Uneasy daily life

"Little doll, are you alright? What happened?"

The carpenter softened his deep, resonant voice as he reached out and pulled the girl up from the ground.

The girl stood up, looking dejectedly at her legs beneath her skirt: "I want to go further, but my legs are too weak to take a step."

“Making it out of gold is all show and no substance, but it lacks durability. How can it travel thousands of miles?” the carpenter advised. “Little doll, you should go home. If you are exposed to wind and rain and develop rust, you may not be able to take another step.”

The girl was unwilling to give up and asked, "Uncle carpenter, how can I go further?"

“I have ironwood that can make you a pair of legs. Changing legs is like cutting your own flesh and breaking your bones. If you can endure it, I will change them for you. Little puppet, you should think it over.”

"Please, Uncle Carpenter, replace my leg."

The girl answered, her voice trembling but firm.

Seeing this, the carpenter nodded and swung his wood-chopping axe horizontally.

boom--! !

It sounded more like a heavy hammer blow than a chopping block, with the melody rising in response in an instant.

"Well--!"

With a suppressed groan of pain, the girl's body was severed from its upper and lower body, and a pair of legs shimmering with golden light flew out from under her skirt before her body collapsed with a thud.

Those watching from the sidelines belatedly exclaimed in surprise.

The carpenter took out a pair of thick, dark, and rather unattractive wooden legs and bent down to snap them onto the girl's legs.

"Ironwood is tough and resilient, unafraid of wind, rain and mud, worn down by the long road. I wish you a safe journey, strong little doll."

The carpenter said.

"Thank you, Uncle Carpenter."

The girl stood up, twirled around happily, looked down at her somewhat rough but remarkably strong legs, and said gratefully, "I can walk farther now."

Saying goodbye to the carpenter, the girl sang as she crossed the rugged mountain path, arriving at a small town at the foot of the mountain with her joyful singing voice.

"The sky is high and the sun is blazing, the heat is unbearable, and my hair has become dry without me even realizing it..."

The intense lights illuminated the stage, and the girl gradually transitioned from jumping to walking.

The background music shifts to a somber, high-pitched cacophony, like the sun igniting everything.

A young girl wearing a straw hat and a floral dress walked towards us, her head slightly bowed, a large bouquet of flowers in her hand partially obscuring her face.

Gardenias speak of joy; peonies blush red, hiding shyness; hyacinths convey farewell; cherry blossoms smile, innocent and beautiful... Doll, would you like to buy a flower?

The flower girl looked up, moved the bouquet in her hand, and revealed a kind and friendly smile. Her gaze lifted slightly, then lowered again, meeting the emerald-carved eyes that shone exceptionally brightly.

The singing became slow and melodious.

There was a slight commotion in the audience.

"Thank you, but I have no money, um... Rizhao fried doll... the world is spinning..."

The girl spun in place like a slow-moving top, evenly receiving the intense sunlight, her voice wavering.

The flower-selling girl covered her mouth and chuckled softly. She reached down and took off her large straw hat, handing it to her: "Doll, you should prepare a sun hat for this hot day. Here, take this one."

The spinning doll girl stopped and hesitated, saying, "But I have no money."

The flower-selling girl chuckled and said, "I only sell flowers, so the straw hat is free."

"Is that right?"

The girl took the straw hat and tried it on. The light that had illuminated the entire scene contracted, and the changing light and shadow highlighted the doll girl and the flower girl.

"Well... you don't have a hat, so I have an extra flower wreath." The girl reached under her hat and fiddled with it, handing the vibrant flower wreath woven from hundreds of flowers to the flower seller. "Here, take this."

"Have a safe journey, sincere doll."

The flower-selling girl accepted the wreath of flowers and walked past the girl wearing a straw hat, the light surrounding her gradually dimming.

She looked down at the flower wreath in her hand.

A deep, meaningful murmur drifted up.

"I got it, and it really is a beautiful wreath..."

The song, which was originally cheerful and melodious, was cleverly interspersed with a deep and lively beat, before returning to normal like ripples on water.

The song gradually transitioned, rising and falling in a continuous, undulating manner, adding a touch of rustic charm, and also carrying a few lively birdsongs.

"Standing on the edge of the field, gazing into the distance, the wind blows the wheat into waves, birds sing merrily, and there's a scarecrow yelling at the birds..."

The girl raised her hand, pushed up her straw hat, and called out, "Mr. Scarecrow, why are you scolding the birds?"

With arms outstretched and body straight, the scarecrow, motionless in a cross shape, replied in a hoarse, cheerful voice, "Because I am a scarecrow."

"Then why are you a scarecrow?"

"I don't even know where the end of the universe is, so how would I know why I'm a scarecrow?"

The scarecrow remained motionless, muttering to itself, "Why do the farmers who guard the fields and scare away the birds that come to steal the grain do such things? It must be because I'm a scarecrow. If I don't do these things, am I still a scarecrow? But if I do these things, am I still a scarecrow? If I don't do these things, then what am I? Straw or a person?"

The girl seemed to understand but not quite: "Why do birds run away when they see me?"

The birdsong gradually faded into the distance.

"Miss Doll, your eyes are bright and beautiful; those wretched thieves couldn't resist such light," the scarecrow praised, muttering, "Oh? Miss Doll scared away the thieving birds, so Miss Doll must be the scarecrow, right?"

"I am a puppet, not a scarecrow."

“A doll is a doll, and a scarecrow is a scarecrow. A doll is not a scarecrow,” the scarecrow said. “Miss Doll can scare away thieves, so don’t be a doll, be a scarecrow instead! We can guard the fields together, we can both be scarecrows… But then, you’ll be a scarecrow, and I won’t be a scarecrow, that’s not good, that’s not good.”

"Strange scarecrow, if you want to protect the fields and drive away the birds, then I'll give you my eyes. I hope they can help you."

"Oh! That way I can chase away the birds and become a scarecrow! Gentle doll lady, please take the buttons off my face and replace them with your eyes."

The girl reached out and removed the beautiful gemstone eye that reflected light, placing it on the scarecrow. She then put the eye-like buttons on the scarecrow into the eye sockets and blinked her deep, dark black eyes: "Mr. Scarecrow, I can see you. Can you see me?"

"Of course, gentle doll lady. But it's so strange, if a doll has scarecrow eyes, is it still a doll? If a scarecrow has doll eyes, is it still a scarecrow?"

The scarecrow continued to ramble and spout nonsense: "Yes, yes, you are Miss Doll, not a doll, and I am Mr. Scarecrow, not a scarecrow."

The cheerful chirping of birds rang out again.

"Thieves! Mr. Scarecrow is watching you! Ooh-hoo—! Miss Doll's Reflective Eye Attack!"

The birdsong faded into the distance.

"Hahahaha! Mr. Scarecrow is the best today! Don't you think so, Miss Doll?"

"Yes, Mr. Scarecrow."

The girl waved goodbye to the somewhat strange scarecrow.

Boom——!

Thunder roared, the heavy rain pounded the earth, and the lights flickered and swayed.

The audience subconsciously looked up at the sky, and then were pulled back onto the stage.

"Help--!"

The person wearing a straw raincoat who fell into the water struggled, making faint splashing sounds.

The girl decisively leaped into the water, seemingly floating in the waves, and quickly swam to the other person's side. After a series of intense and rapid movements, she rescued the other person and brought them ashore.

"Are you alright, Mr. Fisherman?"

"Ahem—not a fisherman! A clay sculptor!" The man in the straw raincoat coughed a few times, stood up, and said, "You saved my life, so you are my benefactor... Looking closely, are you a puppet? My benefactor."

"It's Miss Doll~"

As the girl raised her hands to introduce herself, they suddenly fell to the ground with a thud, rolling slightly as the two looked down at her.

"The hands are rusty and corroded by water; they're ruined."

The clay sculptor inspected the clay and said, "As the most basic way of repaying you, I'll give you a pair of hands. I'm just short of money, so they may not be as exquisite or beautiful, but they are definitely durable and won't break easily."

"Thank you so much."

"No need to thank me, it's my duty. My brave benefactor, you saved my life, and my life is very precious to me."

With her arms replaced with sturdy and durable clay sculpting arms, the girl bids farewell to the clay sculptor and continues her journey.

The weather was freezing cold, with snow falling and the background somber and desolate, depicting a scene of bleakness.

The girl stopped and looked at the ragged boy lying on the snow: "Are you having any difficulties?"

The boy replied weakly, "...I don't know."

"Then why are you lying here?"

"Homeless".

"Then why are they homeless?"

“The autumn harvest was bad, the village had no money, and we had run out of food. Everyone was waiting to die, and so was I.”

"Isn't this very difficult?"

"It's not difficult; waiting to die is very simple."

"Then I'll help you turn the simple into the difficult."

Suddenly, the girl collapsed to the ground, and her body, carved from a single piece of beautiful jade, fell to the ground, reflecting a flawless light.

"This looks valuable; you can take it and sell it."

"What about you?"

"The doll is not afraid of the cold, not afraid of hunger, and does not need money."

"Then...then you can only wait to die like this?"

"Waiting to die is so easy~"

"...But watching others wait to die seems so difficult—I...I'll think of a way!"

The boy answered firmly, picked up the jade and left, leaving behind a jumble of scattered puppets on the stage.

The doll's head hummed a simple tune softly, waiting quietly.

The boy returned quickly, carrying a piece of wood he had carved and shaped into a rough, uneven body. He bent down and pieced the doll together, saying with shame, "No one in the village is skilled in any crafts. This is all we can make... I will definitely study hard and make you the most perfect body in the future."

"No need, this is already perfect, and I should go home after being out for so long."

The girl smiled, patted the other person's head, and turned to leave.

The stage lights dimmed, and the stage was empty.

An old cough brought the light back down.

"You haven't come back for so long, my child, where have you been playing?"

The old man strode onto the stage, his body hunched over. He saw a pair of legs carved from gold and quickly reached out to pick them up.

"Oh, my child, you're always so forgetful. Where did you leave yourself? Where did you get lost? I'll come and take you home right away."

The plot takes a turn, the song gradually fades and deepens, slowly drawing the audience in.

The flower-selling girl returned to the stage, wearing a wreath of flowers on her head, and met the old man.

"That's my child's wreath, I wove it from a hundred beautiful flowers—" the old man roared in fury, his voice rising with the strain of his song, "You deceived my child and stole her treasure!"

The flower-selling girl seemed to be taken aback.

"10. I'm so sorry, I'll return it to you right away! I lied to you, I was blinded by greed, I have no shame!"

Words filled with apology and panic escaped her lips. The flower girl stared stiffly at the old man, then obediently reached out, removed the flower wreath from her head, and bent down to return it.

"Hmph! You'd better watch yourself, you liar!"

The old man snorted and picked up the wreath to continue walking.

(Seizing the opening, she directly used my voice to speak and write the plot! You hater, how dare you steal the spotlight so blatantly?! — Sakurajima Mai roared inwardly.)

The old man looked around and muttered as he searched for someone. He approached one side of the stage, reached out and picked up a scarecrow's costume, then moved back to the center of the stage and suddenly twisted and swung it around.

The body was covered by a straw-woven garment, and two emeralds, like monocles, covered the eyes with the brow bone. The arms were roughly extended, and the body was slightly tilted, still making it a scarecrow.

"Yay! The great Scarecrow is still guarding his bountiful kingdom today. Hey, no thieves have come to plunder? That's right! Because there's not a single grain of rice in the kingdom! Hahahaha! A scarecrow without fields to guard wouldn't be a scarecrow, but I am the great Scarecrow!"