Chen Peipei drove the old pickup truck, with A Qing and Ansheng riding along, heading towards Changxi Town.
Different towns have different festival customs. For instance, Changxi Town's customs revolve around the extended family unit. However, due to certain reasons, the big families have become smaller.
Nowadays, more often than not, people return to the ancestral home to celebrate with their parents and neighbors.
Although there have been some changes, it doesn't affect Changxi Town, which still has a rich festive atmosphere.
"A Qing is back! We can start putting up the tower!"
When they saw the old pickup return, Old Chen immediately announced to the villagers as if their savior had arrived.
Villages elsewhere can begin erecting their towers anytime they like.
But that's not the case for Changxi Town and its surroundings. During the festivals each year, the number of small animals and beasts in the mountains and forests increases significantly, coming to beg for food.
Human society has fixed holidays.
It seems that the animals have their own traditions, coming to towns and villages to ask for food during festive times.
Behind Changxi Town lie Tea Mountain and the ravine, teeming with strange creatures. Yet everyone can speak of the animals' habits; sometimes, they're unhappy with the food and run into village folkloric items, leaving villagers frustrated.
Though the matter is small, its implications are quite negative.
Some deer, like the sambar, are all classified as national first and second-level protected animals. If they bump into you, you must apologize to them later; otherwise, if they lie down at your doorstep, it will be very troublesome.
Old Chen has had such an experience.
He does not wish to experience it a second time.
"Quick! Quickly invite A Qing to sit down for a meal, prepare meat and fodder for negotiations!"
Just as A Qing stepped out of the car, barely having stood firm, she was whisked to the ancestral hall by the village committee elders for a meal.
"Eh?"
A Qing was puzzled, feeling something amiss, though she was often asked to help in previous times.
This year, however, she's sensed the urgency among the village head and others, indistinguishable on their faces.
Surrounded by villagers, A Qing reached the square in front of the hall, where her eyes widened in surprise.
"They... they're on the rooftops! They've climbed up!"
A group of unexpected guests had arrived on the hall's blue marble tile walls. They resembled small deer, covered in pitch-black fur, their fan-like tails adorned with a ring of white patterns.
And the most eye-catching thing.
This pack of black gold deer had a tuft of yellow hair on their heads.
A group of about thirteen, led by adult black gold deer with young ones, frolicking on the hall roof, flipping tiles of the Chen Family Ancestral Hall to lick moss, with the elderly of Changxi Town watching in terror, fearing the hall might be toppled or the black gold deer might fall inside.
Old Chen had contacted the forestry bureau.
The bureau's response was simple: The black gold deer numbers around 1,400 in Xia Dong, possibly less than 10,000 nationwide, and is among the key protected animals in Xia Country.
It's best not to frighten them; though timid, they're very strong and can easily topple an ancestral hall.
Finally, after eagerly awaiting, A Qing had arrived.
"Old Chen, old Chen, what karma brought this upon you, no wonder you were so desperate to bring A Qing back," Ansheng looked at Old Chen, chuckling with a peculiar expression:
"I told you, you shouldn't have contacted the forestry bureau to send An to the mountains! See, it's come back to bite us!"
Old Chen: "......"
Though he couldn't understand the fox's language, he had spent some time with Master Fox.
Judging from his expression, Master Fox seemed to be teasing him.
"Hey! Friend!"
A Qing handed the little fox to Chen Peipei, climbed the stairs to the walls, raised her hand, and greeted the black gold deer, saying:
"I have tasty treats and drinks here, would you like to try them? Comfort guaranteed, you're esteemed guests of Changxi Town!"
The black gold deer are more than guests; they've got Changxi Town by the lifeblood.
The village committee's staff hoped for A Qing to end this three-day tug-of-war.
Isn't it just tasty treats?
Goose heads, beancurd, Wuliangye, take your pick, just don't knock over the shrines indoors.
"man——"
Upon hearing A Qing, the black gold deer could understand the kind invitation through the images in their minds.
Yet, they shook their heads, making "manman" noises to A Qing.
"A Qing, what did those abductors say?" Old Chen and others anxiously awaited the negotiation outcome.
If it doesn't work out...
... they'll really have no choice but to arrange twenty-six tranquilizer guns for snipers.
"Um... they said thank you, but they seem to be looking for something. This place is high ground, offering a broad view, so......."
A Qing, barely managing to decipher the black gold deer's words, informed the village committee of the reason they climbed the hall roof.
The black gold deer were quite polite, saying thank you.
They didn't intend to damage the hall, merely searching for something while hungry, nibbling on moss for a break.
"A Mao! Your house is thirteen stories high!" Upon hearing this, Old Chen quickly turned around, addressing a villager whose house was absurdly high and luxurious.
"Come! Take them to my house, I'll lend them the rooftop as an observatory!"
A Mao, mentioned by Old Chen, paused, smiling helplessly and agreeing to lend his rooftop.
"A Qing, we've arranged for a taller building, let them come down first; we're willing to write a note." Old Chen said with equal helplessness.
"Alright, I'll speak with them." A Qing followed up, communicating with the black gold deer.
"A scent? Where is the scent coming from?"
Ansheng made a curious face, looking at the black gold deer on the rooftop.
Actually, A Qing's translation was quite accurate, one might say succinct.
But there was one point she perhaps missed or didn't notice.
A young black gold deer mentioned a special aroma wafting through Changxi Town, luring them and the sambar deer from the mountains.
Even some omnivorous large boars had come.
They were drawn by the scent, but it permeated the town without being found, so they used the unlocked hall roof, leveraging its height to search.
A scent that captivates the animals so greatly could only be spirit plants, Ansheng thought.
But he had only left Changxi Town for a few days; what spirit plants could grow so fast in such short time?
Moreover.
The scent they spoke of, he himself couldn't detect.
"It's strange! A fox's nose can sniff out who marked a lamp post and diagnose prostate issues."
"If there's truly a scent of spirit plants, how could I entirely miss it?"
Ansheng muttered, quipping as he spoke.