Chapter 330: Random Encounter with Huo Yuan (3)_1
Mu Zhongqing and his family squeezed their way in, lost in the multitude of colorful lanterns. They started to guess the lantern riddles.
The riddles at the Lantern Riddle Conference were mostly created by the magistrate’s military advisers, and some were from the students of Tianfeng Academy in Lin’an Prefecture. They were full of literary color, exquisite in words and profound in meaning. Of course, there were also some popular and down-to-earth riddles created by the merchants sponsoring the conference, but these were derided by the literati as ’vulgar’.
Therefore, no one paid attention to the lanterns presented by the merchants. Those literati who were prepared to participate in the riddle meeting gathered before the riddles set out by the magistrate, lost in thought, trying to solve the riddles from this top figure in Lin’an Prefecture and hoping to create a sensation!
Cai Wei thought that since it was a Lantern Riddle Conference, the winning riddle wouldn’t be determined by who solved a single riddle. It would depend on the quantity and quality of riddles solved.
So, she took an unconventional approach and started guessing the riddles displayed on the ignored merchant lanterns.
The first riddle she guessed was written on a rabbit lantern. The riddle was: Drawn round, written square, warm with it, cool without it (one character answer)
Cai Wei laughed, this question was practically a giveaway. It seemed that her decision to guess the merchant’s lantern riddles first was the right one. She asked for paper and pen, effortlessly wrote down the answer, and had the little boy standing under the lantern to send in the answer.
Soon after, the little boy happily walked out holding a brocade box, handed it to Cai Wei, also took down the rabbit lantern and handed it over, laughing and saying, "Congratulations, Miss, for correctly guessing our ’Lip Rouge Shop’s’ lantern riddle. As per the rules, this rabbit lantern is now yours, and this box of rouge for face is a token of our shop’s appreciation. Please accept it."
Cai Wei took the rabbit lantern and handed it to Wu’er, then gave the delicate box of rouge to Fei’er, laughing and saying, "Next time, I’ll win some more prizes for mother and Wen’er!"