“Ahhh, I’m stuffed!” ShiYan cheered in delight.

“Yes…we can see that…” ReZhui replied lethargically as he regrettably took the final bit of the last fruit. Despite the large number of tanghulu he had consumed, his lips were still a bright red and his tongue felt like burning up.

“ReZhui, in all my years, never have I ever imagined that you are incredibly weak to spices.”

“ShiYan…Ha ... .It's not a matter of weakness…I just need time to get used to it, that’s all.”

“Have you ever had spicy food before?”

“Definitely not. My village doesn’t grow…chillies, is that how you call it?”

In response, ShiYan teased a glancing side eye.

“...! Why…look at Eddi!” ReZhui directed at his agonizing state.

“...”

“ShiYan, what about Eddi? Why is it only me that’s getting targeted here…” ReZhui whined, and he was correct.

Eddisson was in a much worse state. Having drank water with tanghulu, his face was still drenched in sweat and his cheeks flushed a deep red with his inflamed lips. His blue eyes teared up, becoming bloodshot. Saliva subconsciously dripped out of his gasping mouth. Eddisson tried to put up a strong front and believed he could follow ReZhui in braving through that spice together. Although he did finish his bowl, Eddisson paid heavily for that.

“...” Watching him, ShiYan tried thinking of methods to cure it, however, nothing came to mind.

“How did you build a spice tolerance, ShiYan?” asked ReZhui.

“I actually never thought of that. Father is also a good eater so I inherited that trait too. That meant I never struggled with the spice, so I thought Eddisson would have a better time with it, just like me-”

“Foolish ShiYan.”

“...!”

The trio heard a familiar voice behind them and the sounds of rattling wood rang closer and closer. What ReZhui saw was a fallen beauty that narrowly grasped on to that quality of adoration. From the street they were in, many men instinctively turned their gazes towards her while most women could not help but stare in awe of this desired mature aura that they aspire too, which enveloped her slim frame.

Donning pure white silk HanFu robes with scarlet and black flora paintings around the sleeves and lower torso; her long black hair, caked with gel that made it gleam in the nightlight and appeared like her naturally silky qualities returned before her demise, was tied in a complex bun that resembled a butterfly; white powder and cream applied on the skin which hid her hideous black spots; and despite her sitting atop a simple but robust wooden wheelchair, her face and upper body was plentiful for onlookers to ignore that fact. In ReZhui’s eyes, this was the closest to what he would expect in her prime and he overestimated his own imagination. What he had in mind was nowhere near the degree of charm from what she presented right now.

“...”

“Did you forget that Eddisson is my son, and your step-nephew? Let me tell you this, both Hamilton and I never do well with the chillies.”

“T-that passed my mind, Aunt.” While ShiYan was amazed at first in the Xu residence and the fact that TainXing helped her with this get up, she was now surprised to find her here in the open fair.

“Mrs He…” ReZhui’s eyes met hers. With ShiYan done, she steered to him.

“Good evening, ReZhui, how are the tasks I gave you progressing? Have you finished at least half of them?”

“W-well…I’m a third there.”

“Oh ho, so you didn’t do it.”

“I apologize.”

“Haha, no worries, ReZhui, it’s the Spring Festival tonight, so it’ll be bad fortune if I were to be scolding you right now. Please be patient until next week.”

“...!” ReZhui shuddered in fear, keeping a triple mental reminder to read it once he returned home.

“Aunt He, what are you doing here?”

“Seriously, children, I was hesitant that Eddisson couldn't have the guts to inform you of his intolerance, and it seems I was right, wasn’t I, son?”

“...I-I’ll do better, Mother…”

The blonde boy averted her gaze.

“Haaa,” sighing heavily, she handed him a gourd of milk.

“...?”

“Drink it, Eddisson, it’ll work better than either regular or frozen water.”

Nodding firmly, he chugged the cooled milk down his throat and immediately, Eddisson realized the relieving comfort that came after that. He then continued to drink it, planning to get all of this into his system while the others watched on.

“Son, you better man up soon, because I can’t always be running around to make sure you’re alright. That’s your new year's resolution, do you hear me?”

“...” There came a quick nod, before he resumed drinking.

ReZhui, feeling she was eyeing back at him, returned her gaze in awkwardness. He might have figured out what she meant with her sudden change of contact.

“A-anyways, Mrs He, I want to wish you a Happy Spring Festival.”

“... . What’s with the formality, ReZhui?”

Teasing with a pout, she then pulled out a red packet from her sleeve pocket and handed it to him, which felt heavy on one side.

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“Happy Spring Festival, ReZhui. I pray prosperity follows wherever you go.”

“Thank you, Mrs He.”

“Hey, ReZhui, go open it now.” ShiYan eagerly leaned over his shoulder.

In the back, Eddisson, finished with his milk, also probed him about it.

“Alright then, here it goes.”

Tearing the seal with ease, his fingers split the covers, revealing a small, shiny reflective surface. impatient, ReZhui grabbed it out, and in his palm, there laid something he had never expected to get from anyone.

“ReZhui…this…”

“What!”

“I-I got, Mrs He gave me a Gold tag.”

Speechless, ReZhui only met her gaze. Instead, ShiYan asked his thoughts.

“Aunt He, h-how in the world did you get that when you were originally penniless?”

Eddisson also nodded in approval of her statement.

Looking at them with a troubled expression, TianXing replied, “Apparently, beloved Elder Brother was successful in reclaiming all our ‘lost’ possessions after he restored our family’s name. That included my frozen bank savings before I migrated to ShanWei.”

“...”

“All the debts I had during that period. Elder Brother paid them all back with interest using my money and, given I was just as productive back then, I still had a considerable sum to last a generation.”

“...”

“Benefactor, this is my last one, haha.”

Still shocked, ShiYan tried to inform ReZhui to convince her aunt otherwise but he stopped her.

“I’ll accept it, Mrs He, and I promise to use this only for the direst of situations. Thank you once again.”

“....Heh, you truly are raised well.” She muttered.

“Pardon?”

“...NOW THAT'S DONE, CHILDREN. SHALL WE VISIT THE PARK?!” TianXing fumbled the transition.

“Park?”

“ReZhui, there’s a water garden across the bank. It’s one of the places where the crowds barely reach.”

“You take the words right out of my mouth, ShiYan. Well, shall we?’

Given the trio had explored most of the night fair, they gave a series of affirmative replies, and the group began their trip towards the park. Along the way there, they passed by the central concourse of the western bank where the stage was set; while they all already witnessed the acrobatic performances, the opera plays and the harmonious ensembles, the group decided to watch one midway until the very end before continuing on. It was another opera play when they arrived. The rhythmic percussion and high-pitched, intense vocals. The cacophony of sounds made by disorderly strikes of hollowed wood, animal hide or shiny metal and the low melodies of the stringed instruments. These all enhanced the performances from the actors with their light-footed, exaggerated movements, akin to routined marital demonstrations in ReZhui’s eyes. One wore armor of yellow leather and held a ceremonial bronze Jian in hand. He timed dodges perfectly as he slid past continuous thrusts from his opponent.

The other man, donning red leather, was on the offensive, repeating the onslaught for another few minutes before he cried back in retreat with a backflip. A screeching shriek sounded from the swordsman and he then somersaulted to strike his legs. The red man leaped high, flinging himself across the stage and gaining position.

In his burly arms, he swung around a massive polearm. Streaks of silver flew around him before he brandished his weapon straight at the enemy. Sounds of its flexible blade wobbling against the winds gained applause from the audience.

“...”

ReZhui clearly saw his weapon. It appeared like a blacksmith stuck a single-edged, thin broadsword to the end of patterned bo staff. Groomed animal hair, dyed a bright red, covered the attachment point of this weapon, providing an immense flare to its movement.

Six bronze rings were loosely attached to the blunt spine of his blade. Every time he shook the polearm, the rings were like miniature cymbals as they rattled vigorously together with the sharp flapping of the wobble. The red man charged forward, ensuing the duel between them.

“Mrs He.” ReZhui looked beside her.

“Yes, ReZhui?”

“Do you know what that weapon is called?”

“You mean the red man’s one?”

He nodded.

“Well, it’s a popular halberd, said to only be wielded by the strongest and most chivalrous of warriors under the Deity of War, Integrity and Loyalty, GuanYu.”

“...”

“Across all of history, no one wielded it better than he did in a time of chaos and despair. In his steps, armies charged forward with unstoppable morale! Or, that’s how historians used to say.”

“...!”

“But if one thing’s for certain, it’s that that weapon was always by his side. And we call it-”

The two performers clashed their blades in a loud spectacle.

“-the YanYueDao.”

“...”

ReZhui, having been practicing the Jian with MianJu ever since the beginning of his martial journey, seemed to feel his blood surge when he first heard that name. Never had he felt that for the Jian.

“Anything else, ReZhui?”

“...Nothing else comes to mind. Thank you.”

“Come on, ReZhui, are only weapons and fighting in that head of yours?” ShiYan interjected.

“...?”

“ShiYan, perhaps you have a better question to ask me?”

“Why surely I do!”

“I’m all ears.”

“In ShanWei city, how did you celebrate the Spring Festival?”

“...That’s truthfully the better option, ShiYan.”

“YAY!”

“You all do know why the Spring Festival started in the first place, don’t you? Aside from the numerous folk tales and legends surrounding its origin, the most grounded reason was to commemorate the farmer class of society. Their duty in the sunny fields is critical to the survival of the Middle Kingdom and the higher classes wanted to appease them for that. However, that’s the initial political movement. Now, it’s a matter of a national holiday to thank the Heavens for blessing last year’s harvests and hopefully, this year’s too. But, I digress.”

“...”

“Rather ShiYan, I would call the Bai river basin far from the norm with this special celebratory site. Like any other place throughout the Middle Kingdom, the main activities are set within the city’s streets, decked with red lanterns and rows of market stalls. Performances like these were more commercialized in specific venues that scale larger than our very own estate. Food’s the same, practices as well…Oh, this one would interest you all!

While LuJi and the White Crane Clan rule over as the topdogs, they still permit smaller martial art schools and sect branches to set up bases within their conditions. Many of these schools will host this event called, the Dancing Lions Parade the Auspicious Scriptures.”

“Whoa…what’s that?”

“Every martial association will select eight members of skill to don the costumes of four golden lions, forming a pride. These prides would battle against one another, while mimicking the actions of the beast. Their ultimate goal is to obtain a white scroll, hung high above the center of the city concourse.”

“What happens when one gets it?”

“Obviously, there’s the reputation of the mightiest, but secretly, they would be exempted from the taxpayers, administered by the White Crane Clan themselves. Oh, how I wish that was granted to me…!”

“...”

There was only silence.

“What? I was expecting more amusing faces.”

“Aunt He, you spoil the fun when you suddenly bring up finance.”

“Oh well…But, heed my words, children! One day, when the three of you will enter the workforce, you all will understand my wishes tonight.”

“...We see that.”

To be frank, they technically are already working under special conditions, and they all knew that. Despite this, no one furthered that conversation as the performance had ended and the crowds dissipated. Surely, they will return when the next act commences.