A reborn mother longs for her daughter's happiness.

Chapter 42 Lantern Festival

A few days later, the Lantern Festival arrived. "Selling glutinous rice balls, selling glutinous rice balls, the waiter's glutinous rice balls are round and round..." The cheerful folk song echoed through the streets and alleys of the Lantern Festival. Li Yuan and Liu Xuan, with their two beloved daughters, Li Shiqing and Liu Yixin, were preparing to start a lively Lantern Festival family feast.

Li Yuan was busy in the kitchen like a spinning top, constantly muttering, "These glutinous rice balls have to be round and plump, just like our family being reunited."

Liu Xuan was helping out, but things always went wrong. He would either make a mess of the flour or almost spill the filling.

Like a little glutton, Liu Yixin peeked out from the kitchen doorway and said with a grin, "Mom, when can we eat glutinous rice balls? My little gluttons are having a party!"

Li Shiqing pretended to be calm and said, "You only know how to eat. You should savor the Lantern Festival slowly. You're not so impatient."

Li Yuan smiled and said, "Don't rush, don't rush. Once the glutinous rice balls float to the surface after cooking, they'll look like chubby babies taking a bath in the water. They're ready to eat when they're cooked." As she spoke, she put the wrapped glutinous rice balls into the pot one by one. The glutinous rice balls rolled around in the hot water, as if they were having a joyful dance competition.

Looking at the glutinous rice balls in the pot, Liu Xuan suddenly had a brilliant idea and said, "Do you think these glutinous rice balls look like planets in the universe? This one is the 'Chocolate Planet,' and that one is the 'Sesame Planet.'" Liu Yixin's eyes lit up: "Then I'm going to swallow the 'Chocolate Planet' in one gulp, and I'll be the little overlord of the universe!"

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this.

After much effort, the glutinous rice balls were finally cooked, and the family sat around the dining table.

Li Shiqing picked up a glutinous rice ball, examined it carefully, and said, "This glutinous rice ball looks like a plump little dumpling. I don't want to eat it."

Liu Yixin couldn't wait and took a bite, but the filling was so hot that she stuck out her tongue. "Ouch, this glutinous rice ball is a 'little fireball'! It almost burned my tongue!"

Li Yuan quickly handed her a glass of water, scolding her playfully, "Look at you, in such a hurry. Yuanxiao isn't going to run away."

Liu Xuan laughed and said, "That's Yixin for you, always so energetic and decisive."

After eating the glutinous rice balls, the family decided to stroll through the lantern festival. The streets were packed with people, and all kinds of lanterns were on display. There were lifelike animal lanterns that looked like they were about to jump off their stands; there were exquisite fairy lanterns that seemed to be dancing gracefully in the clouds; and there were antique palace lanterns that emitted a soft glow.

Liu Yixin ran around excitedly, pointing at the lantern and saying, "Look, this rabbit lantern is so cute, it looks like it's winking at me!" Then she pulled everyone to look at the dragon lantern: "Wow, this dragon is so majestic, is it going to take us flying to the sky?"

Li Shiqing was drawn to a riddle-solving stall. She frowned as she pondered the riddle: "A knife, floating downstream, has eyes, but no eyebrows. What is it?"

Liu Xuan pointed out, "This is something that lives in water."

Li Shiqing's eyes lit up: "I know, it's a fish! Because a fish is shaped like a knife, swims in the water, has eyes but no eyebrows." After guessing the riddle correctly, she happily chose a small lantern as a prize.

As they strolled around, they came across a place where acrobatics were being performed. An entertainer was balancing bowls on his head, and the bowls seemed to be under a spell, remaining perfectly steady.

Liu Yixin stared in disbelief: "Does this person have superpowers? How come the bowl doesn't fall down?"

Li Yuan said with a smile, "This is kung fu that someone has practiced for a long time, it's not a superpower."

Next, an artist performed fire-breathing. The roaring flames shooting from his mouth startled Liu Yixin, who hid behind Liu Xuan, asking, "Dad, will he burn us all?"

Liu Xuan reassured him, "No, it's just a performance. He's very experienced."

Tired from walking, the family sat down to rest on a bench by the street.

Looking at the moon in the sky, Liu Xuan said, "The moon is so round tonight, just like the hearts of our family."

Li Yuan leaned on his shoulder: "Yes, being with you all during the Lantern Festival is the happiest thing."

Li Shiqing and Liu Yixin played a clapping game on the side, chanting: "You clap once, I clap once, happy Lantern Festival; you clap twice, I clap twice, the lanterns are beautiful and dazzling..."

Just then, a vendor passed by, and Liu Yixin's eyes lit up again: "Mom, I want to eat it. It looks like a cloud, it must taste delicious."

Li Yuan shook her head helplessly: "You little rascal, didn't you eat enough glutinous rice balls for the Lantern Festival?" But she still got up to buy some for her.

Liu Yixin took them and happily shared them with everyone: "Everyone, come and try my 'clouds,' and you'll be able to float away after eating them!"

Li Shiqing took a bite: "Mmm, it's sweet, it really tastes like the Lantern Festival."

Continuing on, they saw a group of people performing a dragon and lion dance. The dragon and lion seemed to come alive, leaping and tumbling with majestic power. Liu Yixin joined the crowd, jumping and skipping around, imitating the dragon and lion dance moves, making everyone laugh.

Looking at Liu Yixin, Li Yuan said to Liu Xuan, "This child is a real little treasure. With her around, the house will never be quiet."

Liu Xuan nodded in agreement: "Yes, both daughters are our precious treasures. Our family should always be happy like this."

As night deepened, the festive atmosphere of the Lantern Festival showed no signs of waning. Li Yuan and Liu Xuan walked slowly home with their two daughters, still savoring the joyful moments of the evening.

Liu Yixin yawned and said, "Today was so much fun! I can't wait for the next Lantern Festival!"

Li Shiqing also said, "Yes, next year's Lantern Festival will definitely be more interesting."

After returning home, Li Yuan washed and dressed her two daughters and then had them lie down in bed.

Liu Xuan told them the story of the Lantern Festival: "Once upon a time, a divine bird got lost and landed on earth, only to be mistakenly killed by a hunter. The Jade Emperor was furious and wanted to burn the human world down on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The Jade Emperor's kind-hearted daughter secretly descended to earth to tell people this news. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, people hung red lanterns and set off fireworks. The Jade Emperor thought the human world was on fire and did not send down any disaster. From then on, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month became the Lantern Festival, and people celebrate by hanging lanterns and eating glutinous rice balls..."

The two daughters listened intently and soon drifted off to sleep. Li Yuan and Liu Xuan watched their sleeping daughters and gently closed the door. They knew that these precious moments would remain in the family's memories forever, becoming their most treasured possession.