On the way to Suiyuan Garden, Zhenyi witnessed a scene of unprecedented liveliness.
This wasn’t the first time Zhenyi had come out to see the lanterns on the night of the Lantern Festival, but before, she was too young. This year, as a child who had turned seven (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning), besides her still-vigorous curiosity, her perception of the world was becoming clearer.
The colors, shapes, and smells of the world rushed in, filling her senses.
Ju Zi calculated that Zhenyi, at this age in modern times, would be a little chick with a red scarf around her neck after this summer vacation.
Children of this age are always full of energy, like the musical lotus lantern on an old-fashioned cake, endlessly noisy, impossible to turn off, and constantly being chewed on. Even a few slaps with paws are useless; even after the batteries are dead, it can still buzz for another week or two. Throw it into a mouse hole, and it could cause a whole nest of mice to have hormonal imbalances.
Zhenyi’s energy was unlike that of ordinary children; her boundless curiosity was mostly hidden in her eyes.
Ju Zi always thought thankfully that people’s eyes couldn’t speak; Zhenyi’s eyes would surely be two exquisitely crafted birthday lotus lanterns.
Today, Zhenyi wore a brand-new, light blue padded jacket with fur trim. To Ju Zi, she looked like a plump, tender green bamboo shoot, just sprouting its first tip. This “tender green shoot” had two small buns on its head, tied with red strings, each adorned with two fluffy white balls, like a doll that had just jumped out of a New Year’s painting.
Ju Zi also had a similar red string and fluffy white balls around her neck, which Zhenyi had tied on, saying she was worried that with so many people outside on the Lantern Festival, she might not be able to find Ju Zi, and this way she would be more noticeable.
Orange felt it didn’t need that. Unlike those sheltered, uncultured house cats, as a native Forbidden City cat, its life’s dream was to roam the world with a sword!
Orange leaped onto the railing of a stone bridge, head held high and tail wagging, its steps light and elegant, feeling like a skilled swordsman, the fur around its neck resembling not a fluffy ball, but a majestic sword.
When Zhenyi grew a little older, it would leave the Wang family, leave Jinling and the Qinhuai River, and venture to faraway places!
—Orange had already planned this on Zhenyi’s first birthday.
Amidst the dappled shadows of lanterns and the bustling crowds, Zhenyi, holding its mother’s hand in one hand and its older sister’s in the other, hopped up step after step of the stone bridge.
As Zhenyi jumped down the last stone step, she looked up at her mother and said, “Mother, the third bridge!”
Walking across three bridges on the night of the Lantern Festival was a custom in Yang Jinniang’s maternal home. Legend had it that on this night, women walking across three bridges together could ward off illness and misfortune.
While Yang Jinniang was walking across the bridge, she kept muttering something to herself. Zhenyi didn’t hear it clearly, but Ju Zi, with her sharp ears, caught the name “Yang Tingniang.”
After crossing the bridge, Zhenyi was drawn to the lantern frames erected at the bridgehead. The frames were shaped like masts, each shelf displaying lanterns, resembling a pagoda at first glance.
“These are called bridge lanterns!” Wang Yuan explained to his younger siblings, arms crossed. “They’re used to worship the river god!”
Such lantern frames were everywhere, adorned with colorful ribbons and tassels during the day. At night, they were hung with lanterns, their light shining brightly for miles. From the Lantern Festival (the fifteenth day of the first lunar month) to the eighteenth, lanterns are displayed daily in this festive atmosphere, known as the Lantern Market.
Also ubiquitous are peddlers selling lanterns along the streets, carrying all sorts of lanterns. In Nanjing, Suzhou, and Wu, lanterns are particularly common, exquisitely crafted and dazzling.
A peddler’s load fell to the ground. Wang Zhefu, who had stopped him, smiled and waved to the children. Zhenyi and the others ran to their grandfather to choose lanterns together.
Shuyi chose the Xi Shi Picking Lotus Lantern, Wang Jie chose the Scholar Lantern, and Zhenyi, at Ju Zi’s suggestion, chose the Liu Hai Playing with the Toad Lantern. Ju Zi was very interested in the toad, occasionally scratching the tassel hanging from the lantern.
Wang Yuan hadn’t chosen a lantern yet. He tried to discuss with his grandfather about paying for it in cash, but Wang Xirui overheard and grabbed his ear, berating him: “…Besides hanging out with those people and drinking, what else do you know!”
Just then, a ball-shaped lantern, about the size of a child’s palm, flew through the air and hit Wang Yuan squarely on the head.
Wang Yuan rubbed his head and cried out, “Ouch!” He shouted ahead, “Which little brat threw that?!”
A group of children, laughing and running towards him, saw his fierce expression and hesitated to recognize him. They pushed and shoved each other, none daring to pick up the lantern.
Just as Zhenyi was about to bend down to pick up the rolling lantern, Ju Zi tried pushing it with one paw. Seeing the small, hollowed-out lantern, woven from thin bamboo strips, rolling around with a gurgling sound, yet the flame inside remained lit, Ju Zi found it very strange. She chased after it and quickly pushed it twice more. Before she could play with it again, a child had already snatched it away.
The children not only had small ball lanterns to toss in the air, but also giant ball lanterns, bigger than oranges, that rolled on the ground without going out—these were called “rolling lanterns,” originating from the Haiyan area of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
Orange followed Zhenyi as they watched the lanterns. Occasionally, they encountered Lantern Festival processions. These people carried small drums tied to their waists and held cymbals or bells, striking them as they walked, creating a deafening roar wherever they went, filling the streets with jubilation, attracting countless children to jump, sing, and cheer.
Passing a local temple, Orange saw a bamboo lion lantern. The lion held a small ball lantern in its mouth. Orange reached forward to try to pry the lantern out of the lion’s mouth when suddenly there was a loud “whoosh!” accompanied by a flash of light. Startled, Orange jumped up and ran to Zhenyi, leaping into her arms.
Wang Yuan laughed loudly, “Look, Orange offended the Earth God and was punished!”
Zhenyi hugged Orange tightly, covered its ears, and comforted it, “Don’t be afraid, Orange, it’s just setting off fireworks to worship the Earth God!”
Clumps of fireworks were lit, soaring into the sky like golden dragons dancing, the smoke roaring, and the surroundings as bright as day.
Startled, Orange refused to walk on its own anymore. Zhenyi couldn’t carry it anymore, so Shuyi took over. When Shuyi got tired too, Orange jumped onto Wang Yuan’s shoulder without a word.
Laughing and joking, they arrived at Suiyuan Garden. Yuan Mei, seeing Wang Zhefu, immediately complained, “…Lord Yan is late! I’ve been waiting for you!”
Finally, Orange jumped off Wang Yuan and hid under Zhenyi’s skirt, peeking out at the kind old man—was he the one who wrote *Suiyuan Shidan*? He didn’t look like a cook at all. Jin Yan was the courtesy name of Wang Zhefu. Yuan Mei and Wang Zhefu had both served as advisors in other people’s households and lived in Jinling, so they had always had a good relationship.
Yuan Mei enjoyed socializing, and today, on the Lantern Festival, many people had been invited to the garden. Most were dressed as scholars, and the women were all dignified and refined.
After entering the garden, Yang Jinniang stayed close to her younger siblings. Before coming, Yang Jinniang had entrusted the Third Madam to remind her to be careful so as not to be impolite in front of others.
The women chatted and laughed as they strolled through the garden, introducing themselves and exchanging pleasantries. Shuyi, with her dignified appearance and bearing, attracted many compliments from the women.
Shuyi was fourteen years old this year. The Third Madam had recently been looking for a marriage for her daughter, and her visit to the garden today was, in fact, also for this purpose.
The third wife chatted amiably with several other women, exchanging pleasantries about each other’s families. When the conversation turned to Shuyi’s father and her brother Wang Jie, the third wife called her son forward to greet the ladies.
Eleven-year-old Wang Jie was very well-mannered and refined, completely unlike the mischievous children of his age. He thus received many praises, with many predicting a bright future for him. One woman, envious, grasped the Third Madam’s hand: “…I don’t know how you raised such fine children! It’s enough to make anyone jealous!”
The Third Madam smiled and playfully scolded the woman: “Sister-in-law, you always flatter me, but I’m just a woman, how would I know these things? Even if the children are somewhat presentable, it’s only because their father and grandparents have put in the effort!”
More and more women gathered around the Third Madam. Yang Jinniang repeatedly tried to interject, but her voice was always drowned out. She felt increasingly awkward, and seeing her sister-in-law’s outstanding children, a bittersweet feeling of envy welled up within her.
Hearing her daughter call “Mother” from behind, Yang Jinniang hurried over, taking the opportunity to kneel down and straighten her daughter’s clothes, trying to ease her unease. Yet, she couldn’t help but tear up.
Zhenyi noticed: “Mother, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just some dust…” Yang Jinniang forced a smile.
“I’ll blow on it for you, Mother!”
Zhenyi blew on it a few times, and Yang Jinniang felt a mixture of warmth and bitterness, mostly self-reproach for her weakness.
“Mother, have some fried cake!” Zhenyi held a half-eaten fried cake to her mother’s lips.
Yang Jinniang gently pushed it away, sighing softly, “Eating in public isn’t very elegant.”
As she spoke, she took a handkerchief and wiped the crumbs from Zhenyi’s mouth.
Zhenyi sensed her mother’s emotions, and her small hand holding the fried cake fell limp.
So the orange began to nibble on it without hesitation—it had raised Zhenyi very well, and she had never been possessive of her food since she was little, which pleased the orange greatly.
Just then, Wang Yuan, not far away, called to Wang Jie and Zhenyi to solve riddles.
The riddles were all set by Yuan Mei, primarily for fun. Although Wang Jie was well-read, he wasn’t very good at solving riddles, and after thinking for a long time, he couldn’t answer a single one. This made Wang Yuan extremely anxious. He wanted the prize money from the riddles, but lacking the skill himself, he had considered asking his younger brother for help.
Seeing that the prize he wanted was won by the young master of the Jinling prefect’s family, his arch-rival, Wang Yuan, was so angry his nose almost twisted.
Just then, the girl beside him spoke thoughtfully, “The compass needle, and what year it indicates… it must be the Northern and Southern Dynasties.”
Wang Yuan was startled, looked at his second sister, and quickly said to the riddle master, “The Northern and Southern Dynasties!”
The riddle master smiled and bowed, “Young Master Wang has guessed correctly!”
Wang Yuan quickly pushed Zhenyi in front of him, “It was my second sister who guessed it!”
The riddle master had someone bring the prize money, and then revealed the next riddle: “There’s a worm at the foot of the mountain, it looks like a dragon but isn’t a dragon, guess a legendary figure—”
Zhenyi, pushed in front by her elder brother, immediately raised her hand high: “Chi You!”
“Meeting on the riverbank, the one who sits sits, lies down sits, stands sits, walks sits; the one who lies down lies down, sits lie down, stands lie down, walks lie down—”
Zhenyi raised her hand again: “It’s a frog and a snake!”
A gasp of understanding and cheers rang out from all around.
Wang Yuan was utterly astonished. His arms quickly filled with various prizes, and he felt that with his little sister in his grasp, the world was his; tonight, he could roam freely!
A growing crowd gathered, all praising her endlessly.
The prefect’s son, barely managing to recover from his jaw-dropping astonishment, watched Wang Yuan steal the spotlight from the little girl and muttered, “It’s unbelievable! Where did Wang Yuan get such a clever and beautiful sister… A sister like that should belong to my family!”
Yuan Mei, also drawn by the cheers, praised Zhenyi profusely in front of Wang Zhefu, commending her natural, unadorned beauty and insightful understanding, and discussing taking her as a disciple when she grew older.
The overwhelming praise left Wang Xichen feeling as if he were in a dream, and he repeatedly waved his hands with a smile.
The women began to inquire whose youngest daughter that was.
The Third Madam smiled and pushed Yang Jinniang forward. Yang Jinniang responded to the praises with a shy smile, her heart filled with mixed joy and worry, and a somewhat indescribable fluster.
“So she’s from the Wang family! No wonder she’s so exceptionally beautiful!” A middle-aged man in a dark blue robe exclaimed, bowing repeatedly to Wang Zhefu. “I just arrived in Jinling today and planned to visit the Wang family tomorrow. Before I left, my father repeatedly instructed me to convey his regards…”
Wang Zhefu smiled and gently helped the man up, his gaze falling on the boy beside him.
The man hurriedly said, “This is my son, Zhan Mei!—Quickly, come with me to pay respects to the Prince!”
The boy, who looked barely ten years old, bowed respectfully, speaking clearly and fluently: “This humble one, Zhan Mei, greets the Prince.”