Chapter 430: Deception

Chapter 430: Deception

World's Crown.

In the field of East District 13, Nene toiled amidst the black ryegrass, her face shielded by a cotton mask.

Taking a break from the hours of toiling, Nene paused and stretched her back. As she wiped away the sweat on her face, she noticed her good friend, Sparkle, standing before her.

Nene dropped her novel and dashed over. Pulling Sparkle into a warm embrace, she cried out, "Sparkle! You came down? I'm sooooo happy! I was just thinking of you yesterday!"

"I missed you too, so I decided to visit. I even brought you a gift. It's bananas."

It was only then that Nene spotted the massive cluster next to Sparkle. The cluster of long yellow-green objects was tethered to a stalk taller than any person.

"What are these?" Nene crouched down to further inspect with curiosity, even giving them a slight squeeze.

"Bananas."

"Sparkle, bananas are supposed to be black and mushy. These aren't bananas; you've been deceived."

"Deceived?"

"To deceive is to lie. For example, if I said I was a boy, which I'm not, then I'd have deceived you."

Sparkle blinked her eyes in puzzlement. "Why would he deceive me?"

"Did he take your money for these? Mommy told me there are bad people who sell fake stuff to take our money. When you find out it's not real, they're already far away on a boat to another place. There are lots of tricky people like that."

Sparkle glanced doubtfully at the item next to her. "Are these really not bananas?"

"They really aren't. Are you hungry? Let's have some mushroom slices fried in fish oil. They're deliciously aromatic. My mom packed them for my lunch."

Nene then retrieved a small tin box from her bag and offered it to Sparkle.

"Sit by the side and eat this. Let's go play after I'm done with work."

Resuming her work, Nene bent down to continue clearing the soil of weeds and mushrooms.

With the tin box in her hands, Sparkle squatted down and asked, "Why are you removing those things?"

"They compete with the black ryegrass for nutrients. If we remove them, the black ryegrass gets all the nutrients and grows a lot. Mom can sell it and make money. We can then go back up there and live a better life."

"I see. Let me help you then."

"Okay! Then, you can work on that plot. Let's compete and see who's faster!"

"Try this! The initial taste is sour, then sweet. And this one, it's spicy first before it turns sweet," Nene said as she handed over some candies to Sparkle.

Most of the treats were just cheap, hard candies. But for Nene, they were considered an indulgence as she seldom got to enjoy them.

Sparkled placed a candy into her mouth and chewed without any change in expression.

"'How is it? It's delicious, isn't it? It's tasty, right?' Nini asked as she excitedly held Sparkle's hands.

"I don't taste anything," Sparkle answered honestly.

"Impossible. Sister Vanessa's candies are the best. Open your mouth."

She reached her fingers into Sparkle's mouth, took the half-melted candy and placed it into her mouth, giving it a taste before returning it to Sparkle.

"It's sweet and tasty! Sparkle, can't you taste the sweetness?"

Noticing Nene's crestfallen brows, Sparkle asked, "Are you upset?"

"Not really. Maybe sweets aren't your thing. Come, let's go try something else. I'm sure you'll like it."

Holding Sparkle by the hand, Nene led her down a left turn into an alley. Soon, they arrived at their destinationa corner where various colored mushrooms thrived. If there was one thing in abundance on the World's Crown, it would be mushrooms.

After a moment of careful selection, Nene boldly decided on two mushrooms with a dark liquid seeping from the caps and plucked them.

She then led Sparkle to sit atop a large mushroom and brought the selected mushrooms up to eye level.

"This is a Blackwater Mushroom. Have a gentle sniff, and you'll start seeing tiny dancers right before your eyes. It's magical.

"Promise me you won't tell my mom. I learned this from the other village kids. Mommy didn't want me to hang out with them," Nene whispered. Then, she held the mushroom to her nose and took a deep breath before passing it to Sparkle, who followed suit.

In less than a minute, Nene's gaze turned glazed and hazy. "Do you see that? Look, those little dancers are approaching. See, there are blue ones, red ones, and even purple ones. They dance so well."

Sparkle stared at the empty street before her and wanted to confess the truth. However, she was reminded of Nene's disappointed face from earlier when she had tasted the candies.

Determined, Sparkle vigorously nodded her head. "Yes, I see them. The little dancers are coming out, one after another. How pretty."

Nene grabbed Sparkle's hand and let out a giggle. Sparkle chuckled, too, as she noticed how happy her friend was.

The two little girls sat on the mushroom and continued gesturing animatedly at the empty street.



Cosyjuhye's Thoughts

430 is out now! Just some personal updates. Things haven't been going too well in my personal life lately, and I'm struggling with some personal matters. But, well, it's still not an excuse for being late in releasing chapters. I will strive to make sure that we have consistent releases. See you guys around!