dognovel Chapter 76 If only my older brother were here right now
Chapter 76 If only my older brother were here right now
Although Yinzhuo and his companions were not good at archery, they were all experts at solving riddles. Seeing that the shopkeeper agreed, they bargained with him and went to the wall of riddles. They chose a horizontal row and, without needing anyone's help, took paper and pen from the table in front of the shopkeeper and began to solve the riddles.
"Wearing a floral cotton-padded jacket, singing 'croak croak,' catching pests in the fields, contributing to a bountiful harvest—I know this is a frog."
The fourteenth got off to a great start, and even the usually composed thirteenth was starting to get restless.
"I know that too. Its body is covered in dazzling silver armor, and it's cold all over. It has wings but can't fly, and it has no feet but can travel all over the world. Boss, the answer to this riddle is a fish, right?"
The boss was clearly surprised that these two young kids were so capable, getting both right on the first try. But he still had the professionalism of a businessman and praised them with a smile.
"Both young masters are clever; their answers are absolutely correct. The first is a frog, and the second is a fish."
Thirteen and Fourteen got even more excited after receiving praise from the boss, but they were still young and were defeated after guessing only two.
"Sixth Brother, what is the answer to the riddle: the eldest sister uses a needle but not thread, the second sister uses thread but not needle, the third sister lights a lamp but doesn't work, and the fourth sister works but doesn't light a lamp?"
Yin Tang and the others hadn't approached the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes because they were engrossed in guessing, letting them play freely. But now that they saw the two of them stumped by the riddle, they finally stepped over.
Yinzhuo glanced at the riddle and sighed softly. No wonder the thirteenth and fourteenth brothers couldn't guess it. It was because the two of them had been pampered since childhood, and their living environment was always spotless. They rarely saw bees or spiders, so it was no wonder they couldn't guess correctly.
"The answer to this riddle is four kinds of insects. The eldest sister uses a needle but not a needle, which refers to the bee. It has a needle at the end of its tail, and that's the needle the bee uses to sting people. The second sister uses thread but not a needle, which refers to the spider. You all know that spiders are best at spinning webs. As for the third sister who lights a lamp but doesn't work, it refers to the firefly. Not to mention you, even I have only read about them in books. They are small insects whose tails can glow. As for the fourth sister who works without lighting a lamp, it refers to the katydid, which is an insect similar to a grasshopper. It is named after the sound of a loom."
With the help of their older brothers, Thirteen and Fourteen quickly passed the riddle-guessing challenge, and all that was left was the lantern-spotting challenge.
Speaking of spotlights, the brothers were all quite familiar with them. After all, they had used spotlights at the Ice Skating Festival a few days ago. Their daily practice of shooting targets and shooting gongs was similar. The most difficult part was that the gong was hung high, and with the dim light at night, it was hard to see clearly.
"Ah, if only my elder brother were here now. His archery skills are top-notch, he can hit a target from a hundred paces away. This little copper gong would be a piece of cake for him."
Everyone agreed with what Yinqi said. Indeed, it would be great if their eldest brother were here right now. But the problem is that their eldest brother is not here, so they still have to fend for themselves. Fortunately, although Yinqi's archery skills are not as good as his eldest brother Yinqi's, they are not bad either. After trying twice, he got the hang of it and hit the target with three arrows in a row, helping the Fourteenth Prince to bring home the koi.
"Thank you, Tenth Brother. My mother will definitely love this carp lantern. I've seen it before; her purse was embroidered with koi fish."
Fourteen was naturally overjoyed to receive the carp lantern he had been longing for. After the shopkeeper took the lantern down and handed it to him, he hurriedly asked the guards to carry it for him. He then circled the carp lantern several times before nodding in satisfaction. He immediately ordered the guards to send it to his mother in the palace as fast as possible.
After making dough figurines, solving riddles, and shooting lanterns, the brothers walked around the street for a while to enjoy the festivities before finally settling down at a small roadside stall.
"Boss, give us a bowl of wontons and a bowl of glutinous rice balls each. Also, bring us two side dishes from your stall."
As for Yinzhuo himself, he quite liked eating at these small stalls. He felt that compared to those big restaurants, although these small stalls didn't look as hygienic, they had a stronger sense of everyday life.
"Alright, gentlemen, please wait a moment, the things will be here shortly."
The stall was run by a couple in their forties. After the husband responded to Yinzhuo, he lifted the lid of the steaming pot and deftly put the wontons and glutinous rice balls that Yinzhuo had ordered into two separate pots. The wife, on the other hand, quickly took out bowls, chopsticks, and spoons and set them out. It was clear that they had been working together like this for many years, and their coordination was quite tacit.
"I've been to this stall before, and the food is pretty good. You should try it too. If you don't like it, you don't have to force yourself."
Although Prince Yinzhen and the others were all pampered princes, they would occasionally come to such small stalls to try something new, so they wouldn't necessarily find the food unpalatable. As for the Thirteenth Prince, he was always a good boy and not a picky eater. Based on his long-standing trust in his Sixth Brother, he was willing to try it even though it was his first time eating these things. As for the Fourteenth Prince, that little foodie, compared to the Thirteenth Prince, who was full after a few bites, he could still eat a few more bites even after he was full, so naturally he wouldn't find the food unpalatable either.
The owners, a husband and wife, were skilled cooks. Their glutinous rice balls were soft and chewy with just the right amount of sweetness, and their wontons were incredibly fresh, smooth, and delicious. The side dishes were the usual seasonal cold vegetable salad and pickled radish strips, but they were also quite tasty. Although the meal was simple, Yinzhuo and the others were very satisfied.
"I told you, you can trust Brother Liu when it comes to food, drinks and entertainment. Look, he even found such an inconspicuous little stall."
After a hearty meal, the brothers rested for a while before getting up to continue their stroll. Whether it was dragon and lion dances, acrobatics, or iron flower performances, the two little ones, Thirteen and Fourteen, were overwhelmed by the sights. By the end, they were so exhausted that they were practically out of energy. On the way back, their heads were bobbing up and down. Once they got into the carriage, the swaying motion made them fall asleep instantly.
"I used to think that Fourteenth Brother was really tireless. Now it seems that this is just a light fatigue. You don't know how energetic he was when he was very young. When Fourth Brother and I were keeping vigil with Mother at Yonghe Palace, he really wore us out. In the end, Mother couldn't stand it and had someone forcibly take him back to sleep, which freed us. Otherwise, who knows who would have collapsed from exhaustion first."
Looking back on the past, everything was vivid in his mind. Yinzhuo looked at the fourteenth prince and was filled with emotion. He thought of Yinsi, Yintang, and Yinyi, and realized that they were just like that when they were young. He couldn't help but talk about their embarrassing childhood stories. The atmosphere in the carriage was quite pleasant.
"Dexi, you personally lead the men to escort your thirteenth and fourteenth princes back. Eighth, ninth, and tenth princes, it's getting late, you should all go back and rest early, you have to go to the study early tomorrow morning."
After a night of wandering around, Thirteen and Fourteen were exhausted. Yinzhuo was not relaxed either. Although Dexi, the guards, and Yinsi helped keep an eye on Thirteen and Fourteen, Yinzhuo dared not relax at all. Now that he was back, his tense nerves relaxed, and he immediately felt like he couldn't hold on any longer.
"Sister Xiahe, please prepare some water for me. I need to wash up quickly and then go to bed. I'm exhausted after this whole night!"