These days, the stall at home only offers shrimp paste buns and five-spice tea eggs. The portion of braised pork has been reduced to ten pounds a day, and they sell a pair of braised pig’s feet daily. Whenever family members crave something tasty, they occasionally make a little extra.

On this Mid-Autumn Festival, Chen Yuping got up early, determined to prepare a lavish feast.

After finishing the chores inside and outside the house, Dad Chen visited his second son’s home to help tidy up. Once done, he returned home, carrying Cao ger, and stood in front of their stall.

Thinking about the holiday, he knew every household would be enjoying good food and drink.

Thus, the portions at the stall were halved: fifty shrimp paste buns, thirty five-spice tea eggs, ten pounds of braised pork, and one pair of braised pig’s feet.

Selling early meant they could pack up and relax a bit.

“Second Uncle, where’s Ping ger?”

“Busy in the kitchen.”

“Cao ger looks a bit chubbier again, Second Uncle knows how to take care of kids.”

Seeing he wasn’t there to buy food, Dad Chen asked, “Is there something you need Ping ger for? I can call him out.”

“Ping ger said earlier he wanted to know who is selling cattle. If there’s news, let him know, and he’ll bring some food he made himself.”

“That’s right.” Chen Yuping smiled and welcomed him: “Who wants to sell an ox? I’m looking to buy a sturdy one for work.”

“Yes, my neighbor He Lang wants to sell an ox he’s raised for over two years. It’s young and strong, perfect for both pulling carts and farm work. They didn’t intend to sell, but the old man in the family fell ill and they urgently need money, so they’re reluctantly parting with it. They want seven taels of silver, it’s a bit pricey, but it’s a good ox. If Ping ger is interested and has time, he can follow my neighbor to take a look. If we wait too long, it might get sold.”

At home, family members refer to each other as wives and husbands, while the children are usually called by affectionate nicknames or their names. It was clear this person cared for his ger, using the familiar term “He” in a warm way.

There was still a lot to do in the kitchen, and Chen Yuping didn’t really have time for it. He didn’t know much about good or bad oxen: “Dad, should we have Father take a look?”

“This is something only your father can do, he knows how to judge cattle. I’ll go call him back.”

Father Chen quickly returned, taking money to the village selling the ox.

About half an hour later, Father Chen came back leading a strong ox, looking pleased.

“This is a good ox, we’ve struck gold! Seven taels of silver is worth it.” He said this while stroking the cow’s head with satisfaction and joy clear in his eyes.

“Good thing we didn’t delay, if we waited any longer, we wouldn’t have been able to buy it,” the man said, looking relieved. “Ping ger, now that we’ve got the ox, I have a small request. If it’s too much trouble, it’s fine. I bought two pounds of pork belly, could you please make some braised pork for me? I won’t need anything else.”

Chen Yuping nodded with a smile: “Sure, bring the meat over, and come pick it up in the afternoon.”

“Great. Thank you, Ping ger. I appreciate it.”

After seeing the man off, Chen Yuping turned around, only to find Father Chen and the ox were gone: “Where did they go?”

Dad Chen pointed behind the house, smiling teasingly: “He said he was going to tidy up the cow shed.”

“That cow shed was just built the other day, it doesn’t need tidying up.”

“Who knows?”

As soon as Chen Yuanqiu entered the house, he was excitedly grabbed by Father Chen: “Youngest, go cut some fresh grass.”

“Dad, I’m taking the cow out to eat, let it eat as much as it wants.”

“No, go cut some grass.”

“Alright then.”

“We’ve been cherishing this cow for a few days, just watch him lead it everywhere.” Father Chen didn’t even need to guess: “Tonight, he’ll surely be chattering away in my ear while I sleep.”

Chen Yuping smiled with his eyes narrowing. His father always said the youngest was silly, it seemed that silliness had mostly come from Father Chen himself.

This Mid-Autumn Festival emphasizes family reunion.

Chen Yuandong and his wife brought their daughter, Qiaoniu, along with gifts for dinner at the old house.

Two pairs of cloth shoes, a pound of wine, a pound of honey cake, a pound of meat, and a fish made this a substantial gift.

Father Chen and Dad Chen treated them well, often looking after them, and Liu Guixiang thought of them kindly, naturally holding them in high regard. What was given to the maternal family was the same for the husband’s side, and they treated each other equally.

Originally, they intended to buy mooncakes, but Chen Yuping had told his second brother not to buy any from town as he was planning to make them himself. When his second sister-in-law returned to her family, she could directly take the mooncakes from the old house.

So, the mooncakes were replaced with honey cakes.

When the snowskin mooncakes were placed on the table, Chen Yuping didn’t say they were mooncakes. He said nothing at all.

The family thought these were his new creations for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

“They look amazing! How did you make these, Ping ger? So beautiful!” Liu Guixiang, struggling to contain her desire to reach out and touch them, and felt an itch of excitement: “Are these pastries? They have a faint sweet aroma, with a rich meaty scent? And a hint of egg flavor? And a lotus fragrance? What exactly are they?”

Chen Yuanqiu stared at the dish, transfixed: “I don’t know, but they look delicious.” He was nearly drooling, quickly wiping his mouth.

Even Cao ger and Qiaoniu, the two little ones, were very interested in the snowskin mooncakes, peeking up with their little heads and flapping their chubby arms, looking adorable.

“What kind of food is this, Ping ger?” Father Chen asked.

Dad Chen helped with serving, guessing but not saying anything, letting his third son maintain an air of mystery, teasing everyone’s appetite.

Once the food was all laid out, the Mid-Autumn Festival, being a significant holiday, warranted a bountiful feast.

Usually, this fragrant meal would capture everyone’s attention, but today was different. Everyone focused on the central plate piled high with the pastries, which looked somewhat like cakes but were much more beautiful and delicate than any sold in stores. They were small enough to fit in one bite, with a translucent exterior that vaguely revealed the filling inside, adding an enticing allure.

“What’s the occasion today?” Chen Yuping cheerfully asked: “Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival! What should we eat?”

Chen Yuanqiu’s eyes widened: “Mooncakes! Brother, is this your mooncake? I thought the patterns looked familiar, like those usually found on mooncakes, but how could yours be so different?”

“My mooncakes don’t just look different from the ones bought in town, the fillings are worlds apart. Try them! There are several types, I started preparing yesterday and got up at dawn today. I put in a lot of effort, and it was worth it, they taste great.”

“These are mooncakes!” Liu Guixiang felt a bit dizzy. Such beautiful mooncakes and she could take them as gifts back to her family. Her head was spinning, her third brother was too kind!

Chen Yuanqiu, quick to act, grabbed one and took a bite: “Sweet! So tender, smooth, fragrant, and soft! What a magical mooncake, Third brother! What’s the filling? I smell lotus seeds, but I’ve never had lotus seeds this fragrant. Sweet but not cloying, delicious and tasty. So good!”

“S-salty?” Father Chen looked confused, chewing a few times: “Is that meat?” He gazed at the mooncake in his hand: “Is this meat?” It was a fine strand that’s a bit chewy: “And a hint of sweetness?” He swallowed it, smacking his lips while savoring it: “So fragrant!”

“I had the red bean paste filling, soft and glutinous, with a hint of sweetness which is also very delicious.” Dad Chen smiled happily, he enjoyed this red bean mooncake, as it suited his taste.

Chen Yuanqiu thought for a moment, uncertain: “My mooncake filling has a lot going on, it has peanuts, walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, and… I don’t know what else, but it tastes amazing! The more I eat, the more fragrant it gets, crispy and refreshing. So tasty.”

“Youngest has the lotus paste filling, Father has the meat floss filling, and Dad has the red bean filling. Second Brother has the five-nut filling, which includes peanuts, walnuts, almonds, sesame, and pine nuts.” Chen Yuping raised the mooncake he had bitten into, revealing a golden egg yolk. Just looking at it was particularly appetizing: “I have the egg yolk filling. There are also braised meat filling, date paste filling, osmanthus filling, and ham filling.” He made every filling he wanted. The ham wasn’t cheap, and he felt a bit pained when buying it, but once he tasted the ham mooncake, he felt it was worth it.

This money spent was worth it!