47 Path of Enlightenment 5 (1/2)
Yan Xuequi held the hand of one of her Aunt's son Mou Zimu, while Mou Yidan was held by his mother Mou Hairong. The four of them walked through the market stall looking at the merchandise on display, as each boy pointed at what they wanted their mother to buy for them.
”Ma! I want to eat the dragon sugar candy!”
”I want one too! Ma!”
The twin boys pointed with eyes full of anticipation at the stall selling candy made from melted sugar of golden brown hanging from a stick, they could barely keep from running there, as many of the town people gathered in front of the stall to buy the sugar candy.
”What would you like Xuequi?”
”Hmm...I'll want one of those tanghulu's.”
Mou Hairong tightly held onto the hand of her son, because he looked as though he would breakout from the hold she her on him to fly to the candy stall. The other twin with Yan Xuequi was no different either, he too was about ready to jump on those tempting melted glass candies.
”Yidan! Stop jumping or else no candy for you!”
The little boy pouted after receiving a reprimand from his mother. All four made their way to the line of people waiting to get the dragon sugar candy. When it finally got to their turn, Mou Hairong pulled out her yellow pouch to give the stall owner some silver coins. As the man handed each her two sticks of candy.
”Here Yidan, you can have one of the dragon sugar candy.”
”Thank you Ma!”
”Zimu, here's yours too.”
”Thank you Ma!”
The boys squealed in excitement at their new found source of joy, the dragon sugar candy!
After they left the store, the next stop was to get Yan Xuequi her tanghulu, which was a pinkish-red rounded berry fruit that looked like red cherries on stick. Soon after they stopped at a stall that sold street foodto get themselves something to eat.
”We'll like four bowls of noodles with vegetables and chicken, along with some moon cake.”
”I don't want noodles!”
”I want rice Ma!”
”Yes! Me too!”
The boys looked at their mother with eyes filled with defiance, they didn't want to eat the bowl of noodles that she had ordered for them.
”You want rice?”
”Yes Ma! We want rice!”
”When you grow up and start making money, then you can decide what you want, but until then! You too better eat what I give you!”
”We don't want to Ma! We want rice!”
This time, the two boys threw themselves on the floor rolling from side to side, they knew that their mother did not like them misbehaving especially when they were outside their home, but they just wanted to have their way.
”Yidan! Stop inciting your brother to do outrageous things! The two of you need to stop right now!”
By then, a growing crowd of people had gathered to see the twins behave in a disgraceful way.
”Isn't that their mother?! What is she doing watching her children roll on the ground in dirt!”
”I tell you the standard of training one's child has truly fallen!”
”Which of them is the mother?!”
”Missus! Don't you think you need to call your children to order?!”
”Aunt Hairong, people are starting to talk.”
”And so what?! What if they start to talk! Do they know how much they try my patience! At times I wish I never had them!”
”Aunt Hairong! Please don't say that! They would be so unhappy to hear that from you!”
Unfortunately for the mother of the twins, they already heard what their mother said and took to the air in the mist of all the town people gathered at the market.
”Demons! They are demons!”
”Did you see them fly?!”
”We have demons living among us!”
The town people went into a frenzy, after witnessing the children take to the air. The good thing was that they didn't see the flames that surrounded their body.
Within a blink of an eye, the small crowd had become a mob, as they began chanting for them to be stoned.
”Don't let them escape! Kill the demons!”
It was sundown when the unexpected occurrence took place, many had taken up sticks, stones and were ready to beat the women to death.
”Aunt Hairong, we need to go after Yidan and Zimu. It's going to be dark soon, what if something happens to them!”
Mou Hairong looked at her niece, it wasn't that she didn't want to go after her sons, but she wanted them to know that they can't always have their way.
”Aunt Hairong?”
The crowds had already closed in on them and were about to beat them with the sticks in their hand, when Mou Hairong finally gave the command to go after her children.
”Xuequi! Let's go!”
”Yes Aunt Hairong!”
The two took to the air, as the crowd shouted at them in rage, some of them tried to hit them with the weapons in their hands, but they were so far up that none of it could reach the women.
”Aunt Hairong, I fear something may happen to Uncle Mou. Those mobs may go to the house and wait to attack him when he gets home for marrying a demon. Do you want me to look for them, while you go and search for Uncle?”
Mou Hairong was torn between looking for her children and safeguarding her husband, after pondering for some time as to whether or not she should leave her niece to look for her children, she finally gave in and asked her to go after them, while she search for her husband.