What's your feeling at the beginning? The aloof lawyer is crying!

So the family began to prepare for the trip with great enthusiasm.

Jiang Tingyan was responsible for booking accommodation and planning the itinerary. He carefully searched online for homestays with good reputations in the ancient town, and studied what kind of route would allow the children to have an easy time while not missing out on the attractions worth seeing.

Lin Wanyi was busy packing her luggage. She carefully selected clothes for the whole family, and also did not forget to bring the children's favorite toys, a few story books, and some common medicines.

Lin Yuelin and Lin Ruize were also busy. They searched through their rooms and found small drawing boards, colored pencils, etc., ready to draw the beautiful scenery they saw in the ancient town. They also wiped their small water bottles clean, looking forward to replenishing water at any time during the trip.

Finally, the day of departure arrived. The family got up early and got on the bus to the ancient town. Along the way, the children were as excited as two little sparrows, chirping non-stop. Lin Yuelin kept guessing what the ancient town would look like and whether there would be many beautiful flowers. Lin Ruize was thinking about the food there and kept asking, "Mom and Dad, are there a lot of delicious food in the ancient town?"

After several hours of driving, the quaint and tranquil ancient town finally appeared in front of us. As soon as we got off the car, a cool breeze blew on our faces, mixed with a faint fragrance of flowers, making us feel relaxed and happy.

Lin Yuelin and Lin Ruize looked around curiously, their eyes full of novelty. The streets of the ancient town were paved with bluestone slabs, with old houses on both sides and red lanterns hanging under the eaves, revealing a unique charm.

After arriving at the booked B&B, putting down their luggage and taking a short rest, the family couldn't wait to go out to explore the ancient town.

They first came to the central street of the ancient town, which was bustling with people. There were all kinds of snack stalls and specialty shops on both sides of the street. Lin Ruize's eyes lit up immediately, and he took Jiang Tingyan's hand and said, "Dad, look, there are so many delicious foods!"

Jiang Tingyan smiled and nodded, and took the family to taste one by one. They first tried the famous local specialty cakes. The cakes were exquisite in appearance, soft, glutinous and sweet when bitten, and there were some secret fillings inside, which were sweet but not greasy. Lin Yuelin squinted her eyes and kept saying, "It's so delicious, mom, I want more."

Then, they came to a stall selling cold noodles. The noodles were thin and chewy, served with a special sauce, fresh vegetables and crispy peanuts. After mixing evenly, every bite was sour and spicy, which was appetizing. Lin Ruize's face was covered with sauce, and he kept saying, "Wow, this is also great, I like spicy food."

Continuing along the street, they saw a small shop selling handmade sugar paintings. The shop owner skillfully used syrup to draw various lifelike patterns on the chopping board, and Lin Yuelin and Lin Ruize were fascinated. Jiang Tingyan bought one for each of the children. Lin Yuelin chose a beautiful butterfly sugar painting and held it carefully, fearing that it would break. She licked it from time to time, and the sweet feeling made her very happy. Lin Ruize asked for a Monkey King sugar painting and ran around the street holding it, as if he had become the powerful Monkey King.

After visiting the snack stalls, the family walked into an antique restaurant to taste the local main course. Jiang Tingyan ordered several signature dishes, one of which was fish soup made with fresh fish from the local river. The fish soup was milky white and exuded a strong fresh flavor. The fish meat was tender and juicy and melted in the mouth. There was also a dish stir-fried with wild vegetables from the mountain and native pork. The fragrance of the wild vegetables and the mellowness of the pork blended together, giving it a unique flavor. Lin Wanyi served the children fish soup and carefully picked out the fish bones. The children ate with relish, and even Lin Yuelin, who was usually a bit picky, couldn't help but eat a few more bites. After eating and drinking, the family continued to stroll in the ancient town. They came to the riverside of the ancient town. The river water was clear and you could see the fish swimming freely in the water. There are several ancient stone bridges on the river, and the bridge bodies are covered with moss, as if telling the story of the years.

Lin Yuelin and Lin Ruize ran to the bridge and leaned against the railing to look at the scenery in the river. Lin Yuelin took out a small drawing board and began to carefully draw the beautiful scenery in front of her. As she drew, she said, "I want to draw this place and show it to my friends when I get back." Lin Ruize handed her colored pencils and gave her suggestions from time to time. The brother and sister cooperated very well.

Jiang Tingyan and Lin Wanyi held hands and stood aside, watching the children with happy smiles on their faces. They felt the tranquility and beauty of the ancient town and enjoyed this rare parent-child time.

In the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on the ancient town, dyeing everything with a layer of golden brilliance. The family walked slowly back along the river and met some local residents on the way. They greeted Jiang Tingyan's family warmly, and their simple smiles made Jiang Tingyan and his family feel warm in their hearts.

Back at the B&B, although the children were a little tired after playing all day, they were still too excited to sleep. Lin Wanyi told them the legend of the ancient town, and the children listened attentively, staring at their mother without blinking, as if they were in the mysterious legend.

The next morning, the family set out to explore other parts of the ancient town. They came to an ancient temple, where incense was burning and bells were ringing. Lin Yuelin and Lin Ruize followed Jiang Tingyan and Lin Wanyi to worship Buddha devoutly, chanting in their mouths, hoping to bless their family with peace and health.

After leaving the temple, they went to the back mountain of the ancient town. The back mountain was a lush forest, the air was particularly fresh, and it was filled with the fragrance of trees and flowers. Jiang Tingyan took the children for a walk in the forest, introducing them to various plants and small animals. The children listened with great interest and asked some interesting questions from time to time.

Lin Yuelin saw a beautiful wild flower and ran over to pick it. Jiang Tingyan quickly stopped her and said, "Baby, wild flowers are also alive. We should just look at them, don't pick them." Lin Yuelin listened, nodded sensibly, and said, "Okay, Dad, I understand."

After walking in the forest for a while, the family found a flat grassy area to sit down and rest. Lin Wanyi took out the prepared fruits and snacks from her backpack, and everyone shared them and enjoyed this pleasant outdoor time.

In the afternoon, they returned to the streets of the ancient town and continued to taste the food they had not had time to try. This time they discovered a kind of local unique stewed food, which had an attractive color and a mellow taste. Lin Ruize praised it after taking a bite and said, "This stewed food is so delicious. I want to buy some to bring back for my grandparents." (End of this chapter)