Last Sunday afternoon there was a ritual of Zhongyuan Pudu held in the public area of the apartment where I am living at.  You know, I am not a "superstitious" person, and in recent years I was always in Bay Area, San Fracisco during summertime, so I have never been aware of such an activity in our apartment, not to mention taking part in such a "tradition" myself ever. 

Several days before this Mid-July Festival, the management of the apartment collect TWD50 from each residential house for the offerings of the ritual, including mine.  In that Sunday morning when I met the chief janitor, he reminded me of the ritual in the afternoon.  So I joined the "party".

The chairman of the managerial committe led the residents, with lit incense on their hands, contributing offerings to "ghosts", burning praying cash for them, and then the ritual was over.  I lingered a while, chatting with some neighbors, then I was returning to my apartment via the public area.  I found everybody was busy "scrambling" for the offerings, and there were only few of the goods left on the tables.  At that very moment, I thought those offerings must be provided by the committe, say, out of that TWD50 per unit.  So I took three pieces from the residual stuff. 

When I got back home, my wife questioned if the offerings were out of the money collected from each resident unit, why werent the offerings duly and evenly packed for everyone.  Then I realized I might be wrong, and I found I was when I knew the fact from that janitor.  The fact was the full-tabled offerings prepared were out of residents own pockets.  In no time, I gave those three pieces back to the janitor, and told him to return them to the owners.  The very next I asked how did the "lost and found" go?  He said they had all returned to whom they belong.  You know what?  I sighed a sigh of relief.  Oh my goodness! 

PS Please also refer to an educational article related to Mid-July Festival at https://3w.huanqiu.com/a/9abe1e/3ziamRJ8LDI?agt=20&tt_group_id=6867759693536690695