The most vivid memories of hide-and-seek when I was a child were always on winter nights when the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. The moon seemed to be extra round and bright at that time. I heard the old man tell me that the learned scholars in ancient times studied hard under the moon without a lamp. I once did an experiment. I took a Chinese textbook and went to the yard to read the larger text in the book under the moon on the night when the moon was the fullest. I was able to see clearly the larger text in the book. Nowadays, it is very rare to see the shadow of the moon on the night of the 15th, let alone read a book under the moon. Where has the moon gone?
At that time, we often didn't bother to finish dinner. When we heard the shouts of children on the street, we put down our rice bowls and ran out, fearing that we would not be able to divide into groups if we got there late. The location of our hide-and-seek games is usually chosen on a high slope opposite Grandma Wu's house near my home. Up the high slope is an open space. This is usually the base camp for the children in the north end of our village. After school, they play there first before going home: kicking shuttlecocks, throwing sandbags, and playing hopscotch. . . . . I was playing and waited for my mother to call me for dinner before I left.