Double update cos I love ya’ll <3
Sunlight pierced through the thin mist, spilling across the vast fields. In the fields, farmers dressed in simple clothes, wearing straw hats and holding tools, worked the land. When Shen Yan, Du Ze, and Mi Huan arrived at the busy farming site, they saw an incongruous figure. Cen Zeping, dressed in a shirt and leather shoes, was sweating profusely and looking quite disheveled as he crouched in the field harvesting peanuts.
The bratty child Cen Yuankai, who had tried to snatch Youyou’s toy earlier, was sitting on the ridge of the field. Under his bottom was his father’s suit jacket, and in his hands was an apple from somewhere, which he was munching loudly. Shen Yan didn’t have a good impression of this father and son. He glanced at them once and headed into the cornfield.
The guests’ task was to harvest a designated area of corn, peanuts, and sweet potatoes. Shen Yan and Du Ze chose to harvest corn, Mi Huan chose sweet potatoes, and Cen Zeping chose peanuts. Rows of tall corn stalks swayed in the wind, golden corn cobs standing straight. Shen Yan didn’t rush into it. He asked an experienced local for guidance.
Under the local’s instruction, Shen Yan’s movements with the sickle became increasingly skilled. His long, strong arm swung, the sickle slicing down, and the corn stalk fell to the ground. Shen Yan was the tallest among the guests and had a regular fitness routine. In less than half an hour, he was done. He had to come in first. Otherwise, he and Youyou would go hungry tonight.
Mi Huan wasn’t very fast. He wasn’t desperate for food. Grandma Zhang was kind, and even if they had nothing, she wouldn’t be stingy. Compared to Shen Yan, who worked quickly and well, Du Ze was much more careless. Not only were his cut corn stalks of uneven height, but he also often had to go back and redo sections. His mind wasn’t on the corn at all. He was solely focused on currying favor with Shen Yan.
At first, Shen Yan would respond a little, but eventually, finding it boring, he quickened his pace and moved ahead, leaving Du Ze far behind. Du Ze wrinkled his nose in anger and spat in the direction of Shen Yan’s retreating back.
So what if he has some money? Big deal.
Sure enough, Shen Yan finished the task the fastest. He broke off the golden corn cobs one by one, threw them into his basket, and then transported them to a small cart.
Pushing the cart past the sweet potato field, Shen Yan raised his chin and greeted Mi Huan. “Mi Huan, I’m heading off first.”
Mi Huan smiled, a mud-covered sweet potato in his hand. “See you later, Shen Yan ge.”
Pushing the cart, Shen Yan said to the camera, “I wonder if Youyou is missing me. He won’t cry, will he?”
Most of the village’s fields were at the foot of the mountains. Shen Yan walked along, enjoying the scenery.
“This road is getting more and more remote. You guys aren’t messing with me, are you?”
Shen Yan’s cart was quite large. The path was uphill and rather steep. By the time he reached his destination, sweat was pouring down his face. He didn’t care anymore and wiped it on his sleeve. In front of him was a sheet metal door, locked from the inside with a metal bar.
Shen Yan pounded on the metal door until, after a while, he heard sounds from inside. The door was opened by a limping old man using a cane, who moved with great difficulty. Shen Yan suddenly understood. The field he had helped harvest today probably belonged to this old man.
“Thank you so much, young man.”
“What’s your name? How old are you? Where’s your hometown?”
The old man was very talkative. Shen Yan looked at the humble house before him and patiently answered each question.
“Oh, I’ve been so busy talking. Sit down, sit down. Let me get you some water.”
Shen Yan didn’t sit. He set the cart aside, bent down, and silently began stacking the firewood that had fallen all over the ground. In the countryside, firewood was the main fuel. When they had free time, people would go up the mountain to gather wood, chop it, dry it, and stack it under the eaves, covering it with plastic sheeting when it rained.
The old man here had difficulty moving, so his woodpile was crooked, threatening to fall at the slightest touch. The limping old man came out with a bowl of water, smiling, the wrinkles on his face very deep.
“This is spring water piped down from the mountain. Drink.”
Shen Yan took the bowl, a flicker in his eyes. A white ceramic bowl, somewhat rough to the touch. The spring water was clear and bright. Shen Yan tilted his head back and drank it all in one go. The spring water was refreshing and thirst-quenching, with a sweet aftertaste. After doing this, Shen Yan received his reward from the limping old man: a grasshopper woven from grass and a tiny straw hat. The old man’s home was filled with various woven and bamboo items.
“Grandfather, did you weave all these yourself?”
The limping grandfather’s surname was Bai. Though old, his hands were very nimble. Simple grass, in his hands, became many interesting things.
“Yes. My legs aren’t good, so I can only do things with my hands.”
Shen Yan touched the lifelike little grasshopper in his hand, a bit emotional. “You weave beautifully. My little brother will love them.”
Grandpa Bai sat on a stool, weaving a bamboo basket. “You have a little brother? Why didn’t you bring him to play?”
Shen Yan smiled. “He’s too young. I didn’t let him come.”
The two chatted for a while, then Shen Yan left. On his way back, Shen Yan realized belatedly that almost everyone they had seen since entering the village was elderly. Perhaps that was the reason the production team had brought them here. Shen Yan was stopped halfway. He was told that the other three guests had also finished their tasks, and they needed to gather for the next mission.
Shen Yan saw that the sun was about to set and worried that Su Youli would be hungry if he got back too late. A crew member told him that the children had already eaten tofu pudding and roasted sweet potatoes at Grandma Zhang’s. The village dusk was peaceful and beautiful. By the time Shen Yan reached the meeting point, the other three guests had already arrived.
Cen Yuankai, who had been with his father, had also been brought by the crew to Grandma Zhang’s to be with the children. Shen Yan turned his head and saw Cen Zeping, barefoot, looking disgusted as he brushed his leather shoes. He wished he could fly back to Youyou’s side. That bratty child Cen Yuankai might even try to snatch Youyou’s things.
“Now we’ll distribute tonight’s dinner according to the rankings.”
Shen Yan stepped forward to receive his share. The container holding the dinner was also made by Grandpa Bai – a very delicate bamboo basket.
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