Chapter 119
“This version should be fine! We’ll get the final results tomorrow!” Xu Cheng said with a relieved expression as he entered the small conference room, placing his coffee cup next to Zhang Shilan. “Teacher Zhang, you’ve worked hard, revising the manuscript here for a whole week.”
“It’s not hard work, it’s my duty.” Zhang Shilan said, taking one last look at the three people who were finally eating breakfast on the computer’s live broadcast screen, then looked up at Xu Cheng with a gentle smile.
“It’s mainly because this book talks about pregnancy, some topics are a bit sensitive, there were many suggestions from above. The other two books were approved, but this one, we even had to ask you to come over, and you missed sending Director Wei and Little Maomao off, such a pity.” Xu Cheng said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. “Teacher Zhang, were you watching Little Maomao just now? I haven’t had a chance to watch this morning, how is it, did Director Wei get to eat his milk-stewed eggs, toast, and crab stick omelet?”
“He… did, right?” Zhang Shilan asked hesitantly, glancing at the screen.
Xu Cheng blinked. “Right?”
“He kind of did.” Zhang Shilan said with a wry smile, turning the computer screen towards Xu Cheng.
“Isn’t this him eating? All three are there.” Xu Cheng said, leaning closer to the screen, her eyes wide with fascination. “Little Maomao is so cute~~~ She made sure Director Wei got to eat everything he wanted.”
Zhang Shilan looked at her silly husband on the screen and shook her head, chuckling. “Maomao’s dad already got it wrong yesterday, the dish he wanted was probably poached eggs in milk, I often made it for him at home. After eating it so many times, he still can’t remember the name, now he’s eating milk-stewed eggs, it looks like double skin milk, he was dumbfounded when the staff brought it out.”
“Hahahahaha! As expected of Director Wei! Always bringing new laughter!” Xu Cheng said, unable to contain her laughter, she pulled her chair closer to Zhang Shilan and sighed. “Teacher Zhang, coming here to revise the manuscript is truly a blessing for me, I always get to know more insider information than the viewers in the live broadcast room! Watching Little Maomao and Director Wei interact, every second is a highlight, so much joy, you must be very happy at home, Teacher Zhang.”
“They’re not like this at home. Maomao used to be quite clingy to her dad, not like these past few days…” Zhang Shilan thought for a moment. “Not as independent, as if she has her own thoughts.” Wei Chengli rarely had to take care of the child alone at home, he never thought he would become so silly. Not to mention the mush without removing the fishy smell before… And today, that on his mouth was drool! Couldn’t he see it…
Xu Cheng looked at Little Maomao, who was breaking bread for Yan Yan on the screen, and chuckled. “Children are like that, every day is a new growth, a new look. Little girls, they won’t cling to their dads after they grow up a bit.”
Zhang Shilan felt Xu Cheng was right, but…
“It’s a bit faster than I imagined.” Zhang Shilan said softly, looking at Maomao on the screen, who could already eat by herself and even take care of others, she felt a bit melancholic. “A bit too fast.”
“Right, Maomao is three years old now, so your next book should be almost finished, right, Teacher Zhang?” Xu Cheng asked, her eyes full of anticipation. “The editor-in-chief loves your previous two books, ‘Fairy Tales Through the Eyes of a One-Year-Old’ and ‘Fairy Tales Through the Eyes of a Two-Year-Old,’ this theme is truly heartwarming and interesting. I heard from the editor-in-chief that you’re planning to make it a series, one book per year, so this year’s new book should be ‘Fairy Tales Through the Eyes of a Three-Year-Old,’ right?”
“Mmm.” Zhang Shilan nodded. “It’s in the final stages.”
“I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been obsessed with watching this ‘Where’s Baby Going’ live broadcast, but I always feel like I can find some of Little Maomao’s characteristics in the previous two books. Chubby, round, adorable~~~” Xu Cheng said with a smile, looking at Wei Maomao, who was eating milk-stewed eggs on the screen. “Little Maomao is truly adorable with her childish voice~~ Is she your inspiration, Teacher Zhang? Then will there be more to write about in this year’s book? Little Maomao, acting like a mini adult~~”
Zhang Shilan followed Xu Cheng’s gaze and looked at the screen, she happened to see Maomao drop a mouthful of milk-stewed eggs on her clothes, Cheng Tingyan next to her quickly took out a handkerchief to save the day.
“Some inspiration comes from life, but writing requires more imagination.” Zhang Shilan said, her gaze softening as she looked at the screen. “Maomao does seem like a mini adult these past few days. But I… I hope she can grow up a bit slower.”
“Ah, right! Speaking of which, Teacher Zhang, can you bring me two autographed photos of Maomao next time we meet~~ I’m a member of the ‘Love Tutu’ fan club~~ It’s okay if she can’t write yet, just draw a bunny like the cookie from yesterday!” Xu Cheng said, putting her hands together. “Please!”
…
Already having fans asking for autographed photos at such a young age, Wei Maomao, who was scooping up the last bit of milk-stewed eggs from her bowl, never expected it.
Just like she never expected Wei Chengli to notice the… “toothpaste” she hadn’t wiped off her mouth.
Mmm, toothpaste.
Wei Chengli’s question was so sudden, Wei Maomao was stunned, her mind still struggling between “drool” and “toothpaste.”
Cheng Tingyan had already given the answer – “toothpaste.”
Wei Maomao, startled, snapped back to reality and quickly added – “My toothpaste.”
It was a live broadcast, even though they weren’t wearing microphones yet, Wei Chengli was, and the cameraman was already approaching.
If Yan Yan said on the live broadcast… that it was her toothpaste, what would they do?
Why was Yan Yan’s toothpaste on her mouth…
It had to be hers! Wei Maomao thought firmly, righteously.
The consequence was… following Wei Chengli’s instructions, learning how to wash and wipe her face after brushing her teeth to ensure no toothpaste was left on her face.
Wei Chengli was enthusiastic in his teaching.
But Wei Maomao was… truly tired, tired of everything. She wanted to feed Wei Chengli mush without removing the fishy smell!
Of course, she didn’t.
There was nothing wrong with Wei Chengli’s actions, it was just her and Yan Yan, who had secrets, who were mentally scarred.
During this last half-day of the baby-dad role swap…
Some dads, thinking they had done two good deeds early in the morning, confidently welcomed their sumptuous breakfast. Although the combination of milk and eggs wasn’t what he had imagined, but… he had done what a good dad should do, giving guidance! He would try harder next time! (Pumped!)
Some dads, self-taught, came up with new tricks. In front of their “newly rich” babies, they lowered their posture, acting “weak, pitiful, and helpless,” “anxious” about their future lives, receiving comfort and protection from their babies, in a roundabout way, they managed to keep their children by their side again, gaining a sense of security from an unknown source.
Some dads, during the time without cameras and microphones the night before, sincerely admitted their mistakes and promised to put everything they promised their babies in writing, signed and sealed. If they broke their promises, the babies could throw the paper at their faces. Whether they would actually throw it or not was another matter, anyway, the gentle baby softened her heart and decided to abandon her plan of imitating her dad’s habit of breaking promises and leaving him hanging this morning.
Some dads, staying up all night drawing, they hadn’t gotten such tired eyes even from billion-dollar deals, but they did this time. The results were gratifying, he finally finished drawing the twenty-third card before dawn, placing them by his baby’s bed. The missed days couldn’t be made up for with these cards. But maybe… this could be a start?
Some dads… To avoid a certain mysterious and strong scent, they got up early in the morning, took their breakfast, and ran away, preferring to squat in the wilderness than eat at home. However, no one brought a basket to meet him, making his actions this morning not only not clever, but even a bit foolish. And just when he thought everything was over, when he picked up his chopsticks at home at noon, confidently ready to eat, the pot was heated up, the person carrying the basket, she, they! Came again! They were unpredictable, and he was unsurprisingly defeated.
Some dads… After battling the “evil forces” for a day and a night, as expected, they didn’t rest even for the last half-day. They kept fighting until lunch was over, fighting until the last second, fighting until the other party finally put down their chopsticks, only then… did they relax.
“Is it over? You said the baby-dad role swap would end after lunch, right?” Wang Qingchuan asked, staring intently, as soon as he saw Wang Zhizhi and Wang Qingbei put down their chopsticks, he slammed his chopsticks on the table, stood up, and looked at the group of staff, asking loudly.
After receiving nods from the staff, Wang Qingchuan almost roared with laughter, releasing all the pent-up frustration from the past few days.
But since it was over, and they were leaving, Wang Qingchuan was willing to show a bit of kindness, to make the final parting a bit more pleasant.
“Thank you for your hard work these past few days. You’re leaving, and we still don’t know your name.” Wang Qingchuan said to Wang Qingbei with a forced smile, trying to forget how she had just snatched food from his plate, complained about him taking up space, and even criticized his eating sounds. Hehe, it was all for work, he could understand… Hehehe…
“Beibei…” Wang Zhizhi said, looking at the chopsticks he had put down on the table, he couldn’t help but pick them up again.
So… she was leaving as soon as they finished eating… He should have eaten slower.
He hadn’t gotten his watch back yet, they hadn’t added each other as friends…
“You’ve finished eating! Putting your chopsticks on the table will make them dirty, we can’t use them anymore!” Wang Qingchuan, his sharp eyes catching Wang Zhizhi’s small action, quickly reached out and pressed his chopsticks back onto the table.
Wang Zhizhi: “… “
“Zhizhi, use this.” Jiang Heye said, picking up the shared spoon from the egg custard bowl, she stood up, placed it in Wang Zhizhi’s bowl, then extended her hand and said with a smile, “My name is Jiang Heye, Jiang as in ginger, Heye as in the poem ‘Plowing in the Fields at Noon(锄禾日当午).’ It’s nice to meet you, Zhizhi.”
*The poem describes the hard labor of farmers and the importance of appreciating the food they produce, 禾 (Hé): Grain, 叶 (Yè): Leaf*
Wang Qingchuan: “… “
Wang Zhizhi was stunned, he stood up, imitating Jiang Heye, and extended his hand, shaking hers. “My name is Wang Zhizhi, it’s nice to meet you, Bei… Sister Jiang Heye.”
“Hahaha, ‘Sister.’ Zhizhi is so cute! You can still call me Beibei~~” Jiang Heye said with a smile, shaking Wang Zhizhi’s hand, she turned to Wang Qingchuan, her smile fading, only a slight curve remained on her lips. “Mr. Wang Qingchuan, thank you for your hard work these past few days.”
“No problem, no problem, it’s all for work. Ms. Jiang, you’ve also worked hard these past few days, you can rest now.” Wang Qingchuan said, forcing a smile, he had already gotten used to being treated with double standards these past few days. He didn’t even want to shake Jiang Heye’s hand, to receive such a normal sentence, he felt abnormal and unaccustomed.
Some people’s desire to chase people away was written all over their faces, they were just short of saying it out loud.
Jiang Heye, looking at Wang Qingchuan, amused, shook her head. “My work isn’t over yet, we’ll see each other again at the next location~~”
Wang Qingchuan’s mind went blank, he froze, the smile on his face instantly vanished, his entire demeanor changed.
In stark contrast, Wang Zhizhi was overjoyed.
In the monitoring room, Shi Dingshan, seeing this scene, also… This Jiang Heye was a bit mischievous, the next location wasn’t one where Wang Qingchuan would continue to be hurt, but she still vaguely made him suffer an undeserved blow. Mmm, how should he put it, good luck, Wang Qingchuan…
For the last morning of the baby-dad role swap, the program team didn’t arrange any other activities, they let the babies and dads spend time together, doing some daily chores, and starting to pack their already unpacked luggage. The messages that needed to be conveyed had been conveyed, those who needed to change had already changed. As for the rest… Shi Dingshan felt that he probably wouldn’t see anything new.
In the afternoon, the babies and dads returned to their original roles, ending the role-swap segment, then they were gathered for the final rehearsal at the small square.
Time flew by, makeup, costume changes, blocking, then hurriedly eating a boxed lunch, it was already 7 PM.
The sky was still slightly bright, the sun no longer scorching, it was the perfect time for promoting anti-fraud awareness!
Scams, old and new.
One scam after another, presented in the form of skits, crosstalk, or even educational videos on a screen.
A pregnant woman, asking for help finding her way home, then knocking out and dragging away the person who offered to help.
A lost child, leading someone to a secluded spot, where a group of burly men suddenly appeared.
A stranger could take away a child. And a strange child… could also take away an adult.
A blind person who couldn’t see, a wheelchair that couldn’t move, an underground parking lot that couldn’t be found, a hand reaching out from the suddenly opened door of a van, grabbing someone.
An elderly person, hungry and wanting a bowl of noodles, a noodle shop in a deep alley, like a silent abyss, once you entered, you couldn’t get out.
A friendly passenger on a train, a stranger you hit it off with at a bar, an opened drink, a pill dropped in when you weren’t looking, an endless sleep.
Helping someone with their luggage during security checks, a kind gesture, a bag of powder, a grievance you couldn’t explain.
A knock on the door, someone checking the water meter, the gas meter, a leak downstairs, even someone impersonating the police… Opening the door, a bad person jumps out, an unsafe situation you couldn’t prevent.
Walking with your child, you encounter someone friendly, praising your child, praising you, becoming familiar enough to talk about family matters in just a few minutes. Your child is snatched away, you’re accused of being a human trafficker, during the struggle, more of the child’s “family members” appear…
Walking on the street, a stranger suddenly appears, claiming to be your “husband,” “brother,” “father,” accusing you of “cheating,” “being mentally ill,” “having a bad brain,” they try to abduct you in broad daylight, turning it into a “family matter” that others shouldn’t interfere in, no matter how you cry for help, no one responds. Even worse, someone responds, someone helps, someone kindly offers to take you home, but it’s just a bigger scam, at the end of the road, it’s still them.
…
Money, it could be real, it could also be fake.
You buy something for three yuan, they give you a hundred yuan bill, you give them ninety-seven yuan in change. They take it, then pat their pocket. “Oh, I have three yuan here, let me give you three yuan, and you give me back the hundred.”
…
Hello, your bank card is suspected of being involved in illegal activities, we need you to verify your identity.
Hello, your package has been returned, we need you to confirm.
Hello, your insurance has expired, if you don’t need it, please click the link below to cancel it, otherwise, you’ll be charged.
Hello, your previous online tasks were successful, but your payment is frozen, you need to pay a deposit to unlock it.
Hello, scan this QR code to get a free…
Hello, congratulations, you’ve won our grand prize, a computer, just pay 99 yuan for shipping, and we’ll deliver it to your doorstep.
Hello, this is the hospital, is xxx your child? He was in a car accident, you need to transfer money now for emergency treatment.
Hello, I’m your upstairs neighbor, can you please add me to the building’s WeChat group?
Hello, we had a great chat, our relationship can move to the next level, by the way, I own a tea plantation (I’m making money online), do you drink tea (I can teach you if you’re interested).
Little X, it’s your Boss Y, I’m not available right now, can you transfer me some money?
…
For the older villagers, the scams of the past were still being passed down through word of mouth.
But when it came to electronic devices, it was truly… new and shocking.
The dads and babies performed well, and the villagers who participated were also very dedicated.
The gala, which should have been lively, the audience became increasingly silent.
Behind each scam was a loss of money, a trail of tears and blood.
Those who were still alive, those who hadn’t been harmed, they were truly lucky.
Scammers never stopped, scams never ended.
They could only hope that all this, through the live broadcast, could reach more people, let more people know, let more people be vigilant, avoid those dangers, they could only hope that this luck could stay with more people.
In the live broadcast room, the viewers, who had initially been discussing how cute the babies were, were soon using their fingers to curse the scammers.
The lingering fear of those who had personally experienced it, the anger of those who had seen loved ones being harmed, the burning rage of the onlookers… It wasn’t until all the scams were performed, and the program team started the entertainment portion with performances by children’s groups like the Shihua Town Central Kindergarten, that the anger gradually subsided.
The viewers could finally use their freed fingers to reminisce about the babies’ earlier performances.
“Honestly, CEO Mao is so cute, she even wore those cute bunny clothes! I truly… Even if I knew about this scam, it would be hard for me to ignore such a cute CEO Mao…”
“Don’t be fooled by cuteness! Remember, you can still call the police while watching the adorable CEO Mao!”
“Little CEO Shen playing the scammer is also hilarious, hahaha, his line was ‘Come with me to the store in front, I’ll buy you ice cream,’ shouldn’t it be ‘Come with me, I’ll give you a job’? The program team is still very serious, they’re not even playing with the meme. My dream is for Little CEO Shen to say that to me one day, sob~~~”
“Honestly, this ‘children tricking children’ thing is truly… I pulled my daughter away from the dinner table and made her watch, after all, we often go to indoor playgrounds at the mall, and the small park downstairs is also a frequent spot. I wanted her to be more aware, but she said, ‘That little brother is so handsome, I also want to eat ice cream,’ I was so angry. Children’s vigilance is truly… We have to brainwash them into being more cautious!”
“The other little babies on stage, they were so easily tricked by Little CEO Shen. I hope this never happens in real life, ahhh~~~”
“Dongdong too, when he was snatched away, he just called for his mom, he didn’t even say the person who took him wasn’t his grandpa or dad! It was so frustrating to watch! But the program team is truly realistic… Adults would be confused in this situation, children would definitely be even more clueless.”
“Don’t worry, the little babies are watching the show very seriously, they’re all huddled together like little quails, they must be scared now, they won’t be easily fooled.”
“Hahaha, Maomao and Yan Yan: ‘Who are you calling little quails! Where are your manners!’”
“The program team is quite interesting, for CEO Mao and Little CEO Shen, who were playing the bad babies, they even added an [Actor] label above their heads throughout the performance, hahaha. Protecting underage actors is everyone’s responsibility.”
“Not to mention, adding the [Actor] label isn’t unnecessary. Just like how they added labels above the babies’ heads when they were playing the role of their dads, with the current online environment, it’s truly necessary. We, the live broadcast viewers, of course, know what’s going on, but after being edited and reposted multiple times, who knows how it’ll be portrayed.”
“The person above is right, maybe it’ll be twisted into ‘Little xxx has a bad temper, often throws tantrums at her dad, is biased, breaks her promises, ignores her dad, cooks horrible food for him,’ etc… And with the current popularity, there are still voices correcting the misinformation. But in a few years, maybe the rumors will become the truth. Like today, in a few years, if CEO Mao and Little CEO Shen are seen as examples of bad children, it would be truly unfair. After all, there are many people who are blind.”
“CEO Mao and Little CEO Shen, in a way, also sacrificed themselves for the sake of promoting anti-fraud awareness. The program team definitely wouldn’t let them actually encounter danger, they would definitely protect them. Speaking of which, the program team initially wanted to choose Yan Yan and Little CEO Shen, the older ones, to play the scammers, but CEO Mao immediately replaced Yan Yan, saying that Yan Yan was the best and wouldn’t lie. Thinking about it… Was CEO Mao also protecting Yan Yan? Hahaha, but I’m overthinking it, CEO Mao is only three years old after all, she probably can’t think as much as we do, she just felt that Yan Yan was sincere and honest, not fitting the image of a scammer, right?”
“Hahaha, warning from a ‘Tutu’ fan club member, are you saying CEO Mao thinks she’s like a scammer? Yan Yan will beat you up~~”
…
It wasn’t that Wei Maomao couldn’t think that much, it was that she had thought about it enough.
After all, in her previous life, that image of a bad older sister had followed Cheng Tingyan for too long.
“Don’t be afraid, it’s over.” Wei Maomao said softly, squeezing Cheng Tingyan’s cold hand. “They’re performing now, there are no bad people.”
There were no bad people on stage.
And the bad people off stage… would be defeated!
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