As for the launch and sales of âFairy Tale Kingâ, not many people in the book market really cared. Probably only the Fairy Tale Department of Silver Blue Books would constantly pay attention to the response of the first issue of the magazine.
However, during the day, there wasnât much valuable feedback online.
Time moved on to the evening.
In the living room of a certain residential community.
A mother, under the light, reluctantly put down the book in her hand: âThis issue of the Poirot Series is good, the plot tricks are unexpected, it feels more exciting than the last oneâ¦â
At this time, two children were making a fuss in the living room.
The mother glanced at the time and said helplessly, âHonghong, Huahua, itâs time for bed.â
âI want to play a little more.â
The seven-year-old son, Huahua, was happily playing with his toy car.
The mother turned to her nine-year-old daughter, âHonghong, youâre the big sister. Be an example for your brother and go to bed.â
âOkay.â
Honghong obediently went into the bedroom.
Seeing his sister go into the bedroom, Huahua reluctantly followed, meanwhile yelling, âThen mother, tell me a story!â
âAlright, alright.â
With an affectionate look on her face, the mother picked up the âFairy Tale Kingâ which she had bought earlier that day along with the Poirot Series.
She was a fan of Chu Kuang, especially the Poirot Series, every issue of which she bought.
There was said to be a story by Chu Kuang in the âFairy Tale Kingâ. With a supportive attitude towards her idol, she conveniently bought a copy.
Although she herself had no interest in fairy tales, she could tell them to her son at night.
Ten minutes later.
Honghong and Huahua lay in bed.
The mother took the unsealed âFairy Tale Kingâ, found the first story and said, âToday mother will tell you aâ¦â
âMother!â
Seeing his mother holding a strange story book in her hand, Huahua protested,
âI want to hear the story of the little turtle, I donât want to hear any other stories!â
The mother couldnât help but say, âHuahua, look, weâve already heard the story of the little turtle many times in a row. Why not switch to a new storyâ¦â
âNo, only the little turtle!â Huahua insisted loudly.
Honghong, who was already immune to bedtime stories, scorned, âInfant ghost, only knows about the little turtle story every day, my ears have already developed calluses from hearing it!â
Mother: âItâs calluses not scissorsâ¦â
Honghong: âIsnât scissors the same as calluses?â
Mother: ââ¦â
Huahua huffed, âI just want to hear the little turtle.â
The mother laughed. The so-called âLittle Turtleâ is a very classic fairy tale, but she had already told her son the same story dozens of times.
She was really sick of it.
She negotiated, âLetâs hear a new story first, if you donât like it, mother will read you the little turtleâ¦â
âAlright.â
Huahua reluctantly agreed.
Honghong, who was on the top bunk, said, âMother, hurry up and finish his story, only babies like my brother find fairy tales enjoyable. I, being mature, am very tired now and want to sleep.â
âGot it.â
The mother casually turned to Chu Kuangâs fairy tale:
âToday mother is going to tell the story of Snow White. In a distant land, there lived a king and a queen. They eagerly wished for a child and so they earnestly prayed to the heaven, âPlease grant us a child.â Soon after, the queen indeed gave birth to a lovely princess. The girlâs skin was as white as snow and her cheeks were as red as apples. The king and queen named her Snow Whiteâ¦â
The mother was very experienced in telling stories.
Under her narration, the story of Snow White unfolded smoothly.
Huahua was initially uninterested, but as he listened on, he became somewhat fascinated.
When mother talked about the new queen wanting to kill Snow White, he couldnât help but exclaim furiously,
âThe Queen is so cruel!â
Smiling, Mother coaxed, âBecause sheâs a stepmother, stepmothers tend to be cruel to children, so you must never let your father remarry.â
âI donât want a stepmother!ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Huahua strongly identified with this.
Mother caressed her sonâs head and continued, âThe Queenâs guard had a soft heart and let Snow White go. Snow White ran away and stumbled upon a house with seven bedsâ¦â
âMother, are there really dwarves in the world?â
A voice emanated from the bunk above, it was Honghong speaking.
Mother was surprised, she hadnât expected her daughter to be interested in the story, considering Honghong was past the age when she enjoyed fairy tales.
She was still a child after all.
She gently said, âThere are many dwarves in the world, but if you see one, donât tease them. Be friendly to them. Look how nice the dwarves were to Snow White.â
Honghong exclaimed loudly, âAlright, I like dwarves!â
Huahua pouted, âSister, I thought you didnât like fairy tales?â
Honghong kicked the bed, âI canât sleep, so Iâm just listening.â
Motherâs lips curved into a smile, âThe Queen learned from the Magic Mirror that Snow White was still alive. Enraged, she disguised herself as an old woman and secretly gave Snow White a poisoned appleâ¦â
âDonât eat it!â
âThe apple is poisoned!â
The two children suddenly became agitated.
Mother educated them, âNow do you understand why I donât want you eating things from strangers? Who knows, they might be disguised as the Queen.â
Huahua said, âI wonât eat from strangers anymore!â
Honghong added, âEspecially not candy from strange uncles!â
Hearing the childrenâs responses, Mother felt that the story had an educational value. She nodded and continued, âSnow White fell unconscious and a handsome prince happened to pass byâ¦â
âThatâs great!â
âSnow White is okay again!â
The childrenâs emotions ran high and then quickly calmed. Hearing that the handsome prince had kissed Snow White awake, they were overjoyed.
âThe Prince returned to his kingdom with the princess, exposed the Queenâs evil deeds, and saw to it that she was punished. The Prince and Princess got married and they lived happily ever afterâ¦â
Mother ended the story and felt a pleasant warmth in her heart.
Chu Kuang was without a doubt her idol. He wrote his tales masterfully, and it did not seem like this was his first fairy tale. Even as an adult, she felt a liking for the story. The technical proficiency it had surpassed that of the Turtle tale.
Huahua exclaimed, âTell it again!â
Honghong joined in, âI like Snow White!â
Mother asked, âWhat about the Little Turtle?â
âNo!â
The two kids responded in unison.
Mother, ââ¦â
It appeared that Snow White had trumped the Little Turtle.
When she was a child, her mother had shared the story of the Little Turtle with her. She even felt guilty when she had turtle soup in her adulthood, though she knew there was a difference between a turtle and a tortoise.
Mother indulged in her thoughts, then told the story once more.
The children listened with as much excitement during the second telling, when they occasionally chimed in with comments.
Not until the third telling did they start to drift off to sleep. She tiptoed out of the room, making sure to cover both of them with the blankets they had unknowingly kicked off.
âI am Snow Whiteâ¦â
As Mother was covering Honghong with her blanket, Honghong began to talk in her sleep.
Mother chuckled.
Back in the living room, Mother opened her laptop and joined a group chat: âDear sisters, have you ever heard the story of âSnow Whiteâ?â
The other mothers in the group chat seemed clueless.
However, by the next day, all the mothers knew exactly who Snow White wasâ¦