Just then, two aunties walked past the side of the vacant lot, whispering complaints as they went.
This time, Lu Ming pricked up his ears and listened carefully.
He heard one of the aunties complaining with a worried face, "What on earth is going on with this ghostly weather? The weather forecast clearly said it would be a sunny day today, but the clouds in the sky are so thick and there are so many of them!"
"The clothes I washed today are still wet even now."
The other auntie chimed in, "Oh, tell me about it!"
"I saw the sunlight was pretty good this morning, so I thought I'd take all the clothes out and wash them."
"Who knew this cloud would just stay here without moving an inch?"
The more this auntie spoke, the angrier she got. She continued, "I heard from others that the only place with sun right now is the Back Mountain."
"I heard there's a large circular hole in the cloud layer there, so only that spot has plenty of sunlight."
"When I get home later, I'll have to take my clothes to the Back Mountain to let them dry in the sun."
"Sigh, really, this weather is truly unpredictable!" The first auntie sighed helplessly.
After Lu Ming finished listening to the complaints of these two aunties and combined them with the situation Shizuka mentioned, his previously furrowed brows instantly relaxed.
"In that case, it might be that the kingdom Gian and Suneo built with clouds is blocking the sun!"
Doraemon's round face also darkened, and he flailed his round little hands about.
"It must be as Lu Ming said. I used the Rock Climbing Safety Rope to fix the clouds in place, and Gian and Suneo used the all-purpose construction machine to expand the cloud layer."
"That's what formed the thick cloud layer in the air, preventing the sunlight from reaching the ground."
Nobita also stomped his feet in anxiety, "Then what's the deal with that large circular hole on the Back Mountain?"
"Could it also be related to us?"
"It should also be caused by us. Do you guys remember the small lake we made before building the Paradise?"
"The sunlight probably passed through the lake water, creating that effect on the Back Mountain," Lu Ming reminded everyone.
"Oh right, I totally forgot! When we were building the Paradise, we also made a small lake." Nobita said, suddenly realizing.
"We'll know once we go take a look!" Shizuka was the first to stand up and walk towards the Back Mountain.
Lu Ming also stood up and quickly caught up, while Doraemon pulled Nobita along to follow.
The small path on the Back Mountain was overgrown with weeds on both sides. Sunlight shone in through the circular hole in the cloud layer, passing through the gaps in the leaves to sprinkle on the ground, forming mottled shadows.
The further they went up the Back Mountain, the more abundant the sunlight became. When they reached the open area at the summit, the four of them couldn't help but stop and look at the sky.
Sure enough, in the thick cloud layer not far away, there was a circular opening for light. Sunlight was pouring down from there, forming a bright patch of light on the ground.
Lu Ming squinted his eyes and looked up in the direction of the light patch, then his eyes lit up, "Quick, look at the position corresponding to that hole."
"Isn't that the lake we created next to the Paradise earlier? It's exactly as I thought!"
Everyone looked in the direction Lu Ming pointed. Sure enough, the shape of the hole in the cloud layer was exactly the same as the lake they had created, and they could even see a small corner of the Paradise.
Shizuka looked at the large hole and said, "It seems Lu Ming is right! The sunlight is indeed refracted through the lake water."
"That's why this is the only sunny spot on the ground of the Back Mountain."
Doraemon realized, "So that's how it is! The water in the lake prevents the clouds from closing completely, leaving this opening for light. Otherwise, the entire area would be covered by thick clouds."
"We must get Suneo and Gian to restore the clouds!" Shizuka's tone carried a hint of anxiety. "If this continues, our clothes will never dry, and life will be greatly affected."
Lu Ming nodded, "Then let's go talk to them first. Hopefully, they can understand the seriousness of the situation."
The four of them put on their bamboo copters again and flew towards Gian's Kingdom in the Clouds.
At this moment, Gian and Suneo were inside an empty castle. The surroundings were quiet, with only the two of them.
Gian felt unusually bored. He aimlessly complained to Suneo, "It's all your fault, Suneo! You drove them all away, and now This Great Master is bored to death!"
Although Suneo heard Gian's complaints, he was helpless and could only mutter under his breath, "Always pushing the blame onto me."
"Even if the idea to drive them away was indeed mine, the one who actually carried out the plan wasn't me; you're the one who told them to leave."
However, in this empty and quiet hall, Gian's ears were exceptionally sharp, and he vaguely heard Suneo's muttering.
"Suneo, what were you just saying? I think I heard you speaking ill of me." As Gian spoke, he walked aggressively towards Suneo, clenched his fist tightly, and then slammed it hard onto Suneo's head.
Suneo was a bit dazed by the sudden punch. Enduring the tears and the pain in his head, he hurriedly made an excuse, "Gian, I wasn't talking about you! I was talking about Doraemon and the others."
Gian looked at Suneo suspiciously, but finally gave a cold snort. He said, "Since that's the case, I'll let you off for now."
Gian returned to the throne in the palace, but after sitting for a while, he became bored again.
Utterly bored, Gian and Suneo plopped down on the clouds outside the palace.
They molded cloud soldiers one by one and moved them into the palace to act as sentries on guard.
Lu Ming and the others soon returned to the cloud layer and looked at the castle not far away.
Soon they flew to the front of Gian's castle. Lu Ming and the others walked in and saw Gian sitting on a throne made of clouds.
Suneo stood to the side, holding a scepter made of clouds. The two were triumphantly commanding the soldiers made of clouds.
Doraemon was the first to shout upon seeing them, "Gian! Suneo! The kingdom you built with clouds is blocking everyone's sunlight."
"Now the residents below are all complaining about your kingdom."
Gian stood up from the throne, hands on his hips, and gave a blustering snort, "So what if the sunlight is blocked?"
"This is my kingdom, I'll build it however I want! If you're so capable, have them come up here and catch me!"
Although Suneo felt a bit guilty, he still chimed in, "Exactly! If they can't dry their clothes, can't they find a way themselves? You can't blame it all on us."
Shizuka frowned and explained patiently, "But this affects everyone's life! And the Paradise we built before was just to let everyone have fun."
"I don't care if they're happy or not!" Gian waved his hand impatiently. "Hurry up and leave! Don't disturb Suneo and me while we're governing our kingdom. If you keep nagging, I won't be polite to you!"
Seeing that the two were completely stubborn, Lu Ming knew it was useless to continue talking. He could only shake his head helplessly at Doraemon and the others. "Let's go down first and think of another way."