There were twelve double-hours in a day, and the great moon's cycle was also essentially the same. As a result, many festivals and customs rooted in the calendar were identical to those of another world. Naturally, the fifteenth day of the eighth month also had a Mid-Autumn Festival that was essentially the same celebration.
By custom, most people received three days off, except for a handful of unlucky souls who had to remain on duty. Zhang Xing was one of those unlucky souls.
Still, even the unlucky souls received Mid-Autumn benefits. Unlike the previous two days, he went in after noon that day, stayed for roughly a double-hour, and was given festival gifts of wine, meat, tea, and silk. They also said he could head home early.
Under these circumstances, Zhang Xing was in even less of a hurry. He had no ancestral rites to perform and could not be bothered to visit a temple, while the only people at home were Qin Bao and Yue Niang, those two lonely youngsters. He simply distributed all his White Ribbon benefits among Little Gu and the others, sat in the courtyard for another cup of iced tea, and only then strolled leisurely out.
First, he made a circuit of the Northern Market, buying nothing and merely browsing. Then he visited a bookshop in Tongtuo Ward, where he bought a heap of books and inexpensive trinkets. Next, carrying a basket full of those things, he headed to Yuji Ward for a meal of roasted sheep's tail, naturally remembering to order two portions to take home before leaving. On Crossroads Street and Heaven Street, he also had two live chickens tied up, bought two large fish and a chopped rack of ribs, and wrapped up a parcel of large flatbreads fresh from the oven