After it got dark, Chen Changsheng took Ruyi and Ping An out.

The Temple Fair was in the east part of the city. Because there was a river there, worshiping the Dragon King had to be near water. Long ago, a Dragon King Temple was built there, bigger than other temples, almost like the City God Temple.

In recent years, the incense offerings never ran short.

Chen Changsheng couldn’t help thinking that the Old Dragon King’s temples were growing more numerous. Back then, they were popular only around the Tongtian River area, but now they were everywhere.

He guessed it wasn’t the Old Dragon King handling these things; he wouldn’t care as much. Probably, it was all Ying En doing it.

Speaking of it, he didn’t know if the Old Dragon King would come to the Temple Fair.

If he did come, Chen Changsheng could get Ping An and Ruyi some blessings.

Chen Changsheng held one in each hand as they reached the east part of the city.

When the big one and the two little ones saw the scene before them, they paused in surprise.

“So many people!”

“So lively!”

Ping An and Ruyi looked at the huge crowd under the bright lights and curiously studied everything.

This kind of excitement was something they had never seen before.

They had never seen so many people gathered together; it felt impossible to squeeze in.

Chen Changsheng couldn’t help thinking that the Qingshan City Temple Fair might be even livelier than what he once saw in Shangjing City.

“Uncle Chen, let’s go over there, there are little figures nearby!”

It should have been Chen Changsheng leading them, but at that moment, he was pulled into the Temple Fair by Ruyi.

“Clang, clang…”

A small cart stood at the roadside, covered with a cloth. Small figures moved on it, and with the sound of gongs and drums, the little figures on the screen started to fight.

People crowded all around, watching intently.

“Well done!”

With that shout, things got busy in front of the cart.

Right after, some reward coins were tossed over.

“Thank you, everyone, thank you.”

The copper coins clattered to the ground, making a loud sound.

“What is this?” Ruyi asked curiously.

Chen Changsheng said, “This is called shadow play. Is it nice?”

“Nice!” Ruyi and Ping An had never seen such a new thing before.

They stood and watched for a while.

It was a play about fighting a tiger.

“How was it done?” Ping An was curious.

Chen Changsheng explained to him.

After hearing, Ping An said, “Seems… not hard…”

But Chen Changsheng said, “It takes skill. Shadow play looks simple, but needs deep work. Otherwise, the puppet moves wouldn’t be so smooth, and it would look odd.”

“Uncle Chen, have you seen it before?”

“This is my first time too.”

“Then how come Uncle Chen knows so well?”

“By reading a lot.”

“Oh…”

After watching a while, Ping An and Ruyi got drawn to another spot.

Chen Changsheng said, “Don’t hurry off. We watched so long, can’t see it for free just like that.”

Ruyi and Ping An glanced at each other, clearly short on money.

Chen Changsheng said, “It’s for fun; not that you can’t watch without money. But if you have money, you should reward them; it’s showing respect.”

“Like…” Ping An understood and said, “Like the Storyteller?”

“Exactly.”

Chen Changsheng pulled out three copper coins from his pocket.

Then he tossed them in.

The worker in front of the cart right away put his hands together to thank him.

Chen Changsheng smiled warmly back, then took Ping An and Ruyi away.

Next, he was pulled to see the lantern riddles.

Ping An and Ruyi likely just ran to the prettiest places. For children like them, the brightest spot in the crowd was the best fun.

Lanterns hung with slips of paper on them, each with words.

Three copper coins to guess once. If correct, you won a prize.

The prizes were mostly small new things.

A row of lanterns hung above. When they arrived, someone guessed one right and took away a box of rouge from the lantern riddle boss.

Ping An bounced a bit and said helplessly, “Uncle Chen, Ping An can’t see.”

“I’ll lift you up.”

“Ruyi wants to watch too!”

“Together.”

Chen Changsheng lifted one up in each arm.

This scared the people nearby.

“Sir, great skill!”

Chen Changsheng smiled back.

The lantern riddle boss was an old man. He looked at them and grinned, “Want to try?”

Ping An glanced at a slip in front and read out, “‘Blow away half the flowers in Xing Forest’, guess one word?”

The boss praised, “Ah, young master, amazing, you can read it.”

Ruyi also checked one, “‘Light breeze softly blows, rain sound rings’, also guess one word.”

“Young lady, also outstanding,” the boss praised.

Chen Changsheng saw them both start to think.

“Have you thought of it?” Chen Changsheng asked.

Ping An blinked and said, “Uncle Chen, Ping An might have guessed it.”

In a flash, Ruyi reacted too. “I know!”

Chen Changsheng took out six copper coins and handed them to the boss.

Ping An spoke up, “The words ‘Xing’ and ‘lin’ lose half, what’s left is ‘束’, put together with the split ‘blow’, it makes ‘嗽’. Is that right?”

The boss paused, then said, “Young master, brilliant!”

Right after, the boss took the thing out from inside the lantern.

“What is it?” Ping An asked curiously.

The boss said, “It’s a hairpin. Congratulations, young master.”

Ping An took it, clearly happy with it.

People watching nearby were full of praise.

“This kid is really sharp.”

“How did he guess it?”

The boss looked at Ruyi and asked, “Young lady, how about your guess?”

“Is it the character ‘彼’?” Ruyi said.

Sadly, Ruyi guessed wrong.

Ruyi seemed confused and asked, “Uncle Chen, isn’t it ‘彼’?”

Ping An laughed, “Elder Sister, you’re silly. It’s the character ‘羽’ for sure.”

“Boss, is it right?” Ping An asked.

The boss said, “The young lady guessed wrong before. To guess again, you need to pay more.”

Chen Changsheng handed out three more copper coins.

The boss asked, “Young master, still guessing ‘羽’?”

“Not changing, it’s ‘羽’,” Ping An said.

“Congrats, young master. The answer is exactly ‘羽’.”

“He really got it!”

“How was this one guessed?”

“Why is it ‘羽’?”

Ruyi was very curious too and asked, “Ping An, why is it ‘羽’?”

“‘羽’ sounds like ‘雨’ (rain), and ‘习习’ is the sound of wind.”

The onlookers marveled and asked each other which family this young master was from, so young yet so smart.

The prize in the end wasn’t something rare; it was a fan.

After thinking for a bit, Ruyi said seriously, “Ping An really has some skill.”

Her tone of speaking sounded like an adult.

Chen Changsheng couldn’t help but smile; Ruyi was always that cute.

Then the boss called out to Chen Changsheng and said, “Young man, seems you have great knowledge too. How about leaving a lantern riddle for my small stall? If it’s good, I’ll give back all you paid me before.”