CHAPTER 20

Chapter 20: Blindfolds, Burps, and Blushing Battles (Part 3)

The third day of the Sujin Festival began with aching arms, sore legs, and full hearts. But the villagers of Sujin were not the type to let exhaustion stop a good time. In fact, this part of the festival was often the loudest and most ridiculous—filled with wild games, awkward moments, and bursts of uncontrollable laughter.

"Alright, everyone!" bellowed Auntie Zhen from the top of a wooden stage in the middle of the square. She was Sujin's loudest and most feared baker, known for throwing stale buns at children who loitered too long. "Time for the Couples Chaos Games! Wives, prepare your men! Husbands, hope you ate light!"

First up was the Blindfold Eating Challenge.

Participants were split into teams of three: one blindfolded husband or boyfriend, one guiding wife, and one plate stacked with food items ranging from easy (dumplings) to suspicious (fermented tofu).

Li Jun, Yue's father, was reluctantly sitting blindfolded in front of a small table, his blue lashes fluttering under the cloth as Shan Yue guided his hands.

"Jun, now move your hand to the right… no, the other right… there!"

He grabbed a squishy bun and promptly stuffed it into his nose.

The crowd howled.

"That's not your mouth, dear," Shan Yue sighed.

"Why does it feel like tofu?" Jun whimpered, face scrunching.

"Because it is tofu."

Meanwhile, another woman shouted at her husband: "Bite it! Bite it! What do you mean it smells like fish? That's the pickled cabbage!"

One husband somehow managed to eat a sock, though no one knew where it had come from.

Yue and her gang were curled up near the front row, screaming with laughter. Nana had tears in her eyes. "Did you see that guy eat a chili like it was candy?"

"He didn't even flinch," Mei wheezed. "I think his taste buds died from fear."

Next came the Find Your Wife Challenge.

In this game, blindfolded husbands had to find their wives among a group of women based only on touch—and no, not that kind of touch. They could only touch the women's hands or hear a single word said in a fake voice.

The square became a battlefield of confusion.

Men stumbled around, grabbing wrong hands and apologizing to angry women.

"Nope! I'm not your wife, I'm your mother-in-law!" one snapped.

Li Jun, again volunteered (or rather, volunteered by Shan Yue), was crouching nervously.

"Say something, Shan," he begged, blindfold on.

In a terrible imitation of a deep voice, Shan Yue grunted, "Husbandooo…"

Yue nearly fell off the bench. "That's the worst voice I've ever heard!"

Jun sniffed the air. "Is that… grilled pork?"

He turned, reached out—and smacked a random woman's behind.

A stunned silence followed.

"I—I thought it was my wife!" he cried, yanking off the blindfold in horror.

The woman blinked, then slapped him with a skewer stick. "I'm Si Mei! And I'm married to Auntie Ping!"

The crowd exploded in laughter. Shan Yue was doubled over. "I warned you not to rely on smell!"

Next was the Women's Drinking Showdown.

Large wooden mugs were filled with a spicy-sweet local brew called Tiger's Roar. It wasn't lethal, but it packed a punch—especially if you were trying to chug six in a row.

The strongest women stepped up, flexing their biceps. Men swooned from the sidelines.

"I'd let her throw me," one whispered dreamily as Shan Yue rolled her shoulders and stepped up for the challenge.

Yue shouted, "Go, Mom! Show them who rules the house!"

Shan Yue winked at her and downed the first mug in five seconds.

Her opponent burped so loud after the third that a baby cried.

One woman slammed her mug and roared, "Next!"

Another took a sip and passed out onto her girlfriend's lap.

Shan Yue calmly finished her sixth mug, adjusted her hair, and let out a small hiccup. "Easy."

She won, of course. Yue stood on a barrel yelling, "THAT'S MY MOM!"

Last but not least: the Couples Karaoke Showdown.

Husbands and wives (or multiple husbands in one case) had to sing together, perform a love song or silly skit, and impress the judges—aka the village elders who were already tipsy.

Yue's parents were dragged on stage next.

"Nooo, we can't sing!" Li Jun cried.

"We can try," Shan Yue grinned.

And so they began a hilariously off-key rendition of "Honey, Cook for Me Tonight," a popular love song where the wife begs the husband to make soup, and the husband keeps misunderstanding it for romantic requests.

"I want your hot soup, baby," Shan Yue crooned dramatically.

"I'll rub your feet instead?" Jun blinked, confused.

"No! Soup!"

"Ohhh! Soup!"

The crowd cackled as Shan Yue grabbed a fake ladle and bonked him gently on the head.

Then came a trio couple from the village—one woman and her two husbands. Their performance turned into a chaotic mix of interpretive dance and warbling harmony, ending with one husband doing a somersault and accidentally landing in a basket of buns.

The judges gave that one a perfect score.

By the end of the day, everyone was dizzy from laughter, full from street food, and sticky from spilt drinks and failed tomato dodging.

As the sun dipped low again and the lanterns flickered to life, Yue lay on a soft picnic mat with her friends, her hands behind her head.

"I don't want this festival to end," she whispered.

"Same," Nana sighed. "Can we prank someone tomorrow again?"

"Yes," Mei agreed. "Let's start with your brother."

They all burst out laughing.

Across the square, Li Jun leaned against Shan Yue's shoulder, his hand resting protectively on his rounded belly.

"That was humiliating," he murmured.

"That was adorable," Shan Yue replied, kissing his cheek.

He flushed.

And as the night wrapped them all in warm glows and soft winds, the village of Sujin laughed together under the stars, basking in another unforgettable festival day.