At 9 p.m., the moon climbed atop the cloud peaks.
High-rise buildings stood alongside the highway, their lights intertwined with the commercial street below, while across the road, the slums were plunged into deep, ink-like darkness.
After dinner, Wei Tianyang washed his clothes and hung them out to dry in the open space outside the house.
Perhaps it was the chill of the night settling in or maybe it was something else, but Wei Tianyang continually felt cold.
The man he had killed had never come back.
Tiantai Pharmaceutical had cleaned up the mess for him, but would this affect his final payment?
Luckily, there were no TVs or electronic devices in the slum, otherwise, his mother might hear the news...
A whirlwind of thoughts tumbled through his mind as a gust of wind lifted his damp shirt and slapped it against his face.
Wei Tianyang turned around to see his mother, holding a small, thick calendar, sitting by the doorway of their shack, looking up at the moon.
"Mom?" he called out softly.
"Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, look how round the moon is," his mother said softly, gazing at the moon.
Wei Tianyang looked up at the moon too.
On the deep blue canvas above, a patch of bright yellow was shrouded by gray-black clouds, casting a hazy light.
His mother smiled softly, her eyes becoming misty as she continued, "When I was pregnant with you, it was Mid-Autumn Festival, and your dad was already in debt..."
"Even though life was tough, that damn man still managed to buy two mooncakes for me to eat, hmph..."
"Yang, do you know what mooncakes taste like?" his mother asked, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek as she turned to him.
Wei Tianyang shook his head. Although he had never eaten a mooncake, he had seen them.
They seemed to be pastries made of flour, orange-yellow in color, round, with intricate and beautiful patterns on their surface, containing a variety of fillings.
"Mom, if you want some, I'll buy a few for you tomorrow," Wei Tianyang said.
His mother didn't respond; she stroked the thick calendar, lost in her thoughts.
The calendar was not for the current year but for 2087, and every year, the fifteenth day of the eighth month was not the same day.
Therefore, today was not Mid-Autumn Festival.
Wei Tianyang sat on the ground, deep in thought, before he spoke again:
"Mom, why didn't you divorce Dad back then? If you had, you wouldn't have needed to flee abroad with him to escape the debts."
His mother shook her head, looking at Wei Tianyang, and said, "I thought about it too, but the thought of you made me dismiss the idea of divorce."
"Having no father when you were born would have been too pitiful," his mother continued.
"Such a father is better off absent," Wei Tianyang shook his head.
"The family has held you back. I feel very sorry for you, for having you grow up in such an environment..." his mother suddenly lowered her head and sighed.
"I've never thought that way," Wei Tianyang shook his head.
If he had been born into a normal family, in a stable and peaceful country, his life would certainly have been very different.
But life has no ifs.
"You're very sensible, Yang. Much better than your dad and even me. If it weren't for being held back by the family, you'd definitely have a promising future, not like now..." his mother said helplessly.
"Promise me, save enough money, go back to Yin Country, and don't stray. Make a career for yourself, live for yourself," his mother added.
Wei Tianyang smiled and said, "Once we have enough money, we'll go back together."
His mother smiled at him, gently placing her hand on his back, stroking up and down.
He stiffened unnaturally, feeling the scars that looked like injection holes along his spine being lightly brushed by his mother's hand.
"Like the sun in the sky that dims the moon and stars, warm like the sun... that's the meaning of your name."
"Become that kind of man," his mother said, looking at him.
Wei Tianyang nodded.
The two were silent for a moment.
At this time, a small figure awkwardly approached them.
Wei Tianyang recognized her as Grandpa Liu's little granddaughter.
The little girl didn't dare to come too close, standing about ten steps away from them, her large tearful eyes fixed on Wei Tianyang.
"Little girl, why are you not asleep so late? Is it because your family has run out of rice?" he asked.
"I..." The little girl hesitated, fingers tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.
"Is Grandpa doing okay?" Wei Tianyang stood up and walked over to her.
Suddenly, the little girl threw herself in front of him, clinging tightly to his legs.
"I... I want to marry you!" the little girl said.
His mother burst out laughing, while Wei Tianyang's eyes widened in shock, frozen in place.
"Wait! Hold on... you're only 4 years old, right?" he exclaimed in shock.
"I can cook for you, clean for you, wash your clothes..."
The little girl looked up at him, her childlike voice tearful, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Did Grandpa send you?" Wei Tianyang asked.
The little girl shook her head. "Grandpa... is asleep..."
A chill ran through Wei Tianyang's heart, and he turned to look at his mother.
"Go check on him," his mother said.
He took the little girl's hand, and together they walked in the dark to Grandpa Liu's little house, pushed aside the door curtain, and were met with a foul smell.
A candle sat on the wooden table by the door; Wei Tianyang struck a match, and with a hiss, the dim candlelight lit up the room, revealing a blackened wooden table, dirty bowls crusted with rice, and gray cement bricks visible behind the peeling old wallpaper.
Grandpa Liu was wrapped in a blanket, lying in the corner bed, with half a bowl of plain porridge on a low stool beside him.
Wei Tianyang asked the little girl to stand by the door while he gently shook Grandpa Liu.
There was no breath, no response, and no pulse.
"Grandpa... hasn't gotten out of bed since yesterday, I called him for a long time, but he didn't respond," the little girl said timidly from the doorway.
Wei Tianyang remembered that just yesterday when he had left, he had seen this little girl fetching water and rinsing rice by herself...
He led the little girl back to the front of his own house, where his mother was already waiting by the dirt road nearby.
He looked at his mother and shook his head; realizing what had happened, she couldn't help but become saddened.
This girl was only 4 years old, now rootless, merely seeking to survive.
Wei Tianyang crouched down, placing his hands on the little girl's shoulders. "I can take care of you, but from now on, don't talk about marrying me anymore, okay?"
"I... I have nothing else to offer but myself," the little girl cried.
"You can ask for help, but don't put a price on yourself... understand?" Wei Tianyang said.
The little girl nodded.
"From now on, I can be your mother too," his mother said gently to the little girl.
"Mhm!" The little girl, tears in her eyes, embraced her.
"Yang, go find a nearby security officer to help send Grandpa Liu on his last journey," his mother added.
Wei Tianyang responded and walked into the darkness.
His mother watched his retreating figure, her expression bitter.