Chapter 174: The Moon That Once Shone On Ancient People

“The origin of mooncakes has many legends, among which the most widely spread one is from the time of the Ming Dynasty when Zhu Yuanzhang rebelled against the Yuan Dynasty. But personally, I think the person who invented mooncakes must have been a food lover, always looking at the moon and thinking, ‘It looks like a piece of cake…’”

In front of a stall, Chu Ge was introducing mooncakes to Qiu Wuji. She found Chu Ge’s personal analysis quite reasonable.

Just like how Qiu Wuji saw white clouds and thought, ‘They look like cotton candy…’

Ancient people were like this. She was convinced!

“But these mooncakes are so small, and they don’t really resemble the moon,” Qiu Wuji leaned forward to look at the various mooncakes on the stall, feeling dissatisfied.

Mainly, she saw the prices. Why were they so expensive? Such a small piece of cake, and a box only had four of them, selling for 298 yuan. Were they made of gold? And they didn’t look like the moon, so small and thick!

“You also don’t like these fancy gift box mooncakes?” Chu Ge was happy to find another similarity between them as a couple. “I don’t like them either! Come, let’s look at these traditional mooncakes!”

The so-called traditional mooncakes were flat and round, really resembling the moon. They used to be only a few yuan each, and when Chu Ge was a child, they were just a few cents. He loved eating them, but who knows why they went out of fashion? Instead, the expensive ones that didn’t taste good became popular.

Qiu Wuji even saw some really large ones, about one to two feet in diameter, like a giant pancake!

“I want that one, I want that one!” Qiu Wuji happily pointed at the foot-long pancake. “That’s the moon, let’s eat this tonight!”

Chu Ge’s face turned dark. “We can’t finish it.”

“Why not? We can share it between the two of us.” Qiu Wuji gestured, thinking she could eat it all.

“Because it will become too overwhelming to eat. When you eat too much, you’ll feel sick and won’t be able to continue… This pancake is so big that most people buy it to share with a large family or for a group of people during company outings, where everyone gets a piece…”

“Is it sweet?”

“Yes, this type of traditional cake is made with white sugar, sesame, and lard… It’s delicious if you eat a small amount. Here, try a small piece…”

Qiu Wuji tasted a small piece, and her eyes crescented with delight. “It’s much tastier than that thing called pizza, which is basically just a flatbread! This one costs a few yuan, while that one costs dozens of yuan.”

Chu Ge ruffled her hair.

Qiu Wuji said, “That’s why I still want that moon-shaped one!”

Chu Ge couldn’t help but ask, “Do girls have an innate preference for big things…”

Qiu Wuji glanced at him askew. “Some things are cute when they’re big, while others are adorable when they’re small. I find you cuter.”

Chu Ge: “???”

The two of them were having a lively discussion in front of the mooncake stall. The stall owner watched with a smiling face, finding this couple in Hanfu attire both beautiful and amusing.

In the end, Qiu Wuji carried a large piece of moon-shaped cake and leisurely left the stall.

This would be their dinner for tonight. Cultivators must devour the sun and moon!

In the world of books, she would eventually pluck that smiling moon from the sky and take a bite.

Chu Ge helplessly followed beside her. “So, where should we go to eat?”

“To the park,” Qiu Wuji had already planned it out. “Let’s go to the riverside, where the moon first meets the river, and the river first reflects the moon.”

“I was ready to treat you to a fancy meal, and here you are, going to the park just for a cake.”

“Indeed, that’s the plan!”

“Yes, yes. A pair of immortal sword-wielding man and woman, standing by the river, one in the sky, one in the water, hand in hand, taking a bite…” Qiu Wuji imagined that scene and couldn’t help but laugh. “That would be so nice!”

Chu Ge also found it amusing, so they quickly headed to the riverside park where they had previously rowed a boat.

But when they arrived, they were dumbfounded. The place was packed with people, and the ambiance they were seeking was completely lost in the crowd.

However, there were many vendors selling various kinds of food. Chu Ge hid the large cake in his personal space and went to buy two cotton candies, handing one to Qiu Wuji.

Qiu Wuji licked the cotton candy and looked at the crowded and lively crowd, sighing, “So, this is what a holiday looks like… I thought the Mid-Autumn Festival was about gathering with family at home. Why is everyone out here?”

“Going out to have fun is also a form of gathering, just like you and me right now.” Chu Ge held her hand and strolled along, eating as they went.

Jiānbing guǒzi (pan-fried pancake with various fillings), takoyaki, teppanyaki squid…

By the time they reached the riverside, both of them realized they were already full.

The large mooncake lying in the personal space: “…”

Qiu Wuji had oil smeared all over her mouth and began to regret buying the large cake. How could she forget that this world’s night markets have so much delicious food? And everything tastes so good!

But what she regretted even more was coming to the riverside. It was packed with people everywhere. To lean on the railing by the river, they would have to squeeze in. Some people were taking selfies, others were taking photographs, children were crying, parents were consoling…

Who can appreciate the moon on the riverbank when there are so many people? It seemed like they were just surrounded by a crowd.

They exchanged a glance, their hearts connected. “Let’s change the location, not in the park.”

Both of them were cultivators, so they didn’t mind going to places where others might not venture.

Following the river, they ventured out of the city, and soon they reached a desolate riverbank that others would not come to. Compared to the bustling crowd they had just left behind, it was dark and quiet, with a touch of eeriness. The bank was scattered with rocks and wild grass, as well as various litter left behind by daytime visitors. There was also an angler sitting here, seemingly indifferent to the passing couple.

As they walked further, it became more desolate. The angler was no longer there, and the litter was gone too.

The rocks became more chaotic, with each step feeling uneven, but the river water became clearer, reflecting a round moon.

The surroundings grew more eerie. There were no streetlights here, only heavy shadows that seemed unsettling.

Chu Ge swatted a flying insect with a “smack” and turned to smile. “Doesn’t it feel like we’re two ancient people trekking along the riverside now?”

Qiu Wuji pulled out another cotton candy from Chu Ge’s personal space and said, “After I finish eating this, then we’ll resemble them.”

Chu Ge chuckled. “With bugs buzzing around, weeds scratching our legs, and dirt and annoyance everywhere. The so-called search for ambiance can also be called a case of being overly poetic, seeking trouble for oneself, and there’s no cure for it.”

“That’s how it was in ancient times. We have to get used to it if we want to experience the past,” Qiu Wuji casually remarked without waiting for Chu Ge’s response. Suddenly, she extended her finger and flicked it.

The chaotic insects suddenly vanished, and the air became fresh and pleasant.

“An expulsion technique, one of the simplest Daoist arts,” Qiu Wuji said as she pointed at the scattered rocks by the riverside. The dirty and messy stones quickly became clean and smooth. “A cleansing technique, also one of the simplest Daoist arts.”

She turned to look at Chu Ge, playfully smiling. “Not only are we ancient people, but we are also cultivators.”

Chu Ge sat down on a relatively flat stone, quite content. He stretched and yawned lazily. “You know, when it comes to the ancient people’s fantasies about immortals, aside from longevity and power, the main thing they desired was to be lazy. Ah, if there were immortal techniques that could clean the house for me or instantly transport me to the neighboring county to have a drink with someone…”

Qiu Wuji pondered for a moment and surprisingly agreed. “The mortal’s fantasies about immortality are fundamentally about being lazy… just like your modern technology, everything is geared towards convenience.”

She sat down next to Chu Ge on the stone, continuing to enjoy the last bit of her cotton candy. Muttering to herself, she said, “Regardless of how you fantasize, for me, my immortality techniques are real!”

Chu Ge reached out and embraced her shoulder.

Qiu Wuji didn’t refuse. Instead, she leaned against his shoulder, following his lead. The two of them fell into a moment of silence, the “ancient people,” quietly gazing at the moon reflected in the water.

“In the present, we no longer see the moon as ancient people did, but the moon that once shone on ancient people,” Qiu Wuji mused. “Throughout the ages, it remains unchanged. Guess how many moonlit vows it has witnessed, only to be discarded like worn-out shoes in the end?”

“Hey!” Chu Ge interjected. “So, you’re trying to play with me and then not take responsibility, huh?”

Qiu Wuji opened her mouth to respond but suddenly burst into laughter. “According to your choice of words, is this what they call a counterattack?”

“This is the counterattack.” Chu Ge suddenly turned his head and kissed her deeply on the lips. “After eating so much cotton candy, you didn’t leave me any, so I’ll help myself…”

Qiu Wuji quietly allowed him to kiss her. In this serene moonlit countryside, she couldn’t help but feel a flutter of emotions herself and unconsciously wanted to draw closer to him.

Speaking of moonlit vows, it was initially a thought about whether this guy would do something and then pull up his pants and say something generic…

But he counterattacked instead.

Qiu Wuji didn’t continue with that question and simply enjoyed his kiss, quietly gazing at the moon in the sky.

This was her first time, in countless ages, celebrating a reunion under the full moon.

It was the Mid-Autumn Festival…