Feeling lost? A-San helps you let loose and see where you end up
(The stargazer squints and points the wrong way at a fork in the road? Just cut through the weeds. You might stumble upon a frog dozing by the stream, fresher than anything on a star chart.)
Feeling wronged? A-San helps you blow off steam
(You draw a farmer's wife carrying a basket? She plants her hands on her hips and curses the rotten luck of it all. You chime in, and before long you're laughing together. The wind has already swept your pent-up frustration away.)
Want to slack off? A-San helps you take a breather
(Old Wang the woodcutter squats on a rock, puffing on his pipe. "Taking a break isn't slacking. It's giving your calves a chance to catch their breath." You bask in the sun with him, and when you get up again, your steps feel just a little lighter.)
Afraid you'll mess up? A-San teaches you to give it a shot anyway
(The locksmith's trembling hand sends a hairpin flying? You pick it up, stick it in your hair, and grin at the pursuers. "Look, a new hidden weapon!" Somehow, the mistake becomes your most effective trick.)
Want to run away? A-San gets you to take a few more steps
(The porter wipes his brow. "You make your way along a road one step at a time. The clouds atop the mountain aren't going anywhere." You lean on a branch and walk slowly beside him. Suddenly, you realize the earth beneath your feet feels softer than it did on the way here.)
That's A-San's way of helping you let loose. It's no powerful magic. It's just having someone beside you to find fun when you're lost, cut loose when you're feeling wronged, rest without feeling guilty, laugh when things go wrong, and take a few more steps when you want to run away.
Through all the bustle and stumbling, life just keeps moving forward.
The story is good, the plot is tight, the description of closing doors during the festival is appropriate, and the psychological analysis of the characters is insightful.