Chapter 591: Chapter 206 Lanye Fights Qiao_2
The woman’s voice came from the stage.
"The fastest, worthy of the title ’Hou of Deftness’! Incredible!"
After she spoke, the gong was struck, and everyone began threading needles.
Pei Yunshu was somewhat uneasy just now, but seeing several girls sitting down to thread needles by the moonlight, she also picked up the silk thread and started to carefully thread it. Once she immersed herself in the task, she forgot the awkwardness, and the surrounding cheers and shouts filled the air, adding to the festivity.
Lu Tong watched intently.
Changwu County was small, and the Qixi Festival was not as lively as Shengjing. She hadn’t even seen it in Su Nan; it was her first time witnessing "Boqiao."
Duan Xiaoyan’s loud cheers echoed in her ear, only to be interrupted by Xiao Zhufeng’s frown: "Be quiet, don’t make noise."
The girls on the stage were all bowing their heads, threading needles with focus and dedication. The colorful lantern lights from Qiqiao Tower fell on them, making them appear exceptionally ethereal.
Pei Yunshu threaded the needle earnestly.
Before her marriage, she had not done much needlework. After moving to Prince Wen’s Mansion, she had even less to do with managing the household, let alone picking up a needle and thread. However, after Treasure Bead was born, she would sometimes make small clothes for her, but when it came to needlework, she really couldn’t be considered skilled.
But today, perhaps it was the lively atmosphere or maybe because she was surrounded by such young, enthusiastic girls full of hope, she too felt a sense of long-lost joy. It was as if she had returned to before her marriage, forgetting her status and worries on her birthday, and fully indulging in merrymaking.
"Dong——"
The gong sounded, signifying the end of the time.
Pei Yunshu was the last one to finish threading the seven-eyed needle.
She was a bit ashamed: "I am too slow..."
Compared to these dexterous girls, she certainly wasn’t as nimble, even a bit clumsy—after all, she’d had too little practice with needlework.
The woman comforted her: "Losing once in needlework doesn’t mean much, there’s more to come." As she said that, her gaze fell on Lu Tong standing beside Pei Yunshu, "This lady looks so graceful, why not give it a try?"
"Me?" Lu Tong was taken aback.
Pei Yunshu looked at her: "Yes, the idea was to accompany you young people, yet I ended up participating. Miss Lu, why not give it a try."
Duan Xiaoyan immediately chimed in: "Exactly! Doctor Lu will definitely win first place."
Lu Tong declined: "I am not skilled with needlework."
"How could that be?" Duan Xiaoyan said, "Sister Pei has little experience with needle and thread, but Doctor Lu deals with needles every day. People sew fabric, Doctor Lu sews wounds. Healing wounds is a much more demanding task than sewing cloth."
"Doctor Lu must sew wounds beautifully, unlike Yun Ying’s scar on his back. I wonder which incompetent doctor did it; their skills are so poor, even I could do better, right, Yun Ying?"
Lu Tong: "..."
She glanced at Pei Yunying involuntarily.
Pei Yunying looked at her with a smile that was not quite a smile.
Thinking of the "masterpiece" she left on Pei Yunying’s back, Lu Tong felt somewhat guilty.
Pei Yunshu also encouraged her with a smile: "Just take it as fun, winning or losing isn’t important. As long as Miss Lu enjoys herself, that’s what matters."
Fangzi, seeing this, took out a copper coin and handed it over. The woman’s face lit up with joy, and she eagerly pulled Lu Tong forward, "This lady has the air of a delicate orchid, sure to win the favor of skillful luck!"
Lu Tong stood still and looked back at the wooden board in front of the stage.
"How does this competition work?" she asked.
The wooden board in question bore the words: "Spider Predicts Skill."
"That is ’Spider Predicts Skill’," explained the woman upon seeing her curiosity, "Early this morning, we caught little spiders and put them in boxes. Later, you can choose a box and open it together with everyone. The person whose spider has spun the most web will be ’Hou of Deftness’. The one with less web will be ’Less Skilled’."
She lowered her voice, "There are fewer people competing in this event; it’s all about luck. Would the lady like to place a bet?"
Lu Tong pondered.
This sounded quite similar to gambling.
If Yin Zheng were here, she might have dominated this competition. Yin Zheng was good at gambling; she had once left Wan Quan utterly defeated at Kuaihuo Tower.
But Lu Tong had no clue about gambling.
She said, "I choose this one."
She still chose the "Spider Predicts Skill" event.
The woman was slightly surprised but quickly smiled and said, "Alright, please come to the front of the stage."
On the other side, Duan Xiaoyan, seeing that she didn’t choose the seven-eyed needle threading, was puzzled.
"Doctor Lu actually chose the spider," he scratched his head: "I didn’t expect her to like gambling. Brother Zhufeng," the youth tapped Xiao Zhufeng on the arm, "do you think she will win?"
Xiao Zhufeng returned him three indifferent words.
"I don’t know."
Lu Tong followed the woman to the front of the stage.
Five or six young girls were already sitting there, whispering to each other. In front of the table was a large wooden basket, which contained dozens of palm-sized, pitch-black small wooden boxes.
The "spiders" were kept in these little boxes.
The girls hesitated, unsure of which box to pick from the basket.
Lu Tong, however, reached out and took one directly.