“Did you hurt yourself from the fall? Can you still get up?”
Both banks of the river were packed with people like a screen, men and women, old and young, crowding every inch of open space. Even the branches of trees along the river were occupied by daring youths perched atop them.
Vendors carrying bamboo baskets weaved through the crowd hawking their wares, their cries intermingling with the laughter of children into a boisterous din.
On the slightly higher vantage points of the pavilions and terraces, however, the atmosphere was one of leisurely idleness. Curtains of gauze shaded the sun, and fragrant breezes wafted gently. Wealthy households and officials’ families sat in small groups by the railings, attended by maids holding fans and young servants serving tea. Elegantly made-up young ladies and matrons chatted in soft voices, occasionally glancing toward the starting point where the dragon boats were lined up, waiting for the race to begin.
Chu Mingse and Pei Zhaoxue walked a bit further, skirting around the bustling crowd and heading straight for the Arch Moon Bridge.
It was a single-arch stone bridge, its blue stone body covered in creeping fig. The arch’s reflection in the emerald water resembled a full moon. The dragon boats did not pass beneath this bridge, so no spectators lingered here.
“They don’t know that this is the best spot for viewing!” Chu Mingse stopped at the highest point of the bridge’s arch, pointing in both directions as she explained to Pei Zhaoxue, “Looking forward, you can clearly see the starting line; looking back, you can see the sharpest bend! Last year, three boats capsized right there.”
Pei Zhaoxue followed the direction of her finger. In the distance, the mountains were a deep indigo, and the still water shimmered—an unobstructed, wide-open view.
Six dragon boats painted in different colors were lined up in a row at the starting point, their dragon heads raised proudly toward the sky.
Suddenly, a swath of red silk was raised, tracing an arc across the clear blue sky, and a drumbeat resounded with a deep thud.
Accompanied by rousing chants, the six colored dragon boats raced forward in fierce competition, breaking through the water’s surface like arrows released from a bow, sending spray splashing into mist.
In an instant, both banks of the river erupted in excitement.
Drumsticks wrapped in red silk pounded out fierce rhythms, oars flipping and churning so fast they were nearly a blur.
Chu Mingse patted the armrest of the Plain Sedan Chair and stood on her tiptoes, pointing into the distance. “Look, that dragon boat is from our town! Second Dog’s uncle is on it!”
A dark-colored dragon boat, somewhat smaller than the others, lagged behind in the swift current, paddling desperately to catch up.
“In past years, our town never had a dragon boat team. It was Uncle Lin San who said we couldn’t let others take all the glory right at our own doorstep, so he hastily organized a team.”
“And this dragon boat—my father helped build it too!” Chu Mingse stood on her tiptoes, leaning over the railing, her eyes sparkling as she fixed them on the boat bringing up the rear. “Isn’t it handsome?”
The trailing boat showed no sign of discouragement despite falling several boat-lengths behind. It continued to row with fierce determination to the pounding drumbeats and hoarse shouts, each stroke cleaving through the surging waves.
Even from such a distance, one could see the sweat streaming down their foreheads and the veins bulging on their arms from exertion.
The dragon head, with its furious eyes and raised horns, gleamed brilliantly under the scorching sun. The boat’s speed gradually picked up, closing in on the tail of the boat ahead.
“It seems there’s little chance of winning the championship.” Pei Zhaoxue’s gaze fell lightly upon the dragon boat.
“That’s all right.” Chu Mingse’s eyes burned with intensity as she followed the boat. “Originally, we didn’t even have a chance to compete. Being able to bring our own dragon boat to the race is already amazing!”
“And its dragon head is the most ferocious-looking of them all!”
Pei Zhaoxue’s eyes flickered slightly. “Since it’s a competition, what meaning is there in losing?”
“Everyone’s happy.” Chu Mingse tilted her head to look at Pei Zhaoxue. “Isn’t being happy enough? Besides, everyone tried their best—as long as there are no regrets, that’s fine.”
Her eyes were innocently wide, holding nothing but the purest colors within.
Pei Zhaoxue’s brow twitched slightly. He was about to say something when a sudden cry of surprise rose from the river.
The dragon boats had reached the sharpest bend that Chu Mingse had mentioned. The ink-black dragon boat swung its tail with great effort, overtaking the boat ahead at an extremely tricky angle to take fifth place.
Immediately, enthusiastic cheers erupted from both banks of the river.
Chu Mingse jumped up at once, clapping her small hands until they turned red. “Wow! We overtook them! Brother Xuetuan, did you see that? Amazing!”
The shimmering ripples reflected the bright sunlight, piercing into Pei Zhaoxue’s dark eyes. Unconsciously, he gripped the armrest of the Plain Sedan Chair, and his calm heartbeat unexpectedly began to race along with the drumbeats.
Just then, a cry of alarm came from the direction of the river: “Someone’s fallen in the water!”
“Quick, someone save them!”
Chu Mingse hurriedly leaned over the railing to look. Soon, she heard a splash—someone had jumped in to rescue the victim.
For a moment, no one paid attention to the dragon boats anymore; everyone turned to watch the rescue.
A group of people hurried down from the viewing platform, pushed through the crowd, and blocked off the section of the river where someone had fallen in.
“It seems the one who fell in is a young lady from an official family. No need to worry.” Pei Zhaoxue reached out and gently pulled Chu Mingse, who had leaned half her body over the railing, back. “Be careful. If you fell in, I might not be able to save you.”
Chu Mingse also knew her earlier action had been somewhat dangerous. She obediently followed his pull and shrank back beside him, pursing her lips into a well-behaved smile. “I know how to swim…”
Pei Zhaoxue gave her a faint, pointed look, and she quickly admitted her mistake: “I’m wrong, I’m wrong. I won’t lean on the railing again next time.”
“But Brother Xuetuan, how do you know it’s a young lady?”
The group had come down from the viewing platform, and Chu Mingse could guess that the person who fell in must be from a wealthy or noble family—but why couldn’t it be a young gentleman?
By the riverbank, several sturdy maidservants had spread a dense cloth net, completely blocking all view.
“With such an arrangement, not allowing outsiders to glimpse anything—it can only be to protect a young lady’s reputation.” Pei Zhaoxue pressed his lips flat. “I only hope that the one who jumped in to save her…”
He paused, glanced at Chu Mingse, who was still looking at him curiously, and did not finish the second half of his sentence.
“What about the one who jumped in to save her?” Chu Mingse asked curiously.
Under the gaze of the crowd, if the one who fell in was a young maiden in the bloom of youth, and the rescuer was also a young man of similar age, a kind-hearted family might privately offer more silver to settle the matter. But those rigid, old-fashioned families, in order to preserve their daughter’s reputation, might—in the best case—force the two to marry, or in the worst case, cruelly beat the rescuer to death to silence him…
A kind-hearted family might suppress the news, offer more silver and silk, and force the rescuer to keep silent, ending the matter there. If they encountered a family that was pedantic, rigid, and only valued family honor, then to preserve their daughter’s reputation, the best case would be forcing the two into marriage, and the crueler ones might simply have the rescuer quietly beaten to death…
“Nothing.” In the end, he merely raised his hand and gently brushed the loose strand of hair hanging by her temple, his voice returning to calm. “Perhaps I’m overthinking.”
Such dark secrets of the deep mansions—it was better not to let her know for now.
Before long, the matter of the fall into the water was cast aside by the crowd on the riverbank, all eyes fixed in anticipation on the dragon boat teams vying for the top prize this year.
The outcome came as no surprise—the same team that had taken first place in previous years claimed the championship once more, while the dragon boat team from Shuijin Town, competing for the first time, managed to secure third place. The town was momentarily filled with joy and celebration.
Chu Mingse was so delighted that she hopped and skipped all the way down the bridge. “We even made it into the top three! Father will be so happy when he hears about this!”
Her mother didn’t care for crowds, and her father had stayed behind to keep her company, so neither had come to watch the dragon boat race. When she got back, she would definitely tell them—
“Ah!”
Just as she was about to reach the foot of the bridge, Chu Mingse’s foot suddenly slipped, and she landed flat on her backside, her little embroidered shoes with rabbit heads flying off and landing on the bluestone slabs.
“Sese!” Pei Zhaoxue’s heart leaped with worry. He spun the wheel of his chair and rushed to her side, nearly tumbling out of the Plain Sedan Chair himself.
He leaned down to help her up. “Did it hurt? Can you get up?”
Chu Mingse gripped his hand and sat up, wincing as she waved her hand. “It’s fine, it’s fine—I fell on my butt, no big deal!”
The flesh on her rear was thick; at worst, she’d have a few bruises.
But when she tried to use his support to stand, a sharp, piercing pain shot through her ankle. With a yelp of “Ouch!” she sank back down to the ground.
“Xuetuan gege, I think… I think I twisted my ankle…” Chu Mingse blinked pitifully, her voice gradually fading. “Could you help me pick up my shoes?”
Sigh—Father was right that extreme joy begets sorrow. If she hadn’t been so happy that she hopped and skipped instead of walking properly, she wouldn’t have taken this fall, and she wouldn’t have to trouble Xuetuan gege even to pick up her shoes…
Pei Zhaoxue gently turned the Plain Sedan Chair, bent down, and retrieved the little rabbit-embroidered shoe that had been flung away. Chu Mingse quickly took it and put it on herself.
“I probably can’t walk anymore, Xuetuan gege, you…” Chu Mingse had been about to ask Pei Zhaoxue to go back and fetch someone, when she saw him lean down in front of her and reach out both hands.
“We need to get back quickly so Uncle Chu can find someone to check whether you’ve hurt any bones. Come on up.”
He slipped his hands under her back and the crook of her knees, lifted her up in one smooth motion, and settled her in his lap.
Pei Zhaoxue spun the wheel of his chair and headed home, a hint of urgency in his movements.
Chu Mingse curled up in his arms like a tiny little thing, like a doll carved from jade, drawing more than a few extra glances from passersby.
Chu Mingse felt unusually flustered.
This was different from the time they’d left the yamen—back then, the sedan chair had been large, and the two of them could sit side by side just fine. But this new Plain Sedan Chair could only seat Pei Zhaoxue, and she had to sit on his lap. She wondered if she might be pressing on his injury.
“Am I heavy? Does it hurt where I’m sitting on you?”
“It’s fine.” Pei Zhaoxue soothed her in a soft voice.
She was clearly as light as a feather—he had no idea where all the food she ate went.
Just as the two of them entered the mouth of the alley, they spotted Third Uncle Lin dragging Lin Ergou by the ear as he walked deeper into the alley, scolding him in a rapid stream of words: “You’ve gotten quite bold, haven’t you? With all those adults around, what made you, a little kid, jump into the water to save someone?”
“Hey, the little girl fell in right in front of me—I didn’t think that far ahead…”
Lin Ergou had already changed into a fresh set of clothes, the robes a bit loose and ill-fitting.
Third Uncle Lin was scolding him on the surface, but inwardly he was truly relieved that the boy was still just a small child, and the young lady he’d saved was also quite young. Otherwise, who knew what kind of trouble might have come of it!
Their figures disappeared into the depths of the alley. Chu Mingse let out a soft “Ah!” and said, “So it was Er’gou who went to save her!”
Pei Zhaoxue’s slightly anxious heart finally settled—at least it hadn’t turned into a tragedy.
Back at home, Chu Mingse, who had sprained her foot, was inevitably gently scolded by Qu He. Fortunately, her injury hadn’t reached the bone, so there was no need to see a physician.
During the evening meal, Chu Qingyuan mixed realgar powder into the wine and wrote the character “Wang” on Chu Mingse’s forehead.
“To ward off evil and prevent illness, may our Sese never fall sick or trip in the future!”
“Then Brother Xuetuan wants one too!”
“Of course, no one gets left out!”
Pei Zhaoxue’s forehead was soon marked with the character “Wang” as well.
Chu Mingse felt delighted inside, thinking that she was now exactly the same as Brother Xuetuan.
Steward Wang knocked on the door from outside and poked his head in with a smile. “Young master, the Orchid Bath is ready.”
Bathing in orchid water during the Dragon Boat Festival wards off evil spirits and ensures safety. After that, one could sleep soundly through the night.
Pei Zhaoxue nodded, and the Plain Sedan Chair beneath him glided toward the door.
Chu Mingse hurried to follow. “Then Sese wants one too!”
She hadn’t been left out when it came to Brother Xuetuan, so she couldn’t be left out now either!
Chu Qingyuan, quick-eyed and swift-handed, pulled her back. “That won’t do!”
Author’s note:
None