As Long as the Moon Is Still Up

People need to reward themselves from time to time throughout their lives,which is the reason for the joys and jubilations of the holidays.

My grandmother knows this better than anyone,so she values festivals and puts in the effort to make every festival a delight.The Spring Festival,Lantern Festival,and Dragon Boat Festival are undoubtedly the biggest,yet to the more obscure holidays to Westerners,like the Winter Solstice and the beginning of the first solar term,called the Beginning of Spring,to her were just as important and worthy of the same exhaustive preparations.

She would prepare so much food to wish the festival last forever.The reason for this in her own words was,“Having leftover food in our house means we won’t go hungry for a whole year.No matter how hard life can be,we should enjoy Mid-Autumn Festival.” She seemed to value this day more than any other,as if it had some kind of mysterious precedence whose importance only she understood.At her request every member of the family would be on their very best behavior,strive to be jovial and lighthearted,and say nothing that might dampen the mood.

Making even the slightest mention of my father,who was working far away was strictly taboo.

I missed my dad until it hurt,yet I buried every word and emotion deep within my heart.I’m pretty sure my family did the same.

One Mid-Autumn Day,loud banging in the middle of the night woke us up from our sound sleep.Someone was knocking on our door and it was getting louder and louder.

Grandma sat up.I sat up as well,realizing in the haze of semiconsciousness that it was not just a dream.Someone was indeed knocking on our door at this ungodly hour.

My mother got out of bed before we did and opened the door.

A tall lean man came in.

It was Dad,whom I recognized immediately.

“Dad!” I jumped up,and he caught me in his arms before my feet landed on the floor.

Dad’s return was so sudden and unexpected that everyone was shocked but overjoyed.

It took three or four minutes before my mother and grandmother recovered from their initial shock and asked in unison,“How come you are back?”

人这一辈子需要不时地犒赏自己，为了多些欢乐，就得好好过节。

没有比外祖母更懂这个道理的人了，所以她最重视节日，只要是节日就不肯放过，一定把它过得像模像样。不要说春节、元宵、端午这几个大节日了，就连冬至、立春这样的小节日，她都会按部就班地准备下来。

好东西吃也吃不完。外祖母说：“吃不完就是一年不挨饿，日子再苦，中秋节也要好好过。”她对这一天的重视，似乎超过了任何一天，到了今晚，大家都要高兴，都不能讲生气的话。

这天晚上不能提爸爸，他在很远的地方干活。

我一直忍住，尽管特别想念。我相信她们也一样。

一年中秋节，已经到了半夜。

睡梦中，有人来敲我们的门，“咚咚、咚咚”，越敲越响。

外祖母呼地坐起。

我终于听清了，这不是做梦，而是真的有人敲门。

我和外祖母从炕上下来时，妈妈已经起来了，先一步打开屋门。

一个细高个子进来了。

我一眼认出了爸爸。

“啊，爸爸！”我跳起来，两脚还没有落地，他就把我接住了。

爸爸来得太突然了，出乎所有人预料，所以大家都高兴坏了，都惊住了。

妈妈和外祖母过了三四分钟才醒过神，齐声问：“你怎么回来了？”

爸爸语气十分平静地回答：“回家过节。”

妈妈脸上流下两道泪水。

外祖母没说什么，转身到黑影里忙着什么。

我心里一阵难过：我们如果早一点知道爸爸赶回来多好，可怜的爸爸，没有和我们一起吃过节饭。太可惜了，今晚的事会让我们难过一辈子。

正这样想着，外祖母已经点亮了灯，端过来说：“来，咱们重新过节。”

妈妈一下醒悟过来，赶紧和外祖母一起忙活儿：大圆木桌被再次抬到院子里，一个个碟子、钵子全端出来了。特别是酒瓶和杯子，一样不少地摆上了桌。

现在已经过了半夜，月亮已经歪到西边。不过天色还是很亮，空中没有一丝云彩。一只夜莺在不远处叫了一声。

啊，我们要接着过节。

我会永远记住这个中秋之夜，记住爸爸讲的事情。

Dad replied calmly:“For the festival.”

Tears trickled down my mother’s cheeks.

Grandma didn’t say anything and went to busy herself making preparations.

I felt bad,what a shame it was that Dad had missed out on our festival dinner.How nice it would have been to know beforehand that he was coming back! It’s an inner pain and regret that our family will probably carry around for the rest of our lives.

Grandma turned on all the lights and said,“Come on,let’s celebrate the festival together again.”

My mother shook offthe grogginess and joined grandmother.They carried the big round wooden table out again into the yard,brought out all the plates and bowls,and set the table with all the wine bottles and cups in our house.

It was already past midnight and the moon was low on the western horizon.But the sky was bright and clear,without a single trace of clouds.A nightingale called out from afar.

Our festivities began anew.

I will always take the night of this Mid-Autumn Day with me,keeping what Dad told us in that special place within.

Mid-Autumn Festival is the most important holiday apart from the Spring Festival in my hometown.People travel from far and wide to reunite with their loved ones.But for many years my dad couldn’t come home or fall asleep under the light full moon in his own home.All he could do was gaze in the direction of hometown and feel the pangs of loneliness and separation.The busy construction schedule at the site didn’t allow workers to leave and have normal vacations.Each worker was allowed to celebrate no more than two holidays a year,with each no more than three days.

This year,my dad yearned to spend the Mid-Autumn Day with his family so much that he had been thinking about it for more than a month.

He summoned up his courage and asked his team leader,saying that he was going back home for just one day,despite all the difficulties and hardships,even if he could only have that one holiday this year.

He had never asked any favor from his superiors before,but this time he was practically begging.

His team leader was softened,saying that he couldn’t make the decision unilaterally,but that he would ask his boss.

My father waited and waited for the answer.Two days before Mid-Autumn Festival,there was still no word.Considering that he would need two days for the trip,my dad had practically given up all hope.

Yet,that evening his team leader came to him and said,“Your request has been approved.Go now,but you can only spend one day,as we need you back here the day after Mid-Autumn Festival.” He did some calculations and added,“It’s already a bit late,are you sure you still want to go?”

Dad was shaking with excitement.

He wasn’t even thinking about the question of time.He thanked the team leader and ran out of the door.

He ran all the way back home and covered the two-day journey within only a little more than one day.

He kept telling himself along the way that,as long as the full moon was still shining in the sky,there was still time!

Grandma turned her back while Mom wiped her eyes.

I looked up at the sky and thought to myself,the golden orb of the autumn moon was still hanging high in the sky,as if it had been waiting there all along so my dad could spend a joyful festival with his beloved family.

(FromOctober,Issue 6,2020.Translation:Lu Qiongyao)

在我们海边这里，除了春节，就数中秋节最隆重了，一般出远门的人都要在这两个节日赶回来，与全家团聚。可是爸爸一连许多年，只能在这个月亮大圆之夜望着家的方向。他在这样的夜晚总也不能合眼。工地上不允许他们离开，因为每人一年里只有两个假期，每个不超过三天。

中秋前一个多月，爸爸琢磨回家的事情：多想和家人过一次中秋。

后来，他鼓了鼓劲儿，对工头提出回家过节的请求，说哪怕来回只一天、哪怕这一年只回这一次。

爸爸说，就算有千难万险也要赶回来。

他从没对工头说过一句软话，可这一次他求他们了。

那个小头目有些心软，不过说自己不能决定，要请示上边。

爸爸等啊等啊，后天就是中秋了，一点消息都没有。要知道在路上就要两天时间。爸爸已经绝望了。

就在那天傍晚，小头目突然找到他说：“批准了，回吧，不过待一天就得回来。”说完扳着手指一算：“时间来不及了，我看还是别走了吧。”

爸爸却激动得浑身发抖。

他想都没想时间的问题，连连感谢，抬腿就往门外跑去。

他是一路跑回来的，只用了一天多一点的时间，走完了两天的路程。

他一路上叮嘱自己的只有一句话：“只要月亮还在天上，就不能算晚！”

外祖母背过身去。妈妈也在抹眼睛。

我抬头看着天空：啊，月亮还在，爸爸真的追上了。（摘自《十月》2020年第6 期）