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墨書 Inktalez
"Let's go, slowpoke sister! If you don't come out soon, we'll leave you behind!" Bethany shouted unhappily, leaning against the car window.
Emma finally finished getting ready, dressed in a jeans jacket and a deep red hat, and took her seat in the passenger side. Bai Yujing glanced back at Bethany and said, "Buckle up!"
The journey from London to Wales wasn't too far. If they left in the morning and everything went smoothly, they could arrive by afternoon. The scenery along the way was filled with beautiful countryside views. Bai Yujing loved the landscapes of the British highways; amidst the green fields, a highway cut through, flanked by pristine nature, exuding a breath of fresh air that made one feel a sense of freedom and enjoyment.
Bethany leaned against the window, looking outside with Dudu nestled in her arms. The two pressed their faces together, eyes wide open as they gazed at the world outside.
"Wow!" Bethany exclaimed every time she spotted something surprising.
Bai Yujing quietly asked Emma, "Haven't you taken Bethany out to play before?"
Emma replied with a hint of sadness, "When she was younger, Bethany's health wasn't good, so we kept her at home. Later on, when she got a bit better, we only sent her to school. Because of her special situation, many schools were reluctant to accept her. Daisy was also very worried about Bethany getting into trouble, so she always kept her close by. That's why we rarely took her on trips."
Bai Yujing looked at Bethany's happy little face in the backseat along with Totoro Dudu and wondered if she could bring some changes to her life.
Wales is a kingdom within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, comprising 22 counties and cities. Bai Yujing's group aimed for Cardiff, the capital of Wales. This place was once the world's largest coal export port but now resembled much of the rest of Britain—fresh air and clear sunshine.
Emma mentioned that this area used to be filled with coal mines and excavation marks; however, those signs had completely disappeared. After about five hours of driving, they arrived in Cardiff without any issues.
Compared to other major cities in Britain, Bai Yujing felt that Cardiff was closer to nature; it felt like a green city with excellent greenery throughout. Even around buildings and windows, there were plenty of flowers and plants.
The hotel Bai Yujing booked was near Cardiff International Airport. By this time, they had passed the peak tourist season of August and September, so there weren't many visitors around. Even hotel prices were nearly half of what they usually were. The only inconvenience was that it was a bit too cold, and England tended to have more cloudy days than sunny ones.
Upon arrival, however, Bethany seemed less cheerful than at home. She burrowed into Emma's arms upon seeing people as if feeling shy. She tightly hugged Dudu as if it were a toy.
"What's wrong? Bethany, weren't you looking forward to this trip?" Bai Yujing squatted down and said.
Emma answered for Bethany, "Bethany is a bit shy. Let's put our things away first. Both of us are feeling a bit hungry; we'll find a place to eat later!"
Bai Yujing nodded, "Alright, we can just explore the area today. I checked online, and we can rent a cottage at Snowdonia National Park, but they don't support online reservations. We'll rest here today and check it out tomorrow to see if we can book a cottage. We might need to stay there for a few days since it's uncertain if we'll find one right away; the entire Snowdonia National Park is too large!"
Emma nodded, "Okay, I'll go with Bethany to find a restaurant while you move everything inside!"
"Ah!" Bai Yujing immediately saw Emma and Bethany fleeing!
Emma was looking for a tea room on the second floor of a nearby building. She mentioned that their afternoon tea was very famous, and here you could taste the authentic Welsh dessert bara brith, made by soaking tea leaves overnight and mixing them with local ingredients like dried cranberries, lemon zest, and butter.
Bai Yujing tried it; it wasn't too sweet and had an excellent texture. While enjoying the delicious treat, she could also gaze out the window at the view of the entire city in the distance. The location Emma chose was indeed quite nice due to its higher elevation and open sightlines.
On the street, besides English signs, there was another language that Bai Yujing couldn't understand. She immediately asked Emma, "What language is that?"
Emma glanced over and quickly understood what Bai Yujing was asking: "That's Welsh, a type of Celtic language. Currently, about one-third of the people in Wales still use this language. Because Welsh descendants are widespread, it has also spread quite widely; you can see this language in many cities across Europe!"
Bai Yujing nodded, considering it a learning experience. Indeed, reading thousands of books doesn't compare to traveling thousands of miles.
However, when Bai Yujing turned back around, she noticed something else that immediately caught her attention: a painting on the wall. Amidst dense clouds, a beautiful lady emerged from the clouds wearing a floral crown. The mist and wind moved with her breath; this must be a depiction of some deity from Europe.
The lady's form was mostly blurred behind her upper body as if she were merging with the clouds and wind that swept across the land. However, on her shoulder was a pure white cat with wings accompanying her in flight.
Bai Yujing immediately said to Emma and Bethany, "Look over there, do you want to see the Angel Cat that Bethany saw?"
The two of them quickly looked over, and Bethany was the first to exclaim, "That's right, it's the Angel Cat!"
However, her loud voice immediately attracted the attention of those around them. Bethany suddenly felt embarrassed and scared, squeezing up against Bai Yujing, turning her back to everyone else as if she could no longer feel their gaze.
Bai Yujing patted Bethany's head and then called over a waiter. Soon, a young man dressed in a server's uniform walked over and said, "Hello, how can I assist you?"
Bai Yujing pointed at the painting and said, "I'm very curious about the content of that painting. Could you explain it to me?"
The waiter glanced at it and replied, "Oh! You mean that one! That's a very old legend from Wales. The goddess in the painting is the Sun Goddess from ancient Welsh mythology, but very few people know about it now. This is something our boss hung here; I only learned about it from him!"
Bai Yujing then asked, "What about that white cat?"
"That is the Flying Cat, also known as the Dream Cat. I actually know a bit about it; I heard its legend when I was a child. The Dream Cat is a pet of the gods and grants its owner the ability to control dreams!" The waiter gestured as he introduced it.
Having received the information he wanted, Bai Yujing took a ten-pound note from his wallet and placed it on the waiter's tray. "Thank you for your explanation!"
"You're welcome! I'm happy to serve you, sir. If you have any questions, feel free to call me anytime!" The waiter was all smiles upon receiving the tip.
Bai Yujing pondered thoughtfully, "Dream Cat, Sun Goddess!"
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