"Mr. Chen Yu, what are they constructing over there? It looks quite interesting," Hiromi Jounouchi asked curiously after they left the park, observing people working on setting up various rednterns and frames in the square by the park''s entrance.


    Chen Yu nced at it and said nonchntly, "Oh, that? Those are festiventerns for the New Year. But haven''t they finished setting them up yet this year? In previous years, they should have been up by now, right? Hiromi, if you''re interested... We can''t go see them tomorrow since it''s New Year''s Eve and we need to be at home, but how about the day after tomorrow night? They are much more interesting to look at in the evening."


    "Festiventerns? What are those?" Hiromi Jounouchi repeated the Chinese term Chen Yu had used, and based on the pronunciation, she guessed, "Are they something simr to fireworks?"


    "Hmm, you could think of it that way," Chen Yu considered her assumption and found that, to some extent, there wasn''t anything wrong with it, but he borated, "These arenterns shaped into various forms. When they are lit up at night, they take on all sorts of shapes. Although some might look kind of silly, and a bit rustic, they truly are a part of Chinese tradition. It''s just that in the past, thenterns used to be more beautiful and refined. These days, you mostly see these sculptural types."


    "So, is it like the Christmas trees set up during Christmas?" Hiromi Jounouchi tried to understand exactly what Chen Yu was describing, "Also, you mentioned that the ones from before were prettier, what were they like? And what about this Chinese tradition you spoke of?"


    Hearing Hiromi Jounouchi''s questions, Chen Yu looked around and then led her to a nearby shop. At the entrance of the store, he pointed to a delicate littlentern hanging by the door and said, "Lanterns are an evolution of the ancient Chinesentern. You know about the big rednterns, right Hiromi?"


    "Duh, I do know whatnterns are!" Hiromi Jounouchi bristled at being teased, retorting while pointing at the hangingntern and telling the shopkeeper, "Excuse me, I''ll take this one, please!"


    However, the shopkeeper, seeing what Hiromi Jounouchi was pointing at, immediately apologized, "Sorry, this one is not for sale."


    "Eh? Isn''t this a product?" Hiromi Jounouchi asked, eyeing the beautifulntern hanging at the shop entrance with undeniable curiosity along with a hint of disappointment and envy in her voice.


    "This was made by my father; he used to sellnterns. But nowadays, people don''t really buy them anymore, so he only makes one to hang up here during the New Year. So, this one is not for sale," the shopkeeper exined apologetically.


    With regret etched on her face, Hiromi Jounouchi didn''t insist and simply bowed slightly to the shopkeeper before turning to leave with Chen Yu.


    Chen Yu continued to exin about festiventerns to Hiromi Jounouchi as they walked away: "Just like the one you saw at the shop, thentern hanging by the door was a traditionalntern made of bamboo, colorful silk, or paper. ording to tradition, on The Fifteenth of the First Lunar Month, which is the fifteenth day after the Lunar New Year, every family would disy theirnterns.


    But in modern society, traditional handmadenterns are no longer as popr as they once were, and even the custom of disyingnterns has diminished, mostly bing what you just saw in the square. The riddles that were an essential part of the festival on the fifteenth day are also not as popr as before, though it seems they are making aeback in thest few years with the rise in poprity of traditional culture," he said.


    "What''s antern riddle?" Although she hadn''t managed to buy antern, Hiromi Jounouchi wasn''t particrly upset, as it was just a spur-of-the-moment desire, much like her new-found interest in thentern riddles Chen Yu mentioned.


    "It''s one of the Chinese traditional customs, existing alongside thenterns as a riddle-solving game," Chen Yu exined to Hiromi Jounouchi, even presenting a riddle for her to guess: "In the past, while disyingnterns, people would write riddles on paper and hang them beneath thenterns for a guessing game. If you could guess correctly, you could take thentern home.


    Look, I have antern riddle right here, Hiromi, try to guess: ''Liu Bei weeps, and Liu Bang smiles. What character is this?''


    "Eh? Why suddenly make me solve a riddle? How could I possibly figure it out when I''ve just started learning Chinese!" Hiromi Jounouchi was caught off guard by Chen Yu''sntern riddle, and although she racked her brain, being far from proficient in Chinese, she indeed couldn''t guess it.


    "The answer is the character ''cui.'' In Chinese, the top half of the ''cui'' character is ''yu,'' and the bottom half is ''zu,'' together forming ''Yu-Zu.'' Liu Bei''s sworn brother was Guan Yu, and Liu Bang''s enemy was Xiang Yu. ''Yu-Zu'' signifies that ''Yu has died,'' hence the clue: Liu Bei cries, and Liu Bangughs." Chen Yu exined to Hiromi Jounouchi, simultaneously tracing the character on his palm to help her understand.


    "Who could guess that! I''m not Chinese! I''ll give you a Japanese riddle to guess then!" Hiromi Jounouchi pouted, seemingly miffed as she tossed out a riddle to him in return: "ゆびをきっても痛くないものは何?(What situation ''cuts a finger'' but doesn''t hurt?)"


    "Hmm... Let me think!" Although Chen Yu knew Japanese, this riddle had stumped him for the moment.


    "Can''t guess, huh? Hehe!" Seeing Chen Yu''s troubled expression, Hiromi Jounouchi burst outughing.


    However, as Chen Yu was attempting to buy some time, his phone rang very "opportunely."


    With a teasing smile stered on Hiromi Jounouchi''s face, Chen Yu signaled an apology to her before answering the call.


    "Professor Zhang? How did you know I was back in the country? Happy New Year to you too! I should have been the one to call you first." The caller was Professor Zhang, Chen Yu''s teacher from his university days and the father of Zhang Zhao and Zhao Min, whom he had briefly met in Japan.


    "Isn''t it because you, Professor Chen, have be such a big shot now? The head of surgery at The Third People''s Hospital, Director Liu, actually called me up, not even letting people have a peaceful New Year, all to persuade you, Professor Chen Da, to perform a demonstration surgery for him." Professor Zhang''s voice conveyed a touch of helplessness and embarrassment over the phone, as he clearly didn''t want to disturb Chen Yu during the New Year: "I didn''t want to get involved in this, but since Director Liu is an old ssmate of mine from university, I ended up having to shamelessly ask you for this favor."