A few days after finishing the grape harvest, it was the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.

For Northwest people, besides New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival was the most important reunion holiday that everyone took seriously.

Yang Shan brought Ruirui back to her parents’ place. The elderly couple always returned to their old courtyard house for every festival.

Ruirui had something on her mind and woke up after only half an hour of her afternoon nap.

Yang Shan braided her hair and took her for a stroll to Chen Xi’s small courtyard.

Every year on Mid-Autumn Day, what Ruirui looked forward to most was going to her godmother’s house to make mooncakes.

As soon as they turned into Chen Xi’s alley, they saw Chen Xi’s parents standing outside the courtyard wall picking jujubes.

During the Mid-Autumn season, the jujube trees in every household’s courtyard were bearing ripe fruit.

Small, delicate jujubes covered the branches, a sight that brought joy to the heart.

Yang Shan smiled and greeted Chen Hesheng and Liu Qing from afar.

“Uncle and Auntie, you’re back!”

Upon seeing Ruirui, Liu Qing opened her eyes wide in surprise, squatted down, and opened her arms toward Ruirui.

“Godgrandma!”

Ruirui threw herself into Liu Qing’s arms.

Liu Qing picked up Ruirui and said with a smile, “We haven’t seen each other for just a few months, and Grandma almost didn’t recognize you.”

She turned to look at Yang Shan and sighed, “Children grow so fast.”

Yang Shan nodded, “They do.”

Liu Qing looked at Yang Shan’s slightly protruding belly and asked with a smile, “How many months along?”

Yang Shan replied, “Four months.”

Liu Qing sighed again, “I still remember you and Chen Xi running wild in the alley when you were little. In the blink of an eye, you’re already a mother.”

Chen Hesheng threw a handful of jujubes into the wicker basket and sighed with a smile.

“They’ve grown up, and we’ve gotten old.”

Liu Qing glanced at him, “Getting old is good. Let’s see if you can still run around everywhere.”

Chen Hesheng smiled contentedly.

“My apprentice has understanding and is steady. In another year or two, I won’t need to travel anymore.”

He looked at his wife, whose temples had already turned gray, with a trace of guilt in his eyes.

“When that time comes, I’ll accompany you on travels to see mountains and waters.”

Liu Qing smiled and glanced at him, “Who wants you around?”

From the courtyard, Fan Mingsu called out, “Are the jujubes ready? We’re waiting to use them.”

“Ready, ready.”

Chen Hesheng raced against time to pick another handful of jujubes and carried the wicker basket into the courtyard.

Chen Xi and Chen Mei were kneading dough in the kitchen. Yang Shan walked into the kitchen, smelled the rich flour aroma, and a hint of the special fragrance of Sichuan pepper water.

She leaned against the stove, casually picked up a basin of washed grapes, and ate while saying to Chen Mei, “Aunt, your mooncake skin tastes amazing. Is it because you added Sichuan pepper water?”

Chen Mei said while vigorously kneading the dough, “You also need to add butter and eggs. The dough must be kneaded until it’s elastic.”

Yang Shan asked, “What can I help with?”

Chen Xi smiled at her, “Just wait to eat.”

Yang Shan looked around the courtyard and asked, “Where’s Qin Lie?”

Chen Xi kneaded the dough while smiling, “It’s Mid-Autumn Festival. Several families of relatives are having a reunion dinner.”

Yang Shan remembered something and asked with concern, “Are Qin Zhan’s parents willing to let Fangfang into the family now?”

Chen Xi shook her head, “They’re still at an impasse, but they’re not managing Qin Zhan as much anymore. Let’s take it slowly. As long as the two of them are happy, the family will eventually accept it.”

Yang Shan nodded, “Yes, life must go on.”

In the courtyard, Fan Mingsu dried the cleaned jujubes half-dry with a cloth, then poured them onto a wire mesh, rubbing them repeatedly.

The jujube flesh is separated from the pits, with the pulp falling through the mesh into a basin below.

Fan Mingsu picked up the basin and said to Chen Hesheng in the courtyard, “Go outside and heat the earth kiln.”

Chen Hesheng responded and went out, with Liu Qing going to help as well.

Ruirui stood in the courtyard watching the adults bustle about, unusually not bothering Sensen.

She couldn’t articulate any reasoning in her little mind, only knowing that this small courtyard was very, very good at this moment.

She liked it very much and didn’t want to go anywhere else.

Chen Mei and Chen Xi finished kneading the dough and brought out a steel plate as large as half a table to place on the dining table.

It was time for Ruirui’s favorite part. She ran over excitedly, climbed onto a stool, and reached out to pinch off a piece of dough.

Yang Shan quickly reminded her, “Go wash your hands.”

Ruirui obediently ran to wash her hands under the faucet and hurried back.

The adults had already pinched off pieces of dough and rolled them into round pancakes.

Fan Mingsu came out carrying the prepared jujube filling, saying in her booming voice, “Let’s get to work!”

Ruirui’s eyes lit up with excitement. Following the adults’ example, she scooped a spoonful of jujube filling onto a pancake, wrapped it like a small bun, then gently flattened it.

Ruirui took charge of the final step. She grabbed the patterned mold and pressed it onto each row of filled pancakes.

The patterns on the mooncakes were created.

The three-rabbit pattern from Dunhuang murals, the precious flower patterns – all were things her godmother had taught her to draw.

She pressed and laughed, so happy that she forgot all about Brother Sensen.

Once the mooncakes were ready, Chen Xi and Chen Hesheng each took one side and carried the steel plate with the mooncakes into the heated earth kiln.

They closed the stove door and sealed the opening with wet burlap.

Soon, the alley was filled with rich flour fragrance. Ruirui squatted beside the earth kiln, waiting eagerly until the fragrant mooncakes were baked.

She carried a plate of steaming hot mooncakes and ran into Grandpa Guan’s courtyard next door.

“Brother Sensen, time for mooncakes!”

The sky gradually darkened, a full moon hung in the night sky, wisps of cooking smoke drifted into ordinary homes, merging into this year’s bittersweet experiences.

Chen Xi’s family reunion dinner was set up in the courtyard. Chen Xi’s uncle arrived at dusk and worked with Chen Mei to prepare a table full of delicacies.

Chen Hesheng and Liu Qing had never lifted a finger for kitchen work in their lives, but they weren’t idle either.

They peeled pomegranates, walnuts, and chestnuts, arranging them in white porcelain plates for the moon to taste first.

Two boxes of fireworks were placed at the base of the courtyard wall. After Yang Shan and the others finished their reunion dinners with their families, they would come to Chen Xi’s place to set off fireworks together.

Chen Hesheng and Liu Qing went to the neighboring courtyard to fetch Grandpa Guan. Just as they reached the door, they saw Old Zhang riding his tricycle past.

“Brother Zhang, come have a drink with us!”

Chen Hesheng invited warmly.

Old Zhang applied the brakes, and the tricycle stopped with a screech at Chen Xi’s courtyard gate.

He turned to look at Chen Hesheng and his wife, saying with a smile, “Have a drink?”

Chen Hesheng quickly invited him into the courtyard, “Come on, we have plenty of good wine.”

Old Zhang jumped off his tricycle with a beaming smile, opened the insulated box, and carried out all the leftover yogurt and fermented glutinous rice from his day’s sales.

“For Chen Xi, today’s fermented rice is the sweetest.”

Liu Qing thanked him with a smile and invited Old Zhang into the courtyard.

The moonlight was bright, and the small courtyard was dimly lit.

Chen Xi broke the sweet and soft mooncakes into small pieces and fed them to Grandpa Guan.

He chewed slowly with trembling lips, savoring what little taste remained in this world.

But he no longer remembered the people before him, only feeling they seemed familiar somehow.

Halfway through dinner, Qin Lie arrived. Chen Xi got up to fetch him a stool.

“You finished eating so quickly?”

Chen Xi asked in surprise.

Qin Lie smiled at Chen Xi and sat down on his stool next to Chen Hesheng, who warmly welcomed him.

“I brought you Maotai.”

Qin Lie placed the wine on the table and smiled at Liu Qing.

“But how much to drink depends on Auntie’s decision.”

The couple laughed heartily at his charming words.

In the few days since Liu Qing’s return, she had seen Qin Lie twice, and each time she saw this child, she felt genuinely delighted.

When the moon reached its zenith, Yang Shan and the others gradually arrived, with only Liu Boyang missing.

The three children couldn’t wait any longer and clamored to see fireworks.

Qin Zhan, with a cigarette between his fingers, lit a firework at the children’s insistent requests.

Ruirui covered her ears and burrowed into Yang Shan’s arms. Yang Shan held Ruirui and snuggled into Han Chao’s embrace.

A pair of large hands covered her ears, and the two smiled at each other in the suddenly brightening firelight.

Han Susu described in detail to Yang Guan’s ear, “It burst! It burst! One red, one blue, and golden ones too, like flowers scattered across the sky.”

From now on, she would be his eyes.

In the brilliant fireworks filling the sky, Qin Lie took Chen Xi’s hand.

After the light faded, he suddenly asked her, “Chen Xi, would you like to try making animation?”

Chen Xi made a questioning sound, her gaze carrying a hint of inquiry.

Qin Lie said, “At that game exhibition in Xi’an, a video platform noticed the PV I brought. They want to make a Chinese-style animation similar to Nine-Colored Deer and have been looking for the right style.”

“The backgrounds and characters in that PV are the feeling they want.”

Qin Lie looked at Chen Xi, suppressing his inner anticipation, and asked quietly, “Would you be interested in helping them with art design?”

Chen Xi looked at Qin Lie and saw in his dark eyes that faint glimmer of hope deep in his heart.

He hoped she could try to take a step forward, attempt a different life with him, and accept more possibilities.

For a moment, Chen Xi didn’t know how to respond.

She also wanted to keep up with his pace, but if two people wanted to walk completely different paths, the longer they traveled together, the more troubles would arise.

While she hesitated, Qin Zhan called out to her, “Sister Xi, where’s Liu Boyang?”

Chen Xi looked toward Qin Zhan, “He said he’d come after eating dinner at home. Let me call and ask.”

She took out her phone, dialed Liu Boyang’s number, and turned to walk a few steps away, ignoring Qin Lie’s following gaze.

The signal connected, but no one answered.

Chen Xi called several more times before Liu Boyang finally picked up.

“Hello, Sister.”

Hearing Liu Boyang’s voice, Chen Xi finally relaxed and sighed with relief.

“Why haven’t you come yet?”

Wind sounds came through the phone, as if he were in the wilderness.

Chen Xi asked in surprise, “Where are you?”

After a moment of silence, Liu Boyang’s calm voice came through the phone, “I’ll be right there.”

Chen Xi hung up and sighed somewhat melancholically, looking up at the moon overhead.

There was something she had actually noticed, and not just her – Qin Zhan and the others probably saw it too.

Since the beginning of spring, everyone had been asking Liu Boyang when his girlfriend would return.

Liu Boyang went from smiling and saying “soon” to remaining silent now.

As summer’s end approached, everyone tacitly stopped asking this question.

The girl Liu Boyang had been thinking that she probably wouldn’t come back.

The night sky was clear, a full moon hung high, its light spilling across the empty desert.

Wind blew from all directions, howling as it scattered away.

Liu Boyang leaned against his car, finished his last cigarette, and silently deleted the final chat record with her.

He raised his head and said softly to the wind, “Goodbye.”

Arriving at Chen Xi’s small courtyard, Liu Boyang found a corner to sit down.

Now that everyone was present, Qin Zhan began setting off fireworks.

The night sky became a riot of colors.

Liu Boyang silently watched the fireworks overhead, a trace of a serene smile on his lips.

Chen Xi walked over, handed Liu Boyang a beer, and sat down beside him.

This younger brother of hers had a mature personality.

Except for poor grades, he had never caused the family any worry.

Only once, during his senior year of high school, he had fought with a group of street thugs, sending the other party to the hospital.

He was quite seriously injured and nearly expelled from school.

No matter how the family asked, they couldn’t get the reason for the fight out of him.

It wasn’t until one year when Chen Xi came home for winter break that Liu Boyang brought a pretty girl home for New Year’s visit.

Only then did Chen Xi hear about that year’s incident from the girl.

Liu Boyang had been secretly in love with that girl since his freshman year. He didn’t like studying, and his grades were always at the bottom of the class.

He forced himself to do practice problems and memorize vocabulary, hoping to sit closer to that girl during seating arrangements.

The girl’s family was poor, her father owed money outside, and debt collectors often came to their home.

The girl grew into a graceful young woman and gradually caught the attention of local thugs.

Every day after evening study, Liu Boyang would follow her from a distance, escorting her home.

Each time, he would wait until her bedroom light turned on before whistling and cycling leisurely home.

Until that day when he fought the thugs, from then on, his following became companionship on her way home.

Although Liu Boyang didn’t get into university later, the two remained close.

He sent her to university, bought her clothes, and visited her in her city.

He listened to her talk about interesting things at school, listened to her speak of missing him, and waited for her to come home during breaks.

He waited from her university years through her graduate studies.

From her graduate studies until she would never return.

“Liu Boyang.”

Chen Xi suddenly felt heartbroken and called his name softly.

“You two…”

Liu Boyang turned his head and smiled at Chen Xi.

“We broke up.”

He said it as if it were nothing.

Chen Xi wanted to say something more when suddenly melodious singing arose from the courtyard.

Hoarse and rough, with a trace of faint melancholy.

Like wind blowing across the desert.

“Willows by the embankment, come autumn, leaves scatter in chaos, leaves all fallen, leaving only fine branches.”

“Remember that day, green and lush, spring was good, but today, cold and clear, autumn grows old.”

“Wind so mournful, rain so mournful, can’t you see, the scene before our eyes has completely changed.”

“One thought, one look back, overwhelming sorrow…”

Old Zhang, half-drunk, squinted his eyes and sang this ancient ballad “Autumn Willows” from a hundred years ago, oblivious to those around him.

Some said this ballad was written by Li Shutong, others said it was by Chen Xiaokong.

Too much time had passed, and some truths had disappeared.

Old Zhang, alone in this world, had all his life’s sweet and bitter experiences in his song.

In the singing, Liu Boyang silently clinked glasses with Chen Xi.

He smiled at Chen Xi, and everything was understood without words.

All of life’s letting go begins with reluctance.

Those sincere efforts of youth were his yesterday’s happiness and today’s lack of regret.

He didn’t feel anyone had been wronged.