Chapter 84 Zhiyi Cried
Like in previous years, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Fang Wei's family and A Sheng's family came back together to celebrate the festival with their grandparents.
After the sumptuous reunion dinner, night fell on the small island.
The two brothers were sitting on the wall, peeling chestnuts with their hands and eating them, chatting while looking up at the eastern sky.
Chestnuts, water chestnuts, olives and peanuts are must-have nut snacks during the Mid-Autumn Festival here.
Perhaps to nature, this is just an ordinary day in the long history of the earth, concerning astronomy and geography;
But because the people who grew up here gave this day a unique meaning and sense of ritual, tonight has become different.
After eating the chestnuts in their hands, the two brothers stood up on the wall. The wall was not high, but after standing up, they still had a much wider view.
In the courtyards of every household, there were already tables for worshipping the moon, offerings of all kinds of fruits, moon cakes, candies, and a few kinds of nuts.
Some young children, holding lanterns that they bought or made themselves, walked out of their homes in groups of three or five, playing and chasing each other in the village;
The adults also moved out tables and chairs and sat in the courtyard to drink tea and chat. Occasionally, the sound of firecrackers could be heard in the distance.
"Grandma! The moon is out!"
Seeing the bright moon hidden behind the shadows of the trees and then poking its head into view, Fang Yuansheng hurriedly spoke to his grandmother.
"Why are you two standing so high? Be careful not to fall. Come down quickly."
"Are you going to worship the moonlight?"
"Come and light some incense."
"Ooh!"
Upon hearing this, the two brothers jumped down from the wall together and landed back in the yard.
……
Worshiping the moonlight is a unique custom of the Mid-Autumn Festival on the island.
According to legend, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the birthday of Moonlight Bodhisattva, who symbolizes purity and brightness. Therefore, people on the island will worship the moonlight on this day and pray for health, peace and wisdom.
Like other families, grandma had already prepared the offerings and placed the eight-immortal table in the courtyard, facing the moon in the east.
"Ah Sheng, come and help grandma light the incense and candles."
"Awei, go burn the moonlight clothes (special paper products, similar to paper money) and put them in the brazier."
"it is good."
When he was young, Fang Wei always felt that these were superstitions, not only cumbersome but also meaningless.
Later, I went to a big city and found that people there didn’t all worship the moonlight, and they didn’t even light incense and candles. It seemed to be easier, but I always felt that there was a lack of atmosphere.
As the incense was lit, grandma began to worship the moonlight, clasping her hands together and chanting devoutly.
After she finished praying, she called the two brothers and others to come and burn incense for them.
After the moonlight worship was over, Fang Wei and A Sheng took out two rows of small firecrackers according to grandma's instructions and went to the gate of the yard to light them.
This small firecracker has a gray fuse and burns very quickly. When the two brothers were young, they didn’t dare to throw it with their hands. They could only put it on the ground, light it, and run away.
Now that I have grown up, I have become braver and dare to use my hands.
"Asheng, are you coming?"
"I come!"
Ah Sheng laughed, holding the incense stick in one hand and the firecrackers in the other. He opened his eyes wide and concentrated very carefully, moving the fuse towards the incense stick...
"boom!"
Fang Wei deliberately scared him, and the seemingly brave Ah Sheng was so frightened that he threw the unlit volley of artillery away.
When he realized what was happening, Ah Sheng kicked him angrily, and Fang Wei dodged with a laugh.
"Awei! Don't mess with me!!"
"Can you do it?"
"Go away! I'm getting nervous when you stand next to me!"
"Go, go, go."
Fang Wei decided not to scare him and walked a little further away.
As Ah Sheng finally touched the fuse to the incense head, a "hiss!" sounded, and white smoke quickly came out of the fuse, and a large section of it burned in the blink of an eye!
As if by reflex, Ah Sheng shook his wrist violently and threw the ignited volley of firearms in his hand out.
Before it landed, a volley of artillery exploded in mid-air.
[Crack! Crack!]
In the quiet countryside night, the sound of such firecrackers seems particularly loud.
Dawang, who was in the doghouse in the corner of the yard, was frightened by the sound of firecrackers and he tucked his tail between his legs and quickly hid in the innermost part of the doghouse.
The burning time of the volley of artillery is very short, it only takes two or three seconds.
Then Ah Sheng lit the second row of firecrackers, which still exploded in the air, leaving red crumbs all over the ground. The white smoke from the burning was picked up by the night wind and blew high into the sky, filling the air with the faint peculiar smell of sulfur left after burning firecrackers.
Maybe this smell is not environmentally friendly or healthy, but both Fang Wei and A Sheng inexplicably like to smell this smell. Is it a quirk?
Most of the other families on the island also worship the moonlight at this time. For a while, the sound of firecrackers could be heard everywhere on the island.
……
After the moonlight worship, it is time for free activities.
Ah Sheng bent over and searched among the red scraps of paper scattered on the ground to see if there were any unlit firecrackers. If there were any, he would pick them up and put them in his pocket. He would play with them at ordinary times, for example, to blow up tree holes, vole holes, cow dung, etc.
My dad, uncle and several other adults were drinking tea and chatting in the yard.
If there were some distant friends who didn't have time to get together, or some clients or bosses who needed to be blessed, Fang Xianfeng would take out his pager and call Fang Wei to come over and help him edit the blessing text messages.
Having a mobile phone is convenient. Times are different now than in later times. It is still quite happy to receive a blessing via text message.
Fang Wei thought of something and borrowed a spirit channel from his father.
"Who are you going to text?" Fang Xianfeng asked curiously.
"Send a blessing to the class teacher." Fang Wei said as he skillfully typed on the nine-square grid.
Fang Wei didn't have Wen Susu's cell phone number, but he had already memorized it.
After thinking about it, I sent her a simple text message -
[It’s the Mid-Autumn Festival and the sweet fragrance of osmanthus. Teacher Wen, I wish you a career as bright as the bright moon and a life as warm as the warm moon. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! ——Fang Wei]
Fang Wei didn’t know whether this was the first blessing Wen Susu received from a student, but he knew that this was the first time he sent a text message to a teacher to express his blessing.
The signal on the island was not very good, so Fang Wei held up his phone and it took him a while to send the text message.
Not knowing what Teacher Wen was doing at the moment, he waited for a while.
Two or three minutes later, the text message alert sounded on the phone.
When I opened it, it was a reply from Wen Susu——
[Thank you Fang Wei! This is the first blessing the teacher has received, I am very happy! I also wish you a happy Mid-Autumn Festival and progress in your studies! ]
Fang Wei smiled, didn't reply any more, and returned the phone to his father.
……
Look at the time, it's already 7:30 in the evening.
Not forgetting the agreement he made with a few friends during the day, Fang Wei called A Sheng and planned to go out to find Xu Cailing and Liu Zhiyi.
The two brothers had just got on their bikes when, as if they had telepathic connection, Xu Cailing rode over to find them on her bike first.
The three of them met here, rode their bicycles together, and rode towards Shayang Village under the moonlight.
"Xu Cailing, you are so childish. You are so old, but you still want to fly lanterns?" Ah Sheng laughed.
"Shut up, is this a lantern? This is called a car light!"
There is a small lantern hanging on the handlebar of Xu Cailing's bicycle. It was bought for her by her sister. It was probably a prank by Sister Caiwei. She bought it and made it look quite childish on purpose!
The lantern is made of paper with cartoon patterns that children love very much, and there is a burning candle inside.
Of course Xu Cailing was too embarrassed to run around with a lantern like a child, so she had to hang the lantern on the hood of the car and called it a car light.
Because there were candles inside, in order to prevent the wind from blowing out the paper lanterns or lighting them, Xu Cailing rode her bike more gently than ever before, riding slowly and steadily.
You know what, this 'headlight' looks quite eye-catching.
Standing at the gate of the yard, Liu Zhiyi saw from afar a ghostly red lantern moving quickly in the fog on a dark country road... He almost got to film an episode of "Science Approaches"!
It was not until the three "Willow Fire" boys and girls on bicycles approached that Liu Zhiyi finally saw the situation clearly.
Although she and her grandfather were the only ones at home tonight, her grandfather still worshipped the moonlight as he did in previous years.
It has just been a short while since I finished praying.
Three bicycles stopped in front of her yard, and the ghost-fire girl Xu Cailing said to Uncle Liu:
"Uncle! Let's take Zhiyi to the beach!"
"Okay, go ahead. It's getting late. Don't play too long. Come back early."
"Yeah, don't worry! Zhiyi, get in the car!"
"Grandpa, I'm going out now."
"Okay, let's go play."
"Oh, by the way, uncle, my dad and Uncle Fang will come to have tea with you in a while!"
"well."
Liu Liangxun also didn't want his granddaughter to stay at home all the time, so when he saw that there was someone to accompany Zhiyi out to play, he happily agreed.
This was the first time that Liu Zhiyi went out so late, and she felt it was quite fresh.
As Liu Zhiyi got on Cailing's bike, Cailing also started riding.
But because of the weight of an extra person, the lantern on the front of her car was difficult to control.
So Liu Zhiyi got out of the car again and sat in the back seat of Fang Wei's car.
The girl didn’t feel comfortable hugging his waist, so she just held onto the bicycle frame modestly.
Different from riding in Cai Ling's car on weekdays, riding in Fang Wei's car obviously makes one feel safer. After all, he won't show off his skills suddenly and he rides very steadily.
Maybe the boy's back doesn't look strong, but sitting behind his bicycle, he still feels very stable.
……
The night sky is brilliant, and the bright moonlight illuminates the country road.
When you look closely, everything is very clear, but when you look into the distance, it is a dark and hazy night. The dark shadows of the trees rustle in the evening breeze, frogs and insects chirp in your ears, and occasionally you can see fluorescent dots fluttering among the grass.
In such a quiet night, if I were alone on any other day, not to mention Liu Zhiyi, even Xu Cailing would be a little scared.
But at this moment, with four people together, their courage seemed to be combined. Instead of feeling scared, they felt quite relaxed and ethereal.
I don’t know if it was to give everyone courage or out of inspiration, but Fang Wei hummed a song softly.
"When will the bright moon appear? I drink wine and ask the sky~~"
"I don't know what year it is in the palace of heaven~~"
It is "Wishing You a Long Life", a song written by Su Shi and sung by Faye Wong in 1995.
Although they have not learned the lyrics yet, young boys and girls are very familiar with this song.
Fang Wei sang first, followed by A Sheng and Cai Ling.
In the end, Liu Zhiyi also sang along with them. "People have joys and sorrows, separations and reunions, and the moon waxes and wanes."
"It is difficult to achieve perfection in this matter. I wish you a long life."
"We share the beauty of the moon, thousands of miles apart~~"
Accompanied by singing and moonlight along the way, the four of them rode past the pier and finally arrived at the Little White Sand Beach.
……
There are no street lights on the beach, but the bright moonlight alone is bright enough.
Perhaps this is the origin of the name of the beach "Little White Sand". The soft sand appears silver-gray under the moonlight, and the sea breeze with the salty smell of the sea water blows gently across your face.
The gentle sound of the waves lapping is like the whisper of the sea. The moonlight shines on the sparkling sea, like the Milky Way reflected in the water.
Facing the sea, the view becomes wider.
"Wow! Look! Someone is lighting lanterns!" Ah Sheng shouted.
Everyone looked up at the night sky.
Several Kongming lanterns were released from somewhere and were flying up in the wind, like moving stars in the night sky, floating very high and far.
"Cai Ling, do you have a light?"
"Of course I brought it!"
"Where's the light?"
"In the basket! I bought six!"
After parking the car, the four of them walked onto the beach and gathered together to discuss how to release the Kongming lanterns.
The lights are stacked together and have different colors, including light green, pink, sea blue, warm orange, etc. In fact, after they are lit and flown high into the sky, they are all the same color when viewed from a distance.
It’s not allowed to light lanterns in big cities, but here on the small island there are not so many rules.
These lights are also very cheap, you can buy one for only 30 cents.
As Fang Wei opened the Kongming lanterns, each one turned into a giant lantern in front of the four people.
"Zhiyi, when you light the lanterns later, remember to make a wish! The lanterns will fly very high and will bring your wishes to the gods. It's very effective!" Xu Cailing said with a smile.
"Yeah." Liu Zhiyi nodded.
"Have you decided what wish you want to make?"
"……not yet."
"It's okay, you think about it first, and then we'll put two in and see!"
In order to fix the fuel ball on the bottom ring of the lamp body, Xu Cailing took the lighter she got from her father and lit the fuel ball.
She and Fang Wei held the lamp together, the light of the flame shone on her pretty face, and joy danced in her eyes.
"Haha, it's so warm! Is it almost time to take off?"
"Don't worry, the lift isn't enough yet."
As the fuel ball continued to burn, Fang Wei and Xu Cailing gradually felt a rising warm sensation.
"Almost?"
"Three, two, one... take off!"
“Ugh~!”
As the two let go of each other's hands, the Kongming lantern carrying Cai Ling's wish began to float up with the wind, swaying. Under the gazes of the young boys and girls, it kept flying up and up, and floated to a very far place.
Liu Zhiyi looked up quietly, not knowing whether she was looking at the sky lanterns or the stars in the sky; her eyes were lost in thought.
"Knowledge."
"..."
"Zhiyi, it's your turn to light the lantern!"
"Ah good……"
Not only Fang Wei could feel it, but Cai Ling and A Sheng could also feel that Liu Zhiyi seemed to be in a bad mood from the beginning.
"What's up, Zhiyi? What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing... turn on the lights."
Liu Zhiyi shook his head, and his smile seemed a little forced.
"So, have you thought about your wish?"
"My wish...my wish..."
Liu Zhiyi stammered.
Without any warning, at a certain moment, she could no longer control the tears that flowed from her eyes.
Fang Wei, Cai Ling and A Sheng were all stunned.
This was the first time I saw her cry in front of me, crying so violently and so suddenly.
"What's wrong Zhiyi..."
The three of them gathered around her. Cai Ling nervously held her hand, and Fang Wei gently patted her back.
Liu Zhiyi shook his head and wanted to say that he was fine, but his throat seemed to be stuck with a stone and he couldn't utter a word.
The falling tears wet her pretty face, and she wiped them away with her hands.
"Do you miss mom and dad?" Fang Wei sighed and asked softly.
"Um……"
Liu Zhiyi nodded and cried, "I remember... they took me to fly sky lanterns... but I... but I can never see them again... never see them again..."
She thought that like last time, things would get better after she said it out, but this time, after she said it, she couldn't control her emotions at all.
"I'll never see you again..."
She no longer suppressed her emotions, or rather, she could no longer suppress them, and finally burst into tears.
Cai Ling and A Sheng were stunned. Perhaps they could not empathize with the other person, but they also fell silent at this moment.
Fang Wei could understand this feeling. In fact, what was really hard to bear was never the news of their departure, but one day after calming down, he suddenly thought of the fragmentary memories related to them, but that person was no longer in front of him...
It's true that I will never see it again.
It’s like you are at school and they are at the market; you are eating at home and they are working in the fields; you go to the fields to find them and they happen to be back home... They seem to be always there, but always passing by you.
It's good to cry.
Cai Ling and A Sheng wanted to go forward to comfort him, but Fang Wei shook his head and stopped them with his eyes.
After a while, Liu Zhiyi's crying gradually subsided. She sobbed softly, and in just a short while, her beautiful eyes were already red and swollen.
"Are you feeling better?" Fang Wei asked softly.
"Um……"
"Cry if you want to. There are no outsiders here. We are all here with you."
"I am okay……"
"Then let's light the lights together."
"Um……"
Fang Wei brought the inflated Kongming lantern over, and Xu Cailing quickly handed her the lighter.
Liu Zhiyi lit the fire and illuminated the fuel ball under the Kongming lantern.
The gentle firelight was reflected on her tearful little face. She was lost in thought as she felt the rising warmth.
“Will I ever see them again…?”
Liu Zhiyi's tears, which had just stopped, couldn't help but fall again.
"They just jumped out of time and became the most primitive component of the universe, slowly reconstructing other things around you. The big trees that shelter you from the wind and rain are them, the sweaters that keep you out of the cold are them, the wind is them, the clouds are them. They just disappeared as mom and dad, but they are everywhere, continuing to protect you in their own way."
"Uh-huh."
Liu Zhiyi choked up, and after hearing Fang Wei's words, she nodded vigorously, her tears falling and seeping into the sand under her feet.
“Put your wishes on a sky lantern and it will be carried to the place closest to them.”
"it is good……"
Liu Zhiyi nodded, wiped the tears from her face, held the big Kongming lantern in both hands, and said with a sob:
"Sky lantern, sky lantern...you can fly to the south or the north...if you meet my parents...just tell them...tell them...I miss you..."
She gently loosened her hands, and the sky lantern that carried her wish swayed in the wind.
The wind is so strong this night, the thoughts are priceless, the sky lanterns fly higher than the birds...
Liu Zhiyi stared blankly at the lamp, which flew farther and farther away in the night sky until it turned into a small dot and could no longer be seen.
Fang Wei could see that Liu Zhiyi's mood had temporarily adjusted.
But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, another girl's cry was heard nearby.
"Woo..."
"???"
Fang Wei, Liu Zhiyi, and A Sheng all looked over and saw that Xu Cailing, who had been laughing at first, had now burst into tears.
Not only Fang Wei and A Sheng were stunned, even Liu Zhiyi was stunned.
"Woo..."
"What's wrong with you?" Fang Wei asked in a trembling voice.
"It's nothing, I just want to cry... When I think about my parents in the future... woo..."
"???"
No, it’s too early for you to cry!! If Uncle Yuan and the others heard this, they would definitely beat you up!
"Ah Wei, you can't blame Cai Ling... Even I suddenly felt sore in my eyes, I..."
Perhaps because of the emotion, A Sheng's eyes were also red. Before he could continue speaking, Fang Wei passed by.
"They can cry, but you can't!"
"No, why can't I do that?"
"Get lost."
Everyone made a fool of themselves, and Liu Zhiyi watched and couldn't help crying and laughing.
There are still tears in the corners of my eyes, but I feel much better now.
(End of this chapter)
