LIGHTNOVELONLINE
Chapter 42
"The task is - let the guests make a luxurious dinner for themselves, ps: ingredients self-provided."
It's hard to say whether this task is difficult or simple.
The key is that this is a rural variety show, and everyone is already exhausted from working in the fields, and when they get back they barely manage to get a meal in them to fill their stomachs, let alone have the energy to make a fancy dinner.
Not to mention they have to provide their own ingredients too.
【???】
【Damn it! We've been tricked!】
【Shen Tang, don't you feel guilty at all?】
It turns out Shen Tang not only doesn't feel guilty, but is laughing happily.
Upon arriving at the destination, there aren't many people in the small courtyard.
Shen Tang says admiringly: "You guys went to the fields this early huh."
Carrying a suitcase in each hand, she walks through the door, examining the small courtyard - it has to be said, it looks pretty nice, with a rustic farm stay kind of feeling.
After putting her luggage inside the house, Shen Tang looks towards the camera, "What should I do now?"
"Hmm, breakfast was a bit late, and lunch is a bit early."
"Oh right, where's my room?"
Shen Tang goes upstairs, and just after turning the corner bumps right into a man, nearly falling down.
"Oof!" Her nose!
Luckily it's the original!
"Tsk!"
The man rubs his eyes, "Sis Shen Tang? You're a guest this season?"
Shen Tang looks up, the man is none other than Ao Ziping, still in his "blackened" form after being tanned dark from the sun multiple times.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm a regular guest!"
"No, what I mean is why are you still here?"
Ao Ziping makes an "ah" sound, carefully asking, "Then...should I leave?"
"Che, what I mean is why aren't you guys in the fields? You're still at home at this hour."
Ao Ziping's face instantly falls, "Don't mention it, yesterday the director made us work overtime to do tasks and earn ingredients. But we didn't get any ingredients and we're dead tired, we nearly didn't get up this morning."
"Oh right, sis Shen Tang, your room is here."
Ao Ziping moves to help carry her luggage, but Shen Tang blocks his hand, "I'll get it myself thanks."
"It's no problem, you're a guest, I'll help."
"I'm afraid you can't lift it."
A man can't admit he's not up to it, so Ao Ziping subtly flexes the muscles in his arms, "Don't worry, I'm Ao Ziping now."
Ao Ziping confidently takes the suitcase, but his arms instantly drop down heavily, "Damn!"
"Should I take it instead?"
"I've got this!"
Ao Ziping's expression doesn't change much, but the veins in his arms bulge out.
【Those arms, I love them, hehe】
【Sisters commenting above, go put your panties back on!】
Carrying it upstairs, Ao Ziping breathes a sigh of relief, and pushes the case to a room doorway, "Sis Shen Tang, this is your room."
Shen Tang opens the door to take a look - the room isn't big, but it's clean and tidy with its own bathroom.
"Thanks, oh right, are the other guests still sleeping?"
"They're also dead tired, they'll probably get up soon."
Hearing this, after Shen Tang finishes unpacking her things she heads downstairs to wait, since they still have to do the task after all, best to make a good first impression.
Hmm, maybe I should make breakfast!
Arriving in the kitchen however, she finds it completely empty inside.
"How is it empty?"
Shen Tang seriously suspects she's got the wrong place.
"We ate it all, that's why the director made us do tasks yesterday to win supplies." Ao Ziping says, scratching his head.
"Then where are the supplies?"
Shen Tang and Ao Ziping stare at each other speechlessly in the kitchen.
"So what do we eat today?"
Ao Ziping looks at the camera lens, "Director, what are we eating today?"
After a little while, a staff member comes running in, handing over a card with today's tasks written on it.
"Trade 100jin of corn to get 1jin of rice, sell 100jin of watermelon to get one whole watermelon, clean the pigsty properly to get 1jin of pork."
Shen Tang looks up in disbelief, "Are you serious about this ratio? It's more exploitative than capitalists."
"Cough cough!" Ao Ziping hurriedly coughs to try to gloss over her words.
【Hahaha laughed to death, Shen Tang sure dares to speak】
【Look she scared the poor guy, his face has gone pale】
【What Shen Tang said isn't wrong, this director really is quite exploitative】
"But it's not bad, the tasks aren't too difficult." After all she participated in designing them too, *cough*.
"Wait, sis Shen Tang, we have to do all these tasks after finishing up in the fields."
"I know, so here's the plan - I'll go make breakfast first, you go wash up, then go wake them."
"What are we eating?" Ao Ziping scratches his head again, he really is starving.
"It's a secret."
After Ao Ziping returns to his room, Shen Tang also heads out for a bit, and comes back carrying some rice, vegetables and eggs.
The bullet screen comments are all asking the same question - where did she get that from?!
Shen Tang makes egg fried rice and stir fried greens.
She had wanted to make porridge at first, but figured fried rice is more filling since they'll be doing physical labor.
Soon the guests start coming down one by one, this is Shen Tang's first time meeting the female lead in person.
The female lead looks just like a typical female lead - hasn't tanned one bit despite the sun, standing out amongst the other pale guests.
"Hello everyone, I'm Shen Tang, breakfast is ready, come eat!"
"Wow wow wow!"
The guests instantly rush over and sit on the chairs, staring yearningly at the food, mouths watering nonstop.
"Did you make this Shen Tang?"
"Where did you get this stuff from?"
Not just the guests want to know the answer to this, the audience is also very curious.
Shen Tang just smiles, "I said I'll go help trade 100jin of corn later."
"Huh? Since when did the director become so generous?"
Shen Tang shakes her head, "It's not the director, it's granny from next door."
"I knew it."
"But those 100jin of corn...won't it interfere with our own farming progress..."
"Don't worry, I can handle it myself."
The male guest who just spoke waves his hands nervously, "I, I didn't mean it that way...don't overthink it..."
Shen Tang indeed didn't overthink it. She meant exactly what she said.
But judging from their reactions, even if she explained they still wouldn't believe her. So Shen Tang doesn't continue explaining.
They'll understand soon anyway after they see.
After waiting a bit, the rice is finally cooked. The guests wolf the food down voraciously, not even bothering to pretend for the camera.
Ao Ziping even sheds a tear from the corner of his eye.
Shen Tang is rather shocked: "Is it that serious?"
"Mm mm!" Ao Ziping nods heavily, he can't even spare a moment to speak, or it'd mean one less bite to eat.
Because of this one meal, the guests' goodwill towards Shen Tang rises exponentially, including the female lead.
【Waa waa waa, thank you Shen Tang, my daughter finally got a meal!】
【I don't know if I should say this, but Shen Tang coming does seem to be useful】
【Wait, did you guys forget that this is technically Shen Tang borrowing in advance? Anyone could go borrow it, later they all have to go pay it back together right?】
【...I nearly forgot about that, as expected of a famous green tea b*tch, Shen Tang sure knows how to handle people, 666】
After the meal, the male guest voluntarily washes the dishes.
They grow late rice in the south, so it'll be ready for harvest in a few months.
Right now they're harvesting spring corn, after harvesting they'll plant autumn corn.
After the meal, the guests voluntarily bring up going to help granny next door together.
Shen Tang says there's no need, but everyone disagrees.
Granny next door is already over 80, but moves very nimbly, seeming healthier than some young people even at her age.
"Granny, we're here! Let's go harvest corn now!"
"Oh my, so many good kids..." Granny was originally just giving the ingredients, but Shen Tang refused to take advantage, and insisted on helping out.
"No need, no need, we just drank water, let's head to the field now!"
After rejecting her offer several times, granny brings the guests out to the field.
On the way there, the female lead voluntarily teaches Shen Tang some corn harvesting techniques, while Shen Tang smiles and nods without mentioning that she already knows how.
After all it's just the female lead's good intentions.