Chang’an Small Restaurant Chapter 98 (Part 2)
Translated by Pure
Chapter 98.2 Spending Lantern Festival Together
As the Lantern Festival approached, Lin Yan's longing to welcome Shen Shaoguang into his life grew even more pronounced. The festival, a night of vibrant lights, music, and bustling crowds of men and women, was drawing near, though the weather seemed reluctant to cooperate. The sky was heavy with clouds, and the wind carried a biting chill.
Lin Yan had no official duties that day, and he had long promised Shen Shaoguang that he would accompany her to appreciate the lanterns. Though he personally found little appeal in the spectacle, he knew well that misses delighted in such festivities, and given A'Ji’s lively and playful nature, he couldn’t bring himself to dampen her enthusiasm.
When he arrived at the Shen Residence, she was already prepared. The two set out together, stepping into the wind.
The lanterns swaying at the entrance cast a soft, flickering glow. Lin Yan gently adjusted her veil hat, tightening the collar of her cloak to shield her from the cold. Then, he took her hand and tucked it inside the warmth of the sleeve of his own overcoat.
"Let’s go," he said softly.
The wind howled through the streets, making the lantern stands creak and sway, while the lights themselves bobbed unsteadily. Some of the paper lanterns were even torn by the gusts. Though the onlookers were bundled in thick layers, they still hunched their shoulders and furrowed their brows—this year's Lantern Festival was quite peculiar.
Shen Shaoguang burst into laughter, and Lin Yan, catching sight of her amusement, couldn't help but chuckle as well.
"Sir Yan," she teased, "let's discuss this over. Can’t we just head home and light some lanterns there? Why must we come out and suffer like this?"
Lin Yan gently touched her cold nose and cheeks.
"Stop touching, is my nose running right now?" Shen Shaoguang frowned.
Lin Yan laughed and unfastened his overcoat, wrapping Shen Shaoguang snugly within it as he gently guided her back inside.
Not far behind, Liu Chang and Zhou Kui couldn't help but think their master seemed quite fond of this weather.
Once indoors, Shen Shaoguang slipped off her shoes and settled onto a reclining chair, covering her legs with a sheepskin blanket. A'Qing, her maid, handed her a hand warmer and brought a steaming cup of tea. Most of the maids and servants had also gone out to enjoy the lanterns, leaving only a few to watch over the house.
Lin Yan took a seat opposite her, sipping his own tea.
Shen Shaoguang, ever playful, lifted the edge of the sheepskin blanket and said with a grin, "Earlier, you shared half your overcoat with me. Now, I can share half the blanket with you..."
Lin Yan cleared his throat, but ultimately refrained from accepting her offer.
Shen Shaoguang, undeterred, grew even more spirited. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she murmured, "It’s not as if we are ‘sharing the same clothes’..."
The ‘the same clothes’ also included intimate clothing. Lin Yan found himself at a loss for words. Just as he was about to adopt a stern demeanor, Shen Shaoguang's eyes twinkled with amusement.
"A’Yan, how about we play a game of dice?" Shen Shaoguang suggested, picking up the dice the maids had previously used, her smile broadening.
Lin Yan saw no harm and naturally agreed.
The game was simple: they would compare the sum of their dice rolls. The first to win two out of three rounds would be declared the victor. The loser would have to perform a task—recite a poem, sing a song, or tell a joke.
Shen Shaoguang was adept at playing card games but her dice-rolling skills were rather lackluster. Lin Yan, too, wasn’t particularly skilled in the game; their outcomes were purely a matter of chance.
However, Shen Shaoguang's luck was exceptionally poor that evening, resulting in a string of losses. After having recited five stories and sung a little tune, she rolled another "one" and decided to shamelessly protest. "No more! I’m done!"
Lin Yan couldn’t help but laugh.
Shen Shaoguang mused to herself that Deputy Magistrate Lin’s failure to find a spouse all these years had its reasons—it was thanks to her own magnanimity that allowed her to tolerate such a man.
At that moment, A’Qing brought in two bowls of tangyuan, providing a perfect distraction and respite for Shen Shaoguang.
In the small bowl, there were only a few tangyuan, but they varied in color and flavor. The yellow millet tangyuan was filled with sweet red bean paste, the glutinous rice tangyuan contained meat, the tangyuan with mung bean added to the skin had osmanthus brine filling, and the tangyuan with a perilla added to the skin was filled with black sesame paste.
On a winter night like this, savoring a bowl of fragrant tangyuan, followed by a few warm sips of its delicate broth, left a comforting warmth settling in the stomach.
Shen Shaoguang reclined casually in her chair, absentmindedly rolling dice in one hand. She glanced up at Lin Yan, who had just returned after washing his hands, and smiled. “Didn’t I owe you a round?”
Lin Yan returned her smile with a nod.
"To match the occasion, let’s have a lantern riddle," Shen Shaoguang announced, clearing her throat with an air of mock seriousness. "The question is: Two meat tangyuan getting married."
Lin Yan smiled, his brow knitting slightly in thought.
"Can’t figure it out?" Shen Shaoguang grinned mischievously, like a rogue about to reveal a secret, and beckoned him closer. "Come here, I’ll tell you."
Lin Yan stepped toward her, where she lounged comfortably in her chair.
Sitting up with a soft chuckle, Shen Shaoguang leaned in and whispered, "The answer is—two meatballs."
Lin Yan pressed his lips together as Shen Shaoguang laughed heartily and reclined back on the chair.
After a pause, Lin Yan leaned closer, his frame towering over her as his hand slipped around her slender waist, the other gently cradling the back of her head.
Seeing his face so near, Shen Shaoguang was momentarily caught off guard. She had only been teasing moments before, not expecting this sudden intimacy.
"Be good; close your eyes," Lin Yan murmured softly before sealing her lips with a tender kiss.
Shen Shaoguang obediently closed her eyes and wrapped her hands around his neck.
After what felt like a small eternity, Lin Yan finally drew back, breathing a little more heavily, his heart still racing. It took him a few more moments to steady his thoughts. Gazing at the bewitching woman in his arms, his mind wandered to the upcoming summer, a distant dream that suddenly felt too far away. Regret settled heavily in his heart as he mulled over the thought—had he entrusted external official, Shen Pu, with overseeing the Six Etiquettes, it would have sufficed. Luoyang was so much closer, and they could have chosen a propitious day in spring for the wedding...
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The author has something to say: The riddle about ‘two tangyuan marrying’ originally comes from an old joke about dumplings getting married—dumplings/meat tangyuans without their clothing (dough covering) are just meatballs.
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TN: Lmao, yes it’s a very subtle dirty joke. It took me a couple reads to get it. 🥟🥟->🧆->🟤🟤
Also, for those who would like to get a visual, this is what a veil hat(风帽) looks like:
