In Great Chu, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a grand occasion featuring various customs such as lighting lanterns, solving riddles, admiring osmanthus flowers, drinking osmanthus-flavored wine, playing with flower lanterns, and of course, Worshiping Moon God and eating mooncakes.
As night fell, beautiful curved lanterns were hung high on the eaves, casting a soft glow over the entire residence.
In the middle of the courtyard, a large incense table was set up, covered with offerings such as mooncakes, waterlons, chestnuts, and red dates. Even the poorest families would place mooncakes and waterlons on the incense table during Worshiping Moon God, cutting the waterlon into the shape of a lotus, symbolizing reunion and hence referred to as "reunion lon."
Everyone stood in front of the offering table, looking towards the east, waiting for the moon to rise. When the reddish moon slowly erged above the horizon and beca fully round, Mo Qingze held incense in both hands and knelt on the ground to worship.
After Mo Qingze finished, it was Mo Yan’s turn, but the mont she took the incense and knelt down, Xiao Ruiyuan, who had been standing by her side, suddenly stepped forward, holding her hand and kneeling down with her, his expression one of utmost devotion.
Mo Yan was stunned for a mont, and under the dumbfounded gaze of the others, she couldn’t help but join Xiao Ruiyuan in worship, suddenly feeling as if they were performing a wedding ceremony before heaven and earth.
This feeling was not exclusive to Mo Yan; Xiao Ruiyuan was equally moved. Under the silent Yuan Yue in the sky, he gazed at the woman beside him and silently made his first wish in this lifeti.
Mo Qingze pretended not to see, and under the urging of their father, each of the little ones took their turn worshiping Moon God. Mo Yan, conscious of her younger siblings’ curious stares, beca sowhat embarrassed and quickly took out a small knife she had already prepared to cut the mooncakes, diverting their attention.
The mooncakes offered to Moon God were to be shared among the family mbers, and usually, the bigger the mooncakes, the better. The Mo Family was no exception, having prepared a bean paste-filled mooncake larger than a basin. Mo Yan, wielding the knife, cut the big mooncake on the offering table into seven equal pieces, each piece representing a person.
Xiao Ruiyuan looked at the seven pieces of mooncake on the plate, suddenly feeling a wave of sadness within him. Since his grandfather’s death, no one had cut a piece of mooncake for him on Mid-Autumn Festival.
Despite the large mooncake being cut into smaller pieces, each piece was still substantial. Everyone had just had dinner and couldn’t possibly eat their portion, most only symbolically taking a couple of bites before setting it down, except for Xiao Ruiyuan, who actually ate his whole piece bite by bite.
"What’s wrong, do you feel uncomfortable?" On the way to the Moon-Watching Pavilion, Mo Yan and Xiao Ruiyuan fell behind the others. The path lights shone on Xiao Ruiyuan’s face, and seeing his brow slightly furrowed as if in discomfort, Mo Yan asked with concern.
Xiao Ruiyuan shook his head but instinctively covered his stomach. Seeing Mo Yan looking over, he tried to act nonchalant and removed his hand.
Seeing this, Mo Yan understood imdiately, feeling both sympathy and annoyance: "You clearly couldn’t eat it; why force yourself? Are you silly?"
A flash of surprise crossed Xiao Ruiyuan’s stern face, his lips pressed tightly together without a word, too embarrassed to look at Mo Yan.
"Pfft!" Mo Yan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Seeing Xiao Ruiyuan’s scowling face turned towards her, she quickly stopped herself and said, "You go with my father, I’ll head to the kitchen first to make so pepper water."
Pepper water aids digestion; if one has overeaten or consud too many different types of food leading to bloating, a bowl of it can provide relief.
"Why make that? Can it be drunk?" Xiao Ruiyuan asked in confusion, clearly considering pepper to be a not particularly pleasant condint, unaware of its other uses.
If Mo Yan told the truth, she figured he might get angry, so she ca up with an excuse: "The Moon-Watching Pavilion is by the water and hence damp, and the night brings chilliness. I’m making so pepper water to ward off the damp and cold."
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