Chapter 186 Autumn

The next day is Mid-Autumn Festival.

In the past, Zhang Xiaonan would return to Yunxi Village to celebrate such festivals.

Mom and Dad are getting old, especially in the past two years. They have aged severely and have lost their memory. They can no longer do heavy work. With her strong persuasion and pestering, the family's tobacco fields were finally rented out at the beginning of this year, but her father insisted on continuing to cultivate the mountain fields, saying, "What can I do as a farmer if I don't farm? Besides, you brothers and sisters all live in the city, and you have to buy fruits and vegetables and they all cost money. I'll grow some, enough for myself, and I can give you some."

Zhang Xiaonan knew that her father had been strong all his life in Yunxi Village. Even if he was old and could no longer live as gloriously as before, he was unwilling to let his children, who had already moved on, worry about his food and clothing.

A few years ago, Zhang Xiaonan's brothers and sisters went to teach in the county middle school under the arrangement of their second uncle. The journey was longer, and they had already started their own families and careers in the local area. They had their own happy and ordinary families. It was difficult for them to go back to their hometown on ordinary days. Zhang Xiaonan, a single young woman, took on this responsibility. Even though it was not easy for her to go back to the city on ordinary days, she spent every holiday with her parents. However, this time she thought about it for a long time and finally decided not to go back, because her brother Yunfeng said he wanted to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with her!
In Zhang Xiaonan's memory, this was probably the first time in history. She was so happy that her mind was racing during the two days of classes, but besides being happy, she was thinking about her parents in the countryside, so she called home through the village committee a day in advance, talked about the family situation and the health of her parents, and then told her father Zhang Guorui that she would not go back home for the Mid-Autumn Festival this time, but would spend it in the city and go home next weekend.

Zhang Guorui on the other end of the phone was silent for a while, and finally said: "Okay, take care of yourself. Everything is fine at home."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Guorui, who had bronchitis, sat on the threshold of the village committee and rolled a pipe. He smoked and coughed while looking at the fields at the foot of the mountain. It was Mid-Autumn Festival and the White Dew was just around the corner. The late rice had been harvested and the fields were bare, with withered haystacks piled here and there, just like the old man who was hunched over and smoking a pipe silently in the sunset.

It was almost evening when he got home. His wife caught a chicken in the yard and was about to kill it. Zhang Guorui suddenly felt annoyed and said, "Don't kill it. Xiaonan won't be back. I have to go to the city tomorrow."

His wife cried out "Ah!" and the old hen jumped out of her hand. She didn't care and asked, "If Xiaonan doesn't come back, will she spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with Ma Lin or at her second uncle's house?"

Zhang Guorui didn't sleep well that night.

As he got older, his sleep quality was poor. He tossed and turned in bed, always thinking about what his wife had said: Will Xiaonan spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with Ma Lin or at her second uncle's house?
Before dawn the next day, Zhang Guorui carried two old hens, a basket of eggs and some fresh fruits and got on a bus to Fengyang County. After arriving, he took a bus to Jiangchuan City. It was already past ten in the morning when he arrived at the Jiangchuan Bus Station. The autumn heat was a bit fierce. Zhang Guorui, carrying a bunch of "local things", had sweat all over his back. He walked past the row of taxis parked at the door and took the bus to his brother Zhang Guoxiang's house.

His younger brother Zhang Guoxiang and his wife were at home. They were both happy and surprised to see him come to the city for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Zhang Guoxiang realized something but didn't say anything. He accompanied his elder brother in the living room, smoking and chatting, talking about the gossip of Yunxi Village. His wife Yu Cuifang cut a plate of fruits and said to Zhang Guorui: "Brother, you haven't seen Xiaonan for a long time. It's just right. I'll call Xiaonan and ask her to come over for dinner."

Zhang Xiaonan didn't have a cell phone. In the past, Zhang Guoxiang and his wife would contact her by calling the concierge at the teachers' dormitory. But this time, when Yu Cuifang called, the concierge told her, "Zhang Xiaonan went out early in the morning and hasn't come back yet."

Yu Cuifang thought that Zhang Xiaonan would be back to school at noon, so she said, "Then please ask Xiaonan to call me back when she comes back."

After hanging up the phone, Yu Cuifang called Ma Lin's home again. Ma Lin was at home, so Yu Cuifang said, "Xiaonan's father is here, and Xiaonan will be here soon. Ma Lin, come over and have dinner with us."

Ma Lin readily agreed. In less than half an hour, he arrived with a box of beautifully packaged mooncakes and two bottles of Qingjiang Daqu. Yu Cuifang took the things swiftly and complained with a smile. She then said to Zhang Guorui, who was sitting on the sofa smoking with Zhang Guoxiang, "This kid is good in every way. He is practical, capable and motivated. But he is too polite. Every time he comes, he brings a lot of things. It's useless to say anything."

Zhang Guorui smiled and asked Ma Lin to sit over and have some tea and chat.

Yu Cuifang tied an apron and ran to the kitchen to prepare lunch. At about 12:30, she had cooked a table full of delicious dishes, but no one went to eat. They sat on the sofa in the living room, smoking and chatting while waiting for Zhang Xiaonan. Since Zhang Guorui and Ma Lin were here, she was the protagonist of this Mid-Autumn Festival. However, after waiting for a long time, the doorman of the teachers' dormitory of the No. 1 Middle School did not return the call. Zhang Guorui felt that this was not good, so he said, "Don't wait, let's eat first, and I'll go to the school to find her later."

Ma Lin, who had been sitting a little stiff, said, "How about this, uncle, you guys eat first, I'll go to school to find Xiaonan now."

Zhang Guorui waved his hand and said, "No, Ma Lin, let's eat."

Zhang Guoxiang put out his cigarette butt in the ashtray, stood up and said, "I'll call the principal of the No. 1 Middle School and ask."

Zhang Guorui and Ma Lin both looked at Zhang Guoxiang. Zhang Guoxiang said nothing more and walked into the bedroom. He picked up the phone book and found the contact information of the principal of the No. 1 Middle School in the city. He called the number and made a few polite remarks before asking, "Principal Wang, there is a student named Zhang Yunqi in your school. He was the top scorer in the previous high school entrance examination in Fengyang County. I need you to help me find his family's contact information." Wang Daozhong said, "Director Zhang, please wait a moment. I'll ask someone to check and get back to you."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Guoxiang sat in the bedroom waiting.

In fact, Zhang Guorui never took the initiative to talk to him about his eldest brother Zhang Guorui's family affairs, but his wife Yu Cuifang talked to him a lot and had some opinions. She felt that Zhang Yunfeng was not appreciative.

Zhang Guoxiang really didn't know what to say about this. When he was teaching in Yunxi Village, Zhang Yunfeng was his student. He had good grades and was a nice person. Moreover, at that time, whether in school or in the village, Zhang Yunfeng and his niece Xiaonan played together every day. They had a very good relationship. He never knew that the situation today would occur.

At this time, the phone rang. It was Wang Daozhong.

Wang Daozhong got Zhang Yunqi's home phone number through his class teacher. Zhang Guoxiang wrote it down in a notebook and chatted with Wang Daozhong for a few words before hanging up. He then called Zhang Yunqi's home. After the call was connected, he asked, "I'm Zhang Guoxiang. Is this Zhang Yunqi's home?"

The person on the other end of the phone replied, "Hello, Uncle Zhang, I'm Zhang Yunqi, what can I do for you?"

Zhang Guoxiang was very direct: "Is Xiaonan at your house?"

Zhang Yunqi was also very direct: "Not here."

Zhang Guoxiang asked: "Then do you know where she went?"

Zhang Yunqi said: "I don't know."

Zhang Guoxiang asked, "Is your brother Zhang Yunfeng at home?"

Zhang Yunqi said: "Not here."

Zhang Guoxiang asked: "Are they two together?"

Zhang Yunqi said: "Yes."

Zhang Guoxiang asked: "Where is it?"

Zhang Yunqi said: "I don't know."

Zhang Guoxiang said: "I understand, thank you."

Zhang Yunqi smiled: "You're welcome, Uncle Zhang, happy Mid-Autumn Festival."

(End of this chapter)