"Bro, why aren't you walking on the carpet?"

The uncle looked curiously at the person who had just struck up a conversation. That person was making it a point to step on spots not covered by the carpet.

The guy snorted, "I'm not going to step on it. It's all laid out for those little princes and princesses from the South. I just prefer walking around like this!"

The three of them passed through the underground passage. That guy left without stepping on the carpet even once. Once out of the passage, they went their separate ways, and the uncle led Wang Fan in another direction.

Now, this Harbin felt unfamiliar even to the uncle, let alone Wang Fan, who had never been here before.

The places are still the same, but the decoration has gone from the most basic to the highest level.

As they walked, they seemed to have reached a pedestrian street. The uncle pointed inside and said, "This is where the real fun of our Harbin is."

It was just around noon, and the pedestrian street was bustling with people, looking very lively.

At the entrance, there was a sweet potato vendor, and you could smell the aroma of the sweet potatoes from afar.

The uncle's eyes lit up, "Let's go, get a piece of roasted sweet potato. The ones grown in our black soil are much sweeter than those outside."

Wang Fan followed his uncle to the sweet potato stall, where a few young girls were also waiting for their roasted sweet potatoes.

The sweet potato vendor looked to be in his fifties, his face filled with a kind, indulgent smile.

He broke the sweet potatoes in half, placed them in bags, and put a small plastic spoon in each one: "Here are your roasted sweet potatoes. If you're worried about getting dirty, you can eat with the spoon. Be careful, it's hot."

The young girls eagerly took their sweet potatoes, quickly digging in with their spoons. They couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, these sweet potatoes are really delicious, so sweet."

The sweet potato vendor's smile deepened at these words: "Come back for more if you like them. I'll give you a half-price discount next time."

The young girls sweetly said, "Thank you, uncle," before running off into the street hand in hand.

Leaving the sweet potato vendor chuckling foolishly to himself.

The uncle interrupted his laughter: "Boss, stop laughing. You've got business. Get us one roasted sweet potato each, and pick the gooey ones!"

The sweet potato vendor cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment, then quickly picked two sweet potatoes from the stove and handed them to the uncle in paper bags.

The uncle waited for a while, puzzled when the vendor didn't break them open or put spoons in the bags, and asked, "That's it?"

The sweet potato vendor shook his head, "Not yet, you haven't paid."

The uncle replied, "Aren't you supposed to break them open and give me a little spoon as well?"

The sweet potato vendor shook his head, "Those Southern girls are used to eating with fine bits, so they use a spoon. You Northeast guys eat coarse grains every day. What do you need a spoon for? What, do you want me to feed you?"

The uncle laughed in exasperation, "Fine, fine, you win. You guys here treat people like this."

Saying so, he huffed, paid the money, and walked away with Wang Fan.

Wang Fan looked at his uncle's expression and couldn't help but find it hilarious, thinking to himself, you say they don't treat people well, but who's the one who gave up their spot to the Southerners in the morning?

Neither of you should point fingers.

Wang Fan looked at the sweet potato in his hand. The outer skin was roasted to a crispy yellow, and slight cracks revealed wisps of steam and an enticing aroma.

Peeling off the skin, the orange flesh inside was exposed.

The vendor controlled the heat just right; you could clearly see the moist, gooey center of the sweet potato flesh.

One bite and the sweet flavor spread in his mouth. The soft and glutinous texture made Wang Fan take a big bite.

"How is it? Tasty?" the uncle asked with a sly smile.

Wang Fan nodded, "This sweet potato and skill are top-notch."

The uncle proudly stated, "That's right; everything grown on our black soil is delicious."

After saying that, he clapped his hands and threw the finished sweet potato skin and plastic bag into a nearby trash bin: "Come, I'll take you to play ring toss. You wouldn't have seen these in Beijing."

They do have ring toss games in Beijing, but most are in parks and tourist attractions, which they had never visited due to their usual routine.

After walking inside for a bit, they saw a street vendor setting up a ring toss game. The vendor was shouting through a small loudspeaker, "Come, come, ring toss, 20 bucks for a bucket, 30 for two buckets, as long as it hooks!"

Wang Fan watched curiously as the vendor kept calling, looking at the small items arranged on the ground.

There were small plush toys, porcelain cups, and bowls. There were also some large teddy bears in the back, with the prizes getting better the further back they were.

Many people stood in front of a railing, holding a bunch of small rings aiming at the prizes. The rings weren't very large, roughly the size of a football.

This cold weather might affect their performance a little, and many people, despite stretching their bodies to ring the nearest small toy, most left empty-handed.

The uncle bought the rings and handed a stack to Wang Fan, saying, "Throw as you please, I'm backing you up."

Wang Fan noticed the uncle still had 5 rings left in his hand.

"Why don't you get a few more?" he asked.

The uncle shook his head confidently, "Five is enough. Any more, and people might say I'm bullying the vendor."

Holding the rings and watching his uncle, Wang Fan felt like he was suddenly transported back to his childhood on Earth.

Back then, he seemed to envy other kids playing games with their parents?

With a smile, Wang Fan took a ring, aimed at a small plush panda, and tossed it.

The bamboo ring drew a perfect arc in the air and landed accurately on the red cloth in front of the panda, MISS.

Undeterred, Wang Fan took the second ring and threw it at the panda again.

This time, he used too much strength, and the ring flew behind the panda.

With misses and misjudgments on strength, all ten or so rings were thrown, and he hadn't touched the panda even once.

"Hey, I just don't believe it!"

Wang Fan's competitive spirit was aroused, and he kept throwing at that panda plush.

But his aim was really off, as all 90 rings flew out without hooking the panda even once, the closest only grazing the edge.

The vendor watched with a smiling face, pleased because missing meant more profit for him.

Seeing the vendor's smug grin, the uncle also chuckled.

It was time for the old pro to step in!

The uncle signaled Wang Fan to step aside, and Wang Fan reluctantly moved.

The uncle stood there, calmly holding the ring with one hand, flicking his wrist, and the bamboo ring drew a perfect arc, firmly hooking on the panda's ear.

"Nephew, just tell uncle what else you want, and I'll hook them all for you."

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