Jian Ge

"Uncle Jiaaaannn!!!"

Jian Kang Lu kneels right away to catch the red ball running into him. His 4 years old nephew looks like a cute ball inside that red coat. This year's autumn is windy and children need to wrap up when they play outside.

"Mmm.. Xiao Ming is bigger than last week we met. Good job!

"Yes, that means I can get my reward???"

Jian Ming's round eyes look at him with hopeful looks, and his round cheek blushed with pink tint after running towards him so fast. Luckily he didn't trip this time. Jian Ming used to cry if he tripped by himself when running. But his family taught him that he had to stand on his own and never cried just because he tripped. If he doesn't cry, his parents will reward him with a hug and 1 scoop of his favourite ice cream or carrot cake.

"Of course! Uncle Jian never lied. What games do we wanna play today?"

"Let's play football, uncle. Ask dad to play with us too."

"Okay! Let uncle Jian greet your grandpa and grandma first, after that we can play. Is that okay for our Xiao Ming?"

Xiao Ming giggled and held his hand and dragged him inside. His small fingers wrapped around Jian Kang Lu's wrist. Both of them talking while walking. Usually Jian Kang Lu will ask about his friends, what kind of new things he learned at kindergarten, and tease him if Jian Ming said he didn't learn anything.

His father, Jian Shen, is 60 years old this year. His hair still had lots of black colour compared to his colleagues around his age. People can't see that this old man turns 60 this year. He looks 10 years younger and still looks handsome in his late age. His body is still well maintained.

His father sits on the sofa of their living room next to a big window facing the garden outside. His brother is sitting across from him, they seem to be talking about something serious. Maybe the financial market again.

Jian Shen used to work as vice president in a big trading company. He retired 5 years ago, but sometimes still invests in the stock market. They're not a filthy rich family, but more than enough to support his 2 children. His childhood house already moved into this luxury housing complex 20 years ago. His father did quite well.

After Jian Kang Lu greets his dad, he asks where his mom is. He already guessed that his mom is in the kitchen preparing the Mid Autumn lunch feast with his sister in law. And his mother just walked into the living room. Lin Caihong also looks younger than her real age. She turns 56 year old this year. Jian Kang Lu's good looks are inherited from his parents. But his elegant posture and gentle smile definitely passed down from his mom.

Since they live in the same city, Jian Kang Lu always tries to spend every Sunday with his family. This time differences only the lantern decoration outside the gate, they will celebrate the Mid Autumn festival together.

Every Mid Autumn his mother will cook their favourite beggar chicken. His mom never cook moon cake, she said that the moon cake from W hotel definitely tastes much better than her own. So she doesn't want to waste her effort.

"Hi Mom, how are you? What time will we have lunch? I want to play football first with Xiao Ming"

His mom hugged him back and told him to play only for 30 minutes. Since it's also windy outside. And remind him to change his clothes first into a more comfortable outfit.

Jian Kang Lu invited his brother to play together. Football is best played with more people. His father told his brother to play together and they can continue to talk about the stock market later after lunch.

Jian Kang Se working in the bank as treasury. His father's knowledge about trading surely helped him a lot. Most of the conversation every Sunday dominated with that topic. While Jian Kang Lu usually talks about daily matters with his mother and sister in law. His sister in law is also working in the bank, but in a different bank and not dealing with financial matters. She works as human resources manager.

After lunch, the whole family spent their time talking together in the living room. The lively conversation is dominated by Xiao Ming who wants to show his uncle the chicken dance he learned at school. His nephew is really lively unlike his father. Jian Kang Se personality tends to be more calm. A gentle person who smiles a lot but doesn't talk much. This lively personality must be inherited from his mother.

At 4 o'clock Xiao Ming tired and took a nap with his mother. His brother then spoke to him.

"Ge, I have classical music tickets for two people next month. I remember you like Yang Jing. She will perform in that concert. If you want, i can give you the ticket."

"For real? I love her! Is it for free? You won't charge this handsome brother of yours right?"

"Ge, please don't shamelessly state that you're handsome when you don't have any wife. I won't charge you. Take it as my effort to fill your lonely soul." Jian Kang Se's face didn't change his expression even slightly. He really felt it was not necessary to agree with his brother's shameless words. Too bad that handsome face of his brother left alone without someone to admire it everyday.

Jian Kang Lu laughs and knocks his brother's arm. "Then i will gladly receive the ticket. How can you get it? Is it really free? If it was too expensive, I'll pay the ticket to my sister in law."

"Yes it's free, Ge. My bank is sponsoring the concert. We got a few free tickets in the invitation box. You enjoy that kind of performance more than me. So it will be better if you were the one who watched it. The performer will be happier if their fans watch it compared to bankers who didn't really know her."

"Okay, you can give me the ticket next week when we have family lunch again."

After that, Jian Kang Lu goes upstairs to take a bath. His room is still the same as he used to have in high school. His light brown desk in the corner, with beige soft carpet in the middle of the room. The differences are only the bed and the bathroom. He changed it into the better one. But his closet is still the same, and he still has his old clothes inside the wardrobe.

After taking a bath, he opened his mobile phone. After staring for a while, he opened WeChat and pressed his kitten ID.

[JianKangLu] Happy Mid Autumn festival!

He stares and no reply until 5 minutes.

He missed his kitten, but he also doesn't know how to get closer with him. He met him almost 1 month ago. But they only meet 3 times. In the plane, lunch date, and dinner date. He shamelessly thinks every meeting with his kitten is a date. Last time they met, he asked for his kitten WeChat ID.

His excuses? So he can do co-op together when his kitten is offline. So lame, but he can't find any better reason. He looks at the family picture on his desk. It was taken on his graduation day.

He feels lucky. Though he hasn't married until now, his parents didn't pester him or shove him with a list of women to a blind date. Sometimes they tease him, or make jokes about him being an expired old uncle. But they never forced him to get married.

Even at the new year when his big family kept asking him the same question, when uncle and auntie pestered his parents, his parents defended him and said that this is his own life, no one should interfere with that.

There's only one time his mother asking him seriously why he didn't get married. At that time, he's still with Zhang Min. That time he said to his mother that he has a serious relationship, but his partner is still not ready yet to get married. He was honest that time, and ready to stake everything for Zhang Min..

But in the end, a relationship is like clapping your hand. You can't clap your hand with just one hand. He doesn't want to be a jerk that pushes his partner. He loves him so much that time, and respects his decision. 

But in the end, he can't take it anymore. Clapping with one hand is tiring enough. So he doesn't want to be a toxic partner that will create toxic relationships. Jian Kang Lu chose to walk away and give freedom to Zhang Min.

After that one serious talk, his mother never asked him again. His parents know how he is responsible for his whole life. He did his best in high school. He graduated well in university. He was admitted into one of the best hospitals in the country for his residency. He always lived his life as best as he could.

None of his decisions in life were decided by his parents. He chose the medical field by his own decision. They have no doctor in their family, so his parents are also surprised by his decision. But they let him choose and he shows his parents he can do it well. It's the same for the rest. His parents respect his decision, and he shows them that he is responsible for his own choices.

'Ping'

He looked at his phone, and his kitten replied back.

[WhiteMist] Happy Mid Autumn festival. I hope that you go well and have a bright future.

[JianKangLu] Thank you. Did you spend the Mid Autumn with your family?

[WhiteMist] Yes, i'm in my hometown now.

[JianKangLu] Let me guess, W city?

[WhiteMist] Yes. How do you know? Are you from W city also?

[JianKangLu] No, I'm a B city native. I guessed right, because I met you in the airplane from W city last time.

[WhiteMist] Then what are you doing that time in W city? Some working matter?

[[JianKangLu] No, only for a short vacation. I haven't had any vacation for more than 1 year. If I don't use it again this year, it will just be wasted like last year.

[WhiteMist] But i saw you alone that time in the airplane.

[JianKangLu] Yes, i'm going alone. So pitiful, right? My friends were busy and that was a last minute decision. So I was just on a whim and booked the plane. But I enjoy my vacation.

[WhiteMist] You're not going with your family?

[JianKangLu] I think it will be more pitiful if I have my vacation with my parents.

….

[WhiteMist] Your wife?

[JianKangLu] Unfortunately i'm still single. When will you be coming back to B city?

'Well, I'm single now. But maybe if i can bend you, i'm not single anymore next Mid Autumn festival.'

[WhiteMist] 2 days more. I have classes so I can't stay here for too long.

[JianKangLu] By the way, my brother said he has 2 tickets for a classical concert next month. I don't know whether you like it or not.

[JianKangLu] My favourite violinist will perform there. If you're free, can you accompany me? Going alone is kinda weird.

[White Mist] I have never been to a classical concert before, but i like classical music. I can't promise you anything. But if I'm free, then I can accompany you.

[JianKangLu] Great! Let me tell you the exact date and time when i received the ticket next week.

[JianKangLu] Oh, do you have someone to pick you up at the airport? If you want, i can check my schedule to see whether i can pick you up at the airport if you don't have anyone to pick you up.

…

[WhiteMist] No need Jian Ge, I will take a taxi back to the dorm. My flight landed at 1 o'clock at noon time.

[JianKangLu] Okay, just let me know in advance if you change your mind.

They chat a bit for a while, and when his kitten says that his parents call him to go down preparing for dinner, Jian Kang Lu said goodbye too.

Jian Kang Lu feels happy today. This is the longest conversation he had while chatting with his kitten, and the first time his kitten called him Jian Ge. It will be better if his kitten calls him Gege. 

It's just a small thing. But he feels happy with every small thing his kitten does to him. He never realised, sometimes happiness can come from small things if the right person does that for you.