On the Double Ninth Festival, the scent of chrysanthemums drifted through Chang'an. At Banxian Medical Hall, the herb-drying courtyard was covered with golden Chuzhou chrysanthemums. Huwa crouched beside a bamboo tray, carving "Seedling-Guarding Ghost Face" motifs onto chrysanthemum stems. His blade slipped against a stalk, twisting the ghost face's tongue into the shape of an abacus bead. "Brother Fan! Old Cyan Ox is back to steal the chrysanthemum wine again!"
Zhang Yifan emerged from the accounting room, clicking his abacus. A few chrysanthemum petals that Huwa had scattered earlier clung to the beads. "You little rascal, do you think an old ox can help you carve ghost faces when it's drunk?" Before his voice faded, Old Cyan Ox lumbered in, wearing a "Drunk-Chrysanthemum Ghost Face" strapped to its horns. Its horn tip caught on the bamboo drying rack, and golden chrysanthemum petals rained down onto Su Wanyue's moon-white gauze skirt, making it look as though she had been embroidered with a smiling autumn sun.
"This old rascal is always causing trouble!" Zhang Yifan chased the ox across the courtyard, his Abacus Bead Pouch jingling loudly at his waist. "Keep stealing the medicinal wine, and I'll have Huwa carve a 'Sober-Up Ghost Face' for your saddle!" Watching the chrysanthemum petals tangled in his hair, Su Wanyue suddenly noticed that beside the cyan ox pattern on his cuff, a faint engraving of a chrysanthemum branch had somehow appeared, matching the Chuzhou chrysant…
Chapter 71