My Taoist nun girlfriend is from the Republic of China era, 1942.

Chapter 65 Thanksgiving

At the end of November, the north wind, carrying a chill, blew the last few stubborn withered leaves off the branches.

As usual, Chen Xiaomiao pushed her shopping cart through the supermarket. Now she knew the place like the back of her hand, knowing where the cabbages were freshest and when pork was on sale...

She was wearing a beige trench coat, which Lu Yuan had "ordered" to buy for her last time.

The material didn't look thick, but it felt smooth to the touch. However, when she wore it, no matter how fierce the wind was outside, it kept her warm inside, and it was more windproof than the thickest cotton-padded coat she had ever worn before.

Chen Xiaomiao still can't understand how such a thin material can be so warm.
Lu Yuan talked to her for a long time, talking about things like "windproof coating" and "technological fabric," but she was completely confused. In the end, she could only attribute it to the omnipotent "science" that Lu Yuan was talking about.

Science really is an amazing thing...

Chen Xiaomiao cherishes her new clothes very much. Every day before work, she carefully changes into her old clothes, afraid of getting even a little bit of oil stains on them.

She only wears this "precious" outfit when she goes out occasionally, picking out cabbages and radishes in the supermarket.

However, the clothes are indeed quite presentable...

Chen Xiaomiao has caught glimpses of her own reflection more than once on the bare pillars and freezer doors of the supermarket.

Inside was a soft sweater, paired with straight-leg trousers and soft-soled boots, making her look neat and energetic.

Unlike when I first arrived, I no longer felt like I looked disheveled and out of place in this glamorous place.

She pushed her cart to the fresh produce section, intending to buy some pork to make wontons, when her peripheral vision was drawn to a huge item in the freezer next to her.

It was a naked bird, several sizes larger than ordinary chickens and ducks, all white, which looked rather frightening.

Next to it stood a prominent promotional sign with a smiley face pumpkin and this strange bird drawn on it, which read "Thanksgiving Turkey, Limited Time Special!"

"Thanksgiving Day?"

Chen Xiaomiao muttered three words, her face full of confusion.

Back home, Lu Yuan was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, typing away on his laptop, while Erbaiwu was fast asleep at his feet.

Hearing the door open, Lu Yuan didn't even look up: "You're back. What delicious food did you buy?"

"I bought some meat and vegetables to make wontons for you."

Chen Xiaomiao changed her shoes, carried the groceries into the kitchen, then came back, holding a freshly washed apple in her hand, and offered it to Lu Yuan's mouth.

Lu Yuan didn't even look up, opened his mouth and took a big bite. Chen Xiaomiao didn't mind his drool, and the two of them took turns eating the apple.

"Lu Yuan, I have a question for you."

"explain."

Do you even know what Thanksgiving is?

Lu Yuan paused in his typing, looked up at her in surprise, and asked, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"I just saw a really big chicken at the supermarket, it's called a turkey, and the salesperson told me it's for Thanksgiving."

"This section..."

Lu Yuan closed his laptop, then, intrigued, decided to give her a lesson.

He used the simplest language to tell the story of a group of foreigners called "Puritans" who sailed across the ocean to a new territory more than a hundred years ago.

The place was freezing cold, and the people there couldn't adapt to the climate. They were hungry and sick, and it looked like they were all going to die.

Chen Xiaomiao immediately chimed in, "That's just like fleeing famine, just like I was back then!"

"Roughly the same……"

"And then what happened?"

"Later, the local indigenous people, the Indians, took pity on them and gave them food, and taught them how to farm and how to hunt."

Lu Yuan paused for a moment and continued, "The following autumn, the foreigners had a bumper harvest. To thank the Native Americans for their help, and also to thank God... who is their own Jade Emperor, they held a banquet to invite the Native Americans to have a big meal together and celebrate the harvest."

That meal consisted of turkey, and that's how the custom came about.

After listening, Chen Xiaomiao exclaimed, "Those locals are so kind-hearted! This is like sending charcoal in snowy weather; it's a great kindness!"

"That's right..."

Lu Yuan's expression was subtle.

"But once the foreigners had established themselves on the Native American lands, more and more people came."

They had guns and cannons, and believed this land was a gift from God, so they began to seize the land of the indigenous people, killing their people, almost wiping them out.

Chen Xiaomiao's smile froze, her eyes widened, as if she had heard something unbelievable.

After a long while, Chen Xiaomiao finally spoke again, her voice filled with barely suppressed anger.

"So you mean... they killed their benefactor and seized his land?" "That's roughly the gist of it."

"That……"

Chen Xiaomiao's chest heaved with anger. She pointed at Lu Yuan, or perhaps at something unseen, and raised her voice.

"Then why do they even celebrate Thanksgiving?"

Isn't this just a case of repaying kindness with enmity and turning your back on someone after you've served your purpose?

I helped you, and you turned around and smashed my pot, then made a festival, slaughtering chickens and sheep every year to celebrate, saying you wanted to express your gratitude.
What are they grateful for?
"Are you thanking them for not letting you starve to death back then, so you'll have the strength to kill them later?"

She got angrier and angrier as she talked, and after she finished reciting everything in one breath, her face turned red. Finally, she came to a conclusion.

"As expected... those blond-haired, blue-eyed foreign devils were never good people!"

"Alright, alright, stop being angry."

Lu Yuan reached out and grabbed Chen Xiaomiao's wrist, pulling her down to sit beside him with a little force.

"These are all old, trivial matters from hundreds of years ago, who are you going to get angry with!"

Chen Xiaomiao was pulled by him. She struggled for a moment but couldn't break free, so she had no choice but to obediently lean into Lu Yuan's arms, her cheeks still puffed up with anger.

"I just can't stand it."

"It's normal to dislike it."

Lu Yuan patted her back reassuringly, his tone gentle: "History is complicated, but in short, what you said makes sense. Ingratitude is wrong no matter where you are."

After Lu Yuan calmed Chen Xiaomiao down, she suddenly asked, "Lu Yuan... is there anyone in this world you'd like to thank?"

Lu Yuan was taken aback by her question, his gaze drifting to the gray sky outside the window as he fell into deep thought.

Who are you thanking?

My parents? My maternal grandfather? They have all passed away.

As for my grandparents, beyond familial affection, they felt more indebted, on behalf of their parents and themselves...

Since his parents passed away, he has been stumbling forward on his own, getting used to not relying on anyone and not having any expectations of anyone.

"If I had to express my gratitude... I would thank myself now, thank myself for being so lucky to have survived until now without any illness or disaster."

Chen Xiaomiao stared blankly at Lu Yuan, and suddenly felt that Lu Yuan was quite pitiful at times.

She seems to know everything and understand everything, but inside she feels emptier than anyone else.

Unlike her, who would mention her master from time to time, Lu Yuan rarely talked about his deceased parents, and when asked about them, he would only mention them briefly.

A strange emotion welled up inside me, a bittersweet feeling.

She sniffed and suddenly stood up.

"Just you wait!"

After saying that, Chen Xiaomiao turned around and went back into the kitchen.

Not long after, a rich aroma of meat and noodles wafted from the kitchen, and Chen Xiaomiao brought a steaming bowl of wontons to Lu Yuan.

In the white porcelain bowl, thin-skinned, generously filled wontons floated like little gold ingots on the clear broth, sprinkled with bright green scallions and seaweed, and drizzled with a few drops of sesame oil, emitting a fragrant aroma.

"We don't celebrate that damn Thanksgiving, but it's cold, so eating something hot to warm up is always a good idea."

She picked up a wonton, blew on it, and carefully fed it to Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan opened his mouth and ate it, chewing it slightly...

The filling is fresh and juicy, the dough is smooth, and the soup is light—it's the most homely flavor.

"Little seedling".

Lu Yuan called out softly.

"Ok?"

Chen Xiaomiao raised her head, fed herself a piece of food, and gave a mumbled reply.

Lu Yuan swallowed the wonton in his mouth and spoke solemnly.

"Thank you for the wontons."

Thank you for coming into my life.

(End of this chapter)