The dragon boat race concluded, and the crowd by the riverbank gradually dispersed.
The sky grew darker, and racks made of bamboo poles were set up on the streets. The staff of the taverns and shops, which planned to host the lantern riddle events, hung out the lanterns they had prepared.
They would wait for the sky to darken completely before lighting them all.
In the narrow alley, the occasional sounds of men wailing could be heard.
The curious passersby frequently glanced over, only to have their view blocked by four children standing at the alley's entrance.
Among them, the two smallest ones looked exactly the same, their round cheeks as adorable as the children depicted in New Year's paintings.
Of the slightly older two, one stood at the entrance as immovable as a mountain, while the other occasionally looked back into the alley where the cries emanated, clicking his tongue and gloating.
