Volume 1 Chapter 100 Village Play

  The firecracker sounds on the first day of the Lunar New Year woke me up from my dream, one burst after another. Some families set off long strings of firecrackers, the sound crackling and popping, echoing through the sky; some families set off shorter ones, finishing with a brief rain-like patter.

  Lying on the warm bed, listening to the familiar firecracker sounds, smelling the gunpowder smell drifting in from the door gap, thinking about my bizarre experiences over the past half year. Who would have thought? I actually really returned to my girlhood era, using the knowledge and skills I already had to change the lives of those around me.

  But my own experience is even more amazing, with the guidance of a mysterious fairy, I have acquired a set of skills that are quite extraordinary. My physical quality has been constantly improving and changing, and the changes in my appearance are also significant. When my older sister came back, she almost didn't recognize me, exclaiming that I had grown taller, turned whiter, and looked even more handsome.

  Of course, I just took my sister's praise as a manifestation of her love for me. However, my skin really did become whiter and more delicate, which is true, I think it should be the credit of Baihe Xianlu. Mo said that taking it internally can regulate various functions of the body, and whitening is one of them. Great, it's not a waste of effort after all. My goal is to change everything that can be changed, making my world better and better.

  This year coincides with the day when our village's ancestor sits in town, and on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, the village will hold a grand celebration, inviting a theater troupe from the city to set up a stage and perform. This is a grand event that can only be held once every few years. During those days when people visit relatives for the new year, every household would invite their own relatives to watch the show, and the village would also receive representatives from villages with the same surname to watch the show, who would then be assigned to different households for hospitality. As a result, during those days, the village was bustling with activity, every household had guests, and everyone's face was filled with smiles.

  The adults are busy, the children are happy. Because such a grand occasion is not without play and food, the food at home is secondary, the first thing to eat must be those small vendors under the stage, the hawkers carrying goods have come to occupy good positions early in the morning to start their business for the day. The fun little trinkets are the most attractive to children, they won't really watch the show, but instead run around in the crowd, looking for things they like, then pull an adult's hand to buy, or ask the adult for a few cents early on, and if they see something they like, they'll buy it right away.

  After dinner, I and Qiu came out. There were many relatives at home, and when the show started, they would also move a stool to watch. The stage was in the largest square in the village, where many people had gathered. In addition to our village, people from the surrounding villages also came, some of whom were opera fans who came specifically to watch and listen, while others simply came to join in the fun, wherever there was excitement. Anyway, it was New Year's, and there was nothing to do at home. Children like us, who were half-grown up, had a certain amount of courage, had their own friends, and were relatively trusted by our families.

  I strolled along with Qiao Wei, actually not having much interest in watching the play, just taking a look. Maybe we'd run into some familiar faces. That was our real goal. The show hadn't even started yet, but it was already lively under the stage. "Hey, Cloudy!" someone shouted at me. From the voice, I knew it had to be Pang Yu, and when I turned around, it was indeed him. And wasn't that Lu Qi smiling next to Pang Yu? They'd all come together! Hehe, did this count as getting what I wished for? Just a moment ago, I was thinking how great it would be to run into some familiar faces, and now they were here.

  "Hey, welcome you two to our village to watch the show." I said with a pretentious air, "Shouldn't I be playing the host then? We'd better go back and move some stools for you to sit on!"

  "Qí gē said, we're not really here to watch the play, that's so boring!" Pàng yú hastily stopped me.

  I chuckled: "Then what are you doing here? Are you here to buy those little things?" Fat Fish was about to speak, but Lu Qi glared at him. I stuck out my tongue and laughed: "Okay, I won't tease you anymore. First, have you guys eaten yet?" They nodded. "Good, then today you'll listen to us, the local masters." Fat Fish smiled slyly: "Yes, we'll do whatever you say." Qiao Hui pulled me aside and whispered: "Yun Er, where are you taking them?"

  I blinked my eyes and whispered, "You've always wanted to see the broken cave on the small hill behind our village, haven't you?" Chui's eyes lit up: "Yeah, I've been wanting to go see it for a long time, but it's dark and scary there. And the adults also told us not to go exploring." Hehe, Yun'er, you're so sneaky!

  "This is what I call making good use of talent, isn't it?" In fact, there's another sentence in my heart: pairing up boys and girls to work together won't be tiring. As for why the adults don't let us go into this broken cave, I guess it's because they're afraid we'll get hurt. After all, it is an abandoned cave. However, humans have a common weakness - the more something is forbidden, the more attractive it becomes. Think about it, just a broken cave has left such a deep impression on our minds, and that's precisely because the adults' prohibition has sparked even greater interest in us.

  "What are you whispering about?" Fat Fish curiously came over and asked.

  "Where shall we go and play today?" I said with a smile.

  "Have you figured it out?" Fat Fish asked anxiously.

  "Of course." I nodded, "Follow me! Brothers!" As I led the way to the back of the village. Hmm? Would Xiao Yang have come too? He's a relative of our village! Thinking this, my footsteps changed direction and headed towards the west side of the village. "Uh, Yun'er, isn't this route farther?" Qiao Hui discovered.

  "Let's go see if Xiao Yang has arrived first," I explained.

  "Oh, right. He'll come, won't he?" Cui Huan said absent-mindedly, "Go to his sister's place and take a look, how about it?"

  I nodded and continued walking.

  "Look, isn't that our boss?" Fat Fish's eyes are really sharp, he saw the person at the entrance of Yulan's house from far away. It seems that Xiao Yang has really arrived. He also saw us and hurriedly ran over to us. "I just finished eating and was thinking of going to find you guys!" Xiao Yang said with a happy face, "Do you have any plans for today?" Fat Fish punched him playfully: "Boss, Happy New Year to you!"

  "Haha, I almost forgot! Happy New Year to everyone!" Xiao Yang laughed happily.

  "Alright, stop being sour." Lu Qi raised an eyebrow. "They said they'd take us to a good place, let's not waste any more time."

  "Alright, I'll go tell my sister and come back." Xiao Yang hurriedly ran back, but soon came running again, with what seemed to be something bulging in his pocket. We then set off towards the northern mountain behind the village, five of us in total. The noise from the theater grew louder, and it was almost time for the show to start. People were rushing to get to the theater.