Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
It might seem like a boring mission, but the production team had specially prepared this for the Li family.
At ten oâclock, everyone gathered at Bai Xueâs house, with three cameras aimed at the yard.
One of the cameras rotated to capture the storytelling family. After everyone finished telling their stories, the staff would randomly connect with fans to select a favorite.
Drawing lots determined the order of appearance.
The first one was Su Wei. When at home, Tutu always stayed with his grandparents. Huo Meijun was the one responsible for telling the story, and Su Wei would occasionally accompany his son, so he knew a bit about it.
He had Tutu sit across from him and began telling a story called âBig Pig Opens a Store.â
Tutu had never heard of it before. Many people present hadnât heard of it either. Su Wei started with the story of Big Pig waking up in the morning and wanting to collect the store fee from Little Rat, only to find that Little Rat was missing. He paused for a moment.
Tutu sat up straight and asked, âIs Little Rat dishonest? Did he secretly run away in the middle of the night?â
Feifei also raised his little hand. âLittle Rat didnât have money with him, so he was afraid of being caught and climbed out of the window before dawn.â
Some of the guests who had heard the story remained silent. Everyone wanted the children to guess.
âDid Little Rat get hungry and go to find food? Will he come back?â Li Zekai asked.
âYes. Little Rat might not be bad. He definitely went to find food.â Tutu agreed.
âDad, tell us the ending quickly.â
[I know the ending. Should I give out a spoiler?]
[What kind of story is this? Iâve never heard of it. I thought everyone would be telling stories like Snow White or Cinderella. Why did they start talking about âBig Pig Opens a Storeâ?]
[Talking about Snow White and Cinderella wouldnât help them win. Everyone knows those stories. Whether itâs told well or not, youâd know right away.] [Oh, I really want to reveal the ending.]
[No spoilers allowed. Let those of us who havenât heard this story guess as well.]
[Could it be that Big Pig squashed Little Rat to death?]
[Impossible! Could it be that Big Pigâs snoring was too loud, and Little Rat couldnât sleep, so he went outside?]
The comments were all about guessing the ending of the story.
After a while, Su Wei revealed the ending. âBig Pig discovered that the Little Rat beneath him was foaming at the mouth. He was squashed flat. Not only did Big Pig not make any extra money, but he also lost a lot of it.â
âAh! Dad, Little Rat is so pathetic.â Tutu hadnât expected the ending to be so tragic.
âLittle Rat died?â Feifei frowned. âMom, arenât the endings always good? Little
Rat didnât do anything wrong. How could he die?â
Tao Jingyuan gently touched her sonâs head. âNot every ending is good. The point is to remind us not to behave this way.â
Feifei didnât quite understand. In the stories his mom used to tell him, good people were always rewarded. Although Little Rat hadnât done anything particularly good, he hadnât done anything bad either.
âFeifei, when we stay in a hotel while going out to play, do we sleep on the bed, or would we use the hotel staff as our mattress if there were no beds? Everything we do has rules, and if we donât follow the rules, there will be consequences. Big Pig was very greedy. He wanted to make money off Little Rat, but Little Rat also agreed to sleep on Big Pig,â Tao Jingyuan said.
âI understand now. This story is telling us not to be greedy. Greed not only prevents us from getting what we want, but it also leads to losses.â Tutu had a sudden realization.
âThatâs right.â Su Wei nodded. âIâm done telling my story.â
[Mr. Suâs story is very philosophical. My vote goes to him.]
[Exactly! He built suspense by not revealing the ending and kept the kids guessing.]
[The story is a bit short. It was just over three minutes. It wasnât satisfying enough.
[It was quite good. If itâs too long, kids wonât remember it. Short and memorable storytelling is better.]
[Iâve learned from this story too.]
âNext up is the Xiao Yi family,â said the director.
The camera shifted to Xiao Yiâs family.
Xiao Yi lowered his head and sat opposite his parents. At this moment, he had to pretend to be a little baby listening to the story. It was so boring.
Xia MO and Xiao Tianlin told the story together. The title of their story was
âThe Calabash Brothers.â
To make the story livelier, Xia MO and Xiao Tianlin agreed that Xia MO would act as the Calabash Brothers, and Xiao Tianlin would be the grandpa.
âHello, everyone. Today, weâre going to tell the story of âThe Calabash Brothers.â If there are any mistakes in the story, please bear with us. Itâs been at least ten years since Old Xiao and I told a story to our son.â
Applause filled the room.
âGo for it, Xia!â Lin Wan led the cheers.
[Teacher Xia, your choice of story is excellent. Both big and little kids love the Calabash Brothers.]
[Teacher Xia, Magician Xiao, donât be modest. We know youâre great at storytelling.]
[Didnât the top student like hearing stories when he was young? Indeed, the experiences of top students and ordinary people are different.]
[Just tell the story, Teacher Xia. No need to be so modest.]
The story of the Calabash Brothers was quite long, so Xia MO chose only two segments. During the part where the Calabash Brothers save their grandpa, she played multiple roles by transforming herself.
Surprisingly, the kids in the audience spontaneously joined in and started telling the story together. Thus, the entire story was completed by a group of people. It was lively and interactive.
Xia MO told the story for ten minutes, but everyone still wanted more.
âAmazing! â
Xiao Yi slowly lifted his head.
[Teacher Xia worked so hard.]
[Teacher Xiaâs enthusiastic portrayal of the Calabash Brothers is truly inspiring.]
[Although Old Xiaoâs grandpa had only a few lines, his expressions were on point.]
[Why do I feel like the top student looks so disinterested? Hahaha.]
[He does seem quite exasperated. Xia MO kept asking, âBaby, who do you think
went to save Grandpa?â]
[Hahaha⦠âBaby.â He probably finds it too childish.] [Teacher Xia is really into storytelling.]
[Pretty good! She got into the role so quickly.] [I want to vote for the Wind Godâs family because they put in so much effort.]
[Isnât it also because the story was well told?]
Next was the Li family.
[Xuanxuanâs family is up.]
[Is it Sister Lin telling the story?]
[Probably both of them. Lin Wan and Mr. Li, both.]
The three kids from the Li family sat in a row and looked up together.
Lin Wan greeted everyone first. âToday, Iâm going to tell a story titled âThe Farmer and His Three Sons.ââ
âBefore I start the story, I want to say something to my three sons. Thank you. Iâve been so willful and negligent, and Iâve ignored you all. Thank you for not giving up on me and for taking care of me so well. Having you all has been fantastic! Our family is truly wonderful.â
Li Zexuan suddenly lowered his head.
Tears glistened in Li Zexinâs eyes, but he still tried to be tough. âMs. Lin, no need for all this. You donât have to be so formal about all this.â
Li Zekai said, âMs. Lin, if it werenât for you, our family would still be cold and distant. I also want to thank you for all of it.â
[Xuanxuan fell silent.]
[Xuanxuan is quite sentimental. He must have a lot on his mind right now.]
[Exactly. Heâs not speaking because heâs afraid his emotions will get the best of him.]
[Xinxin is more temperamental.]
âBig brother, say somethingâ Li Zexin nudged Li Zexuan.
Li Zexuan buried his head even lower. He was thinking about what to say..