Before they left, Julie asked if they wanted to walk or take an ox cart.
She was fine either way.
She didn't even consider a horse carriage.
The streets would definitely be crowded tonight, and carriages took up too much space. Once parked, it'd be hard to move around, and they wouldn't be able to visit many places. It would be frustrating.
It was better to not go out at all than to leave excited but return disappointed.
After discussing it, they decided to walk. Even though the distance was a bit far, the roads were clear of snow, not slippery, and it wasn't dark yet. Walking seemed fine.
Most importantly, they were all wearing nice clothes made of fine materials. Naturally, they wanted to look good. If they were in rough clothes, taking an ox cart wouldn't matter.
They agreed they'd take the ox cart back. They'd be tired by then, and even if their clothes picked up the smell of ox dung or got wrinkled, they could wash them first thing in the morning.
Julie didn't say anything more once they'd made up their minds.
Once they'd taken care of things at home, they all left together.
It was still a bit chilly outside, so everyone wore cloaks.
By the time they reached town, it was still early evening.
The streets were lively. Vendors were already setting up stalls, and more and more people were arriving.
Merchants selling goods under colorful lanterns wandered through the streets, calling out loudly and going wherever the crowds were.
There were all kinds of beautiful lanterns, like adorable rabbit lanterns, graceful crane lanterns, and delicate lotus flower lanterns.
The display was dazzling.
Lorrie was thrilled. He kept pulling on the others, excitedly pointing out which lanterns he liked best. He smiled nonstop.
Haven and Bailee were also interested. Their expressions weren't as over-the-top as Lorrie's, but they clearly enjoyed themselves.
Mr. Leng didn't really care about the lanterns. He stayed alert, watching the crowds on both sides, worried about anyone getting trampled. He remained on guard.
Before they left the house, Julie tied strips of cloth to each of their wrists, linking them loosely together.
She didn't make it tight, just enough to keep some space between them. She was worried someone might get separated in the crowd.
It was an old method, but it worked.
They didn't object. Julie always thought things through.
If one of them got lost and kidnapped, even if nothing bad happened, they'd still feel too ashamed to face anyone.
They all wore face veils before leaving, and since the streets were packed, no one really noticed them.
Julie stayed close behind them, regularly scanning the area for anything suspicious.
The three brothers moved forward and saw a street performance ahead—acrobats and fire breathers. A big crowd had gathered.
Some gave money, others just cheered.
After a performance or two, a teenage boy with a friendly face walked through the crowd with a donation plate.
Those who gave coins got a big smile and a thank-you.
But not many donated. Most ignored him and just kept watching the show.
The boy wasn't surprised. He moved on quickly to the next group.
As he got closer to their group, Lorrie looked at Julie with pleading eyes.
He didn't say anything, but she understood.
She silently took out a handful of coins and handed them over.
Lorrie didn't expect Julie to give him so much money, so he waved his hand and didn't take it all.
He only took five copper coins from her hand and pushed the rest back.
Julie didn't say anything when she saw he only took five coins and put the rest away.
Lorrie's thinking was simple—they had five people, so one coin each was just right.
Even though performers like them had it hard, they couldn't help others either. At most, they could show support by giving a small amount of money for watching the show.
He was also worried that some of the prettier performers might take a liking to his wife and try to get close to her. He wasn't going to be foolish and waste their money like that.
It was better to save the money for meat and snacks.
When the young boy walked by their group, Lorrie placed the five coins in the bowl.
The boy looked up briefly, then quickly lowered his head, quietly thanked them, and walked on.
…The performance continued. Next up was a balancing act with bowls.
A teenage boy, around 14 or 15 years old, balanced a tall stack of blue-and-white porcelain bowls on his head. He moved gracefully, stretching his body in different poses—lying down, standing up, and lifting one leg.
At one point, he climbed onto another boy of similar age. Together, they twisted and turned their bodies while balancing the bowls.
It was hard to stay steady while standing on someone else's wobbly back. The bowls on his head started to shake more and more. Even though he looked calm, he was clearly nervous and scared inside.
In a big turning motion, the bowls suddenly fell from his head and shattered all over the ground. Both boys fell, looking very embarrassed.
A middle-aged woman who had been watching with a smile suddenly rushed forward with a whip and began hitting the two boys hard while shouting harsh words.
The boys quietly lowered their heads and took the beating without saying a word.
It seemed like they were used to it. Even crying had become a luxury.
The crowd only grumbled that their fun was ruined. No one seemed worried about the boys or the punishment they received.
After a few lashes, the woman calmed down. She smiled at the crowd, apologized, and promised the next performance would be perfect.
Then she turned to glare at the two boys, muttered something mean, and walked off to the side.
The two boys silently picked up another stack of bowls and continued their act.
This time, they didn't make any mistakes. When the show ended successfully, the crowd cheered and shouted for more.
After finishing, the boys went backstage.
The three brothers—Bailee, Haven, and Lorrie—had different reactions on their faces, but they quickly returned to normal.
They had seen others suffer and felt some sympathy, but mostly they felt lucky.
Julie treated them very well.
They couldn't help others. It wasn't realistic to bring every pitiful person home with them. That would only leave them crying later.
The group didn't stay long and kept walking forward.
When they reached a riddle game booth, they stopped to watch the fun.
It was simple. The vendor had lanterns with riddles on the front. The answers were written on paper and hidden on the back.
If someone guessed the riddle correctly, they got the lantern for free. If they were wrong, they had to buy it.
Julie noticed their interest and didn't stop them. She stood nearby, eyes watchful of the surroundings.
The brothers listened to people answering the riddles with great interest.
One riddle was "Discussing heroes over cooked green plums." Julie's eyes lit up when no one answered and she said, "Only you and me."
She won a lotus lantern, handed it to Bailee since he was standing closest.
The other two brothers looked a little disappointed, but they quickly smiled and complimented the lantern and praised Julie's intelligence.
Julie didn't join in the rest of the riddles. Truth was, she didn't know the answers. That one had just been a lucky guess.
The brothers suggested moving on, and Julie quietly followed behind.
They stopped again at a booth selling colorful lanterns.
She let them each pick one.
Even Mr. Leng wasn't left out.
Since they were all out together, everyone got one.
Lorrie chose a cute rabbit lantern, which looked very lifelike.
Haven picked a lotus flower lantern with detailed petals, and Mr. Leng picked one he liked too.
Bailee didn't choose one—he already had the lotus lantern in his hand.
Each of the men held a lantern they liked and smiled happily. Even Mr. Leng looked softer than usual.
Julie quietly pulled out her money pouch and paid behind them.
They passed a sugar-coated hawthorn candy stall, and Lorrie stopped, staring at the bright red candy with his mouth almost watering.
It looked so delicious.
Julie sighed in her heart.
Anyone watching would think she mistreated him.
Didn't he realize he was getting chubby?
Still, even though she was helpless about it, her hands moved honestly. She took out some coins from her sleeve.
She bought four sticks—one for each of them. She didn't like overly sweet things.