CHAPTER 18

Chapter 18: The Festival of Might and Laughter (Part 1)

Morning light broke over Sujin Village, casting warm golden rays across rooftops and fields. The familiar quiet of the village had transformed overnight into a bustling, colorful celebration. It was finally here—the first day of the long-awaited Sujin Strength Festival.

The village square had been overtaken by a whirlwind of activity. Bright banners stretched from rooftop to rooftop, fluttering in the spring breeze. The streets were lined with wooden stalls selling everything from grilled meats to sweet berry ice, and hand-carved trinkets to festival masks shaped like foxes, tigers, and birds. The scent of roasting beef skewers, peppery sauces, and sticky rice filled the air.

Yue was up early, practically dragging her friends along as they rushed to see everything. She wore a playful fire-fox mask pushed up on her head, and her long sky blue hair had been tied into two messy pigtails, bouncing as she skipped around with boundless energy. Her crop top and shorts matched the rest of her gang—each girl had painted their clothes with bright colors and their personal "gang symbol," a cartoonish flame wrapped around a dumpling.

"Oh wow!" Mei gasped, pointing at a huge stage in the village center. "That's where the Couple Strength Challenge will happen later!"

"I heard one of the events is carrying your husband while he's eating spicy noodles!" Nana added, her eyes wide with awe. "And another is pushups—with your husband on your back!"

Yue smirked. "I bet my mom could carry two husbands and still have one hand free for tea."

The gang laughed, but Yue's words weren't even an exaggeration. Her mother—Shan Yue—stood near the food stalls, chopping beef one-handed while stirring a giant pot of soup with the other. Dressed in a sleeveless tunic that showed off her powerful arms and solid build, she greeted everyone with a smile and a flex. Several returning city women looked enviously at Yue's mom while their delicate, pampered husbands clung to them nervously, already fearing the upcoming contests.

"Look at my dad," Yue whispered to her friends, trying not to giggle.

Her father, Li Jun, stood beside Shan Yue with his round belly now quite visible. At nearly five months pregnant, he still looked absolutely dazzling—his long, silky sky blue hair was tied back neatly, and his gem-blue eyes sparkled under his long lashes. He wore a white flowy tunic with pale green accents, and a flower pinned delicately to his collar.

One city lady nearby gasped. "Shan Yue's husband is glowing! That hair! That belly! I want to steal him!"

"I heard he's a bit spoiled," her friend whispered back. "Doesn't even cook much!"

Yue's gang heard the whispers and huddled around her protectively.

"They can keep dreaming," Fei said with a scoff. "Auntie Shan would suplex them into the cornfields."

They all nodded fiercely.

Suddenly, drums thundered again—festival events were beginning! The first contest was the "Carry Your Man Relay."

Excitement burst through the crowd as the village women lined up at the starting line. Each woman had her husband or boyfriend clinging to her back like a baby monkey. Some men were squealing. Others tried to act cool but clearly regretted every life decision leading to this point.

Yue's mom participated, of course, and easily carried Li Jun like he weighed nothing. Yue and her gang cheered wildly.

"Go Mom! Show them how it's done!" Yue yelled, nearly falling over from waving a flag she stole from a passing vendor.

The race began. Chaos exploded immediately.

One city woman stumbled when her husband shouted, "I forgot my headband!" and they both tumbled into a cabbage stand.

Another slipped in a puddle of soup, her poor partner flying off her back and landing straight into a rice barrel, popping his head out like a confused rabbit.

Shan Yue? She ran like the wind—elegant, fast, and calm. Li Jun even waved at the crowd mid-race, casually munching on a rice cracker. By the time they crossed the finish line, Shan Yue hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Unbeatable," one villager whispered reverently.

Next came the Push-Up Power Match.

Each woman was given her husband or boyfriend to place on her back and then had to do as many pushups as possible within a minute.

One woman dropped to the ground on her first try because her husband was laughing too hard and rolled off her back.

Another lady took it very seriously but kept yelling at her man, "Stop tickling me with your hair, Zhen! I swear I'll drop you!"

Yue and her friends were cackling, unable to stop laughing.

The crowd moved on to the food competition next, where couples had to eat spicy dumplings while singing a duet. The chaos was delicious—literally. Yue's mom and dad joined this one too, with Shan Yue eating calmly as Li Jun sang with a wobbly voice between bites, fanning his burning lips.

"I can't—hic!—feel my tongue anymore!" he wailed dramatically.

"Swallow, Jun. You wanted the extra chili," Shan Yue said with a smirk.

Yue nearly passed out from laughing. "My dad's a drama queen!"

Near the lake, children ran around with paper lanterns and splash balls filled with scented water. Yue and her gang splashed with a group of city kids and ended up starting a full-blown water war.

"Retreat! Retreat!" shouted one boy as Yue chased him with a bucket.

"Take this, city slicker!" yelled Fei, throwing a water balloon right into another kid's face.

The laughter was endless. Yue felt the warmth of the fire nearby, the festive drums, the happiness in every villager's voice. For a moment, it felt like time stopped—like the past and future didn't matter.

Just now, only the celebration mattered.

And yet, deep inside her chest, there was a quiet stirring. A gentle voice in the back of her mind. Not loud, but present.

She would turn eleven soon.

She would awaken fully someday.

But for today, she was Yue—the mischievous, lively girl of Sujin Village, the leader of a fiery gang, the daughter of a strong mother and a glowing, pregnant father.

And today was a day to laugh.