Battle of Mooncakes
As dusk fell, a layer of rosy light bathed the earth, weaving a tapestry of red and gold across the sky, which was then seen by all living beings.
A touch of gold emerged from the darkness, tearing through the night and falling into the cup.
The large table in the courtyard was crowded with people, leaning on each other and raising their glasses to toast the moon.
"You've finished your toasts, what are you waiting for? Let's eat!"
At Li the Cripple's command, a hundred pairs of bowls and chopsticks began to be used simultaneously, the clinking of bamboo and porcelain filling the air, shattering the thin clouds and making the stars seem to fall.
Looking at the various kinds of mooncakes in front of him, Li frowned, waved his chopsticks in the air for a long time, and finally picked up the green vegetables next to him.
"Master, we've improved these mooncakes; they're really edible now."
"Yes, Master, look at Junior Sister Yan, she's eating so well, and she doesn't have a stomachache or lie down."
“Master, putting everything else aside, didn’t you notice that they are different from before? They are the result of our hard work through the night.”
Despite the delicious food before them, they couldn't stop the chatter of these kids. After hesitating for a long time, Li the Traitor still couldn't muster the interest to pick up a piece of mooncake, but he answered every single one of their nagging questions.
"You can eat it? I'm curious, what do you mean by 'can eat it'? Does it mean it won't kill anyone? It's a holiday, don't let your families lie down together."
"It's natural that Xiao Yan eats well. When have you ever seen her not eating well? If one day you can cook a dish that makes her run away at the sight of it, then you've truly learned the skill."
"Your master is just getting old, but I haven't forgotten anything to that extent." As he spoke, he turned his chopsticks and analyzed the mooncakes on the plate: "These few have patterns I've never seen before. Those few, the colors are even more frightening than the ones I ate a few days ago. And the ones on the far end of the plate, what's with making such huge mooncakes? Are you sworn brothers?"
Upon discovering that their master had already examined all the mooncakes without making a sound and simply wasn't eating them, the senior brothers and sisters instantly wilted, their earlier enthusiasm vanishing completely. In the endless silence, only Meng Yan remained, single-mindedly picking at his food.
She filled the empty bowls on the table with food one by one, but paused when she got to Li the Traitor. She broke open the sworn brotherhood pancake, picked out the biggest piece, and pressed it into his bowl.
When Li the cripple saw her move, he tried to dodge, but he was too old and his reaction was too slow. He also couldn't overpower her. In the blink of an eye, a big, troublesome thing appeared in his bowl.
"Oh, Xiao Yan, you... I... sigh..."
Before the gloating group could even begin to rejoice, a large man, just like his master, slipped into the bowl. Meng Yan, having accomplished his mission, waved his sleeve and accepted the gratitude they hadn't yet expressed, or perhaps didn't intend to express at all.
"Who was it that tried to persuade me to eat this? Here, have one and let me see."
Judging from their expressions, Li the conman guessed that this big mooncake was probably different from the smaller ones. If he had to guess a detail, he thought it was the culmination of those things from a few days ago, since everyone's mooncakes are colorful.
As it turned out, his guess was spot on. The kids stammered and looked to San Leng for help. As the one who initiated this, it was time for him to take on the responsibility of being the leader.
"I said I'd make less and try something we don't usually make, but I never expected to end up making this."
Yes, when everyone was carefully selecting the fillings, everyone thought they were the only ones messing around. They never expected that the final result would be such a mess. If they were a pot of porridge, they could stir it up and drink it while it was hot, but they are not.
Upon closer inspection, the ingredients used are all foods that everyone loves, and the cooking methods are also familiar to everyone. It's just a sudden inspiration to combine them together, so what's wrong with eating them?
After some coaxing, everyone looked ashen-faced as they picked up their chopsticks. For the first time in their lives, they had completely lost faith in food and, with no will to live, shoveled the food from their bowls toward their mouths.
"This big mooncake is delicious! You should all try some!"
"Where, where, leave me a bite!"
"I want some too. Share some with me, otherwise I'll have to beg for food at other tables."
A commotion erupted at the children's table next door; the large mooncake they were praising seemed to be a tremendous achievement that was hard for anyone else to look at directly.
In contrast, the table where Guai Zi Li was sitting remained even more silent.
"Is this really edible?"
The senior student who was speaking was glanced at by Li the Kid, and he quickly changed his words, saying, "I mean, is it really that delicious?"
"Why don't you try it and you'll see?" said Li the kidnapper, understandingly.
"This isn't right, Master. As the saying goes, there should be order between elders and juniors, respect for the elderly and care for the young, respect for teachers and education, and so on..."
Before her senior brother could explain, Meng Yan had already put down her chopsticks and bowl, and, taking the questions from everyone, she unhesitatingly extended her right hand and gave a thumbs-up to the completely empty mooncake plate.
"Oh?" Li Qi asked, his hand, which was stroking his beard, was so surprised that it missed its target.
The jubilation next door continued, and with Meng Yan's sincere affirmation, everyone suddenly felt a glimmer of hope for this indescribable thing.
Wow, this person can really eat a lot!
"No, you told me earlier that it tastes pretty good when mixed together, why did I get scared?"
"I'm lying, I'll wash the dishes tonight. I bet my precious spoon that it really tastes good."
Good news kept coming in, and Li the Cripple also picked up his chopsticks, knocked off a piece of the flatbread, and carefully put it into his mouth.
Unlike the delicate texture of what I usually eat, and unlike the half-buried food I saw last time, this pile of things that doesn't look like edible at all actually tastes pretty good, the old man who has lived for decades exclaimed.
The grand feast quietly came to an end under the strolling full moon. Inside the kitchen, people were washing pots and pans, while outside, children who couldn't help set up chairs and waited for everyone to finish their work so they could enjoy the moon and rest together.
The moon rises in the sky every night, but people don't necessarily get to see it every day. For everyone who is busy with life, it's a luxury to be able to enjoy the moon together as a family during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Everyone cherished this opportunity, not mentioning livelihoods or worries, but simply gathering together to enjoy this moment. Tomorrow morning, as the sun breaks through the clouds, everyone will return to their lives, whether peaceful or turbulent.
We may meet again in the New Year, or perhaps we will never see each other again.
.
After carefully inspecting each of the mechanical sparrows and releasing them into the unfathomable night sky, Meng Yan finally returned to his room and lay down, feeling exhausted.
The tiny mechanical sparrow flies and flies, conveying everyone's longing. When will the large mechanical kite be able to soar freely and bring those we long to see back to our side?
It was like having a fantastical dream, the dreamer of which had not yet awakened, but she knew clearly that one day, this mirage would become reality.
The moon disappears into the clouds, and those who miss home drift into dreams.
.
The next day, the rooster stood on the roof, placed its claws on the right side, stretched its neck and raised it high, and let out a crowing.
Cattle and sheep trod into the depths of the forest, their feet glistening with dew. The gears of the loom turned, pushing and pulling the fine threads back and forth. The aroma of medicinal soup wafted from the stove, and the sounds of hammering and grinding rose softly from all directions.
Another ordinary day begins.
The rising sun cast a long shadow on the ground, and the person in the shadow, with his sleeves rolled up and his hair half-tied down, held a blueprint in front of him.
"You finished drawing so early?" Senior Sister took the paper from Meng Yan and spread it out on the table, making sure that every yawning fellow disciple could see it clearly.
"Ha~ We just finished the order for the ice furnace, and now we're about to start building the heater. At this rate, our department will be able to work year-round sooner or later."
This news, whether a blessing or a curse, shocked everyone's minds. After being jolted awake by its words, everyone began to discuss the design of the heater.
Some people slowly raised questions: Why not just change the talisman paper of the ice furnace, and instead redraw the design and make a new mold to create a different furnace? It's unnecessary to just change the appearance. Increasing useless labor and wasting materials is not their style.
As the illustrator and designer, Meng Yan nodded in response to his question and pointed to the details in the drawing to explain step by step, "These edges and corners have eliminated unnecessary sealing and decoration, and the exterior patterns have been simplified. The temperature control mechanism used for the ice furnace has been changed to the heat dissipation mechanism for the heater. Based on this, the overall structure has been improved to be more suitable for use in winter."
"The most important point is that the size of the furnace body has been reduced to half of its original size."
"Ah..." Senior Brother Hao understood a little, but not much. "So all this trouble just to make it smaller? Actually, once we're familiar with the molds and processes, the original ice furnace wouldn't have taken much effort to build. Isn't it a bit unnecessary to completely overhaul and rebuild it for this?"
Not only him, but most people present shared the same thought. Although the large furnace required more raw materials, they had ready-made molds, and the selling price had already taken into account the cost of raw materials. This modification was quite a thankless task.
Meng Yan shook her head; she had a different opinion. However, her senior brother Li spoke up first: "In my opinion, this change is indeed useless in terms of function and production process, but it is not to be underestimated in terms of price and future sales."
"What do you mean?" Everyone craned their necks, waiting for him to give them an answer.
"Think about it, how did you get through the freezing winters in the past?"
"I'll stay in bed if I can."
"If I can hide inside, I'll rather die than go out."
"I wish I could just put the wardrobe on myself, or throw myself into a brazier to scald myself."
Thinking of the biting wind and the freezing cold, everyone silently rolled up their sleeves and unconsciously rubbed their arms a couple of times.
"What happened next?" Senior Brother Li asked.
"What do you mean, what else can we do? Just freeze, and we'll come back to life by spring." Brother Hao didn't hesitate for a moment, then quickly realized something and his eyes lit up. "That's right, since we can just endure it, there's no need for everyone to spend money on a stove that's almost as good as a brazier, or even more expensive. Summer is really hot and humid, carrying an ice stove home will make us eat and sleep well, and it will also stop the kids from crying in the middle of the night. Carrying a heater home in winter is just foolish and wasteful."
After his down-to-earth explanation, everyone suddenly understood and clapped in agreement.
Let alone ordinary families, even for those of them who have no elderly parents or young children to care for and who have recently made a lot of money, the thought of spending a lot of money to buy a mere decoration would be something they would be extremely unwilling to do.
Only then did everyone realize Meng Yan's good intentions.
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