I roughly recalled this week: I returned to work with a cold virus and drank the ginger tea my mom forcefully gave me, which helped alleviate most of the discomfort (tested and proven); yesterday was a really tough day at work; the quality of my sleep was extremely poor; my mood was extremely low due to the cold air; I couldn't find the motivation to exercise... I really don't want to write a weekly journal, as it would just spread negativity.
Plum Blossoms, Peach Blossoms, and Cherry Blossoms#
The temperature was very high in the first half of this week, reaching over twenty degrees. The whole world felt hot. However, the meteorological bureau had already predicted a cold air mass moving south a week ago, claiming that the temperature would drop by 30 degrees. Upon hearing this news, I was prepared for a prolonged battle. Before the temperature dropped, I went out to the night market to eat something.
On the way home, I saw flowers blooming by the roadside.
Looking at the pink and tender flowers, my teammate exclaimed, "Peach blossoms! They're peach blossoms!" Since I didn't recognize the flower, I just called it little peach haha.
But later on, someone kindly pointed out on Dodo that it was actually plum blossoms 🤪. I quickly searched online and learned about the differences between peach blossoms, plum blossoms, and cherry blossoms. It turns out that in botany, plum blossoms, peach blossoms, and cherry blossoms all belong to the Rosaceae family, genus Prunus, and they have certain similarities in appearance.
First, they can be distinguished by their blooming periods. Plum blossoms bloom from February to March, cherry blossoms from March to April, and peach blossoms from April to May. However, the blooming period may vary depending on the local climate: in colder regions, plum blossoms can bloom in April, while in warmer regions, peach blossoms can bloom in March... This is also one of the reasons why I thought the flowers downstairs were peach blossoms (after all, with so many days of hot weather, it's easy to misunderstand). It seems that to distinguish between plum, peach, and cherry blossoms, other methods need to be used.
Petal Distinction#
The petals are the quickest way to distinguish between the three. Plum blossoms have round petals with a smooth overall shape; peach blossoms have relatively pointed petals that resemble water droplets; cherry blossoms have notches at the front of their petals.
Branching Distinction#
Plum blossoms bloom individually without flower stems; peach blossoms bloom in pairs with short flower stems; cherry blossoms bloom in clusters with long flower stems, producing many flowers at once. The difference between peach blossoms and plum blossoms in terms of branching is not very obvious. Plum blossoms that bloom in large numbers can also appear in pairs at first glance, and combined with the short flower stems of peach blossoms, they can look the same.
Color#
This is actually the most mysterious part. Plum blossoms are generally red or white. There are many varieties of plum blossoms, and I guess it's because they are still growing. I saw plum blossoms that were white when they were in the bud stage, but turned pink when they bloomed. As for fragrance, "the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold," so after enduring the bitterness of winter, give them a sniff.
There are also many varieties of peach blossoms, including white, pink, and red. There are even trees with different colored peach blossoms on them. Peach blossoms are not very fragrant, so you probably won't be able to smell them.
There are even more varieties of cherry blossoms, including white, pink, light pink, and dark pink...
So you can't just rely on color to distinguish them. Among the three, plum blossoms have the deepest color; all three can be pink. If the flowers are white, they are more likely to be plum blossoms or cherry blossoms; purple flowers are definitely plum blossoms...
It feels like a logic puzzle, doesn't it?
Code Name: Yuna (The Kakegurui)#
During the Lunar New Year, I played games on my phone at home, which made me lose interest in playing games on my computer when I returned to work. After finishing the event in Arknights, I downloaded a bunch of mobile games for testing, but the only one I temporarily got hooked on was Code Name: Yuna.
Although Code Name: Yuna is tagged as a otome game, it's actually a general card game when you play it. Let's talk about its Three Kingdoms storyline, which was poorly adapted and almost unbearable to watch.
So ultimately, I think there are two things that attracted me:
First is the Three Kingdoms element. The first major work I was exposed to when I was young should be "Dynasty Warriors." I couldn't handle the keyboard controls and couldn't mow down enemies, so I relied on Zhuge Liang's brainless output to give me a sense of security. And the moment I faced Lu Bu at Hulao Pass and was shocked by that CG. The moment I was convinced by Cao Cao's charisma. The moment I disliked Liu Bei's pretentious elegance and Zhuge Liang's inability to deal damage... Because of my passion for this game, I even read "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."
Later, I played "Three Kingdoms Kill" with my friends, and I gained a new understanding of some characters I wasn't interested in when I was young. For example, Sun Quan's skill is "Balance." I didn't understand why Cao Cao would say "A son should be like Sun Zhongmou" because Sun Quan didn't seem to shine particularly brightly in the novel.
Here's a little digression: Sun Ce ruled Jiangdong with an iron fist, but he was assassinated at a young age, leaving Sun Quan with an epic mess: either follow Sun Jian's southern expeditions or join Sun Ce in attacking Jiangdong. Sun Quan didn't have much prestige, making it difficult for him to gain the respect of others. The civil officials were even more unreliable, as they came from local aristocratic families and were dissatisfied with Sun Ce's iron-fisted rule. They found an assassin to kill Sun Ce. As for external factors, I forgot the details, but I remember there were internal conflicts. At that time, Sun Quan could only rely on Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao.
After Sun Ce's death, Zhou Yu became the one in control of the military. Zhou Yu was so reliable that I felt he was reliable no matter where he was. Zhou Yu quickly pacified external disturbances, while Zhang Zhao persuaded and pacified civil and military officials, stabilizing the situation in Jiangdong. Sun Quan's so-called "balance" was actually about balancing Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao. On one hand, he promoted old generals in Jiangdong to restrain Zhou Yu, and on the other hand, he implemented a policy of appeasement to pacify the Jiangdong aristocracy, while also recruiting talents from the north like Lu Su to restrain local forces. This achieved a check on the Jiangdong aristocracy.
When Cao Cao said "A son should be like Sun Zhongmou," it was when he saw that Sun Quan had the ability to do all of this. However, Sun Quan himself was not a person with much strategic acumen; he only excelled at the art of balance. Zhou Yu's early campaign to Hefei was a great strategy, but unfortunately, fate is jealous of talent. Lu Su's alliance with Liu Bei against Cao Cao was also a great strategy in that difficult situation. On the other hand, Sun Quan had almost no remarkable achievements. Seeing that Cao Cao was being restrained by Liu Bei, he worried that Liu Bei would replace Cao Cao, so he launched a surprise attack on Jingzhou using his balancing skills, aiming to disrupt the alliance between Sun Quan and Liu Bei and lay a solid foundation for Jiangdong to face the pressure from Cao Cao alone in the future.
I've gone off on a tangent for a while. I'm about to go out, so I'll get back on track. The second thing that attracted me is the game's battles, which are very engaging. There are various considerations to make when deciding whether to attack or defend. Coupled with the game's numerous probability mechanisms and numerical pitfalls, it's easy to get hooked while playing, truly living up to its name as "The Kakegurui." However, the numerical pitfalls mean that the game doesn't have much gameplay, and there is a significant gap in strength between characters. Whether or not you have Xu Shu makes it feel like two different games. Overall, it's just average, but you can guarantee an SSR within 40 draws, and gambling is so enjoyable, truly living up to its name as "The Kakegurui."
Reflections on the Lantern Festival#
I remember the first time I went to Changsha. On the first night, I was shopping around the Pozi Street area and almost encountered a pickpocket who tried to steal my wallet (at that time, it was still early, and I was still insisting on using cash for payment, and my ID card was also in it). Luckily, I was really tired at that time, but I vaguely felt that something was wrong with my pocket. When I reached back, I felt the pickpocket's hand, and I even heard a sigh of frustration from the pickpocket.
I still remember that I turned around and looked at that person, who had an expression of indifference when being discovered and a look of frustration for almost succeeding. It still gives me chills to this day.
But the next morning was the Lantern Festival, and the city government set up stalls on Huangxing Pedestrian Street to distribute lanterns to the public. It made me feel good again. I wonder if they still distribute lanterns today.
Have Some Yuanxiao#
Finally, please have some yuanxiao~
