There were also customs for the flower lanterns during the Flower Festival. The flower god in February was Yang-Guifei, so many of lanterns were painted with her portraits. Wen Shuyue was proficient in painting, and she would personally paint the straw paper that framed the lanterns every year.
Wen Shuyue carefully applied color to the straw paper with a brush, while Wen Tian sat opposite her, carefully tying the shaved bamboo pieces with lead wire to make the beginnings of a lantern. The style of the lantern was designed by Wen Shuyue herself, a peach blossom in full bloom with the stamen in the middle replaced by a cylinder. A candle could be placed in the hollow part, and a small statue of a noble consort was mounted on the surface of the cylinder. When the candle was lit, a silhouette of a beautiful woman above the stamen could be seen.
With Wen Tian’s skillful hands and the tacit cooperation between the two siblings, a peach-shaped flower lantern was ready in no time. He then strung the written colored notes with red strings, and a total of six pieces were decorated under the flower lantern, swaying slightly with the breeze.
On the twelfth day of the first lunar month, the Flower Festival arrived.
After breakfast, Wen Tian accompanied Wen Shuyue in a carriage to worship at the Flower Temple.
Before leaving, Wen Tian deliberately left Dai Fu at home, instructing him to pay attention to what went on at home, and to send him a message if Wen Boli went out. Although Dai Fu didn’t know the reason for this, he had always listened to Wen Tian and agreed without asking too many questions.
Only after explaining clearly did Wen Tian leave with peace of mind.
A carriage had already been parked in front of the Wen Mansion. In it was a young lady from another family who was friends with Wen Shuyue. They were close friends1, and they had specially made plans to worship the Flower God together today.
The Flower Goddess Temple was located in the Peach Blossom Forest in the east of the city. Built under the auspices of the government, it housed twelve flower gods. Incense abounded there all year round, and every year, during the Flower Festival, worshipers came in a continuous stream.
The horse clattered its hooves, pulling the carriage toward the east of the city. There were many pedestrians along the way, all rushing to worship the God of Flowers in the morning. Wen Tian lifted the carriage curtain and looked out. When the girls on the roadside saw him, they first let out light laughter. Some of them were bold enough to take off the pearl hairpins on their heads, wrap them in handkerchiefs and throw them into the carriage.
Wen Tian ducked away quickly, and the pearl hairpin fell and rolled twice inside the carriage. Wen Shuyue picked it up and put it on the small table. She said with a smile: “Hurry up and close the curtain.” As soon as she finished speaking, a bracelet and a jade pendant also flew in.
“…” Wen Tian silently closed the carriage curtain to block the view from outside.
Due to the open customs of the Chu Dynasty, it was common for handsome young men to be thrown flowers at by girls while walking on the road. If there were no flowers at their disposal, even the pearl hairpins and silk flowers on their heads can be used instead.
It was fine when Wen Tian came here two years ago. At that time, he was still too young and his facial features had not matured. After his sixteenth birthday, his features basically changed every day. His face lost its youthful childishness and became more refined. His body, too, became like jointed bamboo, straight and tall. When he walked on the road, he would no longer be treated like a child. Instead, many girls would look at him and smile shyly.
Wen Shuyue made fun of him all the way. As soon as the carriage arrived at the Flower Temple, Wen Tian couldn’t wait to get out of the car. Wen Shuyue and her friend laughed immediately. Wen Tian’s face turned red because of their laughter, but he still pretend to be calm and act as an escort.
Taking the flower cakes and wine with them, the three of them led the servants to the Flower Temple. On this day, the Flower Temple was filled with ladies fully-dressed up, carrying small baskets filled with flower cakes, flower wine, and seasonal flowers, all in order to ask the Flower God for a good marriage.
As he walked along the way, Wen Tian’s arms became filled with flowers and various small snacks held in handkerchiefs. After all, they were other people’s sentiments, so it was hard to throw them away. So, he could only hold them in his arms with a look of confusion, his ears were red with embarrassment.
Wen Shuyue and her friends went in to worship the God of Flowers, while Wen Tian waited outside, hoping for the stars and the moon. After they came out, he couldn’t wait to urge them to leave.
After leaving the Flower Temple and arriving at a less-crowded area, Wen Tian shoved the things in his arms to the servants and breathed a sigh of relief.
After worshiping the God of Flowers, most of the girls would go enjoy the flowers together. The peach blossoms in the Peach Blossom Forest were just blooming, looking pink and white from a distance. Wen Shuyue met a few sisters she knew, so she went to have fun with them. Wen Tian was afraid that his arms would be filled with flowers again, and since they were all girls, it was hard for him as a man to always follow them, so he stayed alone in the carriage.
After asking the coachman to drive the carriage to the roadside, Wen Tian lifted up a curtain and his eyes fell on the spacious road, which was connected to the official road. If Wen Boli went out, he would definitely pass by here.
“Is that the Wen family’s carriage?” Zhou Chuanqing pointed to a carriage parked not far away.
Chu Xiangtian looked in the direction that he pointed. It was indeed from the Wen family, but the one who came over at this time of the day was most likely the Wen family’s young lady. He swept a glance at it without interest and was about to look away——
Right at this moment, a gust of wind blew up half of the carriage curtain, and the figure inside flashed past. Chu Xiangtian’s eyes paused, and then a smile appeared in the corner of his eyes and eyebrows. He slapped the fan in his hand and said, “Let’s go over there and take a look.”
Zhou Chuanqing’s mouth twitched, greatly admiring his unique facial transformation technique.
With nothing to do in the carriage, Wen Tian lazily leaned against the window, holding a piece of flower cake and slowly grinding it with his teeth. The sudden knock on the window startled him, and the flower cake in his hand rolled onto his clothes, scattering crumbs all over his body.
Chu Xiangtian, who just wanted to say hello: “…”
After hurriedly tidying up his clothes, Wen Tian looked up angrily to see who was scaring him, only to see that it was an old acquaintance.
Chu Xiangtian gave him a friendly smile.
Wen Tian glared at him, a few pastry crumbs still on his chin, and his fierce look became particularly cute. “Why is it you again!”
Chu Xiangtian: “…”
Seemingly offending the young master again, he said helplessly: “I saw the Wen family’s carriage, so I came over to say hello.” Who would have thought that the young master would be so unfazed.
Not meaning to scare himself, Wen Tian’s fierce expression softened a bit and he resumed sizing up Chu Xiangtian again.
The bandit leader did not wear narrow-sleeved clothes today, but had instead changed into a loose and elegant robe, and his hair was neatly tied up with a white jade crown. He no longer looked like a bandit but rather more like a young man from a wealthy family, inexplicably permeated with an aura of nobility.
To tell the truth, he was quite good-looking.
“What are you doing here? Are you here to enjoy the flowers too?” Wen Tian didn’t think that this bandit leader was a person who had the leisure to enjoy flowers.
Sure enough, Chu Xiangtian looked at Zhou Chuanqing beside him and said in a disgusted tone: “I’m accompanying him to pray for marriage.”
Zhou Chuanqing: “…”
With a slight cough, Zhou Chuanqing nodded calmly under Wen Tian’s gaze. “Mn.”
Wen Tian felt that both of them were acting strange, but his attention was quickly diverted because Dai Fu was running towards him in a hurry.
“Young Master, Young Master!” Dai Fu ran over panting and said to Wen Tian anxiously: “The master has gone out and is headed to Hongfa Temple.”
The expression on Wen Tian’s face changed, and he said to Chu Xiangtian: “I still have something to do, so I’ll leave first.”
Dai Fu got onto the carriage and the carriage moved a little further away. Wen Tian’s gaze was firmly fixed on the official road . After a moment, the Wen family’s carriage came slowly from the other end.
Wen Boli had a straightforward reason for going out, so he didn’t cover it up. Wen Tian kept his eyes on it, preparing to ask the coachman to follow him, but he remembered that his carriage made for too big a target. So he could only jump out of the carriage and take a few steps forward to chase him on foot.
But there was no way for running-on-foot to catch up with the carriage. Seeing Wen Boli’s carriage going further away made Wen Tian feel as anxious as an ant on a hot pot. He missed this chance and didn’t know when he would have to wait next time. The corner of his eye suddenly caught the two people standing not far away, and he perked up, hurried to Chu Xiangtian, and asked hesitantly: “Can you do me a favor?”
“To do what?” Chu Xiangtian raised an eyebrow.
“Follow that carriage and see where it goes.” Wen Tian pointed to the carriage that was going further away. It was a bit strange to say this out loud, the son finding someone to follow his father, it didn’t seem to make sense in any way.
“That carriage seems to be Master Wen’s?”
Wen Tian bit his lip and nodded, his expression somewhat struggling and hesitant. After all, this was a private home matter, and he didn’t want to say it in this situation.
However, Chu Xiangtian did not continue to pursue the question. He narrowed his eyes, reached out and patted Wen Tian on the head, “Okay.”
===Author’s Notes===
Tiantian: Favorability +1000!
The bandit leader is also working hard to improve the young master’s favorability today√
It’s time to deal with the scumbag dad! !
Have a happy weekend everyone, I’ve already gone out to hang out after writing this chapter~~~
I’ll give you red envelopes when I’m back from my wandering =w=
===Translator’s Notes===
Well well well, someone’s reliable! 😀
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