Chapter 299: Chapter 158 Moon Feast_2
Seeing Xia Nan’s awkwardness, Jeff spoke up to ease the situation.
"I’ll go tidy up the guest room upstairs that’s vacant, while you prepare a few more dishes since there’s still time. We shouldn’t disappoint our guest."
"Don’t worry!" Daisy handed the steaming cup of tea to Xia Nan, still smiling, "Jamie is coming back from the academy today too, so he can properly meet this gentleman."
Too enthusiastic.
Until the clear sound of a spatula clashing in the kitchen was heard again.
Only then did Xia Nan rub his slightly stiff face and breathe a sigh of relief.
He didn’t feel much resistance in his heart.
Because he could sense that Jeff’s wife, this lady named ’Daisy’, wasn’t feigning friendliness merely due to his guest status.
She indeed welcomed and thanked his arrival from the bottom of her heart.
It was only then that Xia Nan, seated in the living room couch and taking the teacup from her, really realized the impact his actions had on this world.
If that night in Kalanfor, he hadn’t broken into Jeff’s room upon receiving a warning from the Wooden Sword of [Green Pine] and saved him, instead of allowing the cultist to take the life of this honest man.
Then months later today, when he arrived in Neum due to an Association task and by chance came to this place.
What he would see might only be a broken family on the brink of collapse.
The Pigeon Feather Tailor Shop might still open for business, but facing threats from ruffians with no power to resist, Lilina would have to reluctantly submit to paying a costly protection fee every month that outweighs her earnings.
While Daisy, shouldering the family alone, would have to be extremely cautious, alert to countless eyes coveting her husband’s inheritance.
Xia Nan’s strength is not particularly huge.
Yet with just a casual act, he allowed a small family thousands of kilometers away to live on with hope and smiles.
...
Night fell.
Xia Nan sat at the dining table, with an abundance of food laid out in front of him.
It was evident that to accommodate him, the dishes made from relatively expensive ingredients were placed in front of him.
His gaze swept across dish after dish, not lingering.
Until a creamy white broth, vaguely exuding a milk aroma with visible mushroom fragments, caught his eye.
Xia Nan’s gaze finally paused.
He picked up a spoon, reached out, scooped lightly, and put it in his mouth.
Hmm...
Unlike the rich sweetness at the White Sparrow Tavern, Lady Daisy’s cream mushroom soup tasted saltier, seemingly due to more pepper.
The number of mushroom slices in the soup was greater, making the overall texture less smooth, yet adding a lingering taste on the tongue.
Compared to the White Sparrow, it was a subtly similar but distinctly different novel experience.
While savoring the hostess’ craftsmanship at home, Jeff and Daisy were speaking quietly across the table.
"Moon Feast is coming soon; we’ll celebrate at home this year. Don’t forget to prepare in advance."
"Rest assured, I purchased everything two months earlier; they’re stored in the basement and ready to use on time."
"Good, that’s fine."
"Originally, there were lamps distributed by the Moon God Church today. I went late and didn’t get any, which is a pity."
"Goddess bless..."
There was no intention of eavesdropping, but since the two were seated opposite, with Xia Nan’s current physical qualities, even the softest sounds were incredibly clear to his ears.
"Moon Feast," "Moon God Church"...
Several key keywords entered his ears, sending Xia Nan’s thoughts whirling.
The Moon Feast is one of the important holidays on the Aifala Continent.
The time is at the end of the "Rotten Moon (Uta)," right before the harsh winter.
On this day, people on the continent hold various ceremonies to commemorate their ancestors and pray for the deceased.
Before heading out, there were already many sacrificial items on display in River Valley Town’s grocery store.
Now, as the time approaches, the festive atmosphere in Neum City becomes increasingly thick.
Even those rundown, scrawny vagrants on the street managed to eat a few full meals, unprecedented.
Meanwhile, the "Moon God Church" Daisy referred to most likely meant the church of [Silver Saint Mother], [Moon Goddess] "Serenne."
Even a small town on the kingdom’s border, like Kalanfor, has a magnificent Sun God Church erected.
A city as large as Neum naturally is no exception.
Even more so due to its massive size and countless residents dwelling within it.
This city boasts numerous churches dedicated to various deities.
Only because of the divinities’ distinct personalities, godly duties, and different target audiences does their influence vary.
In the West City District where Xia Nan currently resides, the one with the biggest influence was the "Moon Goddess" Serenne, mentioned by Jeff and Daisy.
He didn’t particularly have any specific feelings about it.
After all, gods and churches are too common in this world; even he has gradually gotten accustomed to it.
His heart, however, because of the previous encounters in Kalanfor, held a slight hint of resistance.
Not keen on proactively engaging with related matters.
"Creak."
Lost in thought, the sound of a door opening suddenly reached the living room.
"It should be Jamie, considering the time he should be home."
Daisy helped serve a big piece of stew into Xia Nan’s bowl, saying.
As the second son in the family, Jamie has yet to graduate and is studying at the academy in Neum City.
He typically eats and stays at school, only coming home once per week on the rest day.
Accompanied by brisk footsteps, a slender, youthful man wearing glasses came into view.
Seeing Xia Nan’s unfamiliar face in the living room, he couldn’t help but freeze.
Later, under Daisy’s introduction, he reacted, rather shyly offering a greeting.
Well-taught, just like his sister.
However, he didn’t linger too long in the living room.
Having already had dinner at school, his mentor seemingly left him with tasks.
After exchanging pleasantries briefly at the dining table, Jamie excused himself, planning to head back to his room to handle his work.
Yet perhaps moving too hastily, he stumbled over the carpet and staggered, with his fabric bag dropped onto the ground.
"Bang."
A dull sound echoed in the air.
Xia Nan instinctively glanced over.
He froze at once, pupils in his eyes contracted sharply!
Even the spoon that was stirring the mushroom soup paused mid-air.
Noticing Xia Nan’s change in expression, Jeff leaned forward, concerned:
"What’s wrong?"
No reply.
Xia Nan just stared at the ground in front, where the gray-black object had rolled out from Jamie’s fallen fabric bag.
Resembling a sheep or deer, standing upright on human-like legs, with two curved horns winding upward into obscurity.
It seemed precisely as that statue swallowing heart and mind, making him aware of an indescribable strangeness—the [Sheep Deer Statue].
In the next second, he suddenly reacted, swiftly averting his gaze, not daring to look further.
Then, a peculiar feeling inexplicably surged deep within him.
Despite having only glanced briefly, not scrutinized.
Yet as if by instinct, he perceived slight differences in the wood carving textures and overall feel.
Just like when familiar with a pair of twins, merely looking at them casually can distinguish between the two.
The wooden sculpture before him wasn’t the one he had seen on the "Fairy Wind" shelf before leaving.
His mind couldn’t help but recall the grocery shop owner’s, "Farrello," explanation and pitch:
"From Neum," "Allegedly a work by a master sculptor," "Recently quite popular among the nobility..."
Frowning tightly, he glanced at Jeff and Daisy, who were now looking at him with genuine concern, and his head began to throb.
Realizing the potential hidden danger, he couldn’t bother with whether it would be inappropriate.
Turning to Jamie, who looked surprised and pointing to the statue on the ground, he spoke seriously:
"Where did that wooden sculpture come from?"