Qin Sizheng collected himself, stepped out, and first checked on Lu Xianqing before heading together to the village entrance to collect breakfast.
“Didn’t sleep well last night?” Lu Xianqing asked, noting Qin Sizheng’s pale face and lips lacking their usual color. He looked a little listless—apparently “he” had worn him out last night.
“N-no, I slept very well.”
Qin Sizheng didn’t want him to know the truth, so he quietly ate his breakfast. He had a faint sense that Lu Xianqing’s gaze lingered on him the whole time, though he never looked up. Fortunately, Chen Yue eased the awkwardness by handing over the task cards.
“Tomorrow is the final day of the first stop of ‘Traveling with Adorable Kids,’ and it’s also the Children’s Festival in Yehu Village. We invite parents and children to earn tomorrow’s activity funds through their own efforts!”
Lu Xianqing read it aloud in his low, calm voice, the contrast with the cheerful content making hearts flutter. But just a few seconds later, he tossed the card onto the table and looked to Chen Yue. “Can I just sign it?”
Chen Yue replied, “No, it can only be earned through labor.”
Qin Sizheng asked, “Is there a specific type of labor required?”
“Anything completed by hand in the village is fine. As long as you don’t exploit your status as a celebrity, it counts!”
Lu Xianqing scoffed. “Don’t act cute. You think I need hands to sign? Should I use my feet?”
Chen Yue: “……” She definitely wasn’t acting cute!
Qin Sizheng thought carefully. Yehu Village had a lotus pond, but the seed pods weren’t mature yet, so that wouldn’t work.
“Oh, right!”
Seeing his eyes light up, Lu Xianqing responded with a soft, “Hm?”
Qin Sizheng said, “I remember there’s a patch of carrots at the back. If we help the villagers pull them out, it should count as work.”
Lu Xianqing was silent for a moment. This kid was far too honest. The production team might have prohibited using celebrity status, but there were so many ways to avoid doing real work. And yet, he really intended to pull carrots.
Qin Sizheng hesitated a bit, unsure if he’d go along, and added, “Is that no good? I can think of something else.”
Lu Xianqing couldn’t help but imagine him nibbling on a carrot like a little rabbit, puffing his cheeks, startled by any touch, ready to scamper away.
“Fourth Brother?” Qin Sizheng softly asked when he remained silent.
Lu Xianqing, having pictured it fully, reached out and ruffled his hair. “Sure, let’s go pull carrots.”
Qin Sizheng beamed. “Okay!”
Over on their side, Si Qianqiu had also received a task card. Director He Du, experienced despite it being his first variety show, immediately began helping the village plan a promotional video for selling chilled mushrooms.
Liu Mianmian, who didn’t know how to do this, came over with Rongrong to ask Qin Sizheng if they could collaborate.
Qin Sizheng suggested pulling carrots. Mianmian agreed, “I’ll join you.”
Lu Xianqing stood silently to the side. Qin Sizheng pursed his lips, testing, “Fourth Brother, is it okay if Mianmian joins us?”
“We.”
That word softened Lu Xianqing’s heart. He gave a light “Hm.” “Okay, she can come with us.”
Qin Sizheng’s face lit up.
Si Qianqiu secretly rejoiced. When he arrived, he had brought his guzheng. The assistant complained it was too heavy, but he scoffed inwardly—what did the assistant know? He brought it to win over fans.
The role that made him famous in his hit drama was a guzheng player, and fans had surely been moved. Now it was finally useful!
Si Qianqiu carried the guzheng, ethereal and graceful, to the plaza. He set the case down, had the crew set up the stand, and sat, testing the sound.
He smiled gently at the crowd. “Brothers and sisters, if I play well, please support me!”
Spectators rushed over to toss money, and the live comments were practically trying to dive into the scene.
【Qianqiu-gege is so dedicated! Bringing such a heavy instrument himself on a variety show, it’s heartbreaking.】
【Worth more than a fortune, Qianqiu-gege’s smile—sob sob sob, I also want to be on this variety show! Using your own talent to earn money and promote art! Amazing!】
【He brought a guzheng to record the show? Saying he’s dedicated is an understatement—he probably has no idea how heavy that thing is! And at the start of filming, he didn’t even carry it himself, the assistant did.】
【Such elegant posing doesn’t quite fit the show; the idol aura is too strong. Even He Du next door rolled up his sleeves to help. Si Qianqiu truly is a costume drama fairy, impressive.】
【Hasn’t Si Qianqiu always been good at putting on a show? That cold, refined young master vibe—so aloof, so A, so pretentious and theatrical.】
【Qianqiu-gege is playing the theme song for the little kids! Amazing, he can not only sing but also play, unlike some people who can’t even sing a theme song in tune—lol.】
【Where’s your mother, yygq? The stand-in for Qin Sizheng can’t live without my precious, huh? Stepping on your dad feels so good? Why don’t you just die laughing already.】
【I can’t with that finger shake, ahhh Si Qianqiu’s hands are so pretty! He’s a pianist and I am too—I’m about to rip up my Level 10 guzheng certificate in respect!】
Si Qianqiu could already foresee how much goodwill he would gain from playing the guzheng—something that Qin Sizheng, that useless fellow, could never achieve!
He had nothing but a pretty face!
Compared to the mostly positive reactions for Si Qianqiu, Qin Sizheng’s segment felt humble, the live comments froze for a moment, then erupted into endless “hahaha”s.
A perfectly wholesome parent-and-kid variety show was turned into a comedy show, packed with laugh-out-loud moments.
Qin Sizheng, somehow finding a rubber glove, slipped it on his hand, stood barefoot in the mud, and pulled carrots with Little Tomato in his arms, singing as he worked, “Pull the carrot, pull the carrot, heave-ho, heave-ho, pull the carrot…”
【Hahaha don’t sing it wrong, sweetie! It’s “he-yo,” not “heave-ho”! Big difference!】
【I think I’m addicted, ladies. I used to feel nauseous seeing Qin Sizheng trending, but now if I don’t check once a day I feel uneasy, dream about him, even glance when I wake up at night—am I sick?】
【Same here! Hahaha, totally hooked.】
【Wait, isn’t this the Qin Sizheng who cried over Prada during our Gucci event? He used to refuse anything but luxury, wouldn’t even wipe his face with a Burberry scarf, and now he’s so down-to-earth—rubber gloves?】
【Ahhh, welcome to Qin Sizheng’s labor camp!】
【We used to give him gifts into a trash can, and now he does all this work for a bit of money? Covered in mud like this—this show must be some kind of pyramid scheme, right?】
Qin Sizheng pulled a lot of carrots with Little Tomato, his face and clothes smeared with mud. Lu Xianqing leaned to the side, watching him brimming with energy, like a little sunflower reaching for the sun.
He felt confused; his eyes darkened for a moment, shadowing the sunlight.
Qin Sizheng’s back was so close, yet so far. Outside the glass house was sunlight and warmth; inside was his own cold, murky self.
He felt quiet, yet noisy.
Qin Sizheng was like a small spark, yet also like sunlight shining through glass—illuminating, but not warming him. Lu Xianqing inexplicably felt a bit irritated, a trace of disgust flickering in his eyes.
He had written letters to him—so why was he still so clean? Why didn’t he cry, didn’t break down?
Liu Mianmian and Rongrong were pulling carrots for the first time; the little one was too young and failed, fell on her bottom, but got up stubbornly and kept going.
Liu Mianmian looked at her daughter, a gentle smile unique to a mother appearing on her face.
“When I gave birth to my daughter, it took two days of pain. I thought, never again! This kid will surely give me trouble. When she grows up, I’ll definitely give her a good spanking.”
She laughed, then continued, “But I haven’t really taken care of her. She’s four now; the total time I’ve spent with her can be counted on two hands.”
Qin Sizheng suddenly thought of himself—he had never seen his own mother, left at an orphanage door, and even his name was given by the nuns there.
He didn’t know his birthday, didn’t know his parents, had been through so much pain, yet even a little sweetness felt enough. Nothing could knock him down.
Liu Mianmian felt frustrated: “I can’t even cook. This is the first time I’ve brought her on a show, and I was all flustered. I really failed. I’m not even as good as you.”
Qin Sizheng paused, then said, “I’ve learned a lot from you. It’s just that you happen to not be good at cooking, but that doesn’t erase the fact that you’re a good mother. I believe Rongrong thinks so too.”
Perhaps by some silent connection, Rongrong pulled up a carrot, showing it off with a smile: “Mom, look! I pulled it out!”
Liu Mianmian paused, exchanged a smile with Qin Sizheng, then walked toward her daughter: “Rongrong, that’s amazing! Shall Mom help you?”
Lu Xianqing watched Qin Sizheng chatting happily with Liu Mianmian, rubbing his fingers together restlessly, finally speaking, “Yanyan.”
Qin Sizheng turned, holding a carrot, smiling: “Fourth Brother, the big guy over there said if we pull all the carrots, we’ll get 300 yuan—tomorrow’s startup fund is ready!”
Lu Xianqing stared at him. Those eyes, clear and sparkling like “Yanyan,” his cat, flickered brilliantly.
Qin Sizheng felt flustered, swallowing hard.
A hand suddenly reached out. Qin Sizheng instinctively wanted to dodge but restrained himself, asking hesitantly: “Is there mud on my face? It’s okay, don’t get dirty—you don’t have to help, I can wipe it myself.”
“Yanyan.”
Qin Sizheng felt his ears heat up at the call, murmuring, “Mm.”
Lu Xianqing lowered his head, fingertip brushing the mud from his cheek. “I don’t mind getting dirty.”
Qin Sizheng’s blush spread from his ears down to his neck. His voice dropped low, and combined with Lu Xianqing’s overwhelming presence and low, husky tone, his heart started racing again.
Hands trembling, he didn’t even know where to put them.
“Daddy, come pull the carrots!” Little Tomato shouted, his face and clothes covered in mud, looking like a tiny muddy monkey.
Qin Sizheng stumbled over his words: “I-I’m going to pull the carrots now.” Then he dashed back to the carrot field.
Lu Xianqing twisted his fingers, soft fingers, soft face.
He just ran too much, got too close to others, leaving Qin Sizheng behind—this wouldn’t do.
He stepped into the carrot field, frowned at the dirty mud, suppressing his disgust. “How do you pull carrots?”
Qin Sizheng ran over, holding his hand and gripping a carrot. “Hold it here, don’t grab the leaves—it’ll tear them off. Just grip the part sticking out of the soil and gently pull it out.”
Lu Xianqing lowered his head, watching the boy so close, guiding him without any guard. His palm pressed to the soft hand, voice soft.
“Yanyan.”
“Hm?” Qin Sizheng turned, their eyes meeting. His heart skipped, and he instinctively let go. “Y-You got it, right? Just pull them out yourself and put them in this basket.”
Then he ran off in a hurry.
—
Qin Sizheng kept some distance, pulling carrots with his head down. After counting, the startup money was still far from enough. He remembered there was a small ranch nearby; maybe milking cows could earn some money.
“Fourth Brother, do you know how to milk?”
Lu Xianqing said, “I can learn.”
They went to the ranch, and the caretaker warmly guided them to a large cow, demonstrating how to milk: “Don’t hurt her—use gentle force, like this.”
Qin Sizheng’s face turned red as he looked at the milk stretching out, stepping back a few paces.
“Your turn,” the caretaker said.
Qin Sizheng clenched his teeth. For money! He could do this!
He imitated the caretaker’s movements, shyly holding, corrected to grip properly, and pressed downward. A stream of creamy white milk splashed into the bucket, smelling strongly of dairy.
“Yes, yes, just like that.” The caretaker encouraged them, then went over to guide Lu Xianqing. Once both were taught, he left, promising two hundred yuan for a full bucket.
Lu Xianqing snorted. “Later we’ll gild this cow and burn three incense sticks a day for the director.”
Chen Yue: “…”
Qin Sizheng smiled, getting more skilled, eventually using both hands, proudly showing the man beside him. “Fourth Brother, look at me!”
Lu Xianqing looked at those hands, white milk smudged across the palms and backs, seeping through his fingers. His expression darkened, nearly drowning him in feeling. He reached out, dipped a finger in the milk, and touched it to Qin Sizheng’s mouth corner.
The boy was startled, instinctively licked it, then frowned. “So… milky.”
Lu Xianqing’s fingers burned, his breath filling the space, nearly making him explode. Suddenly, he stood up and left.
Qin Sizheng didn’t understand why he suddenly got angry. Had he said something wrong? Or did he think that pulling carrots and milking cows somehow insulted him?
He could have stayed clean—everything was his own chaotic idea’s fault.
【Climbs bird nests, drives tractors, pulls carrots and milks cows—what a treasure, hahaha, naturally hilarious.】
【This rustic scene makes my scalp tingle, please just stay your usual crazy self.】
【This heavy 300 yuan feels even heavier than the 200 yuan Yiping got from Black Leopard. Just missing a rainstorm and a whipping.】
The show required a minimum startup fund of two hundred yuan. Qin Sizheng’s carrot pulling earned three hundred, giving two hundred to Liu Mianmian, and milking earned another two hundred. Still, they were one hundred short.
He led Little Tomato toward the square, looking for a way to earn more. Little Tomato suddenly cried, “Ah! Daddy, look! That kid’s going for honey!”
Qin Sizheng didn’t understand at first. Looking back, he saw a child climbing a tree to poke a beehive. The bees swarmed him, and he ran toward the river, jumping in.
The bees, unable to find him, flew toward Qin Sizheng. He didn’t have time to dodge, instinctively dumping the carrots and covering Little Tomato with the basket.
Little Tomato cried in fear, panicking inside. “Daddy!”
Qin Sizheng comforted him softly: “Don’t be afraid, Little Tomato. It’s okay.”
He immediately leaned over the basket, shielding Little Tomato, ready for the pain—when he felt a sudden weight on him, a cold, solitary fragrance covering him. Qin Sizheng tried to struggle but heard a low, husky voice by his ear: “Don’t move. Be good.”
“Fourth Brother?”