Editing Yunguo/Story

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{{Neighbor Stories
|s1_title = The Not-So-Blushy Blushberry
|s1_text  = 
At the foot of Mount Zhuxi, along the ridges of the rice paddies, a scattering of bamboo flasks and woven baskets lined the path. The villagers, bent over the fields since dawn, were only now settling down for a well-earned sip of tea.
A joke went around that while everyone else's baskets were heavy with crops or tools, the Yuns'? Theirs carried their two-year-old granddaughter, Blushberry.

Unlike the other grey-furred toddlers, this little one looked as if a fluffy sun had tumbled into the bamboo grove — red, radiant, and bright as a ripe fruit on harvest day. A pity, though. No matter what anyone tried, she never smiled. The moment a stranger came near, she'd shrink away. And on bad days, she'd burst into loud, panicked wails.

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{{Neighbor Stories/Image|Yunguo The Not-So-Blushy Blushberry Image 01|left}}

So lately, her grandparents had been carrying her around in a bamboo basket, hoping she'd get used to being around people — some kind of training or exposure or whatever they call it.
But little Blushberry had never budged from the depths of her basket. The Skies Above as their witness, all anyone had seen were two fuzzy ears poking out.

Now, the basket had gone quiet. Perhaps she was asleep.
They decided to sneak a peek.
It was empty.
<i>Empty?!</i>

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Mount Zhuxi was in an uproar. The chestnut vendor hollered it mid-stir to his customer. The postman, cooling off in the shade, passed it to the sugar painting artist. The repairman patching a bike tire called it out to the passing peddler—

"The Yuns' kid is missing!"

Did it matter whether anyone actually knew who the Yuns were? Not a bit. Just spread the word. Nothing could go wrong if everyone helped look. Blushberry — that was the kid who never smiled, the one who burst into tears the moment she saw a stranger.

Granny was by the well in front of the bamboo house, washing mugwort leaves when she caught wind of it. She always boiled them in summer for the little one's bath, to keep the mosquitoes away and keep the rash at bay... <i>Wait, who did you say was missin'?</i>
"Told you, her Gramps's no good at mindin' kids." Grabbing her palm fan, she charged down the mountain.

The search party for Blushberry stirred the entire mountain. By the time the sun was about to set, everyone finally let out a breath of relief.

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{{Neighbor Stories/Image|Yunguo The Not-So-Blushy Blushberry Image 02|center}}

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In the rice paddies, a mound of green Archiboos suddenly scattered, revealing a giggling girl, caked in mud and clutching an armful of giant fruits and vegetables.

"That can't be Blushberry, can it? Blushberry never smiles. She only knows how to cry at strangers."
But who else could it be? Red as ripe fruit, like a little sun fallen into the bamboo grove.

The tale spread like wildfire, from one mouth to ten, ten to a hundred, until it became local legend: That day, little Yunguo grew herself a heart, right there in the rice paddies.
A miracle, plain and simple.

|s2_title = The Farmer and the Seed
|s2_text  = 
It was the tail end of another winter break. In the southern chill, Yunguo was hoping for snow. If the mountain got snowed in, she wouldn't have to go back to kindergarten.

"Schoolbag's mended. Hm? The water bottle's cracked? Better pick a sturdier one this time..."
Yunguo crouched beside Granny in the little vegetable patch by their front door, poking at the soil with her tiny spade. She kept glancing up at the sky while Granny talked on about all the things she would need for school. Suddenly, she spoke up.
"Granny, do I look strange? Do I smell weird?"
Granny's hands paused as she loosened the soil. She leaned close to Yunguo's little head and gave a careful sniff all around before answering seriously.
"Yes, you do."
Hearing Granny's answer, Yunguo thought, <i>I really am no good...</i>

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{{Neighbor Stories/Image|Yunguo The Farmer and the Seed Image 01|left}}

"Could my Blushberry be from that seed?"
Grandmother and granddaughter exchanged a puzzled look. Granny cleared her throat and began a story.

"Once upon a time, there was a seed as round as a rice dumpling. Anyone who laid eyes on it fell in love instantly. They said it would grow into the most beautiful, one-of-a-kind flower in the world... but no one had ever seen it bloom."

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"Nobles who obtained the seed sought to prove their power and prestige. Artists who found it wished to display their refinement and taste. Wealthy merchants who got their hands on it longed to flaunt their riches before the world.
Each planted it with care, treating it like gold, yet none waited long enough to see it sprout. Tired of waiting, they called it filthy and foul, ugly and useless, and cast it aside.
Then a farmer found the seed. To him, it was simply a seed, planted alongside his other crops. Before long, it sprouted and bloomed, bright red like the sun.
The farmer went about his daily work in the fields, pausing now and then to admire its petals and leaves, offering a smile as he carried away its scent. That fragrance, once it brushed against anyone who came near, would linger with them forever."

They continued to stare at each other in confusion. Yunguo tilted her head and blinked.
"Granny... I don't quite understand."

Granny stood up, brushed the dirt from her clothes, then helped the bewildered Yunguo to her feet and patted the soil from her skirt.
"My little Blushberry," she said, "you're that seed, growing slowly, soaking up the scent of earth and grass, waiting for your day to bloom."

Yunguo's fuzzy ears twitched, and a glimmer of hope sparked in her eyes.
Granny let out a quiet sigh of relief, thinking the child had finally come around...

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{{Neighbor Stories/Image|Yunguo The Farmer and the Seed Image 02|left}}

"Whose old tale did you pick up this time?" Yunguo asked, tilting her head with a squinty smile.
Granny was caught red-handed. A faint blush crept across her cheeks. She gave Yunguo's head a firm but playful tap, muttering under her breath as she took the girl's hand to lead her home.

Yunguo squeezed back, tilting her face to the sky and sticking out her tongue to taste the air. Suddenly, she reached up, as if trying to catch something.
"Granny, the snow's coming. Can I be that farmer?"

|s3_title = My Summer with Them
|s3_text  = 

[Seedling Class] Summer Vacation Study Group - Planting Journal
Members: ███, Yunguo, ███

July 20th, Sunny    Recorded by: Yunguo
Soaked tomato seeds in clean water for 1 hour, then in 55°C warm water with gentle stirring to encourage sprouting. Once sprouted, the sprout was transplanted into a pot with well-rotted organic compost.

July 27th, Sunny    Recorded by: Yunguo
The tomato sprouted with many leaves and grew to about 3.5 cm tall.

August 4th, Sunny    Recorded by: ███
Watered the tomato seedling and put it out in the sun.

August 5th, Rainy    Recorded by: Yunguo
The roots became waterlogged, so we trimmed the dead leaves and loosened the soil to help with drainage. After sprouting, we kept the soil moisture at around 70% to prevent more waterlogging.

August 10th, Rainy    Recorded by: Yunguo
The stem reached 10 cm tall. A small branch started growing near the bottom. Added humus to increase soil moisture.

August 12th, Rainy    Recorded by: ███
Watered the tomato seedling and put it out in the sun.

August 14th, Rainy    Recorded by: Yunguo
The tomato's leaves turned yellow because its roots were soaked and starting to rot. It was out of oxygen and couldn't breathe, so we had to change the soil. Transplanting might break some of the roots, and it will hurt a little, but it can still survive.

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{{Neighbor Stories/Image|Yunguo My Summer with Them Image 01|left}}

August 20th, Sunny    Recorded by: Yunguo
Thank the Skies Above, it's blooming! The stem's now 19 cm tall. Trimmed dead leaves and added nitrogen fertilizer.

August 24th, Sunny    Recorded by: Yunguo
The scent drew in bees. Pruned extra branches and blossoms. Hoping it will bear fruit soon! It will, for sure.

August 29th, Rainy    Recorded by: ███
Watered the tomato seedling and put it out in the sun.

August 31st, Rainy    Recorded by: Yunguo
The flowers all fell, and there's no fruit. I don't think I can save this seed anymore.

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By the time Yunguo brought the tomato seedling home, hidden under her clothes, it was already past dinner.
At this hour, Granny would usually be chatting away in someone else's courtyard, so there was no chance of running into her—

"What are you sneaking in there?" Granny caught her red-handed, her gaze landing right on the yellowing seedling.
"You're not planning to swap this out for one you grew yourself and turn that in, are you?"

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{{Neighbor Stories/Image|Yunguo My Summer with Them Image 02|left}}

Yunguo's face flushed deep red. She couldn't say a word. She just closed her eyes and braced herself for the storm...

But Granny only gave her head a gentle pat and sighed. "Not every seedling will grow strong just because you tend it with care. There are storms, droughts, pests... all kinds of hardship. You never know what they'll come up against. You have to face that. So do they."

----

The next day at school, Yunguo's group turned in a yellowing tomato seedling.
"Didn't you all want to be in her group before?"
"Hah, what kind of 'prodigy' is that?"

Blushing, yet with a hopeful spark in her eyes, Yunguo said, "W-We didn't get the result wrong... it was the process. Next time, we can fix it together."
No one replied, but that was all right.

|s4_title = The End of the Seed's Journey 
|s4_text  = 

Day 193 since leaving Granny's place.
Yunguo sat by the riverbank, her chin resting in her hands. She thought about the last packet of seeds she had planted. <i>They should be blooming by now. Maybe there would be fruit soon...</i>
It was a shame she wouldn't get to see it. The Islet where she had planted those seeds was nowhere to be found.
People always leave. She vaguely understood that.

Yunguo let out a long sigh and counted the Dough and produce in her bag, trying to stay hopeful. If she didn't eat or drink, she could last another five days.
<i>Still... it was so cold.</i> She hugged her knees and buried her face in her arms, rubbing her eyes.
Suddenly, everything went dark. But she felt warm, as if she were buried in soft soil. It almost felt nice, like she could just fall asleep like that.
Then she heard the wind.
She heard water flowing.
She heard insects chirping.
She saw an earthworm wriggling beside her, loosening the soil...
<i>Wait, where did that earthworm come from?!</i>

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{{Neighbor Stories/Image|Yunguo The End of the Seed's Journey Image 01|left}}

"What's it like outside? Is it this dark too?"
Yunguo heard her own voice, as if asking someone.
"No, it's bright out there. Let me loosen the soil a bit so you can get through."
The earthworm spoke as it wriggled upward, working so hard that Yunguo was moved. But earthworms can't talk, can they? They shouldn't be able to!
"What if it's too cold outside?"
She heard herself ask again, glancing around at the warm, dark soil that surrounded her.
"There's sunlight! Once you find the sun, it won't be cold anymore."
The earthworm happily burrowed its way out, and a beam of light broke through the soil into Yunguo's eyes, almost blinding, but warm.

----

Yunguo woke up, still a little dazed from the nap. The river before her shimmered with the hues of the setting sun. Beside her, the phone lit up with a message from Granny: "What did you eat today?"

Almost without thinking, Yunguo typed, "Nothing yet," but her finger hovered above the send button. After a moment, she deleted it and started over: "Gonna make some congee with apples tonight. Should be yummy."

Yunguo pulled up a number from her contacts. Granny had once said it belonged to a proper grown-up who'd traveled the universe all alone. "If you ever get stuck, you go ask him."
"H-Hello... I'm Yunguo, from Mount Zhuxi. We met when I was little... I've... um... I've been livin' by myself for half a year now, and I've kinda run out of money..."

She practiced saying it aloud, but the more she thought about it, the more it felt wrong, like she was calling just to be a trouble.
"...This is my first time leavin' Granny... I came out on my own to learn how to grow things... She asked me to visit you first, and maybe get some lil' advice about livin' on my own."

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{{Neighbor Stories/Image|Yunguo The End of the Seed's Journey Image 02|left}}

After practicing over and over until she was sure she could say it smoothly, Yunguo took a deep breath and dialed the number. To her surprise, it was answered after just one ring.
"H-Hello! Mr. Mobai..."
"Huh? I'm not Mobai. This is Elsa..."

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"S-Sorry!!!"
Yunguo hung up in a panic, her face turning bright red even though there was no one else around on the unfamiliar islet.
A moment later, her phone rang again. The caller ID showed "Mr. Mobai."
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