It's said that happy childhood can heal one's whole life. When I review my childhood, my mind is filled with the joyful laughter. The rural maze composed of old houses and winding lanes, the great buds of banana trees, the fruitful persimmon tree... All of them are the sources of joy for the kids. 

My friends and I used to play games on the hillside behind the village. Now, I return that place with my daughter. The village has changed a lot. Colorful graffiti, trendy cafes, artistic workshops... Such urban cultural elements have become the rural scenes.

This winter, my friends and I gathered together to make the stove-boiled tea on the hillside behind the village which is a park now. Under the trees, we boiled a pot of good tea and roasted Chinese dates, peanuts, sweet potatoes, chestnuts, oranges, persimmons on the charcoal-filled stove at the same time. Both the atmosphere and the tea smelt sweet. Both the desserts with tea and roasted food are diverse.

Are we keen on setting the atmosphere or the sense of ceremony? It's complicated. My daughter asked why adults love to play this game now? Maybe we would like to warm the hands when it's cold. Actually, the warmest thing is your innocent smile. You make me think of the happy-go-luck past. The child in me is always there, never leaving my heart.