Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?-Chapter 953 - 949: Children and Adults

As the RV left the village, the morning fog had completely cleared, and sunlight poured through the car window, warm and cozy.

Tang Tang sat on the chair, swinging her little legs, humming an unknown tune, looking extremely content.

Xiao Ya sat next to her, her eyes filled with curiosity.

This was her first time leaving the village, even the poplar trees by the roadside seemed more beautiful than those in the village. The leaves shone with a green glow under the sun, rustling in the wind, as if responding to Tang Tang’s song.

"Xiao Ya, do you know what’s in Xijing?"

Dou Dou leaned over, holding a picture book with terracotta warriors on it and waved it proudly.

"I know! There are tons and tons of terracotta warriors, taller than me, all dressed in ancient clothes, how majestic!"

These were, of course, prepared by Song Meixian. After learning the general purpose of Shen Siyuan’s trip, she prepared some picture books about geography and culture to teach the children some knowledge.

It must be said, Song Meixian was born to be an assistant, made for secretarial work, compared to her, Taozi is like the sky and the ground.

Xiao Ya shook her head, and asked softly, "What are terracotta warriors?"

"They’re ancient soldiers, made of clay, buried underground for many years!"

Duoduo came over too, pointing at the pictures in the book.

"There are thousands of terracotta warriors, and each one has a different face!"

Duoduo, sitting next to her, added: "Xijing also has ancient city walls, very high and very long. You can ride bicycles on them, we can try it once we get there."

The two little ones didn’t recognize many characters, but they knew so much because Xiao Yue and Taozi read to them. Children have good memories and remember stuff after hearing it once.

Xiao Ya listened with bright eyes, her small hands tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, full of curiosity.

Shen Siyuan turned his head to look at them and said with a smile, "When we get to Xijing, we’ll first go to the city walls, then see the terracotta warriors, so you can have fun for a few days."

The car continued to drive westward, as the scenery outside the window gradually changed.

Expansive wheat fields were slowly replaced by low hills, and occasionally a few wild jujube trees could be seen on the slopes, with small green dates hanging on the branches.

By midday, the vehicle entered a valley, with a small river at the bottom. The river water was crystal clear, reflecting small ripples under the sunlight.

Ruan Hongzhuang stopped the car, suggesting they rest by the river and have something to eat before moving on.

Tang Tang was the first to jump out of the car, pulling Xiao Ya along to run to the riverside, and Mao Sanmei hurriedly followed them from behind.

The two squatted by the river, reaching out to touch the water, the cool river made them laugh "han~" and "ah~" uncontrollably.

Dou Dou and Duoduo were picking stones nearby, competing to see who could find the roundest one.

Xiao Yue stood on the hillside, looking at the distant valley, and softly said to Shen Siyuan, "The mountains here are different from those in Taiyuan, Jin City’s mountains are greener, while the mountains here have a touch of loess color."

Shen Siyuan nodded: "We’re near the Loess Plateau now, Xijing is at the edge of the Loess Plateau, that’s why you can see such scenery here."

Lunch was by the riverside. Shen Siyuan took out some pre-prepared braised dishes, bread, and fruit from the storage space, and everyone sat around a folding table, eating heartily.

It was Xiao Ya’s first time eating a braised chicken leg, and her hands were greasy from gnawing on it. Mao Sanmei patiently helped her wipe her hands and even handed her own chicken leg over, but Xiao Ya shook her head and then turned her gaze to Tang Tang beside her.

From Dou Dou’s words, she learned that Tang Tang is Auntie’s daughter.

So she felt that Aunt should give the chicken leg to her own daughter.

But when she looked at Tang Tang, she found that she had a large chicken leg in each hand, nibbling one and then the other, enjoying it immensely.

This little one was also a foodie, able to eat, enjoying eating fast, inherently a food lover, very much like Shen Siyuan in this regard.

As the journey continued in the afternoon, the kids gradually became sleepy. Tang Tang leaned on Xiao Ya’s shoulder and fell asleep, and Xiao Ya also yawned but still forced herself to look at the scenery outside the window.

Ruan Hongzhuang slowed down the car, letting it drive steadily, while Taozi turned on some light children’s songs, and the car gradually became quiet, with only the sound of music and the wheels turning.

No one knew how long had passed when Tang Tang suddenly shouted "han~," pointing outside the window.

Everyone looked up and saw a tall gray silhouette emerging in the distance, it was Xijing’s ancient city wall.

As the car continued to approach, the wall became clearer, the gray-brown brick wall was tall and majestic, with battlements neatly lined up, like a sleeping dragon stretching across the horizon.

"Wow! It’s the city wall!" Dou Dou woke up all of a sudden, excitedly leaned to the window, "It’s even taller than I imagined!"

Xiao Ya was mesmerized, her small mouth slightly open.

The car drove under the ancient city wall, truly feeling its grandeur.

The walls were over ten meters high, covered with the marks of time, with sparse grass growing in the cracks, adding to its antiquity.

"Let’s find a hotel near the Bell Tower and settle down first, then we can go to Hui Min Street for some good food tonight," Ruan Hongzhuang said with a smile.

"Hui Min Street has a lot of Xijing’s special snacks, like Roujiamo, lamb paomo, liangpi, you’ll definitely have your fill."

"I want Roujiamo!" Dou Dou immediately raised her hand.

Tang Tang also followed with a "Oh~," like she was saying "I want it too."

The car drove past the ancient city wall and entered the city of Xijing.

On both sides of the street, there were modern tall buildings as well as ancient-style structures. The street lamps were in the style of traditional palace lanterns, with red lanterns hanging, full of a rich ancient city atmosphere.

The Bell Tower stood in the city center, its golden roof glinting in the sunset, and the big bell on the tower was faintly visible. Occasionally, the sound of the bell tolled, filled with historical gravity, instantly immersing people in the atmosphere of this ancient city.

After finding a hotel and checking in, everyone eagerly headed to Hui Min Street.

As soon as they reached the street entrance, the aroma hit their noses—grilled kebabs with a smoky scent, lamb paomo with a meaty fragrance, liangpi with a garlic smell all mixed together, making people drool.

Tang Tang held Xiao Ya’s hand and wandered around the food stalls. When she saw the sugar painting stall, she immediately stood in front of it with a silly smile, unwilling to leave.

Shen Siyuan laughed and bought them two sugar paintings, a rabbit and a tiger. The two held the sugar paintings, happily eating.

Dou Dou was running around with Taozi, looking here and there, too many choices, not sure what to buy for a while.

Then she set her eyes on the sugar painting in Tang Tang’s hand.

Although there were many on sale right next to her, she just didn’t buy one, she insisted on asking Tang Tang for a bite.

But Tang Tang was unwilling, turning around and showing her back to her, out of sight, out of mind.

However, Dou Dou was also a stubborn little mule, immediately circling to face her, saying nothing but just staring at her.

Xiao Ya hesitated for a moment and then handed her sugar painting to Dou Dou.

"Here, you can have it." Xiao Ya showed a pleasing smile.

Although she was small, she was sensible, aware that the current life was hard-earned, so she instinctively tried to please everyone.

Dou Dou looked at her and said, "I don’t want it, I just want Tang Tang’s."

Xiao Ya heard that, not only was she not happy, but she was also a little sad.

Taozi on the side felt a bit sympathetic.

"Okay, Aunt will buy you one, don’t take Tang Tang’s.

"I don’t want it, I just want to eat Tang Tang’s," Dou Dou stubbornly said.

"They are all from the same shop, how could they be different?" Taozi was baffled by her.

Ruan Hongzhuang saw this and laughed, "So you’re an adult now, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Taozi was a bit confused.

Shen Siyuan on the side understood because learning to weigh the pros and cons seemed mature but had already lost the unique innocence of a child.

Dou Dou just purely wanted to eat what Tang Tang had in her hand, it didn’t matter if it was a sugar painting or not.

As night fell, the lanterns on Hui Min Street lit up, the red lanterns reflecting on the ancient-style buildings, extraordinarily lively.

Shen Siyuan watched the laughter and joy around him, especially the long-lost smile on Xiao Ya’s face, feeling warmth in his heart.

This journey to Xijing was not only filled with scenic views but also with happiness and anticipation. This millennial ancient city was using its enthusiasm to welcome these guests from afar.