Chapter 159 Mid-Autumn Festival (with added settings)
Why are you so late coming back?
Yao Xiaoyu and Wenrou entered the courtyard. Zhou Chunhua asked, "We clearly left together. I've already arrived home with Wenrou, but Yao Xiaoyu is nowhere to be seen. Even the idle men who used to bring us things are gone."
"Something came up and I was delayed for a while."
Yao Xiaoyu handed the steamed buns wrapped in lotus leaves and the garlic sprout and cured meat buns to Wenrou, asking her to heat them up and add some dishes to the family's meal that evening. Tao Xiaoxiao, who was standing next to her, silently shoved the earthenware pot in her hand into Zhou Chunhua's arms, interrupting the upcoming spellcasting.
The earthenware pot contained sweet potato vermicelli and side dishes that had been seasoned but not watered. The two bamboo tubes contained crispy soybeans and chili oil. Yao Xiaoyu had bought the earthenware pot on short notice. The vendor patted his chest and guaranteed that as long as the amount of boiled water was just right, pouring the whole pot into it and simmering it for half a cup of tea would make it taste at least 80% as good as what he made himself.
Business was good during the Mid-Autumn Festival. After Tao Xiaoxiao finished eating at the vendor's stall, Yao Xiaoyu had the idea of packing up leftovers. There were only enough left to make five or six servings, so Yao Xiaoyu simply bought them all. It would only take a few bites for each person to take back to the Yao family.
"Don't spend money next time, we have vegetables at home."
As soon as Wenrou uttered those words, she regretted them. Since Yao Xiaoyu started earning money, she had become somewhat stubborn. She was unaware of what was happening outside when she had her foot-amputation surgery, and by the time she learned her daughter was estranged from the family, it was too late for regrets. After that, she became much more careful with her words, but today…
"It's a rare occasion to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival."
The gentle tone meant no harm, and the key point was that it was just that one sentence, so Yao Xiaoyu didn't care much. Whether she bought anything or not was entirely up to her whim. For example, during the Mid-Autumn Festival a few years ago after they broke up, she didn't even bring back a single thread.
The matter passed just like that, and before we knew it, evening had arrived. The table was already full of dishes. The braised pork that we had eaten yesterday was back on the table, and Yao Xiaoyu's steamed buns and mantou also had a place. In addition, there were clay pot vermicelli and other meat and vegetable dishes. The fruit had to be stored somewhere else.
The moon, just rising in the west, was round and bright. The mosquitoes didn't bother us. The kerosene lamp, turned up to its brightest setting, made the dishes look tempting. Yesterday's dinner wasn't enough to satisfy our cravings, and with everyone busy since morning, we'd just been eating whatever we could find. Although the Yao family's eating habits weren't frightening, they had a strange, fierce quality to them.
...
When Yao Daniu was still alive, the family would worship the moon every year. Now that the custom is gone, Zhou Chunhua still set up a small table after she had some extra money. She placed fruits such as watermelon, apples, and pomegranates, along with uncut mooncakes and a plate of fresh lotus roots with sprouts. She did not offer any pagodas or statues of gods.
Men don't worship the moon, and women don't worship the stove god. It's unclear when this custom was passed down, but Zhou Chunhua still followed it. She coaxed Yao Xiaoli, who had just drunk old duck soup, to kowtow in front of the small table, and she and Wenrou also went to worship.
"I don't worship,"
Yao Xiaoyu ate boiled edamame, shaking her head like a rattle drum. Edamame, taro and old duck soup is a must-have dish for the Mid-Autumn Festival in Shanghai. In the eyes of some families, it is even as important as mooncakes. Zhou Chunhua could make do with it casually when she was poor, but she picked up the old tradition after she became more financially well-off.
Yao Xiaoyu was indifferent to all of this, mainly because she didn't have to go into the kitchen, and as everyone knows, people who don't cook at home don't have the right to order food.
"Please don't force me. If you push me, I'll just have to eat a pear."
Seeing that Zhou Chunhua was still insisting, Yao Xiaoyu simply resorted to fighting fire with fire—because pears sound like "separation" in Chinese, they should never be placed on the offering table during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Some people are so particular that they can't even see pears at home on this day. Between two evils, choose the lesser one. In the end, Zhou Chunhua gave up the idea of having Yao Xiaoyu worship the moon with a dark face.
Apart from this little incident, the Yao family generally had a good Mid-Autumn Festival. The mooncakes alone were divided into Suzhou style and Cantonese style, not to mention the fillings, such as rose, winter melon, ham and red bean paste, roast chicken, salt and pepper lobster, and Yao Xiaoyu even saw a cream filling, which can be considered as experiencing what Italians feel when they see pineapple pizza. [1]
The first few cut mooncakes could be eaten whole with effort, but the rest could only be tasted. After the most important part, moon-viewing, was over, Zhou Chunhua and the others carefully put away the uneaten mooncakes to prepare for tomorrow's breakfast, and maybe lunch, dinner, and breakfast the day after tomorrow... But these had nothing to do with Yao Xiaoyu and Tao Xiaoxiao; they could go out to eat.
On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, Yao Xiaoyu made up an excuse to go out and urgently ordered a floral hat full of Western European style from the sewing shop. She also placed an order for several other versatile large hats. After changing into a Western dress, putting on long boots and makeup, she hurriedly went to the Grand Restaurant to test the feasibility of using concealment to be lazy.
If it works, I won't need to wear makeup anymore; if it doesn't, I'll have to reduce the number of times I come. Occasionally dressing up for a long time is a fun activity, but if it becomes a mandatory task... It's quite normal for the young lady to only come occasionally to comfort the actor she has some feelings for because she's so amorous and has taken a liking to other men.
Yao Xiaoyu considered various alternative plans, but once she entered the hotel, she didn't need them at all. She arrived at the hotel entrance very smoothly. The only annoying thing was that the waiter who led the way kept fidgeting, making her think of some unpleasant things.
A waiter who had consulted with relevant people and was preparing to use the opportunity to advance his career: ...
In short, they finally got into the room. Ye Junshu was obviously bored from being locked up. His eyes lit up the moment he saw Yao Xiaoyu. After a brief greeting, he couldn't wait to buy a few newspapers in Yao Xiaoyu's name. Yao Xiaoyu had eaten noodles with stir-fried shredded potatoes and meat topping for breakfast. Her brain, which was full of carbohydrates, was a little slow to react.
"Why can't we just say it directly?"
If it were an ancient or rare book, it might attract attention, but newspaper consumption, calculated in copper coins, wouldn't put much financial pressure on Ye Junshu's current role.
"My identity..."
Ye Junshu shook his head, and Yao Xiaoyu understood what he meant. There were quite a few literate opera performers, and there were also actors who cared about national affairs, but it didn't seem right for Ye Junshu, who depended on the powerful. In the eyes of outsiders, someone who was unwilling to even practice his singing after climbing the social ladder could really stand the dense black words in the newspaper.
"Alright, from today onwards, I'll force you to study. Is there anything else you want to read? I'll have it sent over."
Yao Xiaoyu readily accepted the added setting. Because she was so immersed in the role, she said the second half of the sentence while lifting Ye Junshu's chin with her folding fan. Only when she saw that Ye Junshu's ears were turning red did she realize that her actions were inappropriate and quickly put the fan back into her bag.
Damn it, yesterday I was organizing materials on Western fan language and compiling the characteristics of wandering scholars, which has made my actions today a mess!
Yao Xiaoyu, who often plays tag with her best friends in modern times, is fine, but Ye Junshu... She casually asked him yesterday, and he's already reached the age for marriage in today's society, but he doesn't even have a girlfriend!
Yao Xiaoyu prayed silently in her heart, hoping that Ye Junshu would not be too affected by her. A good girl from a wealthy family deserves a happy and fulfilling family life.
Although the Ye family tacitly acknowledged that the right of inheritance lay with the youngest son, they did not reveal that Ye Junshu was infertile. Outsiders only assumed that Ye Junshu simply wanted to pursue academic research and live a life of leisure and wealth, without considering any negative implications. Therefore, the eldest son of the Ye family was quite popular in the marriage market.
"Write down the list of books you want and have them delivered while I'm still here."
Ye Junshu tried his best to act as if nothing had happened, and Yao Xiaoyu cooperated fully. She waited anxiously until Ye Junshu finished writing the book list. Just as she opened the door to find someone to run an errand, she saw the waiter swaying back and forth on the street and slammed the door shut.
Three seconds later.
"Call someone else over here."
Yao Xiaoyu handed over the silver coins as a delivery fee. The waiter's smile froze on the spot. He wanted to ask why, but when he saw the lower half of Yao Xiaoyu's face covered by her hat, he lost his confidence. He tried to cheer himself up and answered, then quickly called a colleague over.
"Bring a copy of today's newspaper that you can buy on the street, and also the books on the list, the sooner the better."
Yao Xiaoyu didn't say anything polite. Sometimes being too polite can make people forget you. The waiter didn't think anything was wrong. He responded and hurried off to do his work. Yao Xiaoyu closed the door and sat in a chair waiting for the books and newspapers to be delivered. She also reminded Ye Junshu to keep an eye on the waiters at the door.
"He might have lice."
Yao Xiaoyu felt a tickle in her head when she said this. If she had to say what she was most satisfied with when she first arrived and started out penniless, it would be that although her home was so destitute that it was heartbreaking, it was still free from pests. There were no rats or cockroaches in the kitchen, and no lice or fleas on the men and women.
If she opened her eyes and faced a rat, went to the kitchen to find something to eat and greeted a cockroach, or felt a rustling sound in her head and something bouncing around on her skin while she was sleeping, Yao Xiaoyu swore she would definitely restart the game on the spot.
After all, although Shanghai is considered to be in the north by many people, it is classified as the south on the dividing line between the Qinling Mountains and the Huai River. Southern creatures often have the characteristic of being gigantic. The rats in the northeast are like Jerry, who can be kept as pets, while the rats in the south are like the fierce ones in the movie Black Cat Detective, who can suck the blood of cats!
However, rats in Shanghai at this time generally did not have the opportunity to grow that big. It was not that they lacked potential, but rather that many vendors would use rat meat to impersonate other meats for sale. In their eyes, large rats were almost as valuable as money. After Yao Xiaoyu accidentally bumped into one such case, she became much more cautious when buying food.
I'll be careful!
After listening to Yao Xiaoyu's words, Ye Junshu decided to change the person as soon as possible. The journey across the ocean is not always peaceful. Even Ye Binxun's drifting story has played out once or twice. For various reasons, it is not uncommon for people from different social classes to be forced to live in a collective for a short period of time. Ye Junshu knows about lice, but that doesn't mean he can accept getting infected with them!
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The author says: [1] The mooncake filling comes from a commentary published in the Central Daily News Weekly, which mentions the mooncake varieties launched by Nanjing Guanshengyuan.
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