Romantic streets, confessing under the celebration lights

Arriving at the outskirts of Sancun Market, Uncle Guo led them left and right, coming to a place similar to a folk square.

A simple sign stood at the entrance of the square, with the legend of the Love Festival depicted in cinnabar.

Shi Yun noticed it and briefly introduced it:

“Legend has it that a long time ago, a fairy in the sky accidentally dropped her veil here, and a farmer picked it up, and the two fell in love because of this.

Later, the Heavenly Court learned of this, deprived the fairy of her mana, and moved mountains and set up dangers to stop the two…”

Uncle Guo took over, he was obviously more familiar with how to tell this story more movingly.

“Later, the farmer crossed mountains and ridges, walked for more than ten years, and finally came to the other side of the mountain, but was ruthlessly told that the fairy had returned to the Heavenly Court.

He persisted, and alone with a cane, he climbed the highest mountain, kneeling for seven days and seven nights, and moved the Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother specially ordered the fairy to cover her face with yarn every year on August 10th, when all things are in full bloom, to briefly meet with her lover.”

Uncle Guo talked about this matter and was in a good mood: “Later generations commemorated the masked fairy and the farmer, and established August 10th as the Love Festival every year.

Young people of the right age need to cover their faces when entering the night market.

If they like each other, they can throw red ropes on the tree in front of the Love Lady, to pray for a happy and smooth future, and for peace and health.”

Uncle Guo piously put his hands together and looked at the Love Lady statue in the distance.

An Huaixu followed his gaze.

The Love Lady statue was not very delicate, but her eyebrows were drooping, her kind face was matched with a red veil, and she held a willow branch in her hand, full of divinity.

The Love Lady stood under a century-old tree, protecting the people walking back and forth on the path behind her.

Compared to the market, there were slightly more faces here, or carrying baskets, or carrying bags, busily working on the stalls placed on both sides of the road, preparing for the upcoming Love Festival.

In the distance is life, and the green leaves and red ropes swaying in the wind are an unchanging belief.

Shi Yun quietly said to An Huaixu: “If you have someone you like in the future, you can also throw a red rope on it.

The higher it hangs, the more the Love Lady recognizes you!”

An Huaixu didn’t answer, not only because he wasn’t in the mood to consider these things now, but also because his love had nothing to do with others.

Uncle Guo thought of a problem: “Hey, Xiao Shi, I think you’re about the same age, don’t you have any thoughts about this year’s Love Festival?”

Shi Yun was caught off guard when he heard the topic turned to himself and was stunned for a moment.

He doesn’t often talk about his feelings, and he felt a little unnatural when he was asked about it: “Uncle Guo, you know, I don’t have time…”

Uncle Guo said: “You just use this sentence to fool people. Hey, do you know that under the Love Tree in recent years, all the prayer boards with ‘My heart belongs to someone, I wish you well’ are hanging with your name!”

Shi Yun’s face turned even redder.

An Huaixu frowned, he didn’t even realize that his voice was a few degrees lower: “What is that?”

Uncle Guo: “It’s done by the young girls in the village who are the right age.

If they like someone but don’t dare to confess, they can hang the other person’s name plate in front of the Love Lady.

Maybe the Love Lady will see it and one day their wish will come true.”

An Huaixu snorted.

If you don’t even have the courage to confess, you’d better give up this idea.

He glanced at Shi Yun and thought unhappily.

It’s okay to be attractive when you were a child, but you’re still attracting bees and butterflies when you grow up…

Shi Yun noticed that An Huaixu was not in a good mood.

Thinking that he was just tired, he hurriedly changed the topic, worshiped the Love Lady, and walked on the path.

Uncle Guo rarely caught the opportunity and was unwilling to let him go.

Shi Yun had no choice but to pull An Huaixu for help.

An Huaixu was still angry and ignored Shi Yun.

He shifted his attention and looked around.

He originally thought that the view from afar was good, but he didn’t expect that there were actually hidden secrets here—

Colored lanterns hung around, with a kind of gray and tacky taste.

The walls were painted with bright red mixed with fluorescent yellow and fluorescent blue, writing a sentence ‘Love Festival welcomes everyone.’

Although the font was strong and powerful, and extremely beautiful, the bad thing was that there was a cyber-style ‘No Littering’ next to it, which made the whole wall messy.

The stall decorations didn’t highlight the selling points of the products, but only blindly pursued festive colors, ignoring the festival itself.

Not only did it not have the feeling of a traditional temple fair, but it also ruined the surrounding scenery, making people feel visually tired after not even walking around the circle, and couldn’t help but want to look up at the sky.

But unexpectedly, when he looked up, a hole was exposed in the paper umbrella that was hung on the roof who knows when, swaying precariously, making it even more pitiful.

An Huaixu glared at the umbrella and finally decided to look at the ground.

The group walked to the end before seeing a small house.

If it weren’t for the sign of the “Village Government” next to it, An Huaixu would have almost thought it was someone’s home.

Perhaps the people in the house had already seen them.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, a man in formal attire came out.

“Teacher An, Teacher Shi, Lao Guo,

“Mayor Cui!” Shi Yun seemed to like this person very much, and went to greet him with bright eyes: “How is your health recently?”

“Don’t worry, Xiao Shi, Uncle invites you to dinner!”

“How can you do that,”

Mayor Cui had a simple and honest smile. He was a little reserved in front of the camera.

He praised Shi Yun with his eyes and went.

In addition to them, there was another person in the house.

The person looked no more than forty or fifty years old, but his hair was already gray and his figure was a little hunched.

He sat alone in the corner smoking. Seeing them come in, he raised his eyes indifferently and quickly lowered them again.

Mayor Cui introduced: “This is Lao Qu, from Anhao Village.”

Sancun consists of Fugui Village, Anhao Village, and Hemei Village where Uncle Guo is located.

Seeing Uncle Qu, Shi Yun became inexplicably honest and politely greeted: “Uncle Qu.”

Uncle Qu hummed and turned to walk to the table: “Tell me what you want to say, I still have something to do when I go back!”

Lao Qu’s dialect is slightly different from that of Fugui Village.

In addition, he speaks quickly, so An Huaixu reacted for a moment before understanding.

Mayor Cui smiled and asked them to sit down.

Shi Yun took the teapot and poured a glass of water for each of them.

Mayor Cui: “In previous years, everyone discussed the way to hold the Love Festival together at this time.

Do you have any different views this year?”

Lao Qu: “It’s good the way it is now, there’s no need to change anything.

In my opinion, just do it as usual. What’s the point of doing some messy things!”

Uncle Guo didn’t agree and turned to Mayor Cui and said: “This festival is getting less and less innovative.

This year, let’s do some innovation like on the Internet!”

Lao Qu snorted: “Isn’t that how it’s been done every year? It’s best to do it honestly as before!”

Hearing Lao Qu say this, Uncle Guo became angry: “Hey, I’m telling you old antique, isn’t it great what Xiao Shi proposed in previous years, such as guessing lantern riddles, lion dances, and beating molten iron!

There are none of these things if you do it as usual!”

When Lao Qu heard this, his nose was not his nose, and his eyes were not his eyes: “What’s so good about it?!

Some people think they know everything after studying outside for a year or two. Don’t bring back the bad habits from outside!”

Seeing the atmosphere solidify, Shi Yun smiled and persuaded.

Lao Qu flung his hand behind his back and muttered a few words in his hometown dialect fiercely.

An Huaixu could see that Lao Qu wasn’t targeting the new and the old, but he didn’t like Shi Yun very much.

Shi Yun sighed helplessly, as if he was used to it. After a few seconds of silence, he said his plans as usual.

“Guessing lantern riddles is a very good interactive activity.

It can not only deepen the feelings between people, but also drive the surrounding atmosphere.

My village chief and I both agree that it is necessary to keep it.”

Mayor Cui nodded, stopped Lao Qu with his eyes, turned to ask Uncle Guo.

Uncle Guo didn’t have any opinions: “Replace the old lanterns, don’t leave a bad impression on the Love Lady.”

Mayor Cui chatted with him about the lanterns for a few words, and suddenly thought of something.

While handing over a card, he looked up and asked An Huaixu:

“Teacher An, this is your first time coming here. I wonder what your impression of us is?”

An Huaixu unfolded it and found that it was a task card:

[Letter for Help: The reputation of the Love Night Market has declined rapidly recently.

Please find out the reason for Mayor Cui and help him get out of the predicament.]

An Huaixu originally thought that he was just a bystander, but he didn’t expect a task to fly over, and he had to say:

“Hang the small colored lanterns on the roadside a little better.

Find a way to cover up the words ‘No Littering’ on the wall to highlight the main body.

Throw the broken umbrellas in the air wherever they came from.

All the things must have harmonious colors, and—Shi Yun is right.”

He said this series of things very quickly, confusing Mayor Cui. After reacting, he hurriedly wrote it down on paper.

Lao Qu glanced at An Huaixu and didn’t say anything.

Uncle Guo laughed: “Your proposal is good! Mayor, I think we can just do it according to what Teacher An said!”

Shi Yun looked at An Huaixu gratefully.

An Huaixu handed the card to Mayor Cui and asked him to stamp it with “Completed Task” first.

He noticed Shi Yun’s gaze and dodged unnaturally: “Don’t look at me like that.”

The more Shi Yun tasted the sentence “right,” the warmer he felt in his heart.

He retracted his gaze and curled the corners of his lips: “I just didn’t expect you to observe so carefully.”

In this way, Mayor Cui summarized a few sentences, and also retained the new tricks that Shi Yun had proposed in the past two years, and called Lao Qu to hurry up and find someone to clean up the things.

Uncle Guo took Shi Yun and An Huaixu to the village entrance, waved his hands and left.

Shi Yun breathed a sigh of relief: “Finally finished, I can go back and report to Uncle Shan!”

An Huaixu: “Why doesn’t Uncle Qu like you?”

Shi Yun wasn’t too surprised and smiled wryly: “I knew you would see it.”

He recalled: “Actually, it’s nothing. It’s just that a few years ago, Uncle Qu’s daughter didn’t come home after school and was playing in the mountains and accidentally got injured.

After this incident, Uncle Qu hated our kindergarten very much.”

An Huaixu understood.

Shi Yun sighed: “Speaking of which, our supervision was not in place and we need to bear the corresponding responsibility.

Although the little girl is already well, Uncle Qu still won’t let her come to school. I’ve visited many times, but…”

An Huaixu heard the loss in his tone: “It’s okay, I’ll go with you again when I have time.”