Rebirth of a Farming Wife - Chapter 355

Chapter 355: Chapter 362: Concealed Heaven and Earth

Not only were Han Yu and his wife Shangguan Wuyou surprised by Su Wenyue’s sudden pivotal role at the crucial moment, after all, Su Wenyue had never shown any inclination toward scholarship, but even Yiyang Prefecture’s Four Great Talents hadn’t expected that Su Wenyue would have an answer, especially since the riddle wasn’t posed by them, and they didn’t know the solution either.

When they saw the two characters Su Wenyue wrote on the paper, everyone was even more confused. They recognized the characters, but they really couldn’t understand how they were related to the riddle, let alone what the two characters meant when connected.

Su Wenyue knew this was the answer, but to be honest, she didn’t really understand how these two characters constituted the solution. However, she desperately wanted that colorful exquisite lamp, so she wrote out the two characters from her memory.

The host, who was just a facilitator with mediocre literary skills, also couldn’t see the connection, so once Su Wenyue wrote down the answer, he passed it to the Four Great Talents to confirm whether it was correct or not.

Upon receiving the answer, the Four Great Talents were inwardly distressed and somewhat embarrassed. They truly didn’t know the answer; the one who brought out the riddle didn’t share the solution with them. Now, what could they say? Alas, they could only tell the truth. Although it was damaging to their reputation, they could not just blindly guess.

At that moment, a servant rushed onto the stage, claiming to be the domestic help of one of the Four Great Talents. He reported that there was an urgent matter at home, and after being confirmed by the Great Talents, he was allowed on stage.

After the so-called servant left the stage, the expressions on the Four Great Talents’ faces relaxed considerably, as if they had finally breathed a sigh of relief. They gave Su Wenyue a respectful bow, making a gesture of admiration, “Madam is highly talented. We concede defeat – the answer is correct.”

Upon hearing that Su Wenyue had given the correct answer, the crowd erupted in chatter once again, signaling that today’s Lantern Riddle Contest winner had been decided. Some people were awaiting the host to announce the riddle and the solution, but it was not forthcoming, which left them somewhat disappointed, not understanding why such a mysterious question couldn’t be revealed.

“So, does this mean we’ve won first place?” Ye Xinxin, who hadn’t expected much after seeing Shangguan Wuyou stumped and had already given up hope, was surprised by Su Wenyue’s sudden stunning performance and that the answer was correct. She couldn’t react right away and felt that the concession was a little too easy.

“Yes, my younger sister-in-law is truly beyond appearances; I had underestimated her before,” Han Yu said with a hint of admiration.

“This is fantastic, we’ve got first place! Sister Yue, you were amazing, haha, the best colorful lamp in the world is now ours,” Ye Xinxin cheered again after getting confirmation, unable to contain her excitement. She was so overjoyed she almost couldn’t wait to retrieve the colorful exquisite lamp from the black wooden box and thoroughly study it to see what made this ‘Number One Lamp in the World’ so extraordinary.

Shangguan Wuyou silently touched his forehead, thinking, ‘Madam, should you really be so proudly vocal about it? Everyone is watching us, could this be a tad too provoking?’ Especially since that colorful exquisite lamp was coveted by many.

However, seeing his daughter-in-law in such a state of joy, he realized that saying anything would be futile, so he kept quiet. After all, those determined to steal would definitely make an attempt, and he wouldn’t hold back. As for the envy, jealousy, and resentment of irrelevant people, it was something he never cared about, so he decided to let his daughter-in-law enjoy the moment. Besides, the colorful exquisite lamp belonged to Su Wenyue. After all, if he had lost, it was ultimately Su Wenyue who proposed the riddle and won the contest.

With the Four Great Talents admitting defeat, the winner was beyond question. The host announced the results of the contest, “The winner of this Lantern Riddle Contest has been decided. Before the contest began, our patron stated that whoever wins first place would be gifted with a mysterious present. Now, it’s time to unveil that mysterious gift.”

Upon saying that, the host clapped his hands. Several women in red outfits maneuvered through mechanisms to unlock the black wooden box, revealing a small box within. Upon opening it, a splendid flower lantern was visible. The material from which it was made was unknown, but in the bright night of the lamp festival, it emitted a dazzling brilliance that caught everyone’s eyes.

“Is this the colorful exquisite lamp? It’s beautiful,” Ye Xinxin exclaimed in amazement. Despite the distance making it hard to see clearly, the beauty of the lantern was still palpable.

The people below the stage felt the same, admiring the exquisite and unspeakably beautiful lantern. Someone remarked that this might well be the best colorful lamp in the world, inciting another wave of excitement.

“It’s rightfully the best colorful lamp in the world, truly beautiful!”

“Indeed, it’s the first time I’ve seen such a beautiful flower lantern, I’m at a loss for words.”

Hearing Ye Xinxin’s and the surrounding people’s praise, it seemed that everyone had accepted the beautiful flower lantern as the colorful exquisite lamp, which caused a strange expression to appear on Su Wenyue’s face.

No wonder, as the colorful exquisite lamp had been lost for a long time, last seen during the previous dynasty, and nobody had seen it since. It was normal for them to be mistaken, especially since this flower lantern was indeed beautiful enough. Even if the real colorful exquisite lamp were placed in front of them, likely everyone would still regard this flower lantern as the colorful exquisite lamp.

People tend to gravitate toward beautiful and appealing things. The real colorful exquisite lamp didn’t have such an extravagant and dazzling appearance, looking rather like an extraordinarily ordinary flower lantern, but its inner workings held a universe of secrets.

Han Yu had been observing his daughter-in-law’s reactions all along, and when the woman in red brought out the flower lantern, there was no excitement from her; instead, after a brief moment of amazement, her expression became dismissive. Evidently, the lantern was fake. Based on his daughter-in-law’s previous behavior, if the real colorful exquisite lamp had appeared, she would not have remained so calm. After looking at the flower lantern for a few moments, she lost interest.

Of course, Han Yu’s hunch was not just based on Su Wenyue’s reaction, but also on the way the woman in red handled the lantern when she brought it out. It wasn’t exactly rough, but it lacked any sense of cherishing, leading him to believe instinctively that it was merely a slightly more attractive ordinary flower lantern.

“That’s not the colorful exquisite lamp,” Shangguan Wuyou responded to Ye Xinxin at that moment. Aristocratic families have their own heritage, not just in terms of wealth but also in cultural depth and accumulation of knowledge. Although Shangguan Wuyou had never seen the real colorful exquisite lamp, he had read an account of it in a manuscript in his family’s library, which differed greatly from this glamorous and beautiful lantern.

Su Wenyue was not in a hurry, even though the mysterious gift was said to be the colorful exquisite lamp. She was waiting for the host’s response, to see how the host would proceed, whether he intended to pass off this fake lantern as the real deal to her. But then, suddenly, an unexpected change occurred.