Chapter 228: Good
So, the first thing Shopkeeper Shang did upon returning to the shop was to announce that they would close early for the afternoon.
Everyone was naturally delighted.
Just then, the crabs that Shang Wan had ordered arrived. Shang Wan kept two baskets for her family and gave the rest to the shop assistants as Mid-Autumn Festival welfare.
Xiao Huan also made mooncakes, in four flavors: lotus seed paste, red bean paste, salted egg yolk, and five kernels.
Everyone gathered together to eat mooncakes. Any customers who happened by also got one.
Xiao Huan’s skills were naturally impeccable. Yuan Qiao thought the lotus seed paste mooncakes were the best and really wanted to take one back for her mother and brother.
But the little girl was too shy to ask and too embarrassed to eat and take at the same time.
Actually, without her saying anything, Xiao Huan had already prepared some.
Mooncake gift boxes were also one of the holiday welfare items.
For the holiday, they had to give out reward money. Shopkeeper Shang was generous, giving each shop assistant two strings of cash to buy chrysanthemum wine to drink.
“Closing time, closing time.”
As the last customer stepped over the threshold, Shang Wan didn’t linger a moment longer and called to the shop assistants to close up.
Liu Cheng came over and asked, “Shopkeeper, should we bring in the flower stand at the doorway?”
Everyone had worked together to make a flower stand resembling lingzhi mushrooms and placed it outside. No one knew whose idea it was, but it suited their Spiritual Medicine Pavilion quite well.
“No need.” Shang Wan waved her hand. “Those flowers will wilt tomorrow anyway. Leaving them outside for people to see is fine.”
Liu Cheng then ignored it, picked up the broom from the corner, and started sweeping.
After cleaning the shop thoroughly, Shang Wan prepared food for Xiao Hei and hung the “Closed” wooden sign at the doorway.
Just as she was about to leave, a red-lacquered carriage slowly stopped at the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion doorway.
Shang Wan paused, and upon seeing who got out of the carriage, she greeted with a beaming smile, “Happy holiday, Steward Zhong.”
“Happy holiday.” Steward Zhong glanced at the tightly shut doors of the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion and asked puzzledly, “Why close so early?”
“Isn’t it the holiday today? Heading back early.”
Steward Zhong looked up at the sun. It really was quite early.
Shang Wan asked, “Coming over at this time—could there be a problem with that batch of medicine?”
“The medicine is excellent.” Steward Zhong wasn’t there about the medicine. He said, “The owner is returning to the capital tomorrow morning and sent me to take Young Master Chu to the house, so as not to rush in the morning.”
Hearing this, Shang Wan waved to Chu Xu sitting on the ox cart. “A Nian.”
Chu Xu jumped off the ox cart and ran over. “Aunt Shang, what is it?”
“Boss Zhong is heading back to the capital tomorrow.” Shang Wan pointed to Steward Zhong. “He’s here to pick you up.”
“Aren’t you leaving tomorrow?” Chu Xu wanted to stay at the Lu Family for the Mid-Autumn Festival. He still needed to paint colors on the Rabbit God with Yuan Yuan.
Steward Zhong said, “The owner is just worried about you rushing back and forth and tiring yourself out.”
Chu Xu didn’t feel tired at all. He took Shang Wan’s hand and shook it, his cat-like eyes glistening.
The child was about to leave, and it was just a small request, so Shang Wan naturally agreed to indulge him.
“Steward Zhong, I know where Boss Zhong’s house is. You go back first. I’ll personally bring A Nian over tonight.”
Steward Zhong was a bit uneasy. “But the owner already instructed…”
“Just say it was me.” Chu Xu pulled Shang Wan toward the ox cart, not giving Steward Zhong a chance to speak.
Steward Zhong had no choice but to go back and report as Shang Wan said.
Zhong Li’s reaction was another matter. The ox cart carried a cart full of people into the village, with people greeting them along the way.
By the time they reached the house doorway, the family got off, and gift-givers had already arrived.
And not just one— they came in twos and threes.
Lu Chengjing opened the courtyard gate and ushered people inside.
Xiao Huan ran to the kitchen to boil water for tea, but before the water even boiled, three groups had already cycled through the main hall.
Everyone brought quite a few things, with mooncakes being the most numerous.
These mooncakes varied not only in shape but also had very characteristic fillings—some didn’t even look like mooncakes.
Shang Wan casually tried one, and it was spicy, with bits of meat inside. But the chili flavor was too strong, so Shang Wan couldn’t tell what kind of meat it was.
She found it quite amusing and broke open several different ones in a row—some with meat, some with vegetables, only one with sugar.
Shang Wan laughed. What kind of mooncakes were these?
“Come over and try these.”
Everyone ate their fill of these vegetable dishes disguised as mooncakes.
No one else came to the door one after another. Shi Tou ran to close the courtyard gate.
In the courtyard, Chu Xu climbed the tree like a monkey. Following Xiao Huan’s directions, he hung lanterns on the branches.
Yuan Yuan crowded around nearby, stretching out her small hand and pointing randomly, making Young Master Chu quite busy.
In the main hall, Shang Wan looked at the table full of mooncakes, troubled.
So many “mooncakes”—how long would it take to eat them all?
Lu Chengjing suggested, “How about keeping two mooncakes from each family and putting the rest in the shop? Anyone buying more than two taels of medicine gets a free mooncake.”
Shang Wan thought about it and found it feasible. This way, she wouldn’t let down everyone’s intentions and could clear out these mooncakes.
Tomorrow, she’d set up mooncake blind boxes in the shop.
She waved her hand, storing everything on the table into her space, then pulled Lu Chengjing to help in the courtyard.
Lu Chengjing said, “I’ll go to the study to prepare pigments. Once the lanterns are hung, come over.”
“Alright.” Shang Wan agreed, picked up a lantern, leaped up, and hung it on the highest treetop.
“Sis, don’t hang it so high.” Xiao Huan looked up and shouted. “Lower down.”
Yuan Yuan also shouted, “Mommy, high high!”
The little baby girl was purely joining in the fun and causing chaos.
Shi Tou scooped her up. “Yuan Yuan, come with Uncle to fold river lanterns.”
Yuan Yuan blinked her eyes, feeling that Uncle Shi Tou’s side was more interesting, and obediently let him carry her away.
Without the little one causing trouble, hanging the lanterns went quite smoothly.
After Yuan Yuan tore several sheets of colored paper in a row, Shi Tou took her to the study and handed her to her father.
Lu Chengjing had just changed into clothes he didn’t mind getting dirty.
The little baby girl and her daddy stared wide-eyed at each other for a moment, then she grinned, reached out, cupped her daddy’s face, and gave him a kiss.
Lu Chengjing helplessly patted her and took his daughter to prepare the pigments together.
Soon, everyone gathered in the study to paint their clay figurines.
The two children had particularly unique ideas: one painted the rabbit face red, the other black. Shang Wan couldn’t make sense of it.
The four adults finished painting, while the two children had only done half.
The four discussed and decided to fold river lanterns in the meantime.
Xiao Huan had to prepare the big evening meal, so she didn’t join in folding river lanterns.
The colorful clouds in the sky were brilliant, the light gradually darkening, and cooking smoke rose from every household.
Before dinner, they first worshiped the Rabbit God.
Six Rabbit Gods of various colors and forms were placed on a temporary altar, with cockscomb flowers blooming on both sides.
Everyone made their own prayers and wishes. Amid the murmurs, only one soft childish voice stood out clearly: “Good… good… good… good…”
Several “good”s in a row.
Shang Wan listened curiously. After the wishes were made, she picked up the little baby girl and quietly asked, “Good girl, why did you say so many ‘good’s earlier?”
Yuan Yuan counted on her fingers, one by one slowly. “Mommy good, Daddy good, Auntie good, Su good, Brother good, Turtle good, Flyfly good, Doggy good, Cowcow good, Sheep good, Hua Hua good, Chirpchirp good…”
She listed every living creature in the house one by one, and feeling she hadn’t missed anyone, the little one patted her small chest with her small hand and said softly, “Yuan Yuan good.”
Shang Wan: “…”
Blessing so many at once— the Rabbit God must be tired.
