Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life-Chapter 541: Floating River Lanterns, Riding a Small Boat

Chapter 541: Chapter 541: Floating River Lanterns, Riding a Small Boat

After jumping for about half an hour, Lin Wanwan finally bent over, gasping for breath, and waved her hand, saying, "I can’t, I can’t anymore. Cousin, I can’t jump anymore, you continue."

With that, she wanted to walk back to her carriage.

Xiao Chong grabbed her hand and smiled, "Then let’s not jump, let’s go, I’ll take you to guess the lantern riddles ahead."

Lin Wanwan didn’t have the strength to break free, so she was pulled along by him.

Kun Lun, who had been keeping a close eye on Lin Wanwan from the side, immediately pushed through the crowd to follow them.

When Xiao Chong "ambushed" Lin Wanwan earlier, Shu Qi, who was blocking Kun Lun, of course followed as well.

However, Hua Nong and Hong Yan, although they saw it, couldn’t squeeze through, so they could only watch helplessly as Lin Wanwan’s figure disappeared into the sea of people.

After passing through the crowded throng and away from the lantern tower, Xiao Chong released Lin Wanwan’s hand, took off his mask, and said, "Let’s go, cousin, it’s not far ahead."

"Okay." Lin Wanwan adjusted her hairpin, fearing it had come loose, but she found it still secure on her head, and felt relieved.

Hong Yan’s hairstyling was impeccable; even after all that dancing, her hairstyle hadn’t deformed much.

As for the mask, she naturally didn’t take it off. After all, she was a noblewoman, and half a mask covering her face was necessary. The main reason was that she felt her face must be burning like fire now, requiring a mask to hide it.

Tonight, in Little Creek Town, every corner was beautifully decorated with lanterns, bright as daylight, and every street was buzzing with people, the difference lying only in the size and excitement of the crowd.

The closer to the lantern tower, the wilder it got.

Walking beside Xiao Chong, guided and protected by him all the way, Lin Wanwan wasn’t jostled much, so she didn’t appear disheveled.

Arriving at the street of bookstores, it was indeed filled with flower lanterns with riddles hanging on them.

Lin Wanwan casually plucked a lantern, and the slip inside read, "After long rain, the sky clears."

She frowned and thought for a moment, her mind still stuck in the earlier revelry, unable to work, so she looked up to ask Xiao Chong, "Cousin, what’s the answer to this riddle?"

Xiao Chong glanced at it and said, "’Yesterday’ of the ’day before yesterday’."

"Oh, that’s right!" Lin Wanwan suddenly realized, then picked another slip, "This time I’ll guess it myself."

This time the slip read, "Where did the lady go?"

Lin Wanwan excitedly said, "Ha, this one’s simple, it’s ’two’!"

Xiao Chong looked at the riddle, smiled lightly, "Mm, cousin is impressive."

The pair continued guessing riddles for a while, mostly with Lin Wanwan guessing and Xiao Chong helping fill in the gaps, nearly guessing the shopkeeper’s face blue here.

Fortunately, in the end, they each only picked one flower lantern, without taking them all.

For them, having more lanterns was useless, it was just for the atmosphere.

"Cousin, wouldn’t your behavior of sweeping the lantern riddle market get you beaten up in Chang’an?"

Xiao Chong laughed, "In previous years in Chang’an, some of us would gather in restaurants to drink and write poetry, rarely guessing riddles."

"Oh, quite sensible!" Lin Wanwan laughed.

With each holding a paper lantern, they walked towards the riverbank.

Many people were placing river lights (small candles on paper boats) along the shore, saying if you light it up, make a wish, and let the river light drift away with the water, your wish will come true.

They didn’t even specify which god to appeal to; as long as they passed by, any deity would partake of the incense offerings?

The first person to spread this rumor was definitely in the candle business. Look at the densely packed starlit river surface; what a business opportunity!

"There must be many common folk gathered downstream, waiting to collect those candles, right?" Lin Wanwan peered toward the end of the river, indeed spotting vague silhouettes.

"Whether there are people downstream collecting candles is irrelevant to the lovesick men and women making wishes upstream."

"Ha, that’s true!"

Looking across the river, all were young girls setting afloat river lights. It seemed that since ancient times, it was easiest to fool money out of young girls!

They loved romance, believed in legends, and regardless of effectiveness, as long as one hoped sincerely, dreams would become reality.

"Cousin, would you like to set one afloat?" Xiao Chong asked.

Lin Wanwan pondered for a moment, then smiled, "Since everyone believes in it, I might as well do as the Romans do and set one afloat."

Xiao Chong smiled slightly, "Okay, cousin, wait here, I’ll go get one for you."

"Mm."

Moments later, Xiao Chong indeed walked back with a river light. Under the warm candlelight, his perfect and picturesque face seemed even more unreal.

Lin Wanwan paused for a moment, only coming to her senses when he got closer. She handed the paper lantern to Kun Lun, who was standing by, and carefully took the river light from Xiao Chong, fearing that if she wasn’t careful, she would set the paper boat on fire before it touched the river.

"This paper boat is quite delicately folded!" Lin Wanwan exclaimed, "The merchants aren’t completely tricking people."

Xiao Chong smiled lightly, offering no comment.

Lin Wanwan squatted down, closed her eyes, and really made a silent wish, then placed it on the river, gently pushing it into the water, watching her river light merge into the dense flow, drifting downstream.

"It’s beautiful." Lin Wanwan said with a smile.

Xiao Chong asked, "Cousin, what wish did you make?"

Lin Wanwan snorted, "Wishes won’t come true if spoken aloud, how could you ask, cousin?"

Xiao Chong laughed, "That was impolite of me."

At this moment, a guard in black attire walked up and whispered something to Xiao Chong, then silently stepped back.

Curious, Lin Wanwan asked, "Is there something going on? Did a stampede accident occur?"

On occasions like this, a stampede is the most likely accident to happen.

But earlier Lin Wanwan noticed quite a few armed government officials maintaining order on the streets, assuming that Du Minor Mansion, who manages public security, had already made thorough preparations. Was Xiao Chong still needed to step in personally?

"No accident." Xiao Chong smiled and asked, "Cousin, would you be interested in a river cruise?"

"A river cruise? Now?" Lin Wanwan was surprised, "In this river?"

Xiao Chong joyously replied, "Not here, but a mile away, where the water is wider, and boats are already prepared."

"Great!" There was nothing more to say, of course Lin Wanwan, this modern traveler, would follow the arrangements of the Great Tang native!

Not long after, they arrived at a bank with a solitary boat anchored.

Lin Wanwan glanced at the riverbank and frowned, "There’s no boatman on board, and the boat isn’t moored to the bank, how do we get on?"

Xiao Chong lowered his head, smiled, and looked at her, "Cousin, forgive my rudeness."

As soon as he finished speaking, he wrapped his arm around Lin Wanwan’s waist, leapt into the air, and landed on the boat with a single bound.

The weight of the two made the small boat sway side to side, scaring Lin Wanwan into hugging Xiao Chong tightly, afraid of falling into the river.

It wasn’t that she feared getting wet; it was just that in this atmosphere, falling in would be embarrassing and cold!

Thankfully, the swaying only lasted a moment, and once Xiao Chong set her down, the boat steadied itself.

Lin Wanwan quickly sat down at the prow, lowering her center of gravity.

Xiao Chong stood at the stern, pushing with both palms, sending waves of palm wind and splashing water as the boat navigated through the starry river lights, moving forward slowly.

"No way, cousin, are you using inner strength to propel the boat?" Lin Wanwan’s eyes sparkled, awestruck, and in the next second, she realized and couldn’t help but subtly twitch her mouth.

Damn, this guy did it again!

Xiao Chong laughed, took a step forward, and sat down, grabbing the oar to row gently, "Of course not, it’s foolish not to use an oar when there’s one available."

Lin Wanwan: "..."

Then what was that you just did?