"Yeah, this morning I saw pigeons flying here, then I went upstairs and found them. Look, pigeon eggs."
Xiaomi held onto Liu Qingxuan with one hand to prevent him from falling out the window, while sticking her head out to look.
Sure enough, just outside the window, on the eaves of the second floor, was a simple nest made of twigs with two eggs inside.
Very small, they indeed looked like pigeon eggs.
"But that’s strange, don’t pigeons normally not lay eggs in winter?"
Pigeons are not like chickens, ducks, or geese. Generally, birds don’t lay eggs in winter, especially since the winters here are quite cold.
"They don’t lay eggs? But those are definitely pigeon eggs." Liu Qingxuan was very sure he hadn’t been mistaken.
Xiaomi pulled Liu Qingxuan aside: "Move over a bit, I’ll get those two eggs. Eggs laid in winter can’t be hatched, so I might as well take them back and see if a hen can hatch them."
Although they hadn’t planned to hatch chicks at ho, they could be incubated in the ti space.
Of course, that’s assuming these two pigeon eggs are still good.
The pigeon eggs weren’t far away. Xiaomi grasped the window fra with one hand and stretched out the other to retrieve the eggs.
The pigeon eggs were still warm. She gently shook them twice; they didn’t have the feel of being spoiled and still seed quite solid.
And looking at the two eggs, they seed relatively fresh, without signs of weather exposure, appearing as if they were just laid.
"Could the pigeon have forgotten the ti while laying its eggs?"
"Sister Xiaomi, how is it? Can they hatch into baby pigeons?"
Liu Qingxuan looked hopefully at the pigeon eggs in Xiaomi’s hands.
"I don’t know, do you really want them to hatch?"
Liu Qingxuan nodded repeatedly, showing how much it mattered to him.
Xiaomi thought for a mont: "Well, I can only try. If it doesn’t work, once the weather warms and pigeons start laying again, you can buy a pair to raise yourself."
Speaking of which, pigeon eggs seem nutritious too. She had so pigeon eggs in her space as well, and could check if they are fertilized by then.
Worried that Xiaomi would accidentally break the pigeon eggs, Liu Qingxuan quickly found a small box and lined it with thick cotton cloth before letting Xiaomi place them inside.
With that done, it was ti for dinner.
The dinner was lavish, with food sent from the Jiang family and various delicacies bought from outside.
After enjoying a satisfying al, the sky had already turned dark. Xie Fuya and Liu Qingfeng couldn’t attend the lantern festival and returned with the midwife, maids, and doctor.
The rest of the group set out together in grand fashion.
Upon arrival, they saw the streets were adorned with all kinds of lanterns, shaped like animals, flowers, and even food.
Although the lanterns weren’t lit during the day, they were all illuminated now, glowing bright and splendid in the night.
The ten-mile-long street was brilliantly lit, bustling with people. It was truly spectacular.
"Co on, today is the Lantern Festival, feel free to explore wherever you want, just avoid deserted areas."
As soon as they entered the market and the lively sounds filled their ears, Mrs. Liu handed each of the children a small pouch.
"There are constables patrolling everywhere today, so safety is not a concern. Be sure to et up at the north city gate before the hour of the pig. We’ll be taking a boat on the lake to enjoy the lanterns."
The Lantern Festival, also known as the Shangyuan Festival, was a rare occasion when young won could et their admirers, solve riddles, and view lanterns together, with a chance to encounter their sweetheart.
In this sense, the Lantern Festival was similar to Valentine’s Day as Xiaomi knew it.
Just as Mrs. Liu finished speaking, a young man approached them directly, first greeting Liu Hongcai and Mrs. Liu before inviting Liu Yajing to attend the lantern festival together.
Once they had left, Mrs. Liu explained with a smile, "That is Jing’er’s fiancé. They don’t get to spend much ti together, so he ca specifically to see Jing’er today."
Second aunt nodded with a smile, "A perfect match, he suits Jing’er well."
Liu Hongcai had already picked three masks by the roadside, first putting a small one on Liu Qingxuan, then giving one to his wife, before speaking to Jiang Hu.
"Wearing a mask makes things a bit easier. There are too many familiar faces in this city. Without a mask, you can’t fully enjoy the lantern festival."
Jiang Hu looked at Liu Hongcai, who had already donned his mask, covering only half of his face.
"Even with a mask, you can still be recognized. It’s not like it covers your entire face."
Liu Hongcai laughed, "That’s where you’re mistaken. Recognition doesn’t matter; what’s important is the mask signals that you don’t want to be recognized, so naturally, no one will approach."
So that was it, Xiaomi quietly nodded to herself.
She had wondered why Uncle Liu and Aunt Qian had co with them to the lantern festival today, being on the verge of being recognized, which would reveal their status as County Magistrate.
Who would’ve thought they could do this—wearing a mask, even if others knew he was the county magistrate, they would pretend not to recognize him.
Her fingers were pulled: "Xiaomi, let’s go have fun too. Look, Ze-ge and Second Sister have already left."
Wei Ziang pointed to the distance. Sure enough, Liu Ze had already taken Xiaoxue onto a nearby arch bridge, where they were curiously looking at a vendor’s stall on the bridge.
Xiaomi barely had ti to say goodbye to her parents before being whisked away by Wei Ziang.
And it was in the opposite direction of where Liu Ze and the others had gone.
However, Xiaomi was quickly distracted by the hustle and bustle around her, as she and Wei Ziang explored all sorts of sights, solved a few simple riddles, and matched couplets.
The two little kids occasionally garnered a round of applause from the crowd, then ran swiftly to the next attraction.
Soon, their hands were filled with flower lanterns and quite a few prize-winning snacks.
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