Chapter 17: Wangyunli Community

This was the second time Wordweaver Star Anchor and her disciple had come to Qiming Spaceport.

Because the New Year was approaching, all kinds of festive decorations were everywhere, lanterns and streamers festooned every corner, and the atmosphere of the holiday was thick in the air.

The spaceport was filled almost entirely with aliens rushing to Earth to experience the Spring Festival. In this crowd, Wordweaver Star Anchor and Shu were utterly inconspicuous.

As they walked toward the exit, they saw Yuhui waving to them from not far away, a hovercar parked at her side.

Wordweaver Star Anchor and Shu walked over and got into the car directly. Once the AI driver confirmed all passengers were aboard, the hovercar set off.

“Teacher, last time you stayed at a hotel and didn’t visit my neighborhood. Now that you’re here for New Year’s, it’s the perfect chance for you to see the house I bought on Earth. Qing Lan lives right next door to me—it’s so convenient.”

“That’s perfect. I’ll even get to visit Qing Lan’s place,” Wordweaver Star Anchor said with great interest.

“You’re sure to love it. All the residents in that neighborhood are Qing Lan’s former patients. Earthlings call our community the Alien Base.”

“Alien Base…” Wordweaver Star Anchor couldn’t help but laugh. “Earthlings really do love playing with names.”

“It’s not just that they like it—they absolutely love it,” Shu said, speaking with the authority of experience. “In their literary works, all those nicknames, pet names, and references make my head spin. Aren’t Earthlings supposed to lack psychic power? How do they remember so many fancy names?”

“That’s exactly what I find remarkable about them. They have no psychic power, their brains are barely developed, yet their technological level is neither at the top nor at the bottom. It’s as if they always feel there’s not enough time.” Yuhui sighed. “If we lived at their pace, I bet a lot of people would be eliminated.”

Wordweaver Star Anchor gazed out the window at the festival-bright streets rushing past and said, “Their sense of time’s passage is tinged with a kind of fearful reverence. Maybe that’s why their culture is so unique.”

·

Wangyunli Community.

After the hovercar dropped the three of them at the entrance, it drove away. It was Shu’s first time seeing such a high-density residential area, and his mouth hung open for a long while before he managed to close it.

Wordweaver Star Anchor’s gaze fell on the inscription above the entrance. “This calligraphy is quite good.”

“That was written by Qing Lan. When the developer learned that Master Chen’s last disciple lived here, they brought gifts and asked her to write it. The day after she finished, the developer redesigned the gate to feature her calligraphy,” Yuhui said proudly.

“Qing Lan can do calligraphy too?!” Shu was utterly shocked.

“I’ve heard all the great masters of traditional Chinese painting on Earth are also skilled calligraphers, so Qing Lan practiced for a while as well. Master Chen’s home still has some of her work hanging up.” Yuhui led them inside. “If you like, Teacher, I’ll ask Qing Lan to write something for you as well.”

Shu raised his hand timidly. “Senior Sister, can I have a piece too?” Then he quickly added, “I’ll give her a gift in return!”

Yuhui burst out laughing. “Just ask Qing Lan yourself—asking me won’t help.”

Only then did Shu realize and lower his hand sheepishly. “Oh.”

Wordweaver Star Anchor watched this scene with amusement. It seemed the psychological shadow Yuhui had cast over Shu would last a lifetime.

·

The greenery in the neighborhood was hung with colored lights and lanterns, along with uniquely shaped holiday decorations. Every few steps, someone greeted Yuhui, their tone familiar, as if they were all on very good terms.

“Yuhui, the community is handing out New Year’s gifts—every household gets one. They’re at the East Gate, you’d better hurry.” A middle-aged woman, whose features were nearly identical to those of the Third Star System, said with a smile.

“Thank you, Aunt Nine, I’ll go right now,” Yuhui replied.

Aunt Nine nodded kindly to Wordweaver Star Anchor and Shu, then walked off in another direction.

Shu whispered uncertainly, “Senior Sister… that lady who spoke to you… she’s from the Third Star System, right?”

“Yes. Her child was diagnosed with Short-Life Disease a few years ago and moved to Earth last year. Now her child has found a job here and is dating an Earth girl.” Yuhui led her teacher and junior toward the East Gate. “Aunt Nine’s original name was D-1-799999. There’s a little girl in property management who started calling her ‘Aunt Nine,’ and gradually everyone picked it up. She really likes it, too.”

“So the Third Star System isn’t all ‘emotionally indifferent’ after all…” Shu sighed.

“S-77 says that ‘emotional disorder’ is a more accurate description for the Third Star System,” Yuhui said. “Earth is the key to unlocking that barrier.”

“No wonder Lord S-77 refuses to leave Earth,” Shu said, sighing for the umpteenth time that day.

Wordweaver Star Anchor soon spotted the gift distribution point, where several uniformed staff were checking names and handing out holiday gifts.

“That’s the ‘property management’ you mentioned, right?”

“That’s right.” Yuhui hurried over. “Hello, I’m here to collect my gift. Could you give me Qing Lan’s as well?”

“Of course, just a moment.” After checking the names on the terminal, the staff handed her two beautifully wrapped boxes. “Happy New Year, Ms. Yuhui.”

“Happy New Year.” Yuhui took the boxes and continued forward with Wordweaver Star Anchor and Shu.

“Let’s go, my place is just ahead.”

·

Although Wangyunli Community was styled as retro, the layout of the apartments followed modern trends. “Retro” was just a matter of sentiment.

This apartment couldn’t compare with those in the Central Star System, but every detail was imbued with a uniquely Earthly flavor.

Yuhui opened one of the gift boxes and smiled. “Perfect, I hadn’t bought these things yet—property management put it all together for me.”

Shu leaned in curiously. “Senior Sister, what’s in the gift box?”

“New Year prints, Spring Festival couplets, and the character ‘Fu’ for good fortune.” Yuhui showed them. “Tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve—we’ll put these up then.”

Shu’s eyes lit up. “That sounds really fun.”

“Then I’ll leave that job to you tomorrow.” Yuhui dumped everything into Shu’s arms. “No using psychic power.”

Shu looked aggrieved but didn’t dare protest, only nodding with his arms full.

Yuhui laughed. “Silly thing. You’ve never done this before—how could I really expect you to do it all by yourself?”

Shu smiled again at her words. “Senior Sister, you’re the best.”

“You only say sweet things at times like this.” Yuhui took out the groceries she’d stored in her folding space. “Teacher, Shu, have a seat. I’ll cook. Qing Lan should be home soon—when she arrives, she can show you around.”

“Cook?!” Wordweaver Star Anchor and Shu spoke in unison.

“Yes, it’s a skill I learned on Earth. According to ‘Autumn Whisper’s philosophy, a literary scholar who doesn’t want to be a historian isn’t a good chef.” Yuhui sorted the groceries and headed for the kitchen.

Wordweaver Star Anchor couldn’t help but laugh. “‘Autumn Whisper’ really has a way with words.”

“A literary scholar who doesn’t want to be a historian isn’t a good chef…” Shu repeated, then realized, “That’s such an interesting way of putting things.”

“I’m back.” Qing Lan pushed open the door and, seeing guests in the living room, smiled. “Master Wordweaver, it’s been a long time. Hello, Shu.”

The three greeted each other, and Qing Lan carried the groceries she’d just brought into the kitchen.

“Yuhui, the company handed out cured pork and sausage today. I think there’s still some winter bamboo shoots at home—let’s make stir-fried cured pork with bamboo shoots.”

“No problem.”

Hearing the conversation from the kitchen, Shu recalled the Earth literature he’d read and said to Wordweaver Star Anchor, “Teacher, I think this is what Earthlings call—‘the flavor of daily life,’ right?”

Wordweaver Star Anchor nodded with a smile. “Yes, and it’s a flavor unique to Earth.”

·

After Yuhui brought the last dish to the table, she checked the time and said with satisfaction, “Perfect timing—we can eat while watching the drawing ceremony.”

Wordweaver Star Anchor, already seated at the table, looked up. “Drawing ceremony?”

“Yes, the ‘Federation Cup’ draw is being broadcast live today,” Qing Lan said as she set out the bowls and chopsticks. “I heard they checked the almanac and picked this day on purpose.”

“Almanac?!” Shu looked horrified. “How many calendars do Earthlings have? There’s Earth Time, then the lunar calendar, and now there’s an almanac too?”

Shu’s reaction made Yuhui and Qing Lan laugh uncontrollably.

“The almanac isn’t a calendar, just a kind of divination tool. I’ll explain it to you another day,” Yuhui said, connecting her terminal to the living room’s virtual screen and opening the ‘Federation Showdown’ live channel.

“The visual design for this drawing ceremony was done by Senior Chen and me. I hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised,” Qing Lan said proudly, clearly confident in her design.

“If the tournament becomes an annual event, the drawing ceremony might become the highlight everyone looks forward to,” Wordweaver Star Anchor remarked.

“Teacher, as sharp as ever. The company did plan the drawing ceremony with that in mind.”

As they spoke, the drawing ceremony officially began!