Chapter 91: National Treasure Yellow Peach (Please Subscribe)

That evening, Huang Guolun drove Bai Yao to Purple Star Manor. After coaxing Huang Tao to sleep, the two of them immediately plunged into song selection and preparations.

One of the big selling points of Huang Guolun bringing Bai Yao to a solo performance was that Bai Yao had sung the theme song for the film, so at next week’s concert, she would definitely have to perform The Beautiful People.

Apart from that song, Huang Guolun did not want Bai Yao singing anything else that would strain her vocal cords. He wanted her to sing something softer, or with a bit of jazz flavor.

Time was limited, and he could not possibly have Bai Yao learn many new songs in just one week, so her solo set would mainly consist of older numbers, such as the Joanna Wang songs Maze and Happiness with You, or Tsai Chin’s Eyes of Yours. That kind of style suited Bai Yao’s current husky voice very well.

In addition, Huang Guolun also planned to teach Bai Yao two or three new songs, hoping that during the solo performance she could give the fans something fresh and leave everyone with a deep impression.

The deeper the audience’s impression of Bai Yao, the deeper their impression of the film would be.

The same was true for Huang Guolun himself. The better he performed, the better people’s impression of the film would be.

At the concert, he would sing more of his own original works, and if the audience requested old songs, he would sing those as well.

He wanted, in as short a time as possible, to let his musical talent blaze forth and leave the deepest possible mark on the internet audience.

That night, after consulting Bai Yao, Huang Guolun selected a total of nine songs for her, including The Beautiful People. Over the coming week, their rehearsals would focus primarily on these nine pieces.

After the songs were chosen, they wasted no time and began rehearsing right there in the studio, continuing until nearly midnight. Huang Guolun was the first to give out, and only then did the two of them call it a night.

The next day was Monday.

Capital City was met with the first great blanket of haze since the onset of winter.

Perhaps because the heating season had begun, the air quality across the entire north that morning was dreadful.

Capital City’s PM2.5 levels went straight through the roof, at least over 300.

When Huang Guolun got up and looked out through the living room window, it was as though he were staring at the end of the world. The sky was a uniform gray, pressing all the way down toward the earth.

Outside, a pall of smog drifted everywhere; even another building only a few dozen meters away could not be seen clearly, only a vague silhouette hovering in the mist.

Fortunately, Huang Guolun’s home was equipped with a fresh-air system, so the indoor air was still decent.

But the filthy weather outside was truly giving him a headache.

On any other day, haze was just haze; he had long since grown used to it.

But right now he and Bai Yao were preparing for their first major public performance, and if they inhaled too much smog and ended up with respiratory problems, that would be a terrible setback.

Bai Yao’s throat already had a chronic issue and was especially sensitive. In weather this heavily polluted, Huang Guolun was genuinely worried that her voice might be affected.

Huang Tao, on the other hand, was not too bad off. His kindergarten was fitted with the most advanced fresh-air system, and as long as he did not go outdoors, he would not be harmed.

The international kindergarten Huang Tao attended was right inside Purple Star Manor; it was only a few steps downstairs.

But for the sake of his health, Huang Guolun decided to carry Huang Tao to kindergarten himself.

Although Huang Tao was a nimble little chubby boy, he got out of breath easily if he walked too much. Huang Guolun truly could not bear to see him worn out, so he did not let him walk outdoors.

After breakfast, with Huang Tao’s mask on and his little backpack slung over his shoulders, Huang Guolun put on a large mask as well and carried Huang Tao to kindergarten.

Whether it was because the mask was too stifling, or because he had aged too quickly, or because Huang Tao’s flesh had gained too fast, Huang Guolun was actually left panting from just those few steps after carrying him over.

After handing Huang Tao over to Teacher Li Yuanyuan, who was also wearing a mask, Huang Guolun repeatedly reminded her not to be annoyed, and to help Huang Tao lose weight, not to let him eat too much. The boy was already fat beyond reason.

Teacher Li replied with a helpless smile, though with a rookie kindergarten teacher who had only been in the field for less than two years, how could she possibly keep Huang Tao’s mouth under control?

As long as Huang Tao did not turn the kindergarten upside down, Li Yuanyuan would already be grateful to heaven and to the Bodhisattva.

Sure enough, the moment Huang Guolun left, Huang Tao was overjoyed. The kindergarten was entirely his kingdom. After removing his mask and entering the classroom, he immediately shamelessly latched onto Li Yaxin, regaling her with one joke after another until the little dimples on her face were nearly overflowing with laughter.

Wang Xiaoshan in their class also liked Li Yaxin. Every time he saw Huang Tao, that greasy little chubby boy, cling to her, Wang Xiaoshan would get sullen with jealousy.

Unfortunately, he was not as clever as Huang Tao. Every time he tried to make Huang Tao look foolish, he only ended up smashing his own foot with the stone he had lifted.

That day was no exception.

Seeing Huang Tao make Li Yaxin laugh uncontrollably, Wang Xiaoshan puckered his lips and sidled over again, cutting in to ask, "Taozi, at your house, do you like your grandmother the most?"

"Of course! My grandmother buys me the most ice cream cones and toys, so of course I like her the most."

Wang Xiaoshan set a trap for him and asked, "Then if Li Yaxin and your grandmother fell into the water at the same time, who would you save?"

Huang Tao answered without the slightest hesitation, "I’d save Li Yaxin, of course! I don’t even know my grandmother’s coworkers, so why would I save them? Besides, they’re all adults, they don’t need me to save them. Right, Li Yaxin?"

Li Yaxin smiled at Huang Tao, dimples shining, her face full of innocent delight.

Wang Xiaoshan was left dumbfounded by Huang Tao’s answer and hurriedly said, "I said your grandmother, not your grandmother’s coworkers!"

"You think my grandmother is like you, a total landlubber? My grandmother can swim, she doesn’t need me to save her. Anyway, I’d save Li Yaxin!"

Li Yaxin was delighted beyond measure and asked along with him, "Taozi, if Wang Xiaoshan and I fell into the water, who would you save?"

Huang Tao puffed out his little round chest and said matter-of-factly, "Do I even need to be asked? I’d save you, of course! And not only that, even if I could swim, if I had to, I’d jump in and be your life ring!"

Li Yaxin was nearly bursting with joy and praised him, "Taozi, you’re so good! When lunch is served later, I’ll buy you little steamed buns!"

Huang Tao smiled sweetly at Li Yaxin and said, "Thank you!"

Then he turned back to Wang Xiaoshan and said, "Don’t be down, Wang Xiaoshan. After I save Li Yaxin, I’ll save you too. You’re a kid from a rich family, so when you drink yogurt, you only lick that tiny bit off the lid, right?"

Wang Xiaoshan was so thoroughly led around by Huang Tao that he could only nod and grin in agreement, not even realizing he was already under Huang Tao’s thumb.

These children all ate breakfast at home.

The morning meal at kindergarten would not be served until between the first and second classes.

Recently, with the weather turning cold, Huang Tao got hungry very quickly. Every first lesson found him so hungry he felt like scratching the walls.

That day was no different.

Teacher Li Yuanyuan was telling them a story about loving nature and small animals, but Huang Tao was already too hungry to endure it.

Teacher Li had just reached the part where she said, "If a baby sea turtle gets flipped over on the beach by the waves and cannot right itself, children, what should we do?"

"I know! I know!"

Huang Tao eagerly raised his little chubby hand.

Li Yuanyuan frowned, and after hesitating for several seconds, she steeled herself and said, "All right, Huang Tao, you tell us."

"We should pick it up, take it home, and boil it into soup to drink!"

Li Yuanyuan nearly had her slender waist snapped in place by Huang Tao’s words.

The children were all stunned.

Wang Xiaoshan stared blankly and asked, "Teacher, shouldn’t we help the little turtle back upright?"

Huang Tao cried out in exasperation, "Why help it? If it’s still alive, it can definitely flip itself over! If it can’t flip over, then it’s dead! And it’s probably just died, still fresh too, so we have to hurry and take it home to make soup! Only then will it not have died in vain right in front of us!"

"Huang Tao, shut your mouth!"

Li Yuanyuan was on the verge of collapse from anger.

"Teacher, I can’t shut my mouth. I’m hungry! I didn’t eat anything this morning. Can you give me two little buns first to tide me over? I’m starving!"

Seeing Huang Tao rolling around in place from hunger, he really did seem famished. Li Yuanyuan asked in a low voice, "Did your dad not feed you breakfast this morning?"

"No. You heard him this morning too—he insisted I lose weight! At home, whenever I say I’m hungry, he tells me to gnaw on his big toe to fill my stomach! How can gnawing on a big toe fill you up? It only makes you hungrier! I know I’m fat and need to lose weight, but if I don’t get full, how am I supposed to have the energy to lose weight?"

Li Yuanyuan was getting a headache from Huang Tao’s words. She knew that if she did not shut that mouth of his, he would spray out anything at all, and he would definitely teach the other children bad habits.

She hurriedly waved him off. "Fine, fine! Stop talking! I’ll get you some little buns. Any other children hungry?"

The other children all shook their heads, saying they were not hungry, and even laughed at Huang Tao.

Huang Tao asked them in confusion, "You don’t seem like four-year-olds at all! How can none of you be hungry?"

Li Yuanyuan stood with a helpless smile. Before going to fetch food, she said to Huang Tao, "In our class, you’re the one who least looks like a four-year-old. If there were no pandas in our country, you, Huang Tao, would be a national treasure."

With that, she went to get Huang Tao something to eat.

Huang Tao proudly bragged to the other children, "Teacher Li said I’m a national treasure, hehe, did you hear that? I’m a national treasure!"

Wang Xiaoshan was unconvinced. "Teacher Li said Huang Tao is a national treasure, meaning the fruit, not you."

"Teacher Li said 'I, Huang Tao,' am a national treasure! She was specifically referring to 'I, Huang Tao'!" Huang Tao declared haughtily. "Not all milk is called premium milk, and not all peaches are 'I, Huang Tao'!"

Huang Tao overwhelmed Wang Xiaoshan with sheer momentum, then asked the other children proudly, "Do you know Liu Xiang?"

The children nodded.

He asked again, "What about Yao Ming?"

They nodded again.

"Remember this: Liu Xiang represents the speed of the Chinese people! Yao Ming represents the height of the Chinese people! And I, Huang Tao, will in the future represent the Chinese people’s... weight! From now on, please call me—National Treasure Huang Tao!"