The Fair

Smoothing out the last few wrinkles on the bed and slipping on a brand-new light blue bedding set, the bedroom finally exuded a warm and cozy atmosphere that belonged to the two of them.

As the sunlight gradually slanted westward, it filtered through the leaves outside the window, casting dappled, swaying shadows on the solid wood desk.

The old-fashioned clock on the wall ticked away, its hands just past two in the afternoon.

Having just experienced a blushing and heart-pounding moment of tenderness, the air in the room still seemed to linger with the ambiguous atmosphere from their previous encounter.

Aemeath stood by the bed, the blush on her cheeks not yet completely faded. She was slightly out of breath as she tidied her bangs, which had become disheveled from making the bed.

Just then, Lu Shuyao's urgent shouts came from downstairs, "Brother! Sister-in-law! Are you ready yet? It's already two o'clock! The temple fair has been open for ages, if we don't go soon, the food stalls will have long queues!"

Hearing his sister's clear, penetrating voice, Lu Yan rubbed his temples with a hint of helplessness, a smile immediately appearing on his lips.

He turned to Aemeath and straightened her collar. "Come on, I'll take you to see the temple fair."

The rally was held in the open space in front of the primary school.

On the first day before the May Day holiday, both sides of the road were already filled with colorful sheds.

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares, pop music, and food sizzling in oil from various loudspeakers mingled together.

With Lu Yan holding her hand, Aemeath followed behind Lu Shuyao, who was like a wild dog, and curiously looked around.

People thronged the streets, their faces beaming with the joy of the holiday.

The air was filled with the aroma of various foods.

Lu Shuyao led them directly to a chestnut stall.

"Old Zhang! Two pounds of roasted chestnuts, please!" Lu Shuyao scanned the code to pay.

In the large iron wok, black iron filings and plump chestnuts sizzled and crackled under the vendor's huge iron spatula, while the sweet aroma of caramel filled the air.

The freshly cooked chestnuts were packed in a paper bag, scalding hot. Lu Shuyao held them in her hands, hissing and breathing heavily.

Lu Yan took a paper bag, but instead of handing it directly to Aemeath, he stopped by the roadside and peeled open one of the fruits with his hands. The crisp outer shell cracked open, revealing the golden, soft, and steaming hot flesh.

He held the peeled chestnuts to Aemeath's lips.

Aemeath gently bit his hand and deliberately licked her fingers; the rich sweetness mixed with the unique nutty aroma of chestnuts melted on her tongue.

"So sweet, so sticky." Her eyes lit up, sparkling beautifully.

"As long as it tastes good, I've had chestnuts from this place since I was a kid." Lu Yan chuckled, his hands still peeling the chestnuts, feeding the little pink cat one after another.

After walking only a few steps, Lu Shuyao found another target; she set her sights on a small cart selling bamboo tube cakes.

The small bamboo tubes are stuffed with translucent glutinous rice, red dates, raisins, and smooth red bean paste, steaming hot in the steamer.

"Sister-in-law, you should try this too!" Lu Shuyao handed over a bamboo tube cake with a bamboo skewer stuck in it.

Aemeath took it, resting her cheek on one hand, and ate it in small bites.

The fresh aroma of bamboo blends with the sticky sweetness of glutinous rice and the rich flavor of red dates, creating an extremely complex and layered taste.

Aemeath ate with utmost concentration, her radiant smile eclipsing the surrounding scenery.

The three of them ate the fragrant and sticky bamboo tube cakes and then stopped in front of a bustling amusement stall.

This is a balloon shooting stall. Colorful balloons are densely packed on a plastic board, and the stall owner is enthusiastically attracting young people passing by with several plastic toy guns.

"Brother, sister-in-law, watch me show you what a real expert is!" Lu Shuyao wiped her mouth with her thumb, scanned the code to pay with a smug look, picked up a plastic toy gun, and solemnly closed one eye to aim.

"Pop!" The first red balloon popped.

"One second!" Lu Shuyao jumped up excitedly, her hands moving non-stop as she quickly loaded the gun and aimed at the next target.

"Pop pop pop pop!" She hit several balloons accurately in a row, leaving the elementary school students watching in awe, who exclaimed in admiration.

"Bang↓bang↓bang↓bang↑" Lu Shuyao imitated the sound perfectly.

Looking at his younger sister's childish antics, Lu Yan couldn't help but whisper a teasing remark in her ear, "When you're doing your 'flat-tile' routine, does anyone call you 'Mom'?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Shuyao's hand trembled violently as she pulled the trigger, and the last bullet missed its target, hitting the board instead.

She turned her head, glaring at Lu Yan with a mixture of grief and indignation. "Brother! Why are you suddenly talking in my ear?!"

Lu Yan smiled and said, "You're being so childish, I couldn't help myself."

Aemeath watched the siblings bickering and couldn't help but let out a clear, melodious laugh.

Aemeath gently shook Lu Yan's arm, her eyes crinkling as she said in a slightly coquettish tone, "A-Yan, why don't you give it a try? I want to see if you're better than Yaoyao."

"Alright." Lu Yan gently rubbed her hand, stepped forward, and picked up another gun. "Today I'll show you what I'm capable of. We're all the same age; I didn't originally intend to use a superior attack."

Lu Shuyao smiled and said, "I understand."

For the next five minutes, Lu Yan fired continuously without stopping, clearing the entire board of balloons clean and winning a plush bear.

He tucked the bear into Lu Shuyao's arms and pulled Aemeath along as they continued deeper into the food area.

As I strolled along, a sweet, cloying fragrance filled the air.

He turned and walked to the traditional old-fashioned pastry shop next door, and bought a large bag of freshly baked mini cakes.

"Have something sweet." Lu Yan picked up a steamed sponge cake that was still warm from the oven and fed it to her.

The pure free-range eggs have an extremely rich aroma, melt in your mouth, and have just the right amount of sweetness.

Aemeath ate contentedly, her eyes squinting happily.

The gathering was like a never-ending feast, with the aromas of various snacks weaving a vast net along the long streets.

Having just swallowed the small cake, Aemeath's gaze was drawn to the fried food stall next to her.

Golden and crispy fried rice cakes, fried pork tenderloin coated in rich sauce, and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside fried starch sausages are tumbling in the oil.

"Boss, two skewers of meat, extra spicy, and three fried rice cakes!" Lu Shuyao weaved between the various stalls.

Before long, the three of them had their hands stuffed with various bamboo skewers and small paper bowls.

With a skewer of fried rice cakes smeared with sweet and spicy sauce in her left hand and a glass of freshly squeezed chilled watermelon juice in her right, Aemeath walked side by side with Lu Yan through the bustling crowd.

A bite of rice cake, a sip of juice—the delightful contrast of hot and cold flavors left her thoroughly satisfied.

They also enjoyed steaming hot oden and uniquely shaped cotton candy.

As the last rays of the setting sun gradually spread, they bathed the streets of the town in a warm orange-red hue.

Long shadows stretched out behind them, converging.

Along the way, there are stalls selling all sorts of small items, such as hand-woven red rope bracelets, various small toys, and porcelain figurines for ring toss games.

While eating her food, Aemeath listened with a smile to the occasional bickering between Lu Yan and Lu Shuyao.