CHAPTER 668: CHAPTER 667: LANTERN FESTIVAL NIGHT

The Lantern Festival at night, and Huayang County was still as bright as day, for the entire city had lit up lamps. Every merchant and rich family had set up lantern sheds, hanging various shapes of flower lanterns, thus illuminating the whole county town like Bright Pearl.

At Suishan Restaurant, the lamps were also lit. After dinner, Wufu sat in the private room on the Beauty’s rest, looking out. There were already quite a few people moving about in the streets, some riding alone on horses, some with families in tow, children perched on their fathers’ necks, or in groups of twos and threes, all wearing smiles on their faces.

She also saw men and women walking together, secretly and discreetly with their sleeves touching. No one could see the movements under the sleeves, just the ambiguous smiles and genuine emotions exchanged between men and women.

Wufu smiled too, and looking into the distance, she saw that the river had also been lit with lanterns. Some people had even released river lanterns upstream early on, each floating downstream with the current, the lights flickering. There were also vendors not missing the chance to do business, crying out, selling well-crafted small flower lanterns and assorted snacks and treats.

Suddenly, a song drifted over on the breeze, and Wufu looked out to see a Marble Boat slowly approaching. On the deck, a gorgeously dressed woman with exceptional beauty was cradling a pipa, gently plucking and singing softly.

The pipa partly obscured one side of her face, truly exemplifying the saying "as if still holding the pipa, half-hidden face." Though the snow had not melted, she wore diaphanous clothing, a vibrant rouge colored silk dress, with a moon-white cloak. When the wind blew, the cloak and the hem of the dress billowed, red and white intermingling, like a Misty Fairy who might at any moment rise and soar into the sky.

"What a beauty!" Wufu’s eyes shone as she propped up her chin, clicking her tongue in admiration.

Madam Zhou also saw her, and scolded: "Look at you, what kind of behavior is this?" Just like a profligate.

"This love of beauty is universal, Mother. Don’t you think she’s beautiful?" Wufu laughed.

Madam Zhou took another look and said, "Beautiful indeed, yet she seems rather frivolous." She had noticed the allure on the woman’s face.

Purple Jade then chuckled, "Miss, Madam, if this servant hasn’t guessed wrong, this should be the Misty Fairy from Baili Palace, the Oiran."

Madam Zhou’s pupils contracted. The Oiran? Wasn’t that one of those disreputable ladies?

"The Oiran, huh? No wonder. The Misty Fairy, mmm, does have a bit of a fairy’s aura. This woman isn’t afraid of the cold at all for the sake of beauty!" Wufu actually quite appreciated her.

Madam Zhou then said, "Wufu, stop looking. They’re all indecent women."

Wufu replied, "Mother, regardless of her background, just appreciating beauty and elegance isn’t without merit."

Madam Zhou shook her head, not wanting to argue with her. The ideas in this girl’s head were some different from those of ordinary people.

Wufu also knew that her mother, who was taught traditional Female Precepts, would never accept such a woman. So she said, "Mother, why don’t you go for a walk? Look at the lanterns, see if you can win a couple to bring back?"

"Let’s go together!" Madam Zhou smiled delightedly.

Wufu hesitated, remembering Ah Jiu’s invitation, and then said, "Mother, I still have things to do here. You go ahead and enjoy. If you get tired, just head home directly, no need to wait for me. If I finish up here, I’ll go for a walk, and if I happen to meet you, we can stroll together, how about that?"

Madam Zhou felt a bit disappointed upon hearing this but knew that once her daughter had made up her mind, she wouldn’t change it and reluctantly agreed.

In view of the crowds during the Lantern Festival, Wufu had someone follow closely behind Madam Zhou and appointed Jadeite as the Flower Guardian, to prevent any mishaps on the way as it would be no good without someone reliable by her side.

Madam Zhou thought she was making a fuss over nothing, but the accidents that happened that Lantern Festival night made her grateful that Wufu had been thoroughly cautious. Afterwards, Wufu secretly hired a martially adept girl to stay by her side, which is a story for another time.