On the ring road in Bushen Village that connected several mountains along the mountain range, there were slopes of varying heights and an uneven stone mud road where a group of boys around eleven or twelve and a few girls aged eight or nine gathered.
They had stopped their bicycles at this spot, marked by a red flag, where the finish line was near the estate, covering a distance of roughly one kilometer. Although it didn’t seem far, their bicycles were modified, making winning the race quite challenging!
"Hahaha, let’s see who wins the race!"
Tang Shunyan was nearly 11 years old and, during this summer vacation, he was playing with his young friends for the last time.
Because in two months, he would go to the academy in Capital City for his studies.
Perhaps some of his friends would join him, like his cousin Tang Xiyue, who was just a few months older than him.
They had always been study partners and playmates.
Several other friends were still considering it because they did not want to leave their hometown yet.
But with the two friends going to study in the Capital, it seemed like they were losing their main playmates.
This summer was the wildest time they had had, and as they grew older, they knew they had reached their teenage years when they needed to learn what was necessary and had less time to play.
Among their group were a few girls like Si Ma Roumei, who was not at all afraid of being with boys inappropriately, born on the grassland and had learned horseback riding.
And she loved riding horses, a sport hard to find playmates for in this area because there were not many places to ride.
In recent years, with the emergence of the new transportation tool, the bicycle, when they were a bit smaller, they weren’t tall enough, but two years on, they discovered new models of bicycles that were perfect for sport-loving people like them.
Since last year, this ring road in Bushen Village had become a recreational spot for sports competitions among these young friends.
To come here to play without too many outsiders knowing about it, and where girls and boys could compete together, though some villagers would pass by, not many really saw them.
No, they weren’t just engaged in sports competitions here; many young men from wealthy families in the county, having taken a liking to these activities, also came to this village road for competition and entertainment.
One day of fun was not enough; after the competitions, they would go to the estate next to the roadside park to stay and then engage in another entertainment activity, fishing.
Not only did they get to eat delicious fish meals, but they also entertained themselves and could take home large quantities of fish for their families.
The other two girls were Ye Shiqi, who at a little over eight years old, couldn’t help but show up when these playmates came by, not only because they would spend money but also because they would bring her gifts.
Another girl was Ye Fengqi, the fourth eldest sister; as they aged, the three older sisters had already stopped playing wildly with them.
Most importantly, the rich young girl had also stopped joining in these activities in the past two or three years.
However, each time they held an entertainment event, they would sometimes come to play at the Ye Manor by the roadside, where the mountain was covered with many fruit trees and plants.
They could enjoy the scenery and pick their favorite fruits to eat, depending on the season.
Such recreational activities were not limited to the young girls; older girls also organized events at Ye Manor.
And from this estate, while secretly enjoying the view outside during the banquets, they could see some young men and others fishing.
It was also a place for serendipitous encounters, making it a good location for match-making without having to deliberately organize matchmaking events.
Of course, there were also older individuals who enjoyed exercise, running up the mountain, and then picking some fruits as they came down.
These were elderly gentlemen from rich families who, having money, wanted to have a healthy body and enjoy their leisure time happily.
Elderly people liked to come to Ye Manor before dawn, and all exercises, such as running, would be done before 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Then they would choose to have breakfast in the estate and, at the very least, either walk or take a carriage back to the county or home.
There were also elderly ladies who organized banquets, including young wives.
And women in their fifties, sixties, or thirties and forties, whose purpose in holding banquets was not just to eat delicacies,
but to achieve the key point of their high-society gatherings amidst the fresh air and beautiful scenery.
"Brothers, you must not lose to us girls, or else you’ll have to give even more rewards!"