When children at the steps gaze upward,
Qingming Festival dress is most becoming.
Once the thread snaps—no strength remains;
Do not blame the east wind for parting.
English titles, text, and notes are AI-assisted for reading only; for scholarship cite the Chinese and authoritative editions.
Annotation
Tanchun's riddle in Chapter 22. The answer is 'kite.' Once the string snaps, the kite drifts away with the wind, symbolizing Tanchun's distant marriage and severance from family. 'Do not blame the east wind for parting' suggests this separation was fated.
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