Chapter 190: Constellation Mythology Story Session
Xiang Chuan originally thought that once Mother appeared, Xiang Xue would settle down, but she clearly underestimated the obsession of Xiang Xue, who was still an energetic middle school student.
【I don’t care, I don’t care! Sister Xiang Chuan, you must compensate me for the regret of not being able to eat rice!】
Xiang Xue slurped a big mouthful of noodles fiercely, her little face puffed up with anger.
“Mm-hmm, sure, how about I bring you extra rice when I go back? I read in the literature that new rice is sweeter and more fragrant than rice stored for a while after harvest.”
Xiang Chuan replied offhandedly. As she spoke, she suddenly felt this was actually a good idea. Modern ingredient storage technology was much more advanced than in the 21st Century, so this new rice could surely stay fresh for three to five months, right?
Imagining the days ahead where she could eat new rice every day… Xiang Chuan suddenly felt that lacking pork and soy sauce wasn’t a big deal.
【But that means I have to wait two days to eat it. I want compensation now!】
“But I’m on the Production Escort Ship right now. Even if I wanted to authorize some compensation for you, our fleet’s local area network wouldn’t allow it, right?”
This had just been mentioned earlier. Xiang Chuan figured that with her little sister’s clever mind, she wouldn’t forget so quickly, so Xiang Xue’s current willful outburst was mostly just venting.
【Then… then…】
Xiang Xue on the other side of the screen was also stumped. She knew Xiang Chuan was very generous; if she wanted authorization to use some TV series or novels, her sister would send over the authorization and files without a word.
In the current situation, though, Xiang Chuan really couldn’t give her any compensation.
But! How was she supposed to vent this frustration of not being able to eat rice!
Xiang Xue shouted in her heart.
Just then, Class President Lu Daiqing, who “happened” to pass by the seat where the A Bite of China Club group was sitting, spoke up:
“How about you tell little sister Xiao Xue those stories you mentioned back on the Shuttle?”
As soon as she said this, the friends at the seat besides Xiang Chuan all lit up with interest. Chou Manman was so eager to loudly agree that she choked on a grain of rice she hadn’t fully swallowed, startling Nancy sitting next to her.
【Stories? What stories? Like The Count of Monte Cristo? That’s way too long.】
“Not that long; it’s not a Homer epic. Simply put, it’s just…”
Xiang Chuan explained the concept of constellation stories she had mentioned back on the Shuttle to Xiang Xue.
【So… those are just stories ancient people made up while looking at the stars? What’s the point of that?】
A disdainful expression appeared on Xiang Xue’s face, and Lin Ming sitting next to her also showed an indescribable look.
“You can’t put it that way. Constellation stories originated from Ancient Greek Civilization eight hundred years into the Common Era. Ancient Greek Civilization was one of the cradles of civilization on the Europa… that is, the Earth continent plate. Behind these constellation stories is the rise and fall of Ancient Greek Civilization, and the fact that constellation mythology from Ancient Greek Civilization has been passed down to the 21st Century is proof enough of their appeal. These stories feature deities, demigod heroes, and mythological beasts. Plus, I remember our fleet’s code name is Demeter, right? That’s actually from Greek Mythology too, and it’s from the same source as the constellation stories.”
Xiang Chuan couldn’t help but defend these mythological stories.
Back in the day, she too had been a second-year high school girl obsessed with constellation mythology stories and constellation fortune-telling. These little stories that now seemed somewhat absurd were also a precious part of her student days.
But when she saw the curious gazes of the students gathering around the dining table from all sides, as well as Xiang Xue and Lin Ming on the other side of the screen, Xiang Chuan started to regret it a bit.
“Um… I was just explaining the concept.”
Xiang Chuan stammered, looking at the classmates around her who had wide eyes and faces full of curiosity, feeling cold sweat about to drip down.
At that moment, Ouyang Yating sitting next to her suddenly shoved something into her hand. Xiang Chuan looked closely and saw it was actually her water bottle that she had forgotten to bring at noon. It felt quite heavy in her hand; it was probably filled with beverage.
She looked up at Ouyang Yating, who rarely showed a smile that could be called gentle and considerate, and said:
“Club President, accept your fate.”
Xiang Chuan: “…”
You young people, can’t you go for a walk after dinner instead of gathering here? What kind of old folks’ leisure entertainment is listening to stories!
Night had fallen, and several strings of warm yellow little lights hung over the outdoor dining table outside the canteen. A gentle breeze brought a touch of summer night coolness. Xiang Chuan stood by the table, holding a napkin to wipe her forehead. Gathered around her were Class President Lu Daiqing, Ouyang Yating, Ainuo, Chou Manman, Nancy, as well as Xiang Xue and Lin Ming on the video call, and a few other first-year high school students. They sat in a semicircle around the dining table, their gazes all fixed on Xiang Chuan.
Xiang Chuan coughed lightly in discomfort and spoke in some self-abandonment:
“Fine, fine, since you all want to hear it so much, I’ll just tell a few casually. What to start with… We just mentioned Europa, right? Let’s talk about the story of Taurus then. This constellation’s image comes from a bull—but it’s not an ordinary bull; it’s a divine bull that Zeus personally transformed into.”
“Wait, Zeus?” Ainuo asked doubtfully. “Isn’t that the code name of the First Fleet?”
Xiang Chuan nodded:
“Exactly, that Zeus. Zeus is the king of the gods in Greek Mythology, ruling over the sky and thunder. He’s very clever and powerful, but he also does some unreliable things. Moreover, he’s a total lecher, always hitting on young girls and other goddesses. Most of the demigod heroes in Greek Mythology can even be traced back to Zeus’s bloodline.”
“Ah?”
Everyone let out an involuntary “Ah?”, and even Xiang Xue and Lin Ming, who were binge-watching dramas on the video call, were shocked by this setting for Zeus.
No wonder—in the ancient creations everyone had recently come into contact with, only Empresses in the Palace blatantly depicted polygamy like this, and that was tied to the historical background. Now suddenly a stud-like man with descendants everywhere popped up.
This really shattered the young people’s worldview.
Xiang Chuan didn’t wait for them to digest this wild setting and continued:
“In Phoenicia during the ancient Greek era, there was a princess named Europa whose beauty captivated Zeus. To get close to her, Zeus turned into a snow-white, extraordinarily handsome bull… Don’t give me that look; I don’t know how a bull can be extraordinarily handsome either. That’s how it’s described in the mythology, and I don’t think a bull is all that handsome myself.”
“Continuing? One day, while Europa and her maids were playing on the grassland, they saw this bull. Finding it both beautiful and gentle, they couldn’t resist approaching and even climbed onto its back.”
“That’s way too reckless, just trusting a bull like that?”
Nancy couldn’t help but complain.
Xiang Chuan shrugged:
“Mythological stories sometimes need this kind of magical interaction to advance the plot. Anyway, as soon as Europa sat on the bull’s back, Zeus immediately dashed toward the sea with her, leaped into the water, crossed the ocean, and finally arrived at Crete.”
“Wait a minute, how did he swim across the sea carrying a person? And how could a bull cross the sea… even a water buffalo couldn’t do that, right?”
Class President Lu Daiqing was full of disbelief.
“Magical, right? This is a mythological story. All folk mythological stories emphasize boundless imagination; no need to be too strict about logic.”
Xiang Chuan grinned, appreciating the shock that modern young people experienced when accepting the baptism of mythological legends.
“On Crete, Zeus restored his original appearance and united with Europa. Later, Europa gave birth to his offspring for him, which included the famous ‘Minotaur’ Minos. However, in historical records, Minos actually refers to the king of the ancient Minoan civilization. From then on, the Golden Bull became one of the twelve constellations of the Yellow Island, and the bull also became a symbol of power and nobility in ancient Greece.”
“Among Europa’s children, the most famous besides Minos were Rhadamanthus, who became a judge of the Underworld together with Minos after death, and the demigod hero Sarpedon.”
Finally finished telling one story, Xiang Chuan quickly opened her water bottle and took two sips of beverage to calm down.
Hmm, it’s fruit milk, cool and very soothing to the throat.
