Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Bai Yujing and the Marin Couple headed to the venue of the Military Tattoo, chatting and laughing along the way. Accompanying them was their child, a mixed-race girl with black hair and a hint of blonde, particularly adorable with her bright, clear big eyes, resembling a doll.
"You are so pretty! How old are you this year?" Bai Yujing squatted down to ask the little girl.
The girl looked at Bai Yujing with disdain. "Oh, don't treat me like a child. You should ask some more meaningful questions."
Bai Yujing was taken aback. The girl's mother, Lady Mary, immediately frowned and said to her, "Julie, be polite, or we might have to cancel your chance to attend next year's Military Tattoo!"
Julie pouted and tilted her head defiantly at Bai Yujing. "Fine, my name is Julie, and I'm five years old this year."
Bai Yujing felt that this little girl had a unique spirit and personality. He couldn't help but pat Julie's head, but she strongly objected.
"Ah, you can't touch my head! A girl's head shouldn't be touched casually; that's not gentlemanly!" Julie exclaimed like a little lion, but Bai Yujing didn't mind at all, which made Julie even more frustrated.
Marin immediately hugged Julie and gently pushed her forward by holding her chin. "Alright, Julie, it's time for us to go."
Starting from 5 PM, the square in front of Edinburgh Castle began to tighten security; only those with tickets could enter or exit. There were police and barricades everywhere because the August Military Music Festival attracted the most tourists. The local government in Edinburgh was doing its best to ensure the safety of these visitors.
At this time, there was still some time before the performance began, but many people had already arrived early. It was evident that there were a lot of tourists attending the Military Tattoo. Soldiers from Scotland stood at the entrance wearing camouflage uniforms and distinctive oval hats adorned with a small ball on top.
Bai Yujing and the Marin family had tickets for Area 10. Most people here had package tickets, so they would also go to a nearby restaurant for dinner together. It seemed that the Marin Couple had been here before and were very familiar with the process; Bai Yujing just needed to follow behind them.
The dinner was quite formal and held in a spacious restaurant hall. Bai Yujing noticed that many Chinese people had come along as well; snippets of Chinese conversation occasionally broke out, making him feel very at home. Besides that, there were mostly Americans.
Bai Yujing was looking forward to what they would eat. Everyone sat separately; beside Bai Yujing sat the Marin Couple, while little Julie happened to sit right next to him.
Bai Yujing glanced at Julie and was about to tease her when he noticed that as soon as she saw him, she let out a cold huff and turned her face away as if she was still holding a grudge about him touching her head earlier.
"Are you a hamster girl?" Looking at Julie's puffed cheeks made Bai Yujing want to laugh.
Julie immediately turned around and asked, "What?"
Bai Yujing pointed at his own cheeks, which were also puffed up, and said, "Only hamsters usually have cheeks this big."
Julie became even angrier, but Bai Yujing quickly backtracked, saying, "Alright, I was wrong before. I apologize to you."
"I don't accept your apology," Loli said, her temper flaring.
Bai Yujing immediately put on a regretful expression and said, "Oh, how about I give you a gift? Then you can forgive me."
Loli didn't say anything, but her head turned to look over, implying that she was waiting to see what Bai Yujing would do. Bai Yujing spread his hands out, showing them empty, and pretended to perform a magic trick. Loli immediately showed an expression of anticipation.
Bai Yujing clasped his hands together in front of his mouth and blew into them. Instantly, a long balloon shaped like a sausage was inflated. Bai Yujing quickly folded and twisted the balloon a few times and transformed it into a small dog.
"Oh!" The little girl looked quite clever, but being young, she was immediately captivated by Bai Yujing's skill and gasped in amazement.
Bai Yujing held the balloon in front of Julie and said, "Blow on it!"
For some reason, Julie felt eager to try. She took a deep breath and blew hard. As Bai Yujing squeezed the balloon, air rushed into the dog's tail, forming a small bubble, and a Balloon Dog was created.
Loli looked as if her eyes were sparkling with excitement. Bai Yujing promptly handed the balloon dog to Julie and said, "This is for you."
Julie grabbed it immediately and couldn't put it down. Seeing Bai Yujing looking at her sincerely made her tilt her head up and say, "In light of the gift you gave me, I’ll reluctantly forgive you."
Dinner was served next, featuring whiskey paired with Western cuisine. Among the dishes was Fried Herring with sauce, along with some special delicacies served on an oversized plate.
It was then that Bai Yujing noticed there was also a man with yellow skin sitting next to him who appeared to be older than him. "Hello, are you Chinese?"
The man appeared refined, wearing glasses. Upon hearing Bai Yujing speak, he immediately said, "You are also Chinese? There are so many Chinese here!"
"I am Bai Yujing. It's a coincidence to meet someone abroad. Did you come with a tour group? Why aren't you sitting with the others?" Bai Yujing asked.
The bespectacled man nodded, "I'm Li Hao. The people in the group are mostly older or couples, so we don't have much in common."
"Then it's just the two of us single folks coming abroad and being cruelly tortured?" Bai Yujing said.
Li Hao also expressed his helplessness, with tears in his eyes, "Let's not talk about it; let's drink!"
Li Hao was from ZQ, while Bai Yujing was from Hubei. Upon learning this, Bai Yujing immediately said, "That means our tastes are quite similar! We both like spicy food. To be honest, the food in Edinburgh has some flavor, but after a while, it becomes unbearable. I'm starting to miss plain rice with stir-fried dishes."
"Yeah, it's all pasta, seafood, snacks, bread, and burgers every day. Eating them occasionally feels okay, but now I really want some rice," Li Hao replied.
The two exchanged WeChat contacts. At that moment, someone dressed like a host walked to the front. Bai Yujing originally thought it was just a dinner but didn't expect there would be a program as well.
Julie immediately shouted, "They're coming!"
"I wonder what the program will be this year!" Marlin said.
It seemed that their family was very familiar with this event. The host began to liven up the atmosphere and called out names of various countries. Each time a country's name was mentioned, people from that country cheered enthusiastically.
Following that was a performance by a small band. Bai Yujing wasn't very familiar with the music, but it was still very moving and uplifting. The banquet ultimately ended amidst laughter and joy.
Finally, the grand meal that Bai Yujing had been looking forward to arrived as the Military Tattoo began.
The avenue in front of the castle was empty, while the audience seats on both sides were packed. A bonfire blazed in front of the castle, and lights resembling flames illuminated the entire area.
Bai Yujing saw a large team walking out of the castle in formation, exuding an impressive aura. It was a performance by a Scottish band, with many people in front holding staffs, while behind them were musicians, both male and female, embracing Bagpipes. The sound of the Bagpipes accompanied the rhythm of their footsteps, and the entire team came to a stop in the square.
With so many people dressed in formal attire performing in unison, there was indeed a solemn and dignified feeling that instantly set it apart from smaller bands.
Next was the performance by the Koreans, featuring music accompanied by some kind of storyline. In addition to the band and the lead singer, there were two actors dressed in traditional Korean attire performing something that Bai Yujing did not fully understand, but it was still an entertaining sight.
Beginning with a somewhat solemn performance seemed to be a way to build up to something more vibrant. Following that was an energetic tap dance performance, where a large group of handsome men and beautiful women instantly lifted the festive atmosphere in the square. Even Bai Yujing felt excited; previously, Bai Yujing thought that such performances were not much different from watching them on TV, but upon experiencing it live, the atmosphere and feelings were completely different.
What interested Bai Yujing the most was the motorcycle performance afterward. A San's motorcycle stunts were famous; thinking about their poses while riding trains and cars made it clear that motorcycles would not be overlooked either. Six or seven people performed stunts on one motorcycle, followed by dozens of riders driving out from the castle on fewer than ten motorcycles. It was impossible to count how many there were; all that could be seen was a dense crowd standing on motorcycles forming a triangle shape, which was simply breathtaking.
Initially thinking A San was impressive enough, Bai Yujing was surprised when a British motorcycle team also put on an equally impressive show.
Following that was a large group of beautiful Scottish women dressed in traditional attire dancing passionately—long legs, short skirts, and lively dances ignited everyone's excitement.
Next came a series of drum performances, with soldiers dressed in various national military uniforms taking the stage to showcase their unique cultural styles. There were even children who came up to perform alongside them. Drums, cellos, Bagpipes, trumpets—throughout the night, this place was immersed in a world of music.
Finally, the Military Tattoo concluded with all performing teams gathering on stage in the square as fireworks erupted over the castle. The beautiful fireworks blossomed behind the massive castle, signaling the end of this grand feast. Everyone in the audience stood up to applaud these performing artists.
Bai Yujing felt that one of the goals for coming to Scotland had been achieved. How should one put it? There was still great satisfaction. As the event dispersed late at night, there were police everywhere outside providing tight security, ensuring safety.
That night, Bai Yujing did not suffer from insomnia and had a very restful sleep!
Comment 0 Comment Count