House Dad's Literary Life

Chapter 301 – Xixi’s Performance

While Yang Yi and Lan Zhoukai were having tea and chatting, Xixi encountered a big problem at the kindergarten. The little girl was disheartened to realize that the stories she used to tell no longer had an audience.

Xixi actually enjoyed telling stories to her little friends and enjoyed the admiration in their eyes. It felt great!

For this reason, she often made a lot of preparations, such as trying hard to recall the stories her father told her, and asking her mother read her stories she had already heard.

However, recently, Yang Yi gave books to the parents, and Xixi’s little friends were able to hear the complete versions of the stories from their parents. As a result, Xixi’s “repeated” stories were naturally no longer as popular as before.1

Today, when Xixi wanted to tell her little friends the story of Pinocchio, Chen Shiyun shouted, “I’ve heard this one! My mom read me this story yesterday!”

Lan Xin, who has always been at odds with Chen Shiyun, nodded in agreement, saying, “I remember too, if he lies, his nose will grow longer!”

The little chubby girl giggled and gestured on her nose.

“Xixi, I want to hear a new story,” Yang Luoqi whispered, pulling Xixi’s hand.

But where could Xixi find a new story? Journey to the West was so long, she couldn’t remember it all.

“Let’s wait for Xixi’s dad to come and tell us a story! Xixi’s dad will be here soon!” Nan Zhaoyu suggested.

“I like Xixi’s dad! I want to bring him my favorite chocolates, the ones my dad bought for me from another country,” Lan Xin said happily.

“I can dance. Can I show it to Xixi’s dad?” Yang Luoqi asked softly.

“Okay, you all like my Papa and don’t like me anymore,” Xixi pouted unhappily.

“No, Xixi, I still like you!” Nan Zhaoyu tried to pat Xixi’s shoulder to comfort his good friend.

However, Xixi skillfully avoided it and said with a giggle, “Zhaoyu, you can’t touch girls!”

“Huh?” Nan Zhaoyu looked puzzled.

“My little aunt defeated Uncle Guo like this!” Xixi excitedly told the story of that day.

In her vivid description, Guo Ziyi appeared as a villain, who was thrown to the ground by Yang Huan, and then fiercely beaten with left and right punches, creating an image of a super-skilled female hero.

“Wow! Xixi, is your little aunt really that amazing?” Even Nan Zhaoyu, who was a little aggrieved just now, was stunned by the story.

Chen Shiyun had a look full of admiration and said, “Xixi, I want to learn how to fight from your little aunt. My dad isn’t so amazing.”

It was unknown how she reached such a conclusion, but after all, the female hero was a female, and Chen Shiyun also wanted to become such an amazing character.

“We can’t fight, my mom said we can’t fight,” Yang Luoqi advised anxiously.

“Yep, my little aunt also said we can’t fight! But girls must protect themselves!” Xixi remembered very well.

Xixi’s little aunt’s story was even more exciting than a fairy tale, and Lan Xin was fascinated by what she heard just now and quickly nodded.

However, she just nodded, and Nan Zhaoyu was also nodding in a daze.

……

In order to prepare for the upcoming New Year’s Eve party, the afternoon class was changed to a rehearsal of the stage play “The Ugly Duckling” organized by Teacher Mu and Teacher Shen together with the children.

After several days of continuous trying and switching roles, each child finally had a fixed role.

Because of her good memory, Xixi was eventually chosen to play the role of the early-stage Ugly Duckling, while Yang Luoqi, with her pretty appearance, was chosen to play the role of the white swan that the ugly duckling transforms into later on!

These were not much. Chen Shiyun was quite interesting. She was chosen to play the role of the hunter she wanted. Although she had no lines, she looked cool carrying a plastic toy gun.

Rehearsals can be exhausting, especially when communicating with children who are only four years old. Teaching them how to perform and how to move can be challenging.

Getting them to remember their parts wasn’t a particularly big challenge. The big challenge was that during each rehearsal, the children sitting around who didn’t have any role for the time being would giggle and twist and turn playfully. Their laughter would make the children participating in the rehearsal feel embarrassed, and they wouldn’t know how to perform!

“Ah, I’m so tired. I want to rest here for a while.” Xixi was taking the rehearsal very seriously. Among these children, she was the least affected by the distractions on the sidelines. She ran over with great effort and crouched down beside several children holding their cue cards, all the while reciting her lines.

Although the little girl couldn’t put on a very professional expression, her seriousness alone made her the best performer among the children!

At this moment, Nan Zhaoyu and another boy who played the role of a wild duck ran over, but their wobbly postures caused a burst of laughter from the children around, which made Nan Zhaoyu and the others to forget their lines.

“The two of you need to ask the ugly duckling who she is,” Teacher Shen had to remind them out loud.

“Ugly duckling, who are you?” Nan Zhaoyu said hurriedly.

Teacher Shen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and interrupted again, saying, “Not ‘Ugly duckling, who are you?’ You have to ask ‘Who are you’ first…”

“Okay then!” Nan Zhaoyu nodded obediently, holding hands with the other boy, and recited their lines in front of Xixi.

Xixi placed her two hands by her side like a little duck, but as if lifting a skirt, she gracefully curtsied to the two “wild ducks.”

“I am the ugly duckling!” Xixi said softly, following the teacher’s instructions.

Here, Xixi was supposed to appear timid, but let alone whether she understood the word or not, even if she did, with her small face tense from trying to remember her lines, it was difficult to show these rich expressions.

On the other hand, Nan Zhaoyu and the other boy performed more naturally. They smiled and said, “Oh, you are the ugly duckling!”

However, the lines were wrong, so Teacher Shen had to come up again and correct them, “You should say: ‘Wow, it really is the ugly duckling, you’re really ugly!ʼ”

Really, these little ones would remember one line but forget the next. If they all had Xixi’s memory, the teachers wouldn’t have to worry!

There was still more than half a month until the end of December, and the chaotic stage play still needed continuous effort!

…..

After school, Yang Yi picked up Xixi at the entrance of the kindergarten.

The little girl eagerly held her father’s hand and said, “Papa, next time, can you let my little aunt come and pick me up too?”

“Hmm? Why?” Yang Yi was a bit puzzled. He knew that his daughter liked to play with the lively and cheerful Yang Huan, but he didn’t expect her to be so attached.

“Because my friends all want to see my little aunt!” The little girl counted on her fingers, “Xin’er, Qiqi… and Chen Shiyun, she wants to practice martial arts with my little aunt.”

Yang Yi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he rubbed Xixi’s little head, “Did you tell your friends at kindergarten how amazing your little aunt is again?”

Xixi giggled.

At this moment, Yang Luoqi was led over by her mother Wu Yue, who said with a smile, “Yang Yi, Qiqi has something to say to you.”