5 Mid-Autumn Festivals
1.
The first at a village they stop over at, months if not weeks into Xingchen’s descent from the mountain. There’s more people than he’s ever seen before in the bustling market square, festooned with red streamers and unlit lanterns in the day but it’s as dusk falls that it all comes alive.
Song Lan cuts through the crowd like a ship through waters, his height and scowl scattering people before him, but Xingchen darts back and forth, marvelling at the stalls with intricately carved combs and lanterns in the shapes of flowers and animals. He calls Zichen over to look and Song Lan drifts over with a neutral acknowledging hum, taking careful note of Xingchen’s favourites.
They drift inexorably towards the shore where the villagers gather and Song Lan procures them a sky lantern to light together, Xingchen glowing as bright as the lantern that leaves their joined hands with the hundreds floating in the sky above them.
Back at the inn, Song Lan picks up a jar of mild sweet wine and they perch on the rooftop, the moon heavy and round. The roar of festivities continues in the distance but they’ve had enough of people and Song Lan pours Xingchen a cup of wine, shows him how to capture the moon’s reflection in the surface and gives a quiet toast to the families that both of them have left behind.
Unused to the wine, Xingchen slumps against Song Lan’s shoulder, heavy and warm and Song Lan doesn’t move until dawn.
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