Red Strings Chapter 1

I.

Shengyuan* night— numerous bright lights hung around the capital's streets, both men and women no matter what age along with their entire families went outside to view the lights, the city's bustling with activities (idiom). Occasionally someone would lit fireworks in the open air, “bang", the vast blooming flames would burst forth brilliant rays of light, drawing the crowd's endless laughter.

* Shengyuan festival or known as the Lantern Festival; celebrating the fifteenth day of the first month according to lunar calendar.

This year the winter is particularly long, the snow began to fall frequently and more so mid-autumn, but two months earlier than usual. Although experiencing the bitter coldness, Shengyuan Festival is still the busiest holiday of the year. Rarely the weather would be sunny and cloudless like this, the bright moon hung in the sky, soaring through the frozen river, and both sides of the river are like an acc.u.mulation of star bundles.

Youthful men and women do not fear the coldness, wearing bright clothing, and walking on the streets, be it viewing lanterns or people, laughter all around, like lanterns that decorate the night.

“Do you see that man?” On the stone bridge a voice rang, “Who wears a blue robe.”

“En,I see it.”

“And that purple robe woman carrying a lamp.”

“En, I also see that.”

“I will go, you can stand here and observe."

A soft breeze blows across the river, yet almost no one noticed; only the willow branches of the bridge edge gently sway.

A Chan open her eyes wide, under the moonlight, a soft white face full of curiosity.

Immortal child (xian tong) Qing Ming mumbled, soon some thin red strings from hand toss upward. The red strings s.h.i.+mmer within the darkness, the light is as soft as smoke, they began to move and fall toward the surging crowd. A Chan saw the red strings entangled around the hands of the blue robe man and purple robe woman, after a moment the red strings immediately disappeared.

“Zhou Kui, Chen Er niang.” Qing Ming muttered, looking down at the You Ming book, uses a vermillion ink brush to dot a bit (down).

A Chan: “&h.e.l.lip;” She looked at the man and woman staggering away in the crowd, it did not take long for two person to be not seen.

In the past the mortal realm legend of Yue Lao's red strings that determine love fate and marriage she had heard countless times, but to be witnessing it brings about a wonderful and fresh feeling. Becoming a new immortal child/helper of Yue Lao, A Chan looked at the senior's demonstration, feeling anxious and eager to try (idiom).

“Well then, the next pair is your turn.” Qing Ming continue to glance at the book, finished speaking, he rode on the cloud, did not go far, suddenly found A Chan could not catch up.

“Rest a.s.sured, you are immortal, and mortals cannot see you.” Qing Ming on top of the clouds shouted to A Chan.

A Chan was relieved, jump on, rides the cloud to follow after.

Qing Ming: “&h.e.l.lip;”

“Why do you ride the cloud using a rabbit hop?” He asked.

A Chan blushed, embarra.s.singly scratched her head: “I'm used to it&h.e.l.lip;"

Qing Ming did not speak any further nonsense, sighed, and gave the You Ming book to her: “Find person.”

A Chan nodded and read the names on the You Ming's register, her eyes closed.

The bustling building noises between heaven and earth bounds disappeared, remaining countless flickering stars. She felt them, not long after, she opened her eyes, and flew to a corner of a street. There are two neighboring children; this time they are watching the lanterns together. A Chan spoke the chants, threw the red strings, and tied around the two children’s hands.

Qing Ming looked at A Chan, his face surprised.

“Before you did not use Ling Jiao spell?” He asked.

A Chan shook her head: “I do not know how.”

“How did you find them?”

A Chan said: “I closed my eyes and saw them.”

“Close your eyes? The rabbit lineage magic?” Qing Ming looks suspicious.

“This &h.e.l.lip;is probably so” A Chan scratched her head.

“Forget it.” Qing Ming decided not to ask any further, look up at the sky and said, “You’re pretty clever, the time is not early, I have to rush to Luo Yang, matters at the capital I will let you handle them."

“Me?” A Chan was surprised.

“Yes ah, you.” Qing Ming said, handed A Chan the You Ming book and vermillion (ink) brush, “Tonight there are many people thus easier to find, a little bit hards.h.i.+p is not bad. After the Shengyuan festival, everyone will be at home, I have to look at each house one at a time, so troublesome. ”

Understanding, A Chan nodded.

Qing Ming rides the clouds away, leaving A Chan standing there.

“Bang”, in the city someone lit the fireworks. The city buildings erected and lighted up many colors, decorated with lights, the courtesans perform dances upstairs along with acts of comedy slideshow, attracting people to watch along with bursts of applause.

A Chan joins the fun, forgetting and abandoning riding the clouds, followed the crowd everywhere.

“Selling lanterns! Selling lanterns! The rabbit lamp was newly made with a red string attached to its leg, Yue Lao protects love fate/marriage!” said a peddler, rubbing his red hands due to coldness while greeting pedestrians as they walk across, “Hey little lady! A rabbit lantern that protects love fate/marriage! This gentleman, buy a rabbit lantern to gift to your wife &h.e.l.lip; what? Not buying rabbit lantern? There is still sheep lantern, cattle lantern, and horse lanterns; all carrying red strings gentleman &h.e.l.lip; ”

That loud voice despite being far away can still be heard clearly, several women giggled.

“Lantern can also protect marriage? This peddler is talking nonsense!”

“Yes, it's a rabbit lantern, is the rabbit not Chang'E's *?”

*lady/G.o.ddess in the moon; read more here

&h.e.l.lip;

So what if it's a rabbit, Yue Lao's palace also has rabbits lah!

A Chan listening to the ladies talk, not quite convinced.

At the corner there is a peddler selling tangyuan, on the charcoal stove there is a large pot that is fuming with white steams. A Chan smell the sweet taste, is considering where she can find bits of rocks to turn into coins to buy some, yet she suddenly remembered that she is now an immortal, exorting money under false pretenses is a breach of heaven laws.

A Chan swallows her saliva, reluctantly force herself to walk away.

She looks at You Ming book, not long red strings (fates) appear. The names on the register got fewer and fewer, A Chan thinks this work can be considered as running smoothly*, could not help but feel blissful.

*What the heart wishes, the hand accomplished, skilled at the job (idiom)

Pa.s.sing a house, she suddenly heard someone sigh. Looking up she saw a young girl standing at the window of a small house, blowing into her two hands, rubbing them, clasping hands together to pray to the moon: “&h.e.l.lip; Daughter* is Li Yao, only hope to have the other half, this life will not be regretful then &h.e.l.lip; ”

* Humble way of addressing oneself; in this case she is addressing the moon G.o.d/deity

Li Yao? A Chan flipped through the You Ming book, her name is not on here.

Yue Lao has never arrange for a lover for her &h.e.l.lip; A Chan sympathetic thought, was about to walk away, but an enticing aroma following the wind that carry over to her nose, she stopped.

A Chan followed the aroma, the windowsill next to the girl has a bowl.

It was of course a bowl of tangyuan, A Chan smelling the aroma concluded: in the bowl there are a lot of radishes/carrots.

A bowl of cut radish/carrot tangyuan &h.e.l.lip; A Chan was extremely sad.

Across the river is capital palace; this place is more lively compare to other places. The emperor came in person, leading officials and army soldiers to watch the lanterns, enjoying (it) together with the public.

The palace's gates are magnificent; under the palace are a plethora of tall tower floor levels decorated with vibrant, brilliant flower lanterns.

In the palace's chamber fireworks are constantly lit filling up the sky, each time it was lit would cause the crowd to clamor Icicles falling down from the eaves, the golden water of the river seems to froze, and l.u.s.trous flashes shone within the darkness.

Finally a couple with names in the You Ming book is viewing the lanterns, A Chan does not need to exert effort to find them, tied them a red string.

“Behold, there's Duke Guang Ling!” A Chan was just pa.s.sing by the crowd, a few women talk excitedly, and kept on looking toward the tower.

“Where?”

“Over there, see it? Wearing a red brocade robe.”

“Ya&h.e.l.lip;"

She also looks there.

Within a blink of an eye, a roar pounced the sky, fireworks exploded within the moment, illuminating (the sky) as bright as day.

The crowd “ah” with a burst of sighs/gasps in admiration.

A Chan saw the young man’s appearance was outlined by the gorgeous luminescence of the sky, the radiance contours his face, handsome and elegant. He wears an elegant fur coat and sat among the female n.o.bles, causing people who glance at him to feel touched; he slightly t.i.tled his head, seems to be gazing at the fireworks, yet was a bit listless and aloof.

A Chan was stupefied.

“This is Duke Guang Ling&h.e.l.lip;” someone exclaimed, “If only he will glance over here even once would be nice.”

A Chan’s mind suddenly moves.

Her hands flipped the You Ming book, search for the name from the royal lineage, but for a long time did not find the name of Duke Guang Ling in there.

Is also a lonely person ah &h.e.l.lip; A Chan brightened.

Upstairs of the small house, Li Yao's windows were blown open slightly. She only nap for a bit on the couch, when she woke up she was surprised to find the bowl of tangyuan had disappeared without a trace.

Besides the bowl that had not a single drop of soup left was a piece of paper.

On the paper was crooked handwriting that wrote: “Li Yao, had made your wish come true, your man has been chosen. Using a bowl of tangyuan as repayment." Inscribed at the end is something that looks like a paw print.