Jinzhou City Before the Moon-Chasing Festival
The talisman dripping from the eaves into the backyard was a wisp of black water that had turned into a stream along the tile gutters. Before Qiu Yuan could press the half-soaked black talisman down, he rolled to the ground, his sword sheath positioned beneath the water droplet. With a soft hiss, a wisp of white smoke rose from the sheath as the black water touched it.
Behind the screen, the sound of water stopped.
The bell rang twice in succession. Chisa picked up her sword from the pond. Zhou Yu, wearing a cotton robe, stepped out of the hot mist. The watermelon on the plate had red flesh and black seeds. He squinted at the fading words on the wooden scabbard, then turned his gaze to various corners of the backyard.
"First place... there must be others on this list."
Qiu Yuan handed over the sword sheath.
"They've found out where we live, those guys."
"Privacy records have been leaked! The registration information for this shabby nursing home has definitely been sold."
Zhou Yu took a big bite of watermelon, pulled out a sheet of Cold Spring Inn's check-in instructions from his canvas bag, and scribbled on the back of it haphazardly.
"First, post a notice about the illegal placement of dangerous advertisements. Once we have all the necessary materials... then we'll fine them handsomely."
Sigelica emerged from behind the screen, wearing an outer robe, her wet hair plastered to her face.
"Seriously? Dania's already on that recycling list, and you're still thinking about getting a ticket?"
"They must be severely punished; the nature of this is egregious."
What landed on the pillar was the piece of paper in Zhou Yu's hand.
"We need to add two late-night snacks tonight, and the hot spring hours have to be extended tomorrow. Anyone who dares to end their treatment early... they'll have to pay for the three days' worth of expenses for Changli."
Dania held the wooden tub tightly, her head peeking out from the hot steam.
"Xiao Yu, um... can I stay for three more days?"
"Approved."
The backyard was already filled with clothes drying in the sun, a scene that would be the day three days later when Qiu Yuan arrived at Cold Spring Inn with a letter from Changli Li. Empty steamers were piled up at the kitchen door. Dania sat on the stone steps and swallowed the last piece of osmanthus glutinous rice cake. A light-colored cloak was draped over Jinhsi, and a slight blush appeared on her face.
The letter only briefly mentioned two things: the magistrate was asked to return to the city as soon as possible because the Jinzhou City was preparing for the Moon-Chasing Festival, and the fieldwork materials of Zhou Yu and his party also needed to be sent to the Patrol Department for filing as soon as possible.
A white vest and floral shorts were visible, and Zhou Yu casually tossed a cotton robe to the shopkeeper.
"They're urging people to go back to work before the holiday; Changli really needs to change his capitalist ways."
With a very serious expression, Jinhsi was the one who had just finished drinking the medicine.
"There's just too much to do for the Moon-Chasing Festival, I really need to get back right away."
"I can only work a maximum of four hours a day. I have to take a nap at noon and eat dinner on time."
Zhou Yu shoved a temporary schedule into her hand.
"If you dare to work overtime again... bring it to me for signature and stamp first."
Jinhsi's gaze fell on the bright red logistics stamp on the schedule. She opened her mouth slightly, as if she wanted to refute something, but in the end, she silently folded the paper and stuffed it into the inner pocket of her cloak.
The convoy that arrived in Jinzhou City in the afternoon collided head-on with the newly hung laurel lanterns. The colorful awnings of the shops along the street had already been set up, and lanterns were strung from the eaves all the way to the stone bridge. The smell of osmanthus mixed with roasted chestnuts and syrup filled the air. The city patrol soldiers carrying the festive flower stands were busy. Several children held up paper moon rabbits and weaved in and out of the crowd, the copper bells tied to their feet making a crisp sound.
Dania, who had just gotten off the bus, had her eyes glued to the mooncake stall. On the wooden shelf were mooncakes with lotus seed paste, jujube paste, osmanthus honey, and salted egg yolk, along with a few milk shortbreads pressed into the shape of Xiao Yu.
Zhou Yu's hand was grabbed by her.
"Xiao Yu, look at that... can it swim?"
It will only swim into your stomach.
Zhou Yu bought the two Xiao Yu- shaped milk pastries, and stuffed one of them into her palm.
"Have something to eat first, we're going to take you to the night market tonight."
Dania bit off the fish's tail, and she obediently followed the man toward the Patrol Department. When they passed the second mooncake stall, her pace slowed down noticeably, and by the time they passed the third stall, she had turned her head back three times.
Qiu Yuan, who had just handed his Qiu Yuan over to the constable, was still standing in front of the Patrol Department when Zhou Yu forcefully shoved a thick stack of receipts and vouchers into his arms, the papers almost touching his nose.
"The fieldwork reports are all settled. Everything from landslides and Tacet Discord to black talismans blocking roads and the mountaintop hot pot and hot spring retreat—all the reimbursement materials are here."
Qiu Yuan turned to the first page, and the words "high-end mineral water face wash fee" made his eye twitch. He could only grit his teeth and turn to the second page.
"What... compensation for emotional distress related to wild mushroom toxicity testing?"
"The color of the first pot of mushroom soup looked off. Sigelica risked her life to taste it; consider this compensation for the psychological risk she took."
Sigelica squeezed through the door.
"Stop talking nonsense! I was simply hungry!"
Qiu Yuan continued to turn the pages, and the sesame paste supplement fee for the low-temperature environment, the watermelon recuperation fee for the sword-wielding guards, and the compensation for wear and tear during the transportation of the Tacet Discord crystal cores came into view one after another. His fingers were gripping the corner of the paper and did not move for a long time.
Zhou Yu patted his shoulder twice, quite hard.
"Hurry up and get it to Changli for approval. Don't forget to remind her that it must be processed within seven days. If it's overdue... I'll have to ask for extra compensation for the hotpot delay."
Qiu Yuan, carrying the stack of documents, walked into the Patrol Department with unusually slow steps and his shoulders slumped slightly.
As soon as the group returned to Clear Radiance Courtyard and pushed open the courtyard gate, Linnai was blocked at the threshold by the scene inside. More than twenty mahogany gift boxes were neatly piled up under the corridor, with the patterns of the Lingyin Mansion and the Canshi Mansion printed on the lids, and a thank-you note written by Changli in his own hand was placed on top.
Linnai eagerly opened the first box, and golden mandarin oranges and pears rolled out. Aimis had already opened the second box, and dried meat, osmanthus honey, and two packets of Jinzhou tea were found. Chisaki just squatted to the side, counting the types of food with her eyes, while the food reserve values on the tablet screen kept jumping.
Aimis nearby, excitedly picked up a lacquer box.
Wow! There are mooncakes too! Six different flavors, eight of each!
Sigelica tossed the mandarin orange in her hand, and the weariness on her face seemed to dissipate considerably.
"At least Lord Changli has a conscience; he's done something righteous."
Zhou Yu read the thank-you note over and over again. After confirming that there were no hidden new tasks inside, he pushed the largest box in front of Dania.
"You can only choose two things; save the rest for a midnight snack."
Dania hugged the mooncake box tightly. She frowned and hesitated for a moment before reaching out and grabbing a bunch of grapes.
"Xiao Yu, look, I really only picked two things."
As night fell, the Zhuiyue Night Market was bustling with people. Dania had a candied hawthorn paper bag hanging from her left arm, a grilled fish skewer in her right hand, and half a bag of roasted chestnuts in her arms. With no free hands, she could only use her elbows to hold Zhou Yu tightly, her arms stuffed full, and her cheeks bulging.
As the two reached the central square, they found the crowd suddenly thickening. A three-tiered platform was being built by craftsmen, with a lion dance frame standing in front of it, drum stands, ribbons, and laurel lanterns piled on either side. Several Festival Department, their faces flushed, were arguing heatedly over the list, their loud voices completely drowning out the sound of the mallets being struck.
Squatting in front of the wooden box was a boy wearing a lion-head hat, with white animal ears peeking out from under the brim. His hands were frantically rummaging through a pile of colorful silk.
The boy yanked open the bottom of the box, almost disappearing into the pile of ribbons.
"Where is one missing?! We're doomed... Where did the Light-Treading Bell used in the Moon-Chasing Ceremony go?"
Dania stopped walking, her mouth full of candied hawthorn, and stared blankly down at her feet.
The golden bell, engraved with laurel patterns, rolled along the cracks in the bluestone slab, finally stopping at the tip of her shoe with a soft thud.