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Yezhi, carrying a large Cloth Bag and riding a folding bike, arrived at the rice fields, which were a blend of blue-green and pale yellow, greeted by the unique morning humidity and freshness.
Yesterday evening, Village Uncle and the others had transported 300 ducklings to a corner of the rice field, placing them in a Duck House made from straw and wooden frames.
"Yezhi, you're here!" Aunt Ren Er was chopping tender green grass, preparing to feed the ducklings.
"Aunt Ren Er, it seems you are the commander of the ducks now," Yezhi said with a smile.
"Haha! I've already taken on the role. Look at me, serving these little ducks as if they were my ancestors!" Aunt Ren Er said proudly, her face showing a mix of honor and pride. Yezhi always thought Aunt Ren Er was capable; she was just right for this task.
Aunt Ren Er placed the wooden basin filled with tender grass into the Duck House. The fluffy yellow ducklings rushed towards the basin, with a few mischievous ones jumping in to hog the grass for themselves. The lively energy of the ducklings was vivid and adorable, bringing joy to everyone.
"These little ducks are really spirited!" Village Uncle remarked as he walked over from the horse rack, watching the ducklings scramble for food.
Yezhi and Aunt Ren Er replied in unison, "Yes!"
After feeding the ducklings until they were half full, Aunt Ren Er drove them into the rice field. Yezhi, Aunt Ren Er, and Village Uncle followed the lively ducklings as they waddled through the green fields. The ducklings flapped their wings and sometimes stretched out their little feet to scratch their chins; at times they would dive into the water and disappear among the rice plants.
The three of them observed for an entire morning, and all the ducklings behaved well, not touching the budding green rice. On Wednesday and Thursday, two older brothers brought back a basin of Loach from the fields for Yezhi to take home. Yezhi licked her lips in delight as she accepted it; she had already thought about how to cook it at home—fried Loach sprinkled with some chili powder would be perfect! With a bag of Loach in hand, Yezhi happily waved goodbye to Village Uncle and headed home.
The next day, and for three days after that... for an entire week, Yezhi wandered around the rice fields. Today Tiansuo decided not to leave but stayed behind to keep Aunt Ren Er company. The moonlight poured down like water over this patch of rice fields. Amongst the grass and rice plants, various insects were composing a nocturnal symphony. The ducklings quacked insistently while frogs croaked in chorus. Inspired by the scene, Yezhi swayed her head and recited: "The bright moon startles the magpies on separate branches; in the cool breeze at midnight cicadas sing. Amidst the fragrance of rice flowers we speak of a bountiful year; listen to the chorus of frogs all around."
"Wow! This cultured person is different from us; your speech sounds like singing! I should teach my daughter to learn from you!" Aunt Ren Er joked.
"Sure! Let your shy Spring Peach learn from me and become a new woman of this era!"
"What do you mean?" Aunt Ren Er asked Yezhi.
"Aunt Ren Er, why does your Spring Peach always keep her head down like a little wife?" Yezhi had seen Aunt Ren Er's Spring Peach three times, each time with her head bowed, never having gotten a clear look at her face.
"Bah! My daughter is a blooming flower at eighteen, and she's not married yet, what little wife!" Aunt Ren Er grumbled unhappily.
Yezhi, who had misspoken, quickly apologized and took a serious look at Aunt Ren Er, asking, "Aunt Ren Er, why is Spring Peach so shy?" Aunt Ren Er sighed, "Just like her father, honest to a fault, can't even let out a fart after a long time!" Yezhi nodded; Aunt Ren Er was indeed honest and dull.
Aunt Ren Er affectionately linked arms with Yezhi. "Yezhi, what do you think we can do to make my daughter as bold as you?"
Yezhi chuckled, "Aunt Ren Er, I'm not as bold as you say!"
"How can that be? Just look at Comrade Lin's gaze, so direct and intense! When I first met your uncle, I wasn't even as bold as you; I didn't dare to look him in the eye and just stole a glance." As soon as Aunt Ren Er mentioned Comrade Lin, Yezhi felt an overwhelming urge to escape and hurriedly made her way to the restroom.
"Yezhi, Yezhi!" As she passed by the horse rack, she saw Wednesday and Thursday Brother sneaking around with an oil lamp.
"What’s going on?"
"Come on, let's catch some good food!" Wednesday and Thursday Brother grinned mischievously.
How could she miss out on good food? Yezhi replied without hesitation, "Sure!"
Zhou San led the way with the oil lamp, Yezhi was in the middle, and Thursday Brother brought up the rear with a sack. The oil lamp flickered like fireflies dancing in the corners of the rice fields. As they stepped into the fields, the lamp shone down on a Yellow Eel curled up in the rice paddies. It looked terrifying but seemed completely unaware of the danger before it.
Yezhi suddenly felt her scalp tingle; shadows of snakes danced before her eyes. She forced herself to stay calm and silently chanted to bolster her courage: "I am wearing armor!"
Thursday Brother took off his shoes and stepped into the rice field. Zhou San handed the oil lamp to Yezhi while they both focused on catching the thicker eels. Yezhi closed her eyes and raised the oil lamp high.
After working hard all night, they had quite a harvest. Wednesday and Thursday Brother excitedly discussed how to prepare the Yellow Eel. "Yezhi, how do you think we should cook this Yellow Eel?"
Distracted, Yezhi finally came back to her senses and searched her mind for recipes for Yellow Eel. Her hometown was famous for its Yellow Eel dishes: eel noodle soup and spicy eel stir-fry. Unfortunately, she couldn't make either since she lacked ingredients and they wouldn't suit everyone's taste.
"Zhou San, Thursday Brother, how do you usually prepare it?"
"Steamed. When my mother was around, I heard people say it’s good for eyesight. Little Four and I often caught Yellow Eels for her; they're much tastier than Loach."
Steamed dishes had never been tried before, and Yezhi exclaimed excitedly, "Zhou San, you must make some for us to taste!" Zhou San nodded, and Thursday Brother laughed, "Alright, let you experience our skills!" Yezhi grinned mischievously, thinking about the food without having to face the spine-chilling Yellow Eel. Yay!
As Yezhi settled into the wooden horse frame, Aunt Ren Er was already fast asleep. The fresh feeling of seemingly sleeping in the wilderness kept Yezhi excited for a long time before she finally drifted off to dreamland.
The next noon, Yezhi sat on the ground with Everyone, chatting and laughing while taking big bites of Corn Cake and savoring the ginger-flavored tender eel. This was the season when wild Yellow Eels were at their most plump; natural ingredients always tasted particularly delicious. Yezhi shouted loudly, "Everyone knows that eating Yellow Eel during the Minor Heat is like ginseng! It nourishes the brain, strengthens the body, and protects the eyes."
"Yezhi, stop talking nonsense!" Zhou Dali teased.
"Who says? If Yezhi is talking nonsense, then after eating Loach, doesn't Everyone feel particularly energetic?" Village Uncle defended.
One Gun Brother eagerly responded, "I’ll go catch some at night to nourish this little brat One Egg's brain." Everyone chimed in with their opinions, while Yezhi felt a chill; Everyone's enthusiasm was unstoppable, and the fate of Yellow Eel was looking bright!
When Yezhi returned home that evening, as soon as she entered the yard, she was greeted by a strong bear hug from Black Treasure that made her waist ache. She playfully rubbed Black Treasure's round head; it wouldn't let go. "What's wrong? I'm back now!"
Black Treasure huffed twice as if complaining. Yezhi gently patted Black Treasure's bear back like soothing a child until it reluctantly released her.
Aunt Zhou stood at the kitchen door watching tenderly. As Yezhi walked into the kitchen, Aunt Zhou smiled under the dim candlelight when she saw Yezhi's face covered in red bumps. "What happened to your face?"
The sight of her face full of red bumps made Yezhi extremely frustrated. Since this morning, many people had teased her about it. She complained that the Bite-Resistant Armor wasn't effective; it protected everything except her face! Those pesky mosquitoes really concentrated their fire on her. That night passed with Aunt Zhou's occasional teasing and Black Treasure's constant following.
...
"Master, today is September 10th, the day for Cosmic Mall's advertisement shoot!"
Thoughtful Xiao Fang reminded Yezhi early in the morning. After finishing her household chores, Little Mu's Father moved the pre-made bookshelf and Big Wooden Platform to Yezhi's house.
"Brother Zhou, thank you!" Yezhi poured a glass of cool boiled water and handed it to Brother Zhou.
"Yezhi, I was afraid you would be anxious, so I brought you these two first; you'll have to wait a few more days for the rest." After saying this, Brother Zhou gulped down the water in one go and hurriedly took his leave.
For an entire afternoon, Yezhi was busy arranging the bookshelf and the Big Wooden Platform. Black Treasure, the strongman, lay down inside the Big Wooden Platform, following Yezhi's instructions to push it around. When Yezhi patted him and said, "Okay!" Black Treasure eagerly lay back on the Big Wooden Platform as if it were designed just for him, leaving Yezhi both amused and exasperated.
In the evening, Yezhi grabbed a handful of Smart Beans for Black Treasure. He munched on his late-night snack and snuggled back into his bear den with two little geese to sleep.
Yezhi stealthily changed her clothes, tied up her messy short hair with a rubber band, darkened her face, and climbed onto the bed in the dark, logging in with her consciousness.
Xiao Fang was already waiting for Yezhi. The two stepped onto the light bridge, where the stars blurred into glowing orbs that gathered to form a wavy wall of light. As they reached the end of the bridge, the cosmic world before them continuously expanded, bringing them closer to the planet of the Endless Forest. "Master, I'll count to three and jump!" Xiao Fang instructed.
Following Xiao Fang's lead, Yezhi closed her eyes and jumped. After two seconds of dizziness, she steadied herself. Yezhi placed a hand on her chest and opened her eyes to see Peter enveloped in a white halo, smiling as he greeted her. "Miss Leaf, welcome!"
Yezhi turned to glance at Xiao Fang, who was also surrounded by a glow. She believed she looked similar as the three of them moved through the faintly visible shapes of bizarre trees.
As they passed through the forest, they were met with an endless shimmering golden sea. Bai Duoya's ink-black hair danced lightly in the wind, and the glimmering ocean cast a golden halo around his elegant figure.
The staff busily turned on the lighting equipment while Yezhi and Xiao Fang followed Peter toward Bai Duoya. Feeling a bit nervous, Yezhi extended her hand. "Hello, Mr. Bai!"
"Hello!" Bai Duoya replied clearly before putting on headphones and sitting aside, retreating into his own world. Yezhi withdrew her hand and stole a few glances; Xiao Fang imitated her master’s curiosity and asked innocently, "Master, what's so interesting?"
"You wouldn't understand; looking at a handsome man like Bai Duoya makes me feel good. I want to enjoy this feeling a little longer!" Yezhi said with a nonchalant expression.
At that moment, Peter appeared with Bald Three-Eyed Uncle, who was the director of the advertisement. He began explaining the content of the ad and what Yezhi needed to do. As she listened attentively, her face flushed bright red when she heard that she would need to hug Bai Duoya; she felt so shy!
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