HLM – Chapter 1026 School Sports Day

Deadly liquor—the first drink that had ever knocked Wang Bo out since he arrived in Sunset Town—was terrifyingly strong at 65% alcohol. Truly a killer in liquid form.

The Māori treated drinking like a life-or-death game. Wang Bo had never wanted to participate in Māori festivals for this reason: drinking inevitably led to drunkenness.

This time was no exception. He only remembered finishing the first bowl of alcohol and wanting to leave, but a few people blocked his way. After that… nothing.

When he woke up, he was already back at the castle, completely clean, with only a tide of headaches and a lingering fatigue reminding him that he had gotten drunk again.

Groggily awakening, he felt miserable. Eva noticed and brought over a bowl of brownish-yellow soup, smiling gently: “Here, drink this hangover soup.”

Eva’s tender smile and soft voice captivated Wang Bo. Still in a hangover haze, his brain wasn’t fully operational, and he subconsciously ignored the culinary skills of Eva.

After drinking the soup in one gulp, hot tears streamed down Wang Bo’s face.

Eva chuckled: “What’s wrong? Why so emotional?”

Through tears, Wang Bo said, “Why does this taste so strongly of mustard?”

Eva looked surprised: “I didn’t put mustard in it! I only added some sweet-and-sour sauce… oh, could it be that I grabbed the mustard bottle instead of the sweet-and-sour sauce?”

Wang Bo asked, “Didn’t you taste it?”

Eva replied, “No, I never eat what I make myself.”

Wang Bo: “…”

Regardless, the hangover soup was remarkably effective. After drinking it, Wang Bo vomited violently, expelling the undigested alcohol, and immediately felt much better.

After the wedding, Motak returned to work, and the farm began plowing.

Since it had been previously unused land, the first plowing was important. Over the three months of winter, they needed to till the land each month to allow the soil to absorb enough oxygen.

The town officials, in conjunction with the special education school, held a charity event. They accepted applications from low-income families to help clean gardens and lay out moss, free of charge.

Winter in New Zealand is cold, but they had a tradition different from China. While Chinese schools preferred sports days in spring or autumn, New Zealanders liked to hold them in winter.

In spring, summer, and autumn, the sunlight is intense. Only in winter is the sunlight softer, making it ideal for outdoor sports.

This was the town’s first school sports day. Naturally, Wang Bo, as the highest-ranking official, had to attend—well, truth be told, he was attending because he was the guardian of Dale.

Dale was athletically gifted and signed up for several events, including the 100-meter run, 200-meter run, 200-meter relay, and 400-meter relay.

In mid-June, Wang Bo drew another “Farm Heart” artifact—this time a level-two Farm Heart—so the farm had already upgraded before even beginning operations.

On the first Monday, the ACG School sports day began.

New Zealand parents valued their children’s participation in sports. For school sports days like this, almost all parents would actively participate to enjoy the fun of sports alongside their children.

This was one reason why New Zealanders loved sports—they were nurtured in them from a young age.

Wang Bo walked into the elementary school campus. Despite the freezing winter, many children were running around in thin sportswear.

Of course, some wore wool sweaters or even down jackets, making the children’s attire quite varied.

The principal of ACG Sunset Town Elementary, Grand Shaun, accompanied him. Observing the children’s clothing, Wang Bo said, “We need to make sure the kids stay warm. They can change into sportswear when it’s time to compete.”

Grand looked surprised: “If they choose sportswear, it means they can handle the outside temperature. We don’t need to intervene.”

Wang Bo asked, “Aren’t these kids here to compete?”

Grand replied, “No, they normally dress this way. The school provides changing rooms for competitions.”

Wang Bo found this amusing. The children’s clothing styles were overly complex—spring, autumn, and winter outfits all mixed. Some boys even wore thin wool sweaters with shorts.

He concluded that this was a New Zealand tradition. Locals were particularly tolerant of the cold. They didn’t drink hot water in winter, drank cold water year-round, and even ate ice cream or drank cold drinks in winter without issue.

The sports day was held at the school’s sports ground. ACG was a prestigious school, so the facilities were luxurious: a synthetic running track, a year-round green lawn, and neat stands with large screens broadcasting the events.

Wang Bo was also a local sports celebrity, having won seven golds at the previous “Oak City Sports Day”—a record that no one had broken.

The Oak City Sports Day was biennial. The organizing committee had invited him to the last event, but he was busy and didn’t need money, so he declined.

Many residents of Sunset Town were from Oak City and remembered his record, greeting him enthusiastically:

“Mayor, are you here to teach the kids how to win?”

“What events are you competing in today? Isn’t this a bit unfair to the kids?”

“Don’t be silly. The mayor is just here as a guest for the sports day.”

Looking down at his sports attire, Wang Bo thought he should have worn a suit instead.

New Zealand sports days also required speeches from officials. At 9 a.m., athletes entered, the teachers’ referee panel took their positions, and parents and spectators sat in the stands.

At any school, sports days were significant events, especially in public schools. Since New Zealand had compulsory education, these events helped generate revenue.

Parents bought tickets for public school sports days and often donated additionally. The money went to school development—so attending public school wasn’t free.

ACG Sunset Town Elementary was a private school, so parents had no financial concerns and could participate freely, resulting in higher engagement.

Principal Grand thanked the audience for attending, praised the children for their initiative, and concluded his speech.

Wang Bo checked his watch—two and a half minutes in total.

As mayor, he also had to speak. He folded his prepared speech into his pocket, encouraged the children on the podium, and stepped down.

The applause was enthusiastic—not for avoiding a long speech, but because he was popular in town.

Following were the athletes’ representative speeches and the referees’ speeches—simple, formalities. Athletes competed diligently, and referees ensured fairness.