Chapter 296: Chapter 120 Thousands of Doors and Windows Glowing in the Sun_4
He lingered so long that the keeper of the shop facing the street popped his head out to look, and upon seeing him, exclaimed with surprise, "Lord Pei is here!"
Pei Yunmeng came back to his senses as the old keeper of Zhenbao Pavilion greeted him with a smile, coming up from inside.
"Great fortune to Lord Pei!" the old keeper said enthusiastically, ushering Pei Yunmeng inside, "You’ve come to pick up the moth you ordered, haven’t you? It’s been ready for a while, and we’ve kept it just for you!"
At the end of the year and the beginning of the new one, the people of Shengjing "cut Golden Moths from black golden paper, decorated with red and pink, and wrapped them around needles with small copper wires, accompanied by cypress leaves" to play with, inserting them into their headwear, known as "stirring up the moths."
He had ordered a pair of Golden Moths from Zhenbao Pavilion, planning to give them to Treasure Bead today as a New Year’s gift, though Treasure Bead’s hair was probably still too short to wear it now.
The assistants at Zhenbao Pavilion bustled around, and it seemed the old keeper was waiting just for this final deal, quickly bringing out a sandalwood box from inside the shop and opening it up for Pei Yunmeng.
Lying atop the black silk padding in the box was a pair of glittering Golden Swallowtail Butterflies.
The butterflies’ wings were gently spread, their gossamer wings adorned with crystals of pink gems, so lifelike they seemed as if at any moment they might flutter out of the box to dance around the room and flirt with the flowers.
The old keeper looked at the young man expectantly, "How is it?"
"Very good."
Pei Yunmeng closed the box, "Thank you."
"No need to thank me, my lord. It’s only our duty. I had our best craftsman work on this—from drawing to finished product, it took several months, we dared not disappoint your trust."
The old keeper breathed a sigh of relief. Ordinary people came here to have jewelry like hairpins and Jade Pendants made, but Golden Moths could be bought at the lantern market, and those made of paper weren’t worth much money. It was the first time someone had ordered Golden Swallowtail Butterflies, though, and the fee was substantial, especially for such a distinguished client, which had naturally made him anxious.
Pei Yunmeng smiled, paid with a silver note, and went out the door carrying the sandalwood box.
As he stepped out, he was somewhat distracted, just as a group of laughing children around seven or eight years old ran past the doorway, accidentally bumping into him, falling over solidly.
Pei Yunmeng was about to bend down to help when the children, still giggling, got up from the ground, dusted the snow off their clothes, and ran off without looking back, holding their firecrackers and chanting as they went, "In the sound of firecrackers, one year is ushered out, the spring breeze brings warmth to the Tusuzui Wine, as the sun shines over thousands of households, we always replace the old talismans with new peach ones..."
Their clear childish voices echoed long in the deserted streets.
He shook his head good-naturedly, about to leave, when suddenly, something struck him, a fleeting thought speeding through his mind.
The secret letter from Changwu County stated that the third young lady of the Lu Family, Lu Min, was born on the morning of New Year’s Day seventeen years ago, and due to Mrs. Li having a difficult labor the night of New Year’s Eve and Lu Min being born weak and sickly, she was particularly doted on by the Lu Family.
New Year’s Day...
Qingfeng said, "Simply sharing the surname Lu doesn’t necessarily prove that the third young lady of the Lu Family, Lu Min, is Doctor Lu. After all, there has been no news of Lu Min from Changwu County over these years."
As the sun shines over thousands of households, we always replace the old talismans with new peach ones...
Tong.
The snow fell steadily, softly blanketing everything in silver white. These scattered snowflakes gradually covered the footprints that had chaotically crossed the street.
Without a trace.
Only a string of Red Lanterns hung lively and richly colored under the eaves, illuminating the snowy ground beneath.
Not far away was a shattered wine jar, perhaps belonging to a household that had been by to buy wine and had fallen in the slippery snowy road, breaking the jar apart, the fragrance of Tusuzui Wine faintly discernible.
In the midst of this rich scent of wine, the young man stood quietly, the snowflakes silently falling onto his rosewood-colored robe, secretly melting on his shoulders.
After a long while, Pei Yunmeng looked up.
"So, it’s this ’tong,’" he said calmly.
It wasn’t the ’tong’ of "what is the meaning of the grave with the double pupil," nor was it the ’tong’ of "the deep resentment owed to the double-pupiled."
It was ’tong’ of "as the sun shines over thousands of households."