"Shall we go take a look?" Xia Chuhe asked.
After a moment's thought, Bu Yi thought, "My companions have never seen such a scene before. Let them go and take a look; it will broaden their experience. No problem."
The group headed towards the lonely shack.
The man who had come earlier begging for food spat and said, "Bad luck! You little slut!"
The person next to him tugged at him: "Keep your voice down, the Dream Star selection is about to begin. Xingxing is beautiful, she might really become Dream Star. If you offend her, aren't you asking for trouble?"
The man muttered a few words of protest, probably saying that he would never vote for Xingxing.
Once they were some distance from the shacks, Xia Chuhe asked, "Don't you guys think those people are a bit strange?"
Bu Yi: "It's strange. There are too many strange people outside. Dream City is relatively better. I once went to a city called Laughter City. Everyone there was always laughing. Even if they were beaten and injured, they had to laugh through their tears. Some people even laughed themselves to death."
“I observed that all those people, regardless of age or gender, looked quite clean and presentable. Even if they were dressed in rags and were starving, they still looked better than beggars.”
Li Yue casually remarked, "Look at the rest of us, none of us are weird-looking. Yet, in the mouths of the representatives from Dream City, we're just old, ugly country bumpkins. They either have a problem with their aesthetic sense, or they're exceptionally good-looking."
As they spoke, the group arrived near the shack.
The singer was a girl, wearing long sleeves and pants, and a straw hat. The straw hat had a large hole in the middle, and the brim had been patched repeatedly, its green and yellowish-brown color mottled.
The girl stood upright, with a slender figure, long hair reaching her waist, and her hands, folded in front of her, were dazzlingly white.
Although we didn't see his face clearly, judging from his demeanor, he must be quite handsome.
Li Yue's gaze swept over Bao'er, Zhu Guanshan, Lu Dangui, and the others, and she felt a sense of shame that her own child had been outshone.
However, she couldn't say anything joking or praising, because there was a group of more eye-catching figures beside the singing girl.
There was a group of backup dancers opposite the girl.
The dancers ranged in height from less than a meter to 1.8 or 1.9 meters, from missing limbs to having three heads and six arms, from having crooked mouths and drooling. Their appearances were all incredibly bizarre. The instruments they used were even stranger: two stones that could be struck together, withered branches that rattled when shaken, and tin boxes filled with sand…
The contrast between the impeccable girl and the group of oddballs is startling.
The arrival of the crowd caught the girl's attention. She greeted them softly, "Hello, are we blocking your way?"
The girl took two steps back and waved to the backup dancers, who followed her back, with those who had difficulty walking helping each other.
In a single glance, the girl's slightly immature face was revealed. Her cheeks were a little chubby, her chin was pointed, and her eyes were big, clever, and cute.
"Xingxing, who is it?" A woman's voice came from the shack.
Only then did everyone realize that there was someone else in the shack. Upon closer inspection, they discovered that the woman was so dark-skinned that she had huddled in the shadows of the shack, seemingly invisible.
The woman put down her work, picked up her cane, and walked out of the shack.
Li Yue exclaimed, "So tall!"
It's amazing that she could live in such a tiny shack!
She was over two meters tall, with a robust and muscular upper body, full breasts, and a very strong physique. Her family felt a strong sense of security upon seeing her, while her enemies felt an overwhelming sense of intimidation.
Unfortunately, her legs were as thin and weak as sticks, and she could only rely on crutches for support. To put it bluntly, they looked like large meatballs stuck on a pair of chopsticks.
Xingxing quickly ran to the tall, strong woman's side, raised her arm, and made a gesture to help her up: "Mom, it's alright, she's just a stranger passing by."
The woman looked wary, raised her cane, and pointed to the pile of shacks: "Go to Dream City, go through there."
The bottom of the cane was covered with a thick layer of polished iron. If one were unlucky enough to be hit by it, vomiting blood would be the least of one's worries.
Xingxing smiled apologetically: "I'm sorry, my mother and siblings prefer quiet. Please leave quickly."
Standing next to a woman with a fierce and menacing look, Xingxing looked as beautiful as a little angel.
Xia Chuhe glanced inside the shack, which was filled with clutter and garbage. Xingxing's mother had been inside just now, seemingly sorting out useful items.
She nodded to the stars: "Sorry to bother you."
He turned and left.
When Xia Chuhe reached the shack closest to Xingxing's house, he couldn't help but ask around about Xingxing's family situation.
She approached an elderly man, who ignored them.
Seeing that no one was paying attention, Xia Chuhe quickly slipped a nutritional supplement to the old man.
The old man smiled broadly and then said, "That woman is called Blackie. She was ugly from a young age and couldn't find a husband when she was young. Fortunately, the Moon Goddess didn't mind her, and the district chief allowed her to live outside the city so that she could enjoy the Moon Goddess's protection with everyone else."
"Blackie has no man, so naturally she has no children. She makes a living by scavenging garbage, and she manages to get by. But she's mentally unstable, and while scavenging garbage, she brought back a mentally challenged child who was missing an arm. You've all seen him, haven't you? He's the tall one who's always drooling."
"From then on, Hei Niu became quite something! She picked up children one after another, all unwanted and broken children, missing limbs, ugly faces and rotten buttocks, but she didn't care, she took them home one by one. Before, she was doing quite well on her own, but now she had to raise these children, it was exhausting!"
"But it's also because the Moon Goddess took pity on her." The old man's face was contorted with jealousy, though he was unaware of it, and he still feigned a tone of pity.
The old man said, "Blackie has been picking up trash for decades, and she's really found a treasure. Xingxing, have you seen her? Oh my, a fair-skinned girl, softer than water, how can she be so beautiful! Xingxing is not only pretty, but also smart. In a few days, Blackie will have endless good fortune for the rest of her life!"
The old man glanced at Xia Chuhe, then at the nutrient solution, and hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
Xia Chuhe: "..."
Xia Chuhe turned to leave: "There are a lot of people here. If you don't know, I'll ask someone else."
"Come back, come back! Why are you so impatient, young man? Let this old man calm down." The old man continued, "In a few days, the Dream Star election will be held, and Xingxing has already registered. With her looks, she's definitely the new Dream Star. At that time, not only Heiniu, but also her few mentally challenged and disabled brothers and sisters will be able to enjoy the good life together."
Xia Chuhe gave the old man another nutritional supplement: "What is the Dream Star Election?"
The old man was very satisfied and spoke frankly: "The Dream Star Selection held once every three years in Dream City selects the best-looking person to be sent to the Moon Goddess Temple to pay homage to the Moon Goddess and receive her blessings. From then on, they will enjoy endless offerings. The Dream Star's family can also go to the Moon Goddess Temple with the Dream Star and live a happy life like gods."
The old man scrutinized each of the people in front of him. His critical eye, examining the goods with such disdain, made Xia Chuhe unable to resist snatching the long knife from Li Qiusheng's hand and poking the old man's shoulder with the hilt, knocking him to the ground.
Xia Chuhe: "Keep your eyes to yourself."
The old man said aggrievedly, "I was trying to help you see if you could become a dream star, but you have such a quick temper, so much strength, and such a robust body, it won't work!"
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