The Lucky Farmgirl-Chapter 2019 - 1994: Shopping

The Crown Prince followed them towards the Fire Phoenix. When they reached the previously congested area, the injured had already been carried away by the government officials to various medical clinics, but there were still many people here. In a short time, people from all directions filled the gaps, making it bustling once again.

This time, County Magistrate Tang learned from the lessons and placed two officers at each intersection to control the crowd. If it got too crowded, they would stop some people, either asking them to go back or to wait until some left before more could enter.

But Bai Shan knew the tragic situation that had happened here earlier, especially the two people most severely trampled, who were barely alive when carried out.

So he remained somewhat silent.

Manbao noticed his low spirits and gradually slowed down to walk beside him, "What’s wrong with you?"

Bai Shan smiled at her, reached out to hold her hand, and walked together, "It’s nothing, just lost in thought." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He knew that since Manbao and the others had left early, they probably hadn’t seen anything. The incident had already happened, so it was better to let her enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival tonight and talk about it tomorrow.

Manbao looked at him for a moment, seeing he wasn’t inclined to speak, she playfully shook his hand and walked forward.

The lamp stand and the Fire Phoenix by the inner city gate were made by the Ministry of Public Works. The lanterns on the wings could rotate, with different colors creating a layered effect, making it seem like it was about to take off, looking particularly beautiful.

Not only common folks like Manbao and the others, even Princess Mingda and Princess Changyu were mesmerized, exclaiming, "It’s not as noticeable when seen from the palace, but here, it looks so beautiful."

Even the Crown Prince couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

With a heavy heart, Bai Shan also stared blankly for a while.

Under the Fire Phoenix and the lamp stand was a wide open space where stalls were not allowed, and soldiers guarded it, only for tourists to enjoy. After viewing, everyone followed the flow of the crowd back to the main street, though it wasn’t the same place they entered.

It seemed the county governmental office had pre-arranged the paths to prevent chaotic movement.

And coming out from the Fire Phoenix, there were rows of lamp stalls.

There were many lanterns hanging on the lamp stalls, with riddles on some. Those who solved them could win prizes.

For families like the Bai Family and the Yin Family, their prizes at the lamp stalls were lanterns with riddles and a package of gifts, such as blessed rice and blessed cakes, and one could choose either.

Apart from wealthy families setting up lamp stalls to mingle with the people and pray for their families, various shops were also present.

Jishi Hall also set up a lamp stall here, and their prizes were some wrapped medicinal products, which were very popular.

But Manbao and her friends didn’t visit Jishi Hall’s stall; instead, they aimed for the pastry shops’ lamp stalls.

The pastry shops’ lamp stalls not only offered prizes but also goods to purchase. It didn’t matter if you couldn’t solve the riddles; just buy them.

Manbao and her friends squeezed to the front, noticing only a dozen lanterns left, each with challenging riddles.

They whispered among themselves, "What’s ’Zhiyong Ezong Qiaoqiao’?"

Manbao scratched her head and asked the most knowledgeable among them, the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, do you know?"

The Crown Prince: "...Do I look like someone who knows?"

Why ask him about literature?

Manbao said, "But aren’t you the one among us who’s eaten the most pastries?"

The Crown Prince glanced at her, swinging the money pouch in his hand around his finger, "Want some? Just buy them."

To him, why bother using your brain if you can buy it with money?

Bai Shan pondered, "Could it be mochi?"

The stall owner collecting money for the pastries heard this and looked up at Bai Shan, asking with a smile, "Why do you say it’s mochi, young sir?"

As soon as Bai Shan heard this, he knew he must have guessed right. He laughed, "The phrase ’Zhiyong Ezong’ should refer to ’charm,’ and the whole phrase suggests the image of a graceful and charming lady, so I guessed it’s mochi. Did I guess correctly?"

"Correct," he smiled, saying, "This riddle shouldn’t have been posed like this, but my son mischievously said my riddles were too easy to guess, so he casually wrote this one, not expecting you to guess it."

Changyu and the others had a bad feeling, "Don’t tell me the remaining dozen or so riddles are all from your son?"

The stall owner nodded apologetically, "Yes, actually the remaining pastries are all common ones. People could easily guess my riddles, so my son altered them."

Even so, everyone was still excitedly guessing.

But the quizmaster seemed intent on being difficult. Sometimes the riddles had only a tenuous connection to the answers, making them very hard to solve.

Bai Shan and Manbao, who read the most, racked their brains to solve another one. Mingda and Bai Er could join in the thinking too, even the Crown Prince could add his input, yet Changyu didn’t even know which phrase included their suggested word, let alone which book it came from.

Who remembers sentences from a book after reading? Isn’t the idea to forget it once you put it down?

Why would anyone remember which book a quote comes from?

Facing the lantern riddles, she simply started reciting pastry names she knew, "Osmanthus cake, emerald bean cake, chestnut cake, bicolor bean cake, red bean roll, golden cake roll, lotus seed cake..."

The stall owner was stunned before bursting into laughter, quickly intervening, "Young lady, that’s not how you guess the answers."

He laughed, "If everyone guessed like you, no riddle would be challenging, and although we have new products, most pastry names are well known."

Mingda and the others couldn’t help but chuckle, deciding to stop guessing and asked the shopkeeper to give them the mochi and walnut cake they had correctly guessed.

The stall owner breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly took down the two lanterns they had guessed right, and presented them with two boxes, smiling, "These are freshly made pastries, though they’re not warm anymore. Luckily, mochi can be eaten cold, so the young lady and young gentlemen can have a taste."

A box didn’t contain much — just six pastries, enough for good luck.

Manbao and her friends shared them, making just the right amount, and with their sleeves covering, took a bite. It was refreshing, chewy, and subtly sweet, very delicious.

Manbao liked it a lot, and Bai Shan thought it was good too. So he stepped forward to look at the pastries displayed on the stall, "Let’s buy some others to try. Do you have new varieties in your mooncakes this year?"

"Yes, young master, please look at this box of mooncakes; these have egg yolk fillings."

Changyu remarked, "I had the egg yolk ones last year. I’ve also had venison ones."

Stall owner:... That can’t compare; whose family can afford venison mooncakes?

He replied, "These mooncakes have double egg yolks."

Everyone glanced at those large, disk-sized mooncakes, thinking they should fit two, of course.

Bai Shan said, "Let’s buy one."

It would be nice to cut it into pieces for everyone to celebrate reunion together.