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墨書 Inktalez
When Bai Tang found the two, they were digging for snails, preparing to go catch Rice Frogs in the evening. The two children had grown up in the city, and they must have learned how to catch Rice Frogs from the farmer's kids.
"Kang, Xi, you haven't been slacking off while I was away, have you?"
"No!" The two children shook their heads vigorously in assurance.
"Good, then I'll test you!"
The children's round faces immediately fell.
After arriving in the Red Mansion World, in order to give Xing Xiaokang some self-defense skills, Bai Tang took him as her apprentice. Because children's minds are unstable, aside from basic breathing techniques, she only taught them some martial arts and Lightness Skill. With these skills, the two children became the kings of the kids around the Manor.
The results of the test were naturally unsatisfactory; the two had only been playing during this time, and their set of martial arts was full of mistakes. Bai Tang was so angry that she punished them to practice the martial arts fifty times, and they had to perform each time correctly to pass. By dinner time, the two were so exhausted that they didn't even have the strength to hold their bowls; their food was fed to them by Bai Ma and Wu Xuemei. However, children's recovery ability is quick; half an hour after dinner, the two were full of energy again, ready to head out with their fishing rods to catch Rice Frogs.
"I'll go with you!" Bai Tang said enthusiastically. She had spent some time with her grandparents when she was younger, and just outside their town were fields. Her uncle Bai, who was thirteen or fourteen years old at the time, often went with his friends to catch Rice Frogs in those fields. Bai Tang tagged along and learned how to catch Rice Frogs.
"Auntie, can you really catch Rice Frogs?" Xing Xiaokang asked skeptically.
Bai Tang gave him a playful knock on the head: "When I was catching Rice Frogs, you weren't even born yet! Not only can I catch Rice Frogs, but I can also catch loaches and sparrows!"
"Really?" Ai Wanxi's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Then Auntie, can you teach us how to catch loaches?"
"That depends on your performance!" Bai Tang replied. "If you do well, not only will I teach you how to catch loaches but also other games!"
"That's great!" The two exclaimed immediately. "We will definitely study hard and practice diligently!"
"Good!" Bai Tang patted their heads and led them out!
Karen Adrian quietly followed behind them. Bai Tang turned around and said, "You go rest; there's no need to follow us."
Karen Adrian remained silent, clearly indicating a desire to join.
Bai Tang looked at Karen Adrian in confusion, and after a moment, suddenly understood and laughed, "If you're interested, just say it! With your experience, you must not have played these games before. Come on, I'll teach you! I guarantee it will make up for your lost childhood!"
Karen Adrian's expression darkened slightly, but he said nothing and walked directly to the door, signaling to Bai Tang: "Aren't you coming?"
The Paddy Field was lush and full; the Rice had already grown about two feet high, with the tips forming rice ears. Although still Azure, they were heavy and it was clear that this year would be a bountiful harvest. The night breeze blew through, carrying the warm moisture and the fragrant scent of Rice into one's nostrils, intoxicating anyone nearby! The Rice Frog in the field croaked in chorus; it wasn't just a single croak but a rich symphony of sounds. If one listened closely, there were various calls: chirps and croaks; clacks and bangs; and more—some were solo performances while others were duets, as if they were holding a concert.
Unable to resist, Bai Tang recited, "The fragrance of rice flowers heralds a bountiful year; listen to the chorus of frogs."
"Auntie, what are you reciting?" Ai Wanxi tugged at Bai Tang's sleeve, her face filled with questions.
"I know!" Xing Xiaokang, who had learned this poem at school, immediately boasted to his younger brother, "This poem is 'Xijiangyue: Night Travel on the Yellow Sand Road' by the great Song Dynasty poet Xin Qiji. The full text goes: 'The bright moon startles the magpie from its perch; the Azure Wind sings through the night. The fragrance of rice flowers heralds a bountiful year; listen to the chorus of frogs. Seven or eight stars twinkle above; two or three raindrops fall before the mountains. Where has the thatched hut by the old forest gone? As I turn along the stream, I suddenly see it.' Translated, it means: 'The bright moon rises above the treetops, startling the magpie resting on a branch. The cool evening breeze seems to carry distant cicada calls. In the fragrance of rice grains, people talk about a good harvest while listening to the croaking of frogs. Light clouds float in the sky as twinkling stars appear and disappear; gentle rain begins to fall before the mountains. The poet hurriedly crosses the bridge over the stream to seek shelter from the rain. Where has that thatched hut by the trees near the Land Temple gone?' On the surface, this poem seems to describe very ordinary scenes with unembellished language and no allusions; its structure appears completely natural and plain. However, within this apparent simplicity lies the poet's deep contemplation and sincere emotions, revealing another realm beyond mere grandeur..."
Ai Wanxi Baozi looked at him with admiration: "Kang Ge, you're amazing!"
"Of course!" Xing Xiaokang puffed out his chest proudly.
Bai Tang found it amusing; one was boasting while the other praised him. Their childish banter was endearing rather than annoying.
"Alright, we've arrived; you two can start now."
The two immediately stopped their conversation and began extracting meat from the snails to bait their fishing rods. There were plenty of Rice Frogs in the field; they only reacted to moving objects. The two children waved their fishing lines back and forth, causing the Rice Frogs to leap over eagerly and snap up their bait with remarkable speed. Suddenly, there was a tug on the line as one got hooked. The Rice Frog, having swallowed the bait, refused to spit it out and flailed its legs wildly in midair. The two used their fingers to pinch the backs and bellies of the Rice Frogs, removing them and tossing them into a covered bamboo basket before rebaiting and casting again.
Watching from nearby was Karen Adrian, who found it entertaining but had no fishing rod of his own, so he decided to catch them by hand. His movements were quick; to him, the speed of the Rice Frogs seemed like that of snails. He reached out and caught one effortlessly.
"Are you bullying the Rice Frogs? What's that about?" Bai Tang handed a makeshift fishing rod to Karen Adrian. She had just made it from a tree branch, cotton thread, and a sewing needle—though crude, it worked well for catching Rice Frogs.
Karen Adrian looked at the simple fishing rod, and just when Bai Tang thought he wouldn't take it, Karen Adrian accepted the rod and calmly said, "Thank you!"
Bai Tang rolled her eyes and muttered, "So reserved!"
The four of them caught four bamboo baskets full of Rice Frogs, weighing about seven or eight pounds. The two children couldn't carry it all, so it was all brought back by Karen Adrian to the Bai Family. Later, everyone enjoyed a Rice Frog feast: stir-fried Rice Frog, dry pot Rice Frog, pickled pepper Rice Frog, braised Rice Frog, boiled Rice Frog, Kung Pao Rice Frog, black bean sauce Rice Frog, lotus leaf steamed Rice Frog, three-cup beauty legs, winter melon cooked with Rice Frog, deep-fried Rice Frog, and tofu Rice Frog soup...
Including the servants, everyone ate until they were greasy and satisfied. In ancient times, Rice Frogs were food for the poor; they didn't have many seasonings or the means to cook them well. Therefore, people didn't realize that Rice Frogs were actually a delicacy. Moreover, Rice Frogs are rich in protein, calcium, and phosphorus, which help with the growth and development of teenagers and alleviate osteoporosis during menopause. The vitamin E and trace elements like zinc and selenium can slow down aging, nourish the skin, and have anti-cancer properties. Additionally, frog meat is cool in nature and salty but non-toxic; it is a nutritious food that can replenish energy and treat spleen deficiency. It can also alleviate symptoms like toothaches from yin deficiency, lower back pain, chronic diarrhea, and is suitable for those with low protein levels, insufficient energy, lactation issues, liver cirrhosis with ascites, and neurasthenia. It is the best material for dietary therapy.
In the Bai Family's mountain villa, the head of the Zhang Family, Zhang Quan, was suffering from edema and couldn't afford medication. Zhang Quan was the main labor force of the Zhang Family; without him, the entire family nearly fell apart. Later on, Bai Ma learned about this and suggested to Zhang Quan's wife to eat Rice Frogs. She sent her son to catch some from the fields to steam at home. After a month of eating them, Zhang Quan's edema completely disappeared and he regained his health. From then on, the Zhang Family was deeply grateful to the Bai Family.
"Guests are coming!" Bai Tang suddenly put down her chopsticks.
Karen Adrian stood up to go out and handle it but was stopped by Bai Tang raising her hand. Bai Tang's Divine Sense had already seen who was approaching the villa; it was a young man wearing a large red cloak with a distinctive mustache that looked very familiar.
Oh no! Isn't that Lu Feng?
Bai Tang clicked on the "Help" section of the system panel that she had never used before and typed in "Lu Feng." The system provided a string of information. Bai Tang read through it carefully line by line and came to an exciting yet troubling conclusion: she was excited to meet her idols—the Flower God, Sword God, and Sword Immortal—but troubled because this world had originally been peaceful without martial arts; now that there was martial arts involved, the danger level had significantly increased and could cost lives at any moment. She needed to urge both of them to practice diligently; raise the protective array level of the Manor by two tiers to prevent someone like Lu Feng from easily entering as he did today; also give each family member a protective talisman—yes, even each servant should get one—just enough for self-preservation...
As for why the Red Mansion World and Lufeng World merged together, it had a lot to do with Bai Tang. Although Jinghuan Fairy didn't appear much in person, she was a pillar of the Red Mansion World. When Bai Tang destroyed the Red Mansion World, cracks appeared in it. To mend these cracks, the world's will automatically sought remedies and ended up encountering the perforated Lufeng World. The two worlds hit it off perfectly; thus the cracks were repaired while also sealing up those holes. However, both worlds merged into one—what was once a peaceful Red Mansion World turned into a tumultuous Lufeng World filled with rebellion against authority. The most unfortunate one was the previous emperor; due to needing to follow Lufeng World's storyline—despite being physically fit and skilled in horseback riding—he fell off his horse and died! Let's shed a tear of sympathy for him!
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