Yixiu and Tiaotiao sat by the back door waiting for Monkey Brother and Dashan with his son to return from retrieving the pearls.
The scorching sun turned the wet ground dry before long. The courtyard was spacious and next to the foot of Shixi Mountain, so Yixiu did not feel too hot.
The lotus leaves had sprouted last month, covering the lake surface like a spread of green umbrellas. Some leaves floated on the lake while others stood above the blue waves like layers of green ripples. Among the lotus leaves stood many pink-white lotuses. Some bloomed brilliantly, some were bud-like and about to bloom, and others had just a few petals opened. When the wind blew, the lotus leaves danced and the lotuses swayed gracefully.
It was a sight too beautiful for words.