catch the rabbit

June [-]th, Lotus Watching Festival.

Lin Wanke got up early in the morning and was busy steaming lotus cakes. Lin Baizhi had no class today, so he was also helping to smash flower petals and mix rice noodles. When the work was over, both of them were sweating profusely.

The steamed lotus cakes were packed in boxes, and Lin Wanke began to deliver them from door to door. When they delivered them to the vegetarian restaurant, they heard Zhang's loud voice before they reached the door.

"I saw it absolutely at the time. A golden feather fell on the lotus flower. The whole flower was as if it was plated with gold. It dazzled people's eyes. Then it spoke, saying that my husband had offended the lotus flower. Immortal, if you get a ghost on your body, you have to send this flower back, otherwise your life will be lost."

The people around gasped when they heard this, and asked what should be done.

Mrs. Zhang continued: "At that time, I was so frightened that I was stunned. I called up a few guys overnight, bought incense candles and used a record desk, and wrapped the lotus in silk. As soon as I went out, I saw the winter tree. Niang stood at the door. Jin Yu said, Dongniang is the messenger sent by the lotus fairy, and she needs to send the flower back to Lianxin Lake, so we will give the lotus to Dongniang. When everyone follows the lake, you Guess what? It flew into the lake by itself, I watched helplessly, I didn’t even dare to breathe, it took me a long time to recover, and I dared to come back after kowtowing a few times.”

"Really? This is too mysterious. You didn't make up nonsense to deceive us, did you?" shouted a regular customer.

When he said this, some people also echoed him, saying that she was talking nonsense.

Mrs. Zhang stared and said, "It doesn't matter if I'm the only one who saw it wrong, so many pairs of eyes of the guys who went with me must have seen it wrong? If you don't believe me, you can ask our housekeeper!"

Shopkeeper Mu, who was planning to make a plan at the side, just smiled: "I don't remember."

"You don't even remember the little widow?" Someone joked out loud.

Lin Wanke was shocked when he heard this, and thought that Sister-in-law Mu was going to lose her temper now, but she just said: "She is also possessed by a spirit monster, no wonder she is. You are a big man who has the ability to talk about women right and wrong here , why don’t you have the ability to catch the monster?”

The man was speechless by her words. At this time, Mrs. Zhang saw Lin Wanke and raised her voice: "What is Xiao Lin doing standing at the door, come in quickly!"

So Lin Wanke carefully walked in the door holding the food box under the eyes of everyone. The shopkeeper Mu opened it and looked at the lotus cake inside, and praised: "Your steamed cake is the best. It looks good and tastes authentic."

As he spoke, he took the money and gave it to Lin Wanke, and asked the clerk to bring out a few packs of green purse rice and forcefully stuffed it to him.

Lin Wanke had no choice but to accept. Seeing that the Mu family and his wife got back together, he felt happy for them from the bottom of his heart, but he still doesn't understand what happened.

According to the people in the vegetarian restaurant, the shopkeeper Mu folded a lotus flower when he was collecting lotus leaves and went home. After that, he recruited spirits back, and Dongniang ate the lotus seeds in the lake, and was also possessed by monsters. That's why so many things happened.

In previous years, during the Lotus Watching Festival, the Lianxin Lake in the east of the city was a good place for people to go boating and enjoy the lotus. This time there were monsters, so no one would dare to go there again.Fortunately, Cheng Ju, the number one magician in the capital, came back the day before the Lotus Watching Festival, and set up a magic circle in Lianxin Lake, received the troublesome spirits, calmed the anger of Lian Xian, and gave the Mu family and the Zheng family bodyguards The talisman is the end of this matter.

Lin Wanke was dubious about this ghost story, but no matter what, it has been resolved satisfactorily now. The Mu family and his wife have reconciled as before, and the misunderstanding with Dongniang has also been clarified. It couldn't be better.

When he returned to the pastry shop, Lin Baizhi had already heated up the noodles for the first time, and was sitting at the table waiting for him.

The child had already made an appointment with his companions to set off lotus lanterns by the lake. Since yesterday, he has been fidgeting, putting down and picking up a lotus lantern, and even putting it next to his pillow when he sleeps.

Lin Wanke watched him finish the noodles in two or three bites, and even put down his chopsticks and ran out the door after only a few mouthfuls of green purse rice. He couldn't help shouting from behind: "Run slower, don't fall!"

Lin Baizhi's voice came from afar: "Brother, don't worry! Remember to ask Mr. Shang Le to watch us put the lanterns on!"

Lin Wanke sighed lightly, but the next moment, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

The children of Qingyan Academy will go to Lianxin Lake to set up lotus lanterns today. The lanterns were taught by Le Xin. They are exquisitely shaped like lotus flowers, with a piece of candle inside. Everyone has written or painted on the lanterns.

Lin Baizhi wrote a little poem crookedly on that lamp, and he brought back one, saying that Mr. Le gave it to Lin Wanke, and asked him to put the lamp together when the time came.

Lin Wanke thought over and over again, but couldn't think of what to write on the lamp. The time was approaching, and the more impatient he became, the less he had a clue, so he just ran out holding the plain lamp.

At the gate of the academy, Le Xin and Wen Jin had been waiting for quite a while, seeing him running in a hurry, Wen Jin smiled and said, "Brother Lin, please slow down, be careful not to trip over your clothes."

Lin Wanke was wearing the stone blue clothes that Jiang Tiaotiao gave him that day. Later, he asked the elder sister next door to change the size, and it finally fit him well. uneasy.

"It's true that people rely on clothes, but I can't tell that Lin Xiaoge is also pretty handsome!" Wen Jin continued to tease him until he was patted on the top of the head by Le Xin.

"Didn't you make a fuss about going to play a long time ago, so you're not in a hurry now?"

"If you don't accompany me here waiting for someone, why do people think I'm in the way when they come? Okay, okay, I'll just go." Wen Jin ran away with his sleeves flung, and he didn't forget to turn his head and make a face.

"This child." Le Xin shook her head and smiled, then turned to Lin Wanke and said, "Let's go."

Lin Wanke nodded, and walked beside Le Xin with the lamp in his arms. The street was full of well-dressed pedestrians, and those who knew him greeted them one after another.The children of each family held lotus pods or lotus leaves, and lit candles to illuminate the ten-mile long street.

The Lianxin Lake is even more crowded and lively.

The moon covers the clouds and the cool breeze is blowing. People go boating on the lake, or light up lights along the way. The music is like boiling, the flowers are fragrant, and the lotus flowers are more beautiful in the night, which makes this festival night fascinating.

Lin Wanke walked all the way, only to see boats weaving among the flowers, lamps and shadows shaking on the lake, and everyone was picking lotus root and enjoying it.

The children of Qingyan Academy were all waiting by the Lianxin Lake. When they saw Le Xin coming, they crowded around and rushed to show him their lamps.

Le Xin looked at them one by one, and then taught them to let the lotus lanterns go, and the small lanterns went with the waves, flickering.

When he saw the doggerel written by Lin Baizhi on the lamp, Le Xin even praised him, making him very proud.

After the children finished lighting up the lights, they got together and went to play separately.

Le Xin walked along the lakeshore with Lin Wanke, Lin Wanke's lamp was untouched, so he had the nerve to take it out, at this time Le Xin saw it and asked him why he didn't let it go together.

"I can't think of what to write, and I feel a little embarrassed to see that they all write so well." Lin Wanke said honestly.

"I've taught you so many characters, but you don't remember any of them?" Le Xin smiled, while she leaned into the lake to scoop up a little water, and wrote two lines of characters on the lamp with her fingers.

The back of the lotus turns white, and the rain on the lotus cheeks fades red.

Lin Wanke didn't know many words, but he also knew that this sentence was about lotus. He heard Le Xin say that this is his favorite line, and he will teach him next time.

Lin Wanke's answer was lost in the exclamations of the people, and colorful lights rose from the sky, illuminating most of the lake.

Under the colorful night sky rendered by fireworks, Le Xin gently put the lamp into the lake, and the summer wind blew the lamp towards the distant flowers, gradually disappearing.

***

On Lianxin Lake, a painting boat is slowly passing through the lotus bushes.

Ah Ling was sitting on the bow of the boat peeling lotus seeds to eat, when he suddenly shouted angrily from inside, his hands trembled in fright, and the lotus seeds spilled all over the ground.

"You're not very young, you have a good temper." Baoxiu sat down beside him, and picked up a lotus pod.

"It's so scary." A Ling felt lingering fear, "Huang Cai also said that he has a gentle and elegant temperament, but I didn't expect him to be like this."

Baoxiu said old-fashionedly: "Young man, the truth in this world will always make your heart ashamed."

Inside the painting boat, Jiang Tiaotiao and Huang Cai stood with hands down, a young man in front of him was pointing at them without grace and yelling loudly, and the white magician's robe was rattling.

"I said you are about to become a fairy, why don't you have a brain in doing things, you can only come up with the idea of ​​going to someone else's house to pretend to be a fairy!" The young man said angrily, "And you stupid phoenix, what did Jiang Tiaotiao say? You do the same, Lord Lianxian, why didn't you tell me when you became Baihua Fairy's subordinate?"

Jiang Tiaotiao and Huang Cai didn't dare to show their anger, they stood obediently and listened to the training.

A slight girl's laughter sounded outside the window, and the boy shouted: "Why are you laughing, I haven't settled with you yet!"

The carp spirit Ah Rou showed her figure, and said with a smile, "Master Cheng Ju, don't be angry, it's all my fault, Ah Rou will make it up to you!"

As she spoke, she giggled and bowed, and the ornaments on her head jingled,

This young man is Cheng Ju, the number one magician in the capital. He sized A Rou up and down, and his face softened slightly: "So it's a thousand-year-old carp spirit." After a pause, his voice rose again, "You have been a Follow the fox spirit, where did you learn to bully widows with illusions? Don’t learn from the good ones, but follow the bad ones, and I’ll take you all in one day!”

Ah Rou had heard from Jiang Tiaotiao that Cheng Ju was tough-mouthed and soft-hearted, so she was not afraid at all, and she still smiled sweetly.

"Look at the troubles you have caused, if I hadn't come to clean up the mess for you, what would you have done?" Cheng Ju said.

"Yes yes yes, I know you are the most capable!" Huang Cai has sharp eyes and quick hands, poured a glass of wine and handed it over, "Master Cheng Ju's kindness, Huang Cai will never forget!"

Ah Rou also said: "Ah Lu has been talking about thanking you all in person, but she is still recovering from her injuries. I will offer you a toast on her behalf. If there is anything we need in the future, I will definitely help you with all my strength!"

Cheng Ju looked at them, and finally sighed: "Forget it, I've already set up an enchantment in the lake, no one will hurt you in the future, but you should pay more attention to yourself, and stay away from anyone you see .”

Ah Rou responded sweetly, and drank the wine in front of her in one gulp.

"I won't bother you anymore, Ah Lu still wants me to take care of it, then we will meet later."

As she spoke, she transformed into a fish body, jumped into the lake and wagged her tail, drawing a light golden splash on the water surface.

"What a cute little fish spirit." Huang Cai sighed.

"You feel cute when you see a beautiful woman." Cheng Ju said unhappily, while sitting down and pouring wine for himself, he caught a glimpse of Jiang Tiaotiao out of the corner of his eye.

"What are you doing standing up? Sit down and drink together."

Jiang Tiaotiao just sat down, squinted his eyes and smiled at him: "Chengju, I'm sorry."

"Don't bring this up again after it's over, I'm bothered." Cheng Ju said.

"What's wrong?" Huang Cai also sat down and asked.

"It's not that my little junior brother Fang is very coincidental. He is a fool. This time, he was kidnapped by a snake spirit. The master ignored it. The senior sister said that she would come to the capital to discuss with me. After waiting for her for half a month, no one was seen. .I rushed to Wangxing Mountain to persuade him, but he refused to listen no matter what, do you think this child is possessed by a demon?"

As Cheng Ju talked, his handsome face fell down: "There are a lot of troubles in the capital, if this continues, I'll just go back to Xingshan and sell herbal tea with Zhang Sanxian."

He did not know how many times he had said this, but Jiang Tiaotiao and Huang Cai pretended not to hear it.But this is a coincidence, Jiang Tiaotiao has seen it once, and in his impression he is not very good at using seals and spells, and he listens to his senior brothers and sisters very much, so he looks like an honest man.

How such a well-behaved child could become like this is really incomprehensible.

Jiang Tiaotiao wanted to ask more about the situation, but seeing Chengju's face, he swallowed back the words.

At this moment, there was a sudden exclamation in the distance, followed by the sound of heavy objects falling into the water.

"Someone fell into the water at the bridge in the middle of the lake!" Ah Ling hurried in, out of breath.

"What's the fuss, people fall into the lake every year at the Lotus Watching Festival, it's fine." Cheng Ju was as steady as Mount Tai, without even moving his eyebrows.

"It's so ruthless." Huang Cai mumbled, Jiang Tiaotiao also suggested that it's better to go and have a look, but Cheng Ju couldn't persuade them, so he had to agree.

The painting boat turned around and sailed towards the lake bridge, and a large group of people could be seen around the bridge from a distance.

When the boat docked, Ah Ling asked someone to ask, and found out that it was a child who wanted to fish for lotus lanterns and accidentally fell into the lake.

"There are so many people around, why is there no one to rescue?" Jiang Tiaotiao asked.

The onlooker said: "Why not, both of them jumped down, but the water is too deep and the sky is dark, how can it be so easy to rescue them."

It is true that it is getting late now, and most of the candles of the lotus lanterns have been burned out. The light of the lanterns really cannot reach the lake surface, and it is difficult to see clearly underwater, let alone save people.

"Shall we help too?" Jiang Tiaotiao said.

"I don't know water, so there's nothing I can do to help." Huang Cai said, "If Cheng Ju doesn't mind, I know a little bit about water-dividing spells."

At this moment, exclamations suddenly erupted from the crowd, and a person emerged from the water, holding a comatose child in his arms.

"It's saved, it's saved!"

The onlookers flocked to the shore of the lake, and several of them went up to help, and together they pulled the two in the water ashore.

The child's parents had already heard the news, and they were so crying that they couldn't speak at the moment. Fortunately, the child woke up quickly, but only choked on some water, and it seemed that there was no serious problem.

Seeing this, Jiang Tiaotiao was a little relieved, but when he looked at the rescuer again, he couldn't help being stunned.

Isn't this exactly Lin Wanke?

He was completely soaked, his hair stuck to his forehead in locks and locks, and his face was frighteningly pale.

Just as Jiang Tiaotiao was about to step forward, he saw a figure flying towards him.

That was Lin Wanke's younger brother, Lin Baizhi. The child was anxious and frightened, and he just cried while hugging him.

Lin Wanke patted the top of his head to comfort him at first, but after hearing what he said, he stood up abruptly and wanted to jump into the water again, but was stopped by someone.

There were many people around the lake, and Jiang Tiaotiao saw Lin Wanke break free from the arms blocking him like crazy, and plunged into the lake.

"Isn't this Brother Lin?" Baoxiu also found out at this time, "Isn't he already rescued, why is he still jumping into the water?"

Someone next to him replied: "You also recognize Brother Lin? Hey...Mr. Le, who went into the water to save people together, hasn't come up yet! What should we do!"

Others echoed: "That's right, Mr. Juan Le is a weak scholar, I'm afraid he won't be able to hold on!"

While talking, several men took off their shirts and jumped into the lake, and after a while they emerged from the water, saying that it was pitch black under the water and they could not see anything.

"Brother Lin, why doesn't he come up?" A Ling said while stretching her neck to look around.

"The boy who sells buns is really a hero." Huang Cai said something strange, and suddenly felt something was wrong, "Where did Jiang Tiaotiao go?"

Baoxiu pointed to the surface of the lake: "I just chanted a spell to avoid water and jumped down."