After Sheng Jun Chapter 36 (Part 2)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 36 Fireworks Wish (part 2)
Walking down the street, the hair on top of Jiang Xingzhi's head was standing on end again.
Zhong Ming bought a large assortment of snacks to apologize, which finally smoothed Jiang Xingzhi's ruffled fur.
Munching on snacks, after his anger subsided, Jiang Xingzhi began to wonder: What benefit did Bai Mu get from verbally teasing him?
When he finished his snacks, he dusted off his hands, planning to return. But turning his head, he noticed the street seemed more bustling than usual, with a stage even set up not far ahead.
"Is there some event?" Jiang Xingzhi asked.
Zhong Ming looked around but couldn't figure out what was happening, so he casually stopped a passerby to inquire. The passerby looked at them as if they were from another world, until Jiang Xingzhi explained, "We've been in seclusion on immortal mountains for a long time and are unfamiliar with worldly matters."
The passerby hurriedly said with reverence, "So you're immortal lords!"
He explained, "Today was the Qisui Day of the year, a day to pray during the autumn harvest for a bountiful yield. It was originally called ‘Qisui’ — praying for grain. Later, the character ‘穗’ (grain) was changed to ‘歲’ (year), broadening its meaning. Now, it was a prayer for favorable weather and smooth fortune throughout the entire year."
"I see." Jiang Xingzhi understood. So it was a major festival day, no wonder it was so lively.
After bidding farewell to the passerby, he said to Zhong Ming, "Then let's not go back today. Let's see what's fun about Qisui Day."
Zhong Ming couldn't ask for more. "Good."
So they headed toward the busiest part of the market where the festival atmosphere was strongest.
At the festival street, there were vendors selling small festival sugar figurines. Jiang Xingzhi asked someone to make one based on himself. Zhong Ming stood beside him, lowering his eyes to watch.
The vendor, seeing the two standing side by side, both exceptionally handsome with an immortal aura, offered a buy-one-get-one-free deal and added Zhong Ming's likeness next to Jiang Xingzhi's sugar figurine.
The two sugar figurines were lifelike, handed to Jiang Xingzhi. On a single bamboo stick, the golden wheat-colored sugar figurines were stuck together. Jiang Xingzhi looked at them. "How am I supposed to eat this?"
Just as he was looking, a hand grasped his wrist and pulled it closer. Zhong Ming lowered his head and took a bite from the half of the sugar figurine that was Jiang Xingzhi, right on the face. Crunch.
With sugar crumbs between his lips, he looked up at Jiang Xingzhi with a smile. "What's so difficult about eating it?"
Jiang Xingzhi's eyes widened. "You ate my sugar! You bit off my head!"
In retaliation, he opened his mouth and bit off the head of Zhong Ming's half of the sugar figurine. He looked defiantly at Zhong Ming while crunching loudly.
Zhong Ming couldn't help but laugh at the residue at the corner of his mouth.
The sugar melted in his mouth, and his tongue swept across the sugar strands between his teeth, the sweetness seeping straight into his heart.
So cute, his Deng Deng.
….
In the end, Jiang Xingzhi broke the sugar figurine into two halves. Since the half depicting himself had been bitten, he gave the whole thing to Zhong Ming, while he nibbled on the half depicting Zhong Ming all the way.
There were many festival mascots on the street, pendants shaped like wheat ears, and some lamps and candles for prayer.
Jiang Xingzhi bought quite a few and bent his head to sort them carefully.
Zhong Ming saw him separating the purchases into two piles and asked, "Why are you packing them separately?"
"This pile I'm planning to take back for Zhu Yan and the others to play with." As Jiang Xingzhi spoke, he packed the other pile into a storage bag. "These are gifts."
Qisui Day had disappeared a thousand years later, so he planned to bring some back for Xu Jian, to show him something rare and interesting.
Zhong Ming asked, "For whom?"
Jiang Xingzhi just looked at him. "What do you think?"
"For your Xu Jian, right?"
Cough! Jiang Xingzhi suddenly choked on his saliva. What... what "his" Xu Jian? Was Bai Mu always this shameless when speaking? Really... say more!
He pressed his lips together without denying it, saying solemnly, "You already know, yet you ask."
By now, the sky was gradually darkening, with everything turning grayish. Orange lanterns lit up here and there on the street, reflecting soft waves of light in Jiang Xingzhi's eyes.
Zhong Ming looked at him and deliberately said, "Can one person use so many? Why not give some to me?"
"Of course he can use them." Jiang Xingzhi stuffed the gifts deeper into his storage bag. Considering that it was a festival day and not wanting to spoil Bai Mu's mood, he took out the gifts for Zhu Yan and the others. "Protector Bai has also been hardworking and meritorious. How about this—I'll specially permit you to pick a few from the gifts this Sect Master is giving to all sect members."
Zhong Ming laughed and raised his hand to push them back. "Never mind then."
Jiang Xingzhi had already bought so much for him; why should he compete with Zhu Yan and the others?
As the sky grew darker, the festival atmosphere became more intense.
They hadn't noticed much while walking on the streets, but once they left the market area and reached the riverbank and plaza, they discovered the prayer activities had already begun.
High platforms with music, river boats with songs.
Lanterns adorned with wheat ears flowed downstream, scattered points of light floating along the entire river, glowing like a wave, as if the heavens reflected stars in the water.
Couples crossed bridges, children and elders prayed with candles. Under the city's largest prayer tree, vendors sold silver thread sparklers.
Common folk held sparklers, making wishes with closed eyes before the sparkler burned out. Jiang Xingzhi looked around to see brilliant silver light everywhere.
As he was watching, a sparkler was handed to him from the side.
Zhong Ming held out the sparkler and said, "Make a wish."
Jiang Xingzhi was amused. "You believe in this? The sparkler might not even have a lamp spirit."
The sparkler was pushed directly into his hand as Zhong Ming nudged him toward a less crowded area under the tree and followed. "Since we're here already."
"......" The way he put it made it hard to refuse.
The prayer tree backed onto the river. Jiang Xingzhi and Zhong Ming stood on the riverside, with floating lanterns visible in their peripheral vision.
Perhaps due to their extraordinary aura, the noisy voices around them quieted, and no one approached to disturb them.
Jiang Xingzhi raised the sparkler, and a flame suddenly appeared out of thin air to light it. The silver sparks crackled, illuminating Jiang Xingzhi's eyebrows and the light in his eyes.
Just as he was about to close his eyes and make a wish, he saw Zhong Ming watching him from across. Through the blooming sparkler, there was a brilliant light in the latter's eyes. Zhong Ming said softly, "Whatever wish you have, I'll help you fulfill it."
Jiang Xingzhi smiled. "How can you help?"
If he wished for Xu Jian to like him, how would Bai Mu help him realize it? He wasn't really Xu Jian's ancestor who could inscribe "like Jiang Xingzhi" into his soul consciousness to pass down through generations.
Zhong Ming said, "I just can. Hurry and make your wish."
Jiang Xingzhi assumed he was just joking to make him happy, so without further consideration, he closed his eyes before the sparkler burned out.
He silently wished in his heart:
If it could really come true, then his wish would be bold—he wanted Xu Jian to like him, to actively kiss him, hug him, accompany him in doing all the things he wanted to do.
Then become dao companions and do this and that every day!
He just wondered how someone as ascetic and proper as Xu Jian would behave toward his dao companion?