How can someone travel through time and space and become a beggar?

Chapter 324

After only catering to female guests last time, Yin Ge Yuan once again became famous for its snowy mooncakes. Without these, every banquet seemed to lose face.

What if we can’t buy it? Then we can hold a banquet at Yin Ge Garden.

All the money that was not earned during the hot summer was returned during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Xia Chu borrowed some help from Jia Qingwu to make mooncakes, and he himself became the hands-off boss.

As Mid-Autumn Festival drew closer, she thought of Zhang Zhou, who was away from home. He wouldn't be able to enjoy mooncakes from home this year. Without vacuum packaging, freshly made mooncakes wouldn't survive the long journey.

Xia Chu wrote down several mooncake recipes that Zhang Zhou liked to eat and sent them to the post station along with a Mid-Autumn Festival greeting letter.

In previous years, Zhang Zhou would help her make mooncakes, but he had never done it independently. I wonder if he still remembers it.

Zhang Zhou remembered.

When he first entered the Hanlin Academy, he had no family support and was not particularly talented, so his days were pretty boring. Fortunately, the Hanlin Academy didn't have much else to offer, but it had a lot of books.

Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and Zhang Xin’s family sent a lot of things over.

Zhang Zhou had some, too, mostly food recommendations. He flipped open the letter and read it word by word until he reached the end: "Second brother, Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, while the moon is full, our lives are far from complete. Here's a mooncake recipe, all in your favorite flavors, remember to make them yourself. When we look up at the bright moon on Mid-Autumn Festival, I hope we can enjoy mooncakes with the same fillings, which will be a reunion."

The mooncake recipe was so detailed that it even included the cooking time, and even took into account that he didn't have an oven, so he could steam the mooncakes. Zhang Zhou smiled, but his eyes gradually became tearful.

That day, under Fu Yang's astonished gaze, he entered the kitchen. The family hired an old woman to cook. She was not really a cook, and she only knew a few home cooking dishes. She certainly didn't know how to make mooncakes, or even dim sum.

"Is the master hungry?" the old lady asked in fear and trepidation.

"No, I'm making mooncakes." Zhang Zhou looked around and found that he didn't have enough ingredients, so he went out again. He asked Fu Yang to buy everything he needed and then he kneaded the dough skillfully.

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Xia Chu sent two baskets of mooncakes. The soldiers in the barracks clamored for them. It was impossible for everyone to have a piece, but the thoughtfulness and festive atmosphere made many people happy.

Xia Tian returned that evening, and the family set up the table under the osmanthus tree as usual. They first offered respect to the gods and ancestors, and then everyone sat around and began to share the mooncakes.

Dong Xiaohuan ate a piece of meat floss filling, stared blankly at the seat where Zhang Zhou often sat, and sighed.

Xia Chu noticed her melancholy and said softly, "Mom, my second brother must have eaten too. How can we not be reunited as a family, basking in the moonlight together?"

Dong Xiaohuan smiled and said, "Yes, it can be considered a reunion."

"Second brother is also good at stir-frying pork floss. I believe it's not worse than what we eat." Guan Xu said.

"I miss my second brother so much." Wang Qiuyu's mouth drooped, and everyone's expression darkened.

Seeing this, Xia Chu pretended to be unreasonable and said, "Well, Third Brother, are you dissatisfied with my cooking?"

Guan Xu immediately understood what she meant and begged for mercy, "No, no, of course my little sister's cooking is the best."

Xia Chu snorted, "Don't explain. Explanation is covering up, and covering up is telling stories. If you're angry, you can't appease him."

Dong Xiaohuan was amused and laughed, "You are bullying your honest third brother again."

Jia Qingwu smiled, took a sip of osmanthus wine, and looked up at the moon above her head. She wondered if her parents were also admiring the moon at this moment, and whether they would think of her unfilial daughter.

After coaxing that mother, Xia Chu went to coax this one. She leaned over and hugged Jia Qingwu's arm, "Mom, do you miss home? What did your uncle write to you?"

Jia Qingwu gently helped her comb her hair. "She didn't say anything. She just said everything was fine at home and her parents were healthy. She told me not to worry and to live a good life."

Mother had been away from Huizhou for over a year, and she must have been homesick. She had been ill for so long, and now she was back in Lin'an. Grandpa and grandmother must have been worried about her, so Xia Chu felt she couldn't be too selfish. "I'll go back to Huizhou with Mother for the New Year this year, okay?"

Jia Qingwu's eyes suddenly lit up. Just as she was about to say something, she looked at Wang Yong and Dong Xiaohuan. They just smiled at her and said nothing. Her heart warmed, and she murmured a yes.

Dong Xiaohuan didn't think it was a big deal. Jia Qingwu had been away from home for so long. Her parents were getting older, and as a daughter, she must have felt bad not being able to be with them all the time. Going back for the New Year was the right thing to do. "When the time comes, bring back some of our Lin'an specialties so they can try them too. Even though we're not far away, the flavors are always different."

The family discussed what to bring, and the sadness just now seemed to dissipate with the wind.

It was not until the moon was at its zenith that they returned to their rooms to wash and rest.

Xia Chu was lying in bed, just about to close her eyes and go to sleep when she suddenly thought of something. She got up and opened the window, only to be met with a startled face.

She raised an eyebrow and lowered her voice, "Where did this little thief come from? What are you trying to do by climbing over the wall and breaking into a private house in the middle of the night?"

It only took Zhao Huazhang a moment to go from stunned to surprised. He stared at Xia Chu, who looked even more beautiful under the moonlight, and was stunned for a long time.

He had originally planned to deliver it during the day, but Xia Chu hadn't gone to Yin Ge Garden, and no one was there when he arrived at Wang's house. Later, he learned that Xia Chu had gone to the military camp to deliver mooncakes, so he hadn't met her during the day. He had to accompany his grandmother for a reunion dinner that evening, and when she fell asleep, he finally had some free time, so he had originally planned to deliver it the next day.

But it wasn't Mid-Autumn Festival, and he felt a little reluctant. He arrived at Wang's house, but couldn't find a reason to visit so late at night. He wandered outside for a long time, wanting to go back several times, but not wanting to leave. When the lights were out, he became a wall-climbing thief again.

Thinking that if Xia Chu was already asleep, he would put down his things and leave. However, he did not expect that not long after he stood in front of the window, his beloved appeared in front of him.

Zhao Huazhang would never forget this scene, even after many years. The girl in her coat had her hair loose, and the bright moonlight shone on her fair face, brighter than the moon in the sky. Her curved eyes were filled with moonlight, reflecting his figure.

He raised his hand, holding a jade hairpin made of green. The style was very simple, but because of the fine quality of the jade, it was still very beautiful.

"Gift?" Xia Chu took it without hesitation. She didn't know how long the man had held it; the hairpin was actually warm. She smiled and looked up. "Thank you, I like it very much."

Zhao Huazhang raised the corner of his mouth and looked at her reluctantly, "Then you should go to bed early."

"Wait a minute." Xia Chu woke up from her dream, turned back to her room, and dug out a sachet from the bedside table. It was embroidered with a pattern... barely recognizable as a fish. She suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

How about forgetting it? Who can tell it's a koi? Someone gave you a jade hairpin, and you gave them a sachet in return. Isn't that too shabby?

But she didn't know what to give him. She wanted to buy something, but everything Zhao Huazhang had was exquisite. She couldn't give him something inferior and ask him to exchange it, right?

She chose for a long time, and finally, at Cuihua's suggestion, she embroidered a sachet. But it was so ugly that she even disliked it. She was afraid that it would be embarrassing to take it out.