Editing Yunguo/Story

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{{Neighbor Stories
|s1_title  = The Not-So-Blushy Blushberry
|s1_reward = 100
|s1_text   = At the foot of [[Zhuxi Mountain]], beside the rice paddies, a few water bottles and bamboo baskets lay by the path, left there by villagers who had been working since morning. Only after hours of toil did they finally sit down for a sip of tea.

Someone jocked that most of the baskets held crops or tools, but the Yuns'? Theirs carried their two-year-old granddaughter, Blushberry.

Unlike other grey-furred toddlers, this little one looked, from the moment she was born, like a fluffy sun fallen into the bamboo grove, red and radiant, like 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.

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.

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Now, the basket had gone quiet. Perhaps she was asleep. They decided to sneak a peek&mdash; It was empty.

Empty?!

Zhuxi Mountain was in an uproar. The chestnut vendor hollered it mid-stir to his costumer. The postman, cooling off in the shade, passed it to the sugsar painting artist. The repairman fixing a bike tire called it out to the passing peddler&mdash;

"The Yuns' kid is missing!"

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

Gran'mama was at 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... "Wait, who did you say was missin'?"

"Told you mah, her grandpa's no good at mindin' kids." Gran'mama grabbed her palm fan and 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 a breath of relief.

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In the rice field, a small hill of green [[Archiboos]] tumbled apart, revealing a giggling mudball of a child, clutching an armful of enormous fruits and vegetables.

"That can't be Blushberry, can it? Blushberry never smiles. She just cries when she sees people."

But who else could it be, red as a ripened fuit, like the setting sun through the bamboo grove?

The story spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred, until it became a local legend. They said that they, Yunguo grew herself a heart, right there in the rice field. And no one could explain how.

|s2_title  = The Farmer and the Seed
|s2_reward = 200
|s2_text   = It was the tail end of yet another winter break. Down 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..."<br>
Yunguo crouched beside Gran'mama in the little vegetable patch by their front door, digging at the soil with her tiny spade and gazing up at the sky, listening to Gran'mama chatter on about the things to prepare for school. Suddenly she interrupted.<br>
"Gran'mama, do I look strange? Do I smell strange?"<br>
Gran'mama's hands paused from loosening the soil. She leaned close to Yunguo's little head and carefully sniffed all around before giving a serious answer.<br>
"Yes, you do."<br>
Hearing Gran'mama's answer, Yunguo thought, '''I really am no good'''.<br>
"Could my Blushberry be from that seed?"<br>.
The two stared at each other in puzzled silence.<br>
Grandma cleared her throat and began to tell story.

There once was seed, round as a rice dumpling. Anyone who saw it fell in love with it right away. It was said to grow into the most beautiful and one-of-a-kind flower in the world, though 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.

The grandmother and granddaughter kept staring at each other in puzzlement. Yunguo tilted her head and blinked.<br>
"Gran'mama, I'm a lickle confused."

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

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Yunguo's fuzzy ears twitched, and a glimmer of hope lit up in her eyes.<br>
Gran'mama let out a quiet sigh of relief, thinking the child had finally come around&mdash;

"Whose old tale did you pick up this time?"<br>
Yunguo asked, tilting her head with a squinty smile.

Caught red-handed, Gran'mama's cheeks flushed. She gave Yunguo's head a firm little tap and muttered under her breath as she took the girl's hand and started leading her home.

Yunguo squeezed her hand in return, tilted her face upward, and stuck out her tongue to taste the air. Then she suddenly reached toward the sky, as if trying to catch something.<br>
"Gran'mama, the snow's comin'. Can I be that farmer?"
|s3_title  = My Summer with Them
|s3_reward = 300
|s3_text   = [Seedling Class] Summer Vacation Study Group - Planting Journal
Members: [Redacted], Yunguo, [Redacted]

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: [Redacted]
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 10cm tall. A small branch started growing near the bottom. Added Humus to increase soil moisture.

August 12th, Rainy     Recorded by: [Redacted]
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 helped 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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August 20th, Sunny     Recorded by: Yunguo
Thank the skies above, it's blooming! The stem's now 19cm 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: [Redacted]
Watered the tomato seedling and put it out in the sun.

August 31st, Rainy     Recorded by: Yunguo
Flowers fell, no fruit. I don't think I can save this seed anymore.

Yunguo brought home the tomato seedling hidden under her clothes. It was already after dinner. at this hour, Gran'mama was usually off in someone else's yard, so there was no chance of running into her...

"What are you sneakin' in there?"
Gran'mama's voice came from right behind her.

"You were thinkin' of swappin' this sorry thing in for the tomato you grew, weren't you?"
Yunguo's face flushed deep red. She couldn't say a word. She just closed her eyes and braced for the storm...

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But Gran'mama 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, draughts, 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. "Remember who was fighting to be in her group before?
"Some prodigy farmer she turned out to be."

Blushing, yet with a hopeful spark in her eyes Yunguo said, "We... we didn't just mess up the result. We messed up the process. Next time... let's change it together."
No one replied, but that was okay.

|s4_title  =The End of the Seed’s Journey 
|s4_reward =400 
|s4_text   = Day 193 since leaving Gran’mama’s place.

Yunguo sat by the riverbank, chin resting in both hands, thinking about the last packet of seeds she had planted. They must be blooming by now, and soon there’d be fruit…
Such a shame she couldn’t see them anymore. 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. Maybe she could last five more days. Still, it felt so cold.
Hugging her knees, she buried her face in her arms and rubbed at her eyes.

Suddenly, everything around her went dark. But Yunguo felt warm, as if she was buried in soil, and it would be nice to 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…

Wait, where did that earthworm come from?!
“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 the warm, dark soil that surrounded her.
“There’s sunlight! Once you find the sun, it won’t be cold anymore.
As the earthworm happily burrowed its way out, a beam of light broke through the soil into Yunguo’s eyes, dazzling but warm.

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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 
Gran’mama: “What did you eat today?”

Almost without thinking, Yunguo typed “Nothing yet,” but her finger hovered over 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. Gran’mama 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 Zhuxi Mountain. We met when I was little… I’ve… um…  I’ve been living 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’ Gran’mama… I came out of my own to learn how to grow things… She asked me to visit you first, and maybe get some lickle advice about livin’ on my own.”

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 Esa…”

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“S-Sorry!!!”

Yunguo hung up in a panic, her face turning bright red despite being alone on the unfamiliar Islet. 
A moment later, her phone rang again. The caller ID showed “Mr. Mobai”
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