Yunguo/Story
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The Not-So-Blushy Blushberry
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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— 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—
"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—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.
The Farmer and the Seed
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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..."
Yunguo crouched beside Gran'mama in the little vegetable patch by their front door, digging at t il 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.
"Gran'mama, do I look strange? Do I smell strange?"
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.
"Yes, you do."
Hearing Gran'mama's answer, Yunguo thought, I really am no good.
"Could my Blushberry be from that seed?"
The two stared at each other in puzzled silence.
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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My Summer with Them
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[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.
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