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?”

人這一輩子需要不時地犒賞自己，為了多些歡樂，就得好好過節。

沒有比外祖母更懂這個道理的人了，所以她最重視節日，只要是節日就不肯放過，一定把它過得像模像樣。不要說春節、元宵、端午這幾個大節日了，就連冬至、立春這樣的小節日，她都會按部就班地準備下來。

好東西吃也吃不完。外祖母說：“吃不完就是一年不挨餓，日子再苦，中秋節也要好好過。”她對這一天的重視，似乎超過了任何一天，到了今晚，大家都要高興，都不能講生氣的話。

這天晚上不能提爸爸，他在很遠的地方干活。

我一直忍住，盡管特別想念。我相信她們也一樣。

一年中秋節，已經到了半夜。

睡夢中，有人來敲我們的門，“咚咚、咚咚”，越敲越響。

外祖母呼地坐起。

我終于聽清了，這不是做夢，而是真的有人敲門。

我和外祖母從炕上下來時，媽媽已經起來了，先一步打開屋門。

一個細高個子進來了。

我一眼認出了爸爸。

“啊，爸爸！”我跳起來，兩腳還沒有落地，他就把我接住了。

爸爸來得太突然了，出乎所有人預料，所以大家都高興壞了，都驚住了。

媽媽和外祖母過了三四分鐘才醒過神，齊聲問：“你怎么回來了？”

爸爸語氣十分平靜地回答：“回家過節。”

媽媽臉上流下兩道淚水。

外祖母沒說什么，轉身到黑影里忙著什么。

我心里一陣難過：我們如果早一點知道爸爸趕回來多好，可憐的爸爸，沒有和我們一起吃過節飯。太可惜了，今晚的事會讓我們難過一輩子。

正這樣想著，外祖母已經點亮了燈，端過來說：“來，咱們重新過節。”

媽媽一下醒悟過來，趕緊和外祖母一起忙活兒：大圓木桌被再次抬到院子里，一個個碟子、缽子全端出來了。特別是酒瓶和杯子，一樣不少地擺上了桌。

現在已經過了半夜，月亮已經歪到西邊。不過天色還是很亮，空中沒有一絲云彩。一只夜鶯在不遠處叫了一聲。

啊，我們要接著過節。

我會永遠記住這個中秋之夜，記住爸爸講的事情。

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)

在我們海邊這里，除了春節，就數中秋節最隆重了，一般出遠門的人都要在這兩個節日趕回來，與全家團聚。可是爸爸一連許多年，只能在這個月亮大圓之夜望著家的方向。他在這樣的夜晚總也不能合眼。工地上不允許他們離開，因為每人一年里只有兩個假期，每個不超過三天。

中秋前一個多月，爸爸琢磨回家的事情：多想和家人過一次中秋。

后來，他鼓了鼓勁兒，對工頭提出回家過節的請求，說哪怕來回只一天、哪怕這一年只回這一次。

爸爸說，就算有千難萬險也要趕回來。

他從沒對工頭說過一句軟話，可這一次他求他們了。

那個小頭目有些心軟，不過說自己不能決定，要請示上邊。

爸爸等啊等啊，后天就是中秋了，一點消息都沒有。要知道在路上就要兩天時間。爸爸已經絕望了。

就在那天傍晚，小頭目突然找到他說：“批準了，回吧，不過待一天就得回來。”說完扳著手指一算：“時間來不及了，我看還是別走了吧。”

爸爸卻激動得渾身發抖。

他想都沒想時間的問題，連連感謝，抬腿就往門外跑去。

他是一路跑回來的，只用了一天多一點的時間，走完了兩天的路程。

他一路上叮囑自己的只有一句話：“只要月亮還在天上，就不能算晚！”

外祖母背過身去。媽媽也在抹眼睛。

我抬頭看著天空：啊，月亮還在，爸爸真的追上了。（摘自《十月》2020年第6 期）