Chapter 64 People Come
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When people saw someone really going to retrieve the food from the nuns, everyone around couldn’t help but make a commotion.
“Peddler Wu, aren’t you afraid of being unable to walk after eating all that?”
Someone in the crowd shouted, with a meaningful tone, causing a burst of laughter.
The several nuns understood the implication of these words, and couldn’t help but feel awkward and angry, while Abbess Sun remained indifferent.
Evil people were no longer around; how could their infamy last long?
“No, not afraid,” Peddler Wu said with a smile, still stepping forward.
He had already taken the step; retreating now would be equivalent to admitting defeat.
“Enjoy, enjoy,” Abbess Sun said with an unchanged, serene smile, as she personally handed over a few cakes to the merchant.
The small, round cakes were imprinted with patterns, thick and substantial, unlike anything he had seen before. Peddler Wu couldn’t help but feel curious.
“What are these?” he asked.
“Mooncakes,” Abbess Sun replied with a glance and a smile, “On the fifteenth day of the eighth month*, known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, these cakes symbolize reunion and good fortune.”
With the first person daring to accept the gift, gradually more people came forward to receive it.
When Chun Lan arrived with a servant, the area in front of the Xuan-miao Temple was bustling with activity.
Chun Lan curiously looked at the oiled paper package handed to her.
“Is this candied fruit?” she asked.
“Yes,” the young child replied, performing a respectful gesture, “It’s the candied fruit used by our temple for offerings. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, it’s given away for good fortune.”
In such a small temple, how much good stuff could there be? It’s just for luck.
Chun Lan casually tossed the paper package into the bamboo basket carried by the servant.
“Is the Small Xuan-miao Temple that way?” she asked.
“The Small Xuan-miao Temple isn’t called that anymore. It’s now called Tai Ping Palace,” the young child quickly corrected, while sizing her up.
She’s definitely not here for a religious visit…
“Tai Ping Palace?” Chun Lan said, surprised. “That’s an odd name.”
“It’s not odd, it signifies peace,” the young child said quickly.
Chun Lan shrugged, dismissing the young child, and walked up the mountain.
“Are you looking for someone?” the young child asked. “Ban Qin is out.”
Chun Lan stopped in her tracks and looked back at her.
“She’s out so early? Doesn’t she need to look after the foo… mistress?” she said, astonished.
The young child knocked on the door. The nun who was guarding it looked surprised upon seeing strangers.
“I’m looking for Ban Qin,” the young child quickly said.
“Ban Qin went into the city early this morning,” the nun said hurriedly.
“Then it’s fine. I’m from her family, here to bring them some food and money. Could you take it for them?” Chun Lan said.
The two nuns exchanged glances.
“Abbess said not to disturb this lady,” the older nun said, cautiously peeking into the courtyard.
The courtyard was very quiet.
“This isn’t disturbing; it’s just that someone from the lady’s family has arrived, so we should inform her,” the young child said.
As she spoke, she knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
A stiff voice from inside responded.
The young child happily stepped inside.
The door was half open, and one could see a lady sitting in front of the screen.
She looked up, and with that glance, the young child stepping inside couldn’t help but stop in her tracks.
“Miss, someone from your family has arrived, bringing some things,” she said, deliberately slowing her pace.
That way, the fool should be able to understand, right?
Meanwhile, in Jiang-zhou City, a maid knocked on the door of Old Master Zhang’s house. The doorman, hearing the maid announce herself, happily opened the door.
“This is called mooncake?” Old Master Zhang asked, looking at the maid.
“Yes, indeed, sir. Try some. We made it yesterday, and it was blessed by Abbess Sun,” the maid said with a smile. “You’ll surely enjoy it, and it will bring you good health, happiness, and everything you wish for.”
Old Master Zhang laughed heartily, and the old servant beside him laughed along.
“Hurry, sir, please eat it quickly,” he urged.
Old Master Zhang smiled as he broke off a small piece and put it in his mouth, nodding in approval.
“Thank you for your thoughtfulness in bringing this to me,” he said.
“We made a lot of offerings for the Mid-Autumn Festival yesterday. Abbess Sun instructed us to distribute them to kind-hearted people,” the maid said with a smile, taking out more oil-paper-wrapped treats from the basket. “These are all candied fruits made from mountain fruits.”
Old Master Zhang smiled and nodded in thanks.
“Then I shall take my leave,” the maid said, saying no more, and after setting down the items, she left with a smile.
As he watched the maid leave through the courtyard gate, the old servant turned back.
Inside the room, Old Master Zhang had slowly finished a piece of mooncake.
“Quite good, quite good,” he praised again, then shook his head, “What a pity, what a pity.”
The old servant didn’t ask what was regrettable, but remained silent for a moment.
Old Master Zhang looked at the pile of treats on the table, noticed something, and picked up one of the packages.
“Xuan-miao Temple…” he said, examining the paper wrapper.
Only then did the old servant notice that the paper was marked with those three characters.
Old Master Zhang smiled.
“Wan Ping, take my name card and distribute these candied fruits to a few familiar families in the city. Let them share in the fortune of the Xuan-miao Temple’s Mid-Autumn Festival offerings,” he said.
The old servant looked surprised. Although these candied fruits were small and insignificant, delivering them with Old Master Zhang’s name card had a special significance.
The Xuan-miao Temple was about to gain fame.
Old Master Zhang was elevating the Xuan-miao Temple out of respect for this young maid.
“Understood,” he responded with a bow, and began to gather the treats.
Old Master Zhang’s decision was unknown to the maid. After once again bowing to the friendly doorman and old servant, she left Zhang’s residence. As she turned the corner, someone ran out at an angle.
“Hey!” he called out.
The maid was startled, and upon closer inspection, found the person somewhat familiar, though she couldn’t immediately recall where she had seen him.
“I’m from the Cheng family. Which family are you from?” the young servant asked.
Second Master Cheng, following Second Madam Cheng’s instructions, hadn’t searched the house for the maid who was treated as a guest by the Zhang family. Instead, he had sent a young servant to wait at Zhang’s doorstep, and indeed, he had waited successfully.
“I’m Ban Qin serving Jiao-niang,” the maid said, then recognized the young servant as the one who had accompanied Second Master Cheng when he visited Old Master Zhang.
The young servant suddenly realized, let out an “Oh,” and remembered.
Hearing the young servant’s response, Second Master Cheng and Second Madam Cheng also looked surprised. So it’s her—indeed, not from the family, but from outside.
“How was she acquainted with Old Master Zhang?” Second Master Cheng asked.
“She said she met him by chance on Xuan-miao Mountain. The old gentleman doesn’t like to eat much, but the few snacks that maid made happened to be to his taste, so he recognized her,” the young servant explained.
Snacks?
Second Madam Cheng was momentarily stunned, as if she had heard the term before.
What a coincidence—how is it that everyone around that fool knows how to make food?
“Do you think what the maid said is true?” Second Madam Cheng asked.
Second Master Cheng pondered for a moment.
“Old Master Zhang is not easily deceived, so it probably is true,” he said.
“In that case, since Old Master Zhang likes her skills, let’s give her to Old Master Zhang,” Second Madam Cheng suggested.
This idea was good, and Second Master Cheng’s eyes lit up as he nodded.
“Someone come, go to Xuan-miao Temple and bring that maid back,” he instructed.
