold out.

Su Yi’an had praised He Yunhuai’s elegant handwriting, saying it would draw in customers if posted at the shop entrance.

That’s why he’d bought the supplies.

Three yellow sheets—each listing two dishes—pre-arranged by Su Yi’an.

He Xingchen watched as she finished one, picked it up, blew it dry, and read aloud, “Dongpo Tofu, Dongpo Pork.”

“Only two dishes?” he asked.

What kind of eatery served just two dishes—one vegetarian and one meat?

He Yunhuai didn’t know how to explain, so he sent him to ask Su Yi’an.

He Xingchen ran to the backyard, where the women were washing dishes at the well. He squatted beside them to help.

“Auntie, really only two dishes?” he asked while placing clean chopsticks in a bamboo tray to dry.

Su Yi’an could guess what he’d seen.

She rinsed the last bowl, shook her hands dry, and led them into the shop.

“We’re still focused on noodles,” she explained. “The dishes are just to test the waters. If they’re popular, we might devote whole days to them.”

She looked over the menu on the table.

His calligraphy had weight and poise—but she couldn’t read a single character.

“There’s space here. Why not sketch the dishes too?” she suggested.

He was skilled at landscape painting, but with food…

With everyone watching expectantly, He Yunhuai picked up the brush again.

“Incredible. Even diners who can’t read could guess what these are,” Su Yi’an said.

She could recognize each dish. With only six items, even a hint of resemblance was enough.

He Ningwen clapped her hands in awe. “Sister Su, now I get it! You asked Second Brother to draw for the illiterate customers.”

Su Yi’an felt a pang of guilt. She couldn’t admit she herself couldn’t read.

She resolved to study He Xingchen’s books later and learn alongside him. This secret must never be exposed.

As night fell, the sky gradually darkened.

The streets grew crowded. The Lantern Festival was best enjoyed under the stars, with glowing lanterns and riddle-solving games.

Su Yi’an had heard of street performers outside the Bright Moon Tavern. As soon as they left home, they headed that way.

The closer they got, the denser the crowd. The street blazed with light, and cheers echoed from up ahead.

Every two-story teahouse and tavern was packed.

The Bright Moon Tavern was especially crowded. Its street-facing rooms had long been reserved by wealthy patrons enjoying food, drink, and a prime view.

“Let’s get closer,” Su Yi’an urged. “Hold hands tight.” She was afraid they might get separated.

The tavern was decked with flower lanterns. A performer outside juggled flaming hoops. Three hoops stood upright on a table, and he leapt through each in turn, not a single spark touching his body.

But the act wasn’t over. A masked man stepped forward with a torch and exhaled a streak of fire into the night.

Again and again, bursts of flame lit the sky, drawing waves of applause.

After the acrobatics, they headed to the lantern riddle area. But they were too late—the most beautiful carousel lantern had already been claimed.

The remaining lanterns were similar to those sold earlier in the day. He Yunhuai solved four riddles and won the only dice lantern.

“Sister Su, look! Second Brother picked a pretty one,” He Ningwen exclaimed.

Su Yi’an glanced over. Their eyes met.

“This is for you,” He Yunhuai said, carrying the dice lantern through the crowd and handing it to her.