Yunguo/Story: Difference between revisions
fixed some format problems + added the missing part in story 2 |
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{{Neighbor Tabs}} | {{Neighbor Tabs}} | ||
{{Neighbor Stories | {{Neighbor Stories | ||
|s1_title | |s1_title = The Not-So-Blushy Blushberry | ||
|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. | |||
|s1_text | |||
Someone jocked that most of the baskets held crops or tools, but the Yuns'? Theirs carried their two-year-old granddaughter, Blushberry. | Someone jocked that most of the baskets held crops or tools, but the Yuns'? Theirs carried their two-year-old granddaughter, Blushberry. | ||
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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 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 | |s2_title = The Farmer and the Seed | ||
|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. | |||
|s2_text | |||
"Schoolbag's mended. Hm? The water bottle's cracked? Better pick a sturdier one this time..." | "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 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. | 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. | ||
"Gran'mama, do I look strange? Do I smell strange?" | "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. | 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." | "Yes, you do." | ||
Hearing Gran'mama's answer, Yunguo thought, '''I really am no good'''. | Hearing Gran'mama's answer, Yunguo thought, '''I really am no good'''. | ||
"Could my Blushberry be from that seed?" | "Could my Blushberry be from that seed?". | ||
The two stared at each other in puzzled silence. | The two stared at each other in puzzled silence. | ||
Grandma cleared her throat and began to tell story. | Grandma cleared her throat and began to tell story. | ||
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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 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. | The grandmother and granddaughter kept staring at each other in puzzlement. Yunguo tilted her head and blinked. | ||
"Gran'mama, I'm a lickle confused." | "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. | 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. | ||
"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." | "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." | ||
{{tx|insert Image}} | {{tx|insert Image}} | ||
Yunguo's fuzzy ears twitched, and a glimmer of hope lit up in her eyes. | Yunguo's fuzzy ears twitched, and a glimmer of hope lit up in her eyes. | ||
Gran'mama let out a quiet sigh of relief, thinking the child had finally come around— | Gran'mama let out a quiet sigh of relief, thinking the child had finally come around— | ||
"Whose old tale did you pick up this time?" | "Whose old tale did you pick up this time?" | ||
Yunguo asked, tilting her head with a squinty smile. | 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. | 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. | 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. | ||
"Gran'mama, the snow's comin'. Can I be that farmer?" | "Gran'mama, the snow's comin'. Can I be that farmer?" | ||
|s3_title | |s3_title = My Summer with Them | ||
|s3_text = [Seedling Class] Summer Vacation Study Group - Planting Journal | |||
|s3_text | |||
Members: [Redacted], Yunguo, [Redacted] | Members: [Redacted], Yunguo, [Redacted] | ||
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No one replied, but that was okay. | No one replied, but that was okay. | ||
|s4_title | |s4_title = The End of the Seed's Journey | ||
|s4_text = Day 193 since leaving Gran'mama's place. | |||
|s4_text | |||
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 | 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 | 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 | 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. | Hugging her knees, she buried her face in her arms and rubbed at her eyes. | ||
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She heard water flowing. | She heard water flowing. | ||
She heard insects chirping. | She heard insects chirping. | ||
She saw an earthworm wriggling beside her, loosening the | She saw an earthworm wriggling beside her, loosening the soil... | ||
Wait, where did that earthworm come from?! | 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. | 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. | The earthworm spoke as it wriggled upward, working so hard that Yunguo was moved. | ||
But earthworms | 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. | 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 | As the earthworm happily burrowed its way out, a beam of light broke through the soil into Yunguo's eyes, dazzling but warm. | ||
{{tx|insert picture}} | {{tx|insert picture}} | ||
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 | 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 | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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..." | |||
{{tx|insert picture}} | {{tx|insert picture}} | ||
"S-Sorry!!!" | |||
Yunguo hung up in a panic, her face turning bright red despite being alone on the unfamiliar Islet. | 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 | A moment later, her phone rang again. The caller ID showed "Mr. Mobai" | ||
}} | }} | ||