The Water God Ritual would take more than an hour to finish.
When He Yan and Xiao Jue came down, it was already late. Ling Xiu and Yan Min 'er were nowhere to be found. Concubine Wei said, "You two must be hungry after walking around for the whole day without eating."
He Yan rubbed his stomach. "It's okay."
"Then let's go eat first." Cui Yuezhi said, "There are several good restaurants in Jiyang. Which one do you want to go to?"
"I want to …" He Yan pointed at the boat with a black awning on the river. "Eat there."
She had already seen many people riding small boats. There was a stove at the bow of the boat. She did not know what was simmering inside, but she guessed that it was some kind of soup. The rest of the food and wine would be bought by the hawkers on the shore or the river with money. People could sit on the boat and eat while looking at the bustling scenery on both sides of the river. It was very special.
She had never been to Jiyang before. She felt that it was new and wanted to try it.
"That's the Firefly Boat." Concubine Wei smiled and explained, "The boatman will sail the boat to the Falling Firefly Spring in the evening. The weather in Jiyang is warm, so there are no fireflies in the summer. They land in the forest beside the Firefly Spring. When they sail the boat over at night, they can see the river in the dense forest. There are fireflies everywhere. It's very beautiful! I was lucky enough to go there with Master one year. Now that I think about it, it's very beautiful. "
When He Yan heard this, he wanted to go even more. He looked at Cui Yuezhi and said, "Uncle, why don't we go on this Firefly Boat?"
"Girls like these." Cui Yuezhi smiled and waved his hand. "I won't go. This Firefly Boat is only prepared for couples or lovers. Two people can ride on one boat. There are so many of us, so we can't ride on the same boat."
He Yan's words were stuck in his throat. He thought that Jiyang's Water God Festival was actually the Qixi Festival of the Central Plains. It was too unfriendly for people who did not have a lover. Did people who did not have a lover not have the right to see the legendary Falling Firefly Spring? How preposterous!
"Since Miss Yu Yan wishes to go, then go with Young Master Huanqing." Concubine Wei smiled and said, "There are many other boats around. Tonight, there should be a stage on the water. It will be very lively."
He Yan was struggling. She really wanted to go and experience it, but Xiao Jue … might not be willing.
She turned to look at Xiao Jue and asked tentatively, "Young Master?"
"Don't even think about it."
"Young Master, I really want to go."
Xiao Jue pursed her lips. "I think you're really pushing your luck."
"I've never seen a swarm of fireflies before," He Yan said in a low voice. "Since we're already here, don't you want to take a look? Don't treat me as a woman. Just treat me as a subordinate. We're just passing by and enjoying the local customs. "
"Young Master, husband?" He Yan called out to him again.
Xiao Jue's mouth twitched. "Speak properly."
"If you don't agree, then this concubine will continue to speak like this."
Concubine Wei covered her mouth and laughed. She seemed to be unable to watch the two children quarrel. She whispered a few words to Cui Yue Zhi. Cui Yue Zhi nodded. Concubine Wei ordered someone to go to the riverside and find a boat. She said to He Yan and Xiao Jue, "Master has already paid the money. Tonight, the boat's master will take you to the Jiyang River. If you see anything delicious or fun, just buy it. When the time is up, he will also take you to the Falling Firefly Spring. " She paused and said, "I originally wanted you to bring a few bodyguards with you. However, the Falling Firefly Spring is patrolled by the city's garrison. There shouldn't be any problems. But if you're worried, you can … "
"Thank you, Concubine Wei! There's no need for bodyguards … "He Yan said happily. Suddenly, he thought of something and asked Xiao Jue," What if Lin Shuanghe and Chi Wu want to see it too? "
Xiao Jue turned around and saw that Chi Wu and the others had already taken a few steps back. They shook their heads at him, indicating that they didn't want to see it.
That's right. Rough men probably didn't like things like fireflies. Even if they liked them, they wouldn't dare to show it here.
"Then let's go up first." He Yan was very happy. He got on the boat with the black awning first.
This boat wasn't as beautiful as the boats on the Chunlai River in Shuo City. From the outside, it could even be said to be plain. However, the inside of the boat was quite spacious. There was a floor and a small stove for cooking. If one sat here, ate something, enjoyed the river breeze, and looked at the lights of the night market on both sides of the river, it would be a wonderful thing.
He Yan bent over and sat on the floor to look at the river.
The Jiyang Canal was very long. It passed through the city. Today was a festival, so many lanterns were lit on both sides of the river. Everyone was shouting and laughing. It was very lively. The boatman was a middle-aged man wearing a bamboo hat. He was very sturdy and his arms were strong. He was rowing with all his might.
He Yan leaned on the bow of the boat. She was originally a little afraid of water, but now that the surroundings were so lively, and perhaps because Xiao Jue was by her side, she forgot a lot of her previous fears. All that was left was the novelty.
Just as she was enjoying the view, a small boat suddenly brushed past her. There was a man and a woman on the boat. The woman suddenly splashed a handful of water at He Yan. He Yan was caught off guard and splashed water all over her face. She was stunned.
The boatman laughed, "Miss, you're not from Jiyang, right? You don't know the rules of Jiyang. This is the canal. If two boats meet, there will be a water fight. People say that the canal feeds the people of Jiyang. It's not water that gets splashed, it's good fortune and luck! "
The woman looked at her and smiled. Her smile was kind and a little sly. It made it difficult for her to get angry. He Yan thought, 'What kind of rule is this? Aren't they afraid that they won't be able to go out if their clothes get wet?'
He Yan's thought was wrong. Everyone who knew that they were going to have a water fight brought a few sets of clothes with them so that it was convenient for them to change. She was the only one who foolishly wore a set of clothes. Cui Yuezhi had not been on the Firefly Boat for a long time, so he had long forgotten about it. That was why he behaved this way.
Probably because they saw that He Yan was particularly splashy, a few boats came over. Regardless of whether they were men or women, they all bent down and scooped up a handful of water from the canal and threw it at He Yan.
He Yan was confused.
She shouted, "Boatman, please move the boat further away!"
Before she could finish her sentence, a large handful of water was thrown at her face. He Yan was shocked. The next moment, someone stood in front of her and pressed her head against his chest to block the incoming water.
Xiao Jue looked across and saw that the person who threw water at He Yan was a man. He was a man who did not have the slightest sense of pity for the fairer sex. He was giggling foolishly at He Yan. The corners of Xiao Jue's lips curled up. In the next moment, the teacups in the boat floated in the water, and a large amount of water splashed, drenching the man from head to toe.
The woman next to the man was either his wife or lover. She said anxiously, "How can you do this?"
Xiao Jue looked at her with a faint smile and said slowly, "I'm just giving you some good fortune. You don't have to thank me."
He Yan was speechless.
She raised her head from Xiao Jue's chest and said, "Actually, you don't have to be so calculative." She looked around and was silent for a moment. "Look at how scared they are."
There were a few boats around them. They probably thought that He Yan's reaction was very interesting. Now that they saw the man's example, they did not dare to come closer. They quickly asked the boatman to row the boat further away as if they were avoiding the plague.
Xiao Jue laughed. "You still have the mood to care about others?"
He Yan looked down at herself. Half of her body was drenched. Xiao Jue stood up and walked to the back of the boat. She took a handkerchief and threw it to her. Then, she sat by the small stove where the tea was boiling. "Come here."
He Yan obeyed. Xiao Jue said, "Dry your hair."
He Yan obediently agreed. She placed her long hair on the stove and used the heat to dry her hair. "Commander in chief, are you hungry?"
"You're hungry?"
He Yan touched her stomach. "Very."
She had always had an amazing appetite. Xiao Jue sighed. She went to the front and said something to the boatman. Not long after, the boatman rowed the boat and arrived at a water market.
Although it was called a water market, it was actually a few dozen boats together. There were people selling snacks, hot tea, all kinds of snacks, and even roasted chicken and roasted goose. The smell was very delicious. The boat stopped at the water market. Xiao Jue asked He Yan to come to the bow of the boat. "Choose what you want."
The food on the boat was very different from the food in Shuo Jing. He Yan was greedy for some, but he could not bear to part with the others. He picked a little of everything. Therefore, he carried a big pile of oiled paper bags. Xiao Jue was silent for a moment. Then, she asked, "Are you a rice bucket?"
"If I can't finish it, I can bring it back to Lin Shuanghe and the others." He Yan smiled and said, "I've already restrained myself."
Xiao Jue was silent for a moment. She also picked a few things and paid. Then, she helped her carry the oiled paper bags onto the boat.
He Yan was very happy with the food and drinks. She sat on the ground and looked out of the boat. She happily opened the paper bags to eat and drink. She had a good appetite. After being hungry for a day, she did not care about her image. Xiao Jue endured and said, "Pay attention to your manners."
He Yan did not care. He still did what he wanted. After reminding her twice, Xiao Jue gave up.
She placed her hands on the small window of the boat. She suddenly remembered that when she was young, she also took a boat to Jinling with her classmates from the Xianchang School. At that time, there was also Xiao Jue. It was her first time on a boat. She was very seasick. She vomited a few times on the boat. She almost died on the boat.
Now, she did not get seasick. But in the past, the young people all went their separate ways. In the end, it was still Xiao Jue who stayed by her side.
The world was unpredictable.
"There seems to be a water stage over there." He Yan was surprised and said, "Boatman, can you move the boat over there?"
The boatman said, "Okay." He rowed the boat to the side of the water stage.
The bottom of the stage was propped up by something. There were only some wooden stakes above the water. Then, the stage was built on top of the wooden stakes. The surrounding spectators could only sit on the boat and look up. They saw that the performers had painted faces and were singing enthusiastically. The dance of the martial artists was very beautiful. Although they could not understand the words, it was very lively.
There was also a boat selling delicious honey water. He Yan ran to the bow of the boat to look. There were many girls buying it. Seeing that He Yan was engrossed in watching, the vendor smiled and explained, "Miss, these are all fresh. Do you want to have a bite after watching the show? We have everything here. Lychee cream, bayberry juice, apricot juice, plum blossom wine, sugar cane juice, wet pear juice, sweet bean soup … "
He Yan saw that in the small cup, there was a snow-white, cold, and red ball on top. He asked, "What is that?"
"This is sugar ice cold seed. It's sweet and cold. You definitely won't lose out if you have a bite. Miss, do you want a cup? "
He Yan was a little greedy. Just as he was about to say something, Xiao Jue asked, "Is this cold?"
"It is cold." The vendor replied enthusiastically, "The ice hasn't melted yet. It's very cool!"
"I don't want this. Change it to something hot." He said.
He Yan stared blankly for a moment, but the peddler said enthusiastically, "Then is it sweet bean soup? I just cooked it. It's very warm in your hands. Oh, did you get wet just now? " The vendor smiled as he scooped a spoonful of sweet bean soup from the small bucket into a bowl and handed it to He Yan. He said, "Then you should drink more to warm your body. Young Master is so considerate!"
He Yan was confused. At this moment, he didn't care about what the vendor said. He only asked Xiao Jue, "Don't you want to drink some?"
"I don't drink sweet things." He turned and walked into the boat.
He Yan asked the vendor, "What's not sweet?"
"Perilla juice isn't sweet."
He Yan took out a few copper coins from his sleeve, "I want another cup of perilla juice."
She held the sweet bean soup in one hand and the perilla juice in the other. She followed Xiao Jue into the boat and handed the perilla juice to Xiao Jue, "This isn't sweet. I've already asked. Drink it. It's my treat! "
Xiao Jue was speechless, "I gave you the money."
"It's the thought that counts. How can you be so calculative?" He Yan scooped a spoonful of sweet bean soup for herself. It was sweet and warm. She squinted her eyes, "It's really delicious!"
Xiao Jue said, "You're so easy to feed."
"You don't know," He Yan said, "I rarely ate sweet things in the past. But actually, I like sweet things very much." She said, "Jiyang is so nice. I want to be a Jiyang person too."
"You can stay here."
"How can I do that?" He Yan sighed, "There are many other things I need to do."
While they were talking, a small boat came from the side. Someone exclaimed in admiration. He Yan climbed over to take a look. He saw a craftsman sitting at the bow of the boat. He was kneading dough figures. He was kneading whatever the performers were singing on the stage. The pile of straw was already filled with dough figures. They looked exactly like the young actors in the opera. Their craftsmanship was outstanding.
He Yan leaned on the bow of the boat and watched the dough change rapidly in the hands of the craftsman. The old man who was kneading the dough figures smiled and asked, "If you like, can you buy one? I can knead a dough figure just like you. "
"Really?"
"Of course."
He Yan was a little tempted, but she hesitated, "Forget it."
Xiao Jue was boiling something on the small stove. When she heard this, she looked up and asked, "Why not?"
He Yan turned around and whispered, "I'm a woman now. I can buy it. But if I go back to the City Guard Station, I have to dress up as a man. It's not convenient to bring this dough figure with me. It'll be bad if it's used as evidence. Since I'm going to lose it anyway, why should I have it? "
Xiao Jue stared straight at her. Suddenly, his lips curled into a smile as he lightly said, "You're not tall, but you're quite scheming." He tapped his finger and a string of copper coins flew onto the craftsman's table. "Make one for her."
The old man smiled and kept the copper coins. "Okay."
He Yan hurriedly turned around and walked to Xiao Jue. "Why did you buy it? If I buy it, I can't take it with me when I leave Jiyang. Why waste money? "
"You don't like it." He smiled and said, "If you like it, then buy it. In this world, it's too boring if you don't fight for it because you're afraid of losing it."
Seeing that He Yan still did not move, he looked at her mockingly, but his tone was very calm. "Lady He, we're in Jiyang. You can do whatever you want today. You don't have to worry about it. You are exactly how you were before this. You can tell me what you like or hate. You don't have to wrong yourself, and you don't have to lie to everyone. "
He Yan was speechless. She did not know what to say.
After a long while, she said, "Can I really do whatever I want?"
Xiao Jue shrugged. "You can do whatever you want."
He Yan sat down.
The old man who made the dough figure was very skilled. After a short while, he finished making the dough figure. He called out to He Yan from the other side. "Lady, your dough figure is ready!"
He Yan thanked him and took the dough figure from him. The dough figure was made very carefully. Even the lace at the corner of the skirt was exactly the same as the one on her body. It looked very beautiful. She was in a daze. After a long while, she raised the dough figure and asked Xiao Jue, "Commander-in-chief, do you think she looks like me?"
Xiao Jue replied coldly, "She's much better than you."
He Yan was used to being mocked by him. She was not angry. She only said happily, "I really do look like a girl."
She saw Xiao Jue taking something out of the jar on top of the stove and putting it in a bowl. He Yan went over to take a look. She did not know when Xiao Jue had cooked a bowl of noodle soup. The noodles were white and there was a little soy sauce. There were no onions. There was only an egg in the noodle soup and some green vegetables. The aroma of the noodle soup assailed her nose.
He Yan was stunned. She had been busy looking at the scenery outside and eating. She did not know when Xiao Jue had cooked a bowl of noodle soup. She asked, "Commander-in-chief, are you hungry?"
Xiao Jue did not say anything. She only pushed the bowl in front of her and handed her a pair of chopsticks. "Eat."
"For me?" He Yan took the chopsticks. She was flattered. "Why? I bought a lot of food. I'm not … "
Before she could say the word "hungry", she heard the man in front of her say lightly, "Isn't today your birthday?"
He Yan was stunned.
After a while, she asked, "… How do you know?" Even in front of Cui Yuezhi, she said … a few days after the spring equinox.
"Lady He," Xiao Jue said slowly, "Do you know that your ability to deceive people is erratic and sometimes full of loopholes?"
He Yan did not say anything. After a while, she said softly, "So, the reason why you are so good to me today is actually because you know that today is my birthday, right?"
"Good?" Xiao Jue raised her eyebrows. "You seem to have a lot of misunderstandings about good. Am I good to you? "
It's not like that. He Yan thought to herself. Other than Liu Buwang, she had never met anyone else who was as good to her as Xiao Jue. No one remembered her birthday. In the past, they called her "He Rufei". That was He Rufei's birthday, not hers.
But today, this bowl of birthday noodles was made by Xiao Jue for "He Yan".
She raised her head and smiled at Xiao Jue. "Commander-in-chief, you are so good to me. Thank you."
The corners of the girl's eyes were curved. She was obviously smiling, but her eyes were a little red because of the steam. Xiao Jue was slightly stunned. Just as she was about to say something, He Yan had already buried her head in eating noodles.
So, he did not say anything.
The sky was completely dark. The sky was as black as ink, sprinkling down thousands of stars. The river formed a river of stars, pressing down on the boat.
The boatman paddled slowly. Unknowingly, they had already left the most prosperous middle section of the river. There were fewer boats around, and a cool breeze blew. It was pleasing to the eye.
A dark green streamer swept across the water and stopped at the bow of the boat.
The boatman had already stopped paddling. The boat floated quietly on the water.
He Yan pulled Xiao Jue out to take a look. Beside the spring, in the depths of the dense forest, countless bright and dim streamers floated around the water and the forest. It was like a glowing drizzle. Thousands of flying streamers reflected in their eyes.
"It's so beautiful." He Yan sighed.
In the past few years, it was not that she had not seen beautiful scenery. It was just that she did not have the mood to appreciate it when she was on the road in the army. Thinking about it, it had been many years since she let go of everything like this.
She would never forget such a night for the rest of her life. He Yan turned his head and saw Xiao Jue lying down at the bow of the boat. Her hands were behind her head as she looked at the fireflies in front of her. She thought for a moment and also lay down beside Xiao Jue. She imitated Xiao Jue and put her hands behind her head. She looked at the light that could not be extinguished by the night wind. It was as if the stars were right beside her.
"Today is the happiest birthday I have ever had. Thank you, Commander in Chief," she said.
Xiao Jue did not comment. She said, "Don't we all have to make a wish on our birthday? Go ahead and finish what you started. "
"Make a wish?" He Yan said, "I don't have any wishes."
Praying for blessings from the heavens was probably an act of self-deception. If you want something, you have to fight for it yourself.
"Why are you so indifferent?"
"If I really have to say something, I hope that there is someone in this world who came for me."
It wasn't for He Rufei or General Feihong. It was just for her. It was for her.
"What kind of wish is that?" Xiao Jue sneered. "I thought you were going to say that you want to be promoted to a noble rank. At the very least, you want to enter the Nine Flags Battalion."
Spots of light in the forest shone brightly in the night sky. Perhaps it was because the night wind was too good and the scenery was too wonderful that she wanted to say more.
She said, "Commander in Chief, have you noticed that ever since I got together with you, I have always been someone else's stand-in? Sometimes it's Cheng Lisu, sometimes it's Wen Yuyan. Next time, I don't know what my identity will be. "
Xiao Jue said, "Do you feel wronged?"
"Not really. It's just that …" She looked into the distance. "Sometimes, after being someone's stand-in for so long, it's hard to avoid forgetting who you are."
"Commander in Chief, you have to remember my name."
"My name is …"
"He Yan."
The girl looked at the sky and smiled. Xiao Jue looked at her and saw that her eyes were clear and bright. Amidst the happiness, there seemed to be a layer of dark sadness. The brightness of the past was gone. It was as if there were countless unspeakable sufferings that were finally swallowed down one by one.
He turned and looked at the sky. In the wilderness, the stars were like a waterfall. A cool breeze blew past their cheeks. The water surface was dark and unpredictable.
It was unknown how many people would have their sweet dreams tonight. How many people would have seen the glimmer in the night sky?
The young man curled his lips and said slowly, "Such a terrible name. I will remember it after hearing it once."
"Don't worry that I will forget, Lady He."
"He Yan."
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