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That evening, Ye Xin dove back into her space to tend to the rice paddy. With the abundant spiritual energy in her space and fertile soil, there was no need to worry about fertilizing. The ground was level, requiring minimal effort. She just needed to follow the small stream flowing from the spring to find the lowest area, which was the far left side behind the house, and build a circle of embankments to hold water.
However, even though the plot was only an acre, constructing a full circle was a massive undertaking. After a tiring day at work, she found it challenging to muster the energy at night. She’d spent several days busying herself in the space, but since she had the day off today and felt rejuvenated, she finally completed the embankments and began filling them with water.
The rice seedlings were also ready, a vibrant patch of green, so she began the process of transplanting them. This task took her three more evenings to finish. Even after all that work, the seedlings still didn’t cover the entire acre; they filled about three-quarters of it. Ye Xin didn’t stress about planting every inch and decided to take her time. She could leave the remaining space empty for now; after all, she didn’t want to wear herself out.
The day after she finished planting the rice, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived. This festival is primarily about family reunions, with moon-gazing and mooncake-eating occurring in the evening. This tradition didn’t interfere with work, so everyone continued their daily labor during the day. After finishing work, they returned home to celebrate. However, not every family could afford mooncakes or meat, so many simply put a bit of thought into making their usual meals a little nicer to mark the occasion.
Those who could enjoy a decent meal typically kept it low-key, savoring their food in silence, much like Ye Xin and Shen Zhuo.
As they ascended the slope, Ye Xin turned to Shen Zhuo and said, “Tonight, let’s slice up some cured meat, a bit of dried duck, and maybe whip up a few eggs.”
Shen Zhuo hesitated, feeling it might be too extravagant. “Is that too much?”
Ye Xin shook her head. “Not at all! It’s a rare celebration; let’s treat ourselves to some good food!”
Shen Zhuo eventually agreed. “Alright, I’ll go along with your plan.”
Ye Xin meticulously laid out the details for him. “First, sauté the cured meat until it renders some fat, then toss in some cabbage and add a pinch of chili; the duck is quite dry, so let’s stew it for a while before adding a carrot; let’s beat three eggs, chop some chives, and mix them in for a chive omelet; and don’t forget to make some smashed cucumbers…” As she spoke, her mouth watered, and her stomach grumbled after a long day of work.
Shen Zhuo couldn’t help but swallow hard, but he tried to remain reasonable. “Let’s not go overboard; we might not finish it all.”
“Just make a little of each dish and cook less rice. We’ll definitely eat it all,” Ye Xin insisted. “The Mid-Autumn Festival is a big occasion; how can we not make it special? After working so hard every day, we deserve to treat ourselves a bit!”
Shen Zhuo found her enthusiasm persuasive and nodded in agreement.
Ye Xin continued planning, “And let’s boil some spinach soup to complete the four dishes and a soup! … Oh, I’m getting hungrier just thinking about it; let’s hurry!”
Once they returned home, Shen Zhuo headed to the kitchen while Ye Xin made her way to the vegetable garden.
As she squatted there picking vegetables, she marveled at the convenience of having her own garden. Picking fresh vegetables right when she needed them was a joy that couldn’t be matched by city life. Moreover, knowing that what she grew was healthier made her feel reassured!
After washing the vegetables, she returned to find that Shen Zhuo had already cut the meat as she directed, waiting for the rice to finish cooking.
As soon as the meat hit the pan, an irresistible aroma filled the courtyard.
After a flurry of frying, simmering, and stewing, the feast was ready: stir-fried cabbage with cured meat exuding fragrant savory notes, vibrant carrot and duck stew looking deliciously inviting, golden and crispy chive omelet, crisp and refreshing smashed cucumbers, and a light green spinach soup—each dish was a feast for the senses, drawing mouths to water.
“You’re getting better and better at cooking!” Ye Xin praised him, unable to wait any longer. She quickly dished out the rice and called, “Come eat!”
Shen Zhuo, lured by the delicious smell, quickly washed his hands and joined her.
This meal was by far the most lavish he could recall. As he savored each bite, he felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.
Ye Xin chuckled to herself, grateful that Shen Zhuo’s house was situated on a slope, allowing them the freedom to indulge in their delicious feast. If they had neighbors nearby, they would have to be more discreet.
In retrospect, they had cooked a bit too much and had also bought mooncakes, so they needed to save some room for later. But it wasn’t essential to finish everything tonight; after all, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival. The weather had turned cooler, and the mountains were even chillier. Leaving the leftovers overnight wouldn’t be a problem; they could easily stir-fry them in the morning, which would save time.
After clearing the table, they each washed up, shaking off the day’s fatigue, changing into clean clothes, and stepping outside to enjoy the moonlight. By then, the sky was completely dark, and the moon had risen high.
The past few days had been sunny, and tonight, the moon was big and round, casting a silvery glow across the courtyard. Shen Zhuo lit an oil lamp and took out the box of mooncakes, but he hesitated, realizing they had no tables or chairs outside. Should he go back to the kitchen to fetch some?
Ye Xin grabbed a small basket of wild bamboo shoots and suggested, “Let’s not bother with that; we can just eat by the well.”
By the well, there were two stones supporting a smooth stone slab that Shen Zhuo’s father had brought back from the mountains. They used it for washing vegetables and laundry. Ye Xin placed the basket of bamboo shoots on the slab, a special treat she had saved for tonight since they had picked them during their last trip to gather herbs.
After setting it down, she felt it was awkward and moved the basket to the ground, sitting on the stone slab herself. She called out to Shen Zhuo, who was still standing there in surprise, “Stop standing and come sit!”
Shen Zhuo sat down on the stone slab, feeling a bit dejected as he took in the bare walls of his home. He murmured, “When I have some free time, I’ll get a set of tables and chairs for the courtyard.”
Ye Xin replied, “We’re so busy every day; when will we have the time? We’re only coming out to enjoy the moon tonight; there’s no need to fuss about it on regular days.”
She then urged him, “Hurry up and open the mooncakes; they smell so good!”
Shen Zhuo set the oil lamp down on the ground, then peeled back the oil paper wrapping from the mooncakes inside. Four round mooncakes were nestled within, their golden crust glistening with oil and decorated with intricate patterns. In the moonlight, he could even make out the characters spelling “five nuts.”
Each mooncake was about the size of his palm. He handed one to Ye Xin and kept one for himself. Ye Xin eagerly took hers, biting into it and instantly squinting her eyes in satisfaction.
In her previous life, she had often eaten flaky mooncakes, but she actually preferred the oily skin type. Thanks to the conveniences of modern online shopping and logistics, she could indulge whenever she pleased, regardless of the occasion. However, in this era, acquiring mooncakes was much more challenging, making them even more precious.
Perhaps it had been too long since she had last tasted one, or perhaps the ingredients of this era were simply more substantial, but she found the mooncake to be even more delicious than she remembered.
With a beaming smile, she turned to Shen Zhuo and said, “This is so good!”
Shen Zhuo looked at her bright eyes, nodding in agreement as he took a bite of his mooncake, savoring the flavor.
The bright moonlight bathed them in its glow, while the courtyard remained quiet, interrupted only by the soft sounds of insects chirping, which added to the serene ambiance of the night.
As Ye Xin munched on her mooncake, she tilted her head back to gaze at the glowing orb in the sky. “When you see the moon, what poem do you think of?”
Shen Zhuo thought of Li Bai’s “Ancient Song of the Moon” and recited, “In my childhood, I knew not the moon; I called it a white jade plate.”
Ye Xin couldn’t help but laugh; she had learned this ancient poem in elementary school, and it felt both distant and endearingly childish now.
Sensing her amusement, Shen Zhuo questioned her, “What about you? What poem do you think of?”
Ye Xin replied, “I think of ‘May we all be blessed with longevity, and share the beauty of this moon, even if we are a thousand miles apart.’ I find that line even more beautiful.”
This line was from Su Shi’s “Song of the Water Melody,” which Shen Zhuo also knew. He agreed that it was beautiful, using the word “婵娟” (chán juān) as a metaphor for the moon, conveying feelings of longing and well-wishing for loved ones. Yet, hearing her lighthearted voice made him think that it could also express yearning for a lover… Were they considered lovers now?
They had agreed to continue their engagement, both willing to do so, and things had been going well between them.
“Shouldn’t that count?” he mused, his gaze drawn back to her face.
Her face was small, with a delicate, pointed chin. After indulging in good food for a while, her cheeks had filled out slightly, giving her a soft, tender appearance. The moonlight bathed her in a gentle glow, making her look even more beautiful. But it was her big eyes that truly captivated him—dark and bright, they sparkled with a lively brilliance, almost as if they were speaking to him.
Ye Xin tilted her head and looked at him, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
Shen Zhuo quickly averted his gaze, mumbling, “Nothing.”
He hadn’t noticed it before, but now he felt they were sitting too close together. The stone slab was small, forcing them to almost touch. They had never been this close, except when riding bikes to town, and even then, they were facing away from each other. Now, however, he could catch the faint scent of her fresh skin, just washed from her bath, wafting through the air.
Heat crept up his cheeks, but fortunately, it was nighttime, and the blush wasn’t too noticeable. He quietly focused on eating his mooncake.
Ye Xin, oblivious to his discomfort, took a bite of her mooncake and found it a bit salty. She reached into the basket for some wild fruits. A perfectly ripe wild bamboo shoot snapped open with a gentle squeeze, releasing a sweet fragrance.
After finishing one, she even picked another for him.
Though this Mid-Autumn Festival was simple, with just mooncakes and fruit, it felt sufficient. The most important thing was the comfort of sharing it with each other—calm and peaceful, without a hint of noise. Ye Xin thought this was more than enough.
Shen Zhuo shared her sentiment, filled with tranquility, satisfaction, and sweetness.
Months ago, when he had suddenly lost his father, he had felt lost and a bit desolate, believing life to be dull and aimless. But she had driven away the stormy clouds, illuminating his world.
Her cheerful voice broke the silence: “Just one is enough; otherwise, you’ll feel too full to sleep tonight.”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
She looked up at the moon, her voice bubbling with joy. “The moon is beautiful tonight. I hope it’s like this next year too.”
Perhaps the gentle moonlight made him unusually expressive; he replied softly, “I hope we can celebrate like this next year too.”
Ye Xin exclaimed, “Next year will definitely be better! I completely forgot this year; otherwise, I would’ve bought some duck pears and a bunch of grapes instead of relying on wild fruits!”
Shen Zhuo blushed again, clarifying, “I meant, I hope to celebrate with you next year…”
He could feel his face heating up.
Ye Xin turned to look at him in surprise. Under the moonlight, the young man appeared strikingly handsome, his charm undeniable, though his eyes flitted away, unable to meet hers.
His sudden bluntness surprised her, but it only filled her with joy. She replied, “Not just next year; we’ll celebrate every year together!”
Those words transformed Shen Zhuo’s perspective on the future from a vague uncertainty to one filled with hope and certainty. His face still flushed, he dared to meet her gaze, his eyes bright with determination as he nodded, “Yeah!”
Gathering his courage, he whispered, “From now on, let’s always be together.”
She smiled brightly. “Of course! We agreed on that!”
A profound sense of satisfaction and security washed over the young man.