ryethenovel Chapter 30 Long-lived Hanfu Fairy
Chapter 30 Long-lived Hanfu Fairy
This is a wooden shelf covered with countless wishing plaques.
The wooden signs are square, tied with red rope, with words written on the front and drawings on the back; some even have hearts drawn on them. The branches of several old locust trees nearby are also covered with them, the red ropes swaying slightly in the wind.
There was a small stall nearby where an auntie sat with blank wooden signs and markers in front of her. They cost twenty yuan each; once you finished writing on them, you could find a place to hang them up yourself.
Someone was writing, the pen nib scratching against the wooden sign. A couple squatted in front of the stall, heads together discussing what to write. The girl said to write "forever together," but the boy said it was too cliché, so the girl punched his shoulder.
Lin Ran glanced at it and asked Su Peixue, "Would you like to make a wish?"
Su Peixue shook her head. She shook it decisively, her ponytail swaying slightly.
She looked at the wall covered with wishing plaques and thought to herself—my wish is to get rich. But making a wish costs twenty yuan. Twenty yuan less means being a step later in getting rich—that's a paradox. So I can't make a wish.
As she thought of this, the corner of her mouth twitched, the kind of expression that made her laugh at herself.
What's your other wish?
Another wish was to be pampered by Lin Ran like a daughter. Not in a real sense, but in a way—I can't quite put my finger on it—I just wanted him to take care of me, to hold my hand wherever we went, to comfort me when I was angry, to hug me when I was sad, and to discipline me severely when I misbehaved. That's roughly the feeling.
But what's the point of making this wish on the wishing wall?
She turned her head and glanced at Lin Ran's profile. The lantern light shone on his face, outlining a warm-colored edge along his jawline.
If anyone should be granted permission, it should be granted to him.
Su Peixue looked away and drew a circle on the ground with her toes.
Lin Ran had no idea what she was thinking. He walked up to the stall, picked up a wooden sign, and uncapped a marker.
Su Peixue stood at the back and didn't go over to look. But from where she stood, she could just see his hand writing at an angle.
Lin Ran wrote slowly, each stroke deliberate. After finishing, he put the pen cap back on, took the wooden sign, and walked towards the locust trees.
Su Peixue waited until he turned around before secretly glancing at the spot where he had hung the wooden sign.
I hope all those who love me are safe and sound.
The characters were neat, not particularly beautiful, but each stroke was very clear. The ink wasn't completely dry, and it shimmered slightly under the lantern light.
Lin Ran used to disbelieve in these things. He could pass by a wishing wall a hundred times and never stop to look at it. But now that he'd been reborn, he'd started to believe in superstition a little. Not for himself, but for the people around him.
He tied the red string to the branch, wrapped it around twice, and made a knot. A gust of wind blew, and the wooden sign turned slightly.
Su Peixue looked away and down at the tips of her shoes.
Then I'll definitely live to be a hundred.
What she was thinking.
The corners of her mouth turned up again.
Walking forward from the wishing wall, there's a Hanfu rental shop on the street corner. The storefront isn't large, and there are two mannequins in the window, one dressed in Ming dynasty style and the other in Tang dynasty style. Under the lights, the embroidery on the skirts shimmers.
Lin Ran stopped.
Su Peixue followed his gaze, then looked back at him.
"Let's go in and take a look," Lin Ran said.
Su Peixue followed him inside.
The walls of the shop were covered with Hanfu (traditional Han clothing), in various styles and colors, from Qixiong Ruqun (a type of Hanfu dress) to Beizi (a type of Hanfu jacket) to Mamianqun (a type of Hanfu dress), densely packed together. The shop owner was a woman in her thirties, with her hair up, wearing a cross-collar long jacket. She greeted people as they entered.
"Two of you want to rent Hanfu? We have both men's and women's styles."
Lin Ran pointed at Su Peixue: "Pick one for her."
The shop owner sized Su Peixue up and down, her eyes lighting up—the kind of sparkle a stylist has for a promising talent. She turned and took an outfit from the shelf.
It is based on the Song Dynasty system.
She wore a light blue long jacket made of sheer gauze, so light it was almost weightless. The collar and cuffs were embroidered with silver scrolling floral patterns, the stitches fine and dense. Underneath, she wore a white tube top and a matching pleated skirt, the hem of which was wide and rippled like water as she moved. A silver sash with long tassels was tied at her waist.
"The young lady has a cool and aloof temperament, and she looks best in Song Dynasty style clothing," the shop owner said. "The color of this jacket complements her skin tone, and it has a faint bluish sheen under the lights, making it particularly photogenic."
Su Peixue glanced at Lin Ran.
"Go change," Lin Ran said.
Su Peixue carried the clothes into the fitting room.
The shop owner was chatting with Lin Ran outside, saying that this set was newly arrived and hadn't been rented yet, and that the fabric was custom-made and couldn't be bought on the market. Lin Ran listened, nodding occasionally.
I understand the general idea.
It costs extra.
The curtain in the fitting room moved.
As Su Peixue came out, the background music in the shop had just changed. It was a pipa, tinkling and melodious.
She wore a light blue jacket; the sheer fabric, illuminated by the shop's spotlights, indeed shimmered with a faint blue light, like moonlight reflecting on water. Silver embroidery meandered down the neckline, blossoming into delicate flowers on her chest and cuffs. Her bodice was white, revealing a small patch of her collarbone, its curves accentuated by the light. The pleated skirt reached her ankles, its wide hem swaying with each step she took, like ripples on water.
Her hair was still in a ponytail, but the shopkeeper took a silver hairpin and quickly tied it into a simple bun, leaving a few strands of hair hanging down beside her ears.
She stood there, unsure of what to do with her hands, finally letting them hang down at her sides, her fingers gently pinching the hem of her skirt.
The lights shone from above and to the side at the same time, and the sheer veil made the person appear as if they were shrouded in a light blue mist.
Two girls who were also picking out Hanfu next to her turned around and saw her, and paused for a moment. One of them put down the clothes she was holding and walked over.
"Can I take a picture with you?" the girl asked, holding her phone, a little shyly. "You're so beautiful."
Su Peixue glanced at Lin Ran.
Lin Ran leaned against a row of clothes racks, hands in his pockets, and nodded.
"Okay," Su Peixue said.
As it turned out, she wasn't the only one wanting a photo. Several girls in Hanfu, from the shop, passersby, and those who were originally picking out jewelry next door, all came over to ask for pictures. Su Peixue stood in the middle, initially unsure of what to do with her hands, but they eventually hung down naturally. Someone handed her a round fan, made of silk, painted with a peach blossom. She took it and gently shook it.
Lin Ran stood to the side watching.
He saw Su Peixue surrounded by a group of girls, her light blue jacket standing out in the crowd. She tilted her head slightly, revealing the line from her ear to her chin, and a silver hairpin flashed in the light.
Someone asked her about the shade of her lipstick, and she shook her head, saying she didn't know. Someone asked her if she was a model, and she said no. Her voice was soft, mostly drowned out by the surrounding noise.
After everyone who had taken photos left, Su Peixue walked back to Lin Ran. Her skirt trailed in an arc on the ground.
Lin Ran looked at her for three seconds.
"Let's go, I'm hungry, let's go to the food street."