Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Fu Zhi’s grin vanished instantly.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Who are you calling a hen?”

“…”

Silence hung over the neighboring yard for a few seconds before an earth-shattering wail erupted.

“Waaaaah! Mommy! The hen is talking!”

Fu Zhi: “…”

It turned out that smiles don’t disappear; they just transfer to Ning Xi’s face.

“Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”

“What are you laughing at?!”

Ning Xi patted Fu Zhi on the shoulder and offered some comfort. “Children say the darndest things. Don’t take it to heart. After all, life is summed up in seven words: five words drift across the sky: life is just two words: two words: three words: just two words: word for word.”

“…”

Fu Zhi remained silent for a few seconds, then turned and marched out of the yard to calm his nerves outside.

Ning Xi, meanwhile, stayed in the kitchen, continuing to figure out how to start the fire.

Finally, after several attempts, she succeeded!

Listening to the crackle and pop of the burning wood, Ning Xi shouted to Fu Zhi outside, “Come over here and watch the fire!”

There was no response.

Ning Xi walked out the door suspiciously, only to find that Fu Zhi wasn’t anywhere nearby… Where did the Young Master go for his stroll?

Eventually, relying on her 20/15 vision, Ning Xi spotted Fu Zhi standing a hundred meters away from the yard, staring blankly at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle.

Ning Xi turned to the Program Team. “…Is he breathing in fresh air? Or does he think he looks cool doing that?”

Pure madness.

Ning Xi didn’t understand it, and she certainly didn’t respect it. She sent a message directly to Fu Zhi:

[Don’t bring that city-boy act here. This is Ling Village. Get back here and help me feed the pigs!]

On the other side.

Fu Zhi had been sitting under a large tree for quite a while. When the heat became unbearable, he finally looked at the cameraman.

“Did Ning Xi notice I ran away from home in a fit of rage?”

“…”

“Did she say when she’d come looking for me?”

“…”

When the cameraman didn’t speak, Fu Zhi could only glance back at the yard not far away, but he didn’t see even a glimpse of Ning Xi.

“Could it be that I hid too well and Ning Xi couldn’t find me?”

Fu Zhi muttered to himself as he stood up and paced around a bit, making sure he was positioned so Ning Xi could spot him at a single glance before he felt relieved.

However, after waiting another half hour under the scorching sun, Ning Xi still hadn’t come for him.

Finally, the cameraman couldn’t take it anymore. “Mr. Fu, why don’t you check your phone?”

Fu Zhi pulled out his phone and finally saw the message from Ning Xi. His expression instantly became as colorful as a painter’s palette.

He was here sulking, and Ning Xi thought he was just being abstract?

“What is Fu Zhi doing standing out there in the sun? Is he trying to get a tan on purpose?”

Jiang Sheshe’s yard was right in front of Ning Xi’s, so she naturally saw Fu Zhi standing under the tree in the distance.

After her critique, she looked toward Xie Lanchen and Shen Yibai, hoping for a conversation partner to join in the gossip.

As it turned out, Xie Lanchen was busy cleaning and didn’t even lift an eyelid.

Shen Yibai, meanwhile, was committed to his vow of silence.

Jiang Sheshe: “…”

Jiang Sheshe looked at the sky helplessly. Why!

Why did Ning Xi have to pair her with two mutes!

She would rather share a house with Ning Xi! Even though that crazy woman had a sharp tongue and could drive her to the brink of death sometimes, at least she responded to every sentence!

“What are we supposed to do this afternoon? Is it just cleaning?”

“The Program Team’s message yesterday said Ning Xi was in charge of the guests’ room assignments for tonight, but it didn’t say tomorrow night would follow the same arrangement. Will we be switching houses tomorrow?”

“Does that mean I’ll have to clean all over again? This is so annoying!”

“The Program Team wouldn’t really make us farm and feed pigs in Ling Village, would they?”

“I don’t know how to farm! And what if I get a tan?”

She had just gotten a facial and skin boosters before the show; she couldn’t afford to get sun-damaged.

“I clearly signed up for a social dating show, not to feed pigs! I don’t even know how to feed pigs!”

Jiang Sheshe didn’t care whether Xie Lanchen or Shen Yibai replied.

She grabbed a stool, sat by the door, and began talking to herself.

She even sneakily started searching for videos on how to farm.

[I used to think Ning Xi talked a lot, but I forgot about Jiang Sheshe.]

[Thank goodness they separated Jiang Sheshe and Ning Xi this time. I can’t imagine how dense the dialogue would be if those two were together.]

[If a pig at the village entrance gave birth, those two could probably chat about it for half a day.]

Meanwhile, in the yard just across the road from Jiang Sheshe, Ning Xi realized the Program Team hadn’t prepared any ingredients for them, so she headed out to forage for food.

“Is this a variety show? The kind where starvation is guaranteed?”

“I didn’t know it would turn out like this. The Program Team said room and board were included, so I came.”

“Hey! There are seven gourds growing right at our front gate! How exciting, I’m going to be a grandpa!”
“Holy cow, did those two middle schoolers just secretly hold hands? Seeing them like that makes me think of myself back in middle school.”

Ning Xi sighed wistfully.

Originally, the netizens were happily listening to Ning Xi’s rambling, but as soon as they heard this, they got fired up.

[Holy crap? Is Ning Xi going to talk about her first love?]

[She was already dating in middle school? That’s some serious early puppy love…]

[Wait, is it okay to talk about puppy love on a livestream? Won’t it have a bad influence?]

[Ahhh! As a mom fan, I’m going crazy! My daughter is not allowed to date early!!!]

The viewership in Ning Xi’s livestream room spiked instantly, everyone holding their breath as they waited for her to talk about her first love.

However, Ning Xi’s next words were-

“…Back in middle school, I also watched other people secretly hold hands like that.”

“Time is cruel, and the years fly by! Oh, time, please slow down~ don’t let me get any older~”

Halfway through, Ning Xi found herself hilarious and even started singing.

[………………]

[Can any Ning Xi fan tell me if she’s a Fire sign or an Air sign?]

[She’s an Abstract sign. [Rose]]

Ning Xi wanted to find some villagers from Ling Village to ask if there was a supermarket or a market nearby. But perhaps because it was currently dinner time, there weren’t many adults on the road.

There was only a group of children gathered together.

Ning Xi approached them and found the children standing in a row. The tallest boy was handing out lollipops to them one by one.

“This is a reward for Warrior Xiao Wei.”

“This is a reward for Warrior Linlin.”

“This is a reward for Warrior Goudan.”

“This is…”

The young boy looked at Ning Xi, who was at the back of the line. His small head was filled with a big question mark.

Seeing that the Kid Brother had stopped handing out lollipops, Ning Xi let out a look of pure, innocent confusion. “What’s wrong?”

The Kid Brother was stunned. “Uh…”

He didn’t remember having someone like this in his battle squad.

[I’m dying, how did Ning Xi join the kids’ line so naturally!]

[The Kid Brother’s face is literally saying: Who is this person?]

Ning Xi continued to look at the Kid Brother with an innocent expression.

Finally, the Kid Brother remained silent for a few seconds before handing a lollipop to Ning Xi.

“This is yours.”

Ning Xi took the lollipop with immense gratitude. Under the Kid Brother’s shattered gaze, she popped the lollipop straight into her mouth.

“Big sister, are you a princess?”

A little girl looked up at Ning Xi, then at the cameraman behind her, asking curiously.

Ning Xi ruffled the girl’s hair. “I’m not a princess. I’m a singer.”

“A singer?”

“The kind that sings on TV?”

“Do you hold concerts? I heard people say that singers all have to hold concerts!”

Hearing Ning Xi say she was a singer, the group of children got excited and crowded around her, chirping with questions.

Ning Xi flipped her hair, looking proud. “That’s right. I’ve even done a world tour. Lots of people came to hear me sing.”

The children let out a chorus of “wows,” filled with admiration.

Only the Kid Brother, standing to the side, noticed that Ning Xi had turned his “warriors” against him with just a few sentences. They were even ignoring him, their General. His expression grew solemn.

“She’s a spy from the neighboring village! Everyone be careful not to be tricked by her!”

Suddenly, the Kid Brother let out a sharp shout.

The children who were surrounding Ning Xi stopped laughing and looked at each other in confusion.

“This big sister is a spy?”

The Kid Brother’s expression became more determined as he spoke. “The TV says that the prettier a woman is, the better she is at lying! Everyone, believe me, absolutely do not be deceived by this spy!”

Ning Xi looked at the hostile Kid Brother and his bewildered warriors, holding back her laughter.

“Kids, do you know where the nearest supermarket is? I can treat you all to some Iced Black Tea!”

As soon as they heard “Iced Black Tea,” the children forgot all about spies from neighboring villages and being tricked.

“Yay!”

Following the children, Ning Xi finally found the village convenience store.

“Give me eight bottles of Iced Black Tea, the big ones!”

Ning Xi waved her hand grandly, looking very generous.

However, when it came time to pay, she received a piece of devastating news:

The large bottles of Iced Black Tea had actually gone up from four yuan to five!!!

The cup noodles that used to be four-fifty had also become five-fifty!!!

“Eight bottles of Iced Black Tea is forty, two cups of noodles is eleven. Just pay fifty-one in total,” the owner said while tapping on a calculator.

Ning Xi fell silent, a thunderclap echoing in her mind.

“Hmm?” Seeing that Ning Xi wasn’t moving, the owner looked puzzled.

“Big sister?” The children were also a bit confused.

With a heart like cold ashes, Ning Xi paid the money.

Fine. Both Iced Black Tea and instant noodles had really gone up in price.

This time, she was truly humbled.
“Thank you, Big Sister!”

The children thanked Ning Xi happily, behaving like perfect little angels.

Ning Xi unscrewed the caps for them one by one. “You’re very welcome. If we run into each other again, I’ll treat you all again!”

The children were ecstatic.

Only one little girl, wearing clothes so washed-out they were turning white, held her bottle of iced black tea without taking a single sip.

Curious, Ning Xi asked, “Don’t you like it?”

The little girl shyly ducked behind the girl next to her, her voice as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz. “I want to take it home for my little brother and Grandma. They’ve never had it before.”

“Linlin’s parents are away working, so it’s just her, her brother, and her grandma at home,” the girl beside Linlin explained.

Ning Xi fell silent for a moment. She immediately turned back, bought two more bottles, and handed them to the little girl named Linlin.

“It’s okay, go ahead and drink that one. Take these two back for your brother and Grandma.”

Only then did Linlin carefully open the iced black tea and take a tiny, gentle sip.

After saying goodbye to the children, Ning Xi headed home carrying her cup noodles and iced black tea.

She had just boiled the water and finished steeping her noodles when she suddenly caught a scent that was excessively fragrant.

Ning Xi followed the smell to its source.

She found that Fu Zhi had wandered back from who-knows-where and was actually sitting by the door, cooking hot pot all by himself!!!

“Where did you get a hot pot from?”

“Hmph.”

Fu Zhi let out a huff, surreptitiously hiding the fan he had just been using to waft the aroma toward the kitchen.

“As long as you have money, what can’t you eat? Hmph!”

“Can that nutritional void known as cup noodles really compare to hot pot? Ha!”

Listening to Fu Zhi’s constant huffing and puffing, Ning Xi knew the Young Master was definitely throwing a fit over something again.

Heh.

She hadn’t even been angry about having to start a fire and boil water by herself, yet Fu Zhi-who had been out enjoying the scenery and taking a stroll-was the one who was upset?!

How ridiculous.

“Hmph!” Fu Zhi huffed again.

Ning Xi huffed right back at him.

Then, she walked toward the kitchen without sparing him a second glance.

“You…”

Fu Zhi stood up abruptly. Did this girl really expect him to be the one to take the initiative and invite her to eat?

In the next second, he saw Ning Xi trip and fall toward the ground in an extremely contorted position.

Her mouth landed right on the hot pot and she started eating.

Fu Zhi: “…”

Ning Xi took a bite of sliced mutton, a mouthful of enoki mushrooms, and then picked up a piece of beef tripe. Patting her stomach, she lamented inwardly:

As expected, as long as you’re thick-skinned enough, you’ll find meat to eat wherever you go.

The Program Team hadn’t scheduled any tasks or group activities for the entire afternoon, simply letting the guests do their best to adapt to life in Ling Village.

However, once night fell, the guests realized things were looking grim.

“Why is this fan just spinning without blowing any air?”

Fu Zhi stared at the fan in disbelief.

Ning Xi’s back, which had been tired all day, felt like it was finally giving out. Was this fan just here to cosplay as a security camera?

[Fan: My primary function is aesthetic.]

Then, when Fu Zhi went to use the restroom that night, he discovered another catastrophic piece of news.

The bathroom light was actually broken!!!!

“How am I supposed to use the bathroom without a light?! How am I supposed to shower?!”

Fu Zhi was on the verge of a breakdown.

Thinking back on that hot pot lunch, Ning Xi had a rare moment of kindness.

“I’ll go to the village store and buy a bulb. Just make do for a bit.”

Fu Zhi looked up and closed his eyes. “Just. Hurry. Back.”

He couldn’t “make do” even a little bit.

Ning Xi quickly bought the light and returned, climbing the ladder to replace it.

The entire process was incredibly smooth.

[Omg, Ning Xi actually knows how to change a lightbulb! Is there anything she can’t do?]

[I’m marrying her first, the rest of you can do what you want.]

[I’m willing to marry Ning Xi, I’ll even be a concubine if I have to! [Heart]]

But after she changed the bulb and flipped the switch, the light didn’t come on.

Ning Xi was confused. “Eh?”

Fu Zhi, who had been holding it in for a long time, was now completely at peace with his fate. “Just go. I’ll use a flashlight.”

Ning Xi refused to believe it. “Wait a second, let me check.”

There was no way this bulb was a dud!

Fu Zhi’s expression bordered on a total collapse as he roared, “Let me finish using the bathroom first!”

In the next second, the light flickered on.

It shone directly onto Fu Zhi’s pale face.

Ning Xi swallowed hard. “Oh… so it’s a sound-activated light.”

Silence.

A deathly silence.

The light quietly flickered off.

Ning Xi coughed, and the light came back on.

She tentatively tried to offer a solution: “Maybe you could just shout while you use the bathroom? I’ll swap it for a new one tomorrow.”

Fu Zhi’s expression was numb, his face carrying a faint aura of someone who had given up on life.

“Forget it. Let’s just end this.”