Feasibility of Mermaids Infiltrating Qilin

Su Xingze only discovered the other gift the child brought back the next day.

Children always wake up very early, so Su Xingze was used to it. He just changed his position and continued to sleep in a daze. But today was different from usual. There was something hard under him, which made him sleep restlessly.

He rubbed his eyes and felt around for the object; it was a long, narrow thing, like a box.

Su Xingze opened his eyes and curiously opened the box, inside which was a green crocheted lace headband.

He picked up the lace headband, his eyes filled with confusion: "Little Qilin, what is this?"

He recognized the lace headband, but he didn't understand why it was related to children. Wasn't it something girls used to decorate their hairstyles?

"That was a free gift."

Lace had been introduced to China long ago, but Zhang Shenglin's knowledge was limited. This was the first time he had ever heard of lace, and he only thought it was a slightly special kind of headband.

"It's a free gift."

Su Xingze reached out and tugged at the hairband a couple of times. This lace hairband must have been hand-woven.

Upon closer inspection, this object is exquisitely crafted, with clear patterns and delicate designs. Fine gold and silver threads are woven into it, shimmering subtly in the light. The deep green lace also exudes a mysterious and elegant aura, perfectly befitting his merman identity.

"Since the cat-eye earrings are a free gift, then consider it a present for me."

Gifts should, of course, be used to their fullest potential.

Su Xingze also stopped sleeping. He excitedly rummaged through his collection and pulled out a peach wood comb.

Every merman has very long hair, which can also be used as a trap to lure small fish when necessary. It is soft yet tough, beautiful yet poisonous, and can catch the most agile and cunning small fish in the sea.

Su Xingze wanted to tie his hair into a half-high ponytail, but he was not satisfied with it after several attempts. He repeatedly took it apart and started over, making his smooth long hair frizzy and messy from his simple and rough movements.

Just as he was about to explode in frustration, Zhang Shenglin gently took the hairband from his hand, picked up the peach wood comb that was lying on the table, and gently combed his messy long hair.

He first gathered all of the little mermaid's hair in his palm, fixed the hairband between his fingers with one hand, and wrapped the hairband around the hair with the other.

Zhang Shenglin's movements were very agile; the headband wrapped around his hair didn't pull it painfully, but it was surprisingly secure.

He was making the final fixation, and just then...

"Crack!"

Su Xingze and Zhang Shenglin looked over at the same time and saw Zhang Shengchun squatting on the wall of their yard with a square box in his hand.

That voice just now? Su Xingze glanced at the box in Zhang Shengchun's hand with some confusion.

"That thing, it wouldn't be... a camera, would it?"

He had never seen such an old camera before. Moreover, the cameras he used to have were small in size and powerful in function. Not to mention the sound, even if your hands were shaking like Parkinson's, they could still take incredibly clear pictures without any ghosting.

He had only ever seen retro cameras that made a sound when taking pictures, and none of them were this retro.

Zhang Shenglin secured his headband, pursed his lips, and gave Zhang Shengchun, who was squatting on the wall, a cold glance.

Su Xingze looked at him with some suspicion: "Zhang Shengchun, what are you doing on our wall? You're not spying on us, are you?"

After receiving Zhang Shenglin's warning, Zhang Shengchun chuckled twice and explained, "Haha, I just learned how to use a camera and came to find you guys. Aren't I nice enough? This is the first photo I've ever taken."

Actually, he was itching to take photos after he learned how, but his parents wouldn't let him. Others in the clan school either had family members or the orphanage was crowded and chaotic. That's when he had a flash of inspiration and thought of the two people living alone in the courtyard.

Zhang Shenglin didn't speak, but the look in his eyes was very much like he was cursing someone.

Su Xingze couldn't help but look up at the horizon. The sun had just risen not long ago. He knew that the Zhang family got up early, but Zhang Shengchun had arrived way too early.

Are the Zhang family members really not tired?

He recalled the last time he went to the ethnic school teacher's house. The teacher had only slept for three hours at most before getting up late at night, as if sleeping any longer would be a waste.

Under the unwelcome gazes of the two, Zhang Shengchun's emotional intelligence finally kicked in. His brain, which had been feverish from getting the camera, calmed down. He rubbed his head, closed his eyes, and apologized: "Sorry for disturbing you two. You can continue. I'll go back and develop the photos and bring them to you when they're ready."

After saying that, Zhang Shengchun jumped off the wall with his precious camera in his arms.

With a wall separating them from Zhang Shenglin's cold gaze, Zhang Shengchun couldn't help but reveal a sly smile.

"He personally tied up her hair. ~ Little Wood is quite thoughtful."

Su Xingze didn't take the matter to heart, but he remembered it again when Zhang Shengchun came to deliver the photos the next day.

The photos are still black and white. He doesn't know if color cameras still exist. At least the ones Zhang Shengchun has are still black and white.

In black and white photographs, the colors and lighting variations can only be roughly discerned by the shades of the colors.

The photos are somewhat monotonous, but they possess a mysterious quality that is hard to find in color photography.

It must be said that Zhang Shengchun has some talent for photography; the whole photo is very well-designed.

The child's gentle eyebrows and eyes as he lowered his head to tie his hair, the delicate movements of his hands, the slight curve of his eyes, the strands of hair lazily hanging down from his shoulders, and even the ray of sunlight shining down from the eaves—everything was captured perfectly at the right moment.

Su Xingze admired the photo for a while before putting it down. However, he didn't see the photo again after that, assuming the child had put it away, so he didn't pay any attention to it.

The year after the New Year passed quickly, and the children's punishment seemed to end in the blink of an eye. They finally waited for the Lantern Festival.

Su Xingze had been regretting missing the big market before the Lunar New Year for a long time, but he was determined not to miss the big market on the Lantern Festival.

He left the clan's territory early with the child. Today they brought enough money, and the two of them first ate a bowl of assorted glutinous rice balls, a special offering for the Lantern Festival, and then began to enjoy the performances along the street.

Lion and dragon dances, stilt walking, Yangko dancing, and other performances followed one after another, keeping the two children entertained. Of course, the main focus was on Su Xingze, as the children paid half their attention to him and only watched the performances.

During their visit, they also encountered other familiar members of the Zhang family, but everyone tacitly avoided excessive small talk. After a brief greeting, they dispersed to watch the performances that interested them.

Su Xingze also fulfilled his wish from before the New Year, eating his way from one end of the street to the other. The child would eat whatever he gave him, and in the end, the two of them needed to rely on the powerful digestive pills from the system store to be able to walk normally.

—At times like this, Su Xingze would lament the inconvenience of being human, but without a 'shell,' the Lantern Festival would turn into a ghost festival, and one wouldn't be able to taste anything.

At night, lanterns lit up the streets, and Su Xingze saw countless exquisite and unique lanterns.

There were also lanterns for sale on the street, made in all sorts of shapes: rabbit lanterns, tiger lanterns, fish lanterns, crab lanterns, and even lanterns that could be rolled on the ground. All of them were patterns that Su Xingze had never seen before.

It's fun and interesting.

Finally, Su Xingze and the children went outside the town to watch a performance of iron flower fireworks.

The impoverished town may lack dazzling fireworks, but it possesses the most radiant sparks of life—a beauty distinct from the dreamlike spectacle of fireworks.