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It can be said that the festive atmosphere during the joint event was even livelier than the town’s market. Moreover, Dayangshu Village and Sunjiazhuang were the two largest villages nearby. Each year during the joint event, they were more than willing to spend money, often hiring opera troupes to perform for an entire day, drawing even larger crowds.
Items that might not be available at the market could be found during the joint event. Many people sought unusual or rare items during this time.
Jiang Youcheng and Liu Shi had sent Song Jingyun and Jiang Mixia to buy things, but they hadn’t specified exactly what to buy. Their only instruction was to take a look around and purchase anything interesting if they came across it.
Given Jiang Mixia’s recent busyness and her days spent cooped up in the house, and Song Jingyun’s continuous work at the bamboo weaving workshop, Jiang Youcheng and Liu Shi were concerned that the two might become exhausted and stir-crazy. Hence, they found ways to let them go out for a stroll.
Understanding her parents’ intentions and feeling a bit overwhelmed from the past few days spent contemplating the fan design, Jiang Mixia took the straw hat from Song Jingyun’s hand and said, “Alright, let’s go and see if we can find some pan-fried buns.”
During the joint event, the pan-fried buns for sale were delicious, with a crispy crust and a fragrant aroma.
Upon hearing this, Song Jingyun eagerly nodded in agreement.
In the hot summer, they donned their straw hats for sun protection and carried a fan from the workshop to keep themselves cool. They walked by the river and in the shade of trees, making the journey much more bearable.
Before reaching Dayangshu Village and Sunjiazhuang, they could already hear the lively sounds of drums, gongs, and opera performances, along with the chatter from various stalls vying for customers.
At the same time, they spotted two familiar faces—Sun Ergou and Sun Zhuzi.
The two men were scolding two children who were visibly smaller and younger, behind a large poplar tree.
Sun Ergou seemed about to raise his hand to strike the two children. The children, trembling, reached into their pockets, producing some coins to hand over to Sun Ergou and Sun Zhuzi.
From the looks of it, it was highly likely that they were bullying and extorting money from the younger children.
Suddenly, Jiang Mixia remembered the first time she had taken husband to the river to catch fish and how Sun Ergou and Sun Zhuzi had bullied Jiang Chunyu, even pressing him into the river. This memory sparked a surge of anger within her.
It seemed that the unruly children’s behavior had not improved but had, in fact, become even more audacious.
Jiang Mixia quickly walked a few steps forward and cleared her throat.
Sun Ergou and Sun Zhuzi, upon hearing the commotion, looked up and, upon seeing Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun, were taken aback, exchanged glances, and instinctively took a couple of steps back.
“Big sister Xia, what brings you here?” Sun Zhuzi immediately tried to act charming.
“Yes, Big sister Xia, what brings you here…” Sun Ergou, noticeably anxious, dared not even look at Jiang Mixia.
“And who are these kids?” Jiang Mixia raised an eyebrow, already knowing the answer.
“Well, we… we…” Sun Zhuzi stammered, “Nothing, nothing.”
“That’s right, nothing,” Sun Ergou chuckled awkwardly, then hurriedly reached out and patted the two children, who were already petrified, “We don’t need your money. It’s only right to lend a hand, isn’t it? Why talk about money? That’s too far-fetched.”
Sun Zhuzi immediately understood Sun Ergou’s intent and hastily interjected, “Alright, you two should head back now. Don’t keep your family waiting.”
The two children looked at each other and, realizing the situation, quickly scampered away like rabbits.
“Seeing you both like this, did you do a good deed?” Jiang Mixia asked, trying to contain her amusement.
“It’s not exactly a good deed. These two were being bullied, and we stood up for them and drove the bullies away,” Sun Ergou’s smile became even more ingratiating. “Big sister Xia, rest assured, Zhuzi and I have always remembered your words and haven’t dared to bully anyone again.”
“Right, Zhuzi,” Sun Ergou nudged Sun Zhuzi.
Sun Zhuzi nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at grains, “That’s right, we haven’t.”
Observing the scene, Jiang Mixia chose not to expose the two, simply responding with an “Oh, alright, I’ll trust you for now.”
“You two carry on. I’m going to stroll around the event,” Jiang Mixia said, beckoning Song Jingyun as they walked toward the event together.
As the two walked away, Sun Ergou and Sun Zhuzi breathed a sigh of relief. They found a shady spot under a tree and plucked some wild mulberries, sharing them between each other.
Sun Zhuzi grumbled, “Running into that couple was really unlucky.”
“Absolutely,” Sun Ergou agreed, his face contorted in bitterness as he ate the sour mulberries.
“What about lunch?” Sun Zhuzi seemed concerned. “If you’ve lost the money you just earned and go back home, Aunt Su probably won’t give you any food.”
“How about… you come to my place for a meal?” Sun Zhuzi scratched his head.
“Forget it. I’ve already mooched off your family for meals and drinks in the past. Your parents were probably fed up with me. If I go to your place again, they’ll likely scold you,” Sun Ergou said. “It’s alright. I’ll wander around the event later and see if I can score some buns or dumplings.”
“I’ll come with you,” Sun Zhuzi patted his chest. “My cousin sells food at the event. I’ll take you there.”
“Alright.”
After spending some time together, Sun Ergou and Sun Zhuzi headed towards the event.
Meanwhile, Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun strolled around the event, exploring various stalls selling food and trinkets, with a wide range of goods on display. Despite being frequent visitors to town and the county, they found the variety overwhelming.
“Wife, over here,” Song Jingyun said, stopping at a stall selling crystal cakes.
“Wife, let’s get this,” Song Jingyun pointed to a plate of sugar-coated shrimp at the stall.
“Wife, would you like to try this?” Song Jingyun handed Jiang Mixia a mugwort rice cake.
“Wife…”
Jiang Mixia “I’m good, you go ahead and enjoy.”
She simply couldn’t eat anymore. The hot weather was one reason, but mainly because earlier in the morning, Liu Shi had made some delicious fried pancakes with green pumpkin strips. Jiang Mixia had found them refreshing and had eaten two in one go, leaving her feeling full now.
“Alright then.” Song Jingyun settled for a simple earthy cake and slowly nibbled on it.