OBS Chapter 300: The Story of the Divine Chapter
Chapter 300: The Story of the Divine Chapter
At dawn, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Li Xiaohua and Wang Ying woke up and excitedly ran to Li Xiangyang's door, but they didn't dare to knock and just whispered to each other.
"Do you think Xiangyang is up yet?" Li Xiaohua stood on tiptoe, trying to peek through the crack in the door.
"Not yet," Wang Ying replied softly. "It's too early."
Just then, the door suddenly opened, and Li Xiangyang stood in the doorway, smiling at the two girls: "Up so early?"
“We want to make kites!” Li Xiaohua said excitedly.
“Okay, okay,” Li Xiangyang nodded and said softly, “Your sister-in-law is still sleeping. Let’s go to the yard to talk.”
He led the two little girls into the courtyard and took out the willow branches he had collected the night before from a corner.
"First, you need to soak the willow branches to soften them," Li Xiangyang said, drawing a bucket of water from the well and putting the willow branches in. "That way, they'll be easier to bend into shape."
The two little girls watched intently.
“Then we need paper, but we don’t have any at home, and I’m too lazy to look for it, so we’ll use cloth instead,” Li Xiangyang continued. “We also need paste, which can be made by boiling flour. We’ll go prepare it in a bit.”
"Brother Xiangyang, what shape should the kite be?" Wang Ying asked softly.
"It depends on what you like," Li Xiangyang replied with a smile. "It could be a golden eagle, or other animals, or even a simple rhombus."
“I want to be a golden eagle!” Li Xiaohua said without hesitation.
“I also want to be a golden eagle,” Wang Ying said hesitantly, “but wouldn’t it be too difficult?”
“No, that won’t happen,” Li Xiangyang encouraged, “I’ll help you.”
After breakfast, Li Xiangyang and the two little girls began to make kites.
Li Xiaoyun was cooking paste on the side, a gentle smile on her face.
"The paste is ready," Li Xiaoyun said, carrying a small pot over. "It'll be ready to use after it cools down a bit."
“Great,” Li Xiangyang took the pot and set it aside. “Let’s make the skeleton first.”
After a morning of hard work, the basic framework of the two kites was completed.
Li Xiaohua's is a bit crooked, but you can still see the shape of the golden eagle; Wang Ying's is quite neat, although it is a bit smaller in proportion.
By noon, the basic shapes of the two kites were complete; all that was needed was to let them dry and add tails and strings.
"After the kite dries this afternoon, we'll paint it," Li Xiangyang said, "and then we can fly it tomorrow."
"Great!" Li Xiaohua cheered, circling the kite. "My golden eagle will definitely fly the highest!"
“If it’s windy tomorrow, we can go to the open space behind the village,” Li Xiaoyun suggested. “It’s spacious there, perfect for flying kites.”
They had a simple lunch and then rested.
Although the two little girls said they wanted to take a nap, their eyes kept glancing at the kite drying in the yard.
In the afternoon, after the kite had dried completely, Li Xiangyang took out some paint, which he had made by crushing up some flowers.
By evening, both kites were completely finished.
Li Xiaohua's flowers are large and grand, with vibrant colors; Wang Ying's flowers are small and exquisite, with rich details.
Both girls were incredibly proud of their work.
After dinner, the two little girls were too excited to sleep and tossed and turned on the kang (a heated brick bed).
"How high do you think our kite can fly?" Li Xiaohua asked.
“It should be able to fly very high,” Wang Ying replied softly. “The frame that Brother Xiangyang made is very sturdy.”
"I want my golden eagle to fly up to the sky, higher than the sun!" Li Xiaohua said confidently.
“The sun will burn it,” Wang Ying said with a laugh, “like Icarus’ wings.”
"Who is Icarus?" Li Xiaohua asked curiously.
“He’s a figure from Greek mythology,” Wang Ying explained. “He flew towards the sun with wings made of wax and feathers, but the wax melted, and he fell into the sea and drowned.”
"That's terrifying!" Li Xiaohua clicked her tongue. "I don't want to fly that high."
"You know so much," Li Xiaohua said, propping her head up with her hand and looking at Wang Ying curiously. "Do you have any other interesting myths or legends to tell?"
“There are many,” Wang Ying said softly, a hint of confidence in her voice. “In Greek mythology, there’s a god named Prometheus who stole fire from Mount Olympus for humankind. Zeus punished him by chaining him to Mount Caucasus, where an eagle would come and peck at his liver every day…”
"Huh? Zeus is too evil! Is he the king of the gods? And if someone's liver is pecked out, wouldn't they die?" Li Xiaohua's eyes widened in shock.
“You’re asking too many questions,” Wang Ying explained. “First of all, Zeus was the king of the gods, and Prometheus was also a god; gods don’t die.”
"As for Zeus, you can't say he's bad just because of this one incident. After Zeus established the Olympian divine order, he wanted to maintain control over humanity and didn't want them to become too powerful. Humans and gods are, after all, not the same kind; their positions are different..."
"Fire symbolizes civilization, technology, and knowledge, all of which enhance human power. Prometheus, by disobeying Zeus's will and giving fire to humankind, directly challenged Zeus's authority. To Zeus and all the gods, he was a traitor..."
"Moreover, as a god with the ability to foresee the future, Prometheus knew that his actions would invite punishment, yet he still chose to do so. This attitude of knowing the consequences and still persisting in defiance further enraged Zeus."
"This myth is widely interpreted as a symbol of humanity's pursuit of knowledge, civilization, and progress, and also represents the spirit of resisting authority and pursuing freedom."
Li Xiaohua was stunned, and it took her a long time to come to her senses: "How do you know so much? Is this all taught in school?"
Wang Ying shook her head slightly, a gentle light shining in her eyes: "My father taught me. He has many books, and in his spare time, he tells me myths and legends from different countries. He says that understanding these stories can help me comprehend different cultures and ideas."
"Wow, that's amazing!" Li Xiaohua said admiringly. "Do you know a lot about Chinese mythology too?"
“Of course,” Wang Ying’s voice became even lighter, “Chinese mythology is very different from Western mythology. For example, the story of Pangu creating the world—after Pangu died, his body transformed into mountains, rivers, the sun, the moon, and the stars. This idea of harmony between humanity and nature is very unique.”
"Do you know the story of Chang'e flying to the moon?" Wang Ying asked.
"Of course I know. Chang'e ate Hou Yi's elixir and flew to the moon, becoming a fairy."
“Yes,” Wang Ying nodded, “On the moon, Chang’e only has a jade rabbit for company, so in some places the dark shadow on the moon is called ‘the jade rabbit pounding medicine.’”
"Really?" Li Xiaohua asked in surprise, "When we look at the moon tomorrow night, will you point it out to me?"
“Okay, if the weather is sunny,” Wang Ying agreed.
"Okay, then tell me some myths from other countries. I want to hear them."
"The Egyptians worshipped the sun god Ra, while the Norse believed in Thor, the god of thunder, and Odin, the father of the gods..."
“I’ve heard of Egypt; it’s one of the four ancient civilizations, just like us. Where is Northern Europe?” Li Xiaohua asked curiously.
“In northern Europe, where winters are very cold and everything is covered in ice and snow,” Wang Ying patiently explained, “their mythology has nine worlds, with the central one being Midgard, inhabited by humans, and Jotunheim, inhabited by giants…”
Li Xiaohua listened intently, occasionally asking questions, while Wang Ying answered them in a gentle and detailed manner, like a living encyclopedia.
She talked about Isis and Osiris from Egyptian mythology, Shiva and Vishnu from Hindu mythology, and even mentioned the feathered serpent god of the Maya.
And so, the two little girls wandered in the ocean of mythology, gradually growing sleepy and speaking softer and softer until they both drifted off to sleep.