The World Online

Chapter 77: Lantern Festival

After settling the Armory Division, Ouyang Shuo went back into the study room and got offline as planned.

In reality, it was already the 15th day of the new year and the new years'' holiday was about to come to an end. The working class had already started to work on the 8th. Starting tomorrow, schools will also start. During the holidays, Bing'er would sleep in and eat a lot, causing her face to become fat, extremely adorable.

Yesterday, Sun Xiaoyue had called and said that she was returning to Jiaozhou today and spend the lantern festival together with them. Ouyang Shuo went to the market to buy several ingredients to cook a huge meal for dinner.

At 3pm in the afternoon, Sun Xiaoyue had reached home on time and brought with her many of her hometown specialties. After not seeing her for a very long time, naturally it started with a greeting. Bing'er, that little brat, was overly reliant on Sun Xiaoyue, giving her the gift that she bought at the temple fair, followed by introducing Xue'er.

When Sun Xiaoyue saw Xue'er, she was shocked. She recognised the smart pet and knew that it costs a lot. She turned around and looked at Ouyang Shuo. She didn't expect this brother to be so good to his sister, buying such an expensive gift all of a sudden.

She realised that she couldn't see through Ouyang Shuo. He spent the whole day playing games and not working, and seemed to be covered by a mysterious veil, causing people to be unable to see through him.

This time when she went home, her grandfather, who was a professor at the Chinese academy of sciences, mentioned Earth Online to her. When she told him that she knew about the game, her grandfather actually recommended she play the game. She had already booked a game cabin online and it would be shipped here tomorrow.

"Sister, why aren't you listening to Bing'er?" Bing'er pouted and said sadly.

Sun Xiaoyue was stunned, she had zoned out and hadn't replied to Bing'er. She said, "Ah, haha, sister thinks Xue'er is too cute, I was shocked beyond words."

"Yes, Bing'er thinks so too, she's as cute as Bing'er."

"Sister..." The little brat jumped into Sun Xiaoyue's arms and moved around.

Ouyang Shuo, seeing both of them playing around in the living room, suddenly thought about Song Jia. Since that day, he had kept in contact with Song Jia, calling her once or twice. As for her feelings, Ouyang Shuo couldn't say for certain. Classmates, friends, or something more?

After dinner, Sun Xiaoyue smiled and said, "Aiyo, tomorrow I will also start playing Earth Online, is there anything you want to advise me?"

Ouyang Shuo was surprised, "Why so sudden? Weren't you so determined not to play?"

"Heh, who knows, all of you are so mysterious. My grandfather recommended it."

"Your grandfather?"

"Yeah, he is the boat design specialist of the alliance, I don't know where he got the news. He didn't want to explain, just asked me directly to play it. He also gave me the money to pay for the game cabin."

Ouyang Shuo nodded his head; it seemed like the truth behind the game had been revealed to some of the middle class. Fairly soon, the game would welcome a new batch of players. "Last time, I told you that the game has a lord mode and an adventure mode, which will you pick?"

Sun Xiaoyue didn't even think about it and said," Of course adventure mode, I can't handle the lord mode."

"If it's the adventure mode, it is broken up into combat occupations and work occupations, do you need me to introduce them to you?" As for her choice, Ouyang Shuo did not want to interfere with it.

"No need, I already went online and checked. I don't like all the fighting and killing so I've decided to choose a work occupation. However, there are so many choices, I do not know which to pick."

Ouyang Shuo was shaken, but he did not show it and said calmly, "If it's a work occupation, I think that an architect fits you and it mixes well with what you are studying now. The game is very real and in the latter part of the game, architects will have a large opportunity to show off their skills."

"Ya, why didn't I think of that? Okay, I will listen to you and choose architect. Tell me your ID, I will contact you when I enter the game."

Ouyang Shuo's face changed as he did not expect her to ask this. "Cough, I don't know how to explain this to you. Anyway, I can't tell you my ID. If you trust me then choose your starting point to be in Dali. Anyways one of us is a lord player and the other is an adventure player, so we won't meet much. When the time comes, I will explain to you."

It wasn't that Ouyang Shuo didn't trust her, but his identity was too special and he had to be careful. If she leaked it, it would get not just him, but also Bing'er into a lot of trouble.

Sun Xiaoyue pouted her lips and said unhappily," Don't tell, then don't tell... Why so mysterious."

Ouyang Shuo had nothing to reply and the atmosphere got a little stretched.

"Oh ya, you don't need to worry about Bing'er. I'm not a game maniac like you and won't log in so early everyday." Sun Xiaoyue said before returning to her room.

Ouyang Shuo nodded and turned back to his room to log into the game.

In the afternoon, many types of lanterns had already been hung on the streets and alleys in Shanhai town. Some business-minded shopowners had started promotions, and whoever could answer the riddles could get a prize.

After dinner, Qing'er wanted to drag Ouyang Shuo to look at lanterns and guess riddles.

Ouyang Shuo knew that he didn't have the ability to guess riddles. To not make a fool of himself, he decided to drag along Fan Zhongyan, Tian Wenjing, Yu Shu Da, Suzhe, and Zhou Haichen.

All the good riddles were gathered around the commerce street. Those easy lantern riddles, like "half an autumn and spring, Guess a word," the answer was obviously Qin. "Half farming, half studying, choose a word." Taking half of each word, the answer was obviously talk. Ouyang Shuo could definitely solve one or two.

Those of higher difficulty, Ouyang Shuo couldn't solve. "The wind comes and goes, the hill in front of the peak is slanted, choose two words", cancel the word inside the Chinese word of wind, adding "you" into it and it will become "Feng"; in front of the peak is a mountain and it represents the word "Ren", slanting it would become a prefix for the word "Xian". Hence the answer was "Feng Xian".

"Big brother, what is the answer to this riddle?" Qing'er pointed to a riddle and asked.

Ouyang Shuo raised his head to see: Moving the mountain, planting the seeds, guess a flower name. He smacked her head and said," It's so easy and you can't guess it. The answer is pomegranate."

Qing'er touched her head and said sadly," People just can't guess it!" She pointed to another and asked," What about this?"

The one she pointed to was more difficult and Ouyang Shuo couldn't guess it. He passed it on to Mr. Su Zhe who easily solved it.

When they walked past the grocery store, a lantern riddle attracted a large number of people who were discussing it but no one managed to guess it. This time, even Fan Zhongyan, Tian Wenjing and the others joined in the fun.

Seeing Ouyang Shuo and the group of people, everyone made way.

When Ouyang Shuo looked at the lantern, he couldn't understand it with his standard knowledge of literature. Unsurprisingly, Fan Zhongyan and Yu Shu Da looked at each other and laughed, obviously guessing the answer.

"Why don't you two write the answers and see if it's the same," Ouyang Shuo said to make it more interesting.

The two of them nodded and took some scrap paper and pens and wrote down their answers, only to see they both wrote the same answer.

Following which Yu Shu Da took the initiative to explain the riddle to everyone, causing everyone to cheer out. The prize from the grocery stall was an exquisite shadow lamp.

The two men obviously wouldn't carry a flower lamp and walk on the streets so it landed in the hands of Qing'er. Walking past the dojo, Tian Wenjing also managed to guess one riddle.

The hardest riddle of the night was prepared by Yu Shu Da and he hung it in the square in front of the lord's manor. In the end, it was solved by Fan Zhongyan, laughing as he did so. After admiring all the lanterns and guessing all the riddles, it was already 8pm in the night and Ouyang Shuo quickly got offline.