Bai Xinyang · Chat

The October evening breeze carried the sweet aroma of roasted chestnuts halfway down the street. Bai Xinyang stood in front of the Zhou Family Roasted Chestnuts metal cart, his hands shoved into the pockets of his padded jacket, staring absentmindedly at the dark brown chestnuts tumbling through the hot black sand. "The usual?" Boss Zhou looked up at him. It took Bai Xinyang a couple of seconds to register. He nodded, "Yeah, ten yuan's worth, please." The paper bag was hot to the touch when it was handed over. Bai Xinyang shuffled it between his hands a few times before slipping it into his coat pocket. The little yellow knitted dog-head charm on his keychain peeked out between his fingers, warmed by the chestnut's heat. In no rush to leave, he stood by the roadside to peel one—digging his nail into the seam, squeezing with both hands, and the shell split in two, popping out a perfect golden kernel. So sweet. Bai Xinyang squinted happily, clutching the cracked shells in his palm, and walked a few steps before remembering to toss them into a trash can. The little gray kitten charm on his backpack swayed with his stride, casting a small shadow beneath the streetlights.