Qi Ji found another angle and thought, how beautiful the moon is. Sharing the moon is such a romantic thing to do.
[I wonder if we're looking at the same moon.]
Qi Ji posted the photo in the group chat and asked them about it.
Shu Yi had almost forgotten about the moon, but when Qi Ji shared the moon picture, her heart felt like it was being pinched by ants.
[It's the same one.]
Shen Yin casually took a picture of the moon and sent it.
Shu Yi looked up at the window of the train. It was nice - she couldn't see the moon from here. Did that mean her current feelings were like the moon outside the train window - ethereal and fleeting, destined to fade away without a trace?
"Zhengzheng, shall we look at the moon together?"
Zhengzheng had started to relax since getting into the RV that afternoon, no longer clinging to Shen Yin every moment.
"Moon," Xu Yunzheng pointed at the moon.
"What does the moon look like?"
"The crescent moon looks like a little boat."
"Zhengzheng, the moon isn't actually crescent-shaped. It's just partially covered by clouds. Shall we take a bath?" Shen Yin tried to coax Zhengzheng into bathing.
Xu Xiuhe had chosen the RV, considering that Zhengzheng was small and would need adults to bathe him. He had specifically picked one with a large bathroom.
"There's water."
The RV was now parked at a service area.
Xu Xiuhe had closed all the doors and windows of the RV.
Xu Yunzheng still didn't want to take a bath.
Shen Yin glanced at Xu Xiuhe, then lowered her head.
"Zhengzheng, can you tell Mommy and Daddy what's wrong with the water?"
Xu Yunzheng seemed to be thinking hard about Shen Yin's question.
"Water drowns people. People can't get up."
"Zhengzheng, that was just a dream. Dreams aren't real. Don't be afraid, okay? Will you let Mommy give you a bath?" Xu Xiuhe tried to comfort him.
The little boy still shook his head.
"Zhengzheng, how about Mommy gives you a bath while Daddy stays right outside the door with us? There won't be much water, it can't drown you."
Seeing that Zhengzheng was wavering a bit, Xu Xiuhe added, "Zhengzheng, Mommy and Daddy will be right there. We won't let the water drown you. After your bath, we'll all go to sleep together."
"Children who don't bathe aren't being good. Will you let Mommy give you a bath?"
Shen Yin picked up Xu Yunzheng to carry him to the bathroom.
The little boy didn't resist, clinging tightly to Shen Yin.
Xu Xiuhe followed behind the mother and son.
During the bath, Zhengzheng still wouldn't get in the water, keeping his legs tucked up.
The bathroom was small, so Xu Xiuhe couldn't go in. He could only stand outside the door, talking to distract Xu Yunzheng's attention.
The bath was extremely difficult, and when it was over, Shen Yin was so exhausted she could barely stand up.
Xu Xiuhe carried Xu Yunzheng to the bedside, but as soon as he tried to put him down, the little boy's whole body tensed with resistance.
"Let's sleep. Daddy will hold you while you sleep."
After the little one fell asleep, Xu Xiuhe placed him on the bed and covered him with a blanket.
The sleeping Xu Yunzheng's eyelids fluttered a few times. Xu Xiuhe gently patted him, and the little boy continued sleeping.
Shen Yin sat in the nearby booth, running her fingers through her hair. Faced with this situation, she felt powerless for the first time.
If he were sick, it would be easier - they could go to the hospital, see a doctor. But now, seeing Zhengzheng so tense, startled by the slightest movement, her heart ached terribly.
Xu Xiuhe came over from the bedside and sat down in the booth as well. Seeing Zhengzheng like this made both him and Shen Yin feel awful and emotionally drained.
It turns out that many times, many things can't be solved just with money.
"It's okay now. He'll be better in a few days."
Xu Xiuhe pulled Shen Yin into his arms.
"It's all our fault. If we had stayed with him while he slept, would this have happened?"
Shen Yin started to blame herself.
"It's okay, it's not your fault. We couldn't have prevented this. Even when I'm with you, don't you often have nightmares?"
Shen Yin suddenly perked up and sat up straight.
"When I have nightmares, I forget them quickly. But real nightmares, you never forget. Do you think Zhengzheng might be the same way? Could he have had a premonition dream?"
Shen Yin's question truly stumped Xu Xiuhe.
"Surely not. He's still so young. It was probably just a nightmare that scared him. Don't overthink it."
"Alright, but we should still take precautions. For a while, when we go out, let's not go anywhere near water."
"Okay."
"And tomorrow night, let's not sleep in the RV."
"Where should we go then?"
"Tomorrow morning, we'll explore this city a bit. Then in the afternoon, we'll drive. We should be able to reach South City by tomorrow night."
"South City?"
"Yes, that's where my mother's family is from. My mother was always trying to leave me a way out. Even my startup capital was left to me by her. When I graduated from university, the Sun family in South City - that's my uncle's family - sent me some money to start my business."
"Your uncle?"
"Yes, my mother's family has always been quite well-off. She married from South City to Rong City. But back then, transportation wasn't as developed as it is now, and the distance between South City and Rong City was quite far. Xu Guimin was always busy with work, so my mother hardly ever went back to South City. I'm not very close with my uncle."
"So this time when we go to South City, will we visit your uncle's house?"
"We'll go see him. He must be quite old by now. We should pay him a visit. After all, he is my mother's brother."
"After your mother passed away, did your uncle know about your life in the Xu family?"
"After Mom passed, my uncle wanted to take me to South City, but I didn't want to go. I wanted to stay in Rong City with Mom. Later, that man found another woman who already had a child about my age. That made me even more determined to stay."
"It's okay. No matter what happens in the future, I'll always be with you."
"Good. Let's go to sleep too."
Inside the RV, the lower bed was just big enough for the family of three. Shen Yin pulled the little one closer to her.
The next morning, while the mother and son were still asleep, Xu Xiuhe went downstairs to buy some food and brought it back up.
Shen Yin woke up to the smell of food. When she opened her eyes, Zhengzheng was in her arms, his big eyes wide open.
"You must be hungry. Let's get up and have breakfast. After we eat, we'll set off. This morning we're going mountain climbing."
"Sounds great."
The weather was perfect, crisp and clear.
"It's not as hot as it was a few days ago," Shen Yin remarked.
"Tomorrow's the Mid-Autumn Festival. If it were still that hot, the weather would be off."
"Oh, that's right. I almost forgot."
"I never imagined we'd be spending the Mid-Autumn Festival away from home as a family of three."
"Mid-Autumn is a festival of reunion. As long as we're together as a family, it doesn't matter where we celebrate it."
"It seems Shu Yi might have to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival alone."
"Has she arrived in Tibetan City?"
"Yes, she arrived this morning."
"Chang Zhiyuan knows about it. He's also heading to Tibetan City now. If all goes well, they might spend the Mid-Autumn Festival together tomorrow."
"Did you tell him?"
"Not exactly. He figured it out on his own. He just asked me to confirm."
"Their relationship is their own business. None of us should interfere."