That wretched vixen has disguised herself as my wife!

He was about to say that he hadn't figured out how to sneak into the city with a bunch of wanted posters on his back, but Xie Yunqi's eyes lit up and he interrupted him without hesitation.

"That's easy!!"

After running all the way, the group successfully reached the foot of the mountain.

Mountain springs flow into the river, and people row boats across the calm and wide river. The sky after the rain is as clear as a mirror.

The vast expanse of water and sky is like a poem or a painting.

Xie Yunqi stepped onto the riverbank, cupped his hands into a megaphone shape, and shouted loudly towards the small boats:

"Hey!! Can I hitch a ride on a boat?!"

Hearing the sound, the boatmen turned around and saw the pretty little girl on the riverbank. They all joked and laughed with her happily.

"You can't take her now! Little girl, transform into a koi fish and swim to the other side!"

"Oh dear! Why?!"

Xie Yunqi stomped his foot, very unhappy.

"Young lady, it's fine to give you a ride on ordinary days, but not today. We're all carrying passengers to the city for the Joyful Rain Festival!"

A nearby boatman, leaning on his oar and letting the boat drift downstream, wiped the sweat from his face and answered her question with a smile.

"The Festival of Joyful Rain?"

Xie Yunqi was slightly taken aback, then immediately turned to look at Jiang Jingming.

This is a custom in Fengling City: after the first spring rain stops, a Rain-Celebrating Festival is held in the city.

The woman had told them earlier that this was the best time to go into town.

Because all eligible women near Fengling City have the opportunity to participate in the Rain Festival and compete for the annual title of "Rain Master".

Such a grand festival attracts huge crowds, and even the Imperial Guards of the Capital City cannot keep up with the flow of people.

Thinking of this, Jiang Jingming nodded slightly to the young lady.

With his permission, Xie Yunqi immediately turned around and smiled obediently at the boatman.

"Brother boatman, you said you're going to the Joyful Rain Festival, who are you carrying on the boat?"

Xie Yunqi is very cute, and when he pretends to be well-behaved, he is extremely easy to make people feel sorry for him and soften their hearts.

Although she was in a hurry to get on her way, the boatman stopped the boat and patiently talked to her.

“Young lady, the person on my boat is Zhang Huahua, the second daughter of the Zhang family in Xinghua Village. She is a famous beauty in Xinghua Village and has a good chance of winning a prize this time. I have to hurry over there so as not to miss the time and not be able to get a good mooring spot.”

"Oh! It's Zhang Huahua!"

Xie Yunqi looked delighted, as if she had just realized something. She quickly clapped her hands and craned her neck to call out loudly into the boat:

"Flower!! Flower!! It's me, Flower! I am..."

She choked for a moment, unsure what name to give herself.

"You are Xie Guoguo."

Jiang Jingming suppressed a smile and said in a serious tone.

"Yes, yes, yes! It's me, Guoguo! Huahua, don't you remember me? When we were little, you played at your house, and I played at my house!"

Xie Yunqi didn't have time to think before continuing to ramble on and on.

The boatman, rowing, looked left and right, unsure of what was going on.

"When we were little, we even named a mountain Flower and Fruit Mountain. There was a Water Curtain Cave on the mountain, and we would go up the mountain together to see monkeys..."

The more Xie Yunqi spoke, the more he felt he was about to break down.

Fortunately, at that moment a slender white hand reached out, lifted half of the curtain, and spoke in a gentle tone.

"Boatman, let them come aboard."

"However, Master Zhang specifically instructed me..."

The boatman was in a bit of a dilemma.

He received a lot of money on this trip, and the master repeatedly warned him not to make any mistakes on the road.

"Guoguo is my childhood friend. Giving them a ride won't take much time."

The voice inside the boat remained gentle, clearly belonging to a kind and gentle woman.

"Well, whatever!"

The boatman sighed and had no choice but to row the boat to shore.

Xie Yunqi and Jiang Jingming exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised, wondering why the woman on the boat would speak up for them.

Could it be that there really is a childhood friend named Guoguo?

......

The group boarded the ship in a daze.

Jiang Jingming stood outside the curtain, paused, and said, "Excuse me."

"Please come in, young master."

Only after receiving a response from the people inside did he lift the curtain and enter the cabin.

A woman dressed in a plain-colored long dress was sitting by the window. When she saw him come in, she quickly turned around.

Jiang Jingming lowered his eyes and didn't look at her, but simply cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Young master, there's no need for such formalities. My name is Zhang Huahua. May I ask your name?"

"My name is Jing Ming."

Jiang Jingming only looked up after completing the basic procedures.

Women from wealthy families like this are usually very well-behaved and rarely meet outsiders.

Especially since he was a stranger, we had to be polite, otherwise it wouldn't sound good if word got out.

Since this woman had kindly taken them on board, they should be considerate of her needs and avoid causing her any trouble.

Zhang Huahua in front of me was indeed a beautiful woman, the kind of beauty that comes from a modest family.

Zhang Huahua's gaze swept over the faces of the several people who confidently entered the cabin, finally settling on Xie Yunqi, and she guessed with a smile:

"This must be Guoguo, right?"

"It's me! It's me!"

Xie Yunqi walked over to her with a grin and sat down next to her, his bright eyes looking her up and down.

"I'm sorry! I just made that up so I could get a ride. Thank you for letting us on the boat!"

"No need for such formalities, everyone."

Zhang Huahua shook her head and smiled, gesturing for everyone to take their seats first.

"With the Joyful Rain Festival approaching, the ferries on the river are in short supply. It would be quite troublesome for you to go into the city. Since I happen to be passing by, I'll give you a ride. It's no big deal."

"Thank you, Miss Zhang."

Fang Zhiyi leaned against the window on the other side, smiled, and thanked her.

Jiang Jingming looked at her and could tell that her mind was already wandering; she was intently looking at the withered lotus on the riverbank.

A gentle breeze swept across the riverbank, causing her hair to flutter lightly and the withered lotus leaves to sway.

This scene is like a colorful ink landscape painting, a beauty that seems otherworldly.

A hint of surprise and astonishment flickered across Zhang Huahua's face. She carefully observed everyone in the cabin and finally couldn't help but ask:

"Are you three young ladies also going to the Joyful Rain Festival?"

What the boatman said earlier wasn't an exaggeration. She was a renowned beauty in Xinghua Village, with a constant stream of marriage proposals. Ever since she reached marriageable age, matchmakers had practically worn out her doorstep.

She was aware of her beauty, and from a young age, she had a melancholy often associated with beautiful women. She would often bury flowers and write poems, which made those playboy sons of wealthy families infatuated with her.

On a day like the Joyful Rain Festival, those who receive invitations are naturally all absolute beauties, but Zhang Huahua remained confident and did not show any timidity.

but......

Can anyone tell her where these three fairy-like girls on the ship came from?

The mischievous girl who called herself Guoguo was as bright and beautiful as a peach blossom. Zhang Huahua had never seen such unrestrained and flamboyant beauty before. This was definitely not a girl who could be raised in a secluded mansion.

The other girl, who remained silent and had a cold face, was also stunningly beautiful upon closer inspection, as if she had been sculpted from glass. However, she deliberately lowered her eyes and kept her head down, making it difficult for anyone to notice her.

The white-clad girl who had just spoken made Zhang Huahua feel utterly ashamed.

Can such a woman really exist in the world?

It made all my past pride in my appearance seem like a joke.

"No, we just hitch a ride into the city."

Jiang Jingming shook his head, denying her speculation.

"But all three girls are so beautiful, why didn't they receive invitations to the Rain Festival?"

Zhang Huahua glanced at the three of them a few more times, and suddenly felt an urge to cover her face.

"Ah, we're not from Fengling City, we're just passing through!"

Xie Yunqi ate a snack that Zhang Huahua had just handed him, quite naturally, and chewed it on his own.

"Flowers, flowers, flowers, what is this?"

"This is an apricot blossom pastry made by my mother. Please have a taste."

Zhang Huahua smiled, opened the box completely, and handed it to everyone.

Jiang Jingming bowed his head to thank him and reached out to take a piece.

It has a soft, sweet texture and a pleasant aroma of apricot blossoms; the taste is quite good.

"It's such a pity. If the young ladies could have participated, I don't know how lively this year's Joyful Rain Festival would have been."

Zhang Huahua looked at Xie Yunqi's chubby little face and sighed.

"Why is it called wasabi?"

Xie Yunqi asked back vaguely.

"By the way, you are all outsiders and probably don't know much about the procedures of the Joyful Rain Festival."

Zhang Huahua thought for a moment, then carefully explained to everyone:

"The Festival of Joyful Rains is to celebrate the arrival of spring rains. Before this, all the beautiful women of marriageable age in the city will receive an invitation to go boating in the inner city on the day of the festival. The onlookers will throw flowers at the most beautiful woman, and the woman who receives the most flowers will be the rain goddess of the year. People believe that she has brought rain that nourishes all things."

"Of course we've heard about this, and we've always wanted to see such a grand occasion in person."

Lu Zhao smiled and then winked at Jiang Jingming.

Jiang Jingming remained silent, thinking to himself, "Do you want to see a grand spectacle? Everyone knows exactly what you want to see."

Zhang Huahua nodded and smiled, then continued to ask.

"Young master, you are learned and knowledgeable, but do you know what the title 'Rain Master' means for a woman?"

"significance?"

Lu Zhao paused for a moment, then guessed:

"Probably like a courtesan? A testament to beauty or something."

"Actually, it's not just that."

Zhang Huahua shook her head:

"The Rain Master's judgment is not merely a assessment of a woman's appearance, but also the highest recognition of her temperament and demeanor. As the saying goes, 'A person with a wealth of knowledge naturally exudes elegance.' As a city of scholars, Fengling City must select a Rain Master who possesses a unique and independent spirit."

"I see."

Lu Zhao nodded, his heart immediately filled with longing.

At this point, Zhang Huahua sighed:

"However, the Rain Festival is also a ceremony for the sons of noble families in the city to choose their ideal wives. Apart from the Rain Master, most women's marriages are settled after this festival."

"Isn't this just the Empress's flower-viewing banquet? What a blatant lie!"