Coach: Coaching the Grizzlies at the beginning, playing the bantam

"The next stop is Shijiazhuang North Station." As soon as the high-speed train announcer finished speaking, Hannah stretched and jumped up from her seat. "Finally, we're here! If I sit any further, my butt will be fused to the seat cushion!"

Lu Yong smiled and pulled her backpack towards him: "Little ancestor, this trip is only two hours and twenty minutes. You slept the entire way from BJ to Tangshan last week."

As he was speaking, the train happened to enter a tunnel. Hannah's face suddenly enlarged in the shadows, and the sweet scent of orange-flavored lipstick brushed against his earlobe: "Then next time you sleep on my shoulder?"

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the sun made Zhongshan East Road look white.

Lu Yong was walking around the lobby of a hotel chain dragging his suitcase. Hannah was staring at the computer screen at the front desk: "What? The family room we booked was cancelled? Was your system hacked?"

"I'm very sorry, ma'am. It was a mistake by the cleaning department..." The lobby manager's forehead was covered with sweat, and his eyes suddenly lit up. "How about upgrading you to an executive suite? It also comes with afternoon tea for two and a shuttle service to Zhengding Ancient City!"

Hannah was about to speak when Lu Yong suddenly pulled her sleeve and said, "Wait, your official website says that the executive suite with double breakfast is 888, but now the OTA platform shows that it's only 699 if available."

He pulled out a mini projector from the side pocket of his backpack and instantly projected the screen of his phone onto the wall. "Look, this is the reservation record from half an hour ago. The system shows that it can be confirmed immediately."

The lobby manager's face suddenly changed, and Lu Yong struck while the iron was hot: "Either you compensate me according to the price difference, or I'll call the Culture and Tourism Bureau to complain - it's your choice."

Five minutes later, the two not only checked into the suite, but also received two extra VIP guided tour tickets for Longxing Temple.

"Lu Yong, you are a walking strategy for getting free stuff!" Hannah threw herself on the round bathtub in front of the French window. "Teach me that trick you used just now. How did you become a negotiation expert in one second?"

"This is called 'staggered pressure'." Lu Yong pushed the suitcase into the cloakroom. "First, your momentum must be as steady as the ancient city wall of Zhengding. Secondly—"

He was suddenly hugged by Hannah from behind, and his earlobe felt wet. "Secondly, you need a girlfriend who can sneak attack to distract the other party?"

At six o'clock in the evening, the two of them squatted in front of the Malatang stall in the back alley of Yanfenglou.

Hannah held up a bamboo stick and stirred it in the red oil pan: "Lu Yong! This konjac knot can dance! Look, does the way it curls up look like your eyebrows the last time you made me angry?"

"It's so spicy that it's wavy." Lu Yong stuffed the cooked beef skewers into her mouth. "And my eyebrows are twitching because you always snatch the quail eggs from my bowl - Boss, give me ten more skewers!"

When the neon lights of the night market formed a star-like river on Zhongshan Road, Hannah suddenly dragged Lu Yong into the old-fashioned pastry shop. In the glass cabinet were the peculiarly shaped "cylinder oven biscuits", and the sesame seeds glowed golden in the warm light.

"Would you like to try this?" The old chef used tongs to open the pancake, and the crispy skin fell off. "This is called 'ox tongue pancake'. During the Qing Dynasty, it was dry food prepared for candidates who went to Beijing to take the imperial examinations."

Hannah took a bite and suddenly choked. Lu Yong patted her on the back and laughed, "Slow down, no one is going to snatch it from you."

When he took out his handkerchief, the old master suddenly handed him a bowl of almond tea: "Drink this with it, the secret recipe passed down from generation to generation can relieve the spiciness - but young man, your girlfriend's eating manners are much more delicate than my wife back then."

At seven o'clock the next morning, Hannah woke Lu Yong up with a cold towel: "Hurry up! The tour ticket says there will be a lecture by an ancient architecture expert at 8:30 a.m."

He groped his way to the bathroom with sleepy eyes and found a note on his electric toothbrush: "I'll give you three minutes to turn back into a human, or you'll have to lift the pole for all the selfies today!"

When the two of them rode the shared tram into the gate of Longxing Temple, Hannah's straw hat was almost blown away by the morning breeze.

Lu Yong grabbed the brim of his hat with one hand and slapped the tour guide ticket into the ticket machine with the other hand: "Luckily I made it in time - Hey? Is that old man in the gray shirt a tour guide?"

"Everyone, please look at this reclining Guanyin." When the expert raised the laser pen, Hannah suddenly pulled the corner of Lu Yong's clothes: "The ring on his hand! It has the same pattern as the Liao Dynasty jade artifacts we saw in the Zhengding Museum!"

Lu Yong took a closer look and saw that the old man was indeed wearing a black jade ring on his left pinky finger, with a lotus pattern engraved on the surface. The speaker suddenly lowered his voice and said, "This donor has a good eye. This item is indeed a burial object unearthed from the underground palace of Longxing Temple. However, this is an internal secret, so let's communicate privately."

When the tour group reached the Wheel of Dharmapala, Hannah suddenly broke away from the group.

She tiptoed to reach the copper bell hanging on the beam. Just as Lu Yong was about to stop her, she had already pulled the bell rope and started swinging: "Lu Yong, look! This bell can sing!"

"Miss, come down quickly!" The expert stamped his feet anxiously, "This is the alarm installed during the restoration in the Qing Dynasty. If it is ringed, it will alert all the monks in the temple!" Before he finished speaking, a melodious bronze bell sound suddenly came from the direction of the Sutra Library. Hannah was so scared that she almost fell off the beam.

The midday sun made the brackets of the Mani Temple shine.

Hannah lay on the Luban chair and studied the architectural atlas: "Lu Yong, look! The 'oblique arch' marked in Liang Sicheng's manuscript is right above our heads!"

"That's why I say you are a walking encyclopedia of ancient architecture." Lu Yong handed her the mineral water. "But did you notice? The fingertips of this Thousand-armed Guanyin statue have signs of wear and tear, as if it has been touched for a long time--"

"Because this is the most effective place to pray for marriage!" A girl in a baseball cap suddenly interrupted. She was live-streaming a selfie stick. "Look at this hand gesture, my dears. Legend has it that couples who touch the fingertips of Guanyin will live together forever!"

Hannah suddenly pulled Lu Yong out of the crowd and said, "Let's go! It will be terrible if she finds out that we didn't touch her!" When the two of them hid in a side hall, Lu Yong suddenly pointed at the mural and laughed, "There are sesame seeds from the Guanyin cake on the corners of your mouth!"

"It's all because you insisted on buying this intangible cultural heritage snack!" Hannah took out a small mirror to touch up her makeup, and suddenly froze, "Lu Yong, look at this mural! Is the instrument in the hands of this flying fairy the same as the Nanyin pipa we saw in Quanzhou?"

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the two of them sat in the Longquan Well Pavilion to enjoy the cool air.

Hannah put the iced sour plum soup on Lu Yong's neck: "Is it refreshing? I learned the Shijiazhuang cooling method from the water seller!"

"Little ancestor, you've frozen my aorta." Lu Yong was about to fight back when he was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a piano.

A young man in Hanfu was sitting under a thousand-year-old locust tree and playing the guzheng. There was a QR code on the case of the guzheng: "Donate as you like, starting from 10 yuan."

Hannah searched all her pockets and finally took off the glass beads on her hairband: "Can I use this to play "A Laugh in the Ocean"? "The boy was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled and plucked the strings of the guitar. The heroic melody startled the sparrows in the tree.

"Lu Yong! Record it quickly!" Hannah spun around holding her phone, "This is more exciting than a live concert!" As she jumped, her straw hat flew out and landed squarely on the head of a patrolling security guard.

As the sun set, the two followed the crowd toward the back mountain of Longxing Temple.

Hannah was jumping on the observation deck holding a marshmallow in her hand: "Lu Yong! Look at this angle! We can capture the entire ancient city of Zhengding and our shadows!"

"My dear, your sugar threads are going to stick to my lens." Lu Yong adjusted the parameters. "But this light ratio is really amazing - look at the white pagoda in the distance, doesn't it look like an ice cream floating in the sunset?" When the last ray of sunlight disappeared under the eaves of Longxing Temple, Hannah suddenly dragged Lu Yong down the mountain: "Hurry! Let's touch the fingertips of Guanyin before the park closes!"

She ran so fast that the glass beads in her hair jingled, startling a gray magpie that was foraging on the roadside.

.........

The next morning,

"Ding—" Hannah was wrapping herself in the quilt pretending to be an ostrich when the cell phone alarm rang in the executive suite.

"Lu Yong! What kind of devilish alarm did you set? It's only 7:05!"

Lu Yong poked his head out of the bathroom, with a towel draped over his wet hair. "My dear, Longquan Ancient Town opens at nine o'clock. It takes forty minutes to get there from the hotel, plus putting on makeup and changing clothes—"

He was suddenly hit in the face by a flying pillow. "And didn't you say last night that you wanted to be the first tourist to enter the park wearing Hanfu?"

At 8:40 in the morning, Hannah stood in the fitting room of the "Jinxiuji" Hanfu Experience Hall and was frantic: "Lu Yong! How do I tie the belt of this horse-faced skirt? And does the jade color of this big-sleeved shirt not match the hairpin?"

"Iced sour plum soup that you ordered." The waiter pushed the door open with a tray in his hand. Hannah was standing on tiptoe to reach the button at the back of her neck. "You are so lucky, girl. Your boyfriend even remembers what kind of drinks you like to drink when you wear Hanfu."

Lu Yong was squatting in front of the Duobao Pavilion choosing sachets, and suddenly held up one embroidered with pomegranate flowers: "This one will match your necklace perfectly - hey, your hair is tangled in the tassel hairpin?" When he got closer, Hannah suddenly turned around, and the golden hairpin in her hair left a red mark on the tip of his nose.

"You deserve it! Who told you to stare at the salesgirl all the time!" Hannah was adjusting her shawl in front of the mirror when she suddenly froze, "Lu Yong, did this makeup artist do my makeup based on the painting 'Ladies with Flowers in Their Hair'? Look at this slanting red makeup, does it look like something out of an ancient painting?"

"That's why I say you're a walking cultural relic." Lu Yong tied the sachet around her waist. "But now you look more like Du Liniang escaping from The Peony Pavilion - look, it's starting to drizzle outside, which is perfect for your oil-paper umbrella."

At 10:15, the two stood under the bluestone archway of Longquan Ancient Town. Hannah held up the selfie stick and spun around: "Lu Yong, look! This angle can capture the entire Ming and Qing architectural complex! And that fairy riding a phoenix on the eaves, is he winking at me?"

"Little ancestor, your umbrella rib is about to poke the NPC." Lu Yong pulled her back half a step, and the "Jinyiwei" wearing flying fish uniforms suddenly turned out from the alley: "Are you two here to attend Mr. Shen's birthday banquet? Please follow me."

Hannah excitedly pulled Lu Yong to follow, and after turning around a few times, they suddenly stopped: "Wait! Have we been here before? This crooked locust tree was on the right just now, why is it on the left now?"

"Because we are in the Bagua formation." Lu Yong took out his phone and turned on the compass. "Look, the compass needle is spinning wildly - this maze is arranged according to the Nine Palaces and Bagua, and each door corresponds to a different time of day."

When they returned to the starting point for the fifth time, Hannah suddenly dragged Lu Yong into the teahouse and said, "Boss! Bring us a pot of Biluochun! We want to listen to the longest storytelling!" Just as Lu Yong was about to stop her, the storyteller had already struck the wake-up stick and said, "Let's talk about when Shen Wansan was repairing the city wall..."

Half an hour later, the two of them followed the crowd out of the teahouse. Hannah bit into the sweet-scented osmanthus cake and laughed: "Lu Yong, did you find out? Just follow the guy with the tray and you can get out of the maze - this trick is much more useful than your compass!"

The midday sun made the sign of "Longquan Shadow Studio" shine. Hannah leaned over the counter to study the puppets: "Lu Yong! The joints of this Monkey King can move! And this White Bone Demon, what are her nails made of?"

"Girl, you have good eyesight. This is made from a whole donkey hide." The old artist held up the puppet to demonstrate, "Look at this joint buckle. It's a unique skill that has been passed down in our family for three generations. But if you like, you can make a simple version by yourself."

When Hannah was worried about the cowhide with a carving knife, Lu Yong suddenly held her hand and said, "Draw the outline first, then carve the details - just as carefully as you trimmed my eyebrows last time."

As he spoke, the old artist quietly retreated behind the curtain, and the sound of gongs and drums from the shadow play suddenly rang out.

"Lu Yong! Look!" Hannah dragged him to the front of the curtain. The shadow puppet they had just carved was playing the role of a boatman in "The Legend of White Snake". "The old man actually incorporated our work into the play!"

When the show was over, the old artist handed over a brocade box and said, "This is a gift for the destined one." Hannah opened it and saw a mini shadow puppet stage inside, with Q-version images of the two people embroidered on the curtain.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, the two squatted in front of the arena of "Zhenyuan Escort Agency". Hannah held up a candied haws as a cheering stick: "Lu Yong! That girl in shorts is about to be knocked off the arena! Go and save her!"

"My dear, this is an immersive script-killing game." Lu Yong shared half of the melon seeds with her. "And look at that escort leader NPC. The jade pendant on his waist is made of the same material as your pomegranate sachet."

When the champion won seven games in a row, Hannah suddenly pulled Lu Yong onto the stage and said, "Let's challenge each other to a doubles match!" As she spoke, Lu Yong's folding fan had already hit the opponent's wrist, and the candied haws stick had hit the red tasseled spear on the dart head exactly.

"You are very skilled, girl!" When the escort leader clasped his fists, Lu Yong suddenly discovered that there were dark patterns embroidered on his cuffs - exactly the same as the intangible cultural heritage brocade they bought in Zhengding Ancient City.

In the evening, the drizzle suddenly turned heavy. Hannah dragged Lu Yong into the "Tingyu Tower" to avoid the rain, and found that it was actually an ancient music restaurant.

The waitress in a skirt handed over the menu: "What songs would you like to listen to? We have the pipa version of "Blue and White Porcelain" and the guzheng version of "Desert Camel."

"I want to listen to 'A Laugh in the Sea'!" When Hannah slammed the table, the tea splashed on the old man at the next table. The old man smiled and raised his glass: "You have good taste, little girl! This song goes best with daughter's wine!"

When the pianist played the first note, Hannah suddenly grabbed Lu Yong and jumped onto the stage.

She spun to the beat, her skirt sweeping across the musician's desk, causing the pipa strings to emit clear vibratos.

"Lu Yong! Catch it!" She threw the shawl over, and when Lu Yong caught it, he found it was an invisible belt - it turned out that Hannah had worn her performance costume underneath.

When the two were dancing to their heart's content, an audience member suddenly threw gold leaves onto the stage. Hannah picked up one and took a bite: "It's chocolate coated with gold foil! Put it in your pocket!"

As night fell, the two sat on the bow of the black-winged boat. Hannah shared the gold leaf chocolate with the boat girl and said, "Sister, are the koi fish in this river spirits? When we were feeding them steamed bread crumbs, a red carp suddenly jumped out of the water and caught them!"

"That's the fish spirit raised by Mr. Shen." The boatwoman smiled as she rowed, "But if you throw a copper coin into the water, it will spit bubbles for you to see - just like this." She threw a copper coin, and suddenly a string of pearl bubbles exploded on the water surface.

When the boat reached the dock where the lotus lanterns were placed, Hannah suddenly pulled Lu Yong ashore.

She bought a lotus lantern, but gave him the pen: "You write it! I always write my wishes, this time it's your turn!"

Just as Lu Yong was about to start writing, Hannah suddenly grabbed the lamp and said, "Let me do it! I want to write 'I hope Lu Yong loses to me next time' - Oops! Why did you push the lamp into the water?"

"Because your wish has come true." Lu Yong held his phone in front of her. The food delivery app showed that he had just ordered a "Durian Thousand Layer Cake". "And according to Murphy's Law, wishes will not work once they are spoken out loud." (End of this chapter)