Deng Damei ate her meal absentmindedly.

Zhang Yunxi and He Xiaoxiao didn’t try to persuade her further. Some things could only be understood through personal experience.

“Auntie!” Er Gouzi called out from a distance.

“Yes?” Zhang Yunxi stood up and walked to the courtyard gate. “What is it?”

“My grandma sent you some peanuts.” Er Gouzi handed Zhang Yunxi a cloth bag filled with peanuts.

He had told his grandmother in detail about what he had eaten at the state-run restaurant that day.

His grandmother had nearly scolded him.

Then she went back to her room and packed him a bag of peanuts.

“Ah? This is too kind of her.” Zhang Yunxi weighed the bag in her hand. It was quite a lot, about two pounds. “On Mid-Autumn Festival, come over to my place and have some mooncakes, okay?”

“Isn’t that a bit too much?” Er Gouzi scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed.

“Why not? I don’t hesitate to ask you to help with work, right? Didn’t you say we’re family? Family doesn’t stand on ceremony, right?”

“Right!”

Er Gouzi nodded. “Auntie, don’t worry. I’ll take care of you when I grow up.”

Zhang Yunxi: “…”

“Thank you.”

“Hey, it’s nothing. I’ll definitely be amazing when I grow up.” Er Gouzi was blindly confident in himself. “Well, enjoy the peanuts. I’m heading home now.”

Just as he was about to leave, Zhao Mo arrived.

Er Gouzi ran even faster.

Zhao Mo was a devil!
Even on a day meant for playing, she was still thinking about studying.

Seeing Zhao Mo, Zhang Yunxi suddenly remembered that she hadn’t gotten the books from Zhao Rencheng yet. She’d find time to ask him later.

*

The Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, but the villagers still counted down the days eagerly. As the moon waxed and waned, it finally reached its fullest and brightest on the fifteenth day of the eighth month.

A full moon hung in the sky, and the fragrance of the festival filled the air for miles.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the autumn harvest was imminent. The golden hues covering the mountains and fields were breathtaking, truly a joyous sight.

There was no work on Mid-Autumn Festival.

Everyone prepared to make a delicious meal and celebrate the festival together.

When they met fellow villagers, they would chat about the festival, their faces lit up with happy smiles.

The village committee distributed one pound of grain to each person, hoping everyone could eat their fill that night.

In the afternoon, everyone gathered at the threshing ground to listen to Brigade leader Zhao’s speech: “This year, we’ve had favorable weather, and a bountiful harvest is within reach…”

Brigade leader Zhao spoke passionately on stage.

Zhang Yunxi, with one arm linked through He Xiaoxiao’s and the other through Deng Damei’s, couldn’t stand still. Her head kept tilting from one side to the other.

Deng Damei and He Xiaoxiao were already used to her antics and even adjusted their postures to make her more comfortable.

Standing on one side of the stage, Zhao Rencheng could clearly see Zhang Yunxi’s movements.

He glanced over from time to time.

Principal Zhao followed Zhao Rencheng’s gaze.

Oh my.

He still denies liking her, yet he can’t take his eyes off the girl.

Tsk, stubbornly refusing to admit it.

Brigade leader Zhao had been worried a couple of days ago, saying Zhao Rencheng had messed up his blind date. He had advised Brigade leader Zhao not to worry, but he wouldn’t listen.

Principal Zhao really wanted to say:

Xiao Cheng has someone he likes!

But alas…

He had promised Zhao Rencheng not to tell anyone.

Keeping a secret all by himself was torture!

Principal Zhao and Zhao Rencheng’s eyes met, and he awkwardly coughed, straightened his posture, and turned his attention to Brigade leader Zhao on stage.

Zhao Rencheng looked away and joined everyone in applauding.

Brigade leader Zhao said, “Alright, next, Comrade Zhao Rencheng, the captain of the militia, has an announcement to make. Let’s give him a round of applause.”

Zhang Yunxi looked up.

Seeing Zhao Rencheng glance over, she gave him a bright smile, freed her hands, and clapped enthusiastically.

Zhao Rencheng wasn’t particularly moved by the speech, but for some reason, he felt a sense of pride.

When the applause died down, Zhao Rencheng tapped the microphone and said, “The recruitment dates have been announced. It’s at the end of this month, in the provincial capital. Round-trip transportation, accommodation, and meals will cost at least five yuan. Those interested can sign up with me.”

Everyone began to discuss.

Recruitment happened every year.

But the recruitment quotas were limited. Often, even if you met the standards, you might not get in, depending on the recruiting officer’s preferences.

Unless you were so outstanding that the officer took notice at first glance, your chances were slim.

There were just too many people who wanted to join the military!
But five yuan was no small amount.

After Zhao Rencheng finished speaking, there was nothing else to announce, and he dismissed everyone to celebrate the festival.

His speech was concise and to the point.

Zhang Yunxi, however, was itching to go. The provincial capital! She really wanted to go and have fun.

She needed to earn money!
She secretly set a goal for herself: if she could get her manuscript published and earn some royalties, she would go to the provincial capital!

With her goal set, Zhang Yunxi was filled with determination.

As the sky gradually darkened, the full moon rose slowly from the eastern mountaintop, but there were only a few stars scattered across the night sky.

Zhang Yunxi had already prepared everything for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Zhao Mo and Er Gouzi had also arrived.

Zhao Mo was originally supposed to celebrate the festival at home, but her grandfather had luckily caught a rabbit, and her father had been called over by her grandfather to enjoy the feast.

Her stepmother had wanted her to bring Yuan Dabao along to visit her aunt.

But she ignored her and came straight to the educated youth dormitory.

Now that her stepmother couldn’t do anything to her, she wasn’t going to let her stepmother bully her anymore!
Zhang Yunxi brought out the mooncakes. The packaging resembled bamboo tubes, with ten mooncakes in each tube. The mooncake crust was golden brown, filled with brown sugar and sesame paste, and the bottom was lined with a piece of paper soaked in oil, making it greasy.

Zhang Yunxi tore open the packaging and handed each person a mooncake. Seeing Deng Damei about to leave, she called out, “Damei, take one to share with your boyfriend.”

“No, his family already bought some.” Deng Damei’s mood was heavy.

She planned to test her boyfriend today.

Zhang Yunxi didn’t press further. “Alright, I’ll save the rest for us to eat together later.”

“Okay.” Deng Damei felt a warmth in her heart.

She had just seen that Zhang Yunxi was going to give her a whole mooncake.

Her parents had never given her a whole mooncake before. In fact, being able to eat mooncakes at home was already a stroke of luck for her.

As Deng Damei left, Zhang Yunxi turned to Er Gouzi. “What’s wrong with you today?”

Er Gouzi was usually the life of the party, always laughing and joking.

But today, he was unhappy.

“My dad went on a blind date. I’m going to have a stepmom.”

“Hey, you’ll get used to it. You can’t expect a widower to stay single forever, can you?” Zhao Mo, speaking like a seasoned veteran, patted him on the back.

Er Gouzi blinked his big eyes. “I know that. My dad’s been single for many years. But people say that with a stepmom comes a stepdad.”

“It’s fine. If you eat a mooncake under the moonlight, the next year will go smoothly.” Zhao Mo grabbed his hand and stuffed the mooncake into it. “It’s super effective. Let’s find the closest spot to the moon and eat there.”