Lantern Festival

Grandpa Jong often shared a long-told story about the choosing of names for the years in the Chinese Zodiac. Twelve animals gathered in front of the Buddha. He organized a race across the river. The years would be named based on their order of finish.
As the race began, the Rat jumped on top of the Ox’s head. The Ox swam across the stream, leaving the others far behind. As he reached the shore, the crafty rat jumped off the Ox’s head and onto the shore, winning the race.
The New Year was the Year of the Rat. As usual, the crafty old rat had tricks ready for Ying and the people of Beijing. Even though the days were bright and clear, the first two weeks of the year proved to be the coldest. When one stood inside and looked out, that person might have thought it was a warm summer day.
Teaspoons clanked and mouths slurped as the Liu family enjoyed hearty bowls of Tangyuan. Balls of rice bobbed in the thick chicken broth as everyone devoured their soup. They hoped it would bring good luck and great wealth.
Ying fished every single rice ball out of his bowl with his spoon before slurping the broth. Mrs. Liu cleared the bowls from the table and placed a dish of sweet dumplings between Ying and Lien-Hua.
“What are we doing for the Lantern Festival?” asked Lien-Hua.
“Your father and I were thinking of taking you to HouHai Lake.”
“I love HouHai Lake, but it is so cold outside,” said Lien-Hua.
“There will be plenty to keep you warm,” answered Mrs. Liu.
“I haven’t see Papa all morning long. Where is he?” asked Ying.
“He’s at the furniture store right now. He’ll meet us at the Lake.”
After the last sweet dumpling was eaten, Ying and Lien-Hua got ready for the Lantern Festival. They put on several layers of clothing and their warmest coats. Mrs. Liu warmed up the car and away they went.
Vending carts lined the sidewalks around HouHai Lake as people walked about. Musicians played and people ate at the restaurants next to the Lake. People on skates and Ice Bikes gathered on the Lake. Mrs. Liu walked with a child on each side, holding their hands.
They walked to a teahouse next to lake and sat down. Soon, Mr. Liu showed up and drank tea with them.
“Can we go out onto the Lake?” asked Lien-Hua.
“I thought you were cold,” said Mrs. Liu.
“I am, but I’ve never ridden an Ice Bike.”
“You have to ride with Ying,” said Mrs. Liu.
They walked up to the Pier, where an old man had an Ice Bike Shop. Lien-Hua ran up and searched through the Ice Bikes parked on a bicycle rack. She picked out a pink Ice Bike.
“Lien-Hua, I’m not riding on a Pink Ice Bike,” said Ying.
“Please?”
“Why not this silver one instead?” said Mr. Liu.
“But I really like the pink one,” cried Lien-Hua.
“I’m not riding the pink one. If you want to ride an Ice Bike, I get to pick the color,” said Ying.
Lien-Hua frowned at her brother.
“All right, we’ll ride the pink one,” said Ying.
“Thank you, my brother,” said Lien-Hua.
The children got on the bike while Mr. Liu gave the old man enough coins to rent the bike for an hour.
“Aren’t you going?” asked Ying.
“We’ll stay here on the pier and watch you two,” said Mrs. Liu.
“Hold on tight, Lien-Hua,” said Ying. He pushed off from the pier, skating along on the thin metal skids. Lien-Hua grabbed her brother by the waist and held on tightly. He waddled his feet on the ice like a seal, trying to gather speed.
As Ying figured out how to move his feet, the bike eventually picked up speed, skating quickly along the surface. He huffed and puffed while his sister went along for the ride.
“That’s enough,” said Ying.
“We’ve only been on for a few minutes,” pouted Lien-Hua.
“If you want to ride more, you’ll have to help.”
Lien-Hua slid her boots along the ice, helping to push the Ice Bicycle along. Mr. and Mrs. Liu watched from the pier. Many of the older children’s Ice Bikes slid across the pond. Their children’s four feet flailed about and the bike wobbled in a jagged line.
The children fell off the bike several times, as Lien-Hua and Ying struggled. Mr. and Mrs. Liu chuckled as they watched the children. The children finally gave up on the Ice Bike, walking it back across the ice toward the pier.
“Did you like it?” asked Mrs. Liu.
“I don’t see what all the fuss is about. I thought it was horrible,” huffed Lien-Hua.
“I think it would be fun once you got better at riding,” said Mr. Liu.
“Maybe, but I’m not sure,” said Ying.
The children unbundled the top buttons of their coats, letting some of the cool air inside their jackets, which were toasty from riding the Ice Bikes.
“Would you like to see the Dragon Dances?” asked Mr. Liu. The children nodded. They walked across the bridge a two-story building on the other side. A large sign read “HouHai Mall.” Lien-Hua opened the doors and rushed inside.
Pounding drums and clanging gongs echoed through the mall. Lien-Hua followed the noise, as the rest of the Liu family followed. The stores faced an open area, which was crowded with people. Lien-Hua weaved through the mass of people until they blocked her path to the stage.
“I can’t see!” said Lien-Hua.
Mr. and Mrs. Liu caught up to their children. Mr. Liu grabbed Lien-Hua by her hands and pulled her onto his shoulders. Mrs. Liu pointed out a bench where Ying could stand and peer over the crowd.
In the center of the mall, two dragons whirled about, dancing to the rhythm of the clanging music. Their beautiful bodies swooped and dodged around the stage. The two dragons were very different. The green dragon was large and covered the dancers so only their feet showed. It danced slowly, a great dragon stalking the stage.
The orange dragon, however, was like a ribbon, held aloft by tiny bamboo sticks its dancers held above their heads. It swooped and swirled effortlessly as the dancers moved their arms and bodies. The orange dragon even did a corkscrew that twirled through the dancers that held it. They jumped over its quick tail as it swooped close to the ground.
Ying looked at the people around him, enjoying the festivities. He spotted a store selling candied fruit skewers and decided he wanted some. He took his mother by the hand and led her to the counter.
“I haven’t had fruit skewers since I was a child,” said Mrs. Liu.
“Then we should get some for everyone,” said Ying.
As the man wrapped the candy in a paper bag, Ying dug into his pocket and brought out a new dollar bill. Mrs. Liu pushed his arm away with one hand while she dug in her purse.
“I’ll get it,” she said.
“No, let me.”
“Ying, keep your money. Today is my treat.”
Ying tucked his money into his pocket and grabbed the paper bag. He walked back to the spot where his father and sister had been standing.
Lien-Hua had gotten tired of riding on Mr. Liu’s shoulders and wanted to rest. Mr. Liu helped her down and they found a seat in one of the teahouses inside the mall. Mr. Liu waved his hand and got Ying’s attention.
“Over here,” he said.
Mrs. Liu and Ying joined Mr. Liu and Lien-Hua. Ying pulled out the treats and handed them to everyone. He held his fruit skewer up and investigated his skewer. It was decorated with pieces of candied apples, mangoes, pear, and papaya. Ying ate from one end to the other, starting at the top.
“Can I have your papaya fruit?” asked Lien-Hua
Ying glanced up from his skewer.
“You still have fruit left to eat.”
“I only like the papaya,” she said. Everyone left the papaya fruit on their skewers for Lien-Hua to eat.
“I haven’t eaten today. Is anyone else hungry?” asked Mr. Liu.
“Ya, I wish you would have told me before we got these fruit skewers. We have ruined the children’s appetite.”
“I’m still hungry,” said Ying.
“Me too,” said Lien-Hua.
Mrs. Liu ordered a large bowl of rice noodles and four cups of milk-tea. Everyone shared the noodles as they listened to the clanging music of the dragon dance.
“Children, I have something I wanted to tell you,” said Mr. Liu.
“What is it, papa?” asked Ying.
“I went to the furniture store today because I had a very important meeting.”
“What about?”
“The owner of the furniture store wants me to help run a new store in Shanghai.”
“Shanghai? How will you go to Shanghai?” asked Lien-Hua.
“That’s just it. We’d all be going to Shanghai.”
“Do we have to?” asked Ying.
“I already told the owner I would accept his offer. We will get a brand new apartment in the middle of Shanghai.”
“Are Grandpa and Grandma going to be there?” asked Lien-Hua.
“Of course they will?”
“How about Mr. Li and Bo and Jing?” said Ying.
“We cannot move everybody from Beijing to Shanghai,” said Mr. Liu.
“I guess not. I just don’t know what Shanghai will be like.”
“There will be lots to see and do,” reassured Mr. Liu.
“Your father and I discussed this for quite some time. We thought it would be the best for all of us.”
“What about the Opera House?” asked Ying.
“There are other Opera Houses,” said Mrs. Liu.
“I don’t know. When we will be leaving?”
“Luckily, we won’t have to leave until the end of the school year. That will give you both plenty of time to say good-bye to all your friends. We’re also going to visit Shanghai a few times between now and then, so we can pick new schools and our new place to live,” said Mr. Liu.
The children sat quietly as they finished their rice noodles. The sound of clanking spoons could barely be heard over the clatter of the dragon dance. Mr. and Mrs. Liu knew the children would be upset, but this was a decision that was best for everyone.
They walked silently through the mall and out to the lake. Fiery red Chinese Lanterns swung from poles that many people carried around HouHai Lake. The lake and the buildings surround the lake were decorated with lights, just as they had been for the last two weeks.
Ying walked silently with his family, watching the festivities. For a moment, he was very deep in thought.
“What do you think the Year of the Rat will be like?” Ying asked his father.
Mr. Liu grasped Ying by the hand and squeezed it gently. He was silent for a long while. Ying knew his father’s silence. It meant he was thinking deeply about something, just as Ying always did. They walked, hand-in-hand, down the busy Hutong.
“Well?” asked Ying.
“I don’t know,” answered Mr. Liu.
“You thought an awful long time just to say ‘I don’t know.’”
“But I don’t know. That is the great thing about life. It comes at you from every angle. Like a dancing dragon, weaving this way and that.”
Ying thought about that for a moment. Life had been like a dancing dragon. He would miss Beijing. He would miss visits from Jing and going to Yum Cha teahouse, too. Most of all, he would miss the busy Hutong. He would miss tinkling bicycle bells, taxicab horns and the chatter of people running outside his window.
“Papa, I think it’s time to watch a new dragon’s dance,” said Ying.
“I think so, too.”