Mid-Autumn Festival

Several days have passed since Mei Sheng delivered the pastries.

After touching Pei Jue that day, the next day when she opened her eyes, she wrote down some disaster relief measures she had learned in her dream on yellowed bamboo paper, folded it up, and handed it to Xiao Jiang, asking him to anonymously put it into a wooden box on the street near the porridge distribution center.

This idea was proposed by Mei Sheng, who asked Pei Jue why he didn't set up a wooden box in the city that could take into account the opinions of the people.

Any opinions expressed within the city regarding the aftermath of the disaster can be anonymously submitted to this platform.

When Pei Jue finished listening, he scoffed, thinking that only learned people in the world would ask questions, so why wouldn't they take the initiative to advise the government and instead keep it to themselves?

If anyone can make suggestions to the government, where is the government's authority?

Mei Sheng replied, "Although there are people in the world who love to show off their knowledge and want to be the winner, there are also some leisurely people who do not like to be phoenixes and only wish to remain unknown and be leisurely tourists. Take those enlightened masters who live in seclusion in the mountains and forests, for example; don't they love the freedom of nature even more?"

"Perhaps, even just one person, might offer some helpful suggestions for this flood disaster, which would be a great relief."

Pei Jue was always strict with himself when it came to matters of state.

Although he didn't particularly like Mei Sheng getting involved in these matters, he wouldn't interrupt others for no reason. Besides, while her words were bold and arrogant, they also made some sense.

After a moment's thought, he left the words "to be determined".

Pei Jue naturally didn't think that this young woman had any grand ideas that she was hiding. Even if Mei'er was different from other women in the world, how could a mere young woman be allowed to make such a fuss about matters of national importance?

It's just that there are too many clever ideas.

Since then, their relationship has improved, unlike the stalemate they had been in some time ago.

However, Pei Jue remained as busy as ever. When he had some free time and was in a good mood, he would bring back some girly trinkets, or interesting street-side sugar paintings, puzzle locks, etc.

However, he did not tell Mei Sheng about the progress of the wooden box for offering advice. Mei Sheng had hoped for it several times, but Pei Jue was vague about it each time, so she gave up hope on him.

Mei Sheng only learned through Xiao Jiang that a wooden box had been set up in a teahouse on West Street, but in this town that was in dire need of reconstruction, people were in low spirits and not many people had voted for it.

Even worse, some people just treat it as a joke, while some down-on-their-luck scholars or literati would worry, consult ancient books, and painstakingly write a thin letter before putting it into a wooden box.

A scholar might be seeking a chance to stand out in front of others, while most scholars retain a sparse concern for the people. Human nature is unpredictable; who can truly know it?

Before we knew it, the Mid-Autumn Festival, which everyone looked forward to, arrived. At present, the city is in dire need of reconstruction and needs a lively and festive festival to cleanse the broken hearts of people on the streets.

"Madam, watch your step."

Mei Sheng grabbed a corner of her light blue dress, got out of the carriage, and landed next to a well-built restaurant.

The restaurant was once the largest in the city, Tianyi Restaurant. When it was flooded, it was not damaged much because of its high location. The restaurant had three floors and was originally a place for wealthy young men to relax. However, the government ordered it to become an excellent place for moon viewing.

Regardless of wealth or status, everyone who enters the door receives a blessing gift.

Mei Sheng looked around. The mud and debris on the street had been swept clean, and green shoots were sprouting from the cobblestones. The sky, which had been filled with smoke from burning mugwort a few days earlier, was now clear and bright.

The moon hung high in the sky, much like the moon Mei Sheng had seen in her previous life. If there was anything different, it was that the moon was bigger and brighter, and even the stars surrounding it were clearly visible.

Mei Sheng blinked quickly, took the cloth bag from the waiter delivering the gifts next to the restaurant, and could feel that it contained several dried cakes, which were round and plump, and quite pleasing.

Amidst the cheerful greetings of the young waiter, Mei Sheng bid farewell to Han Zhou and followed the maid who led the way up to the second floor.

Pei Jue said he was going to a banquet hosted by the governor of the city. With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching and him not at home, he was worried that Mei Sheng would be lonely. So he sent Han Zhou to pick up Mei Sheng and take her to Tianyi Restaurant for dinner and moon-viewing.

Tianyi Restaurant cleared out a flat backyard, where a simple moon-viewing platform was set up. People entering the restaurant could also release river lanterns into the river to pray for the reunion of separated families, the avoidance of disasters, and the arrival of good fortune.

Behind a screen separating her from the rest of the room, Mei Sheng sat at a paulownia wood table, holding wooden chopsticks, looking at the dishes in front of her, and instantly lost interest.

Thinking that food was precious, they let people take away some dishes and distribute them to the others.

After a moment, Mei Sheng frowned and asked, "Why does this dish taste bland?"

The young waiter standing nearby smiled broadly upon hearing this, offering no argument. After examining the situation, he replied, "Miss, this tastes just right. Miss... are you missing home?"

The city was bustling with people coming and going, and the young waiter noticed that the girl seemed distracted and absent-minded while eating, so he mustered up the courage to ask her a question.

Mei Sheng was taken aback by this question. As the saying goes, the stomach is an organ of emotions. If it tastes bland, it may not be a problem with the food, but rather a problem with one's own mood.

Unable to eat any more, she put down her chopsticks and stopped eating. Fortunately, there wasn't much left, so she could take it home and have another meal tomorrow.

The young waiter, quick-witted as ever, suggested, "If the young lady is homesick, why not go up to the third floor? There you'll find all kinds of mooncakes and tea snacks, as well as excerpts from operas that young ladies love. Today's performance is the famous pipa opera."

"The moon-viewing platform on the first floor is also good. There are many people there, and you can release a river lantern to commemorate your loved ones. If you happen to meet someone..." The waiter saw Mei Sheng looking down and immediately changed the subject, but before he could finish speaking, he was silenced by the silver coins Mei Sheng handed him.

Mei Sheng thanked the enthusiastic young shopkeeper and walked towards the river where river lanterns were released. She bought a lantern and, along with the others, wrote down what she had been longing for.

She felt that writing it down was pointless and that her wish would never come true, but people always need something to look forward to or something to think about while they are alive.

The river lanterns fall into the river and gather with other river lanterns. They are no different from each other, all expressing a deep and sincere heart.

The scattered river lanterns, like the stars in the sky, seem to follow a similar trajectory, eventually heading to the same place.

"Father, is Mother a fairy on the moon?"

A little girl with a candied hawthorn stick in her hand and a red string tied in her hair looked up and asked the middle-aged man next to her.

"Yes, your mother loves beauty the most. Now that she's become a fairy, she'll be very happy."

"Mother is happy, and so is Xiao Tuan. I want to write a letter to tell Mother that I also want to become very beautiful in the future, just like that older sister."

Mei Sheng smiled at the little girl, handed her the colorful windmill, and was about to continue walking when someone called out to her, the voice sounding familiar.

It's Xiao Jiang.

He waved vigorously across the street, flashing his white teeth against his slightly dark face, and called out to her, "Miss Mei, you've come to see the moon and pray for blessings too?"

Mei Sheng politely replied, "Yes, what a coincidence."

Seeing Xiao Jiang quickly run up to her, stand steadily with his hands behind his back, looking mysterious.

"Miss Mei, guess what I'm holding?"

Seeing that the two were too close, Mei Sheng took a step back, but as soon as she stepped back, Xiao Jiang seemed to take another step forward without her noticing.

Feeling puzzled, Mei Sheng recalled the pastries from a few days ago and casually replied, "Pastries?"

To everyone's surprise, Xiao Jiang's eyes lit up, and he said, "It's a willow branch." With that, he waved the water-dipped branch toward Mei Sheng.

Mei Sheng reacted extremely quickly. When the water droplets from the willow branch in Xiao Jiang's hand were flicked at her, she subconsciously turned to the side and dodged it.

"Dispel obscurity—"

For a moment, the air froze, and Mei Sheng felt a little awkward.

Xiao Jiang probably didn't expect Mei Sheng to dodge, and after a moment of surprise, he withdrew his hand.

Feeling embarrassed, Mei Sheng said, "Thank you, Xiao Jiang. I understand your feelings."

They thought that after finishing their conversation, the two would have no further interaction and would go their separate ways.

But as soon as Mei Sheng finished speaking, Xiao Jiang's expression turned even worse, and he blocked Mei Sheng's path: "Miss Mei, don't you feel that I'm any different today?"

Mei Sheng swallowed her complaints and asked in confusion, "Did you forget to bring pastries?"

During this period, Mei Sheng would occasionally buy a lot of his family's sweet cakes under the pretense of liking pastries. The excess cakes that he couldn't finish were given to the maids and servants who swept the courtyard.

This was to help his mother save enough money to buy medicine.

Xiao Jiang usually carries either pastries or firewood with him. The Mid-Autumn Festival should be a good time to sell pastries, right?

Xiao Jiang seemed to be struggling to breathe, and his expression changed slightly. A kind passerby shook his head and pointed outside, and Mei Sheng looked in that direction.

"?"

Mei Sheng silently increased the distance between them and said her farewell.

Outside, a young man playfully tapped a willow branch on a young woman's arm. The woman lowered her head shyly, and the two gazed at each other with deep affection. And this wasn't the only couple on the street.

It seems that after the disaster, people's hearts have gradually become bolder and more unrestrained, and they are taking this opportunity to express their feelings during this festive season.

"I have something to do today, so I'm going home first."

Xiao Jiang, who is usually quite polite, suddenly asked me to accompany him to a place today.

Mei Sheng's homesickness was disturbed, and she suddenly felt irritable, so she had no intention of having much conversation with Xiao Jiang.

Han Zhou had not yet arrived. He had told her to wait for him at 5 PM to go back together, but the time had passed and he had not even been seen.

The thought of Pei Jue's despicable face when he took her jade pendant made Mei Sheng grit her teeth, wishing she could kick him into a ball and roll around in the river.

She definitely can't escape.

Xiao Jiang stood still, staring blankly at the departing figure.

"Don't blame me..."

As Mei Sheng walked down to the foot of the restaurant, she thought about the journey back to her residence and already knew where she was going.

This road isn't far from Mei Sheng's residence; it only takes walking through four streets and three intersections to get there.

Mei Sheng had also noticed along the way that people were stopping along the route, probably because of the festival.

Therefore, Mei Sheng wasn't afraid of walking back at night. Besides, if she were to wait, how long would it take? After leaving a message for the restaurant, Mei Sheng headed towards the familiar street.

This rare full moon has been anticipated by some, ignored by others, and even harbored malicious intentions by some...

"Sir, have some hangover medicine..."

Pei Jue waved his hand, his eyes clear, indicating he wasn't drunk.

"Is she still at the restaurant?" He twirled the plum blossom jade pendant on his wrist, guessing that she must have gone back.

Sure enough, Han Zhou said, "I sent two men to follow you, and just now I sent word that you are on your way back to your residence."

"Yes, let's go back to the manor."

The carriage changed direction and continued on its way. Before long, it arrived at the entrance of the small house.

Pei Jue lowered his eyes, picked up something from beside him, got out of the car, and stepped into the house.

Upon entering the courtyard, he frowned slightly, surprised to find it completely dark and deserted. He then remembered that Mei Sheng had gone out that day, and she had instructed the maids and servants in the house to go out and celebrate the festival.

Pei Jue never made things difficult for her in the small matters of the mansion, letting her make her own decisions. But now that no one was around, he felt it was inappropriate. If he wanted to drink tea, would he have to go by himself?

The moment he thought of that unruly woman, his heart softened, and he decided to let it go and not argue with her.

Pei Jue pondered for a moment, then took a detour and knocked on Mei Sheng's door. It was strange, though, as Mei Sheng would usually fall asleep even if she didn't want to see him.

But today, there was no sound at all. Pei Jue pushed open the door with all his might, only to find the room dark and cold, without a trace of human presence.

Hearing the commotion, Han Zhou was dumbfounded: "Miss, did you run away again?"

This wasn't the first time Pei Jue had encountered something like this, and his thoughts were initially focused on escaping. But as a cool breeze swept by, he touched the jade pendant in his hand and calmed himself down: "No, I'll go find it."

Knowing the gravity of the matter, Han Zhou quickly went out to contact the two people following Mei Sheng.

A short while later, Han Zhou reported that there were no signs of a fight at the place where they disappeared, and the whereabouts of the three were unknown. It was truly strange.

Pei Jue's mind raced: "Let's go to the Cao residence."

After leaving the governor's banquet, he was invited to Cao's residence and drank for quite a while; otherwise, he would have returned long ago to enjoy the moon with Mei Sheng.

The Cao family was his mother's family. Otherwise, why would he have gone to this town? The Cao family made their fortune by relying on the river. They were merchants who were absolute in their word, especially his mother, who was always domineering.

If they hear that he has a girl living outside the mansion, they might try to find out more about her, or even kidnap her to his mansion.