The wind gradually eased. Hui Mian put away the white paper, then scampered onto Yi Shuyuan's shoulder.
"Sir, now that you have a new fan, can you give me your old one?"
Yi Shuyuan, who had been toying with the folding fan in his hand, looked at Hui Mian.
"The old one? Oh, certainly."
Yi Shuyuan took out the fan he had bought from the street vendor and handed it to Hui Mian, who seized it in delight.
Hui Mian's paws really were nimble. He could even open the fan and imitate Yi Shuyuan's fanning, though he needed both paws.
"Come on. Let's go home."
Yi Shuyuan put away his folding fan, gathered up the writing implements on the rock, and headed for West River Village with Hui Mian smugly waving his fan.
Before the autumn equinox arrived, the farmers of Yuanjiang County began harvesting their rice, one after another.
Yi Shuyuan first went back to the Yi Household's courtyard.
The courtyard gate was locked, and there seemed to be nobody home. Yi Shuyuan knew they must be out in the fields.
Most of the fields were now a sea of gold, the rice rising and falling in the wind like waves on the tide.
West River Village's rice had grown well this year, and the Yi Household's crop had done especially well. Even its stalks stood a little taller than those elsewhere.
Yi Shuyuan followed the field ridges to the Yi Household's plots.
Yi Baokang and his wife, along with Yi Yong'an and his wife, were bent over harvesting rice. A Bao was running about by himself at the edge of the field when he spotted Yi Shuyuan approaching along the ridge.
"Granduncle! Granduncle's here-"
A Bao cried out happily, charged over barefoot, and flung himself against Yi