Gu Shi had been away on a business trip abroad for a week.
Home and Country’s production had been underway for some time now. Luo Zhengzheng took her son to visit the set at the film studio.
Liu Hanyue had few scenes, but she always stayed on set to learn and receiving guidance from Director Lu.
The Gu Family owned a hotel in the film and television city, so Luo Zhengzheng naturally arranged for the crew to stay at their hotel. After arriving at the film and television city, she went to the hotel first. After settling into her room, she handed her sleeping son to Nanny Wang and Uncle Wang, and then she and Xiao Zhang bought some fruit and went to the film set.
The actress who played the female lead as a child was Yang Mengmeng, who had also played the child female lead in "I Am a Robot." Now she was signed with Wanhua Entertainment. When she saw Luo Zhengzheng, her eyes lit up, and she happily ran over in her tattered costume: "Elder Sister Zhengzheng, where's Jiajia?"
Luo Zhengzheng patted her head and said with a smile, "Jiajia is resting at the hotel."
Yang Mengmeng was a little disappointed: "I even brought toys for Jiajia."
Luo Zhengzheng reassured her, "It's okay, you can give it to him when you get back to the hotel." She then asked, "How are you feeling? Are you getting used to it?"
"It feels great." Yang Mengmeng's eyes lit up when she talked about something she liked: "The director said I acted very well and very realistically."
Luo Zhengzheng praised, "Not bad, how's your studying?"
Yang Mengmeng said earnestly, "I have been studying hard. I promised my parents that I would definitely get into university."
As long as she could act in a film crew, studying wasn't such a painful thing anymore.
Luo Zhengzheng patted her on the shoulder to encourage her.
Yang Mengmeng smiled and made a cheering gesture.
Liu Hanyue saw her and came out in her costume: "You've come?"
Luo Zhengzheng looked at her teasingly: "You look the role."
Liu Hanyue gave her a standard bow, stood up and asked her triumphantly, "How is it?"
Luo Zhengzheng praised, "Of course it's good. But it's not enough for me to think it's good. Director Lu has to think it's good too."
Liu Hanyue laughed: "Of course it passes Director Lu's test."
Luo Zhengzheng nodded: "Let's go in and take a look."
The three of them walked inside together. Liu Hanyue said, "Now it's Han Yue's scenes. She hasn't been in a good state these past few days. Director Lu is very angry and had lost his temper with her several times."
Upon arriving at the studio, everyone else was quiet, except for Han Yue and the actor playing the emperor, whose voices could be heard intermittently. Luo Zhengzheng's arrival went unnoticed by the others. She and Liu Hanyue stood quietly to the side, watching.
Suddenly, Luo Zhengzheng's pupils contracted and she quickly stepped forward and shoved Han Yue.
"What are you doing?" Han Yue had just gotten into the zone when she was shoved, making her temper explode. She shot a sharp glare at Luo Zhengzheng. Before she could finish speaking, a pole fell to the ground with a few cracking sounds.
The scene instantly descended into chaos.
Han Yue's face flushed red. For a moment she didn't know whether to say thank you or apologize.
Luo Zhengzheng ignored her. Right now, she was furious: "Who built this set?"
She gasped after saying that.
Yang Mengmeng rushed over and grabbed Luo Zhengzheng's arm: "Elder Sister Zhengzheng, your wrist is bleeding?"
Liu Hanyue was terrified. When she came to her senses, she quickly said, "Why are you bleeding? Did that pole hit your hand?"
Director Lu approached, glanced at the wound on Luo Zhengzheng's wrist, picked up the pole from the ground, and was quite frightened when he saw the nails on it. He couldn't help but curse, "Damn it, I've emphasized safety so many times! The set was just built and a wooden stick fell down! What kind of work ethic is it to do something like this?"
This happened on the investor's first visit to the set, so one could imagine how infuriated he was.
Yang Mengmeng quickly called the crew's doctor to come and treat her wounds.
Liu Hanyue stood to the side and asked the doctor, "This is a cut from a screw. Should we get a tetanus shot?"
The doctor applied iodine to Luo Zhengzheng's wound, bandaged it, and looked up, saying, "You need to get vaccinated."
Liu Hanyue quickly said, "I'll take you to the hospital for that."
"It's inconvenient for you to be wearing your costume. Just let Xiao Zhang come with me," Luo Zhengzheng said.
Xiao Zhang was outside helping Liu Hanyue's assistant distribute fruit when she heard that Luo Zhengzheng had injured her hand, so she rushed in: "Elder Sister, how are you?"
Luo Zhengzheng looked at her: "It's nothing serious, just a minor injury. The doctor had already treated it."
It hurt a little when the pole hit her arm and she suspected that her arm was bruised.
Liu Hanyue looked at Han Yue standing there, so angry she wanted to curse. Younger sister-in-law Zhengzheng had pushed her, saving her life, but she hadn't said a word. Liu Hanyue couldn't help but blurt, "Why did you have to be so brave? She hasn't even thanked you yet."
Luo Zhengzheng glanced at her but didn't say anything. She thought to herself that this was a TV series she had invested in, and she didn't want anything to happen. Besides, she couldn't just stand by and watch Han Yue get hit by the pole.
Exasperated, Liu Hanyue glared at her and then looked at Xiao Zhang: "Take your elder sister to the hospital for a tetanus shot right away."
After dealing with the matter there, Director Lu came over and said, "I'm really sorry, we made a management mistake."
Luo Zhengzheng simply said, "Check all the sets. We not only need to make a good film, but also ensure the safety of the crew. That's the most important thing."
After such a fright, Director Lu would naturally be more cautious.
Luo Zhengzheng and Xiao Zhang went outside.
Han Yue watched Luo Zhengzheng's departing figure, her feelings were all knotted up. Thankfully, Luo Zhengzheng had pushed her away just now. Otherwise, if that pole had hit her head or the nail had pierced her skull, would she have had a chance to survive?
The two came out and ran into Chen Hui.
Chen Hui looked at her bandaged wrist: "Does it still hurt?"
Luo Zhengzheng shook her head: "It's nothing serious. Going to the hospital now for a tetanus shot."
Chen Hui ushered, "Then go quickly."
After watching Luo Zhengzheng and the other woman leave, she strode inside with a gloomy face.
After learning the details, she called the young man who set up the scene and gave him a good scolding. She felt she should call Chen Ze, because ultimately, it was her fault for not doing her job properly.
Chen Ze was discussing a film project when he saw Chen Hui's call. Without thinking, he answered the phone: "What's the matter?"
Chen Hui explained to him about it in a few words and then she smiled bitterly: "You know what a mess this is."
Chen Ze exhaled, "It's just a minor injury, nothing serious. But you certainly didn't do your job properly."
Chen Hui hesitated and said, "Why don't you call President Gu later and tell him about the situation, so he won't worry?"
Chen Ze frowned: "Let's talk about it tonight. I'm in the middle of a discussion with someone right now."
Chen Hui could only say, "Okay, don't forget to call President Gu tonight."
Chen Ze hurriedly said, "Wait, who did you just say Luo Zhengzheng saved?"
Chen Hui's voice came from the other end: "Han Yue."
Chen Ze said, "Okay, I understand."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Ze huffed out, "What kind of mess is this?"
After finishing the business at hand, he called Gu Shi.
Gu Shi had just returned from abroad and arrived at the company when he saw it was a call from him. He answered and asked, "What's the matter?"
Chen Ze sighed and asked him, "Where are you now?"
Gu Shi asked, "At the company?"
Chen Ze: "You're back from your business trip?"
Gu Shi: "Just got back."
Chen Ze: "I have something to tell you about your wife. Don't worry, it's nothing serious."
Gu Shi: "Stop mashing words."
Chen Ze: "Your wife went to visit the film set and saved one of my company's female artists. She cut her wrist, but fortunately the wound wasn't big."
Gu Shi: "When did this happen?"
Chen Ze: "This afternoon, but it's been quite a while."
Gu Shi: "I'll hang up now."
Chen Ze immediately said, "Wait a minute."
He hesitated before speaking, "That female artist is currently my girlfriend."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Shi hung up the phone.
Hearing the dial tone on the phone, Chen Ze gave a wry smile and put the phone in his pocket.
Gu Shi hung up on Chen Ze and dialed Luo Zhengzheng's number.
After getting her tetanus shot, Luo Zhengzheng returned to the hotel.
Seeing Gu Shi's call, she answered the phone: "Why are you calling me at this time?"
He usually called her at night.
Gu Shi asked on the phone, "I heard you were injured while saving someone?"
Luo Zhengzheng glanced at her bandaged wrist: "It's nothing serious, just a minor hand injury." She thought to herself, "I wonder who told you that."
Gu Shi's tone was somewhat cold: "It's not a big deal yet. What, you want it to be something major? You're skinny with no muscle, yet you try to act like a hero."
Luo Zhengzheng retorted, "What do you mean by skinny with no flesh on my bones? I have a well-proportioned figure with curves in all the right places. Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand."
Gu Shi was amused by her focus and didn't argue with her. He simply said, "I'm back from my business trip. I'm at the company. Come back now."
Luo Zhengzheng had just arrived. There was no way she could go back. She refused.
Seeing her refusal, Gu Shi said, "Will you come back, or should I come to pick you up myself?"
"I'll come back myself." She knew Gu Shi would keep his word, so she could only submit.
Gu Shi was very satisfied: "That’s a good girl."
Luo Zhengzheng hung up the phone, couldn't help but roll her eyes, and mimicked his tone: "That's a good girl!"
If a girl listens to you, she's a good girl. If she doesn't, does that mean she's not?
Even so, she still told Nanny Wang and Uncle Wang to pack their things and go home immediately.
Sitting in the car, she called Chen Hui to tell her that she was heading home.
Then she sent a message in the QQ group for the Four Beauties to complain: "It's just a small injury, and he insists that I go home, as if going home will make the injury heal. I'm here to work, not to play. Fussy men is not good either."
Wang Yaning: "How did you get hurt?"
Yu Shuang: "How did you get hurt?"
Liu Hanyue: "She tried to show off by running to save someone. In the end, she got injured while saving the person. And the person she saved didn't even say thank you."
Wang Yaning: "Is the wound serious?"
Luo Zhengzheng: "It's not serious, just a minor injury."
Liu Hanyue: "It's such a big opening."
Luo Zhengzheng: "I didn't even need stitches. The wound scabbed over and I can type on my phone without any problems."
Yu Shuang: "As long as it's nothing serious, it’s all good."
Wang Yaning: "Who did you save?"
Liu Hanyue: "Han Yue."
Yu Shuang: "Han Yue? I really like her. Zhengzheng saved her and she didn't even thank her?"
Liu Hanyue: "None."
Yu Shuang: "...I feel hurt. I liked a few of the TV dramas she acted in. I never expected her to be this kind of person."
Luo Zhengzheng: "She is now an actress in my film crew, so it is only right that I save her."
Liu Hanyue: "You're just too nice."
Wang Yaning: "How long before you get home? You have an injury on your hand. Should I ask the kitchen to make something light?"
Yun Chuman and the two children simply held hands and formed a circle, jumping and spinning while excitedly shouting, "Run away! Run away!"
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran trembled and wanted to hug each other.
Viewers in the live stream couldn't help but burst into laughter when they saw this.
—Hilarious! Who talks about running away so loudly? Are they afraid the production crew can’t hear them?
—Hahaha, the Yun Chuman family and the Cheng Yaran family are online for a performance, proving that human joys and sorrows were not shared.
—These two little cubs probably don't even know what running away means, hahaha.
—Yun Juan and Yun Shu: Just cheer along with mommy!
Yun Chuman made up her mind to attend the Wangguo Festival.
The location chosen by the production team was nice, but it was only leisurely. The thought of spending the next few days here with her and her two children, along with Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran, picking vegetables and cooking made her feel bored. The Tibetan girl's hometown was much more interesting.
Moreover, both the "run away" and the atmosphere of the Wangguo Festival were very suitable for Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran's style. Taking them there was better than awkwardly staying in a small building with them for the next few days.
As for "running away," with so many cameras around, she didn't really intend to hide it from the production team.
She was not afraid of not being able to get out of that door. Maybe the production team was happy to see her "run away," but they certainly won't offer any help. The more difficult it was for the guests to escape, the happier the production team would be.
After Yun Chuman figured it out, she excitedly urged, "Elder Brother Feng Yan, Elder Sister Ranran, hurry up and get ready. We'll be leaving soon. I'll contact someone to pick us up right now."
Upon hearing this, Yun Juan and Yun Shu jumped up and down with their chubby little hands raised: "Then let's go pack our luggage first!"
"Good children." Yun Chuman patted their little heads. The contents of the suitcase hadn't been touched a lot yet. Just need to put in the toiletries and clothes. It would be perfectly fine to leave it to the two children.
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran exchanged a horrified glance. They were really going to run away!
Feng Yan frowned and tentatively asked, "Chuman, is it really necessary? It’s only eating a little bit of food?"
Cheng Yaran patted her pocket earnestly: "We can compensate. Really, we can."
"Huh?" Yun Chuman paused in her search for phone numbers and looked up blankly. What were these two talking about?
But before she could ask any further questions, they were pulled away by two children.
Yun Juan, holding Feng Yan's hand, frowned as he walked into the small building, saying, "Uncle, you should hurry up and pack your luggage. There's not enough time."
Yun Shu, holding Cheng Yaran's hand, skipped along, turning back to remind her, "Auntie, don't forget to bring everything! Remember to bring the toiletries from the bathroom too!"
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran looked ashen-faced. It was all over. They were stuck on this sinking ship. Who would have thought that recording a variety show would end up with them having to run away just because they ate some fruits and vegetables?
This freedom was going too far!
Yun Chuman sensed something was off about their expressions, but she didn't have time to think about it further because she had made contact with the Tibetan girl.
"Manman?" The Tibetan girl's voice was very pleasant, with a slight accent.
Yun Chuman said happily, "Meiduo, we'll go with you!"
"That's great!" Meiduo was clearly delighted as her voice was filled with joy.
Knowing that she was straightforward, Yun Chuman didn't beat around the bush and directly stated the problem: "But we don't have a car."
“How many of you are there?”
“Five, three adults and two children,” Yun Chuman said.
Meiduo laughed heartily: "No problem, my car can fit you. I'll pick you up in an hour."
Yun Chuman expressed her thanks. Thinking how they had arrived in a hurry and she was with two children, so she still needed to make adequate preparations to ensure their safety.
So she asked, "Meiduo, what preparations do we need to make?"
"Make sure to protect yourself from the sun and bring plenty of water. I have medicine to relieve altitude sickness, so you don't need to buy any," Meiduo cheerfully responded. "But you probably won't need it. Although my hometown is mostly Tibetan, we haven't entered Tibet yet, so the altitude isn't very high."
Yun Chuman breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, thanked her again, and then hung up the phone.
She got up and walked towards the small building, intending to help the two children pack their luggage.
As she passed a camera, she stopped, bent down slightly, and slowly brought her face closer to the lens. Then she suddenly broke into a grin and said, "We're planning to run away. What are you production team planning to do?"
The two children happened to come out to get their toiletries from the bathroom. After seeing her, they followed suit and moved closer to the camera that was closest to them.
Yun Juan's lips curled into a slight smile as he raised an eyebrow: "Are elder brothers and elder sisters coming to capture us?"
Yun Shu shook her little head and said with a smile, "Little Shu runs very fast."
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran happened to see this scene as they dragged their luggage down from the second floor.
They were startled, thinking to themselves how bold Yun Chuman, Yun Juan and Yun Shu were. Not only did they run away, but they also provoked them!
The viewers in the live stream didn't care about any of that. They were once again bombarded by the beauty of the family of three, and they flooded the chat with comments like "Let them run away!"
Xiaoxi looked at Yun Chuman's delicate face and chuckled.
She wasn't in a hurry. She took out her phone and called Li Rufei, saying leisurely, "Director Li, should I bring some people to their door and stop them now?"
"Why are you blocking the way? Let them escape!"
Li Rufei's loud voice came from the other end of the phone.
Xiaoxi subconsciously moved her phone further away and rubbed her ears. She knew this would happen. Yun Chuman's "running away" would generate a lot of buzz, and Director Li would never stop her.
"Xiaoxi ah, you need to grow up," Li Rufei said with a deliberately sigh.
Xiaoxi: ...
No, she didn't need it. She called just to confirm his attitude for Yun Chuman.
Li Rufei continued with exasperation, "It's not like we're preventing the guests or you from going online. Why don't you look at the trending topics? Even if you don't look at the trending topics, look at the skyrocketing viewership in this live stream."
Xiaoxi raised an eyebrow. Although it was pretty much what she expected, she still subconsciously exited the chat interface and opened Weibo upon hearing this.
Then she discovered that the top trending topic was #EveryFamilyHasItsOwnAffairVarietyShowGuestsRunAway#.
—It's a script, right? How can they run away like this? There were cameras everywhere.
—Isn't this irresponsible? The filming location was rented by the production team, right? They just left like that?
—That's why it's called running away... What they are shaking off isn't the production team, but the small building they rented.
—This sounds interesting, I'll go check it out.
—I know this woman, she's super funny, and her two kids are incredibly well-behaved.
Putting everything else aside, I love how good-looking this family of three is! As a face-con fan, I'm heading to their live stream right now!
Li Rufei was still rambling on on the other end of the phone: "And I just thought about it, the Wangguo Festival is indeed more interesting than these guys picking vegetables here."
Xiaoxi nodded silently and deliberately said in a depressed tone, "What are we going to do? When we get there, Yun Chuman has a place to stay, but we don't. We can't just sleep under the open sky and on the ground."
"Don't worry, I've arranged everything. You'll find out soon enough," Li Rufei acted all mysterious.
Xiaoxi mentally screamed success in delight.
But her mouth sighed helplessly, "Fine."
On the other side, the Gu Group.
Yang Feng paused for a moment when he saw the trending topic, stood up without hesitation, and went into the president's office.
Gu Jijing, dressed in a black suit, sat upright behind his desk, with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his high nose.
He knew who the visitor was, so he didn't stop what he was doing and simply asked, "What is it?"
Yang Feng strode up to him and said, "Mr. Gu, Ms. Yun has run away with the two children."
Gu Jijing paused in writing, looked up at him, and his expression showed a rare hint of confusion.
Yang Feng realized he had used the wrong words, but he didn't explain. He simply handed over the tablet he was holding.
Gu Jijing looked down. The tablet was playing a video of an adult and two children holding hands and spinning around.
His lips curled up almost imperceptibly. They looked...like they were very happy.
Yang Feng didn't miss the fleeting expression on his face, thinking to himself that he was lucky to be quick-witted.
He could tell that President Gu still cared about Yun Chuman, Yun Juan, and Yun Shu. otherwise, he wouldn't have dealt with the trending topic so quickly last time and even used what could be described as harsh measures to warn the relevant media and whistleblowers.
Yang Feng, being very perceptive, didn't say much and quietly left the office.
Gu Jijing only understood the meaning of running away" after reading all the content on the trending topics.
Freedom?
He took off his gold-rimmed glasses, rubbed his temples wearily, and hesitated for a moment. Then he turned on his computer, found the live stream link for "Every Family Has Its Own Affairs," and clicked into Yun Chuman's live stream room.
At this moment, Yun Chuman, Yun Juan and Yun Shu, Feng Yan, and Cheng Yaran were sitting in the outdoor pavilion, with large suitcases next to them.
Yun Chuman was explaining the whole story, while Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran listened in shock.
"That's how it is. I think that although it's a leisurely place, it would be too boring to stay here for three days."
Yun Chuman said seriously, "It just so happens that Elder Sister Ranran said your synonym is freedom. I thought, what a coincidence! Meiduo's hometown is the real freedom. Why don't we just run away together!"
Yun Juan and Yun Shu cheered again, "Run away! Run away!"
Feng Yan scratched his head awkwardly and breathed a sigh of relief: "You should have said so earlier! I thought we had done something wrong!"
Cheng Yaran also felt much more relaxed: "If you had spoken any later, I would have forced myself to throw up."
Yun Chuman asked in confusion, "What exactly are you talking about?"
She felt from the very beginning that something was off between the two of them.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu tilted their little heads in confusion. The uncle and aunt in front of them were really strange, always saying things they couldn't understand.
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran guiltily looked away. They would never utter such embarrassing matters!
Feng Yan coughed lightly, trying to change the subject: "I know the place you mentioned. Ya Ya and I have actually wanted to go there for a long time, but we just haven't found the time!"
Cheng Yaran nodded in agreement: "Yes, I didn't expect to encounter the Wangguo Festival this time. Don't worry, Chuman, even if the production team comes, I will fight them to the end!"
After she finished speaking, she looked around in confusion and asked, "Why isn't the production team making a move? Didn't you, Little Juan, and Little Shu just provoke them?"
Yun Chuman glanced at the camera and confirmed, "They won't stop us."
At this time, the sound of brakes came from outside.
Yun Chuman's eyes lit up and she stood up, saying, "Meiduo is here!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Juan and Yun Shu ran off with her short legs to open the gate to the small courtyard.
Upon seeing the newcomer, they smiled broadly and exclaimed in unison, "Elder Sister Meiduo!"
A girl with tanned skin walked in and asked, "Little Juan, Little Shu, have you packed your luggage?"
Although she was thin, one could clearly see that she was all muscle. Her facial features were typical of the bold and striking type, giving her a wild beauty.
The two children nodded.
Yun Juan spun around to show off his sun-protective clothing: "I also applied sunscreen to my face."
Yun Shu held up the little yellow duck water cup hanging around her neck and pointed to the one around Yun Juan's neck: "The water is all filled up, it can last a long time."
Meiduo smiled and pinched the two children's cheeks: "Great job!"
At this moment, Yun Chuman walked over with her suitcase. She pointed to the two people behind her and said with a smile, "Meiduo, this is Elder Brother Feng Yan and Elder Sister Ranran. They also want to visit your hometown."
Then she pointed to Meiduo and introduced her: "Elder Brother Feng Yan, Elder Sister Ranran, this is Meiduo, which means 'as beautiful as a flower' in Tibetan."
"Wow, you’re really as beautiful as a flower," Cheng Yaran couldn't help but exclaim as she looked at Meiduo.
When she and Feng Yan first met Meiduo, she was much more natural than when Yun Chuman and Yun Juan and Yun Shu met. Before long, they were chatting warmly.
Meiduo glanced at the sky and said, "If we leave now, we can get home before night."
As she spoke, she took Yun Juan and Yun Shu's hand and turned to leave the courtyard.
The remaining three adults quickly followed, carrying their luggage.
Feng Yan walked in front and said politely, "Thank you so much, Meiduo, for driving to pick us up..."
He stopped mid-sentence, staring blankly ahead without continuing.
"What's wrong?" Cheng Yaran peeked out from behind him and froze on the spot.
Yun Chuman walked past them, puzzled. She stared wide-eyed at the scene before her, but soon laughed: "Meiduo, your car is so cool!"
The two children kept circling the car, clearly very excited.
Yun Juan tilted his little head and said, "I've seen this vehicle on my pinyin flashcards. It's called a truck, right?"
Yun Shu wasn't even as tall as the tire. She jumped up and down, excitedly saying, "So cool! Shall we ride this to run away?"
Before them was a standard blue truck, with a cab that could only fit two people in the front and a spacious cargo bed in the back, surrounded by hand-sized side panels.
Meiduo laughed heartily, "The two kids can sit with me in the front, and the three of you adults can sit in the back. Don't worry, it's very safe!"
She patted the straw on the cart floor: "I replaced it with clean straw. The space is spacious enough that I can sleep on the road without any problem."
Yun Chuman smiled and nodded in agreement: "That's right, this is the perfect ride in summer, it's cool and prevents motion sickness!"
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran twitched their lips. Yun Chuman had such a big heart.
The two children tilted their little heads and looked around.
Yun Juan tugged at Meiduo's sleeve: "Elder Sister Meiduo, can I sit in the back?"
Yun Shu held Yun Chuman's hand affectionately and rubbed her cheek against the back of her hand: "I want to be with Mommy."
“Of course you can,” Meiduo gently pinched their little noses. “You two are still milky babies, you can’t be without your mommy.”
The two children wrinkled their little noses at the same time, shyly hiding behind Yun Chuman. They weren't babies anymore! They were almost ready for school!
Although Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran were somewhat resistant, they had no other choice but to get into the back after a few sighs.
Just as Meiduo said, the back deck was very spacious.
Even with two more suitcases and two more children than expected, they could still lie down and take a nap, but no one actually did.
Yun Chuman leaned against the front of the car, with two children sitting on either side of her.
Yun Juan pinched the straw beneath him with his chubby little hands. His cheeks flushed with excitement.
Yun Shu lay on Yun Chuman's lap, blinked her eyes and whispered, "Mommy, Elder Brother, we really are running away."
Yun Chuman smiled. At this time, Meiduo leaned out of the driver's seat, glanced back at them, and shouted, "Let's go!"
After she finished speaking, she pulled her head back, stepped on the gas, and the truck made a loud noise.
Yun Chuman instinctively covered the ears of the two children.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu's eyes lit up with excitement, and their chubby cheeks trembled slightly with the vibrations of the truck.
Once the truck gradually stabilized, the noise subsided, and Yun Chuman released their ears.
Yun Juan suddenly pointed in the direction behind the truck: "Mommy, it's Sister Xiaoxi!"
Yun Shu craned her neck and exclaimed in surprise, "There are other elder brothers and elder sisters from the production team too!"
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran, who were sitting opposite them, turned their heads instinctively upon hearing this.
They saw a motorhome steadily following behind them, with several cars beside it.
The photographer stood up from the sunroof of the car at the front, steadily set up the camera, and filmed them.
Xiaoxi leaned out from the passenger seat of the RV, holding a megaphone and laughing, "Your vehicle is really nice. Cooling and won’t cause motion sickness! Congratulations on your successful escape!"
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran bit their sleeves, looking at her with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
Yun Chuman was speechless for a moment. This person was so annoying!
Yun Juan and Yun Shu waved to them innocently and said, "Elder Sister Xiaoxi, this place is so much fun!"
Xiaoxi smiled at the two children. She hadn't expected Li Rufei to send a motorhome with a lot of tents inside, so she didn't have to worry about where they would stay for the next few days.
Once the big problem on her mind was resolved, her mood improved.
Xiaoxi happily directed the drone to film Yun Chuman and her group, as well as their production crew.
The viewers in the live stream instantly saw the situation of the guests and the production team clearly.
—Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter! The production team is so mean!
—Why don't you let the two kids ride in the RV?
—Compared to this, Yun Chuman and the others really do look like they're running away. It's so tragic!
—I never expected it to end like this.
—I declare this round a victory for the production team.
Yun Chuman, Yun Juan, and Yun Shu didn't think their situation was that bad. Riding in a truck was a novel and interesting experience for them.
Transportation here was inconvenient. There was no highway from Fengnian Village to Meiduo's hometown, only a dilapidated asphalt road. In addition, most of the villagers here did not own cars, so it was very common to transport people by truck.
Therefore, when the villagers they encountered before leaving Fengnian Village saw them, they were not surprised at all. They waved goodbye to them warmly.
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran were once again shocked by Yun Chuman and the two children's social skills.
As the truck moved further away from the village, the surrounding scenery changed. The groves and farmland were replaced by mountains.
Yun Chuman, Yun Juan and Yun Shu leaned against the front of the car in unison, tilting their heads slightly back and squinting in the sun. The breeze blowing by brought a bit of coolness and they actually felt a little drowsy.
At this time, the sound of musical instruments came from the side.
The adults and two children glanced over instinctively and saw Cheng Yaran holding a wooden guitar in her arms, tuning it with her head down. Then, her slender fingers casually plucked the strings a couple of times, and beautiful music flowed from her fingertips.
Feng Yan looked at her with affection and hummed along softly.
It turned out that the two of them were gradually influenced by their surroundings and actually had some inspiration for new music.
Yun Chuman didn't understand music, but she thought Cheng Yaran played beautifully and Feng Yan hummed well. She closed her eyes contentedly and continued to doze off.
Yun Juan watched enviously for a while. Then he looked down at his chubby little hands, sighed, and knew that he was destined to be unrelated to music.
Yun Shu looked at them with shining eyes, her chubby little hands on the hay unconsciously tapping along to their rhythm.
Unfortunately, this comfortable atmosphere did not last long. Although Meiduo's hometown was not at a high altitude, some changes still occurred.
Cheng Yaran put away her guitar, her face pale with distress. Feng Yan wasn’t any better off, looking dejected.
Yun Jun and Yun Shu were better, but were still a bit uncomfortable. They would take a few sips of water from their glass whenever they had a spare moment.
Yun Chuman didn't feel anything at all. She realized once again how healthy her body was!
The two children were lying on her lap. She touched their little heads worriedly and asked, "Little Juan and Little Shu, how are you?"
Yun Juan shook his head and smiled at her: "Mommy, I'm fine, just a little dizzy, but I don't feel unwell."
Yun Shu smiled and rubbed her cheek against hers: "Little Shu too."
Seeing that their eyes were still so bright, Yun Chuman knew they weren't lying, and she breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Feng Yan looked at them with envy and said quietly, "Chuman, you, Little Juan and Little Shu are in really good health."
The two children were only dizzy, but they felt horrible!
Cheng Yaran leaned her head on Feng Yan's shoulder, her eyes somewhat vacant, and said enviously, "That's so nice."
Yun Chuman felt a little apologetic seeing them like this, after all, it was her suggestion to come.
She chuckled and guessed, "Maybe it's because we do radio calisthenics every morning."
The two children nodded firmly: "One time a day, and you'll be healthy!"
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran exchanged a glance and said at the same time, "Let's do it together in the future."
The two paused for a moment after speaking and burst out laughing.
Feng Yan said weakly, "We must have been infected by Little Juan and Little Shu."
Cheng Yaran smiled and nodded.
At this time, Meiduo's voice came from the front: "We've arrived. I'll take you home!"
Only then, Yun Chuman realized that the surrounding scenery had changed from mountains to grasslands, full of greenery, and there were no houses in sight.
"Little Juan, Little Shu, look!"
Yun Chuman suddenly pointed excitedly into the distance.
The two children looked up and saw that a flock of sheep had quickly gathered together from their scattered state.
Yun Juan pointed to a small black dot that kept darting around and exclaimed with delight, "It's a sheepdog!"
Yun Shu couldn't help but remark, "What an amazing dog!"
As the truck continued to move forward, Yun Chuman and the others finally saw the houses.
The houses here were mostly low and simple in appearance, exuding a sense of rustic simplicity.
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran were in much better condition, and they, along with Yun Chuman, Yun Juan, and Yun Shu, were looking around at the scene with great interest.
The truck finally stopped.
Meiduo jumped off the front. With a smile of excitement on her face, she said, "We're home!"
Yun Chuman, Yun Juan, and Yun Shu leaned on the partition and peered ahead. They saw a spacious courtyard with a long row of houses inside.
They exclaimed in surprise, "Oh! No wonder Meiduo said we could stay at her house for the next few days!"
Just as they were about to get out of the car, a furious roar came from afar: "Gesang! Stop right there!"
The adult and two children instinctively stopped what they were doing and looked toward the sound.
A small red pony galloped quickly toward them, and riding on it was a little girl dressed in dark red clothes.
She wore a long, wide-sleeved top that covered her trousers, with delicate embroidery on the wide trouser legs. Her long hair was braided into small braids, a typical Tibetan outfit.
She turned around and made a face. Then she turned back, leaning slightly forward and pushing off with her feet to increase her riding speed.
Yun Chuman was amazed by the little girl's skillful horsemanship. Judging from the little girl's short, chubby arms, she guessed that she was about the same age as Yun Juan and Yun Shu.
She subconsciously looked down and saw two children staring intently at the other party.
Yun Shu's eyes sparkled. She had never seen such an outgoing child before.
Yun Juan was initially surprised, but quickly frowned. He thought Little Shu's smile was already quite beautiful, but he didn't expect there to be someone with a similar smile. However, Younger Sister was well-behaved, while the other person was probably... arrogant?
The little girl in the dark red dress habitually rushed towards Meiduo's house, but when she reached the door, she suddenly turned around and stopped. At the same time, the little red horse raised its front hooves high and neighed loudly.
Yun Chuman then saw her face clearly: a round face, a healthy complexion, and large, bright eyes. She was quite beautiful at such a young age.
The little girl deftly dismounted, ran to the truck with her short legs, and looked up to observe Yun Juan and Yun Shu.
She leaned closer to Yun Shu, looked closely at her face, and suddenly said, "You're so beautiful!"
Her voice was crisp and clear, with a slightly heavier accent than Meiduo. It was strangely pleasing to the ear.
Yun Shu was taken aback. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. This kid was so straightforward!
The little girl looked at Yun Juan.
Yun Juan stiffened slightly and subconsciously wanted to back away, but then he thought that if he backed away, he would appear weak, so he forced himself not to move.
"Haha, why are you so fair-skinned, you're a boy!" The little girl stared at him for a while and then suddenly burst into laughter.
Yun Juan frowned, pursed his lips, and looked at the other person with dissatisfaction.
However, the little girl's joy was short-lived, as she was grabbed by the back of her collar and lifted up. Her small body swayed in the air for a moment.
"Gesang, don't talk nonsense. This is my guest!"
The little girl called Gesang paused for a moment, then turned around and saw the person carrying her. She immediately exclaimed happily, "Elder Sister Meiduo!"
"Little Juan, Little Shu, I'm so sorry, my younger sister..."
Meiduo, who had been cheerful the whole way, suddenly sighed heavily. She looked helplessly at Gesang and said, "What trouble have you gotten into now? Uncle Duojin has chased you all the way to your doorstep."
Gesang pouted: "Dawa and I had a horse race. We agreed that the winner could eat the other's lunch. I beat him and ate his dried meat, but he actually went home and complained that I stole his food!"
She pondered for a moment, lowered her voice and said, "So I beat him up."
Meiduo sighed again, full of apology, and said, "Manman, I'm sorry. Please wait a moment while I go and take care of Gesang's matter."
Yun Chuman smiled at Gesang, who was still suspended in mid-air, and said, "It's alright, you go ahead."
Only then, Gesang noticed her, blinking her big eyes: "This elder sister, you're so pretty too."
Yun Chuman smiled and said, "Thank you, I think you look very beautiful too."
"Right! Elder Sister Meiduo is the most beautiful woman here. I'll definitely be even prettier than her when I grow up!" Gesang said proudly.
"You can shut up now."
Meiduo awkwardly pinched her mouth, nodded apologetically to everyone, picked her up and walked towards the uncle behind them, saying as they walked, "You're so young and keep sprouting out beautiful. Do you even know how to spell 'shy'?"
"I don't know! My Chinese teacher hasn't taught me yet!" Gesang said loudly and confidently.
Yun Chuman heard her voice from afar and couldn't help but smile again.
Gesang were a different type to Yun Juan and Yun Shu, but they were all very cute.
She jumped off the truck and saw the two children still staring intently at Gesang in the distance. She couldn't help but ask, "Little Juan and Little Shu, what's wrong? Were you captivated by the child you've just met?"
Both children turned to her.
Yun Juan frowned and said awkwardly, "No, she is so rude, she said that about me..."
Yun Chuman picked him up and said with a smile, "Little Gesang didn't mean any harm. She doesn't know that our little Juan's fair skin is hereditary, and she also doesn't know that little Juan is a wonderful little man."
Smiling, she said, "But Mommy and Little Shu know."
Yun Juan glanced at her, feeling a little happy. Mommy said he was a little man. Pursing his lips, he hummed in agreement.
Seeing that he was in a better mood, Yun Chuman turned around and held Yun Shu.
Yun Shu's face was flushed as she whispered in Yun Chuman's ear, "Mommy, little Gesang is so cute."
Yun Chuman whispered, "But I think Little Shu is cuter."
Yun Shu's face turned even redder.
With Feng Yan's help, Cheng Yaran got off the truck, took a deep breath, and smiled, "Chuman, the air here is so fresh!"
Feng Yan added, "It's the taste of freedom!"
"I'm glad you like it. I was just worried you'd be upset that I dragged you away." Yun Chuman smiled and reached out to help them with their suitcases.
Seeing this, Feng Yan quickly came to help: "I'm ready, I'll take the suitcase!"
Cheng Yaran shook her head and laughed, "No, no, we couldn’t be any happier."
Yun Chuman glanced back and saw a convoy of vehicles from the production crew parked not far away. The staff couldn't resist getting out of their cars excitedly and curiously wandering around.
The viewers in the live stream were immediately envious of the surrounding environment.
—Ah, I think I can smell freedom too!
—I really want to go there, it feels so healing and relaxing.
—The little girl riding the horse is so cool, and she's so good at flirting, haha.
Meiduo soon returned quickly with a smiling Gesang trailing behind. It seemed that things had been handled to her satisfaction.
Yun Chuman and her group received a warm welcome as soon as they entered.
Before returning, Meiduo said she would be bringing guests. Her parents had prepared hadas (ceremonial scarves) well in advance and planned to hold a banquet that evening to welcome them.
After obtaining the consent of the Meiduo family, the production team installed cameras in the house.
Since it was someone else's home, the production team toned it down considerably. They didn't film everything from every angle like before, but simply set up a few cameras to try and capture the guests' actions.
After busying herself for a while, Yun Chuman had just put her luggage away when Meiduo told her it was time to go out for dinner.
Yun Chuman could only take the two children to call Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran.
When they opened the door, they saw the two of them sitting on the floor, dozing off while packing their luggage. If they had come any later, they probably would have fallen asleep in their suitcases.
Dinner was eaten in the courtyard, with low tables and chairs arranged in a circle, on which were placed Tibetan delicacies such as yogurt, raw beef, milk curd buns, butter tea, and barley wine.
In the very center was a fire piled with firewood, on which yak meat stewed with potatoes was slowly simmering, filling the air with its aroma.
Yun Chuman sat to the left of Yun Juan and Yun Shu, and to the right of Cheng Yaran and Feng Yan.
She looked curiously at the food on the table, wanting to try every single one.
Meiduo's family was small, consisting only of her parents and Gesang.
After they were seated, there were still many empty seats around them, so Meiduo called out to the production crew, "Come and eat with us!"
Gesang sat down next to her, waved her little hand, and said with a bright smile, "Guaranteed enough!"
The production crew cheered and dropped their bread, crowding around. Soon the courtyard was packed with people.
Since the altitude here was high, it got a bit chilly at night.
Thinking they would be cold outside, Yun Chuman and the two children were wearing long sleeves, but as they sat around the fire and ate the slowly stewed dishes with a group of people, they quickly warmed up.
One adult and two children enjoyed the local delicacies in front of them.
The yogurt tasted and smelled different from what they usually ate, but it was very creamy and Yun Juan and Yun Shu liked it very much.
Yak meat was highly nutritious and tasted great. The potatoes were soft and tender, and with the high altitude here, it was stewed longer, making it incredibly delicious.
Yun Chuman ate one bowl but wasn't full, so she got another bowl, which made Yun Juan frown. Yun Shu kept putting food on her plate.
Most of the food on the table had been eaten, except for a dish of raw beef that hadn't been touched.
At this time, a small, dark red figure darted in front of them.
Gesang glanced at the food on their table, tilted her head, and asked, "Why don't you eat raw beef?"
Yun Juan took a sip of butter tea and said nothing.
Yun Shu smiled sheepishly and said, "I dare not eat it."
"You don't dare to eat it either?" Gesang looked at Yun Juan.
Yun Juan was surprised that she would ask him and said guiltily, "Of course I dare, it's just... I don't like it."
"Don't like beef? But I saw you eat a lot of cooked beef!" Gesang picked up a small knife next to him, sliced two thin slices off the raw beef, placed them on Yun Juan and Yun Shu's plate, and said with a smile, "Try it, it's very sweet!"
"Sweet?" Yun Shu blinked in confusion, looking at the bright red raw meat with some apprehension.
Yun Juan frowned, staring at the meat on the plate without saying a word.
Yun Chuman watched the three children interact, thinking that although eating too much raw food was not good, one should still have the courage to try it. Last time in City Z, the two children did not dare to eat raw fish.
She rested her chin on her hand and smiled, "Little Gesang, can I have one?"
Yun Chuman drank the barley wine. Although the wine had little alcohol content, it made her face flush. Even a little bit of wine would make her cheeks turn red.
At this moment, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her slightly lowered eyes gave her a somewhat alluring appearance.
Gesang stared at her and then blurted in a clear voice, "Elder Sister, you're even prettier than Elder Sister Meiduo. Can I kiss you?"
She cut off a slice of beef and said with a smile, "I'll give it to you after kissing!"
Yun Juan and Yun Shu stared at her with wide eyes. Little Gesang looked... like a bandit.
Yun Chuman couldn't resist laughing, leaning closer to her and turning her face to the side, she said, "Kiss then, but you have to call me Auntie."
Gesang liked her unpretentious personality, so she gave a big smooch, put the raw beef on her plate, and addressed her as "Auntie!"
Yun Chuman picked it up, looked it over, and then, noticing the two children staring at her, stuffed it into her mouth without hesitation.
She chewed it a couple of times and exclaimed in surprise, "It's actually sweet, and not gamey at all! It's delicious!"
Gesang proudly said with hands on her hips, "Of course, this is all the freshest beef, and our cattle are raised on the most fertile grass!"
Yun Chuman looked at her with a smile, quite pleased with Gesang's proud demeanor.
She turned to her two children and said, "Little Juan and Little Shu, why don't you try some too?"
After seeing her eat, Yun Juan and Yun Shu were no longer so resistant.
They took a bite and found it really tasted good. They wanted to eat more, but Yun Chuman stopped them and didn't let them eat too much.
As dinner progressed, it turned into a banquet.
The Tibetan people, who were born with a natural talent for singing and dancing, began to sing their own songs, and Meiduo even brought out the traditional Tibetan musical instrument, the Genka.
Cheng Yaran also took out her guitar, and Feng Yan, a singer, couldn't wait to join them in singing.
The crew members were already having a blast, and no one cared about the ruleof not appearing on camera anymore. They all started dancing around the bonfire.
Gesang held Yun Chuman and Yun Shu's hands: "Auntie, little Yun Shu, let's go dance together!"
Yun Chuman knew she was uncoordinated and didn't want to contribute any more bizarre videos, so she shook her head repeatedly.
Seeing this, Gesang turned her gaze to Yun Juan.
Yun Juan subconsciously turned his head away. He was actually just like Yun Chuman, tone-deaf and uncoordinated. It was just that the radio calisthenics were simple, so it wasn't so obvious. If it were dancing... it would probably be very funny.
Gesang pouted regretfully and pulled Yun Shu to join the "chaotic dance" crowd.
Yun Chuman waved to Yun Juan.
Without hesitation, the little boy quickly sat down next to her.
"Little Juan is so good, knowing I can't dance and choose to stay with me so I wouldn't be lonely." Yun Chuman said deliberately, patting his little head. Younger Sister had been taken away by other children again and Yun Juan was probably going to be sad again.
Yun Juan paused for a moment, took a sip of butter tea, and a smile appeared on his face, instantly dispelling the lingering frustration.
He saw the wine glass in Yun Chuman's hand and said seriously, "Mommy, you can't drink anymore."
Yun Chuman blinked. Although she wanted another drink, she finished the last bit of wine and said, "Okay, okay, I'll listen to Little Juan."
Yun Juan tried to hold back, but couldn't help but secretly grin.
The two looked toward the fire. Yun Shu was a little reserved at first, but she gradually relaxed. She learned to dance very quickly, was agile, and her movements were precise. Because of her short arms and legs, she looked very cute.
Gradually, she became the center of attention, and all the dancers surrounded her.
Feng Yan excitedly led her in singing.
Yun Shu's voice was clear and ethereal, which, combined with the deep and mellow voices of Meiduo's parents, created a unique flavor.
Gesang got tired of playing and looked around before sitting back down next to Yun Juan. Smiling, she said, "Your younger sister is really pretty!"
Yun Juan glanced at her: "I know."
Gesang felt a little thirsty, so she ran to her seat, found her cup, and ran back. With one gulp, half the cup was left.
Yun Juan sniffed and then paused in surprise. "What are you drinking?"
“Barley wine,” Gesang said matter-of-factly, finishing the remaining half-cup.
“Children shouldn’t drink alcohol,” Yun Juan frowned.
"Haha, this doesn't even count as alcohol. Here, even kids younger than me can drink it."
Gesang abruptly leaned closer to him, "Do you want to give it a try?"
Yun Juan subconsciously leaned back, creating distance between himself and her: "No."
Gesang looked at him and her big eyes darted around: "You don't dare? Just like when you ate the raw beef, you wouldn't dare to eat it if Auntie hadn't eaten it first."
"Who says I don't dare!" Yun Juan looked over.
Gesang found his cup, poured half a cup of wine, and said with a smile, "Then you should try it, it's very delicious."
Yun Juan lowered his eyes. The pale yellow liquid emitted a special fragrance. He swallowed twice, then snatched the cup and gulped it down. His first sensation was that it was spicy, but it quickly turned sweet.
He glanced at the empty glass, and seeing that nothing seemed amiss, he poured himself another glass.
Gesang laughed and said, "It tastes great, doesn't it!"
"It's delicious..." Yun Juan lowered his head and drank another cup. After drinking three cups in a row, he suddenly started sobbing.
Gesang was startled: "What's wrong with you? Even if it tastes good, it shouldn't make you cry!"
Her voice was a bit loud. Yun Chuman was engrossed in watching Yun Shu when she heard her voice and instinctively turned her head: "Who's crying?"
But she knew who it was without little Gesang even needing to answer.
Yun Juan's face was flushed, his eyes were filled with tears, and his chubby little hands gripped his wine glass tightly. He drank while sniffling and said, "My Mommy is so unreliable, and sometimes she's even a bit silly. I'm really worried about her. What will she do when Little Shu and I go to kindergarten..."
He cried even harder as he spoke, clearly drunk.
Yun Chuman: ...
Sorry, she didn't know she'd become so useless that she'd made her son drown his sorrows in alcohol!
When little Chengjia woke up from his afternoon nap, he was eager to go outside and play with his friends. Yuan Mei and Luo Can had no choice but to take him out to find his friends.
After playing for more than two hours, he came back covered in grime and dust with a string of little radish heads trailing behind.
Luo Zhengzheng came downstairs, saw them, and couldn't help but laugh, asking her son, "Did you bring friends over for a visit?"
Little Chengjia, with his adorable cat-like face, pointed at his friend and said, "Friend, come play."
Yuan Mei led a group of children to wash their hands and faces: "He didn't want to come back after playing. We brought him back to eat some fruit. These children couldn't bear to part with him, so they came over to play with him too."
Luo Zhengzheng went inside to get some cookies and cut apples. Then she asked him to treat his friend: "Invite your friend to have some fruit."
Little Chengjia enthusiastically pulled the child's hand and said, "Eat fruit."
The little radishes gathered around the small dining table, eating cookies and fruit and chattering in words that adults couldn't understand.
After they finished their snacks, the children's parents came and took them home.
Although Jiajia was reluctant to part, he still said goodbye to his new friends and told them to come back to play tomorrow.
Yuan Mei asked Luo Zhengzheng, "What do you want to eat tonight?"
Luo Zhengzheng replied, "Anything."
Yuan Mei glared at her: "You're so easygoing. Son-in-law is fine with anything too?"
Luo Zhengzheng was quite dismissive: "He's not picky about food, any simple meal will do the trick."
Yuan Mei poked her forehead. Son-in-law was a pampered guest. even if he wasn't picky about food, he couldn't be easily dismissed. "I'll ask Gu Shi later."
However, Gu Shi was really easy to please. When he came downstairs, Yuan Mei asked him what he wanted to eat. The stewed goose in an iron pot at noon had already satisfied his appetite and he didn't have anything else he particularly wanted to eat.
Since Son-in-law didn't have any particular food in mind, Yuan Mei made the decision at once: "Just now in the village, your fourth aunt gave me some celery stalks. They're so tender, I'll make dumplings for you."
Luo Zhengzheng nodded: "Okay, let's have dumplings then, and also make some red bean soup, I want to drink red bean soup."
Yuan Mei rolled his eyes at her: "I just asked you what you wanted to eat and you said anything, but now you want red bean soup."
Although she kept grumbling, she still went to the kitchen, scooped out half a bowl of red beans, rinsed them clean, and cooked them in a pot. Then she went to knead the dough, scramble the dumpling filling, and roll out the dumpling wrappers.
Luo Zhengzheng sat on a stool preparing to make dumplings. Gu Shi washed his hands and sat down next to her.
Luo Zhengzheng looked at him: "What are you doing?"
Gu Shi said, "Make dumplings."
Luo Zhengzheng: "You can?"
Gu Shi smiled and said, "Teacher Luo can teach me."
Luo Zhengzheng smiled and said, "Okay, I'll teach you. But don't be too stupid, or I'll scold you."
Gu Shi glanced at her and said, "No one has ever called me stupid."
Luo Zhengzheng held up a dumpling wrapper: "It's actually very simple. Watch me wrap it a few times, and you'll learn how."
Upon hearing Daughter's words, Yuan Mei couldn't help but glance at her, but refrained from saying a word.
It was indeed very simple. Gu Shi was as smart as he claimed. He learned how to make dumplings after watching Luo Zhengzheng make two, and he did a pretty good job of it.
A few minutes later.
Luo Zhengzheng glanced at the rows of dumplings he had made, almost all of them identical and neatly arranged, and suddenly laughed: "Do you know what your dumplings look like?"
Gu Shi could tell from her expression that she wasn't going to say anything nice, so he silently continued making dumplings, refusing to chat with her.
Seeing his indifferent expression, Luo Zhengzheng felt as if he was telling her through his actions that he was focused on his work and she shouldn't disturb him.
She was like a slacker who liked to get her deskmate to talk during class, completely ignoring his rejection and saying with a smile, "I think the dumplings you make are just like you, all so serious and with the same expression."
Gu Shi finally looked up at her, glanced at the dumplings she had made, and replied with two meaningful words: "Indeed."
Seeing his meaningful expression, Luo Zhengzheng asked him, "What do you mean?"
Gu Shi pointed to the dumplings she had made: "They're all different sizes and shapes, all crooked and messy. They look like a bunch of kids playing around. Someone hasn't grown up yet."
Luo Zhengzheng looked at the dumplings she had made, feeling unusually guilty. Although she knew how to make dumplings, they weren't very pretty. Then she looked at Gu Shi's dumplings, each one plump and neatly arranged like an infantry formation—so orderly! The student was even better than the teacher. She stubbornly said, "As long as they're edible, it’s fine."
Gu Shi listened to her sophistry and decided not to argue with her: "Yes, as long as it's edible, it’s fine."
Luo Zhengzheng glanced at him sideways, feeling utterly defeated, and lowered her head, becoming obedient.
Yuan Mei was rolling out dumpling wrappers when she overheard her daughter and son-in-law's conversation. She was somewhat reluctant to admit that this was her daughter. This bad habit of hers, which she had since childhood, hadn't changed even after getting married and having children. She thought that even after a few decades, it might not change. Fortunately, Son-in-law had a good personality and didn't hold it against her.
After cooking the dumplings, Luo Can picked up a plate, took out a dumpling, and joked with a smile, "This dumpling must have been made by my elder sister."
Luo Zhengzheng handed her son a bowl, put two dumplings in his bowl, and then looked at him, asking, "What's wrong with the dumplings I made? Can't be eaten?"
Luo Can ate the dumpling in one go: "It's edible, but it's too ugly."
Luo Zhengzheng glared at him and asked her son, "Are the dumplings Mom made ugly?"
Little Chengjia sat obediently on the stool eating dumplings. When he heard mom's words, he giggled and said, "No ugly, Uncle ugly."
Luo Can looked at him, widening his eyes to scare him. "What did you say?"
Little Chengjia wasn't afraid at all: "Uncle ugly."
Luo Can tickled his armpit: "Who's ugly?"
Little Chengjia laughed, but still insisted, "Uncle ugly."
Yuan Mei went up and whacked him, glaring at him angrily: "He's eating, why are you teasing him? He'll choke."
Luo Zhengzheng sat next to him and put the ugly dumplings she had made herself from her plate onto Gu Shi's plate. Gu Shi glanced at her.
Luo Zhengzheng smiled brightly: "I'll only eat what you make, isn't that giving you face?"
Gu Shi bluntly exposed her, "Isn't it you disdaining the dumplings you made being too ugly?"
Luo Zhengzheng, of course, refused to admit it: "How can you doubt my sincerity? Even if it's ugly, it's still a dumpling. The filling is the same, the wrapper is the same, and the taste is the same. There's no difference in the taste once you eat it."
"Okay, I believe you."
Gu Shicheng accepted her sincerity, lowered his head, picked up the so-called ugly dumpling Luo Zhengzheng had given him, and ate it in one bite.
The next day, before dawn, Luo Yongsheng got up, caught two geese, and killed them. Gu Shi heard the noise and got up to help.
After breakfast, they prepared to go back.
Yuan Mei helped them load things into the car, including dried radishes and dried gourds given to him by the villagers.
They also loaded the car with peanuts and soybeans given by their uncle and aunt.
Luo Yongsheng took a few old pumpkins from his home and threw them into the boot.
Yuan Mei also pickled a few jars of duck eggs. After Luo Can went to university, it was just her and Luo Yongsheng at home, and they couldn't eat much. So she asked Son-in-law, "Would you like some salted duck eggs? They're not too salty. Take some home?"
Gu Shi didn't know the meaning of politeness: "Okay, take some."
"I'll go pick them up for you." Yuan Mei ran to the kitchen again and took out a bag with a frown. She decided to let them take the jar with them. Gu Shi hurried over to help carry the jars.
Luo Zhengzheng leaned lazily to one side, watching them keep loading things onto the car, now even jars were being loaded onto the car: "..." She was speechless.
After carrying out the jar of salted duck eggs, Yuan Mei said to Son-in-law, "There are still a lot of chicken, duck and goose eggs. Your dad and I can't finish them all. They were all raised on grain, without any feed. We'll pack some for you to take back."
Though she said she would pack some, she brought out two buckets full of eggs.
Luo Zhengzheng looked at Gu Shi: "My mom is so good to you. She even loaded all the food you wanted into the car."
Gu Shi raised an eyebrow, quite pleased with himself: "Mother-in-law is naturally good to me."
Luo Zhengzheng: "......"
Skin was quite thick.
Back home, Luo Zhengzheng took the goose and other things to the main house and asked the kitchen staff to prepare them.
The chef stewed the goose that evening.
When Gu Boyuan heard that it was a goose his daughter-in-law had brought back from maternal home, he ate a lot of it. While eating, he commented, "Your parents raised this goose well. The meat is tender and chewy."
Sitting at the side, Gu Xian pursed his lips: "It's alright. I think it's mainly because of our chef’s excellent cooking."
Luo Zhengzheng looked at him, not intending to give him any face at all, since he hadn't given her any face either: "Then don't eat anymore. From what I see, you ate the most."
Gu Shi also looked at the bones on the plate in front of him: "Indeed."
While munching on a goose head, Liu Hanyue slowly mocked, "Some people just have a sharp tongue."
Gu Boyuan was also displeased: "Even food can't shut you up."
Gu Xian felt wronged. He only made a casual remark, so why was everyone criticizing him?
Ye Li looked at the other dishes on the table and slowly said, "This plate of peanuts, salted duck eggs, and pumpkin stew are all ingredients that Zhengzheng brought back from maternal home. There are also many eggs and dried goods in the storeroom."
Liu Hanyue looked at Gu Xian: "Rather giving it to you, it is better to feed it to a dog."
Whether it tasted good or not, it was the thought that counted. Besides, the goose meat was indeed good. Nothing good came out of the dog man’s mouth.
Luo Zhengzheng suppressed a laugh, thinking to herself that he deserved the scolding.
Gu Xian looked at her and said, "That's going too far. If you want to say something, just say it. Why do you have to scold?"
Ignoring the two of them, Gu Boyuan looked at Luo Zhengzheng and said with a smile, "Did you bring all your parents' things here?"
Luo Zhengzheng pointed at Gu Shi: "It's all food he wants. He takes whatever my parents give him without any politeness. He even brought back my mother's salted duck egg jar."
Gu Shi said, "Why shouldn't I accept what Mother-in-law offers?"
Gu Boyuan laughed loudly: "Your parents-in-law were good to you, so you should be more filial to them."
For once, Luo Zhengzheng said something in support of Gu Shi: "He is still very filial."
Gu Boyuan and Ye Li both agreed on this point. Although their son seemed a bit cold, he was good at social interaction.
Seeing that Luo Zhengzheng had once again won over her in-laws, Wang Yaning thought to herself, "Luo Zhengzheng is really clever. She always manages to please her in-laws."
Should she also go back to maternal home to get some things? But maternal home wasn't in the countryside and there weren't any agricultural products she could take. Maybe she should ask her grandfather to write a couple of calligraphy pieces to give to her in-laws?
After all, it was not the price of the gift that matters, but the thought behind it!
Yu Shuang didn't have any thoughts. All she wanted to do now was to take good care of her pregnancy and have a son.
As for Liu Hanyue, she has no interest. All she wanted to do was film the TV series with Luo Zhengzheng, act more, and earn more money. She couldn't wait to get along better with her.
Since they got together, Tang Yao received calls from Cheng An almost every day. Today he'd taken her to a romantic restaurant, created a little surprise, and the next day he'd bought all the bags and clothes she'd been eyeing.
On the other end of the phone, Cheng An was bubbling with happiness, and Tang Yao was happy for her.
Lu Bei, staying at a guesthouse, received a call from elder brother, seemingly concerned but actually boastful.
"Xiao Bei, you'd better hurry up! Why haven't you brought Boss Tang home yet?"
After saying this, Lu Bei hung up the phone with satisfaction.
Lu Bei: "..."
After summer arrived, Xiao Li started researching homemade popsicles and it became very popular with tourists.
Icy cool and sweet, made with all-natural ingredients.
Tang Yao had sown watermelon seeds in the field and now they had grown into heavy fruits.
Today, Xiao Li made ice cream using watermelon as the main ingredient. The resulting ice cream was pink and delicate, a perfect color for summer.
"Boss Tang, I'd like another drink!" Zhou Tao licked her lips.
"You've already had two drinks, I'm not selling any more," Tang Yao said.
Zhou Tao arrived at the guesthouse a week ago. She booked a month's stay online, choosing the best family room.
After getting acquainted, she told Tang Yao she had run away from home.
She couldn't stand her stepmother and stepdaughter behaving like tyrants at home, so she ran away.
Zhou Tao had a lovely, slightly naive personality and got along with everyone. Soon, she became friends with everyone in the guesthouse.
She learned Lu Bei's true colors. She almost jumped up in shock at first, but after seeing how Lu Bei and Tang Yao interacted, she completely became their CP fan and would cheer for Lu Bei.
This often left Tang Yao both amused and exasperated.
Hearing Tang Yao say she wouldn't be getting any more, Zhou Tao immediately pouted and started acting with a soft, sweet voice.
Tang Yao resolutely refused again and prepared to leave.
"Where are we going? I want to go too!" Zhou Tao, no longer bothered with the ice cream, jumped up and wanted to follow Tang Yao out.
"I'm going to pick up my younger brother," Tang Yao said, getting into the car parked outside.
The car was bought a month ago. She got her driver's license when she graduated from university and quickly learned to drive it.
Zhou Tao sat in the passenger seat, obediently fastening her seatbelt.
Xu Haocheng called yesterday, saying the school had a month-long break and that he brought Tang Yao a gift.
He had already returned to the country yesterday, but first headed to the capital. He was packing to come over today and planned to stay until the start of the semester.
After months of struggling, Xu Anguo finally gave up and found a stable job, working nine to five every day.
Sun Yulan didn't work. She got hooked on playing mahjong with her neighbors, almost always losing money.
The two always argued whenever they met at home.
Xu Haocheng really disliked this atmosphere. Plus, every time he got home, Sun Yulan and Xu Anguo would nag him, urging him to be ambitious and try to take back the Xu Family business.
But Xu Haocheng wanted to be a photographer and had no interest in business.
So, he couldn't wait to escape that house the very next day.
Although Tang Yao grumbled, she still drove to the station to pick him up when she heard he had a lot of things.
Not long after arriving at the station, she saw a tanned young man get out of a car and wave vigorously at her.
Tang Yao almost turned and left.
"Boss Tang, did your younger brother go to Africa?" Zhou Tao covered her mouth, almost bursting out laughing.
Xu Haocheng, completely oblivious to his elder sister's disapproval, happily ran over.
"Elder Sister, you really came to pick me up!" Xu Haocheng grinned widely, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth that made him look even darker. Then, Xu Haocheng's gaze fell on Zhou Tao beside Tang Yao.
"Elder Sister, this is…"
"A customer at the guesthouse. Her name is Zhou Tao," Tang Yao said.
Zhou Tao extended her hand: "Hello, I'm Zhou Tao."
Xu Haocheng extended his hand and shook hers.
After putting the luggage away, the three of them started walking back.
Xu Haocheng naturally stayed in Tang Yao's small building again. However, today, after putting away his suitcase, he didn't immediately go to help at the guesthouse. Instead, he went to Lu Bei's room mysteriously and the two seemed to be discussing something.
Tang Yao, of course, was unaware of their little secret. It was summer vacation and more and more guests were visiting the guesthouse.
Tang Yao took out a plant from her spatial storage that emitted a cooling fragrance and hung it in each room.
The hot air passing through the plant did indeed feel cooler.
Although it wasn't as good as air conditioning, it was definitely all-natural.
For many families with children, this level of coolness was sufficient. They no longer needed to worry about their kids catching a cold from the air conditioning.
Tang Yao didn't know the exact principle behind it. She had found it in a small cultivation world. This kind of herb was very rare in the mortal realm, but in the cultivation world, almost every mountain had many of them.
She had used up all of her senior brother's stockpile and stuffed it all into her spatial storage.
That evening, the siblings ate and chatted on the rooftop.
Xu Haocheng mentioned Xu Wan, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
"I heard she was mistaken for a mistress and beaten up in the street. Her reputation is completely ruined. Now she seems to be with a man in his fifties." Xu Haocheng still felt a pang of sadness when talking about his former sister.
Tang Yao nodded, feeling a little emotional. The events of her past life seemed to have truly faded away with time.
No matter how their family was doing, it didn't concern her much anymore.
The weather was getting hotter and hotter. The news said it was the hottest year in many years.
In many other places, the heat and drought have resulted in a complete crop failure.
Watching the news reports of farmers weeping in the parched earth, Tang Yao’s emotion deeply fluctuated.
She remembered a time in an ancient world when she encountered a drought.
Regardless of age or gender, people were starving and almost all were reduced to skin and bones. On the journey of refugees, even cannibalism occurred.
At that time, Tang Yao was just one of the refugees, utterly powerless.
Just as netizens were deeply concerned about the disaster, they discovered that an anonymous netizen had donated millions of dollars worth of food and water to various disaster-stricken areas.
While marveling at the netizen's generosity, people began to discuss who this person was.
Several prominent figures known for their philanthropy were brought in for discussion, but none of them matched up.
While the netizens' discussions yielded no results, the people in the various disaster-stricken areas were able to return to a normal life thanks to this donation.
"Elder Sister, don't worry. After I graduate, I'll give you all the money I earn."
Xu Haocheng had gone to donate supplies with Tang Yao. When he saw his elder sister take out so much money to buy supplies, his first reaction was surprise. Then it was followed by a promise.
In his mind, elder sister would definitely have nothing left after donating this much.
On the side, Lu Bei, who had come to help, glanced at him and said, "I'll give you my money from now on."
Tang Yao replied helplessly, "No need, I still have money."
After Xu Haocheng returned to school after his holiday, Tang Yao was discovered by netizens.
It all started when a netizen, who was donating supplies, happened to see Tang Yao receiving praise and awards.
The netizen swiftly and secretly took a picture of this scene.
She was already a fan of the variety show and the guesthouse and immediately shared her observations online.
The guesthouse's Weibo account instantly gained hundreds of thousands of followers, with everyone praising Tang Yao.
Even the official Weibo account reposted this, saying that society needs people like her.
Not long after, Lu Bei announced his official retirement from the entertainment industry on his account.
Lu Bei's news immediately caused a surge in trending topics, crashing the servers for a while. The behind the scenes company had to urgently repair the servers to restore normal operation.
Some fans cried and begged him not to leave, while others, more rational, expressed understanding, acknowledging that Lu Bei had previously stated acting was merely a hobby and that he would return to family life when he reached a certain age.
Following this news, a photo surfaced showing Lu Bei standing with a woman. Lu Bei's head was slightly lowered, a smile playing on his lips, and his eyes showing a rare tenderness.
The news of Lu Bei's relationship sparked another wave of discussion after his retirement from the entertainment industry.
Netizens speculated about which lucky girl was involved.
Some crazed fans began making baseless attacks on actresses who had worked with Lu Bei.
"Does anyone else think this person looks like Boss Tang from the guesthouse?"
"I think so too. I saw Boss Tang wearing this outfit on a variety show livestream."
"Everyone, don't wildly speculate. The gap between them is too big. How can God Lu possibly be interested in a guesthouse owner?"
"So what if she's a guesthouse owner? Boss Tang isn't bad either, okay? She just donated so much to the disaster area, and the country publicly praised him, okay?"
"That’s right, the flowers, plants, tables, and chairs in the guesthouse are worth a lot of money. Maybe our Boss Tang's assets aren't less than Lu Bei's."
"We're making such a fuss, but neither of the parties involved has responded. Maybe it's fake. Let's wait for God Lu and Boss Tang to respond."
The netizens didn't get an explanation from Tang Yao, but they did get one from Lu Bei.
Lu Bei posted a message saying, "Still pursuing her. She's not in this circle. I hope everyone will respect and give blessings, and not disturb her."
These few words directly acknowledged the netizens' speculation about his relationship, but didn't reveal who his partner was.
Lu Bei's series of actions caused a stir on social media for days, and he himself received a lot of criticism from fans.
Finally, everyone accepted reality.
Lu Bei was doing well at the guesthouse, undisturbed by any stimulated fans, but his manager suffered, barely getting a night's sleep for days trying to quell the situation.
He complained on the phone:
"...If it weren't for the high salary your studio pays me, I would have quit long ago. You, on the other hand, are happily chasing after someone, leaving me here to take the fall for you."
"Alright, I'll give you triple pay, consider it overtime."
Upon hearing Lu Bei's words, his assistant immediately fell silent.
"Look, this marketing account is talking about you and the rising star Guan Tongtong, saying you two might be dating behind everyone's back. But speaking of which, her back view really does look quite similar to the one in the photos." Tang Yao, always eager for drama, made Lu Bei feel quite helpless.
He ruffled Tang Yao's hair: "You know perfectly well who I like, Boss Tang. When are you planning to give me a title?"
Sunlight streamed through the glass-enclosed dining room, bathing them in a golden glow.
The man opposite her had striking features and a gentle smile. Perhaps overwhelmed by his beauty, Tang Yao blurted out, almost unconsciously, "I'll give you a title right now."
Lu Bei paused for a moment before abruptly standing up and bracing himself on the table. He leaned down and asked in a deep, magnetic voice, "Really?"
Tang Yao looked at his ears, slightly flushed with nervousness, and instantly smiled: "It's true."
The next second, she was pulled into a cool embrace filled with the faint scent of pine.
Far away abroad, Xu Haocheng protested about Lu Bei becoming his brother-in-law, but was quickly won over by Lu Bei's several pairs of limited-edition sneakers.
After they got together, Lu Bei became even more clingy to Tang Yao, constantly staying by her side, except when going to the bathroom.
Therefore, he didn't care at all about being photographed.
However, netizens had become quite accepting. Knowing that the other person was Tang Yao, not some internet celebrity or minor star, they all thought the two looked very well-matched.
A few insults were personally refuted by Lu Bei.
Lu Nan would occasionally tease his younger brother with the trending photos, but he wasn't much better off himself.
Three years later.
Today's entertainment news was dominated by a dreamlike wedding of the century.
Lu Bei and Tang Yao's three-year dating came to an end today.
Tang Yao sat in the dressing room, letting the makeup artist apply her makeup and put on her elaborate and heavy wedding dress.
The train of the wedding dress was studded with small diamonds, looking magnificent and unique in the world, but only Tang Yao knew how heavy this wedding dress was.
Xu Haocheng had finished his courses and was currently interning at Guo Jia Magazine. He had taken a day off to come back today.
He brought his girlfriend, Zhou Tao, who had stayed at the guesthouse for a month three years ago.
Zhou Tao had spent two years reclaiming what was rightfully hers and kicking her scumbag father and stepmother's family out of the villa she and her mother owned.
It was unclear when the two had reconnected, but suddenly Xu Haocheng brought her back, claiming she was his girlfriend.
"Elder Sister, you look so beautiful today," Zhou Tao flattered him with a grin.
"This dress was specially ordered by Lu Bei from Country F," Cheng An added from the side.
Cheng An and Lu Nan had held their wedding a year ago. Now, Cheng An was five months pregnant and was being treated like a precious treasure by the entire family.
Seeing the crowd, Lu Nan had Cheng An stay in the dressing room to avoid being bumped into.
Completely suited up, Lu Bei walked in. His eyes lit up when he saw Tang Yao: "You're so beautiful, wife."
However, Tang Yao didn't give him a friendly look: "Look, is it pretty? Why don't you try it on? It feels like I’m carrying a ton of stones."
Lu Bei quickly put his arm around her and coaxed, "It'll be quick, just a short walk down the aisle and you can change. Don't be angry."
"I told you to keep it simple, a destination wedding would be fine too. It's all your fault!"
"Okay, okay, it's all my fault." Even after being scolded, Lu Bei was in an incredibly good mood.
Cheng An and Zhou Tao exchanged a glance and secretly smiled.
The wedding soon began. When Tang Yao stepped onto the red carpet and saw the handsome man in a white suit walking towards her step by step, the resentment from the heavy dress vanished instantly.
After wandering in the worlds for so many years, she was finally going to have a home of her own.
Listening to the pastor's vows, she smiled gently and said to the person before her, "I do."
The sun shone brightly and a gentle breeze blew. The weather will be beautiful from now on.