Chapter 484: Crispy Noodles’s Parade
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Li Du hadn't realized he'd be so surprised by the price. He'd expected the Royal Danish Cigars to be worth some money. After all, they had gold foil and crystals on them.
It turned out that the cigar humidors were even more valuable!
Sayder also told them that in addition to these two boxes, the other eight boxes were also valuable. Though they were not commemorative, limited-edition humidors, they were still Dunhill's luxury products.
"These eight boxes can be sold for 20,000 dollars," said Sayder. "Each box is worth at least 2,500 dollars. These masterpieces were made using real cedar wood."
Mr. Li gave him a cigar as thanks. Sayder had told them useful information that would boost their income.
Hans was left in charge of the matters regarding the giant gun and the cigar boxes while he got ready to take part in the upcoming Michaelmas.
By September 29th it was fully-fledged autumn. Celebrations for Michaelmas began.
Michaelmas was a celebration of the autumn harvest. During this period, one could see that all the farmland was a golden hue. Farmers were busy harvesting their crops and the big, ripe fruits hanging from various fruit trees.
Flagstaff was small, but usually small places like this put more effort into celebrating such festivals.
On the morning of September 29th the city organized a parade that would last until noon. This was followed by various activities in the massive city square during the afternoon.
Sophie had deliberately worked a night shift so that she could enjoy a 36-hour break and enjoy the festivities during the day.
In the morning, Li Du accompanied Sophie to the city square with his ocelot, raccoon and little puppy. The parade would begin here, make a tour around the city and return to the square again.
The parade was very grand. There was a stage set up in the center of the city square for performances. When Li Du and Sophie arrived, the mayor and members of the city council stood at the side of the stage holding some papers.
Both of them went to the stage to take some pictures. Mayor Thompson Thoman nodded at them in a friendly manner and laughed, "Welcome both of you. I hope you enjoy yourselves today."
"Certainly," smiled Sophie. "I've enjoyed every autumn harvest festival—I especially enjoy the Golden Bachelor auction. I wonder who will be chosen to go on stage this year?"
"It won't be me," Mayor Thompson sighed. "I'm married. But frankly, it's a very good experience. If you want to enjoy it, you must seize the opportunity."
As he spoke, he looked at Li Du, who had a puzzled look on his face.
The mayor was a busy man. It was considered polite of him to greet the two of them.
After Mayor Thompson left, Li Du remarked, "The mayor is really nice. I was hesitant to say hello to him earlier."
"Of course, the mayor's good in politics," said Sophie. "He's good with people and knows how to capture voters' hearts."
"Is there a need to put it that way?" laughed Li Du. "By the way, what did he mean just now? Why do I feel like he was saying that specifically to me?"
"No," Sophie chuckled, "I don't think so. Oh, the parade's about to start. Let's go over now."
The autumn harvest parade was similar to Halloween. They wore costumes, masks, and makeup. Obviously none of this was required to attend.
Sophie had prepared a costume and mask for Li Du. She opened her bag and handed the costume to Li, giggling, "Come, put it on, Mr. Druid."
"Dryad?" A baffled Li Du asked.
Sophie nodded and said, "Yes, put it on quick and carry Ah Ow in your arms. With Ah Meow and Crispy Noodles following behind you, don't you look like a druid?"
Li Du felt awkward. "Is this really okay?"
He had played games like "Diablo" and "World of Warcraft" in high school and college. He knew what a dryad was.
The word "Dryad" was derived from Greek mythology. In Greek, the word meant "the tree spirits." Legend had it that every oak tree was inhabited by nymphs. They could convey prophecies to humans and were well-regarded.
The problem was, weren't dryads females?!
When Sophie heard his explanation, she waved her hand. "No, no, no, I'm talking about a 'druid.' They are the advocates of nature, they are neutral, treat the world with respect and live in recluse. Their special powers protect nature and bring balance to the world."
Li Du could see that Sophie was vibrantly enthusiastic about this and started to put on the costume. There was a mask with a long white beard and a green cloak.
Sophie had even prepared a green hat, but Li Du adamantly refused to wear the green hat.
After Mr. Li finished putting the costume on, it was Sophie's turn.
The lady doctor put on a bear mask. Her slender frame coupled with the grim mask was weird to see but also strangely interesting.
Li Du was surprised. "You're wearing that?"
"Yeah, I'm your giant bear escort," said Sophie excitedly. "Every druid has a mighty beast as a companion. I'm your companion."
The parade was about to begin. Li Du carried Ah Ow, with Ah Meow and Crispy Noodles following behind, and they joined the big crowd of people.
The surrounding people were intrigued by the elegant ocelot and the agile raccoon. Many of them gave Li Du a thumbs up and remarked, "Outstanding druid."
As the number of praises increased, Li Du's level of satisfaction with the costume also surged. He felt that the costume really suited him.
The group of people walked along the road. It was not a very long walk—only about two miles long. It was a slow walk because the emphasis of the parade was on interaction.
There were farmers by the road carrying baskets to distribute food to them. There was bread, grilled corn, steamed corn, homemade yogurt, various fruits and a wide variety of snacks.
As Li Du was at the center of the crowd, he was unable to get any of this food. Crispy Noodles thought it was his turn to show his capability and talent.
The front paws of the raccoon were good at grabbing and holding things. He quickly ran to the side of the road to a farmer distributing food. He propped up his body with his two powerful hind legs, lifted his head, looked at the farmer piteously and extended his front paws.
The farmer cackled in delight when he saw Crispy Noodles asking for food. He gave him a plum, and Crispy Noodles put the plum into the pocket of the shirt he wore. Then he stretched out his paw and once again wore his piteous look.
Both ocelot and raccoon wore pet clothes that Li Du had bought for them ages ago.
His motive was to make the pets look more human-like, intelligent, adorable and fun. Some storage companies didn't want pets to enter as they wanted to prevent animals from pooping in their premises.
As Crispy Noodles left their sight, Li Du had to slow down. Sophie was worried and looked around anxiously. "Crispy Noodles! Crispy Noodles, come back."
As Li Du was tall, he saw where the little one had run off to. "Don't worry, he went to get you some presents."
A little while later, Crispy Noodles came running and hopping back on three legs—one of his paws clutched onto the pocket.
Many people who witnessed this scene took out their cameras.
Crispy Noodles thought that these people wanted to snatch the food away from him. He stood up and his two front paws clutched the pocket at his chest protectively. His eyes were vigilantly glaring at the people around him.
That resulted in even more people taking pictures.