Crosstalk and Hide-and-Seek

Xiang Kun looked at Yang the Third with an innocent expression. "I really didn't threaten him. I just sincerely pointed out the health problems he might be facing and gave him some health advice. The atmosphere was friendly and harmonious throughout."

"Your health advice is to go to bed early, get up early, eat vegetarian food, drink water, and practice Tai Chi?" Tang Baona couldn't help but ask before Yang Zhen'er could, and then she laughed to herself.

Yang Zhen'er sighed as she looked at her friend, "Nana, your sense of humor is too low!" Then she said to Xiang Kun, "Then why would he listen? Look, I tell Nana to take care of her health, to go to bed early and get up early, to eat vegetables, drink water, and practice Tai Chi, and all she does is laugh. She definitely won't do it."

Xiang Kun laughed and said, "I didn't tell him to practice Tai Chi. I just told him to go to bed early, get up early, and drink more water. It's just normal advice. As for why he listened, I guess it's because he himself felt he had health problems, or maybe what I said was sincere and I'm a trustworthy person."

"Hmph, you think you're sincere and trustworthy? You're the best at fooling people! Don't think that just because someone is bald they're a monk or that wearing glasses makes them a refined person!" Yang Zhen'er retorted.

The three of them chatted and joked as they entered the elevator.

Tang Baona suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, Xiang Kun, those VR social networking things Zhang Qian mentioned sound like they require a lot of technical expertise and hardware. How could you agree to that with such confidence? Our company doesn't have any of those things, does it...?"

Xiang Kun smiled and said, "Right now, it's just a preliminary idea. It's not like it's going to be implemented right away. We'll study it further later and see how far we can go."

Yang Zhen'er immediately said, "Nana, just you wait and see, Chef Xiang is just fooling our General Manager Zhang! When General Manager Zhang asks him later, 'Mr. Xiang, how are these technical problems solved?' he'll probably say, 'With the technical support of a secret organization!'"

Xiang Kun said seriously, "Third brother, you're being silly! You can't just go around talking about secret organizations like this. You need to be more aware of secrecy!"

Tang Baona laughed and said, "Alright, you two are really something, like you're doing a comedy routine."

Upon reaching her floor and stepping out of the elevator, Tang Baona remarked with emotion, "Time flies! It feels like just yesterday that the three of us and Lao Xia played Dou Dizhu and Ludo together for the first time, went to the archery range, and helped Xiang Kun taste the dishes. And now, in the blink of an eye, we're all running a company together."

Yang Zhen'er laughed and said, "Because it hasn't been that long! We only met Chef Xiang last July or August, I think. Hey? Speaking of Lao Xia, I wonder what they're doing in the village now. I want to video chat with Lao Xia and see my precious Little Bell."

"Little Bell and Little Apple should be taking their afternoon nap right now, don't disturb them," Tang Baona said.

"It's okay, if they're taking a lunch break, Lao Xia won't answer the video call and will just hang up," Yang Zhen'er said matter-of-factly.

As they reached their respective room doors, their video calls with Lao Xia were connected.

So Xiang Kun didn't go back to his room. He followed Yang Zhen'er into their room and video-chatted with Lao Xia. He wanted to tell Liu Shiling about Shiling's father to put her mind at ease.

"Lao Xia, what are you having for lunch? What about Little Bell and Little Apple?" Yang Zhen'er asked.

"We'll heat up the steamed buns from the fridge for lunch. Little Bell and Little Apple are going to play hide-and-seek," Xia Libing said.

"The steamed buns in the refrigerator? The ones Chef Xiang made? What did you have for breakfast?" Yang Zhen'er couldn't help but ask again.

"I also eat hot steamed buns in the morning," Xia Libing replied.

"What did you eat last night? You haven't been eating steamed buns every meal since we left, have you?" Yang Zhen'er asked in surprise.

"That wouldn't be enough to eat," Xia Libing said. "We ate at Youlong Restaurant yesterday for both lunch and dinner."

At this moment, Liu Shiling ran downstairs and approached Xia Libing, asking, "Chicken Wing Sister, is Chicken Wing Sister ready yet?"

Xia Libing didn't answer, but instead pointed the front-facing camera of her phone at her.

Upon seeing Yang Zhen'er, Tang Baona, and Xiang Kun on the other side of the phone screen, Liu Shiling immediately greeted them cheerfully, "Old Fairy Sister! Pretty Sister! Bald Uncle!"

Yang Zhen'er was too lazy to correct the Little Chubby Girl's way of addressing her. She figured that since Lao Xia had changed from "Roast Chicken Wing Sister" to "Chicken Wing Sister," she might soon naturally change from "Old Fairy Sister" to "Fairy Sister."

"Little Bell, have you missed us? Your sister Nana and I bought you lots of delicious food and fun toys!" Yang Zhen'er said proudly.

Liu Shiling nodded repeatedly, "Yes!"

Then she looked at the upper left corner of the screen, where Xiang Kun, whose face was only half visible behind Yang Zhen'er, said, "When is Uncle Baldy coming back? We've almost finished our steamed buns."

Xiang Kun smiled and said, "Soon, things here are almost done, we should be going back tomorrow. Little Bell, your dad is basically fine now, he and your mom will probably be able to pick you up soon."

Hearing this, Liu Shiling's expression brightened even more, but then she suddenly remembered something and said to them, "Uncle Baldy, tell my mom and dad not to worry, not to come pick me up so soon, I'm fine."

Not only Xiang Kun, but Tang Baona and Yang Zhen'er also laughed. Seeing the Little Chubby Girl's slightly embarrassed expression, they knew that she had had a great time playing with Little Apple in Chongyun Village and was reluctant to leave.

After a while, Little Apple also came over and greeted Xiang Kun and the other two.

A dozen minutes later, Xia Libing ended the video call and then went out with Little Apple and Little Chubby Girl.

She just said that the Little Chubby Girl and the Little Apple were playing hide-and-seek, and Tang Baona and Yang Zhen'er naturally and instinctively felt that the two of them were playing in the small building where they lived.

Although Little Apple is blind, she is very intelligent, and with the reliable Lao Xia watching over her, Tang Baona and Yang Zhen'er are not worried about any problems.

However, what they didn't know was that the Little Chubby Girl and the Little Apple's "hide-and-seek game" wasn't indoors, but rather throughout the entire Chongyun Village, and even included a small part of the surrounding mountains and forests.

This is a game of "Coin hide-and-seek" designed by Little Chubby Girl and Little Apple, or a "Coin treasure hunt".

First, the "Egg Girl" duo— Little Chubby Girl and Egg Pie— searched the entire village for places to hide the Coin. Then, the "Golden Fruit" duo— Little Apple and Gold Glitter— went to find the Coin.

Of course, the reverse is also true: Little Apple and Gold Glitter hide the Coin, Little Chubby Girl and Egg Pie Coin.

This Coin couldn't possibly be one of the Little Chubby Girl's "Five Little Sprite Guardians," nor could it be the Coin Xiang Kun gave to Little Apple to practice "Object-Sensing," otherwise there would be no suspense at all.

Especially the Little Chubby Girl's Coin; she can control it remotely. When someone is about to find it, she can secretly make the Coin run away, so she will never lose.

Therefore, the hidden "Super-Linked Object" Coin were provided by Lao Xia.

To prevent cheating, Alice can no longer assist Little Apple in perceiving environmental information; she can only act as a referee and ensure the safety of the two girls, a cat, and a bird.

Of course, to ensure everything went smoothly, Lao Xia would always be there to watch over Little Chubby Girl when she went to hide the Coin, and Little Apple when she went to look for Coin.

Chongyun Village is not very crowded during the day. Most people go to work in town or work in the fields. Moreover, the areas that Little Apple and Little Chubby Girl chose are relatively remote near the mountains, where there are even fewer people, so they can do whatever they want.

Little Apple can use the Minion Wooden Carving in her hand to prepare for remote projection of emotions, which allows her to have a general understanding of the surrounding Super-Linked Object Network.

She acquired this ability a few nights ago when she collaborated with Alice, using the Little Chubby Girl to induce a hyper-stimulated state in the five Super-Linked Object, remotely projecting emotional signals to intimidate the scheming middle-aged man.

Through these few days of practice with Alice, she has gained a clearer understanding of the placement of Super-Linked Object in Chongyun Village. If she finds a newly placed Super-Linked Object during the search, she can send Gold Glitter over to check if it contains Coin hidden by the Little Chubby Girl.

The Little Chubby Girl can rely on the smell of the Egg Pie, or use the five coins she has established strong connections with to sense the Coin, and search for Coin through the weak connections between other "Super-Linked Object" in Chongyun Village.

Once she gets close enough, she can pinpoint the location of the Super-Linked Object and then have Egg Pie confirm if it's Lao Xia's.

Using the entire Chongyun Village as the "game map" definitely made it more fun and interesting to find. The two girls, one big and one small, had a great time playing with their pet companions, and were covered in sweat.

In the eyes of Little Apple and Little Chubby Girl, Chongyun Village is truly the most fun "playground" in the world, with countless ways to play.

After nightfall, although Little Chubby Girl and Little Apple could still search for Super-Linked Object, Lao Xia wouldn't let them play anymore and took them home to bathe and eat.

After dinner, Little Apple, who was sitting on the sofa on the first floor with Liu Shiling, studying origami, suddenly asked, "Little Bell, do you like listening to crosstalk?"

"Is crosstalk just about two people arguing while dressed in ancient clothes?" Liu Shiling asked uncertainly.

"It wasn't an argument, it was a performance. Come on, Alice, help me find a crosstalk performance by Yue Yunpeng." Little Apple picked up her phone and said.

Then the phone started playing a famous crosstalk performance by Yue Yunpeng and Sun Yue.

After watching for a few minutes, Little Apple asked, "How is it?"

The Little Chubby Girl, not quite understanding, said somewhat bewilderedly, "That uncle with small eyes seems very powerful."

Little Apple knew that Little Chubby Girl probably wouldn't quite grasp the humor of crosstalk, but she wasn't trying to get her to listen to it. Instead, she said, "Little Chubby Girl Little Bell, let's do some crosstalk together!"

"Huh?" the Little Chubby Girl exclaimed, "I don't know how, Little Apple Sister!"

"It's okay, you can be my straight man, it's very simple! We'll put together a show and perform for Uncle Xiang and Sister Nana. Later, when you go back to kindergarten, you can perform with other classmates or even your teacher! They'll be so surprised!" Little Apple smiled, her eyes crinkling. She already had many crosstalk routines in her mind that would be perfect for working with the Little Chubby Girl, and just thinking about them made her happy. The Little Chubby Girl didn't understand the jokes of crosstalk, but that didn't stop her from being a performer at all.

"What is a hiccup? Is it hard to hold? Is it like holding a bowl? Can I just stand by and hold it?" The Little Chubby Girl was still a little confused and scratched her head as she asked.

"No, it's just to strike up a conversation with me. For example, I'll say something, and you can just say something like, 'Right!', 'Okay!', 'Isn't that right!', 'Never heard of it!', 'Hmph!', 'Exactly!' or something like that," Little Apple coaxed.

"Can I just say anything? I'm afraid I won't remember... Or, Little Apple, why don't you ask Roast Chicken Wing Sister to help you carry the bowl?" the Little Chubby Girl said somewhat uncertainly.

The Roast Chicken Wing Sister sat beside them, looking at her laptop and keeping them company. She didn't seem to be busy at all. The Little Chubby Girl thought she could definitely help Little Apple hold the bowl properly, after all, the Roast Chicken Wing Sister was a super powerful magician, so it was normal for her to know everything.

"I've actually thought about doing skits with Sister Bing, but right now I want to play with you the most. I have so many skits! Come on, it's not hard, it's really easy!" Little Apple got more and more excited as she spoke. Even the Gold Glitter standing on the windowsill could sense its little master's excitement. It tilted its head, its bird face full of doubt.

So, after being strongly persuaded by Little Apple, the Little Chubby Girl finally agreed to perform crosstalk with her.

Little Apple, a crosstalk enthusiast, often comes up with various crosstalk ideas in her mind. Sometimes she even dreams that she is performing crosstalk with a bunch of little yellow people as her audience. She has also dreamed that Xiang Kun is her straight man.

So she quickly explained a joke she had come up with to the Little Chubby Girl, rehearsed it in front of Xia Libing, and then sent a video chat request to Yang Zhen'er.

After learning that Little Apple and Little Chubby Girl were going to perform a crosstalk routine for them on a live stream, Tang Baona quickly called Xiang Kun door over. The three of them crowded around the phone, looking expectantly at the two girls.

"Hello, audience! We are a crosstalk duo called 'Bell Apple,' which was just formed 45 minutes ago."

After Little Apple finished speaking, she gently nudged the Little Chubby Girl next to her with her elbow.

The latter paused for a moment, then quickly said, "I'm Xiaolingang!"

Just seeing the Little Chubby Girl's slightly awkward and nervous expression, her two chubby little hands clasped together in an adorable daze, made Tang Baona and Yang Zhen'er laugh uncontrollably. And when they heard the Little Chubby Girl pronounce "dang" as "ang" because of her nervousness, Tang Baona, who already had a low threshold for laughter, burst into tears.

Little Apple introduced herself, "I'm Little Apple. Hey, Little Bell, I have a little question for you. Do you know what the four most important skills are for a crosstalk performer?"

"Never heard of it," the Little Chubby Girl replied reflexively.

"Wait a minute, didn't I just tell you that? What was it? Four words..."

The Little Chubby Girl said timidly, "Eating, drinking, and having fun..."

"Wrong! It's 'speaking, imitating, teasing, and singing'! Little Bell, do you know what 'speaking, imitating, teasing, and singing' represent?"

"Never heard of it."

"Let's talk about your studies first, Little Bell. I heard you've been studying really hard at kindergarten lately, and you're doing exceptionally well in math. Your teachers are all praising you."

"Never heard of it..."

"You're wrong!" Little Apple nudged him with her elbow.

"That's right!" the Little Chubby Girl quickly corrected herself.

Normally, when video chatting with Xiang Kun and Nana, the Little Chubby Girl is very relaxed. But now, perhaps because of the "comic performance" factor, even though the other side of the video is Guang, Piao, and Lao, three people she knows very well, the Little Chubby Girl is still a little reserved. However, while she is nervously rehearsing her lines, she is also paying attention to the camera, which makes her look adorable and cute. Everything she says is funny. In addition, Little Apple is seriously imitating the Tianjin accent next to her, which makes not only Tang Baona and Yang Zhen'er, but also Xiang Kun smile like an aunt.

Little Apple continued, "Little Bell, you should know the multiplication tables pretty well, right? Let me test you: what is three times three?"

"Never heard of it," the Little Chubby Girl said.

"Huh? You haven't learned three yet? Let's try another one, what's two times two?"

"Four," the Little Chubby Girl replied.

"What's four times four?" Little Apple asked again.

"Sixteen," the Little Chubby Girl answered.

Little Apple: "Isn't that pretty impressive? You've already memorized up to four. So what's three times three?"

"Never heard of it."

What is three times three?

"Nine."

"Four times four?"

"Never heard of it."

Tang Baona laughed so hard she rolled around on the bed, Yang Zhen'er laughed so hard she reached out to pinch Nana's waist. Xiang Kun couldn't help but worry that if the "Bell Apple" duo continued their performance, would the two sisters laugh themselves into something?