The threshing ground of Cyan Ox Village was fragrant with the scent of newly harvested wheat. The branches of the old locust tree were hung with Ghost-Face Lanterns carved by Huwa, which creaked softly in the breeze, startling the cicadas into dropping onto the back of the Old Cyan Ox. Huwa was riding astride the ox, busy wrapping a bamboo tube that could spray fragrant powder around the ox's horns. "Old buddy! It's the Harvest Festival today, so I'm fitting you with the 'majestic sneeze cannon.' One snort and you'll shatter the ice of the Snow Mountain!"
"You little rascal!" Zhang Yifan pursued him, abacus in hand. "Are you stuffing chili powder or osmanthus powder into that bamboo tube?" Huwa stuck out his tongue and ducked under the ox's belly. Suddenly, the bamboo tube on the ox's horn went "poof," spewing a cloud of red mist that choked the Old Cyan Ox into jumping with a loud "moo." Its tail swished so hard that Huwa's carving knife went flying through the air. "Brother Fan, look! The Old Cyan Ox is doing the Snow Mountain tap dance!"
Just as the bonfire in the center of the threshing ground flared to life, the camel caravan of Ali the Persian merchant jingled its way into the village. The Camels carried half a cartload of glass bottles, every single one plastered with rubbings of Huwa's ghost faces. "Young master!" Ali's beard was frosted with sugar. "The merchants from Dashi Country saw the 'Huwa Divine Ox' of Chang'an and insisted on trading ten cartloads of cumin …
Chapter 44