A live stream that dramatically transformed a depressed schoolgirl shocked netizens across the count

In the early morning, water droplets clung to the bluestone slabs in front of the Bai family's courtyard.

The broom swept across the road, leaving wet streaks.

Bai Weiwei changed into an indigo tie-dye long dress, her braids draped over her shoulders, and she was carrying two embroidered cloth ribbons in her hands.

"Keep your distance, there are a lot of people on the streets today. If you see something new, don't just buy it; make way for the parade."

Su Niannian carried the spatula out of the courtyard gate.

"Won't this take up much space?"

Bai Weiwei turned to look at her.

"Are you going to visit the fair, or are you going to take over someone's kitchen?"

"If I see something done incorrectly, I'll offer some guidance."

"After hearing this, the stall owner might chase you down half a block with a soup ladle."

The group walked along the stone alley towards the square.

The sacrificial ceremony around the three spirits has come to an end.

The offering table was moved behind the archway, and half a stick of incense was still pressed down in the incense burner.

The village elders bundled the pine branches used in the sacrificial ceremony into small bunches and distributed them to the children who were waiting by the roadside. Several children hung the pine branches on their collars and ran after the procession carrying the flower stand all over the street.

Red silk ribbons hung on both sides of the archway, and wooden frames were adorned with camellias, azaleas, and white paper flowers. Drummers sat under the eaves, tightening their drum skins, while suona players drank water from enamel mugs. A row of whips leaned against the wall, their copper plates making a soft clanging sound in the wind.

Stalls lined both sides of the stone alley.

Bamboo sieves were piled with green plums, carved plums, and walnut candy. Straw baskets hung on wooden poles, and tie-dyed headscarves dangled from the eaves to the stall.

The old woman selling milk fan tended the charcoal stove, turning the bamboo skewers over the fire, curling up the edges of the milk fan, and letting the rose syrup drip down the lines.

The griddle next door was scorching hot, and the rice cakes sizzled when they were placed on it. The vendor spread sauce on the rice cakes, stuffed them with fried dough sticks and pickled vegetables, rolled them up, and handed them to the tourists in line.

Su Niannian slowed her pace.

Bai Weiwei tugged at her sleeve.

"I just finished breakfast."

"Having walked so far, breakfast has already been digested."

"It's more than a hundred meters from the gate to here."

"I digest quickly."

Chen Lang walked past them and raised his hand to activate the floating live broadcast ball.

"Buy it, it would be a disservice to the spatula in your hand if you didn't eat a single bite."

Su Niannian turned around and squeezed to the front of the stall.

"Boss, two, extra spicy, please."

A silver sphere rises into the air, the camera panning over the stalls. Charcoal fires, flower stands, wooden buildings, tie-dyed fabrics, and crowds thronging the stone alley all come into view at once.

Chen Lang stopped broadcasting for a day, and as soon as streaming resumed, the number of online viewers exceeded 100,000.

A few seconds later, a "Local Culture Recommendation" icon appeared in the upper right corner of the live stream. Local cultural and tourism accounts, state media outlets, and festival promotion accounts successively forwarded the live stream link, and the platform's homepage subsequently opened up local recommendation slots.

The banner on the homepage didn't mention Chen Lang's name, but only had the title "Take you on a virtual tour of Rao San Ling," while the camera steadily focused on his live stream.

A group of accounts wearing blue verified badges entered the platform, posted festival routes and safety tips, and then retreated to the background. The platform then ramped up its promotion, and the number of online users surged from 100,000 to 200,000, and then straight to 300,000.

Chen Lang glanced at the source of the recommendation and a smile appeared on his lips.

"The wind is quite considerate today."

Before the opening greetings were even finished, the live chat was already bombarding viewers with questions about yesterday's mountain adventure.

[Brother Lang, have you found him yet? We've been waiting for two nights!]

Is Mr. Cheng actually the person in the photo?

Is there any hope for Grandpa Gu's illness? How far along is the investigation into the old case?

[We haven't been live for a day, so let's just say everyone is safe and sound. Don't keep us in suspense.]

[I came from a tourism account, why is everyone on the homepage asking about the miracle doctor?]

[Newcomer, don't leave yet. We've been investigating this lead for several days, starting with half a seal.]

Chen Lang turned the camera towards Gu Qingshang.

Gu Qingshang was wearing a moon-white long dress, her long black hair tied back. She stood next to a stall selling sachets, answering a phone call, while holding a file bag containing materials in one hand.

As the live stream approached, she nodded toward the camera.

Chen Lang put one hand into the pocket of his windbreaker.

"The person has been found."

"Mr. Cheng agreed to come out of the mountains in seven days. Old Gu will be transferred to a regular hospital for multidisciplinary consultation, and the entire treatment plan will be documented."

"That old case from ten years ago has also been filed. Whoever should be investigated will be investigated, and whoever should bear what responsibility will be held accountable. No one can get away with it."

The text quickly covered the image.

[Found it! After waiting for so many days, we finally have a result!]

[They actually connected the dots by tracing the clues from half a seal to the tea plantation.]

Grandpa Gu finally saw the person; Qing Shang's trip over the past few months hadn't been in vain.

[Treatment should be separated from handling old cases; this is the only way to ensure a proper resolution.]

Gu Qingshang hung up the phone and walked in front of the camera. She put the file bag into her handbag and folded her hands in front of her.

Thank you all for your concern.

"Mr. Cheng's willingness to step forward is a debt of gratitude to the Gu family. Those who were implicated ten years ago cannot be forgiven with a mere misunderstanding."

She looked up at the camera, her pearl earrings reflecting the rising sun.

"If they need to apologize in person, we will. If they need to compensate us, we will. Those who need to be investigated will also need to go in and explain themselves clearly."

"The medical records and case materials are not convenient to disclose at the moment. I will tell everyone the results when the process reaches the point where I can talk about them."

We're waiting.

[Gu Qingshang is reliable in handling matters; this statement is credible.]

[Brother Lang went on a trip, but his live stream about eating and drinking turned into an investigation of an old case.]

[A local cultural recommendation brought me here, but it turns out it's the end of an old case?]

Chen Lang raised his hand to swipe away the barrage of comments that filled the screen.

"The case has already been handed over to the police and lawyers; let's not speculate on it from behind a screen."

"Today I watched the parade and ate at street stalls. I need to catch up on sleep after two nights of working in the same spot, so I don't have to blame it on my dark circles."

Su Niannian passed by from behind, holding a freshly baked rice cake, with a piece still in her mouth.

"They've already latched onto me."

Chen Lang turned his head away.

"Su Dapao, you're so busy eating, you can't even shut your mouth up?"

"How can I scold you if I block your way?"

She picked up the spatula and gestured next to the back of Chen Lang's head.

"Get away from my head, there's still oil on the spatula."

"You actually picked one?"

Bai Weiwei smiled and pulled Su Niannian to the square.

"Stop fooling around, the flower stand is about to cross the street. If we wait any longer, all we'll see in front will be the backs of people's heads."

Ye Xingyu followed beside Shen Qingci, a blue and white tie-dyed scarf draped over her shoulders. Gu Qingshang put away her phone, lifted her skirt, and stepped across the ditch at the alley entrance.

The levitating ball wasn't filming anyone. The camera passed over everyone's shoulders, moving forward along the stone alley.

The vendor selling pea flour tapped the rim of his basin with a copper ladle to call out to customers. Rice cakes were just unpacked, and white steam billowed out across half the street. Two Bai ethnic minority women sat on their doorsteps, sewing shoe soles, small cloth bags filled with spices beside them.

The carpenter bent down, shavings curling up beside his cloth shoes. At the silverware stall, the old craftsman jingled as he hammered patterns into silver sheets.

An elderly man carrying a bamboo basket squeezed through the crowd. The basket was filled with freshly picked mushrooms and herbs. Several tourists surrounded the stall, asking about the price. After the old man quoted the weight, he grabbed a handful more and stuffed it into the scale.

"Since you've come from afar, here's a little extra for you. Don't add too much water when you cook it back home."

The parade procession came from the end of the bluestone road.

The flower stand led the way, followed by the octagonal drum. Villagers in festive attire swung their whips, the copper plates striking the rhythm.

Street vendors leaned out, some tying strips of cloth to flower stands, others offering tea to those carrying them. Children carried pinwheels through the crowd, the paper leaves whirring as they spun.

Bai Weiwei stopped in front of the dye house and squatted down to help a little girl re-tie her headscarf.

"Tie the knot here, so you won't scratch your face when you run."

The little girl tilted her head back.

"Sister, are you dancing the Bawangbian dance today too?"

"We'll take care of the guests first, and then we'll dance later."

"Then don't run away, I'll save you a spot."

The little girl picked up her small drum, turned around, and disappeared into the crowd.

Su Niannian squatted by the charcoal stove and bought another skewer of roasted milk fan. She had just taken a bite when rose sugar stuck to the corner of her mouth.

Ye Xingyu took out a tissue and wiped it off for her.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

"With so many stalls, I have to leave some room for each one."

"At this rate, we'll have to carry it back home by noon."

"You and Weiwei each carry one side."

Before Ye Xingyu could even put the tissue away, he had already leaned on her shoulder and started laughing.

Gu Qingshang raised his camera and framed the three people and the milk fan stall behind them.

When the camera turned to them, the stall owner raised a bamboo skewer to greet them.

"Girl, please include my oven in the picture too. The milk fan looks beautiful today."

Gu Qingshang looked down to examine the photos.

"It's captured perfectly, and the timing is just right."

"That's good. Show it to me later."

Shen Qingci stood under the flowering tree, the blue and white ribbon on her wrist fluttering in the wind. She turned to call to Chen Lang, a wet petal pressing down on the sole of her shoe, and leaned to the side.

Chen Lang supported her elbow and led her back to the middle of the stone steps.

"Student Shen, you made it to the trending list a couple of days ago by stepping out of step, and now you want to continue your streak by falling flat on your face?"

Shen Qingci steadied himself and withdrew his arm.

"The ground is slippery."

Chen Lang looked down at the flower petals.

"The bluestone slab shouldn't be blamed for this."

"Then you carry it."

"Okay, put it on the tab. Charge the top price for each instance."

"I'll owe you for now."

"Your debts are piling up; how do you plan to pay them back?"

Shen Qingci turned her face away, her lips twitching twice, but a laugh still escaped her lips.

"Come and collect it after you've thought it through."