CHAPTER 413: CHAPTER 411: XIA DONG FOLK CUSTOMS

"Leave approval... does it need to go through the counselor?" Ansheng, lying back on the sofa, showed an expression of disbelief upon hearing what Aqing said.

It might be because his previous school was too unruly that applying for leave needed the counselor’s approval, which touched Ansheng’s blind spot in knowledge.

At Ansheng’s previous college, the presence of the counselor was almost negligible, and whenever they appeared, it indicated that one of three things might happen.

First, there was a quarrel over equipment on campus.

Second, something happened at the boys’ dormitory involving Nantong.

Third, acting as a "human trafficker," using usual marks as bait to trick resident students into "part-time work," meaning deceiving students into working at local factories during winter and summer vacations.

Ansheng’s previous college operated quite on the wild side, with all sorts of shady tricks emerging one after another. School rules were all about self-discipline, and the teachers didn’t care much if students attended classes as long as they were still breathing and didn’t die on campus.

If you didn’t have enough credits to graduate, no worries, the school considerately provided paid retake exams and opportunities to earn credits by working in factories.

The principal even managed to exchange a BMW for a Bentley to fly across.

Ansheng had seen many sly and unconventional tactics, but a proper college that didn’t treat students all as leeks ready to be harvested truly surprised him for a moment.

But then Ansheng had a thought that amused him, so he playfully kicked Aqing’s leg and said:

"If you need to take leave..."

"Aqing, you’ve locked in a spot!"

"The safety and fortune of the whole village depend on you. If you don’t go back, the people in Changxi Town won’t agree, and they might even call the education bureau to complain."

The little fox let out a joyful cooing sound.

Xia Dong.

Traditionally, it has never been a battleground for military strategists, but Xia Dong is definitely a place fiercely contested by immortals. Every festival, each village and county holds its own ceremony.

Ansheng hasn’t experienced Xia Dong’s Mid-Autumn Festival, but he has many friends from Xia Dong and knows some of the customs.

For instance, during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Changxi Town, they have ceremonial rites called ’Building Towers’ and ’Stacking Towers’.

’Building Towers’ is a collective regional activity, where circular towers are erected on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Some people, more fastidious, use semicircular tiles to build them, then firewood is lit inside on the afternoon of the Mid-Autumn Festival to burn all night.

Circular towers, round tiles, the full moon, signifying happiness and completeness, carry a beautiful blessing symbol.

’Stacking Towers’ is a small family ceremony.

In the hall or the forecourt, place pots of flowers surrounded by tile-built towers, with statues of deities worshipped at home placed inside the pots, symbolizing blessings and prosperity.

Of course, there’s also the dice game spread across the street and some children’s games.

For example, after stacking the towers, kids in the family are made to stand guard with bamboo sticks next to the tower, vigilantly ensuring no small animals knock it over before the ceremony ends.

After all...

When towers are placed on the table, the table gets piled with food, and occasional mishaps are reasonable but very inauspicious.

Thus, they came up with a game among the children called ’Chasing Stray Cats’.

Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Aqing’s importance is beyond doubt!

Old Chen needs Aqing to negotiate with various local deities to ensure they don’t dismantle the village’s towers.

Although Ansheng wasn’t here last year,

these matters were predictable. Aqing’s spirit communication ability is really too handy.

The advance notice to local deities ensures that the Mid-Autumn Festival’s folk customs go smoothly without a hitch.

If those traditional festivities get disrupted, with Xia Dong being a hotspot for immortals, the villagers might revolt.

Old Chen would have to kneel in the ancestral hall asking for forgiveness.

"Hmm?"

While Ansheng was thinking, Aqing’s phone suddenly rang with a WeChat notification sound, she pulled out her phone, and meanwhile, tucked the little fox’s leg that was sticking out, keeping its little bell covered lest the School of Animal Science students spot it and snatch it.

"Hmm?"

Aqing looked at the screen, showing a message from her mother, Chen Peipei, sent to her location.

Chen Peipei: [Aqing, Mid-Autumn Festival is here, the elders are especially attentive at the tea estate...]

Chen Peipei: [Can you manage with school arrangements?]

"Hmm... I don’t know if the leave will be approved." Aqing, seeing the message from her mother, scratched her head and looked sidelong at her classmates who were still discussing their leave.

"Today! I must get that leave!" A female classmate with a slightly exotic air clenched her fist, saying with high spirits, "The day before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the flight ticket costs 3,200, but leaving a day earlier saves 500 bucks!"

"Last year, flying from Dian Nan to Yining cost over 4,000. This year, I absolutely can’t waste money on that. I want to save it and buy a soil parameter analyzer! I’m going to take the train! 580 right to my doorstep!"

"Hmm? Your parents always bought you tickets in previous years; you’re buying them yourself this year?" her roommate questioned.

"I asked my dad to transfer me the money. Just as well, the money saved on tickets can buy a parameter meter," she replied.

"Well... you have some strong resolve on that." Her roommate began to tease.

Given what she knew of geography, the area where Yining city is located is already close to the border.

It’s about two to three thousand kilometers from Chang’an City by train, so if your butt doesn’t have some high-carbon steel alloy, it would be insane to say such a thing.

Better not end up saving nothing and return with hemorrhoids.

"What’s all the excitement about? Aqing, I’m done with my shower. It’s your turn."

Mo Yiqing, wiping her wet hair, popped her head out from the second floor and called out to Aqing.

"Oh, nothing much, just everyone discussing taking a couple of days off for the Mid-Autumn Festival," Aqing responded.

"If you want to take leave, can’t you just ask?" Mo Yiqing chuckled, saying, "Every year my family has homestay activities during the festival. With a proper reason, just give the counselor a heads up."

"By the way, what shape are you planning to make for your tower this year? Our family heard we have a slightly larger budget this year and plans to build a plum blossom shape."

In Zen City’s Mo Yiqing’s area, there’s also a tower-building activity before the Mid-Autumn Festival. As the daughter of the main sponsor, she attends the event every year.

"Eek..."

Witnessing Aqing and Momo’s chat about homestay activities, Tang You couldn’t help but shrink back a little.

She was once curious about southern folk customs and envious of Aqing and Momo easily taking leaves, so she searched on Baidu about those tower-building customs.

And then...

She kept quiet.

The tradition originated in the late Yuan dynasty and wasn’t a traditional event initially but a signal for uprising, overthrowing the Yuan empire. Secret notes were hidden in mooncakes, with fires set on the fifteenth of the eighth month as a signal.

Three families would support one against Yuan, eliminating all overnight.

Of course.

Those are ancient stories, no one speaks such strange and ambiguous antics anymore, but joking around, climbing onto your bed to make a fuss is very likely.

Just in case,

People from Zen City didn’t eat Xia Dong people alive; instead, they teamed up against you, tickling you till you burst into laughter.

"Hmm... Better ask my counselor if I’ll get the leave." Fresh out of the shower, Aqing sat down in front of her laptop, messaging her counselor to inquire about the leave approval.

[Approved. I’ll write the leave slip for you. If you’re in a hurry, you can go home this afternoon. By the way, do me a favor in greeting the white buffalo before you leave.] The counselor’s response was almost instantaneous, approving Aqing’s leave.

In some sense,

the teachers and professors all worry about naive Aqing being deceived by the evil spirits from the neighboring department.

Especially after the prize pool increased, the dean would rather Aqing skip classes every day and hide.

As soon as Aqing asked, the counselor promptly approved it.