bayedsolid Chapter 14 Temple Fair
Chapter 14 Temple Fair
Xu Xiaoxiao was still skeptical after hearing her master's words. She tugged at Li Changchun's sleeve and said coquettishly, "Master, please do less fortune telling in the future. I don't want anything to happen to you."
Li Changchun smiled and patted her head: "Alright, alright, I'll listen to you. But meeting Huang Ziqi might be a turning point in his life, and also someone you were destined to meet."
Xu Xiaoxiao tilted her head, somewhat puzzled: "Master, what do you mean by that? Is there something special about my relationship with Ziqi?"
Li Changchun raised his head slightly, his gaze deep, as if he could see through the mists of time: "Everything in this world has its destiny. Your fate may have an unexpected impact on many things in the future, whether it is on yourselves or on the world around you. But where it will lead you is something you will have to experience and choose for yourselves step by step."
Xu Xiaoxiao nodded as if she understood, and secretly made up her mind that no matter what the future held, she would cherish her friendship with Huang Ziqi. In the days that followed, under Li Changchun's guidance, Xu Xiaoxiao studied martial arts and various kinds of knowledge even more diligently. She knew that only by becoming stronger could she go further in this unknown world.
The Spring Festival is fast approaching, and a grand temple fair is about to be held in Jicheng.
The temple fair in Jicheng was brightly lit and bustling with activity. The streets and alleys were filled with bright red lanterns, resembling a winding fire dragon.
Colorful flags fluttered in the wind, and various stalls offered a dazzling array of goods. Some sold steaming hot roasted chestnuts, their sweet aroma filling the air; others sold exquisite paper-cuts, each lifelike piece shimmering with artistic brilliance in the sunlight.
In the center of the square, acrobats performed a series of thrilling and exciting moves, drawing gasps and cheers from the surrounding audience.
Xu Xiaoxiao weaved through the bustling crowd, curiously looking around.
Suddenly, she heard a commotion. It turned out that a bully was harassing an old man who was performing for money. The bully kicked the old man's hard-earned coins all over the ground and hurled insults at him.
A sense of justice welled up in Xu Xiaoxiao's heart, and she stepped forward without hesitation to stand in front of the old man.
"Why are you so domineering? What kind of skill is it to bully an old man!"
Seeing that it was a little girl, the bully sneered disdainfully, "Little girl, don't meddle in other people's business, or I'll take care of you too."
Xu Xiaoxiao was not afraid at all and got into a fighting stance: "Then let's give it a try!" After saying that, she used the martial arts she had learned, and after a few rounds, the bully was beaten and fled in defeat.
The old man was moved to tears and took out a beautiful little object from his pocket to give to Xu Xiaoxiao: "Thank you for your help, young lady. This is a small wooden carving that I made myself, just to express my gratitude."
Xu Xiaoxiao couldn't refuse, so she had no choice but to accept it.
As she continued exploring the temple fair, she came across a place for solving lantern riddles. The various interesting riddles attracted her to stop and think, while the people around her were laughing and chatting, immersed in the joyful festive atmosphere.
Later, Xu Xiaoxiao overheard her neighbor discussing that today was the most accurate day for drawing lots at the Yellow Emperor Temple. Intrigued by the news that the Yellow Emperor Temple was a place where drawing lots was most effective, she followed the crowd toward the Yellow Emperor Temple.
The Yellow Emperor Temple is solemn and dignified. Its red walls and gray tiles exude an ancient atmosphere under the sunlight. Inside the temple, incense smoke curls up as devout men and women hold incense and candles and kneel down to pray for blessings.
As Xu Xiaoxiao entered the temple, she looked at the tall statue of the deity and felt a sense of awe.
Since my master's foot is still not fully functional, he couldn't come out to the temple fair. So I'll ask for a peace charm for my master and the fellow disciples I haven't met yet.
She arrived at the divination site and saw everyone shaking the divination tube with focused expressions. Then she carefully drew out a bamboo stick.
Xu Xiaoxiao imitated them, holding the bamboo stick container with both hands and shaking it gently. After a while, a bamboo stick slid out.
She picked up the bamboo skewer, which had some strange symbols engraved on it.
Just then, an old man in a Taoist robe walked over and said, "Young lady, give me the fortune stick, and I can interpret it for you."
Xu Xiaoxiao handed over the fortune stick. The old man examined it for a moment, frowned slightly, and then quickly relaxed: "This fortune stick is quite peculiar. It seems to indicate twists and turns, but it also hides a turning point. You will encounter a minor calamity recently, but you will also receive help from a benefactor. Moreover, you will have a breakthrough in your studies and skills. As long as you stay true to yourself, you will definitely be able to turn danger into safety and reap great rewards." After listening, Xu Xiaoxiao seemed to understand something and thanked the old man.
She then went to a Buddhist temple to get amulets for her master, her senior brother, and her first friend. She put them in small brocade pouches and donated money for incense.
After leaving the Yellow Emperor Temple, she continued to stroll around the temple fair and saw stalls selling masks. The masks were colorful and varied in shape.
Xu Xiaoxiao was attracted by a fox mask, bought it, put it on her face, and ran and played happily in the crowd, feeling the rich festive atmosphere. She temporarily put the matter of drawing a fortune stick out of her mind and enjoyed this rare moment of relaxation.
Wearing a fox mask, Xu Xiaoxiao weaved through the crowd and unknowingly arrived at the acrobatic performance area of the temple fair, where a large crowd had gathered, and cheers rose and fell.
Curious, she squeezed in and saw several performers demonstrating their fire-breathing skills. The flames, under the performers' control, moved like agile fire snakes, changing into various shapes, leaving the audience in awe.
Then, she was drawn to the puppet show next to her. The small puppets seemed to come alive under the artist's manipulation, performing ancient myths. Xu Xiaoxiao watched intently, sometimes cheering for the heroes in the story, and sometimes feeling sorry for the characters who encountered difficulties.
When she got tired of playing, she sat down at a tea stall and ordered a cup of steaming hot tea. At that moment, the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the temple fair, giving the whole scene a golden glow.
Xu Xiaoxiao sat there quietly, watching the crowds coming and going around her, feeling content.
She thought to herself that such a temple fair was full of fun and surprises. Although she had encountered some minor setbacks before, the tranquility and joy at this moment were enough to make her forget her troubles.
Just as Xu Xiaoxiao was immersed in the joyful atmosphere of the temple fair, she suddenly heard a commotion coming from not far away.
It turned out that a few thugs were harassing a young girl selling lanterns. They not only overturned the lantern stall, but also tried to steal the money bag that the girl had worked hard to earn.
How could such a lively temple fair have such poor security? Xu Xiaoxiao felt a surge of justice and immediately put down her teacup, walking quickly toward the scene of the incident.
She shouted, "You scoundrels! How dare you bully a little girl in broad daylight! This is outrageous!"
When the thugs saw that Xu Xiaoxiao was all alone and a little girl, they laughed disdainfully: "Little girl, mind your own business, or we'll beat you up too!"
Xu Xiaoxiao was not afraid at all. She got into a fighting stance and used the martial arts skills she had learned to deal with the thugs.
At first, the thugs, relying on their numbers, launched a fierce attack on Xu Xiaoxiao, but Xu Xiaoxiao was agile and skillfully dodged their punches and kicks, and seized the opportunity to fight back.
With a beautiful side kick, she knocked the leader of the thugs to the ground. Seeing this, the other thugs became even more enraged and swarmed forward.
Just as Xu Xiaoxiao was starting to struggle, the crowd around her was moved by her courage and stepped forward to help.
Some were carrying sticks, while others were shouting for the government officials to come quickly.
Seeing that things were not going well, the thugs tried to escape, but they were surrounded by the crowd and eventually subdued by the arriving soldiers.
Xu Xiaoxiao dusted herself off, walked up to the little girl selling lanterns, picked up the lantern from the ground and handed it to her, comforting her, "Don't be afraid, they've been subdued."
The little girl was moved to tears and picked out the most beautiful lantern from the stall to give to Xu Xiaoxiao: "Sister, thank you. If it weren't for you, I really wouldn't know what to do."
Xu Xiaoxiao couldn't refuse, so she accepted the lantern. Looking at the lantern in her hand, a warm feeling welled up in her heart, and the fatigue and tension from before dissipated.