Mingzhou City boasted a heritage spanning more than a thousand years. Though many cities had equally long histories, Mingzhou's surviving ancient buildings, its layout, and its atmosphere always surpassed those of many other places.
The scenery at Lotus Wind Bridge was one of old Mingzhou’s Fifteen Wonders. Qi Zhongbin supported Granny Yu as they reached the bridge, beneath which flowed the river that ran through the city.
"We've known each other for over seventy years, haven't we?"
"We have. We were only in our teens when we began learning our craft. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed!"
Granny Yu spoke wistfully. Lotus Wind Bridge's scenery was at its finest on the second day of the eighth month, when lotus lanterns dotted the river beneath it and young men and women crowded both banks to set their lanterns afloat.
The lanterns hanging from the towers on both banks, the many buildings, and that night's scenery and crowds together formed this wonder of Mingzhou.
Qi Zhongbin gazed at the river with emotion, recalling how he, too, had once sneaked out on the evening of the second day of the eighth month, hoping to get a flower lantern. His junior sister had caught him red-handed, however, and reported him to their sorcerer master.
"To Mingzhou City, which has stood for a thousand years, these seventy-odd years are only a brief moment. But to us, they're a lifetime!"
Many restaurants and literary pavilions offering scenic views lined the riverbanks. At that moment, someone in one of those buildings was leaning at a window, watching Lotus Wind Bridge.
For those dining upstairs, watching Lotus Wind Bridge alternate between quiet stillness and streams of people was a visual pleasure in itself, much as some people read while eating and others watched