afternoon delights

she likes the roasted sweet potatoes fresh off the carts, fat coals of warmth with heat trapped deep inside their mellow flesh. she likes eating them while standing on the sidewalk, scooping up soft mouthfuls of sweetness bite after greedy bite, while the rest of the root sits hot on her palms, tingling sensations percolating through the wool of her mittens. this is winter; deep, cold, with wind that cuts through any layers of clothing, sometimes bringing rain and snow.

but in the streets, haven can be purchased for three kuai.