After some delay, Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei's dinner was taken care of casually. Fortunately, everything went smoothly after that.
The June 1st cultural performance started very quickly. The venue of the performance was the largest auditorium in the county. In the front row sat the leaders, and behind them were the teachers from the various schools, as well as some staff. Further back were the parents.
It was rare for the county to be so lively. Many people even sneaked in to take a look. If there were no seats, they would sit on the ground or stand.
They were interested in such lively performances.
The auditorium was soon packed with people.
The order of the performances was decided by drawing lots. Little Bei was one of the last few to perform, so it wasn't bad.
There was limited space backstage, so the performers who were due to perform later would watch from the front. Mu Jingzhe, who was carrying Little Bei and Xiao Wu, was also in the front.
The county had put in a lot of effort this time, so it was pretty good overall. They'd even chosen two young hosts.
The two young hosts looked around 11 or 12 years old. At first, they were a little nervous when they went up, but they gradually got better.
The little girl was very lively, but she spoke with a slight accent. The boy was steady, and the two of them cooperated quite well.
Everyone liked such children. When they went down, the audience applauded.
After Little Bei clapped, she secretly told Mu Jingzhe, "Auntie, I want to be a host next time too. I'm not as impressive as them yet, but I'll be equally impressive in the future."
"Yes, I believe you." Mu Jingzhe encouraged her.
Little Bei, who was satisfied, watched the show obediently.
There weren't many types of performances. To be specific, there was a large-scale choir, a poetry recital, a dancing performance, and some musical instruments. Overall, they were quite good, and two of them were quite stunning. Everyone was watching with relish.
Soon, it was Little Bei and Xiao Wu's turn to prepare.
Mu Jingzhe followed them backstage so they would get ready. As she waited, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. While Little Bei was nervous, she was more excited and was looking forward to it. Xiao Wu, on the other hand, was confused and a little shy.
It was finally Little Bei's turn.
Little Bei walked forward with her head held high and her chest puffed out. After taking a few steps, she realized that Xiao Wu wasn't following her, so she quickly stepped back and pulled Xiao Wu up again.
As she pulled Xiao Wu, he was dragging a stick that was longer than him.
Kind laughter rang out from below.
Little Bei was wearing the ancient clothes Mu Jingzhe had made for her. There were even mosquito nets inside, but no one knew about it. They only thought that her outfit looked very nice.
Mu Jingzhe nervously covered her face in shame.
This costume had been specially modified by her. Previously, when she had gone into town, because she didn't have time, she had completely changed it by using a mosquito net.
Right now, the tv show 'New Legend of Madame White Snake' hadn't aired yet. Otherwise, with the addition of the veil, everyone would think that she was acting as the bride, Madame White Snake.
Since Little Bei would continue to participate in the county competition, she couldn't keep wearing the same old attire. Hence, Mu Jingzhe had taken this opportunity to perfect the outfit.
Little Bei and Xiao Wu said a few words.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Shao Bei, and this is my younger brother, Shao Zhong. Today, we're going to perform 'Monkey God Thrice Slays the White Bone Spirit' for everyone. I'm the little White Bone Spirit[1]."
After Little Bei stabilized herself, she started introducing their performance. Following that, she immediately got into the character of the Little White Bone Spirit and started acting vividly.
Seeing that Little Bei had started, Xiao Wu quickly looked at the words in front of him and clapped his hands together, playing the role of Little Monk Tang.
The little White Bone Spirit wanted to eat Little Monk Tang, but the Great Sage Equalling Heaven saw through it.
The audience below watched with relish, as this was a novel program that they had not expected.
They were all waiting for the new actor who would play the role of the Great Sage Equalling Heaven to come up. They didn't expect Xiao Wu to flip his robe around to reveal the words 'Great Sage Equalling Heaven', switching from the role of Little Monk Tang in an instant.
He picked up the stick and shouted before hitting the little White Bone Spirit. It looked like a fierce hit, but when the stick was about to land, he became very careful.
Everyone laughed out loud.
Upon seeing them laugh, Xiao Wu couldn't help but laugh too.
Little Bei, who had expected better from him, held back her laughter and continued saying her lines. "I'll transform!"
With her back facing the stage, she put on a pair of large white rabbit ears and a hair clip. "Actually, I'm not the White Bone Spirit. I'm a rabbit spirit. I won't eat you. I want to marry you."
Xiao Wu quickly reverted back to his Little Monk Tang identity and clasped his hands together. "No, Patron."
The robe he was wearing hung around his neck, and the bottom was empty. That made it convenient for him to flip the robe over and change identity.
On one side were the words 'Monk Tang', and on the other were the words 'Great Sage Equalling Heaven'.
He could change his identity simply by flipping the robe to the front or back.
Little Bei continued to perform and recite her lines. Xiao Wu flipped his robe again and nervously watched as Little Bei finished her performance before hitting the Rabbit Spirit.
"Hit you."
"Stop!"
Little Bei jumped away. "No, I'm changing my story now."
The audience below the stage was confused. "Eh?"
This was completely unexpected.
Even the teacher who had seen the performance in town was surprised. This hadn't happened before.
Under everyone's curious gazes, Little Bei hid behind Xiao Wu and put the rabbit hair clip on Xiao Wu's head. She took off her ancient costume to reveal a different costume underneath.
When Little Bei appeared behind Xiao Wu, everyone quickly discovered her new identity—Nezha[2].
"Nezha!"
"This is Little Nezha!"
Everyone's impression of Nezha was basically that he was a character that wore a dudou[3, a bun, and a lotus dress and had a round face. He was also a cute, chubby boy who looked like a girl and flew around swiftly on his Fiery Wind Wheels.
Although Little Bei didn't have the Fiery Wind Wheels, her cosplay included all the other elements. The lotus flower dress and the dudou she had put on underneath were instantly revealed when she took off the ancient costume. Also, her hair was now tied up in a bun with a hair clip.
Then, there were also the Universe Rings made from bamboo rings. The wooden rod originally used to hit the White Bone Spirit didn't go to waste either, as it was now used as her Fire-Tipped Spear.
There was also no shortage of Nezha's Red Armillary Sashes, which were made from red cloth strips.
Little Nezha was portrayed vividly by Little Bei.
Xiao Wu, who finally didn't have to perform anymore, started playing the flute for his sister.
After the performance, Little Bei took Xiao Wu's hand and bowed to thank the audience. When they were about to head off the stage, loud applause came from the audience.
They shouted Little Bei and Xiao Wu's names enthusiastically and asked them to continue acting.
Their names were shouted louder and louder.
Xiao Wu kept turning around and seeing smiling faces.
He was still very young and adorable. He didn't know how to act, so no matter who he was portraying, there was no difference. He simply followed the instructions, recited the lines, and acted out the movements. There was no way he could compare to Little Bei, who brought every role to life whenever she acted.
However, there was a contrast between his appearance and hers that made it an amusing performance.
The combination produced a marvelous chemical reaction.
This imitation and transformation, coupled with the bamboo flute performance, was very surprising.
After they got off the stage, the applause continued.
It wasn't just the leaders sitting in the front row. The people from the city also nodded and discussed the performance. They even asked the cameraman if he had taken photos.
They'd even brought cameras with them.
Seeing that everyone liked it, Mu Jingzhe clapped along with everyone else. Her hands were red from clapping, and she felt extremely proud.
She happily went backstage to pick up Little Bei and Xiao Wu.
She completely missed Ji Buwang, who was in the middle of the audience.
After Ji Buwang and Mu Jingzhe parted ways, he didn't leave, as he was still very curious about who she was, and his heart was a mess.
He hadn't expected to see such an interesting performance.
Besides, the curly-haired little boy…
Ji Buwang rubbed his head. After the performance ended, he couldn't help going backstage.
[1] a shapeshifting demoness who desired to eat the flesh of Monk Tang
[2] a protection deity in Chinese folk religion
[3] A dudou is a traditional Chinese form of the bodice, originally worn as an undershirt
An hour had passed since the performance had ended.
Because Little Bei's performance was unique, she even won an award.
This was the first time Great Eastern Village got everyone's attention in such a special way.
Although Great Eastern Village wasn't the most remote village in the county, it was still quite secluded. Nobody expected such a fascinating performance to take place there.
It was noteworthy that basically all the students who had come to perform were from the town.
In the past, whenever there was an event, it would be just the students from the county or town competing against each other.
Unexpectedly, this year, a village kid had become the exception.
Although everyone was surprised, they had to admit that Little Bei's performance was really good.
Little Bei received an award and even earned the right to study at the art school free of charge.
Students who were chosen like this could study freely over the weekend and not pay any school fees.
"If there are any events we need a little actress or dancer for, our school will inform you. Practice well. In the future, you might get chances to perform or perhaps even go on TV."
"I will. I'll do it." Little Bei immediately replied excitedly.
This was the second time she had truly performed on stage, and she had already fallen deeply in love with this feeling.
Dressed in beautiful clothes, she had stood on the stage and attracted everyone's attention.
She loved this feeling.
Acting was also very interesting. She hoped to act more in the future.
After this small talk, Mu Jingzhe left with them.
Ji Buwang turned a corner to see if he could meet Mu Jingzhe. He focused on looking for people with short hair and saw an extremely eye-catching bun and a pair of rabbit ears.
It was those two children!
In the blink of an eye, they were in front of him. Ji Buwang was eager to make a move, wanting to pinch those rabbit ears.
Xiao Wu moved aside vigilantly and accidentally caused the bunny hair clip to fall on the ground.
Ji Buwang: "…"
"I'm sorry." Ji Buwang apologized. How had he messed things up again?
Upon saying that, he bent down to pick the hair clip up. However, Mu Jingzhe happened to bend over to pick it up too, and their heads ended up bumping into each other.
Mu Jingzhe felt her vision turn dark and felt extremely helpless.
She had noticed Ji Buwang earlier and had been about to speak to him when he'd reached out to touch Xiao Wu's bunny hair clip.
What a strange man.
Mu Jingzhe covered her head and looked at Ji Buwang. "What are you doing?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Ji Buwang staring at her. "It's you. I can see you."
His eyes were filled with shock.
Mu Jingzhe: "Considering that we're so close, it's only natural that you can see me."
"No, you…" Ji Buwang was shocked and speechless.
When his head had collided with Mu Jingzhe's, it had buzzed for a moment before he'd heard a voice that had left a deep impression on him despite the fact that he'd only heard it today.
He had found her.
He raised his head eagerly and saw her face close up.
He really saw it clearly.
Her eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, and chin could be seen clearly.
They were no longer blurry. He could see everything clearly.
This was the second time he had seen a person's face clearly.
Ji Buwang's breathing quickened for a moment. He couldn't bear to blink as he stared at Mu Jingzhe, afraid that it would all quickly turn blurry.
Mu Jingzhe felt uncomfortable under his intense gaze. "Is there something on my face?"
"No," Ji Buwang answered distractedly before sighing sincerely. "It's really beautiful."
Thanks to her clearly distinguishable facial features, her face was really beautiful.
Little Bei and Xiao Wu raised their heads in unison.
Mu Jingzhe was embarrassed. "You're not teasing, are you?"
"No, of course not," Ji Buwang quickly replied before finally blinking.
After blinking, he realized that Mu Jingzhe's face was still very clearly revealed in front of him.
At that moment, Ji Buwang even suspected that he had recovered from his illness, but when he looked at others, everything was still a blur.
Amid this blurriness, only Mu Jingzhe's face was clear.
Ji Buwang's heart was about to jump out of his chest. He took a deep breath to calm down.
"Sorry, I'm just too happy. I can't believe I can see you."
The first time he had seen a human face clearly, it had belonged to his parents. However, after that clear visual, he hadn't been able to see it again because they had parted ways.
In less than a minute, his world had become blurry again.
Until today.
Ji Buwang couldn't bear to look away.
Mu Jingzhe looked at Ji Buwang and a guess quickly flashed across her mind. "Are you face-blind?"
She had asked casually, not expecting Ji Buwang to be stunned.
"You…" He looked around. "How did you know?"
In this day and age, few people knew about this illness.
Other than the people closest to him, no one knew about his problem.
Besides attracting curious probing gazes, such a strange illness would also attract many malicious gazes. It was fine if people were just teasing, but what he feared was complete malice.
That was why he had been trying to hide it until now, using myopia as an excuse. No one had suspected anything. He was surprised that Mu Jingzhe actually knew about it.
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
She had guessed it right just like that?
In her real life, she had never met anyone with severe face blindness. However, she had seen it on many television dramas and novels before, so she stayed relatively calm.
"It was just a casual suggestion. I didn't expect you to really have that. No wonder you were so strange before."
Mu Jingzhe glanced at him. "Is it quite inconvenient?"
Ji Buwang nodded vigorously.
It wasn't just inconvenient. It was incredibly troublesome.
Some people might think that he just couldn't see other people's faces clearly and believe it wasn't a big problem, but they didn't know how much trouble it caused him.
He couldn't see people's expressions, nor could he read their emotions. He couldn't share moments of joy with them, nor could he distinguish good from evil.
Because of his face blindness, he had been different from others from a young age. It was never safe for him to go out. Furthermore, the most pitiful thing was that he couldn't even remember his parents' faces.
It wasn't that he hadn't tried seeking treatment for his condition, but there was no cure.
However, his identity was special. He had to keep going out and interacting with many, many people.
In the end, he could only train his other senses and cooperate with his sense of hearing and smell to actively face them. He could remember people by memorizing their hair, body movements, and sounds, as well as some characteristics such as their moles and gait.
He had been training since he was young, and with practice, even if people gained weight or became thin, and their hair and clothes kept changing, he could always distinguish them by the sounds they made.
Under the cover of his family's help, he usually made no mistakes. No outsider knew that he had this problem.
In order to help him recognize them at first glance, his parents had worn iconic hair accessories and watches for more than ten years while maintaining their hairstyles and figure. In order to reduce his uneasiness, they'd identified themselves right away and constantly kept him company.
His grandfather had changed his name for him to Buwang[1, in hopes that he wouldn't forget his parents and he would get better.
But in the end, even when his parents were gone, he'd failed to 'never forget' them. In fact, he couldn't even see his own face clearly.
After more than twenty years, his mind had stored a lot of information on voices, hairstyles, and physiques. Apart from that, he only remembered two faces.
Now, a third face had appeared clearly before his eyes.
This feeling was too exhilarating and blissful.
Amidst the blurriness, a face lit up his world like a lighthouse, shining in his mind and heart.
No one could understand this feeling except him.
No matter how many people were around, he could see her at a glance.
He was no longer afraid of not being able to find her.
[1] meaning 'never forget'
Ji Buwang looked at Mu Jingzhe and said sincerely, "It was indeed hard in the past, but now that I can see you, it means that the heavens are compensating me. Jingzhe, can I see you more often in the future? I'm afraid I won't be able to see you in a while."
Mu Jingzhe thought to herself, 'Why do you make it sound so pitiful?'
Meanwhile, she was mouthing words of comfort. "I don't think that will happen."
She was puzzled. "Can you really see me? Only me? Why can you only see me?"
"I don't know either. I suddenly saw your face now." Ji Buwang was honest. "This is the first time. I cherish this very much."
Mu Jingzhe was about to speak when someone bumped into her.
Ji Buwang immediately said, "This is not the place to talk. Let's talk somewhere else. Where do you live? My house is in the county city. Why don't you come to my place?"
Mu Jingzhe: "No, it's not convenient."
It was inconvenient for her to visit his house directly considering this was the first time they met.
"Don't worry, I'm a good person. There are no bad people in my family either. This is my hometown, and my ancestors have lived in the county city for several generations. People know us. I won't do anything to you. I just want to get to know you better."
"We already know each other." Mu Jingzhe could only say this much.
"I heard that you're not from the county city. Do you want to stay at my house?" Ji Buwang invited her again. "If you come to my house, you can do whatever you want, including sleep or do anything else. I won't disturb you."
"In that case, there's no need for me to come to your house. I'm staying at the guesthouse here, so I won't be coming." Mu Jingzhe refused.
"Why not? I can look at you if you come."
"Why would you still be looking at me while I'm sleeping?" Mu Jingzhe frowned.
Ji Buwang took a step back. "You can go ahead and sleep. I'll just look at you. I won't make a sound or do anything."
Mu Jingzhe: "That's impossible."
It would be a wonder if she could fall asleep with someone staring at her.
The thought of it was terrifying.
Mu Jingzhe firmly refused and went to the guesthouse.
The guesthouse belonged to the unit, and those who stayed there were parents and students who came from elsewhere, so there was no need to worry too much about safety.
Ji Buwang also knew that he was being rash, so he could only take Mu Jingzhe and the others to the guesthouse and say that he would come find them tomorrow morning.
Along the way, other than occasionally looking at the road, Ji Buwang kept staring at Mu Jingzhe.
His gaze was focused on Mu Jingzhe at all times, as though he wished that his eyes could grow on her face.
He didn't even notice Little Bei and Xiao Wu glaring at him fiercely.
From the looks of it, Little Bei felt that he might come to snatch Mu Jingzhe in the future, just like that driver who had come to propose marriage. Then, Auntie would leave them.
Little Bei was all the more reluctant to part with Mu Jingzhe now. While Ji Buwang wasn't paying attention, she moved her feet and Ji Buwang fell heavily on the ground.
Little Bei was shocked. She had only stretched her foot… At most, her move should have made him stagger. How come…
Then, she saw Xiao Wu quietly retract his leg.
Alright, Xiao Wu had also moved his feet.
Xiao Wu was having the same thoughts as Little Bei.
When Xiao Wu had first seen Ji Buwang's hair, he'd actually quite liked it because he had never seen anyone with curly hair just like him.
However, because Ji Buwang kept looking at Mu Jingzhe, he decided he did not like him.
This was the first time the two children had such a tacit understanding.
The result of their joint attack was that Ji Buwang ended up in a miserable state.
Ji Buwang's palm was scraped.
"How is it? Are you alright?"
Mu Jingzhe quickly pulled Ji Buwang up.
She hadn't noticed Little Bei and Xiao Wu's actions, but she could guess them based on their guilty looks.
"I'm sorry. Let's go to the hospital to take a look and bandage it up."
"I'm fine. It's just a scratch. I'll just go home and bandage it."
Ji Buwang didn't blame the two children and didn't even mention it.
Because of this, Mu Jingzhe could only promise to see Ji Buwang before she returned home tomorrow to see if he could still see her face.
Ji Buwang reluctantly watched Mu Jingzhe go upstairs.
Now that he couldn't see Mu Jingzhe, his world became blurry again.
After Mu Jingzhe went upstairs, she asked the two children seriously after dinner if they had tripped Ji Buwang.
This wasn't just a prank. Sometimes, it could result in something serious.
Little Bei and Xiao Wu admitted it dejectedly.
"Don't do this again, okay? You might think he's weird, but he's just sick."
Mu Jingzhe clued the two children in on facial blindness.
"If you were the ones suffering from this illness, wouldn't it be very painful? We have to learn how to step in the shoes of other people in the future, understand?
"There are still many strange illnesses in this world. People who shed tears of blood, people who can only keep smiling, people who can't laugh, etc. But they're not monsters. They're just sick. If you encounter them in the future, don't call them monsters. Don't be prejudiced, alright? They're already in a lot of pain."
The two children nodded obediently. "Okay, we understand."
They had never heard of such an illness. "How can there be such an illness in this world?"
"Of course there can be. The world is big, and there are all sorts of strange things. Little Eastern Village is just a very, very inconspicuous little place. Do you remember what you saw last time on 'Natural Earth'? We aren't visible from up there at all. There are more than 200 countries and billions of people in the world. You have only seen so many of them."
Later on, they successfully changed the topic, but the two children also promised that they would never make the same mistake again. They promised to apologize when they saw Ji Buwang.
Although they had been taught a lesson, Little Bei and Xiao Wu felt that they had gained something.
Little Bei thought that when she saw her eldest brother, she had to tell him that compared to other illnesses, stuttering wasn't scary at all.
Xiao Wu touched his hair. For the first time, he didn't hate his hair so much.
Because he was called a b*stard for his hair, which was different from the hair of his siblings and even the hair of the entire village, Xiao Wu had always hated his hair.
He'd wanted to shave it all off, but no one would help him. He'd wanted to burn it before, but instead of burning off his hair, he had burned his scalp.
He'd actually been flattered when Mu Jingzhe had touched his hair previously.
Now, Mu Jingzhe had also told him that regardless of whether his hair was straight or curly, it was still hair. There were also many people who spent money to perm and dye their hair yellow.
Therefore, his hair was very normal and beautiful.
There were many people overseas who had more yellow and curlier hair than his.
Also, it wasn't because he was a b*stard that he'd spoken late. Compared to people who couldn't speak at all, he was already very lucky.
Xiao Wu fell asleep with a smile on his face. Then, he met many foreigners in his dreams. They had yellow hair or white hair, white skin or black skin, and their eyes were as colorful as a rainbow.
Xiao Wu played with the rainbows and woke up laughing.
He had the same dream as Mu Jingzhe.
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
The world of children was indeed different. In their dreams, they even saw rainbow-like eyes.
"I dreamed about the white-skinned kid you mentioned, Auntie. His face was as white as a snowflake. Then, I also saw skin as dark as Uncle Black's."
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
Last night, they had asked her why dark-skinned people had dark skin and if it was as dark as ink. Mu Jingzhe had said that it was like Uncle Black's skin or even darker.
Uncle Black was the darkest-skinned person in Great Eastern Village. He had been born with dark skin to begin with, so he had become even darker due to the sun and the wind.
Little Bei quickly joined the discussion. The two of them were very interested in these things and wished they could immediately get to know a few children who were completely different from them.
"You should be able to see them on TV or in newspapers in the future. There will also be photos of them in big cities."
"Okay."
After packing up, she saw Ji Buwang the moment she got out of the guesthouse.
Ji Buwang's eyes lit up when he saw Mu Jingzhe. "I can still see you!"
Upon seeing Ji Buwang run over, Mu Jingzhe felt that he was actually very pleasing to the eye. It was just that he was staring at her too eagerly.
"When did you get here?"
"Just… a moment ago."
The auntie at the reception quickly exposed Ji Buwang's lie. "A moment ago? You came in the middle of the night last night. I thought that you were a bad person and almost called the police."
Ji Buwang: "…"
He smiled awkwardly and explained, "I couldn't fall asleep when I got home, so I went out for a walk to enjoy the night breeze."
He had been standing in the wind in front of the guesthouse for the entire night?
Mu Jingzhe looked at Ji Buwang in a complicated mood. "So, can you still see my face?"
"Mm." Ji Buwang nodded. "I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to see it."
Last night, after going home, he had felt like he was still in a dream. He had been afraid that everything would return to the way it used to be when he woke up. He'd tossed and turned until midnight and couldn't help but come over to guard her.
He'd wanted to see Mu Jingzhe as soon as possible.
Ji Buwang also knew that his behavior was very suspicious, so he quickly explained to Mu Jingzhe that he wasn't a bad person.
It was not easy to tell whether someone was a bad person or not.
Mu Jingzhe asked Little Bei and Xiao Wu to apologize before acting according to the plan.
"Are you going to art school? Can I go with you? I want to know more too."
However, along the way, the thing he looked at the most was still Mu Jingzhe's face.
He just wanted to look at Mu Jingzhe and observe her face.
He believed that anyone else would have done the same.
Compared to blurry faces, a normal face was naturally better.
Mu Jingzhe was creeped out by his gaze. After taking a look around the art school, she quickly bade him farewell and prepared to go home.
"Where's your house? Can I come with you?"
Ji Buwang immediately said, "I happen to be on a break and I wish to walk around."
"I'm sorry, it's not convenient." Mu Jingzhe refused.
She couldn't bring people back to the village casually.
"Mr. Ji, even if you find out who I am, please don't look for me. It's not appropriate because I was recently widowed. I really don't want to hear any rumors."
How could Mu Jingzhe, who had good judgment, not see that Ji Buwang's identity wasn't simple? That was why she gave him a heads-up.
Ji Buwang was naturally disappointed but could only nod. "I understand. Then when you come to the county city in the future, can I come to see you again? You can just call me Ji Buwang."
He wrote down his contact details on a piece of paper. "This is my address and phone number in the county city. If it's convenient when you come to the county city, I hope you can let me meet you. I want to confirm if I can still see you."
"I'll contact you if it's convenient."
There were only three children left at home. Although she had asked Li Zhaodi to help take care of them, Mu Jingzhe was still worried and quickly brought the two children home.
When she got home, she received good news. Shao Xi's essay had been chosen, and a sample book would be sent over some time later.
Furthermore, the radio broadcast manuscript sent to the radio station had also been accepted, and they'd even sent over royalties.
It was Shao Qiyang who had brought the letter back. Although the royalties weren't high, this was the first time such a thing had happened in the village.
To think he was already so impressive at such a young age that he could earn money by writing. Wasn't he a truly cultured person?
In the past, one used to have to spend money to study. This was the first time the villagers saw someone earn money this way.
Shao Xi instantly became the hottest topic of discussion in the village. The new form teacher and principal felt proud of themselves and encouraged the students to learn more. This even started a trend that put emphasis on essay writing.
Zhang Fei had been keeping a low profile for some time. It wasn't easy for everyone to slowly forget what had happened previously, but because of this matter, he was pushed in front of the public again.
Zhang Fei was even more embarrassed. Everyone was saying that he had poor judgment.
It would have been fine if he was an ordinary person, but he was a teacher. Parents who used to trust teachers unconditionally started being suspicious of him, especially the parents of the second-grade kids. Everyone started suspecting that their kids were actually very talented, but Zhang Fei was a lousy teacher that had buried their talents.
When they weren't looking for the principal to ask him to replace Zhang Fei, they were looking for the third-grade teachers to see if they could submit their essays or something.
Their children might also be great scholars.
Zhang Fei was furious.
Great scholars? When their essays were full of misspelled words and they weren't even able to express themselves clearly?
Zhang Fei admitted that he might have overlooked Shao Xi's talent due to his prejudice, but there were definitely no other geniuses in the class.
However, there was no one Zhang Fei could complain to. The principal had even talked to him and asked him to be more responsible in the future and improve the parents' opinions of him. Otherwise, if the parents were unwilling to let him teach them next semester, it might be troublesome.
While Zhang Fei was in a terrible fix, the Shao Family received two pieces of happy news.
"From next week onward, Little Bei will go to art school every weekend to study dancing and hosting. Xiao Wu can also go there to learn."
Xiao Wu had performed with her, so he had earned the chance to learn for free.
As the school had just been established, there weren't many teachers, and they were still hiring. There were fewer musical instruments in the curriculum, and there wasn't even a piano or violin, but they could also learn other instruments and music theory.
The most popular and varied classes were the dance classes. Mu Jingzhe took a look and quickly set her sights on the foreign language classes. Russian was among the various foreign languages available.
It was said that the school had invited a teacher from the county's No. 1 Middle School to teach the students, and she was free only on weekends.
As Little Bei and Xiao Wu didn't have to pay tuition fees, they signed up without hesitation. After asking around for the fees and seeing that there was a discount because it was a new class, Mu Jingzhe thought for a moment and gritted her teeth before signing Shao Dong, Shao Xi, and Shao Nan up for it.
"I didn't enroll you in art class because I didn't know which classes you liked specifically. Instead, I enrolled you in a foreign language class first. You guys will go there to learn every weekend."
"Foreign language class?" Shao Dong was stunned. His first reaction was to say, "It's going to cost money, right?"
Mu Jingzhe: "It's not expensive. I've already paid the fees. You guys can go and learn first. When you find something else you like, you can sign up for it too. There are also calligraphy, art, and mathematics classes."
Mu Jingzhe felt that it would be good for Shao Dong to learn calligraphy. And Shao Xi would probably like art?
Shao Xi and Shao Nan's eyes lit up, but they didn't say anything and looked at Shao Dong.
Shao Dong clenched his hand. "Can we return the tuition fees? We are fine even without learning foreign languages… We just won't go overseas in the future."
Mu Jingzhe: "Can't do that. Besides, you have to learn foreign languages even if you don't go abroad. It'll be useful in the future."
In the future, the five siblings would all go overseas.
Shao Dong's business would go on to expand to overseas markets.
She didn't know how they had learned it later on, but she vaguely remembered that in the novel, because Little Bei had never learned it before, she was criticized a lot. She wanted to go international and develop her career, but because she wasn't fluent in languages, she was mocked and ridiculed by others. She could have taken her acting career further later on, but because of these obstacles, she didn't manage to go international.
This situation was much rarer in modern times, as many children learned languages since they were young. However, this was a cause of regret for many older celebrities.
They used to be too poor back then.
Mu Jingzhe looked at Little Bei's anxious gaze and explained gently, "You're still young, so learning will be twice as effective. It'll definitely be of use in the future."
Actually, other than Xiao Wu, the others had missed the best age to start learning foreign languages. However, it couldn't be helped. Since it was already a bit too late, they certainly shouldn't delay any longer.
"It's impossible to get a refund since I've already paid, so don't even think about the cost. Knowledge is priceless, and it will be a hundred times more valuable than these tuition fees in the future," Mu Jingzhe added.
Shao Dong naturally knew this principle, but Mu Jingzhe was already good enough to them and had given them enough.
Right now, signing up for this class was really too much.
When she saw Shao Dong's hesitation, Mu Jingzhe patted his shoulder.
"Don't think too much. If you think it's expensive, learn it well and try your best to get the most out of the course fees. That way, you won't lose out."
If he were to learn it, he would definitely study as much as he could and at the quickest speed possible.
Shao Dong stopped thinking about getting a refund for the course fees. "Thank you… It's just that if this continues, in the future…"
He wanted to talk about repaying this kindness, but he felt that this kindness was too great.
Mu Jingzhe guessed his intentions. She thought for a moment and said, "If you feel pressured, you can pay me back when you earn money in the future. Okay?"
Shao Dong heaved a sigh of relief and nodded without hesitation. "Alright."
The weekend trip to the county city was set.
When Mu Jingzhe returned, she had to continue making hair ornaments. She also planned on making some hair clips.
This was inspired by Little Bei's performance. The children loved the rabbit ears and hair clip she had made last minute. Some parents had even asked her where they could buy them.
Mu Jingzhe naturally couldn't let go of this business opportunity. She wanted to find Li Tao, who was the fastest and had the deftest hands, so she would make them.
However, this was the first time Li Tao hadn't come to work.
It had never happened before. However, Li Tao hadn't come this time. Her younger sister, Li Fang, had helped Li Tao apply for leave. It seemed like the couple had quarreled.
The butterfly hair clip was in the midst of being mass-produced, but now that Li Tao suddenly stopped showing up, Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but recall what had happened previously.
She intended to wait. If Li Tao still didn't show up, she would be prepared to react.
The next day, before Li Tao was meant to arrive, Mu Jingzhe went to deliver the goods just in case.
After returning, she wanted to go see Li Tao, but she suddenly heard that Li Tao had run away.
In villages, every now and then, people would run away because they couldn't endure their lives there anymore.
Most of the people who ran away were women. There would always be a reason for them to run away—be it the physical abuse of their husband or the fact that life in the village was simply too arduous. Some people would send news back after a long time, while others never communicated again.
Li Tao was quite capable herself, but the man she had married, Bai Qiang, was a good-for-nothing. Initially, the Bai Family had been quite nice and her in-laws had been capable. However, ever since Li Tao's in-laws had passed away, there had been no one to control him anymore, and Bai Qiang had looked increasingly unkempt and lazy.
The Li Family had originally married off their daughter because of Bai Qiang's parents. In the end, the marriage didn't go as planned. They had been married for three years but had no children. Many people said that Li Tao was a hen that couldn't lay eggs, so the villagers stopped saying that Bai Qiang wasn't good enough for Li Tao.
But somehow, Li Tao, who had been in a much better situation after she'd started working for Mu Jingzhe, had actually run away.
This matter instantly became a hot topic in Great Eastern Village. Mu Jingzhe felt helpless and regretful when she heard that. Giving birth depended on fate, and the reason a couple did not have a child might not necessarily lie with the woman. It might be the man's fault.
However, the villagers wouldn't say these things, and no one got divorced in this day and age.
Li Tao might have run away because she'd found life too hard there.
According to her past experience, everyone would just talk about this matter until they let it pass. However, there was a follow-up this time.
Li Tao's husband, Bai Qiang, actually blamed the Li Family. He asked if they had instigated Li Tao and even demanded to know if she had hooked up with someone.
The Li Family hadn't even asked the Bai Family to find their daughter, but the Bai Family had come to blame them first. The Bai Family instantly took the initiative and slandered Li Tao.
The Li Family was furious. They said that it was impossible and insisted that Li Tao wouldn't leave them behind.
At the end of the day, they couldn't find her, so they could only endure this.
Based on their forbearance, Bai Qiang determined that they were guilty and asked for a yard after taking an inch. Later on, he actually demanded that they get him a new wife by marrying Li Fang to him.
The Li Family was naturally unwilling to do that. "Bai Qiang, you've gone too far. In your dreams!"
"I'm giving you face and you're refusing? Bah, considering their upbringing, who knows if a daughter from this family will run away after a guy marries her? Other than me, who else in the village will dare to marry Li Fang? Only I, who have no choice, do not despise her. To think you're actually saying no!"
From that day onward, Bai Qiang went around badmouthing the girls of the Li Family to anyone who would listen. The older sister, Li Tao, had run away. His sister-in-law, Li Fang, used to smile and twist her body flirtatiously at him. He told everyone that she wasn't a decent woman. It was all because of Li Fang's provocative actions that he had proposed marriage.
In just half a day, the reputation of a good girl, Li Fang, was ruined.
This was precisely what Bai Qiang intended to do—force the Li Family to give him Li Fang as a wife.
The scene was ugly, and many people in the village saw and heard it.
Mu Jingzhe heard it from other people and saw Li Fang with red eyes.
Normally, Li Fang was full of energy and positivity, like a sunflower. She was also famous for being capable in the village.
She had set up a stall at the day market to sell hair ornaments. Because she had a bright personality and an eloquent mouth, her business was doing well, and she had earned some money. Mu Jingzhe had always admired and liked her.
Now, Li Fang was afraid of running into someone, so she specifically chose to come over at night. She looked listless and dispirited.
"Sister, I came to tell you that I won't be taking any supplies for the time being."
"Alright, there's no hurry. We'll talk about it after you've taken care of things. Li Fang, don't mind what Bai Qiang has been saying about you. If a guy doesn't dare to marry you because of this slander, he can't be a real man. Everything will be fine after this period.
"If he tries anything funny again, don't stand on ceremony. Teach him a lesson. I'll be waiting for you to get back to business."
If the Li Family didn't agree, there was no way Bai Qiang could force the marriage.
Li Fang nodded vigorously. "Alright, I will do that."
Amidst the chaos of the Li and Bai Families, the weekend arrived.
At the time, people only had one day off a week, and that was Sunday. They woke up early, and Mu Jingzhe prepared to take the five children to the county city.
The village was far away from the county city, so it was indeed inconvenient for them to get there. If they were to get there on foot, given their young age, they would probably spend the entire day walking there.
Fortunately, their family had already bought a bicycle.
Shao Qiyang knew that Mu Jingzhe wanted to use the bicycle and had ridden it back last night for that reason.
Ever since he had bought the bicycle, it had been much easier for him to work. It wasn't as hard as before.
"Okay, it's steady."
After checking the two bamboo baskets fixed at the back of the bicycle, Shao Qiyang and Mu Jingzhe each took a child. They picked up Shao Nan and Little Bei and placed them in the bamboo baskets.
The old bicycle's ability to carry weight was very high. At the time, such a bicycle could be used as a small car. It could carry people and deliver food without any problems.
A couple with two or three children would just own one bicycle. The front beam could carry two children, while the back could carry the wife. The wife would in turn carry a child on her back. In total, one bicycle could carry five people, including adults and children.
However, Mu Jingzhe had five kids with her. Including her, there were six of them.
Though the bicycle could carry the weight of the children, there was no place to hang them. In the end, they'd customized two bamboo baskets.
The bamboo baskets had been placed on the left and right side of the back seat. Other people were pulling food, while Mu Jingzhe was pulling children.
There was a mattress in the bamboo basket that the children could sit or stand on.
When they were placed in the basket, Shao Nan was still holding back, but Little Bei was already giggling.
"You must sit properly and stand properly on it later. The road is bumpy, so try not to get injured."
Shao Dong and Shao Xi sat on the beam. As for Xiao Wu, Mu Jingzhe carried him on her back. Just like that, she brought the five children with her.
"Let's go."
"Be careful."
Shao Qiyang walked them all the way to the village entrance. However, he was still worried, so he secretly followed them.
Mu Jingzhe didn't realize that the road was that bumpy. She focused on her bicycle, afraid that she would fall.
"Shao Dong, Shao Xi, raise your legs. Don't get stuck in the wheel. It will hurt if you get stuck."
"Okay."