The path snaking into the mountains was already winding and treacherous, but the sheer number of people, some even on bicycles, made navigating it a challenge.
On the single-lane mountain road, any hope of speeding up was quickly dashed.
What should have been a half-hour journey was unceremoniously stretched to an hour.
No wonder Li Jia had preferred to recline in the back seat, refusing to take the keys.
Aya Tone gazed at the sluggish procession of cars ahead, a silent sigh escaping him.
He mused that any driver prone to road rage would likely be fuming to the brink of collapse.
Aya Tone glanced at Li Jia in the backseat via the rearview mirror.
Ever since her daughter had ‘sold’ him, Li Jia had steered clear of the topic, instead engaging Aya Jiu in other conversations.
It was as if his true identity held no intrigue for her whatsoever.
****
Finally!
After almost an hour of winding through the mountains, they at last reached their destination: Sparrow God Village.
Indeed, it lived up to its reputation as a developed tourist attraction; despite the continuous stream of vehicles, the area never felt congested.
‘There must be an enormous parking lot here!’
“Don’t stop here; take the village road instead.”
Just as Aya Tone prepared to follow the flow of cars to find a parking spot, Li Jia’s voice cut through the air.
“But it’s blocked off over there.”
Sparrow God Village, though developed as a tourist attraction, permitted only pedestrian entry beyond this point.
A lengthy barrier stretching across the village road unequivocally conveyed this rule.
Security booths were strategically placed on either side, specifically to deter unauthorized vehicles.
Curiously, the architectural style of these booths seemed rather incongruous with the village’s aesthetic.
Li Jia cast a dismissive glance at the barrier, responding with a hint of exasperation, “Can’t you tell whose car you’re driving? We’re internal personnel; naturally, we’re permitted entry.”
“…Oh, right.”
Aya Tone paused, a flicker of realization crossing his face as he recalled his current ‘local’ status.
At least, the car was.
When he pulled the car up to the barrier, the display indeed confirmed it as an ‘internal vehicle’.
“Young man, you’re new around here, aren’t you? Whose girl’s man might you be?”
Just as the barrier began its slow ascent and Aya Tone prepared to drive deeper into the village, an older man emerged from the security booth.
The man’s surprising words left Aya Tone momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.
“Uncle Ming, it’s me,” Li Jia called out, rolling down her window.
Her tone clearly indicated a familiarity with the security guard before them.
Upon seeing Li Jia, the security uncle’s face relaxed into a look of recognition.
“Ah, it’s you, lass. Your father hasn’t arrived yet, but you’ve beaten him here.”
Then, his gaze drifted to Aya Jiu in the child seat, and with feigned indignation, he chided, “Xiao Jia’er, you got married and didn’t even tell your uncle? And here I was, waiting for a wedding drink!”
Predictably, he had mistaken Aya Jiu for Li Jia’s daughter and Aya Tone for her husband.
Aware of Uncle Ming’s misunderstanding, Li Jia quickly clarified, “This child isn’t mine; she’s my friend’s.”
“Friend?” The security uncle scrutinized Aya Tone once more.
‘Not her husband?’
‘Young, handsome, and out with another woman, a child in tow, while his wife was presumably elsewhere.’
‘A scumbag!’
‘Even if not a complete scumbag, he was certainly a rotten husband who didn’t cherish his wife!’
Leaning in, he whispered conspiratorially into Li Jia’s ear, “This friend of yours… as someone with experience, I’d say he doesn’t seem like a good sort. Be careful, lass.”
Li Jia glanced at Aya Tone, who sat innocently ahead, and struggled to suppress a laugh.
‘Uncle, you’re saying it so loudly; he can clearly hear you…’
Stifling her amusement, she replied to Huoquan Ming, “Uncle Ming, it’s not what you’re imagining.”
“Heh, you little lass, still playing coy with your uncle, eh?” Huoquan Ming, a man of considerable experience, easily saw through her pretense.
Having made his point, however, he refrained from further comment.
“Alright, off you go, off you go. The clan meeting hasn’t started yet, so feel free to explore elsewhere for now.”
After the car had passed, Huoquan Ming suddenly froze, muttering under his breath, “Why does that car look so much like Little Sparrow’s?”
Yet, he quickly dismissed the thought. Young people had their own ways, and as an uncle, he shouldn’t meddle too much.
Otherwise, he might find himself a nuisance, which would be troublesome indeed.
Just then, a brazen sedan, clearly oblivious to proper conduct, attempted to tailgate its way in.
A lengthy queue of cars had already formed behind it.
‘Oh, this simply wouldn’t do!’
Huo Quanming promptly intercepted the car and rapped on the driver’s window.
“What do you think you’re doing? Back up, back up, back up!”
He gestured emphatically at the warning sign above the barrier. “Can’t you read? No entry into the village! Why are you all crowding here?”
The driver, a young man himself, bristled at the security guard’s blunt reprimand, his temper immediately flaring.
‘With his girlfriend in the passenger seat, how could he possibly allow a mere security guard to berate him so?’
‘His pride wouldn’t allow it.’
He retorted instantly, “Then why was that car allowed in just now?”
“They’re locals; are you?”
“Still acting all high and mighty? If you’re not convinced, then get out and fight!”
Huo Quanming cast a disdainful glance at the young man. ‘He doesn’t even know who he’s talking to, yet he dares to put on airs in front of me?’
“Hey, hey, don’t be impulsive,” the woman in the passenger seat quickly interjected, noticing her boyfriend’s darkening expression.
‘This was hardly the place for them to cause a scene.’
‘If he actually got into a fight, not only would he be in the wrong, but he might also end up ‘pushing a sewing machine’ in jail.’
‘They were merely out for a good time, not to stir up trouble.’
“Get lost!”
However, the man’s temper had already boiled over; he violently flung his girlfriend’s hand away, yanked open the car door, and prepared to confront Huoquan Ming.
Huo Quanming raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. “Well, well, young man, you’ve got some nerve. Since you’re so eager, how about I go easy on you, just enough so you can still walk home?”
The fact that the young man hadn’t simply floored the accelerator and driven over him suggested a sliver of conscience, though a very small one.
‘To think he’d actually try to bully an old man like him, a man well into his fifties!’
Such brazen impudence! Therefore, this quinquagenarian felt compelled to teach him a lesson.
‘After all, he rather enjoyed giving young whippersnappers a good thrashing.’
****
Upon entering the village, Aya Tone discovered it was a world unto itself.
Each house appeared to be constructed in a haphazard manner, yet when viewed collectively, one realized it was truly…
…utterly devoid of any alignment.
It was a chaotic sprawl, as if each owner had simply claimed a patch of land, regardless of its neighbors.
Its primary charm lay in its utterly disorganized aesthetic.
Aya Tone lifted Aya Jiu from her child seat.
“Papa~ Can I hold Eggie?” Aya Jiu asked, her large eyes wide with hopeful anticipation.
‘Just moments ago, upon exiting the car, Papa had said she couldn’t bring Eggie. Surely this time would be different.’
“If Aya Jiu likes it, then of course you can. But if you hold Eggie, Papa won’t be able to hold Aya Jiu anymore, you know.”
Aya Tone feigned a look of deep distress.
“Ah…?”
Aya Jiu’s face lit up at the prospect of bringing the white egg, but her joy quickly dissipated when she realized Papa wouldn’t be able to carry her, her small face falling immediately.
‘Why did it have to be this way…’
“It’s alright, if Aya Jiu’s papa can’t hold you, then big sister will.”
Li Jia, having also exited the car, now held the white egg herself.
Aya Jiu’s eyes brightened at Li Jia’s words, though she still cast a cautious glance at Aya Tone.
Clearly, in her young mind, Aya Tone remained the ultimate arbiter.
‘Hmph…’
Aya Tone shot a helpless look at Li Jia, who was practically preening beside him.
‘Just spoil her then.’
“Alright,” he conceded.
After all, he had only intended to playfully tease Aya Jiu, and leaving the egg in the car for an extended period wasn’t safe anyway.
Hope that egg hatches sooon.