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墨書 Inktalez
Hanno had no one to talk to; her cousin was at school, so she took out her phone to type. The tentative title for her new work was "Hong Kong Entertainment Dream." Hanno typed out the outline: In the twenty-first century, an older single woman named Yue Junzhe died in a car accident while saving a child. Her soul returned to over thirty years ago, becoming an ordinary girl in the early 1980s in Harbor City. This girl lost her mother early on and ended up with a stepmother and a stepfather, feeling out of place in the entire Noble Lady family. Her father, who was somewhat capable, got an opportunity to work abroad and decided to immigrate with his family. However, under the instigation of her stepmother, he only took her stepmother and younger brother, leaving the girl behind in Hong Kong with only a rural house and enough money for her to graduate high school. Devastated and feeling hopeless about her future, she chose to commit suicide. At that moment, Yue Junzhe arrived.
To survive, Yue Junzhe had to plagiarize her past life's creativity, relying on royalties to support herself. Her novel ideas became a sensation throughout Hong Kong, and her pen name became synonymous with talented writers like Yi Shu. After gaining fame, Infinite Television Station approached her for scripts. Yue Junzhe adapted classic television films from her previous life into scripts for the station, thus entering the entertainment industry and meeting many familiar superstar figures from her past.
After finishing the outline, Hanno sent it directly to her editor.
“Dinner’s ready,” Aunt's voice called from the yard. Everyone walked out of the house to find a large round table set up in the center of the yard, piled high with dishes and meat—an impressive amount indeed. The farmhouse cuisine was much coarser compared to that of a big restaurant but had its own unique flavors that made it delicious.
“Does Nono have a boyfriend yet?” Aunt Yao casually shifted the conversation toward Hanno.
Mom Han sighed, “Not yet! This child is too busy with business and has no thoughts of finding a partner.”
Aunt Yao replied, “But she should be looking! Nono is twenty-five now, right? I was already having my Seventh Son at this age.”
Mom Han added, “I had Nono by then too.”
Hanno felt like she had been hit by several arrows; she shrank back behind plump Aunt.
Aunt Yao said, “Should I introduce some good young men to Nono?”
Hanno vigorously shook her head from behind Aunt. Mom Han sighed again, deciding to give her daughter some more time and politely declined Aunt Yao’s offer: “Let’s wait a bit longer. This child is focused on opening her casual hot pot restaurant right now; she has no interest in dating.”
Aunt Yao sighed as well, seemingly disappointed that she couldn’t play matchmaker. Hanno breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Han Dad and Mom Han with gratitude; her parents understood her best. During this time back home, they neither pressed her about Wei Feng nor rushed her into blind dates. They cared for her without putting any pressure on her.
The conversation between Aunt Yao and Mom Han shifted away from Hanno and turned to their own lives.
“Seventh Son and a few others bought some seeds from who knows where; they plan to grow Azure Japonica Rice. But where can you even find Azure Japonica Rice these days? I bet it’s just ordinary japonica rice; they treat it like treasure. When harvest time comes, they’ll all be disappointed,” Aunt Yao remarked.
Mom Han nodded, "The japonica rice sold in the market only looks a bit fuller than regular rice, and Azure Japonica Rice is even rarer. They must have been deceived."
Azure Japonica Rice! Hanno recalled the porridge made from Azure Japonica Rice mentioned in "Dream of the Red Chamber," and just thinking about it made her mouth water. "In the second year as a guest in the capital, I grew weary of clever tricks. The wild people are repulsed by the smell of game; vegetables often leave one unsatisfied. Is there not Azure Wind Rice to enhance my complexion? Bitter and lacking in medicinal resources, the mountain trails are like a sweep. Li Hou Jin Gui Yan, escaping from mundane matters to discuss the ethereal. There is also Liang Song You, hoping to gather the precious herbs." Azure Wind Rice refers to Azure Japonica Rice; indeed, Azure Japonica Rice is green. Unfortunately, it seems that in this era, Azure Japonica Rice has become extinct. The Azure Japonica Rice sold in the market is completely different from what ancient texts describe. If only she could obtain seeds of Azure Japonica Rice!
After a hearty lunch, the three members of the Han family took their leave. Second Cousin drove them on an electric tricycle to the town, where they could catch a ride back to the city. However, instead of returning immediately, they headed to Half-Moon Street, where many Hui people gathered, and bought several portions of Steamed Beef along with some Shallow Bread. Beef-Stuffed Pancake was a delicious way to enjoy it. When Hanno purchased these items, she felt inspired and decided to buy an extra portion of beef and two more Shallow Breads. Upon returning home, Hanno secretly stuffed the Steamed Beef into two Shallow Breads and placed them in a Porcelain Jar; sure enough, the Beef-Stuffed Pancake quickly disappeared.
Because "the immortal" had once again bestowed food upon them, the siblings thought they would have to wait another ten days or so for another surprise. To their astonishment, something appeared in the Porcelain Jar that very evening. The siblings shared one Beef-Stuffed Pancake, its deliciousness nearly causing them to swallow their tongues.
"Sister, there's one pancake left. Can I let Brother Wen and Ziyu taste it?" Li Yishu asked Li Zhoule earnestly.
Li Zhoule also wanted to share good things with the three brothers. Due to their hunger, their health was poor and they needed proper nourishment. The large bones and offal had already been consumed by them; Li Zhoule had intended to send them some more meat.
"Alright." Li Zhoule had grown up alongside Wen Zixia and trusted his character. She filled a basket with two pieces of meat and placed the Beef-Stuffed Pancake on top for Li Yishu to deliver.
"Just take it over; don't say anything unnecessary," Li Zhoule instructed.
Li Yishu nodded. They all understood that with Wen Zixia's intelligence, he wouldn't ask too many questions.
A moment later, Li Yishu returned home: "Brother Wen is teaching Ziyu how to study 'Young Learning Jade Forest.' I need to work hard too."
Li Zhoule felt comforted: "If you don't understand something, go ask Brother Wen; he is quite knowledgeable."
Li Yishu acknowledged this and dashed back to her room to study.
On the other side, Wen Zixia served Beef-Stuffed Pancakes, and as expected, no one asked any questions, even though the beef was a product of the court's supply. The three brothers shared the Beef-Stuffed Pancakes, and each had a bowl of Brown Rice Porridge, filling their stomachs to the brim.
“Elder Brother, I feel so happy these days!” Wen Zixue said cheerfully. “I hope every day can be like this.”
Wen Zixia patted his younger brother's head and vowed, “It will be. From now on, I won’t let you go hungry again.”
Among them, the youngest brother was the most pitiful. Since birth, he had never lived a good life and had rarely eaten a full meal. Wen Zixia felt both guilty and compassionate towards him.
Wen Ziyu walked over with a book in hand—the book was copied by him, and his handwriting was not much better than Elder Brother Li’s—and asked, “Elder Brother, at my current pace, when can I take the child scholar exam?”
Wen Zixia replied, “If you work hard, you can participate in the child scholar exam in three years. It’s just that I don’t know if the war will have settled by then or if the court will restore the imperial examination.”
Wen Ziyu wrinkled his nose and said, “The war has been going on for three years; the court should be able to settle it by now, right?”
Wen Zixia sighed, “It’s difficult. The one rebelling now is Prince Ping, the emperor’s uncle. He has been preparing for decades and is very powerful. Moreover, he has colluded with the Northern Liang Kingdom. With threats from both inside and outside, it won’t be easy for the court to restore order.”
Wen Ziyu said angrily, “It’s all that Prince Ping’s fault! Why did he have to rebel? He’s dragging Father down… dragging Father down…”
Unable to continue, Wen Ziyu's eyes turned red, and Wen Zixue began to cry as well.
Wen Zixia pulled Wen Ziyu into his embrace and gently comforted his two younger brothers: “Don’t cry. Father and Mother are watching over us from above; they wouldn’t want us to be sad because of them.”
“Elder Brother, I miss Father and Mother…” Wen Zixue said through sobs while tugging at Wen Zixia's clothes.
Wen Zixia fell silent for a moment before replying, "I want to as well..."
The cold air swept through, and winter finally made its presence felt in D City. Hanno and Mom Han rummaged through their belongings, each pulling out a down jacket and a wool coat, along with gloves, hats, and scarves. Fully armed, they stepped outside, and instead of feeling cold, they found themselves sweating.
In the living room stood three large boxes—truly massive and quite old, made of solid wood rather than the modern hard canvas. One of the boxes, painted green, belonged to Han Dad. He had brought it with him when he left home from the Provincial Capital to work in D City. The other two were made of rosewood and were part of Mom Han's dowry. The quality of these boxes was far superior to anything made today; clothes and items stored inside could last for decades without deteriorating. Hanno dug out several old-fashioned garments from the boxes.
Hanno frowned. "Mom, why are we keeping these clothes?"
Though sturdy, neither the fabric nor the style was particularly good; they held no value for preservation and only took up space. If they were qipaos or Zhongshan suits, they might be worth showing off, but military green cotton coats and outdated wool overcoats wouldn’t even be accepted by relatives in the countryside.
Mom Han chuckled lightly, unconcerned. "I haven't touched these three boxes in over ten years. I can't even remember what's inside. You can handle them however you like."
"Really? I can just throw them away?" Hanno asked.
Han Dad interjected, "Keep one or two pieces as mementos for your mom and me."
Hanno nodded. "After all, things with such historical significance are rare nowadays."
He decided to keep one military coat and a red wool coat—reportedly worn by Mom Han on her wedding day, which held great sentimental value—while packing everything else into a large bag. In truth, there wasn't much left: one military coat, two wool overcoats, three cotton jackets, and three pairs of wool trousers. Due to their bulkiness, they filled nearly two boxes, leaving the remaining space occupied by some miscellaneous items. While searching through the boxes, Hanno discovered dozens of badges.
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