The refreshing autumn breeze and the charming autumn scenery. The Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month every year. As August is the second month of autumn, it was called "Zhongqiu" in ancient times, hence the folk name "Mid-Autumn". It is also known as Autumn Evening, August Festival, August Half, Moon Evening, Moon Festival. Because the moon is full on this day, symbolizing reunion, it is also called the Reunion Festival.
In Chinese culture, which values family reunions, people miss their loved ones even more during festivals. This year, on Saturday, September 10th, it was the first day of the Mid-Autumn mini-holiday. Many children chose to reunite with their families and enjoy the happiness of being together. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I had dinner with a friend at Lao Tou Youbaoxia restaurant on Yao Garden Poetry Lane. Perhaps because the living standards of Hangzhou residents have improved, or perhaps because children appreciate and respect the hard work of their elders in the kitchen, most families choose to have their reunion dinners at restaurants. The Lao Tou Youbaoxia restaurant seems to be quite famous, as all the tables inside were fully occupied. Business was booming...
However, there was one large round table next to me that stood out. Around the table sat a plump elderly couple in their seventies, both with silver hair and robust figures, who looked like northerners. They probably didn't care much about what they ate, but they eagerly awaited this festival so they could reunite with their children. The elderly couple happily arrived early at the hotel and ordered a table full of delicious dishes that their children liked, hoping to sit together noisily for a reunion dinner. On their table, there were already many exquisite dishes, a bottle of yellow wine, four bottles of beer, several bottles of drinks, and a complete set of tableware. In short: everything was ready, only waiting for the reunion.
My friend and I sat at the neighboring table, occasionally glancing at the elderly couple: I saw the old man supporting his hands on the table, deep in thought, propping up his cheeks, silently gazing at the entrance of the restaurant without speaking. The old woman would glance at the entrance of the restaurant from time to time, then look at the full table of food, ponder for a moment, stand up, and move a certain dish in front of her to the opposite side. After a while, she muttered something to herself and adjusted a few more plates, as if saying, this is the dish my grandson likes, this is the dish my son likes, placing them in front of them so it's easier for them to pick up the food, allowing them to eat joyfully. They poured all their love for their children into this reunion dinner...
Time passed slowly, yet the children still did not appear. The two elders continued to wait expectantly...
Suddenly, the mobile phone on the table rang. The two elders almost simultaneously reached out to grab it, and finally, the old man seized it with a delighted face. I saw him answer the call, uttering a few "ohs", then closing the phone with a disappointed expression, and calling the server over to settle the bill. It's easy to imagine that their children might have been too busy with work, or... Expectation turned into disappointment. Watching the couple stand up and stagger regretfully towards the door, destined to remain lonely again. They had poured all their love into the reunion dinner, only to be met with disappointment tinged with a touch of sorrow. At this scene, I felt a warm sensation flowing through me, indescribable...
Coincidentally, the next group of guests at this table was another elder. This time, it was just an elderly grandfather with white hair. The relentless flow of time mercilessly carved deep wrinkles on his face. Upon arriving, he repeatedly asked the restaurant server about the dishes, whether this dish was suitable, whether that dish was appropriate for children to eat? The time spent ordering was clearly longer than usual. After finishing the order, he sat by the window, constantly looking outside for familiar figures... Meanwhile, the server had started serving the dishes, and the old grandfather would occasionally take out his mobile phone to make a call, then stretch his neck to look out the window, and then turn his head to check the entrance of the restaurant...
Soon, the table was gradually filled with dishes. This old grandfather also repeated the same actions as the previous elderly couple: adjusting the plates back and forth... Until half an hour later, when my friends and I had finished eating and left, the white-haired old grandfather was still sitting alone, waiting...
I once remembered a well-known song called "Often Go Home and Visit". Parents' hearts are pitiful, hoping that children can spare more time amidst their busy work to go home and accompany the elders, to comfort the increasingly aging and lonely hearts of the elders, allowing the elders to live a happy and joyful life in their later years. It's not easy for elders to raise their children.
Early the next morning, I drove back to my hometown to reunite with my mother.
Source: Journey China Network. Please indicate the source if reprinted. Thank you!