The Fantasy Mushroom of Brad Town
Once upon a time, there was a small town named Brad, inhabited by a group of extremely ugly people. Their sole purpose in life was to cultivate a mushroom called “Fantasy.” It was said that if you took a bite of this mushroom and then spoke the name of another person, your appearance and theirs would be swapped. Only the people of Brad could grow the Fantasy mushroom because it required the nourishment of their blood.
Each year, only one Fantasy mushroom could be produced, as it needed to drain the blood of an adult to be harvested. The people of Brad took turns donating blood to the mushroom every day. Every September, the Fantasy mushroom would be auctioned, attracting people from all over the world to the small town.
Lapo was the auctioneer for this event. The staff carefully presented a beautifully decorated box, and all the bidders stretched their necks as if they could snatch the treasure within with just their eyes. Lapo cleared his throat, signaling the bidders to remain silent as he followed the auction procedure and opened the box, revealing the Fantasy mushroom.
It looked no different from an ordinary mushroom, but those who saw it felt an uncontrollable desire, like a greedy snake swallowing their rationality bit by bit.
Lapo lightly tapped his hammer on the table, and the auction began. Voices clamored with various bids, each higher than the last, mixed with faint sighs, impatience, and arrogance. Lapo’s hammer fell heavily, and the new owner of the Fantasy mushroom was a man with a face full of flabby flesh.
Lapo formally congratulated him, but the man’s eyes were fixed on the box in Lapo’s hands. He took the box without even uttering a word of thanks and quickly left the town.
About a week after the auction, Lapo was lazily lying in her courtyard when the man who had won the Fantasy mushroom barged in. His flabby face evoked a look of disgust in Lapo’s eyes. The man noticed her expression and took a step back, saying, “I was swapped with someone who has this face. He took everything from me, including my fiancée. Please help me, I want my face back.”
Every year, similar situations occurred where those who had their appearances swapped sought help from the people of Brad to revert to their original faces. However, the growth cycle of the Fantasy mushroom was one year, during which anything could happen—some people fell into despair, some strived for improvement, and some just vanished.
Lapo patted the man’s shoulder, indicating she could not help. His eyes, void and lifeless, seemed to lose the last glimmer of hope. He knelt with a thud, “I don’t care about my wealth, but I cannot live without my fiancée. Without her, I won’t survive.” Lapo was somewhat moved; his reason was nobler compared to those who pursued fame and fortune.
Nevertheless, she found an excuse to dismiss him. She told him, “A Fantasy mushroom costs at least billions. What can you buy with nothing?” The man seemed excited, as if he believed money would make Lapo agree to help. His eyes sparkled like a child’s, forgetting the cruelty of society.
Lapo watched his retreating figure, thinking he wouldn’t last long. She had seen many such people—year after year, time caused them to fall, give up, and age in their wrinkled skins.
She saw the man again a month later. It was an afternoon, and Lapo had just finished donating blood to the Fantasy mushroom. Feeling weak, she lay in her courtyard, basking in the warm sunlight.
As before, the man burst into her courtyard, but now his eyes shone, and he carried a money bag. Lapo glanced at him, “These coins wouldn’t buy a Fantasy mushroom even if you saved for ten years.” The man did not despair; he smiled broadly, “I know this money is far from enough, but I now work three jobs a day. I believe hard work will pay off. Please keep this money for me. When I have enough, you can help me swap my face back.”
Perhaps his smile touched Lapo; she agreed to keep the money for him. After expressing his gratitude, he hurried away. The people of Brad were not allowed to interfere in human affairs, but this man began to capture Lapo’s attention.
Three days later, Lapo was surprised to see the man again. This time, his calm demeanor was replaced with anger and frustration. In just three days, he had aged significantly, with strands of white hair appearing among the dark. He leaned against the door and handed Lapo a newspaper.
The entire page was about a company president’s upcoming wedding to his fiancée. The photos showed a handsome man and a beautiful bride. The man’s voice choked, “My fiancée is about to marry someone else.”
For the first time, Lapo saw a man cry before her. She felt a rare sense of confusion and sympathy for this once-happy man. She didn’t know how to comfort him, so she talked about trivial things. The man broke the idle chatter, starting to sob uncontrollably like a child. He knelt before Lapo, begging her to help him revert his appearance. Lapo was at a loss.
She could have easily refused, but this time, she hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing. Her agreement extended beyond the courtyard’s ginkgo tree and the mushroom field, reaching farther. The man hugged Lapo gently, bowed deeply, and expressed his endless gratitude.
That night, Lapo paced back and forth in her house. She knew there was only one way to help the man.
To harvest the Fantasy mushroom early, it needed to quickly consume an adult’s blood. Lapo knew this was a life-for-life trade. But for this man, she couldn’t stand idly by.
That night, she dressed beautifully. The people of Brad were born with hideous faces to prevent them from falling in love with humans, as her deceased mother had told her. Lapo knew she had fallen in love with the human and was willing to give her life for him. She made a small cut on her wrist, and blood trickled out like the sands of an hourglass, counting down to her end.
As dawn broke, Lapo, weak and frail, placed the Fantasy mushroom on the stone table in the courtyard. Every step made her sway. She leaned on the table and placed a note beside the mushroom. She slowly sat down and watched the approaching figure. She wanted to see him a little longer but could not keep her eyes open.
When the man entered the courtyard, Lapo had already turned into a wisp of smoke. He saw only the mushroom and the note with a simple message: “I hope you can be happy.”
The man anxiously took a bite of the mushroom and said a name. He nervously touched his face and ran to a stream to repeatedly check his reflection, laughing uncontrollably. The first person he wanted to thank was Lapo, but he hurriedly left to find his fiancée.
He burst into the room and saw his fiancée lying on the bed. In his excitement, he forgot to call her name. As he approached, he noticed some pills scattered around. Suddenly realizing something was wrong, he desperately shook her, but her heart had stopped, and she was already a cold, lifeless body.
The night before, his fiancée had discovered his secret. Unwilling to marry an impostor, and with no one believing her, she chose to leave this world to stay true to her love for her fiancé.
This world is filled with illusions that stand between true love, such as appearances. When you lose what you’re used to, you may realize that what you once cared about never mattered in the face of true love.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
