Chapter 45: Autumn Festival

After the cellar was cleaned, Lu Qingjiu put a thick layer of greaseproof paper on top to separate the cabbages from the floor when they were stored. The wooden box he took out of the cellar and cleaned it carefully with a damp rag, wiping away the dust and dirt.

It was only after Lu Qingjiu had taken it out and cleaned it up that he noticed that the wooden box was black and without any patterns on it, just a smooth box, but the grain of the wood on the surface of the box was very beautiful and felt very comfortable to the touch.

At the front of the box hangs a small black text lock. It was an ancient lock, similar to a combination lock, but with words instead of a code.

Lu Qingjiu thought that he would break the lock sometime and put the box aside.

And ever since Lu Qingjiu said he wanted to make fried chestnuts, Yin Xun has been talking about finding sand every day, and this evening he actually found a bag of sand from somewhere and asked for the legendary fried chestnuts!

Sub.

Lu Qingjiu laughed, "Wash the sand first, and then you can fry it when it's dry."

"Sure." Yin Xun rolled up his sleeves and volunteered to go and clean the fine sand.

After putting the sand into the water, he washed it in two pots without finding anything dirty, the fine white sand seemed to be very clean, without any dirt. Although Lu Qingjiu was curious, he didn't ask Yin Xun where he got the sand from, as Yin Xun was at least a mountain god, it should be easy to find some sand.

Wash the sand and place it on clean plastic sheets to dry in the yard, and wait for the sand to dry before you can fry the chestnuts.

Lu Qingjiu was a bit tired after a long day of work, so he went to bed early after finishing the sand, and before going to bed, he saw the wooden box on his bedside table and thought he would open it in the morning if he had time.

What Lu Qingjiu didn't expect was that when he finished cooking breakfast the next morning and took his pliers to break the lock on the wooden box, he discovered something that shocked him.

The words on it seemed to have been completely replaced by new ones, and since Lu Qingjiu had tried them for a long time yesterday, he almost remembered the words on the text lock completely, but now they had turned into several other completely unfamiliar words, which Lu Qingjiu was sure he had never seen before.

How could this be Lu Qingjiu stared at the text lock for a while before he was sure it wasn't a hallucination he was having.

After some thought, he picked up the pliers and gave the lock a sharp cut, but the lock, which should have been very fragile, did not react at all, not even leaving a faint mark after Lu Qingjiu had exerted himself.

Lu Qingjiu tried a few more times, but the lock was as strong as ever, and the iron pliers had made a small dent in the lock.

If Lu Qingjiu were a normal person, he might have found it very strange, but with so many strange creatures in his house, it didn't seem strange to have a box that wouldn't open. Lu Qingjiu, who was at his wits' end, took the box to Bai Yuehu in the courtyard and asked him if there was something special about the box.

It's a nice day and the sun is pouring down on the yard, making it feel lazy.

Bai Yuehu, who was sunbathing in the courtyard, lazily took the box and looked at it, asking, "Where did you find this?"

"In the cellar of my house." Lu Qingjiu answered truthfully.

Bai Yuehu gazed at the wooden box, his expression becoming somewhat serious, Lu Qingjiu rarely saw such a serious expression on his face, he was inexplicably nervous too, licking his lips and saying, "What, is this wooden box very special?"

Bai Yuehu said, "It is indeed a bit special." He ran his hand over the literal lock, "This literal lock can only be opened at a specific time."

Lu Qingjiu said, "Hmmm"

Bai Yuehu said, "There are only three words needed on it, but the fact is that these words change every day and only on a particular day do they reveal the particular words." He blinked, "Who left this"

Lu Qingjiu said, "The one I found in the cellar was, I think, my grandmother."

"Oh." Bai Yuehu said, "Then perhaps this is a gift from your grandmother." He said, and gave the wooden box back to Lu Qingjiu.

Lu Qingjiu hugged the wooden box and was a little confused, "But, this wooden box should not be a human thing, right? Could it be that my grandma knew non-humans."

Bai Yuehu's attitude to this is muted, saying, "Everyone has their own secrets."

"That's right." Lu Qingjiu agreed with Bai Yuehu as he said, "But I don't know the combination to the box, or the time to open it, is there any way to force it open"

Bai Yuehu actually shook his head, "The material of this box and lock are very special, not something from the human world, if you try to open it by force, the contents of the box may be damaged."

Lu Qingjiu had no choice but to stop at that.

Bai Yuehu saw that he was a little lost and comforted him, "You can get up every morning and look at the box, since it was left to you by your grandmother on purpose, she must have left you some clues that she didn't want you to open, or perhaps, it just wasn't time yet."

Lu Qingjiu said, "That will have to do." He smiled and thanked Bai Yuehu, but went back to the bedroom alone with the box in his arms.

Lu Qingjiu's family was so thin that they had few relatives; apart from his parents, he only had his grandmother. He was raised by his grandmother until he was eight years old, when his parents brought him back to the city, so it is fair to say that Lu Qingjiu's memories of his early childhood are all about his grandmother.

His grandmother was tall and thin, and you could tell she must have been a beauty in her youth; she was not very talkative, but even when she did not speak, Lu Qingjiu could feel her love for him in her eyes.

After the sudden death of his parents, his grandmother aged a lot overnight. Lu Qingjiu, who had not yet finished his studies, wanted to bring his grandmother to him, but no matter what he said to her, she would not allow him to do so.

This is probably the most regrettable decision Lu Qingjiu has ever made. If he had returned to Shuifu Village to be with his grandmother, the old man might not have died so early.

Lu Qingjiu put the box down and his eyes fell on top of the literal lock, he didn't know exactly what his grandmother's secret was, but he knew that whatever she did would never harm him.

Since she hadn't left him the code to open it, perhaps it wasn't time, as Bai Yuehu had said.

Lu Qingjiu tidied up and decided to try the combination lock every morning, just as Bai Yuehu had said he would, thinking that one day he would be able to figure out the combination and know what was inside the box.

After putting the box down, Lu Qingjiu went back to his other duties, first putting the sun-dried sand in an iron pan and stirring it roughly, then putting the chestnuts into the hot sand and rolling them slowly. After the chestnuts are almost done, they are added to the pan with a large amount of sugar and started to stir-fry quickly to avoid the syrup sticking to the bottom of the pan, and when they are almost done, they are left to cool in the pan for a while before being ready to be cooked.

Lu Qingjiu was sweating profusely after just one pan, but the aroma of the chestnuts brought everyone in the house together, with the two little pigs and the fox crouching at Lu Qingjiu's feet and Yin Xun standing in the doorway with his head in his mouth.

"Almost done." Lu Qingjiu wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked Yin Xun to come in and share the chestnuts.

Yin Xun rushed straight to the pot, and before Lu Qingjiu had time to greet him, he saw him reach out and grab the chestnuts inside the pot.

Lu Qingjiu :""

Yin Xun was scalded, and after withdrawing his hand, he began to grind chestnuts out of the sand with a spatula, ignoring the cuts he had made.

Lu Qingjiu couldn't stand it any longer: "Your hand doesn't hurt, does it?"

"It's not very painful." Yin Xun said as she grabbed a chestnut in her hand and began to shell it, stuffing it into her mouth after peeling it and instantly bursting into tears of emotion, "It's so delicious oooooooooh, this chestnut is so good." The chestnuts were crisp when raw, but when fried they turned into a soft texture, and the white sugar added a sweetness to the chestnuts, as well as the caramel aroma that blended with the taste of the chestnuts

Yin Xun ate with tears streaming down her face.

Lu Qingjiu looked on in amazement, wondering if Yin Xun was crying because his hands were burning or because the chestnuts were so delicious.

"It's so delicious." Yin Xun said vaguely, "I declare that the best fruit in the world is the chestnut"

Lu Qingjiu: "Eat it, I'll fry you some tomorrow if you like." He gave a few more to the little pig and the little fox, not forgetting to pinch a small piece for Yu Shi's concubine who was hiding inside the fox's fur and watching blearily.

Of course, Bai Yuehu, the biggest eater in the family, was not forgotten, and Lu Qingjiu fished the chestnuts out of the sand and sat them in the courtyard to munch on them.

He fried seven or eight pounds of chestnuts, but they were clearly not enough, and Yin Xun's stomach was bulging as he ate them, but he wouldn't stop. Bai Yuehu, a carnivore, was also interested in the chestnuts, and although they were a bit of a pain to peel, the difference in flavour between shelled and unshelled chestnuts was quite significant!

Lu Qingjiu and Yin Xun said they would go to town in the morning and that he and the owner had ordered a lot of duck eggs to make salted duck eggs, and they were planning to make bacon as well.

Yin Xun nodded in response and said that he would come over early.

The autumn breeze is brisk, but it is also harvest time. The persimmon trees at the east end of the village are covered with yellow persimmons, like pretty little yellow lanterns, swaying on their branches with the autumn breeze.

The village is also a prosperous place during this harvest time in autumn, and everywhere you walk outside you can see village people carrying grain with the joy of the harvest on their faces.

This year there was no unusual weather and it looks like Shuifu Village had a good harvest.

Lu Qingjiu had gone round the village to eat and was about to go back to bed when Uncle Li from next door came knocking on his door.

"Uncle Li, what is it?" Lu Qingjiu asked.

"Sake, the day after tomorrow the village is holding an autumn harvest festival." Uncle Li said, "Don't forget to come then, it's in that big dam at the head of the village."

Lu Qingjiu remembered that Shuifu Village still had this tradition and nodded, "Yes, I'll definitely come then."

Uncle Li said, "Good, I'm just afraid you'll forget and come to remind you."

"Thank you, Uncle Li." Lu Qingjiu smiled in gratitude.

Every year, Shuifu Village holds an Autumn Harvest Festival in autumn, where each family contributes a portion of vegetables or grain, which the women of the village make into food for everyone to eat after the festival. The festival is a tribute to the god of the mountain and a way to hope for a good harvest in the coming year, and a way for the village people to bond with each other.

Lu Qingjiu had not been back for so long that he had completely forgotten about it, and Yin Xun did not mention it either, presumably because the autumn harvest festival was supposed to be a sacrifice to the mountain gods, and it would not be embarrassing for him to go himself.

The next day, Lu Qingjiu told Yin Xun about the autumn harvest festival in the car.

Yin Xun was silent for a while after hearing this and said, "Oh, the Autumn Harvest Festival, are you going?"

"I think it's going." Lu Qingjiu saw that Yin Xun didn't seem happy at all and asked, "What, you don't like it?"

Yin Xun says: "Not a fan"

Lu Qingjiu is curious: "Why?"

Yin Xun says, "Because they sacrifice raw food to the mountain gods, but eat cooked food themselves." He adds in aggravation, "And every time I can't attend as a human, I have to watch them eat."

Lu Qingjiu laughed out loud at Yin Xun's words, imagining for a moment that the image was a bit tragic for Yin Xun.

According to Yin Xun, he had to resume his identity as a mountain god at the autumn harvest festival to accept the rituals of the villagers, but then he could not participate as a human being, and so many times that the village people thought he had something against the village and had the village chief come to talk to him once, while Yin Xun had to use the embarrassing excuse that he was afraid of crowded places as an excuse.

I guess this year will be no exception, but Lu Qingjiu and Bai Yuehu will have to go.

Lu Qingjiu bought a lot of duck eggs and meat in the town and replenished all the seasonings and other things that the family was lacking. When he returned, he started making salted duck eggs. He had planned to make the curd in the next few days, but because of the autumn harvest festival, it seems that there will be a delay of a few days.

Because of the autumn harvest festival, the usually quiet mountain village became lively and the children were like a festival, with more delicious snacks in their hands than usual.

Lu Qingjiu is planning to bring beef and some vegetables to the autumn harvest festival, as this is the first year back in Shuifu Village and it is necessary to get to know the villagers well.

Bai Yuehu was not interested in such a multi-person gathering and said he would just eat noodles at home.

Lu Qingjiu laughed, "What are you doing eating noodles? I've steamed glutinous rice ribs for you, just turn off the heat when it's time, and don't forget to feed the little foxes too."

Bai Yuehu nodded and said for Lu Qingjiu to go early and return early.

Lu Qingjiu said goodbye and went out with the meat. Yin Xun was nowhere to be seen today, so Lu Qingjiu guessed that he had gone to be a mountain god.

Lu Qingjiu carried the meat and walked over to the village, where an older woman greeted him warmly.

In the centre of the dam sits a huge wooden platform on which sits a statue of a mountain god carved out of stone. Of course, like all mountain gods, it is a goatee-like figure with kind brows, not at all similar to Yin Xun's silly appearance.

The women of the village put the various foodstuffs brought by the villagers in front of the wooden platform, and by midday the village headman led the way by kneeling in front of the statue of the mountain god and burning incense, and praying to the mountain god to bless Shuifu Village with good weather and rain in the coming year.

Perhaps it is because of Shuifu Village's remote location, almost isolated from modern society, that this ancient ritual has been preserved.

Lu Qingjiu also looked at the statue of the mountain god, only he did not know if it was his illusion, but he always felt that the goat-bearded mountain god smiled at him when he was looking at the statue of the mountain god. But when he looked closely, he found that the mountain god still maintained a serious expression, his eyes looking into the void in front of him.

After the worship of the mountain gods, the village headman had the offerings removed and taken to the stoves that had been set up long ago to be made into food.

Lu Qingjiu, as an outsider, should have sat at the edge of the table, but perhaps because he was always generous with his money and had a good relationship with his neighbours, he was invited by Uncle Li to a table further in.

When the dishes were ready, they were served on plates, still steaming. The dishes were not very tasty, but there were plenty of them, and as the weather in Shuifu Village is so bad in winter that few people go out, this Autumn Harvest Festival was a bit like Chinese New Year.

Apart from the food, the men's favourite is the strong wine. The wine is also home-made white wine, which tastes like burning knives in the mouth, but it is pleasant enough and is very popular with the men. After a long year of working in the fields, it was permissible to have a drink with abandon.

Lu Qingjiu took a sip of the wine and felt it sliding down his throat, a hot, painful sensation all over his body, until it reached his stomach, where it surged with heat and the previous pain turned into pain.

"Good wine." Lu Qingjiu praised.

"It's good, isn't it?" Uncle Li said proudly, "This is my family's own brew, so I've brought it to you today, drink as much as you like."

Lu Qingjiu, despite having the word "wine" in his name, is a mediocre drinker, and after a glass of white wine, his cheeks turned red and his eyes became wet.

The whole village was buzzing with the sounds of chatter and fisticuffs, laughing and joking, which brought a big smile to Lu Qingjiu's face.

Look. It had been a long time since he had had such a lively meal, and it seemed good to be so rowdy once in a while.

As we talked, ate and drank, Lu Qingjiu became a little drunk.

His head was starting to spin, he was still somewhat conscious, but he had no control over his actions, and just as he was slumped over the table thinking he should go home, a familiar face appeared before Lu Qingjiu's eyes.

Bai Yuehu is here.

He came from the other side of the village and, after a quick glance at the crowd, noticed Lu Qingjiu in the corner, lying on the table, seemingly unconscious.

The crowd is still noisy, drunken men are stumbling around, and the pungent smell of alcohol fills the air, making it a little annoying. Bai Yuehu walks over in the direction of Lu Qingjiu, who he sees in a daze.

Lu Qingjiu, who was not a good drinker but had good taste, did not make a fuss when he was drunk, but lay on the table, not moving until Bai Yuehu gently called his name. His nerves, paralysed by alcohol, became a little dull, and Lu Qingjiu watched for a moment before recognising the person in front of him, smiling, his eyes curving in a small arc, and his mouth slurring, " Bai Yuehu ".

Bai Yuehu didn't answer, just looked at Lu Qingjiu.

Lu Qingjiu said, "I... I think I'm drunk." He sniffled and tried to stand up, but his limbs were a bit unsteady, so his nasal voice took on a note of resignation, "Why can't I stand up?"

Bai Yuehu reached out, grabbed Lu Qingjiu's arm and took him into his arms.

Lu Qingjiu obediently let Bai Yuehu move, but after leaning into Bai Yuehu's arms, he smelled a light fragrance, which was obviously coming from Bai Yuehu's body. Like a dog looking for a bone, he sniffed around Bai Yuehu's neck and body, saying, "Hey, Bai Yuehu, you smell good."

Bai Yuehu looked at the man in his arms with a puzzled expression.

Lu Qingjiu sniffed for a while, but couldn't make out the difference, so he dutifully stopped moving and dozed off in Bai Yuehu's arms.

Bai Yuehu lifted Lu Qingjiu away from the crowd, picked him up straight away and just walked back home.

Yin Xun, who had also just returned home and was sitting in the courtyard eating sticky pork ribs, watched Bai Yuehu come through the door with a drunk Lu Qingjiu in his arms, and when he saw the scene, he hurriedly spat out the bones in his mouth and said, "Back, drunk on sake."

Bai Yuehu nods.

"You can put him to bed, I'll make him some sober soup." Yin Xun looked at Lu Qingjiu, who was in Bai Yuehu's arms, and was trembling with fear.

Bai Yuehu said, "No need, you go back, I'll do it."

Yin Xun's eyes widened at this, and he wanted to say something, but he noticed Bai Yuehu's cold look, so he swallowed all the words that were on his lips. He laughed dryly, scratched his head and said boldly, "I've had too much sake, don't take it personally."

Bai Yuehu said indifferently, "I can still eat him."

Yin Xun laughed dryly, "Yes, there will be no one left to cook after eating." He knew there was no point in talking, so he obediently left the courtyard, although he was still a little worried, but he understood that Bai Yuehu would not swallow Lu Qingjiu in one bite, after all, if Bai Yuehu wanted to eat a human being, he did not need to distract him at all.

Author's Comment: Lu Qingjiu: You're not going to eat me, are you?

Bai Yuehu: It depends on how you eat it.

Lu Qingjiu: Hey