Seeing Qian Xiao’s frustrated expression, a mix of laughter and amazement rippled through the audience.
Judging from the opening alone, the ventriloquism act was remarkably effective. Qian Xiao’s expressions and movements left even the worldly parents in awe, to say nothing of the children, who were already giggling with delight.
Even though she knew Beibei was hidden inside the Grey Wolf puppet, Xu Yiyi still laughed heartily.
The homeroom teacher, Miao Momo, watched with surprise. When she first heard Qian Xiao was going to perform ventriloquism, she had her doubts. But now it seemed... Qian Xiao was full of hidden talents! Look at that, when the puppet spoke, his mouth didn’t move at all, and the voice even changed into that of a pleasant-sounding girl... An expert. This was an expert!
However, it wasn’t long before Miao Momo wished she could trample Qian Xiao to death, because the Grey Wolf puppet spoke again.
"Qian Xiao, I heard you wanted to introduce Teacher Miao Momo to Xu Lai? Don’t you know that Xu Lai doesn’t like flatlands?"
Numerous parents shot strange glances back and forth between Miao Momo and Xu Lai, who was sitting in the front row. The mothers’ eyes sparkled with gossip, while the fathers’ held a complex mix of envy and other emotions.
Miao Momo’s face flushed red with embarrassment. What nonsense was this little rascal spouting? You can’t make a joke like that, even for a punchline! It looks like Qian Xiao’s homework is going to be doubled from now on, even if it means getting fired by Principal Luo Chu!
Xu Lai glanced at his wife and coughed. "This..."
Ruan Tang, however, appeared indifferent. "Don’t worry," she said calmly. "I’m not angry."
"Then, honey, could you please move your foot? Yiyi is still watching..." Xu Lai muttered, looking down at the high heel pressing on his shoe. He then sent a telepathic message to Beibei, "If you cause me any more trouble, I’ll stew you for lunch!"
Inside the puppet, Beibei was mortified. She had meant to cause trouble for Qian Xiao, not expecting to create collateral damage.
"Hey, Qian Xiao, according to the script, shouldn’t you be asking what my talents are?" Beibei said lazily.
"Right!" Qian Xiao was thrilled. Beibei finally had a change of heart and was ready to follow the script! He quickly asked, "So, what talents do you have?"
Beibei replied, "I’m fast with mental math!"
A row of question marks popped into Qian Xiao’s head. Wasn’t the line supposed to be ’I can sing’? But he had no choice but to go along with her.
"Then let me test you. What’s 96 times 96?" Qian Xiao asked.
"That’s... not quite right, is it?" Although Qian Xiao couldn’t multiply two-digit numbers that large in his head, he knew six times six was thirty-six. The answer couldn’t possibly be 777.
"But you have to admit it was fast."
The rest of the performance was a complete disaster for Qian Xiao. Normally, the puppet cooperates with the performer, but Beibei was far from docile. She sabotaged him at every turn, and Qian Xiao was on the verge of a breakdown.
Yet, the performance was an unexpected success. The "Grey Wolf puppet" was so incredibly lifelike that the ventriloquism was even better than the artist who performed at last year’s Spring Festival Gala.
"My performance is over. Thank you, everyone."
Qian Xiao left the stage on the verge of tears as thunderous applause filled the auditorium. However, the little guy’s mood was far from joyful. Judging by the murderous intent in Teacher Miao Momo’s smile, he had certainly become the brightest star of the show. But that was only on the condition that he could survive. After all, with that one performance, he had offended quite a few people, including but not limited to Teacher Miao Momo.
With Qian Xiao’s splendid act to follow, the other students’ performances, while good, could only be described as standard. After Mao Dou’s ballet performance, it was Xu Yiyi’s turn. She was the last one.
"Our daughter’s on stage," Ruan Tang said, gripping Xu Lai’s hand tightly. She seemed even more nervous than Xu Yiyi.
Xu Lai comforted her, "Honey, don’t be nervous. This is nothing to worry about."
Xu Yiyi was slightly overwhelmed by stage fright. But when she saw her father’s encouraging gaze from the front row, she curled her lips into a brilliant smile, her cute little tiger teeth sparkling in the light.
"Please enjoy the Magic Trick—Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, performed by Xu Yiyi," Teacher Miao Momo announced.
Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix? Ruan Tang was stunned. Isn’t that a solo piece for the suona? How did it become a magic trick?
Onstage, Xu Yiyi closed her eyes. Her expression was serious as she stood in silence. Finally, she stamped her foot lightly and shouted, "HA!"
The audience was completely baffled. What kind of performance was this? Several parents who had tried to curry favor with Xu Lai earlier, only to be snubbed, couldn’t help but sneer. It was just too ridiculous.
"So much for ’Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.’ What’s the use of knowing Eighth Master? Country folk will always be country folk, with no culture or sophistication," one parent remarked derisively.
Suddenly, a clear chirp echoed through the auditorium, and the room fell silent. Following the sound, they saw a sparrow fly in through a window. It circled Xu Yiyi for a few seconds before landing steadily on the ground.
"Ha, so a bird really did fly in." The mocking parent laughed heartily. "Don’t tell me this single sparrow counts as all the birds?"
Xu Yiyi opened her eyes, puffing out her cheeks in slight anger. She took a deep breath, and then...
The area outside the auditorium was filled with the sound of flapping wings, accompanied by a chorus of birdsongs. Unable to contain his curiosity, Qian Xiao rushed out despite Teacher Miao Momo’s attempts to stop him. "WOW!" he exclaimed in awe. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel·fıre·net
The other students, driven by curiosity, crowded around the windows to look outside and soon began chattering excitedly.
"So... so many birds!"
The parents exchanged confused glances before quickly walking out of the auditorium. There, they witnessed a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
The sky was filled with birds!
One parent, a researcher specializing in ornithology, pushed his thick glasses up his nose, his eyes gleaming. "Black-naped Oriole, White-browed Bunting, Rufous-tailed Robin, Blue-throated Flycatcher, White-capped Water Redstart, Red-billed Starling..."
These were all relatively common birds. But soon, he gasped, for he saw several species that had no business being in East Sea City.
"The White-Crowned Long-Tailed Pheasant! And from the southwest region, the White-Bellied Pheasant and the Hornbill! My god... they’re from at least two thousand kilometers away! Did they fly all the way here?!" the ornithologist continued in shock. "And the Black-Necked Crane from the country’s northwest, the Red-Crowned Crane from the northeast..."
Birds common and rare, from every corner of Hua Country, had gathered over Galaxy Kindergarten, all singing in unison. The sound wasn’t chaotic; instead, it was an incredibly melodious and graceful tune, like the most beautiful music in the world.
Listening, the ornithologist’s tears flowed freely. This was a magnificent spectacle, the kind you see only once in a century!
The parent who had mocked them earlier stood there, his face a mask of shock. How could this be possible? How could the Human Race possibly control birds