“Mom, we won’t be coming back for the Mid-Autumn Festival then. We can’t get away from work,” Lu Qiping said, seizing the opportunity to speak.
“That’s fine. You two take care of yourselves out there. I have the three children to keep me company for the festival.”
“What about my brother and sister? Did they go back?”
“Chongan is so busy out there; how could he have time to come back? But he transferred me some money and said he sent mooncakes. They should be arriving shortly.”
Dong Hui was very open-minded and understood the hardships her children faced.
“Ruanyu is busy too. She hasn’t been back for the Mid-Autumn Festival once in the few years since she graduated.”
Clearly, it was something that should have been upsetting, but Jiang Ling didn’t see any sadness on Dong Hui’s face.
She remained kind and cheerful, smiling as she spoke.
Dong Hui explained, “I know you’re all busy. As long as you take care of yourselves out there, that’s enough for me.”
Although her three children rarely visited, she had her granddaughters to accompany her every holiday.
Moreover, all three children kept her in their thoughts, frequently sending packages and making video calls.
Dong Hui felt that at her age, having both sons and daughters who were successful in their careers and not being neglected by them was something to be content with.
“Chongan and Ruanyu really are something. They don’t even know to come back and spend time with Mom,” Lu Qiping muttered, his tone carrying a hint of complaint.
“You’re one to talk,” Lu Yuyao huffed, her hands gently massaging Dong Hui’s shoulders.
Lu Chongan and Lu Ruanyu were the ones Lu Yuyao had told Jiang Ling about earlier—her Second Uncle and Third Aunt.
“Is Jiang Ling adjusting well at home?”
Fang Yun’s gentle voice sounded.
The topic somehow shifted to Jiang Ling.
She was currently hiding behind Fang Chenxi’s back, playing on her phone, but Fang Chenxi suddenly dodged out of the way, leaving everyone staring at her.
Jiang Ling hurriedly tucked her phone away.
Hearing Fang Yun’s concerned words, she smiled and said, “Auntie, I’m doing great.”
“She’s adjusted perfectly. She bullies me at home all day long.”
Jiang Ling shot the mischievous Lu Yuyao a glare and whispered under her breath, ‘I’m not the one doing the bullying.’
“Haha.”
Seeing the two of them getting along so well, Fang Yun and Lu Qiping both laughed, a weight finally lifting from their hearts.
The main reason Lu Qiping and Fang Yun had called, aside from wishing the elderly woman a happy Mid-Autumn Festival, was to check on Jiang Ling’s situation.
They knew Jiang Ling’s background well and were worried about whether the girl could adapt to a new environment.
After all, being orphaned and alone, the sense of loss could be overwhelming.
But from the looks of it, they had worried for nothing.
“Alright, if there’s nothing else, go back to your work,” Dong Hui said, sounding annoyed as the call dragged on.
“I have to go burn incense in a bit.”
After chatting with her for a while longer, the two finally hung up under Dong Hui’s urging.
“Grandma is going to chant for the Mid-Autumn Festival too?”
Jiang Ling asked in surprise.
Lu Yuyao explained, “Unless it’s something absolutely necessary, Grandma goes almost every day.”
“Oh, when you get old, you need something to rely on. Once it becomes a habit, your heart feels empty if you miss a single day,” Dong Hui said with a smile.
Just then, another call came in.
It was a flash delivery sent by Lu Chongan and Lu Ruanyu.
The delivery driver was asking for the specific address, saying he would arrive within half an hour.
Based on previous experience, it was bound to be mooncakes and other daily necessities.
“Grandma, you go ahead. We’ll wait at home,” Lu Yuyao said after Dong Hui hung up.
“Alright, then you girls accept the delivery.”
Before leaving, Dong Hui didn’t forget to remind them, “Remember to give the delivery man two mooncakes. It’s the Mid-Autumn Festival; everyone works hard.”
Chanting was a good thing.
Jiang Ling felt more and more that Grandma Dong Hui truly possessed a Buddhist heart.
***
In Fang Chenxi’s guest room.
After much hesitation, Fang Chenxi finally sent a message to her mother, Li Qing, and her father, Fang Quan.
[Mom, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.]
After a while, Li Qing replied.
[Chenxi, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.]
And that was it.
Fang Quan didn’t even reply.
Fang Chenxi’s fingers tapped on the screen, typing out a sentence and then deleting it.
With a bitter smile, she put her phone back into her pocket.
It wasn’t that late yet, but people in the village were already setting off fireworks.
The crackle and pop was vaguely accompanied by the noisy laughter of children.
Fang Chenxi walked out of the bedroom and onto the second-floor balcony.
Just as she stood still, a burst of brilliant fireworks bloomed in the sky.
It was beautiful.
In recent years, the government had advocated for environmental protection and strictly regulated fireworks and crackers.
You could hardly see them in the city anymore.
But in many villages where regulations weren’t as strict, there were still people who “defied the rules.”
Fang Chenxi actually liked fireworks.
In her previous life in New Village, she and Lu Yuyao had secretly bought some to set off in the village park.
However, they were always small ones, like Fairy Sticks.
“Fang Chenxi, what are you doing standing up there?”
Jiang Ling, standing in the courtyard, suddenly noticed Fang Chenxi on the balcony and shouted, “Come down and eat mooncakes!”
“I’m coming,” Fang Chenxi nodded and went downstairs.
Lu Yuyao’s Second Uncle and Third Aunt had sent quite a few mooncakes.
Each box was beautifully packaged, and there were many flavors.
They looked expensive.
Jiang Ling curiously looked them up online and found that a small box could sell for dozens of yuan!
‘Are we eating mooncakes or gold?’
Luckily for her, Jiang Ling would never have been willing to buy such expensive mooncakes on her own.
Lu Yuyao was at the door confirming the delivery with the driver.
Seeing so many mooncakes, Jiang Ling opened a box and took out a salted egg yolk one.
Mmm… actually, it tasted about the same as the bulk mooncakes that cost a few yuan.
Jiang Ling couldn’t really tell the difference in quality.
“Still eating? Come help me carry these things.”
Lu Yuyao turned around and saw Jiang Ling already eating.
She spoke crossly; her Second Uncle and Third Aunt had sent so much stuff that the courtyard entrance was completely blocked.
Someone who didn’t know better might think they were stocking up for New Year.
“Sister Chenxi, give us a hand.”
Fang Chenxi happened to come downstairs and helped carry the mooncakes to the living room.
The sound of fireworks outside rose and fell, refusing to end.
Jiang Ling found it annoying, so she closed the living room door and muttered, “I don’t know what’s so great about them. It’s just annoying noise.”
She didn’t particularly like fireworks.
When her family set off crackers when she was a child, she would hide far away and cover her ears, but the deafening noise would still make her heart tremble with fear.
Since then, she hadn’t been fond of fireworks or crackers.
Lu Yuyao, on the other hand, was full of enthusiasm.
While eating a strawberry-flavored mooncake, she clamored about going to the park to set off fireworks later.
Jiang Ling cast a dissenting vote, but with Fang Chenxi and Lu Yuyao combined, two was greater than one.
The objection was overruled.
***
After dinner, the group didn’t rush out.
They sat with Dong Hui for a while, chatting.
Only after Dong Hui felt tired and went to wash up for bed did the three of them start their move.
Jiang Ling was curious.
“It’s already 8:00 PM. Who’s still selling fireworks?”
Fang Chenxi and Lu Yuyao both gave mysterious smiles, telling Jiang Ling to just follow them and she would see.
The three first went to the village entrance.
The small grocery store there was still lit up, with many people crowded in front of it.
Perhaps sensing that many people would want to buy fireworks for the festival, the shop stayed open.
Lu Yuyao and Fang Chenxi squeezed through the crowd.
In the end, they chose some Fairy Sticks and a novelty firework that spun on the ground and glowed—a UFO Firework.
They didn’t pick anything loud because during dinner, they had noticed Jiang Ling covering her ears and frowning at the sound of explosions.
They figured Jiang Ling didn’t like ordinary fireworks.
But Jiang Ling ended up muttering again, “What’s the point of only setting off these?”
Fang Chenxi found it hilarious.
‘You’re the one who’s scared, and you’re the one who thinks it’s boring. I should really buy some big fireworks, tie Jiang Ling to a tree, and set them off right in front of her without letting her cover her ears.’
The park was quite crowded now, mostly with young children brought out by their families.
For the Mid-Autumn Festival, there weren’t just mooncakes and fireworks, but the moon itself.
Jiang Ling looked up.
The sky was clear and cloudless, and a bright moon hung high, completely different from the gloominess of the daytime.
The three of them reached a mutual understanding and went to the back of the park, right in front of the rockery.
There was plenty of space here, and it was just the three of them.
“Here, one for you.”
Jiang Ling took the Fairy Stick Lu Yuyao handed her.
Lu Yuyao thoughtfully lit it for her.
After a second’s pause, a crackle and pop sound accompanied a beautiful light that illuminated the surroundings.
Despite saying it was boring, after lighting one, Jiang Ling felt it wasn’t enough.
She picked up that novelty spinning thing called a UFO Firework.
After lighting it and a short pause, the UFO spun rapidly on the ground, spraying multicolored sparks.
Jiang Ling was so startled that she scrambled away, hiding behind the other two.
This made Lu Yuyao and Fang Chenxi burst into laughter.
“And you said it was boring. You’re scared of even this little thing.”
“I was just afraid it would spin out of control and burn a hole in my pants,” Jiang Ling explained stubbornly.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Countless fireworks suddenly bloomed in the sky.
The massive noise instinctively made Jiang Ling cover her ears, but her gaze was drawn upward.
Fireworks of various colors and shapes painted the sky, one after another.
Jiang Ling had to admit that while she hated the noise, the fireworks truly were beautiful.
“Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.”
“Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.”
The thunderous sound drowned out Lu Yuyao and Fang Chenxi’s voices.
Jiang Ling, with her ears covered, could see their lips moving but couldn’t hear a word they said.
Lu Yuyao and Fang Chenxi shared a look and smiled helplessly.
Moving in tandem, they each took one of Jiang Ling’s hands, pulling them away from her ears.
Leaning close to her, they shouted, “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!”
“Why are you yelling so loud!”
The two were once again amused by Jiang Ling’s bared teeth and complaints.
After lasting for a while, the fireworks finally stopped.
The three walked out, and the previous crowd had already dispersed.
On the way back, Jiang Ling intentionally lagged a few steps behind the other two, letting Lu Yuyao and Fang Chenxi walk side by side.
Seeing the two of them laughing and chatting, Jiang Ling felt that although these past few days had been full of twists and turns, the plot was still progressing.
‘Look, aren’t they laughing quite happily together?’
Jiang Ling sighed.
Although she had been put through the wringer by these two sisters over the past few days, the result was good.
All that remained was to maintain this pace until their feelings deepened and they ended up together.
‘Then my mission will be complete.’
Oh, right.
She hadn’t said Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to Ji Qingyan yet.
[Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, President. Did you eat mooncakes yet?]
Ji Qingyan was sitting in the living room holding Big Orange in her arms.
A variety show was playing on TV, but she was distracted by the fireworks occasionally blooming outside.
Receiving Jiang Ling’s message, Ji Qingyan smiled, but a moment later, she felt a bit dejected.
A day for reunions always made her think of her mother.
Ji Qingyan slapped her cheeks to chase away the gloom.
Her mother had said she wanted her to always be happy.
Ji Qingyan replied.
[Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. I’ve eaten. How about you?]
Ji Hai had bought the mooncakes.
Ji Qingyan didn’t like sweets very much, but she would occasionally try some.
Her mother hadn’t been fond of sweets either, so the mooncakes Ji Hai bought were never very sugary.
Ji Qingyan stared at the mooncakes on the table, her mind drifting.
Ji Hai hadn’t gone back to his hometown, choosing instead to stay in Lotus City to accompany Ji Qingyan.
Since the incident in her first year of high school, Ji Hai’s care for Ji Qingyan had been almost meticulous.
He put her above everything else, and Ji Qingyan knew that.
But she still couldn’t forgive him for the fact that he wasn’t by her mother’s side when she died.
Ultimately, she was just fighting with herself.
Ding-dong.
Her phone pinged, and Ji Qingyan picked it up again.
[I ate some, but mooncakes are so expensive these days, and they don’t even taste that good.]
[Since everyone is chasing fancy packaging, the flavor has declined instead.]
[Maybe. Oh, right, I have good news. My next recommendation is coming up; it starts tomorrow.]
The corners of Ji Qingyan’s mouth curled up as she typed a message of congratulations.
[Also, I’m going back tomorrow. Like we agreed, should we head out in the afternoon?]
[Okay.]
[Mhm, I’m going to go write then. Get some sleep early.]
[Okay.]
Ji Qingyan’s fingers brushed against the hem of her nightgown.
For some reason, she felt a slight nervousness in her heart.
She suddenly started wondering what she should wear tomorrow and where they should go.
Ji Qingyan wasn’t very experienced.
Aside from going to bookstores to buy books or watching movies, she rarely had any recreational activities.
But as the Club President, Ji Qingyan felt she should show some leadership, so she started searching online for places to go for a “date” with a friend.
However, the online responses were all over the place.
Hotels, themed motels… they were all inappropriate.
With a red face, Ji Qingyan finally found some that sounded reliable, like amusement parks or haunted houses.
But would an amusement park be too childish?
And she was a bit afraid of haunted houses.
It was so hard to choose.
As if sensing its owner’s frustration, Big Orange meowed, rubbing its little head against Ji Qingyan’s hand.
Ji Qingyan reached out to pet it, finding the fluffy texture irresistible.
Click.
Ji Hai was back.
Ji Qingyan shifted her gaze, then looked back at the TV.
After Ji Hai changed his shoes and heard the TV, he was surprised to see his daughter still sitting in the living room.
“Qingyan, why aren’t you in bed yet?”
‘Is she waiting for me?’
Just as joy began to rise in his heart, a cold voice dispelled the thought.
“I’m going out with a friend tomorrow.”
Ji Qingyan didn’t answer his question; instead, she was reporting her itinerary to Ji Hai.
Although Ji Hai wouldn’t proactively ask, Ji Qingyan didn’t want to receive any harassing phone calls from him while she was out with Jiang Ling tomorrow.
Ji Hai froze for a moment, then slowly nodded.
His expression was hesitant.
Remembering his daughter’s phone call with someone a couple of days ago, he assumed she was going out with that boy.
He considered whether he should secretly follow her tomorrow to ensure her safety.
“I’m going to my room to sleep.”
“Alright.”
Ji Qingyan stood up and walked toward her bedroom, but just before closing the door, she said softly, “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.”
“Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.”
By the time Ji Hai realized his daughter was speaking to him, he joyfully replied, but Ji Qingyan had already shut her bedroom door.
She probably hadn’t heard him.
“Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.”
As if possessed, Ji Hai repeated the words over and over, a smile on his face as he excitedly rubbed his hands together.
Outside the window, the sound of crackers rang out again.
Fireworks bloomed in the sky, brilliant and beautiful.