Unfortunately, Zi Yan stood Wei Lai up.
[Glorious Moon]: What’s there to be sorry about? After all, it’s an invitation from such a handsome father; even I would be the top priority.
Zi Yan had lived with his father, Zheng Quan, for quite some time and knew just how busy his work was.
Even during the brief moments of rest after returning home at night, Zheng Quan’s phone never stopped ringing.
If something urgent happened (though Zi Yan felt most calls to his father were urgent), Zheng Quan would immediately jump into action without hesitation.
So, during this National Day Golden Week holiday, Zheng Quan being able to take leave and accompany his son on a short trip that required three days including travel was already a big deal.
Zi Yan couldn’t bear to reject his father’s kindness.
Of course, if Zi Yan said he had made plans to hang out with classmates, Zheng Quan—always wanting his son to make more friends—would definitely agree without a second thought.
So, apologies to Wei Lai, really sorry.
The destination for this short trip was Qingling Lake, located within Xijiang Province.
Qingling Lake lies northeast of Yongcheng, the provincial capital of Xijiang Province, and is administered by Lake City, which is relatively close but still some distance away.
(Though it’s nearby, it’s still over twenty kilometers of travel. Lake City used to be a county-level city but was reclassified as a district under Yongcheng’s administration a few years ago.)
Qingling Lake stretches more than 170 kilometers from north to south and spans over 70 kilometers east to west, holding approximately 30 billion cubic meters of water.
The lake is vast, so vast that at a glance, it seems to stretch endlessly. Playing on the lakeshore feels much like being at the ocean.
Surrounding the lake are extensive wetlands and marshes, nurturing dense vegetation and wildlife. Deer, martens, and foxes often roam here, making it a serene and beautiful environment.
But what Qingling Lake is most famous for isn’t its scenery.
It’s for a fish native only to this area—a fish with pure white flesh and a belly even whiter, locally called the Baibai Fish.
Its flesh is tender and delicious, the bones mostly large and easy to remove, with very few tiny bones mixed in.
If caught fresh and alive, simply steaming it brings out exceptional flavor.
Locals, especially those in Lake City, seem to take pride in the Baibai Fish for more than just its taste.
Perhaps as a pun on the name “Baibai,” which sounds like “bye-bye,” newlyweds here often serve Baibai Fish at their wedding banquets.
Having more Baibai Fish on the table is considered very prestigious.
“Dad, ‘bai’ can mean ‘wedding ceremony,’ but it can also mean ‘goodbye,’ right?”
Sitting on the high-speed train from Haizhou to Yongcheng, Zi Yan asked after Zheng Quan explained all this.
“If it means ‘goodbye,’ isn’t that unlucky?”
Zi Yan had been reading lately and learned that people here tend to be very superstitious about things being auspicious.
“Well, I’m not sure about that,” Zheng Quan said, shaking his iced cola. “But I heard that in Yongcheng, even after divorces, the families sit down together for a meal and serve this fish. It’s like saying goodbye and parting on good terms.”
“Oh…”
Zi Yan, not quite grasping the connection, boredly stared out the window.
Today’s itinerary was to first take the high-speed train from Haizhou to Yongcheng, rest briefly, then take the Lvpi train from Yongcheng to Lake City.
Though Yongcheng is the provincial capital and the official top city in Xijiang Province, Haizhou is effectively the second center city in the north.
Together, Yongcheng and Haizhou manage the extensive territory of Xijiang from south and north.
The high-speed rail from Haizhou to Yongcheng covers more than 500 kilometers—far deeper than some provinces in China.
From Yongcheng to Lake City, it’s nearly another hundred kilometers.
Sigh, a short trip really just means spending a whole day traveling out, a day at the destination, and a day traveling back.
——
If it were in his youth, Zheng Quan would have driven himself and Zi Yan out for the trip.
But ever since the night he stayed up late to pick Zi Yan up at the airport, he realized how much his body was showing signs of middle age.
Zheng Quan glanced at Zi Yan sitting across from him and smiled kindly.
After all, his son was getting older. It was hard to deny the toll of age.
Middle school would end, followed by three years of high school.
By the time Zi Yan graduated, Lina’s contract with the Fashion Design Institute in Antwerp would also be up.
Then, the three of them could reunite as a family.
What kind of girl would his son date in college?
And then, when Zi Yan got married and had children of his own, Zheng Quan and Lina would truly be old folks.
Thinking of this, Zheng Quan’s eyes involuntarily misted with emotion.
“Ah!”
Suddenly, Zi Yan’s sharp cry snapped Zheng Quan back to reality.
“Hm?”
He saw several strands of his son’s white hair being forcefully tugged by a mischievous kid.
Now, Zheng Quan and Zi Yan were on the Lvpi train from Yongcheng to Lake City, just three stops—about an hour—away from their destination.
At this moment, a young woman, about twenty years old, boarded the train holding a child.
That child was the culprit tugging Zi Yan’s hair and causing him to cry out.
“Son, let go! You’re hurting him!” the young woman scolded her child anxiously.
“No! Doll! Mommy, I want the doll!”
The mischievous kid pointed at Zi Yan with the other free hand, mumbling loudly.
Originally, the young woman’s ticket was for the seat diagonally opposite Zi Yan.
But with the kid’s antics, not only could the young woman not move, but she also blocked other passengers trying to board behind her.
“What are you doing blocking the way? Move!”
“Pfft.”
Zheng Quan and Zi Yan both burst out laughing.
Though pulling hair hurt, Zi Yan couldn’t help but find it funny that the kid mistook him for a toy doll.
The young woman was embarrassed, apologizing to Zi Yan before firmly pinching the child’s soft white hand and saying, “This is Auntie, not a doll. Let go!”
Well, seeing the young woman’s expression, it seemed being called “Auntie” or “Uncle” wasn’t so off.
No way!
Both Zheng Quan and Zi Yan rolled their eyes, black lines appearing on their foreheads.
“Waaah, waaah!”
Now the kid burst into tears.
“Mommy lies! Lies! Waaaah!”
“Once we get home, Mommy will buy you a doll, okay?”
“No! Waaah! Doll! I want this one! Mommy lies! Waaaah! Daddy, if you were here, you’d get it for me! Waaah!”
The young woman’s consolation had no effect.
And because the child’s hand was pinched earlier, the hair tugging grew even more forceful.
“Can’t help it,” Zi Yan said, gently loosening the grip on his hair roots.
Fortunately, only a few strands were caught—if it had been a big handful, it would have been a real mess.
“Ugh…!”
Indeed, pulling out hair was painful.
“That should do it.”
Zi Yan pulled out the few strands that had connected him and the child.
The kid let out a startled “Ah?” and became flustered, clutching the handful of white hair, speechless.
Even the crying stopped.
The young woman hurried to her seat, cleared the aisle for other passengers, and apologized profusely to Zi Yan.
“Sorry, really sorry.”
“…”
Zi Yan patted his slightly aching head but smiled and said it was fine.
“Oh, by the way,” Zi Yan grinned.
“I’m not an auntie, I’m a boy!”