Chương 61: Pilgrims
Three days later.
Ren, Jada, and Yueyue headed to Huangcheng again.
Just like before, they didn't drive.
The distance was too far, and Ren found driving on the highway too exhausting.
"So, we should've driven," Jada said, frowning at Ren. "Look, we can't even get a cab."
"…" Ren was speechless. "Who knew there'd be so many people today? Last time I came here…"
He paused as he remembered something.
When he came before, the suburban sacrificial festival hadn't started. No wonder there were so many people today!
"It's a shame Xena is busy preparing and can't pick us up. Otherwise, we could have taken her car."
"Dad, Mom, stop arguing! Let's take the bus!" Yueyue said, pointing to the approaching bus.
The bus arrived just in time, and Yueyue was eager. "It's almost nine o'clock!"
In ancient times, small-scale suburban sacrificial ceremonies usually took place between seven and ten in the morning.
But now it wasn't ancient times, and some of the procedures had been lost, so the whole process wasn't as long. Nine o'clock was just in time to catch it.
Apart from someone pretending to be the emperor for the sacrifice and the dancing, the rest of the day was filled with fun activities.
Ren and Jada thought it over and then grabbed Yueyue's hand to board the bus.
The bus was extremely crowded.
Most of the passengers seemed to be heading to the festival, with some wearing Hanfu, carrying oil-paper umbrellas, and holding fans.
"Yueyue, sit properly," Ren reminded as he stood next to Jada, chatting idly.
As the bus moved, they could see the mountain body of Buzhou Mountain in the distance.
Suddenly, the bus came to an abrupt stop.
Amid the driver's cursing and the brief screams of the passengers, Ren smelled a fragrant scent and felt something soft in his hand.
Jada hadn't taken the bus in a long time. With so many people and her wearing high heels, she lost her balance and fell toward Ren during the sudden stop.
Ren instinctively reached out to support her, resulting in a somewhat embarrassing situation.
"…"
"…"
Their faces were inches apart, and Jada's face turned bright red, feeling Ren's hand on her chest. She quickly slapped his hand away.
"Ah, sorry."
"It's… it's fine…"
Ren turned his head, pretending to look out the window, though he was secretly relieved. He flexed his hand, recalling the sensation.
Pretty big, he mused.
After that, their occasional conversation turned to silence.
Sitting in her seat, Yueyue looked back and forth between her parents, confused as to why they had suddenly stopped talking.
But children are easily distracted. When they passed a statue, Yueyue pressed against the window and exclaimed in wonder.
Time ticked by.
Soon, they got off the bus with Yueyue.
The platform was packed with people, the air filled with noisy chatter.
Everyone was talking loudly, taking pictures, strolling around, and sharing smiles.
"There are so many people," Jada said, exasperated.
"Yeah, I didn't expect this many…" Ren frowned.
If he remembered correctly, Xena hadn't mentioned such a large crowd.
Maybe she didn't think this was a lot?
After all, according to Xena, there was an even bigger festival during the New Year, where it would be even more crowded. Was she comparing it to that?
"Well, let's find a good spot."
"Okay."
Ren and Jada moved forward, holding Yueyue's hand tightly. In a crowd like this, they didn't want to lose her.
They made their way through the throng, saying "excuse me" and "pardon us" as they went.
Soon, they reached the spot Xena had told them was the best for viewing.
After about ten minutes of waiting, there was enthusiastic applause and some people whistling excitedly.One by one, graceful figures entered the central area. Ancient music began to play, making everyone feel as if they had traveled back in time.
"Wow, it's Sister Xena!" Yueyue, sitting on Ren's shoulders, saw a familiar face and waved excitedly, not caring if Xena could see her.
"So beautiful…"
Jada couldn't help but admire the sight.
After a while, Ren heard some people talking nearby.
"This pilgrimage was worth it! It's even more beautiful than in the manga!" a man said, snapping photos and comparing them to a manga book. "And the patterns are identical!"
"Hey, are you here because of 'Your Name' too?"
"Yeah! Didn't Lu Xun say, 'He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man'? Nowadays, they say, 'He who has not seen the Six Dances is not a true manga fan.'"
"Nonsense, that was said by Zhou Shuren."
As the two chatted, more people joined in.
"Do you think they'll make kouji sake at the end? My friend said he wanted to buy a bottle to try."
"By friend, you mean yourself, right?"
"Heh heh…"
While the boys discussed, a group of girls overheard them and looked on with disdain.
"That's gross."
"Someone actually wants to drink kouji sake."
"They have no appreciation. These clothes are the real highlight. I want to get a Hanfu custom-made. Imagine the attention!"
"Yeah, but custom-made must be expensive, right?"
"Not too bad."
"…"
Ren and Jada listened to the discussions about Picca Comics' manga and couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.
At the same time, it solved a mystery.
Ren now understood why there were so many people today.
It seemed some had come for a pilgrimage?
Without realizing it, his manga had reached such an influential level?
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