The narrator tells us that every Christmas Eve, people put their wishes on lanterns and sell them in the street. He says that the lanterns are a waste of human labor and money and that the river will throw them into the trash. The narrator says that he bought two lanterns to make a wish for his friend. He tells his friend to hold off on making a wish if he wants to stay in the river. He warns him that if he tries to stay where he is, he will get pushed back or backward. He then asks if he made a wish. He asks if wishes will come true if he tells someone. He also tells him that wishes will not come true unless he says it to someone. The lantern is gone and the narrator is holding on to his friend's hand. The water in his shoes is so cold that he has to go back to his dorm and change his clothes. He wants to give the lanterns to Xiaomo and xiaoxio.