Chapter 99: The Biggest Flower
Rowing back to the main part of the town, Anji finally understood why the tour boats were painted a bright coat of red and lavishly decorated with many lanterns. At night, they were the stars of the show. Even the travellers on land would pause momentarily to admire the stunning lights sparkling on the river.
"After sundown, Silver Water Town transforms into a tourist attraction at night. Unlike other towns that promote gambling dens and pleasure houses, Silver Water Town promotes the night flower market and live cooking restaurants afloat in the waters," Zhou Fu explained.
Thanks to the Gentleman Club, all the shady sides of their business were hidden in the darker parts of this town in alleys that nobody thought to check. Hong Nian Niang’s glamourous business hogged the spotlight, giving Mingshen more freedom to operate his information-gathering illegal fight club in peace.
Like everyone else, Anji was drawn to the sparkly lights and lively music. The smell of food reminded her that they had not had dinner yet. Although she was curious to try dining on the river in a boat, her brother had suffered a panic attack earlier. Concerned for his mental state, she decided to end her river tour here.
Thanks to Zhou Fu’s excellent service, Mingshen gave him extra silvers before he alighted from the boat. The moment his feet touched land, he felt surer of himself. Anji noticed the change in confidence almost immediately. It was not her job to pry into what her older brother was suffering from if he did not want to share it with her. As his little sister, Anji continued to be supportive and proposed that they look around the night market a little more before returning to the inn for dinner.
Sending Gu Ying ahead of them to inform the hotel steward to prepare their bath and dinner, Mingshen escorted his little sister to look at the bustling fare. Although Anji had been to the town at the base of the Celestial Dragon Mountain, this market was much bigger, and some merchants carried wares from distant lands that Anji had never seen before.
"Brother, what is that?" Anji tugged at his sleeve and pointed at a fluffy cloud on a stick.
Mingshen grinned. Most parents would disapprove of this sweet treat. However, neither of their parents were here. He sent Gu Ying away earlier, knowing that the strict bodyguard would disapprove of Anji’s curiosity.
"It’s a cotton candy," Mingshen explained. "They put sugar into a spinning machine that heats the sugar into liquid. Then, the threads are shaped into a cloud."