She was so casual that the girls nearby were taken aback for a mont, and the next, Lu Tong directly opened the box.
"Huh?" Duan Xiaoyan exclaid in surprise, "Why is she so straightforward?"
There was no thought or hesitation, just like picking cabbages in a vegetable market, not a trace of respect for "Boqiao."
The several girls and the won with them were also stunned.
Lu Tong opened the box, glanced inside, and then frowned, letting out a startled cry.
The girls beca even more curious, craning their necks to see.
"It’s a Silver Dream Spider..." She lowered her eyes to the object in the box, her tone sowhat strange.
The girl closest to her timidly asked, "What, what’s a Silver Dream Spider?"
Lu Tong looked at her.
"It’s a type of spider."
She stood there and explained calmly, "This spider is slightly venomous, not enough to take a person’s life, but if its web brushes against human skin, it can easily cause an allergic reaction, particularly on the face. If it touches the face, the red rash won’t fade for seven or eight days."
Upon hearing this, the girls around imdiately touched their faces and subconsciously moved away from the basket.
Lu Tong closed the lid.
"Perhaps the spider catcher did not notice earlier and put the Silver Dream Spider in the box with ordinary spiders. But since these boxes have been mixed together, it’s impossible to know which box contains the Silver Dream Spider without opening them."
The girls moved even further away from the basket.
While an allergic reaction is not fatal, it can affect one’s face, and no young lady who cherishes her beauty would want to suddenly develop a full face of rashes from Boqiao, and risk disfigurent.
"Is what you’re saying really true?" One girl did not believe her, "Is it really a poisonous spider?"
Lu Tong nodded seriously, "Of course, I work at the Hanlin dical Institute."
To work at the Hanlin dical Institute ant she was a Hanlin dical Officer!
Recalling how the young man beside Lu Tong had been calling her "Doctor Lu," those around suddenly treated her with great respect, no longer doubting her, and ceased lingering over "Good Luck with the Spiders," and started asking the won for needles and thread instead.
Suddenly, only Lu Tong was left standing by the table.
She casually walked over to the woman in charge and placed the wooden box in front of her.
"It’s over."
Woman: "..."
It was indeed over, everyone else had left, leaving her alone; what did it matter if the table was crowded or not? When there’s only one person competing for the Qiqiao prize, there’s no competition at all!
The woman chuckled dryly, "Yes, the young lady has won."
Lu Tong picked up the "Valley Board" left on the counter as a prize.
"I can take this with , right?"
The woman nodded and then, gripping her arm hesitantly asked, "Miss, is that box truly... holding a Silver Spider?"
Suddenly rembering others calling her "dical Officer," the woman heard it.
One had to take a dical Officer’s words seriously; if the spider was venomous, it needed to be disposed of quickly.
Lu Tong glanced at the basket on the counter and smiled faintly, "The light is dim, so I couldn’t see very clearly, it looked like it but also not quite, perhaps I was mistaken."
By the ti she returned to Pei Yunshu’s side, Duan Xiaoyan and the others were especially silent, looking at her with indescribable expressions.
Lu Tong handed the Valley Board to Pei Yunshu, "This is for Treasure Bead."
Pei Yunshu looked at the Valley Board in her arms and then at Lu Tong, her expression very complex.
Duan Xiaoyan was the first to speak up, "Doctor Lu, this is the first ti I’ve learned that you can play the ga like this."
Everyone thought that Lu Tong had picked "Good Luck with Spiders" and had so decisively lifted the lid of the box, so full of confidence, as if she had sothing to rely on. They had not expected that she hadn’t planned to gamble at all and had instead flipped the table on everyone.
"Amazing!" Duan Xiaoyan exclaid, and it was unclear whether it was a complint or criticism, "As long as no one competes with , I’m the first!"
Silence fell among the group.
Pei Yunng turned her head aside, her shoulders shaking subtly.
Lu Tong felt compelled to explain.
"My needlework is not up to par, I’m surely not the best at threading needles. We should switch to sothing else. With that, I can win."
"Don’t be modest." Pei Yunng raised his eyebrows, "Intelligence leads to victory, lack of it to defeat. Doctor Lu, still so clever at strategizing."
"The contention of gentlen is to concede to superior skill, whereas that of petty people is to resort to cunning for gain," Lu Tong answered frankly: "After all, I am a ’petty person’."
She spoke with utmost seriousness; Pei Yunng couldn’t help but laugh and looked down at her, "Is Doctor Lu pretending to be the villain again?"
Lu Tong corrected, "Not a villain, a ’petty person’."
The two of them bantered back and forth, while Pei Yunshu shook her head and laughed.
"Thank you, Miss Lu," Pei Yunshu, holding Lu Tong’s hand, said, "I’ve received your kindness, and Treasure Bead will definitely like it. I will take good care of it when I get back. The essence of the needlework competition is in the ’ingenuity,’ and your thod is indeed more ingenious than simple threading."
In her usual days, Lu Tong appeared calm and collected, lacking the liveliness expected of a girl her age. However, on this night, Pei Yunshu caught a glimpse of the vivacity beneath this girl’s indifferent exterior.
A girl with a playful heart and cunning mind.
While they were talking, Duan Xiaoyan began to mumble to himself, "This is so lively, it’s making excited."
The young man rubbed his hands together, eager to dive in: "I’m gonna try too—"
"Hey, hey, hey—"
The woman at the table quickly stopped him and looked him up and down: "Young Master, this is for ladies to pray for skills, I’ve never seen n participate."
"What’s wrong with n? Why the discrimination?" Duan Xiaoyan argued, "Can’t I do it on behalf of my daughter who is not able to co?"
The woman forced a smile: "This is all for the ladies, and if a man mixes in, isn’t that making things difficult for everyone?" Glancing at the people behind Duan Xiaoyan, she pondered for a mont, "If the Young Master really wants to participate, threading needles and the would be out of the question, as they are for won only. But you could try the Lanye competition."
Duan Xiaoyan humbly asked, "What is the Lanye competition?"
"Do you see the tower up there?" The woman pointed to the Qiqiao Tower above.
Sounds of flutes gradually carried over from the brightly lantern-lit tower.
"Young n and won, lovers, can try their skills in the Lanye competitions up there."
The woman elaborated, "The tower is decorated with colorful threads intricately knotted together, featuring various artistic representations of the Qixi Festival carved out of water caltrops hidden within the hall; when the lights are out, finding one can earn a prize."
"However, since it involves searching in the dark, and even though there are guards in the tower, one can’t avoid the possibility of dishonest people taking advantage. Therefore, only young couples or lovers can enter to compete. When it’s dark and nothing can be seen, a pair can help each other hand in hand, which not only deepens their affection but, in the future, can help them face difficulties together and overco challenges."
The woman seed to enjoy playing matchmaker, or perhaps she simply loved watching the affectionate scenes of young couples. She looked forward and added with a longing gaze, turning again towards Duan Xiaoyan.
"If the Young Master wishes to give it a try, just bring your beloved. Together you can enter without any hindrance. You just ntioned having a daughter, so is the lady here today? Which one is she?"
Duan Xiaoyan: "..."
Pei Yunshu remained silent, Lu Tong expressionless, and even Fangzi stepped back with disdain.
Seeing this, the woman realized and laughed, "The Young Master might as well wait, you can always co again for Qixi next year. Qixi is held every year, there will always be a chance for the Young Master to participate."
Duan Xiaoyan felt a pang of regret but was helpless to do anything since he had no one to accompany him; he could only sadly watch the woman about to leave.
Pei Yunshu glanced at Pei Yunng and suddenly spoke up, "How much silver is needed for the Lanye competition?"
Upon hearing this, everyone paused, and Xiao Zhufeng looked at Pei Yunshu in astonishnt, disbelief in his eyes.
The woman hastily replied, "The Lanye competition is for two people, naturally it’s not cheap, twenty copper coins each ti."
Pei Yunshu had Fangzi pass over the copper coins.
Pei Yunng was taken aback, "Sister?"
Lu Tong was also surprised.
The ga sounded like no fun, just searching in the dark; why was Pei Yunshu so interested in it?
The next mont, Pei Yunshu reached out and gave a hearty push to Pei Yunng and Lu Tong forward.
"You two go and play," she stood behind them, smiling warmly at the pair, her tone as light as if it were deliberate, "Today is, after all, a festival for the young. I’m curious to see, but it doesn’t fit my status, so it’s more convenient for the two of you."
"Ah Ying, Miss Lu, after you co out, tell about it, as if I participated as well."
Lu Tong: "Wait a second..."
"I’ve already paid."
In the crowd, Pei Yunshu winked at her, "It’s not cheap, so don’t waste it."
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