Chapter 17: The Night Festival (Part 2)
The bonfire crackled high into the night sky, casting a warm glow over the faces of villagers and city returnees alike. The square buzzed with energy—adults swaying slightly with beer in hand, laughter ringing out from tables as roasted meat skewers sizzled nearby. Skewers of chicken and beef vanished as fast as they were grilled, and bottles clinked in cheer.
Down by the lake, just a little away from the heat and noise, Yue sat on a wide rock with her gang and a few unfamiliar kids—the ones who had come back from the city with their parents. The lake shimmered under the firelight, and crickets hummed in the background.
A city boy with curly chestnut hair and soft amber eyes stood up nervously. "You're really Lin Yue?" he asked, almost disbelieving. "The gang leader who made the village boys cry with just one prank?"
Yue flicked her tied-up sky-blue hair back like she was some kind of royal boss. "Depends on who's asking."
"He's Jin!" a girl from behind him snorted. "He used to wet his bed until he was seven!"
"Hey!" Jin protested as the rest of the kids burst into giggles.
Yue leaned closer with a playful glint in her gem-blue eyes. "So... is it true?"
The poor boy's face turned redder than the bonfire.
One of Yue's gang members, Xiaoxiao, whispered to another, "These city kids are so soft."
"I know, right?" giggled Pingping. "They don't even climb trees!"
"Well, we do have elevators," Jin muttered under his breath, but louder he said, "I can climb stuff. I climbed a sofa once."
That earned him a collective groan.
"City boys are hopeless," Yue sighed dramatically, folding her arms behind her head.
Another boy, slightly chubbier with round cheeks, piped up, "My mama says you're the girl who tricked our teacher into eating spicy bugs."
"That was a group effort," Yue said proudly. "Operation Fire Tongue. A complete success."
More laughter. Even the city kids couldn't help but be impressed.
Just then, Xiaoxiao held up a secret bottle of sparkling soda she had snuck from the adults. "Let's make a toast!"
"To what?" Pingping asked.
"To friendship! And city kids not being totally useless!" Xiaoxiao grinned.
They clinked bottles and drank. The soda fizzed wildly in their mouths, and Yue made a face. "Blech! That's so sweet my tongue's having a sugar attack."
Then came the questions. Curiosity always bubbled to the surface with Yue and her gang.
"Do city boys also sleep in their mama's laps?"
"Do they know how to cook?"
"Is it true you have maids to help you dress?"
"Do boys in the city really think a six-pack is ugly?" Yue asked, lifting her shirt just a little to flash her lightly toned tummy.
Several city boys gasped in scandalized awe, especially since her abs were slightly defined even at her age.
"You really have muscles! That's so cool!" one of them muttered, cheeks flushed.
Yue smirked. "Wanna touch?"
One brave boy poked at her side then squealed, "It's real!"
They collapsed in laughter again.
Behind them, a pair of grown-ups passed by, slightly tipsy, chatting about their younger days. One woman was holding hands with both her husbands, each of them looking like shy kittens compared to her towering presence.
"Still weird seeing women with two or three husbands," a city girl muttered.
"Why?" Yue asked. "If you can afford them and treat them right, what's the problem?"
That shut her up real quick.
As the night wore on, Yue looked toward the bonfire, where her mom stood tall and commanding in her sleeveless top, muscles flexing with every movement as she carried another crate of food like it weighed nothing. Yue's dad was seated nearby, cradling his growing belly, talking sweetly with some of the village aunties.
"I still can't believe my dad's going to pop a baby out soon," Yue said, sipping the last of her soda.
"I hope it's a boy," Pingping added.
"No, a girl!" said Jin. "Then she can beat you all up when she grows up!"
Yue laughed so hard she fell off the rock, dragging Xiaoxiao with her. They landed in a pile of giggles, dirt, and tangled limbs.
The fire blazed on, and the night pulsed with music, laughter, and stories. Yue felt it all sink into her bones—warmth, mischief, and something else… a subtle pull in her chest.
She didn't know what the future held, but one thing was for sure. With her gang, her chaotic village, and her growing strength, the world was her playground.
Tomorrow, the festival would begin in full.