On one pleasant morning, the gentle and warmish light rays of the morning sun, as usual, crept into a window of a small wooden house and fell on a sleeping person to wake him up, but a thick, old yet clean blanket barred its path so couldn't wake the person asleep under the blanket.
And thus, the person was coolly sleeping aloud, not knowing, in a few seconds, a finger would poke him as a hasty lady voice reverberates.
"Brother Li, wake up! Wake up!"
The blanket was pulled off by the person who just yelled.
"Whoooo is..... it.....?" A drowsy voice was heard when a tender face tried to open its eyes while lazily yawning.
To that person's first question of the day, instead of the answer, a gentle whack on his head replied.
"Can't you see what time it is? And did you forget what we planned today?" A divine yet a little-bit immature lady voice was heard.
The mind of the person who had been sleepy till now suddenly jolted, so abruptly opened his eyes, revealing regular white eyeballs, usual dark pupils, but charming deep jade iris, under the tender and fluttering eyelids.
That person had jade-like skin, a tender and immature voice, and light-dark hair.
Upon opening his eyes, as if he suddenly remembered something so important, he jumped off the bed, like a rabbit, and immediately grabbed his clothes neatly arranged on the shelves, and dashed towards the bathroom.
Water splashing sounds were heard, and in just a few minutes, the person came out of the bathroom with a new set of a light blue shirt and loose black shorts, obviously bleached out but devoid of any stains.
That person, instead of going inside, quickly picked up a bamboo hat hanged to a nail of his house, put it upon his head, and after put on a bamboo basket to his back.
"Sister Ning, how long do I have to wait for you? You know! I have been waiting for you for ages," That person yelled aggrievedly. Of course, it was fake.
That person's name was Chao Li, a thirteen years old kid. He was a very cheerful, kind but slightly naughty young man.
He only had a single relative alive, and that was his sister, Chao Ning, a fifteen-year-old sweet, talented, intelligent, and beautiful lady.
Chao Ning had unblemished skin, a divine-like voice, lotus-like eyes, delicate red lips, and long purple hair up to her waist if she wouldn't tide up.
They were living in a village called Ping Village, a name that came after its peacefulness.
But no one was perfect, so even if it was peaceful, it had some hidden dark side, like some corrupted and wicked people. Yet persons of those types were very shallow in Ping Village when compared to others.
Both brother and sister used to have a very kind-hearted grandpa who passed away two years back.
His name was Chao Kong, and people call him old man Kong.
He was very affectionate and caring to his grandchildren, but there was a secret only known to few, that was, both Chao Li and Chao Ning weren't his actual grandchildren, but he adopted them.
Even though they weren't his biological grandchildren, he treated them like his own, and in fact, he even cared more than that.
And when he died, Chao Li cried nonstop for two days, and it was the first time he knew what death was, and it was deeply engraved in his mind.
Only with Chao Ning's steadfast consoling, Chao Li came out of dark grieving.
But even then, he would daily visit his graveyard to say previous day incidents.
Chao Kong had ten acres of different kinds of fruit crop, and after his death, both brother and sister depended on that field for their sustenance.
Since they were only children, their expenses were minimum, but even so, Chao Ning was very strict at spending money, so unless for daily necessities, they wouldn't spend much money.
And today, they had planned something so had to wake up early for that, but Chao Li couldn't do so, and even after, blamed his sister.
By Chao Li's yell, Chao Ning, in a light purple colored dress, with fuming anger, came out.
"You have been waiting for me?" She asked while coming out.
"Yes," Chao Li replied without batting an eye as if he had spoken truth to the core.
"You!" As she raised her fist, Chao Ning rushed to him to teach a lesson, but before she caught him, he dashed out of their house gate and onto the twisted road.
"As if you can catch me!" Chao Li snuck out his tongue.
Chao Ning immediately locked their house, picked up a bamboo basket, and chased after her brother.
The road, like a twisted dragon, had so many turns along the way.
"Little Rascal Li, where are you going early morning?" A middle-aged man teasingly asked.
"Humph! Uncle Shan, you think I would fall for your flowery tricks! Fat chance! I won't tell you anything, even if you gave me my favorite honey milk pudding." Chao Li said while anticipatively licking his lips.
"Come on, Little Rascal, I won't tell anybody," The man named shan swore, "It will be a secret between us,"
"Nah! Nah!" Chao Li repeated but suddenly saw his sister coming from the distance, so hastily said, "Well, I have to go. See you later,"
While going on the road, many of them asked the same question, but he adamantly refused to say anything.
And at one corner of the road, a bulky middle-aged man roared from his front yard, "Little thief Li, stop right there,"
Chao Li abruptly jerked with that person's roar and immediately sped on his toes like a monkey, and while running away, he said,
"Uncle Chen, I didn't steal your chicken! You caught the wrong one."
"Stop! Immediately stop! I know it was you." The man named Chen came up to his gate as he angrily roared.
"No! You are mistaken! It was Feng Dai who stole your chicken." Chao Li loudly defended while escaping.
Chao Li's voice became blurred, as he had already escaped to the next turn of the road.
But Chao Ning hurriedly reached the front of the gate of a man named Chen and concernedly asked, "Uncle Chen, Is Li made some kind of a mistake again?"
"Nah! He is just a small and naughty kid. That's all!" Man Named Chen said affectionately.
"But tell him that if he caught by me, I would detain him for a week and only feed veggies throughout it. HaHaHa!" He laughed loudly.
Chao Ning became awkward and slowly moved away from there when she finished saying her farewells politely.
Chao Li spiritedly greeted everyone along the way, and when he reached a particular corner of the road, he saw an old man with grey hair, deeply wrinkled skin, and slightly bent back.
Upon seeing that person, Chao Li loudly yelled with joy from a distance, "Grandpa Hong!"
"Little Devil Li, You are here?" The man named Hong gently called when he saw Chao Li.
"Where is my candy?" Chao Li demanded as he reached Hong.
"Such a cheeky kid you are!" Grandpa Hong was amused as he smiled.
But Chao Li was getting impatient to receive something from his grandpa Hong.
By seeing his look, Grandpa Hong took a bunch of different colored candies from his pocket and handed them over to Chao Li.
Li also delightfully accepted the candies and started counting them, and after some time, he joyfully said, "Fourteen! Seven for me and seven for sister Ning."
"Grandpa Hong, you are the best!" Chao Li praised.
While they were talking, Chao Ning also reached them with slight fuming anger, but by seeing Hong, she calmed down and gently asked,
"Grandpa Hong, How are you?"
"Well! Well! Little swan is also here!" Grandpa Hong slightly frowned doubtfully, as Chao Ning usually didn't come out often.
"Grandpa Hong, Today we are going somewhere." Chao Ning calmly replied and gently asked, "Grandpa Hong, How are grandma Nuo and Uncle Gang?"
"How else! She must have been scolding me for all day long." Chao Li brashly replied before Hong replied anything.
"Li! How many times have I told you to respect the elders while you are speaking?" Chao Ning angrily snapped at Chao Li.
"Humph!" Chao Li pouted.
"Little Ning! Don't get angry. He is just a child." Grandpa Hong tried to hold Chao Ning's anger.
Hong's original name was Yang Hong, the best friend of Chao Kong.
Yang Hong runs a sweet business, and in his shop, there were all kinds of sweets for adults and kids, of which Chao Li loved candies most.
In the past, when Chao Li was a kid, Kong used to bring him along when he went to met with Yang Hong, and Yang Hong would always give him candies.
That became the hobbit of Chao Li, so when he was slightly grown-up, he used to daily visit the Hong shop in anticipation of free candies.
Yang Hong had also given him the candies, and Chao Li would always split them with his sister.
This process went on till one year back, and till the day when Chao Li overheard the argument between Yang Hong and his wife.
Yang Hong's wife's name was Yang Nuo, a typical old woman who would always complain their husband was leisurely spending money on charity.
So one day, Chao Li, as usual with anticipation, went to receive candies from Yang Hong, but at that time, Yang Nuo was severely arguing with Yang Hong that he was wasting her fortune on Chao Li. She also scolded Chao Li, knowing that he was nearby.
From that day, Chao Li didn't go to Yang Hong's shop anymore and held a grudge against Yang Nuo.
Yang Hong also knew why Chao Li wasn't visiting him, so he himself started giving candies to Chao Li outside their shop.
Yang Hong also had a son Yang Gang with whom Chao Li hadn't much connection or interaction.
Yang Gang was recently married and was about to become a father.
"Little Ning, forget about that, and tell me where are you going in this morning?" Yang Hong tried to shift the topic.
Chao Ning was about to say something, But Chao Li hurriedly said, "Grandpa Hong, lower your voice! Someone might hear you!"
By seeing Chao Li's cautiousness, Yang Hong was amused, so he teasingly asked, "Ok, tell me, where are you going?"
"Grandpa Hong, what day is yesterday?" Chao Li asked with a puzzle.
"What do you mean?" Yang Hong was perplexed.
"Grandpa Hong! Don't you even know that? Yesterday is a full moon day!" Chao Li said with displeasure.
"Full moon day, but so what?"
"Grandpa! Oh! Grandpa! Does your brain stopped working as you grow old! Don't even know that after full moon day, the Moon Mushrooms will mature?" Chao Li questioned seriously.
"Oh! Moon Mushrooms, Ah!" Yang Hong interestingly hummed.
"Yes, I saw an unmatured Moon Mushroom nest a few days back, and today they must have been matured, so we are going to pluck those mushrooms before anyone do."
"And I don't want to share those with anyone, but since you have given me candies, I will give you some, but not more, as my sister and I must have different dishes with them today." Chao Li strictly said.
"HaHa!!!!" Yang Hong chuckled slightly, but seriously said,
"Be careful on the road, and also careful with that Feng Dai, as he has his eye on little Ning." Yang Hong gravely said and added,
"Most of the time, we can say what a person is from his parents, and about that Feng Dai's father, we don't need to tell what type of person he is, so his son won't be any better."
"Humph! That Feng Dai, how dare he eye on my sister! Does he even qualify to look at my sister? Only fabled immortals are suitable for sister." Chao Li said gruffly.
"Li, You shouldn't speak carelessly about the immortals." Yang Hong turned serious when Chao Li mentioned immortals.
"Snort!"
"Anyway, be careful on the road!"
"Ok! Ok! I know everything." Chao Li impatiently replied.
After saying farewell to Yang Hong, and while eating the candies, the brother and sister duo moved towards the forest near the Ping Village.
Not knowing that today would give them an unpleasant and unforgettable memory for the rest of their lives, maybe even afterlives, because someone had wanted to play a game with them, and that someone also didn't know they shouldn't have started the game in the first place.