Chapter 9 Osmanthus Momo

Xiaozhu moved a small bench and sat under the sweet-scented osmanthus tree, waiting for grandpa. "Zhu, grandpa won't come today." Mom called him from the back room. Xiao Zhu didn't speak. When he was silent, even eight horses couldn't move him. The clouds in the sky, floating and floating, turned into a light purple.A little bit of golden osmanthus fell down in pieces and landed on Xiaozhu's body and face, it was so fragrant. A green grasshopper hopped on to the instep of Xiaozhu's foot. It must have felt that the place was warm, so it stopped and straightened its tentacles.

Grandpa can weave grasshoppers out of grass, and he even wove one for Xiao Zhu.Could this be the grasshopper that grandpa made up? When Xiao Zhu thought about it, the step grass in the courtyard suddenly turned into green grasshoppers and flew towards the clouds. The evening wind was blowing leisurely, and a flat white moon appeared in the dark blue sky, which looked like it was cut out of paper. Grandpa can cut out moons, stars, and many things that Xiaozhu likes out of paper. Could this moon be the one grandpa cut out of paper cigarette boxes? As Xiao Zhu thought about it, the scraps of paper and dead leaves on the porch suddenly turned into white and light brown butterflies, flitted across the treetops, and flew away.

Such a quiet night.Mom has already started cooking dinner, a thin wisp of smoke rises leisurely from the chimney on the roof, the smell of mushroom soup is mixed with the scent of sweet-scented osmanthus. A firefly sticks to the wooden door frame, shining brightly. Grandpa and Xiao Zhu once caught fireflies together. Grandpa had a big glass cup. He put fireflies in the cup and covered the cup with a layer of gauze.Even when it was very late, Xiaozhu could see those little lights like stars, emitting a little light in the dark. Later, grandpa let all the fireflies go, did this one come back to see him?

Xiao Zhu thought about it, the golden osmanthus flowers all over the tree suddenly turned into shimmering fireflies bit by bit, flying and flying, flying to the tree, to the ground, to the window, It flew into his arms...it smells so good. "Zhu, I'm back home. Your uncle called and said that grandpa's asthma is coming back again. You should visit him after dinner." Xiaozhu suddenly jumped up from the small bench, his heavy heart suddenly became very light.It turned out that grandpa hadn't forgotten the promise to come to the Mid-Autumn Festival today, but he was sick and couldn't come.

"Should I bring something to eat for grandpa?" Xiaozhu asked his mother with his mouth full of rice. "Yeah, take some steamed buns, it's just steamed, it's delicious." Xiao Zhu nodded, and he lifted a bit of the blue cloth covering the bamboo basket, only to see a piece of yellow sweet-scented osmanthus sugar sprinkled on the white steamed bun just out of the cage. After eating this bun, grandpa will see the grasshopper, the moon and the osmanthus tree that he couldn't see tonight, right?Xiaozhu closed the calico gently again, as if she was putting an autumn dream in a bamboo basket and was afraid of being woken up.

Little boy Zhu took a small stool to sit under the sweet osmanther tree, waiting his grandpa. Zhu, grandpa maybe cannot come today. mother called him in the house. Zhu didn't say anything. When he is quiet, nobody can move him from his place. However, the clouds on the sky are moving to be violet and purple. One by one, the golden flowers fell from the tree to Zhus face and shoulders. What a perfume! A grasshopper jumped on Zhus foot. It thought it found a warm place, and combed its feeler there. Grandpa can make grasshopper by the grass, and recently he made one for Zhu. Maybe this grasshopper is made by grandpa too?

When Zhu was thinking about it, suddenly, all the grass on the ground changed to be grasshopper and jumped to the clouds. By and by, the evening wind was whispering to Zhu, and there was a white plate moon in the blue cloth sky, looking like a papercut toy. Grandpa can cut moon and star from the paper, and he cut many other lovely things for Zhu. Maybe this moon is cut by grandpa too? When Zhu was thinking about it, suddenly, some piece of paper and fading leaves by the porch changed to be the butterflys and flew to the moon. The evening was so peaceful. Mother had already cooked the supper. There was a thin silver smog rose from the black roofs chimney. The smell of mushroom soup melted into the perfume of Sweet Osmanther flower.

A firefly was shimmering on the wood doorpost. Grandpa had a big glass cup. When he caught some fireflys with Zhu together in summer, he put them in the cup and covering a gauze on it. So, even at the midnight, Zhu could see a lot of stars shining under the dark roof . Grandpa let the fireflys fly free as he left. Maybe this one is coming back to see him? When Zhu was thinking about it, suddenly, every golden flower on the tree changed to be the shimmering fireflys and flew to the ground, to the house, to his arms. How perfume they are! Zhu, come back now. Your uncle said grandpa had an asthma again, and cant come today. Mother said, But, you can go to see him after supper.

Zhu started from the stool, suddenly, his heart changed to be light out of his thought. Grandpa dont forget him at all. Grandpa hadnt come just because he was ill. However, Zhu could see him soon. May I take some gift for grandpa? Zhu asked mother when he was eating the fried rice. Sure, take some momo with you. Its sreamed just now. Smell, how perfume they are! Zhu noded to mother. Then, he unlocked a little of the blue cloth on the bamboo basket and saw five white steamy momos with some golden sweet osmanthus on it. When grandpa eats the momo, he will see the grasshopper and the moon and the flowers of this night, won't he? Zhu thought about it and closed the blue cloth so lightly as if he was holding a delicate dream in the bamboo basket of autumn.