"I can reach up high, I can touch the sky. I can reach down low, I can touch my toes. I can spin around, round and round, Then sit quietly on the ground."
In the middle class of Haruyama Kindergarten, young Teacher Cai was leading the children in a nursery rhyme, singing and dancing along.
Though the lyrics seemed childish, the melody was lovely, and for kids this age, singing while spinning around in a little "dance" was fresh and fun.
After a while, the children were all sweaty and out of breath, but they kept giggling endlessly, having a great time.
"Alright, kids, take a break now. Teacher Shen has prepared milk for everyone. Go find your own cups and drink up!" Teacher Mu, keeping a good pace in the lesson, called a stop with a warm smile and spoke gently to the children.
Each child had a different stamina level. Xixi and Chen Shiyun had good physical strength and felt they hadn't played enough after warming up, while Lan Xin and Yang Luoqi were a bit worn out and couldn't wait to sit on the floor as soon as the teacher called for a rest.
"Xin'er, Qiqi, let's go drink some milk!" Xixi said energetically, hopping and skipping around Lan Xin and Yang Luoqi.
"Okay!" Yang Luoqi was the first to get up—she had taken dance lessons, after all.
Lan Xin didn't want to move. She pitifully stretched out her hand and said, "Xixi, give me a pull."
But how could Xixi pull her up? After trying, the little girl had an idea: "Chen Shiyun, can you come help? You pull one side, I'll pull the other, and then Xin'er can stand up!"
Chen Shiyun ran over when she heard this. Seeing Lan Xin, she pouted and said, "I don't want to pull Lan Xin. Why can't she stand up on her own? Hmph, lazybones!"
"You're the lazybones!" Lan Xin, who didn't get along with Chen Shiyun, found her energy again in the argument. She flipped over and got up from the floor. "I don't need you to pull me!"
Xixi, caught between them, said anxiously, "Oh, Xin'er, Chen Shiyun, don't argue, okay? We're good friends; we can't fight."
"Hmph, see, she stood up on her own! What a liar!" Chen Shiyun turned and ran off with a clatter. Unlike Lan Xin and Yang Luoqi, who stuck close to Xixi, she had her own "followers"—or so she said.
Even Nan Zhaoyu didn't always play with Xixi. By this age, boys and girls were starting to develop some gender awareness, and playing too much with girls could get you teased by the boys' circle!
Kids' tempers flared up and faded quickly. While Xixi, Lan Xin, and Yang Luoqi were at Teacher Shen's, holding their little cups and drinking milk, occasionally laughing at each other's milk mustaches, Chen Shiyun ran back over.
"Xixi, Xixi! Didn't you say yesterday you'd ask your dad if we could come play at your house?" Chen Shiyun asked.
"Yeah, yeah, what did your dad say?" Lan Xin chimed in excitedly with her loud voice.
"Oh, I forgot." Xixi patted her little head and giggled.
"Forgot to ask your dad?" Lan Xin grew anxious.
Yang Luoqi beside her didn't speak, but her eyes showed disappointment—she'd been looking forward to Xixi's little kitten!
Of course, Lan Xin was thinking about snacks, and Chen Shiyun probably was too.
"No, not that!" Xixi giggled. "My daddy said he wants to invite you all to our house to play, but I need to know how many are coming and when you'll come. I forgot that part!"
Ah, so that was it. Lan Xin sighed in relief. The little foodie immediately raised her chubby arm and said happily, "I can go! I want to go, Xixi, I want to go!"
"I want to go too!" Yang Luoqi added with a smile.
Chen Shiyun was even more eager. She patted her chest and said, "Xixi, don't worry, I'll help you ask. But I want to go too!"
"Mm-hmm, you need to tell your daddies. My daddy said he'll contact them and tell them where our house is, so you can come!" Xixi had a good memory and remembered her father's words.
...
The sales of *Xixi's Bedtime Stories* were dismal. The marketing department of Sahara Publishing had tried everything but couldn't turn things around—some copies had sold, but far from expectations!
A chain bookstore that had previous conflicts with Sahara saw an opportunity and moved the book to an inconspicuous corner, using it to vent their accumulated grievances.
However, one day, a middle-aged woman dressed like a homemaker walked into the only Shuxiangge chain bookstore in Langya City.
"Hello, ma'am. What type of books are you looking for? I can recommend some," the bookstore's dedicated sales assistant greeted her.
"I'm here in Langya for a meeting and staying at the hotel upstairs. I thought I'd buy some books for my daughter as a gift," the woman said with a slight smile.
"Here for a meeting—are you a teacher from the Writers' Association?" the assistant asked, well-informed.
"Mm." Yu Qian smiled and nodded.
The assistant clearly didn't recognize her, but Yu Qian didn't like to show off, so she wouldn't directly say she was Yu Qian, a bestselling youth literature author, or mention her more impressive title as a council member of the Guangdong Writers' Association.
Seeing she didn't want to elaborate, the assistant tactfully returned to her job. "How old is your daughter?" she asked.
"She's only six, still at the age for fairy tales. Just take me to the fairy tale section—I'd like to browse myself," Yu Qian said with a laugh.
"Alright." The assistant followed Yu Qian's request, led her to the fairy tale section, and quietly stepped away.
Yu Qian glanced at the front shelf, where many newly released, popular fairy tale books had familiar titles.
Having often bought books for her daughter, Yu Qian had read most of them. Lately, the children's book market felt a bit stagnant—older authors lacked inspiration, and newer ones hadn't produced standout works. Even the bestsellers, in her opinion, either weren't suitable for her daughter or were mediocre, with stories lacking originality.
Influenced by her mother, her daughter was a picky reader too, so buying those for her would likely be a waste.
Since she was staying at the hotel during her business trip and had free evenings, Yu Qian wanted to dig around and see if any good books were buried in the less popular corners.
Hunting for books—maybe that was one of the great joys for book lovers!
And so, she spotted a blue-covered storybook: *Xixi's Bedtime Stories*. The name was interesting—her daughter's nickname was Xixi the Princess, and "Xixi" sounded similar!
Drawn by the name, Yu Qian decided to flip it open and take a look.