The smoke wafted gently, a faint fragrance carried by the wind.
The tobacco scent spread with the breeze.
A group of children, both boys and girls, ran laughing from the village entrance, chasing a girl holding a candy apple, circling around before disappearing back into the village.
Only the crisp laughter echoed continuously, along with the children's pleading: "Let me have a bite! Just one bite!"
As the two approached, the sound of dogs barking began, with one household's dog barking, several others joined in, soon half the village was filled with dog barks.
The gate of the most peripheral household was wooden, a few roosters and hens leisurely roamed the yard.
An old man sat outside his house with a pipe, wrinkles deeply etched on his aged face; seeing Sun Wutian approach, the old man bowed and stood up with a humble smile: "Young master back from the slopes? Want to come in for a bowl of water?"
