The lanterns are taken down on the eighteenth, following the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth.
After the lanterns were taken down, Lu Tong hung the toad lantern he had acquired from the lantern fair under the eaves in the yard. At night, the giant turquoise toad emitted a faint blue glow in the darkness, which looked quite eerie.
Miao Liangfang had been staying late at Renxin Medical Hall each night to mentor Lu Tong on medical classics for the spring trials; one night, he got a scare while visiting the privy and took a bad fall. Originally limping on one leg, he wound up with both legs not doing so well.
He discreetly and repeatedly suggested to Du Changqing that the toad lantern hung by Lu Tong was ugly and earnestly recommended changing it to something nicer, only to be flatly rejected by Du Changqing.
