Mid-Autumn is probably the most comfortable time of year in northern China. The north has four distinct seasons: winter is too cold, summer too hot, while autumn—the seventh, eighth, and ninth lunar months—is neither cold nor hot. But as the old verse goes, “In the seventh month the Fire Star sinks; in the ninth, clothes are handed out.” In the seventh month the weather has only just begun to cool and is still a little hot; by the ninth, winter is approaching and people gradually begin putting on padded jackets. The eighth month should therefore be the best. Mid-Autumn falls in the middle of that month, so it naturally represents the most comfortable season.

Tongzhou is probably Beijing's most livable district. In terms of its natural environment, it sits at the terminus of the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal and also has the Wenyu, Tonghui, Xiaozhong, and Chaobai rivers. Moisture lingers in the air, keeping it fresh, giving it an advantage over Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chaoyang, Fengtai, Shijingshan, Haidian, Daxing, and Fangshan. In terms of urban development, it has a thriving Canal Business District, Beijing's emerging municipal administrative center, convenient transport, and flourishing commerce, putting it ahead of Fangshan, Shunyi, Changping, Pinggu, Mentougou, Miyun, Huairou, and Yanqing.

At this most comfortable time in the north, in this most livable district of Beijing, I enjoyed several happy days.

In early September, I rented a room in Tongzhou, hoping to spend some time in undisturbed seclusion. At first, I did nothing but read and think every day. After reading a great deal, I felt an urge to write, so I registered a WeChat public account and began posting articles.

I have been thoroughly enjoying myself, despite the small readership and even more negligible income.

My daily routine is to get up in the morning and write an article, sometimes finishing at seven, sometimes at eleven. Then I go out in search of food, return after eating, and keep reading. In the evening, I eat if I am hungry; otherwise, I go straight to bed. Occasionally, on a whim, I take a stroll somewhere a little farther afield.

I treasure every article's readership. A hundred views, for example, may seem pitifully few. But seen another way, that is the equivalent of bringing a hundred people before you to hear you speak. You cannot disappoint those hundred people by talking crap just because the view count is low. Instead, you should keep creating for them, so that reading your work gives them something of value.

I also treasure those who give me likes and tips. Beginnings are always difficult, and positive feedback is crucial in going from zero to one. Every like and tip, including every ten cents added to my account when someone clicks an advertisement, gives me an extra boost of confidence. I will never forget everyone's encouragement.

Direction becomes clearer through exploration. Over these days, I have kept trying different kinds of writing and gradually discovered the fields I am good at. In the future, I will use this public account to share Marxism-Leninism, history, literature, reading, personal growth, inspirational writing, and other content through commentary, personal essays, clickbait-style articles, and other forms. I hope to attract readers with varied subjects and styles, expand their knowledge, encourage thought, lift their spirits, bring them pleasure, and ultimately give them something to take away.

The moon is full as ever. Its bright light falls across the bridge and illuminates the North Canal below. A cool autumn breeze flows with the river, brushing continually against my cheeks. In the misty drizzle, I feel as though I am in Jiangnan rather than Beijing.

I suddenly recall that when Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei moved the capital to Luoyang, Crown Prince Yuan Xun found it too hot and kept wanting to return to Pingcheng, even raising troops for that purpose. It is said that many Xianbei aristocrats also returned to Pingcheng during hot weather, just like migratory birds.

If anyone wants to live like a migratory bird in the future, I think they should certainly consider Beijing's Tongzhou in autumn and experience this life of “walking through Tongzhou beneath the Mid-Autumn moon.”