After a calm month, it was finally the 15th of August, the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival of the Chinese people. It is a day when families gather together to drink and admire the moon. It is one of the most important days of the year, second only to the Spring Festival.

In ancient times, the Mid-Autumn Festival was especially popular and grand. Even the imperial court held large-scale events such as moon worship.

According to legend, it was during the Tang Dynasty that Emperor Xuanzong had a dream of visiting the Moon Palace and obtained the Ni Chang Yu Yi music. It was then that the customs of celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival became popular among the common people.

Of course, the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival is no longer important. It has become one of the most important festivals of the Chinese people, and the idea of reunion during the Mid-Autumn Festival is deeply imprinted in the hearts of every Chinese individual.

School was also on holiday, and everyone received a small mooncake. However, on the way home, we had already devoured them.

When I returned home, my mother had already prepared a table full of delicious dishes, including chicken, duck, fish, and meat, making it as grand as the Spring Festival.

My father said that the Spring Festival was a bit lacking this year, so the Mid-Autumn Festival dinner must be more abundant.

I smiled, reminiscing about the scene during the Spring Festival. It wasn't actually lacking at all. Kubeizi used the Five Ghosts technique to bring delicious food from the restaurant, making it more abundant than ever before.

Thinking of the Spring Festival reminded me of Qingqing. At that time, our whole family would sit together for the New Year's Eve reunion dinner. Without Qingqing, it felt like the moon was missing a piece and things were never complete.

Looking at the moon in the sky, a tinge of melancholy rose in my heart. I didn't know where Qingqing was at this moment, and I didn't know if she was doing well. Was she admiring the moon? Was she eating mooncakes? Was she thinking of me?

Grandfather called me over to eat and asked why I was lost in thought.

I didn't hide it and said that I missed Qingqing. It was a day of family reunion during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but Qingqing wasn't there, and it always felt like something was missing.

Everyone in the family liked Qingqing very much because she had saved my life more than once. So, everyone considered her as a benefactor. Whenever Qingqing was mentioned, everyone felt a bit emotional.

Especially my mother, who was quietly wiping away tears by the side.

Grandfather knocked on the table with his chopsticks and said, "Alright, alright. Qingqing is so capable, she will be fine. I think she must be admiring the moon now. This beautiful moon is the best time for Qingqing to absorb moonlight and recover her body. We don't need to worry about Qingqing anymore. I believe she will come back soon!"

My father comforted me, saying, "Yes, today is a day of family reunion. We should be happy, right? Yang Cheng, want to have a drink?"

My father asked me with a smile. I touched my head and asked, "Are you allowing me to drink alcohol?"

Ever since I caused trouble due to drinking during the elementary school graduation exam, my family strongly disapproved of me drinking. The few times I did drink, I would secretly do it at Xie Qiang's house without letting my family know. I didn't expect my father to propose that I have a drink today. It was quite unexpected for me.

My father patted my shoulder and said, "Yang Cheng has grown up. You can learn to drink now, but don't overdo it, and certainly don't cause any trouble!"

Pausing for a moment, my father smiled at me again and said, "Do you think I don't know? You have been drinking behind our backs countless times, haven't you?"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

With just one sentence, my father exposed me. I touched my head, feeling embarrassed, and forced a smile.

My mother glared at my father and complained, "Always teaching bad things!"

My father burst into laughter. "A man who doesn't drink is a waste in this world! Drinking alcohol appropriately is a way to socialize! Look at those people who don't smoke or drink. No one wants to hang out with them!"

My mother rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, yes! Your twisted logic is the most abundant. Speaking so seriously but full of nonsense!"

My parents bantered for a while, but it actually lightened the originally melancholic atmosphere. After a good laugh, everyone's mood gradually improved.

Dinner was held in the courtyard. My father moved the dining table outside.

The moon tonight was big and bright, round like a jade plate. The entire sky and earth were illuminated, and we sat in the courtyard without even needing a lamp. Bathed in moonlight, everything was clear.

The gentle night breeze blew while we drank and raised our heads to admire the moon. We quietly listened to the sounds of insects and frogs in the mountains. This feeling was truly magical, as if our souls were getting purified.

This feeling is something that city dwellers cannot experience. They live in a concrete jungle and can only lean against the window, looking up at the moon. They cannot truly experience the poetic ambiance of appreciating the moon.

Moreover, city dwellers have at most experienced candlelight dinners. They will never have the opportunity to experience a moonlight dinner.

A so-called candlelight dinner cannot compare to a moonlight dinner. In the eyes of people from the mountains, who didn't understand what a candlelight dinner was, life was difficult. There was no romance. People envied the flickering lights of the city, the streetlights that shone throughout the night, and the sparkling neon signs.

Later, when electricity reached the mountains, the villagers finally bid farewell to the era of kerosene lamps and candles. Every household had electric lights, and the difficult days were finally over. Who would still want to eat by candlelight?

But city dwellers created a new weirdness. They had lights but chose to turn them off and use candles instead, dining in the dark, calling it romantic. According to people in the mountains, having lights but not using them and insisting on using candles is a sign of being mentally ill, right?

Alright, enough digression. Anyway, the moon tonight was beautiful.

The bright moon rose from the sea of clouds, painting the clouds silver, and within the sea of clouds, there were radiant halos twinkling.

The moonlight truly flowed like water, slowly pouring down from the pitch-black sky, flowing over the mountains, flowing over the tranquil villages.

For a moment, I felt like a fish, swimming in the flowing moonlight.

I was young and hadn't read many books. My mind didn't have much knowledge. The only thing that came to mind was Li Bai's poem, "Quiet Night Thoughts." While sipping wine, I recited, "Beside my bed, the moon shines bright; I suspect it is frost on the ground. I lift my head to gaze at the bright moon, and lower it to think of my hometown!"

My father put down his chopsticks and applauded, praising loudly, "My son is amazing! Speaking in verse! Come, recite another one!"

Another one?!

I scratched my head, struggled for a long time, and even turned red in the face.

My father thought I had a stomachache and asked if I needed to go to the toilet.

I shook my head, squeezed out my masterpiece from between my teeth, "Ah, moon, you are so bright!"

My father looked puzzled, "What's this? Who wrote this poem?"

I held a serious face and said, "This belongs to postmodern poetry!"

My father nodded as if he understood, "Postmodern poetry, it's really amazing!"