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墨書 Inktalez
Yezhi looked at the chaotic front yard, at the twenty-seven children greeting her, and at Black Treasure running around among the crowd, her mind in a whirl.
At that moment, Aunt Zhou stood up from beside the well with a basket of green peaches, smiling, "Oh, what's going on? Come, come, eat some peaches!" Aunt Zhou handed out green peaches to each child. Er Zhu awkwardly held a peach, glancing at One Egg beside him. One Egg took a big bite out of his peach, chewing happily. He then looked back at Yezhi.
Yezhi was also given a green peach by Aunt Zhou. For these little kids, her family's peaches weren't ripe yet and had already been picked. However, there wasn't much to offer at home; it seemed she would have to go into town to buy supplies. She took a bite; it was crisp and slightly sweet—not particularly delicious—and finished it in a few bites. She clapped her hands and called out, "Kids, after you finish your peaches, go home and bring back some stools. We can't just lie on the ground to learn! Even if we could, my yard is too small for all of you big kids." As soon as she finished speaking, laughter erupted.
After sending the children off, Yezhi opened her floral Cloth Bag, hid her folding bike inside, and counted out 27 copies of notebooks and pencils...! A moment later, the yard became lively again as 27 Kids appeared with stools of various heights. Once the Kids were seated, Yezhi took out the notebooks and pencils to distribute. The upright Kids brightened their eyes in unison; whoever received the supplies revealed two big front teeth in a silly grin. Even Er Zhu, usually serious, wore an innocent expression. Yezhi picked up a piece of paper with pinyin written on it and still wet ink, saying, "Kids, from now on we'll have classes in the morning and free activities in the afternoon. Today, let's start with pinyin: a, o...!"
...
Cough! Cough! Being a teacher relies on one's voice; after talking all morning, Yezhi felt her throat dry and went to help Aunt Zhou cook after drinking a big scoop of cool well water.
Aunt Zhou was mixing cornmeal while mutton simmered in the pot. Black Treasure, munching on a green peach, stood guard by the basket of peaches. Yezhi squatted down and poked Black Treasure's big belly; this little one never stopped eating—living better than she was. "Girl! You go rest; I can handle this!" Aunt Zhou pushed Yezhi out of the kitchen.
Under the blazing sun, three chickens were around—two perched on the windowsill and one in a straw nest atop a tree. Big Yellow wagged its tail at the gate while green fruits hung sparsely from the Peach Tree. Hmm...! Maybe she should plant more flowers or set up a Big Wooden Platform in the yard like they do in Korea so they could lie down there to eat and chat while stargazing! While Yezhi was contemplating how to plan the yard, Aunt Zhou called her for lunch.
After serving Black Treasure a bowl of meat soup, Yezhi tore off a piece of bone-in mutton, dipped it in some sauce, and put it in her mouth—so delicious! Truly deserving of being called "the king of lean meat," it had no fat at all; the meat was tender and delicate. Aunt Zhou handed over a golden corn cake saying, "Girl, you really have to try this mutton!" Chewing happily on her meat, Yezhi paused for a moment and replied, "Of course! Otherwise, how could I dare eat?" She stuffed more meat into her mouth and took the corn cake. "That's good! It's getting hotter; I want to dry out the leftover mutton into jerky." Yezhi nodded in agreement: "Auntie, you decide!"
After lunch, Aunt Zhou busily cooked the mutton until it was tender enough to cut into small pieces for drying. Yezhi threw all the leftover bones to Big Yellow, who was ready for meat! Carrying a basket filled with soup, she headed towards Barefoot Aunt.
Barefoot Aunt was checking Uncle Zhou's pulse while Madwoman, holding a corn cake, nibbled on it in the corner of the yard. Yezhi gently approached and stood before Madwoman, waving her hand to get her attention. "Madwoman, it's me—Yezhi."
The panic in Madwoman's eyes made Yezhi feel defeated. Sighing softly, she entered Barefoot Aunt's kitchen and poured out a bowl of meat soup to bring outside. "Madwoman, here's some soup for you to drink." But with her head downcast and ignoring her completely, all that was left for Yezhi was to place the soup on the ground before walking inside.
At that moment, Barefoot Aunt finished her work. "Yezhi! What delicious food did you bring me today?" First addressing Uncle Zhou, she called out: "Uncle!" Then turning to Barefoot Aunt, she said: "Mutton soup; Auntie, I’d like to borrow your large medicine jar for a bit."
Yezhi returned home, holding a heavy medicine bowl. From the large wooden box where she kept her clothes, she dug out the "energy" stone of Druva hidden at the bottom. After several attempts, she found that she could only crush them one by one. This was a time-consuming and labor-intensive task; after an entire afternoon, the results were minimal. In the evening, Yezhi continued her work in the kitchen, hiding away while Aunt Zhou, though not understanding what Yezhi was doing, cooperated by bringing Black Treasure back to the house.
Yezhi shook her sore arms and called out, "Master, Master, Miss Xiaonan is looking for you!"
Logging in with her consciousness, Xiao Nan appeared against a starry background, wearing a floor-length white dress with long hair cascading over her shoulders. "Yezhi, hurry up! The 'Most Beautiful Star' competition on Social Network is about to start." After saying this, she cut off the video call.
Yezhi glanced at her dusty floral top and sweaty messy hair; she looked too disheveled. She needed to log off, change her clothes, and tidy herself up!
Xiao Fang kindly pulled up the main site of Cosmic Social Network. "Master, it's starting soon!" After saying this, she pointed at the dazzling floating stage in the center of the three-dimensional homepage.
With no time to spare, Yezhi floated onto the dazzling golden stage. In the center of the stage, two glowing doors slowly appeared, labeled as Audience Passage and Contestant Passage.
After fixing her messy hair and brushing off the dust from her clothes, Yezhi pushed open the audience passage. After stepping into the blinding light, she first heard a cacophony of noise; gradually, the world before her became clearer!
"Wow! It's so big!" Yezhi exclaimed. It was as large as a football field, with a dazzling golden stage in the center surrounded by tens of thousands of spectators. Above the stage were massive screens visible from all angles like those in a basketball arena.
Being in such an environment made Yezhi feel excited. Among so many spectators facing away from her, how could she find Xiao Nan and the others? She walked along the light path toward the center of the stage.
"Yezhi! Yezhi! We're over here! Seat number 998!" Hong Dou's loud voice stood out amidst the noise. Yezhi instinctively repeated "998!" and promptly took her seat in chair number 998.
Tiansuo looked as usual—dressed in black with only his long, deep silver eyes visible. He nodded at Yezhi while Hong Dou chattered away about the ten contestants entering the finals for "Most Beautiful Star." Unable to tolerate Hong Dou's noise any longer, Xiao Nan shouted for him to be quiet. Hong Dou blinked his big eyes with a look of grievance and insisted that Yezhi say something fair.
Just as Yezhi was about to express her opinion, the stage suddenly went dark. The audience screamed and howled; various strange sounds filled the air. In the darkness came a sharp sound that silenced everyone; everyone held their breath in anticipation... Suddenly, ten phoenixes engulfed in blazing flames leaped from behind the circular audience area. Each phoenix carried a contestant dressed in splendid attire. Applause and cheers erupted as spectators excitedly shouted contestants' names. Another sharp sound rang out as ten fiery phoenixes surged toward the center of the stage. Yezhi covered her head in fear that one might scorch her as it flew overhead.
The phoenixes gathered at the center and transformed into red mist before disappearing. The ten contestants were illuminated by spotlights within a silver halo. Hong Dou stood up and waved his hands while shouting, "Dulisa... we're over here!"
Dulisa appeared dressed in pearl-white Greek goddess attire with a high slit design that accentuated her long, fair legs. Her long red hair was slightly curled and cascaded over her pale shoulders. In the silver halo, Dulisa's features were hard to discern; upon hearing Hong Dou's voice, she raised her delicate hand to signal back.
"Oh! Lisa is signaling to me!"
"I have been struck by Cupid, beautiful Lisa, I am crazy for you."...
Yezhi heard various praises behind him, growing more and more overwhelming. The handsome host in a long robe walked to the center of the stage, "Welcome to 'Most Beautiful Star,' who will be our 'Most Beautiful Star'? Audience friends, come! Tell me loudly!"
The thunderous shouts rose and fell, but none were as destructive as Red Bean's single voice. Yezhi rubbed his buzzing ears.
"Oh, I can feel everyone's enthusiasm. The three with the loudest cheers are Dulisa, Xianruipu, and Bai Duoya. Perhaps the 'Most Beautiful Star' is among these three. Next, let's welcome the contestants to showcase their charm!"
The first contestant was a boy with delicate features, exuding a soft aura. He wore layers of cotton and linen robes, his black hair styled high. At that moment, cherry blossom petals began to fall on stage as he danced gracefully without any musical accompaniment. Yezhi was mesmerized; it was a blend of strength and softness taken to the extreme. Each of his movements seemed like notes composing a melody in people's hearts. When he finished performing, the applause was thunderous; Yezhi's hands were red from clapping, and he remembered his name: Bai Duoya.
The second, third... up to the eighth contestants lost their brilliance in Yezhi's eyes after seeing Bai Duoya. When the ninth contestant took the stage, Red Bean leaned close to her ear and said, "This Xianruipu is a strong rival to Dulisa; she often outshines her."
The sound of flowing water and bamboo swaying in the wind filled the stage as Xianruipu descended gracefully from above in a vermilion robe that seemed both masculine and feminine. Her flaxen hair danced freely in the breeze, her skin translucent white, and her light blue eyes held an ethereal gaze. Whether it was her powerful martial arts performance or her very being, she radiated a sense of contradiction that was dazzlingly irresistible. Yezhi silently shouted: It's over; she has captivated me.
Finally, Dulisa took the stage with her back to the audience. White mist enveloped the area as melodious humming flowed from Dulisa's lips. She turned around, her silver eyes slightly raised—seductive and enchanting—blending into an exquisite charm. Her thin lips parted and closed rhythmically as she sang an alluring song. Her graceful figure swayed gently with the music; she seemed to rise from the ground on some unseen force, twisting toward the front of the stage. As the white mist gradually dispersed, Yezhi's eyes widened in horror—oh my! A huge white snake! How Dulisa completed her performance was beyond his memory; all he could see were her red tongue flickering—a chilling sensation.
The handsome host stepped onto the dazzling stage, "Audience friends, after enjoying such wonderful performances, you must have your own 'Most Beautiful Star' in mind, right? Press for your most beautiful!"
The screen on stage displayed all the contestants' images. "Audience friends, 1... 2... 3! Please vote!" Various beams of light converged into an envelope that appeared in the host's hand. "Everyone, quiet!" The host signaled for silence. "The 200th 'Most Beautiful Star' is... is... Xianruipu!"
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