"Grandma Ping, can you teach us how to make Xiaolan?" Jiang Ning asked.
"So you want to learn how to make Xiaodeng, of course you can." Grandma Ping nodded with a smile.
Generally speaking, everyone goes to the street vendors to buy ready-made Xiaolan lanterns.
There are very few children like Jiang Ning and Shen He who are willing to make Xiaolan lanterns themselves.
Grandma Ping is very happy to teach the traditional craftsmanship of Liyue Port to her friend’s disciples.
"Actually, the steps to make a Xiaolan are very simple."
Grandma Ping spoke slowly and detailedly, word by word.
“First weave the general frame of the lantern with bamboo thread, then put in the wick and floating stone, and finally decorate it with lantern paper.”
She was worried that what she said was too complicated for her two children to understand, so she took out the raw materials for weaving Xiaolan and gave a demonstration herself.
Despite her pale face and old age, Grandma Ping is actually very dexterous with her hands, and she does her work smoothly and without delay at all.
In just a moment, a small and exquisite Xiaolan appeared in the old man's hand.
"Grandma Ping is so awesome!" Xiao Xiangling couldn't help but clap her hands when she saw this.
However, when she clapped her hands, the Xiao Deng in her arms almost flew away. The little guy was so scared that he hugged the Xiao Deng in his arms and never dared to move again.
"Jiang Ning, Shen He, you guys give it a try." Grandma Ping handed out the materials and motioned for the two of them to start.
Shen He and Jiang Ning looked at each other and took the materials from Grandma Ping to officially make the Xiaolan.
However, as soon as we started, problems appeared immediately.
When I watched Grandma Ping weaving the Xiaolan lantern just now, she was obviously so handy and easy to do it.
It gives people the illusion of 'I can do it too'.
However, it wasn't until the two of them got started that they realized that weaving a lantern was not a simple matter.
The bamboo threads are put together crookedly, horizontally and vertically, and it is impossible to weave the general outline of the lantern.
There is also the wick and the floating stone. These two things seem to be like water and fire, unable to coexist.
Either the floating stone knocked over the wick, or the wick squeezed the floating stone away.
In short, for beginners like Jiang Ning and Shen He, weaving Xiaolan is not an easy task.
"Big brother and big sister, I believe you can do it! Come on!" Xiang Ling next to her helped cheer her up.
"Children, we still have plenty of time, so there is no need to rush."
"They say everything is difficult at the beginning, but as long as you get started, everything will go smoothly after that."
Grandma Ping saw the resistance Jiang Ning and Shen He were currently encountering, and encouraged them by lowering her voice.
And when Jiang Ning and Shen He complete a step, Grandma Ping will smile and praise: "Well done, you are one step closer to success."
Under the guidance of Grandma Ping, Jiang Ning gradually mastered the skills of weaving Xiaolan.
Those previously "rebellious" bamboo threads have now slowly become docile and well-behaved.
They can become whatever shape Jiang Ning wants them to be.
As for the wick and the floating stone, the two have successfully turned their hostility into friendship and get along very harmoniously.
Then just seal the lamp paper and you're done.
This success is not accidental, but the experience Jiang Ning has gained after experiencing repeated failures.
"Senior sister, how is your Xiaodeng doing?"
Jiang Ning put down the lantern in his hand and approached Shen He and asked.
"It's almost done." Shen He responded softly.
At this moment, she was concentrating on placing floating stones and wicks inside the lantern.
Shen He encountered the same problem as Jiang Ning.
That is, the floating stone and the wick cannot coexist. If these two things are put together, they will inevitably fight.
Jiang Ning fumbled for a long time, and then slowly mastered the skills of balancing the two.
But Shen He's problem-solving skills don't exist at all.
She prefers to work miracles with force.
I saw Shen He directly using force to forcefully crush the floating stone and the wick into a ball.
This way there will be no exclusion.
Jiang Ning saw this scene and thought to himself, this is very Shen He.
For Shen He, there is nothing that power cannot solve.
If there is, it means there is not enough power.
In short, great efforts can produce miracles.
"Sister, you can't do this." Jiang Ning reminded.
"The lantern made in this way will probably have the wick inside go out not long after it flies into the air."
Shen He stopped what he was doing when he heard this: "Then what should I do?"
"This step requires a little patience, don't be anxious, look..."
Jiang Ning gave Shen He a demonstration.
He knew that Shen He hated complicated things, so he kept it as simple and trouble-free as possible.
Under Jiang Ning's step-by-step teaching, Shen He gained some understanding and finally successfully placed the floating stones and wicks.
By this time, Jiang Ning and Shen He's Xiaolan lanterns were all completed.
"Success, success! Big brother and big sister, your Xiaolan is made!"
Xiao Xiangling cheered for joy, her face flushed with excitement. She was happy for Jiang Ning and Shen He.
"Children, the lanterns you made are beautiful."
Looking at the lanterns made by the two children, Grandma Ping nodded repeatedly.
Although these two Xiaolan lanterns are not as exquisite and beautiful as those sold on the market.
But it is a unique and unique treasure in this world.
After that, Grandma Ping handed the brush to Jiang Ning and Shen He: "Next, you can write your wishes on the lantern."
wish...
Shen He was unfamiliar with this term.
Ever since she followed her master to practice in the mountains, wishes had become farther and farther away from her, and finally disappeared.
Shen He thought for a moment, and finally wrote this sentence on the lantern: "I hope Master and Jiang Ning are safe and happy."
"I hope Master and Jiang Ning are safe and sound."
"I hope Master and Jiang Ning..."
"Don't senior sisters have any wishes of their own?" Jiang Ning asked.
He noticed that all the names written on Shen He's lantern were Zhenjun Liuyun and Jiang Ning.
Only Shen He himself was not written.
"My wish?"
Shen He thought about it seriously, then shook his head: "I have no wish."
"How can people not have wishes? Like Xiangling, I hope to grow taller next year and not have cavities next year. These are all wishes."
“Simply put, a wish is something you expect to happen at this moment.”
"So that's it." Shen He nodded as if he understood.
After listening to Jiang Ning's words, she learned a little more about the world.
She looked at the lantern in her hand and slowly wrote: "I hope I can celebrate the Lantern Festival with Jiang Ning next year."
Celebrating the Lantern Festival with Jiang Ning next year is what Shen He is looking forward to happening at this moment.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning also wrote on the lantern: "I hope I can celebrate the Lantern Festival with Shen He next year."
