Chapter 129

Chapter 129: The Best Graduation Souvenir

Although Baimei County was a small and poor county, it was not unknown in the cultural domain; rather, it was versatile.

It had its own intangible cultural heritage such as Bai Mei Embroidery and Yue Family Fist, one being traditional handicrafts and the other a unique martial art.

Legend has it that descendants of Yue Fei were scattered here, hence many people surnamed Yue, including Yue Xinyi, who was the homeroom teacher for Class 10.

The most famous culture in Baimei County actually falls into two categories.

One is the Bai Mei Opera culture, created based on local folk tea-picking tunes, which later flourished in Anqing City of Wanlu Province, making it one of the three major opera genres in the Heavenly Dynasty.

Though impressive, this meant that locals often sang opera on the streets.

Whether it was the cultural square stage or a corner of a roadside park, one could always hear the hearty singing of elderly residents of Bai Mei County.

However, the younger generation generally disliked this outdated form of opera, so Mei Fang felt that Bai Mei Opera might struggle to be passed down and would likely fade away over time.

Another category was Zen culture; the Fourth and Fifth Patriarchs of the Dharma of the Heavenly Dynasty established their temples near Bai Mei County.

With the passage of time, these temple sites gradually developed into relatively well-known tourist attractions.

Due to the local veneration of Buddhist culture, incense offerings at the temples remained strong, with the Fifth Patriarch’s temple being closer to the city center and larger than the Fourth Patriarch’s.

Mei Fang and his classmates had just graduated from junior high school. Most children in the county hadn’t seen much of the world, lacked money, and dared not go far. The Fifth Patriarch Temple was an ideal choice.

Xia Yuan was the main organizer of the trip to the Fifth Patriarch Temple. She really didn’t want to part with her friends she had met in junior high, especially Peng Xue, who had stood up for her before.

So Xia Yuan thought that if everyone could create unforgettable memories together, it would be a pleasant experience.

Though she still wanted to fully enjoy her Black Knight Z7 motorcycle, everyone was waiting for him. Given Mei Fang’s generosity, it wouldn’t be right for him not to join them. Zhang Ming ultimately followed.

The group took a bus to the station, confirmed the ticket prices with the station attendant, and boarded the bus.

Yue Xinyi accompanied Lin You Xi, Peng Xue accompanied Xia Yuan, while Mei Fang and Zhang Ming, along with Guo Yun, sat alone.

She was surprised when Xia Yuan invited her but, unable to resist Xia Yuan’s enthusiasm, she finally joined them.

During the ride, Mei Fang made sure to chat with her to avoid any awkwardness.

“By the way, Guo Yun… I noticed you’ve lost quite a bit of weight this year. Are you on a diet?”

Guo Yun nodded. “Mainly due to this year’s academic pressure. Also, I’m trying to convince my parents to let me take the art exams for Jiangcheng Arts School. I’ve been preparing my portfolio recently…”

Xia Yuan was very happy hearing this. She never considered Guo Yun a threat; she only hoped that Mei Fang’s dream of creating games could benefit from Guo Yun’s artistic skills.

“That’s great! If you get into Jiangcheng’s school, you can come visit us!”

“Mmm… My uncle lives in Jiangcheng, so I’ll stay with him if I get accepted.”

Mei Fang casually added, “Speaking of which, you could keep the graphics tablet I lent you. Why return it?”

“Oh no, that won’t do…”

Guo Yun said shyly, “You’re moving to Baisi City soon, and I might not even get into Jiangcheng’s school. I should return borrowed items.”

“Just consider it a graduation souvenir. It’s no big deal.”

Guo Yun shook her head vigorously. “If it’s a gift, it’s too valuable! It must cost a few hundred yuan… I’m already grateful you let me borrow it.”

“I should thank you for drawing so much for me.”

Seeing Xia Yuan’s complicated expression during their conversation, Peng Xue quickly stepped in, patting Mei Fang’s shoulder.

“Boss Mei, why are you only treating your deskmate so nicely? Didn’t you say you’d give a graduation souvenir? Did you give one to Yue Xinyi?”

Yue Xinyi glared at Mei Fang. “No! That scoundrel Mei Fang filled out my graduation book with nonsense. How could I expect him to give me anything…”

“You gave only Guo Yun a souvenir. Aren’t you being biased?”

Zhang Ming, fearing he might be implicated, dared not speak up. He realized that Mei Fang’s generosity was actually his graduation gift.

“Ah… Why do you all ask me for gifts? We’re not that close.”

“Ahh! You say we’re not close? Well, look at your little childhood friend, always bullying people.”

Peng Xue covered her face with a pitiful expression. Xia Yuan was also upset. “When did you become unfamiliar with Xiao Xue? We play together often. Even if we don’t see each other much, you should give her a souvenir.”

Peng Xue, upon hearing Xia Yuan’s words, immediately showed a mischievous smile like a soccer player faking a foul to get a penalty.

“Well, who pushed me away like that? Good thing your Mei Fang isn’t a playboy, otherwise, Xiao Xue wouldn’t be so unpopular.”

Mei Fang scratched his head. “So, what kind of souvenir do you want?”

“Mmm… Next time, treat me to karaoke alone!”

“Ah, what about me?”

Xia Yuan panicked. “Xiao Xue, you can’t demand souvenirs like that! Mei Fang is our childhood friend, you can’t be alone with him.”

“Hahaha, just kidding.”

Peng Xue pinched Xia Yuan’s cheek, then leaned back on the chair, looking seriously at Mei Fang behind.

“Yuan Yuan is my best friend and practically my only friend throughout junior high. I cherish our friendship.”

Since that incident, Peng Xue had become distant from others. She found it hard to reconnect with old friends, pouring all her trust and emotions into Xia Yuan.

Hearing this, Xia Yuan felt sweet and held Peng Xue’s hand, smiling warmly.

“As long as you promise to always be good to Yuan Yuan, that’s the best souvenir for me.”

“Me too!”

Yue Xinyi wasn’t going to be outdone. “You can’t neglect You Xi either. She never asks for things, but you shouldn’t forget.”

“Okay, I’ll handle both of your souvenirs.”

Mei Fang thought it was simple. He had already decided not to make anyone feel wronged. These souvenirs were essentially free.

During the ride, everyone chatted and laughed except for Lin You Xi, who remained quiet, claiming she felt carsick.

The final stretch was a winding road leading up to the temple on the mountain. Indeed, it was uncomfortable.

Mei Fang asked the driver for a plastic bag. When they arrived at the Fifth Patriarch Temple, Mei Fang and Yue Xinyi helped Lin You Xi off the bus, then handed a plastic bag to Xia Yuan, letting her help Lin You Xi relieve her discomfort by the roadside.

“This journey was indeed bumpy,” Peng Xue stretched lazily. “When we have money, we’ll drive up the mountain to play.”

“Why bother coming here again if we have money?”

Yue Xinyi put her hands on her hips. “If I had money, I’d stay in my mansion forever and never leave.”

“That’s a bit… funny…”

Yue Xinyi gestured towards Peng Xue. “Would you drive around in a car if you had money?”

“Pretty much. If I had money, I’d bring my guitar and drive my jeep to roam through desolate places.”

“Who knew you had such a bohemian dream!”

“Why can’t I have a bohemian dream?”

Yue Xinyi and Peng Xue were bickering when Peng Xue noticed something and exclaimed.

“What’s wrong?”

Peng Xue beckoned Mei Fang and Xia Yuan to look in the direction she pointed. “Quick, look over there!”

“That’s him, isn’t it? We ran into him again today!”

End of Chapter