Chapter 34
The mush, made of minced meat, minced vegetables, rice, and water, all steamed together, had smelled decent when it was freshly cooked at noon. Like a hidden trap, only when a spoonful entered the mouth did one discover the devastatingly awful flavor concealed beneath that mild aroma.
After being refrigerated for half a day and then reheated, the smell emanating from this terrifying concoction was even stronger, transforming from a trap to a blatant assault, repelling anyone who dared to approach.
As the sun set and a cool breeze arose, the large soup bowl on the stone table, previously filled to the brim with mush, now had a small corner missing.
The young warrior, heartbroken and defeated, had retreated. Only Wei Chengli and his daughter remained by the stone table.
“Maomao…” Wei Chengli looked at the bowl and mumbled, “Can the bite Wang Zhizhi had count as him eating it for me? That way I only need to eat one bite…”
Wei Maomao, who was squatting on the ground closing the suitcase, unhesitatingly opened the lid and grabbed a handful of Baby Coins.
The clinking sound of coins brought Wei Chengli back to his senses. He hurriedly pleaded, “Baby, Baby! I was wrong, I was wrong! Two spoonfuls, just two spoonfuls! I’ll eat it now!”
No way, he had finally used Daddy Coins to exchange for Baby Coins and earn his little chubby dumpling’s sympathy, he couldn’t possibly take them back… This large bowl of mush, it would take at least a dozen, maybe even twenty spoonfuls to finish…
Besides, it was his fault, Yan Yan and Maomao had eaten more than two spoonfuls at noon, there was no escaping it.
“Baby, Daddy’s going to eat it now. After Daddy finishes these two spoonfuls, we’ll forget about what happened at noon, okay? Baby, look up at Daddy, watch Daddy eat…” Wei Chengli held the bowl and waited. He didn’t want to eat it and then have Maomao say she didn’t see it, that would be a loss.
Wei Maomao looked up.
Wei Chengli, unable to wait for a loving display of sympathy, could only obediently scoop a spoonful into his mouth, then quickly scooped another spoonful before starting to swallow.
Thankfully, he had chopped the ingredients finely at noon, and thankfully for the fridge and microwave. Wei Chengli deliberately ate two spoonfuls at once, without chewing, just swallowing, significantly reducing the difficulty. But even though he tried to force it down his throat, the fishy smell lingered in his mouth… In the end, Wei Chengli couldn’t help but gag slightly.
The viewers in the live broadcast room, who had waited since noon, finally saw Wei Chengli eating the mush, feeling a sense of completion.
“What goes around comes around, hahaha, Director Wei tried so hard but still couldn’t escape those two spoonfuls of mush.”
“Decisive action, using his entire fortune, six Daddy Coins, to buy the right to not eat all the mush, our Director Wei has some skills when it comes to appeasing his child!”
“Hahaha, I say, Director Wei should really thank his new son! Maomao didn’t seem like she would fall for his tricks.”
“Right, if it weren’t for Wen Dongyu, Maomao wouldn’t have softened so easily.”
“Why? I didn’t see Wen Dongdong persuading Maomao to forgive Director Wei! I have a whole row of live broadcast windows open! What did I miss!”
“Wen Dongdong didn’t persuade her. It’s just that when Director Wei put the newly exchanged Baby Coins into Maomao’s suitcase, Maomao immediately picked them out. Maomao’s second camera captured it clearly, hahaha, she picked out the ones Wei Chengli put in. But just after she picked them out, Wen Dongdong shook them loose!”
“I’m dying of laughter. Did you see Maomao’s expression when those coins fell back in, hahaha… She was completely speechless with Wen Dongdong.”
“Our little bunny is truly magnanimous, forgiving Director Wei, otherwise, with a whole suitcase of Baby Coins, she could have easily grabbed six more and returned them.”
“Speaking of which, each person has two cameras, Maomao’s second camera is really something, besides filming Maomao, the other things it captures are also quite funny. Like Director Wei’s insulated bag in the morning, Cheng Rongrong’s hand covered in potato chip crumbs, and the staff member taking care of Maomao secretly drinking the mush and then throwing up at noon, hahaha…”
“Right! Maomao’s second camera sometimes captures Yan Yan too. I feel like the Yan Yan filmed by this camera looks even better than the ones filmed by her own two cameramen. There were two times where it specifically focused on Yan Yan, and she looked like she was bathed in a soft light, it made her whole person look much brighter.”
“Aww, I missed it! Why doesn’t the live broadcast have replays!”
“Hahaha, those who missed it, you can only wait for the edited version of the show. Hopefully, the editors will include those beautiful shots of Yan Yan.”
“I actually think that the Yan Yan filmed by Maomao’s cameraman looks stunning because she’s with Maomao, hahaha!”
“To be fair, Yan Yan seems quite happy when she’s with Maomao, she even smiled at Maomao when she was leaving. But when she’s with her dad and sister, she never smiles… You guys can pay attention to this later.”
“At least Yan Yan left the Wei family’s house with a smile. Unlike Wang Zhizhi, hahaha, I saw in his live broadcast room, he was stumbling when he left.”
“Hahaha, Wang Zhizhi is still too young, he just boasted that he could eat Director Wei’s cooking every day, then the next second, he was defeated by the mush.”
“Director Wei is still the best, Wen Xiang still hasn’t learned his lesson, he should grab Wen Dongdong and feed him Director Wei’s mush, see if he still calls Director Wei Daddy.”
“Person above, do you have a grudge against Wen Dongdong, hahaha…”
…
Wen Dongyu, who had directly called Wei Chengli Daddy, escaped a tribulation.
Wang Zhizhi, who had been subtle and reserved, endured the baptism of mush.
The world was truly unpredictable.
At first, Wang Zhizhi, smelling the unusual aroma of the mush Wei Chengli had brought, had held onto a glimmer of hope. He held his breath, insisting on eating it, determined to prove to Maomao that he could! But when a spoonful of mush entered his mouth, before he could even start chewing, that strange, fishy smell started to spread.
What was that smell? It was probably the first time he had experienced such a cruel attack from food.
People instinctively sought pleasure and avoided pain, Wang Zhizhi almost reflexively wanted to spit it out.
But when Wang Zhizhi met Maomao’s eyes, calm, as if she had already known this would be the outcome, he suddenly suppressed his urge to vomit, he endured it.
Wang Zhizhi ran away, covering his mouth, his steps faltering.
Running away was also a form of surrender, but it was better than throwing up in front of Maomao and her dad.
Wang Zhizhi ran blindly, ignoring the staff’s calls behind him, disappearing into the maze of alleys.
Don’t throw up, don’t throw up!
No one knew that at this moment, in Wang Zhizhi’s mind, this mouthful of mush was a test, a hurdle, something he felt he had to overcome, or how could he face future challenges?
But it was truly too hard to swallow!
Perhaps running did divert Wang Zhizhi’s attention, he had resolutely kept the mush in his mouth until he turned a corner and saw his own house not far ahead.
“Why didn’t you come straight home? Who allowed you to run around? You’re so old, still so mischievous, can you set a good example for your sisters?” Wang Qingchuan stood at the gate, his face grim, looking at his son who had stopped in the distance.
Wang Qingchuan’s voice was loud and clear, even from afar, every word reached Wang Zhizhi’s ears.
Gulp…
He swallowed the mush.
The strange, disgusting taste lingered in his mouth, but after smacking his lips, Wang Zhizhi suddenly felt that it was nothing.
There was only so much pain a person could endure at the same time. When one side was extremely painful, the discomfort on the other side was naturally ignored.
Wang Zhizhi didn’t argue, he just lowered his head and walked towards his dad, gently touching the coin purse at his waist, regretting not leaving it at Maomao’s house like Wen Dongyu. And… regretting not persevering and eating the mush at Maomao’s house. He thought he could do it, at this moment, he thought he could.
Regret was a very common emotion.
If Wang Zhizhi’s current regret was the size of a peach, then Zhang Jin’s regret had clearly grown from a potato in the afternoon to a pumpkin by evening.
“Who told you to post that video?” Zhang Jin said through gritted teeth, forcing himself to stay calm. “I’ve been calling you since this afternoon, why didn’t you answer? You saw so many missed calls, couldn’t you at least call me back? Didn’t you know to discuss it with me, your manager, before posting the video?”
“I was getting a spa treatment this afternoon, I didn’t hear the phone. I’m not the only one who called you, do I have time to call each of you back? You’re Cheng Feiying’s manager, not mine.” Bai Lei said coldly, admiring her newly manicured nails. “What’s wrong with the video I posted? Isn’t it the truth? Is a child allowed to say whatever she wants on the show, and I’m not allowed to refute?”
“Why are you arguing with a child? Does she even know how the family’s finances are managed? Does she even know what property is? She’s just counting her own allowance. If you hadn’t posted that video, when the opportunity arises, we could have easily hired some internet trolls to hype things up, and it would have blown over.” Zhang Jin rubbed his temples, which were throbbing. “What’s the point of showing off your snack cabinet now?”
Bai Lei scoffed. “Of course it’s useful. There are plenty of snacks at home, she still wants to buy those expired things, isn’t that just her having low taste? Low taste, unhealthy preferences, isn’t it normal not to give her more allowance?”
“Right, I’m not saying your logic is wrong, the key is your timing. Why are you in such a hurry? You’re the stepmother, being so anxious makes you look guilty. And it’s not just about allowance and expired snacks,” Zhang Jin said with exasperation. “Did you even watch the live broadcast, did you read the comments, or did you just listen to someone’s retelling? The real issue now is, where’s the money Cheng Tingyan earned from filming variety shows and commercials?”
“They’re actually concerned about other people’s money now? Cheng Tingyan’s custody is with us, we provide her with food and shelter, we even take care of her paralyzed mother. She’s only six years old, should we keep her money with netizens instead?” Bai Lei scoffed disdainfully. “But she’s quite bold, actually bringing this up on the show, I thought she was really obedient. I have to tell Cheng Feiying, he needs to keep her on a tighter leash.”
“It’s not that simple, Director Shi confiscated their phones, they can’t contact the outside world unless…” Zhang Jin was talking on the phone, scrolling through online comments, but before he could finish, Bai Lei interrupted him.
“You don’t have to worry, I have my ways.” Bai Lei said, then smiled. “Old Zhang, don’t tell me you still have feelings for Liu Qiongfang and want to side with her?”
Zhang Jin was stunned, before he could say anything, Bai Lei hung up.
“What a mess!” Zhang Jin, his neck red with anger, slammed the phone down on the table.
He shouldn’t have been greedy for Cheng Feiying’s popularity back then and stayed on as his manager after the divorce.
He had been too naive, thinking that he had been with Cheng Feiying since he was unknown, sticking with him would be better than managing a newcomer. But popularity could decline so easily… If it weren’t for him pulling strings and getting Cheng Feiying onto the first season of “Where’s Baby Going,” giving him a lifeline, and then the second season becoming a hit, boosting the popularity of the first season and giving him another push, who knows what level Cheng Feiying would have fallen to.
But as Cheng Feiying’s popularity stabilized, his character worsened. As his manager, Zhang Jin had often been scolded by Bai Lei. He had talked to Cheng Feiying several times, but he had always been brushed off. From then on, Zhang Jin knew that Cheng Feiying had truly changed for the worse.
It was ironic, only when you experienced the hardship yourself did you understand the pain.
Zhang Jin gulped down a large mouthful of ice water, the coldness spreading from his throat to his heart. Back then, he and Liu Qiongfang, one a manager, the other an assistant, had accompanied Cheng Feiying for so many years, witnessing his rise from nothing. Even Liu Qiongfang, who had married Cheng Feiying and borne him a daughter, could be discarded so easily, let alone him, an outsider who was just a manager.
Actually, Zhang Jin had known all along that unreliable people were unreliable, but he had still been greedy for the money.
Bai Lei asked if he wanted to side with Liu Qiongfang.
Hah, the moment he agreed to Cheng Feiying taking custody of Cheng Tingyan and using her as an asset, it was already too late.
Zhang Jin felt a chill in his heart, he numbly scrolled through posts discussing the Cheng family’s dynamics and the conversations at the convenience store.
As he was scrolling, Zhang Jin froze.
The earlier posts were mostly sympathetic towards Cheng Tingyan, the daughter of the ex-wife, struggling to survive in the Cheng family, discussing whether her income from filming was being embezzled by the Cheng family. But the recent replies were all about the video Bai Lei had posted, the one showing the snack cabinet and the two daughters’ bedrooms.
“A whole wall of snacks! Who needs anything else! Isn’t this enough to eat?”
“Maybe Cheng Tingyan just likes eating expired things, cheap things, maybe she doesn’t like these imported snacks, hahaha.”
“Right, chicken legs and mushrooms are so nutritious and delicious, she’s still being picky, maybe she’s the same with snacks. I wasted my sympathy on her.”
“The two children’s bedrooms are about the same size, decorated similarly, in a pink princess style, the Cheng family seems to be treating them equally.”
“I think it’s right to give her less allowance, it’s not good for such a young child to learn to spend money recklessly, having some emergency money is enough. It’s just an ordinary actor’s family, should they compare themselves to Shen Zilin’s family?”
“??? What are you guys talking about? Have you forgotten that Cheng Rongrong said she has two million three hundred thousand yuan?”
“Rongrong was just a child talking nonsense, how old is she? Can she even distinguish between ‘hundred’ and ‘ten thousand’?”
“So Cheng Tingyan just gets a normal allowance, but she’s greedy and doesn’t eat the expensive snacks at home, just loves those cheap, expired things outside, I wrongly blamed Cheng Feiying.”
“So many snacks, and there’s even a fridge, a dream wall! Does Cheng Feiying have another daughter somewhere? (Raises hand secretly)”
…
Zhang Jin scrolled quickly, except for one comment mentioning Cheng Rongrong’s assets, the rest were all siding with the Cheng family, claiming they were innocent and that Cheng Tingyan was in the wrong.
“Heh…” Zhang Jin tossed the mouse aside and rubbed his face. Alright, Bai Lei had hired internet trolls, it was his fault for reminding her earlier.
The choices you made were important.
Zhang Jin felt pain for his own choices, so much pain that he went downstairs to buy alcohol and didn’t continue watching the live broadcast.
Unbeknownst to him, Bai Lei’s internet trolls had also reached Cheng Tingyan’s live broadcast room, but here, they weren’t as successful as in other places online.
Hearsay was no match for seeing with your own eyes.
In the morning, Cheng Tingyan’s live broadcast room had been filled with voices criticizing her for being too cold towards her father and sister. But now, most of the comments were filled with sympathy and concern.
If someone was cold and distant from beginning to end, like ice, like sharp thorns, like the lingering darkness in the shadows, it would naturally make others feel uncomfortable, instinctively disliking them.
But if someone’s coldness had cracks, if they could also be close while being distant, if there was warmth beneath their icy shell, if there was a shining heart in the darkness, this contrast would make people feel heartbroken and captivated.
The viewers who remained in Cheng Tingyan’s live broadcast room, the ones who typed countless comments for her, wouldn’t allow anyone to trample on the ground they cherished.
“A whole wall of snacks, heh, my family owns a supermarket, and I would get beaten for taking snacks when I was young. Does having things mean you can have them? Grow up and use your brain!”
“Be a decent human being, okay? Only a non-human would say a six-year-old eats expired things because she likes them. She doesn’t eat good food, do you think everyone is blind like you!”
“I’m dying of laughter, having the same bedroom means being treated equally? Didn’t you see how reluctant Cheng Feiying was to give Yan Yan the chicken leg tonight?”
“And saying Cheng Rongrong doesn’t know the difference between ‘hundred’ and ‘ten thousand’ and was just talking nonsense, can you spout out the number two million three hundred thousand so precisely when you’re talking nonsense? Can you ask Shen Zilin about the details of the cooperation on your way back to the village? She’s only three and a half, but she’s sharp, unlike you, fool!”
“This is too much, and someone still wants to be Cheng Feiying’s daughter? You go! Go quickly! Trade places with Yan Yan, we’ll pool our money to raise her! No more expired snacks, aww!”
“Friends above, don’t waste your time replying to these idiots, they’re all internet trolls! I saw many comments like this slandering Yan Yan on Weibo and other forums, the wording is exactly the same, it’s like they were copied and pasted!”
“This is disgusting! Hiring internet trolls already! Didn’t they say the participants can’t contact the outside world, that their phones have been confiscated?”
“You guys must have been watching the live broadcast the whole time and haven’t switched tabs. Earlier, Yan Yan’s stepmother, Cheng Rongrong’s biological mother, Bai Lei, posted a video of their house.”
“That Bai Lei, what did she say?”
“I watched it too, she didn’t say anything, she just focused on filming that wall of snacks and the two daughters’ bedrooms.”
“Actions speak louder than words? So shady… Cheng Feiying is still on the live broadcast, it’s obvious who hired these trolls who keep bringing up the video.”
…
It was impossible for someone to participate in a show without being talked about, just like a banner in the wind couldn’t stay still. The question was whether the east wind would prevail over the west wind, or vice versa.
Wei Maomao, soaking her chubby feet in a basin while sitting on a small chair, didn’t know that the battlefield she thought would only emerge when the main episode aired had already appeared and was in full swing. She also didn’t know… that her boundless enthusiasm and kindness had already led many people to see the true Cheng Tingyan.
The little girl who was slightly aloof from the crowd, helping to drink half a bowl of mush so disgusting it made people cry and throw up.
The cold girl who only responded to her father and sister with a few words, but whispered countless words of concern while bending over.
The restored Rubik’s Cube, the small gold flower, the Baby Coins she gave away, the hard-earned chicken soup, and the begrudgingly offered sweet and sour pork…
Beneath her tough exterior was a soft underbelly, precious and beautiful… so beautiful that it made people question and feel angry about the origin of that tough exterior.
In Cheng Tingyan’s live broadcast room, the viewers, while fiercely battling the internet trolls, watched the little girl wash handkerchiefs.
One, two, three…
The one she used to wipe potato chips off Maomao, the one she used to wipe Maomao’s sweat, the one she used to wipe Maomao’s tears… and the one she used to wipe Maomao’s drool, and the one she used to wipe her tears again…
Cheng Tingyan washed them carefully. Soon, under the darkening sky, a row of handkerchiefs fluttered in the wind on the clothesline.
“Yan Yan, you probably don’t like pink, you like green, right…”
Someone in the live broadcast room mumbled.
There were quite a few things Wei Maomao didn’t know anymore. For example, at this moment, she didn’t know that her achievements today were being displayed in Cheng Tingyan’s courtyard, broadcasted live.
But there was one thing she knew.
Wei Maomao looked away, pretending not to see Wei Chengli squatting beside her, holding a towel, and smiling brightly at her.
There was no such thing as a free lunch…
“Maomao…” Wei Chengli grabbed her dripping foot, placed it on the towel spread over his knee, and said kindly, “Can we talk about something?”
Wei Maomao yawned.
“Don’t sleep!” Wei Chengli shook her foot, then panicked and caught the little chubby dumpling, who almost fell off the stool because of his shaking.
Wei Maomao: “…”
“A mistake, a mistake…” Wei Chengli chuckled awkwardly and tickled the sole of her foot. “Ah, it’s actually not a big deal. I just wanted to ask, can you… not mention the things I said… that I accidentally said when we were watching cartoons?”
Honestly, he had wanted to discuss this with the little chubby dumpling after the cameras in the room stopped working at night. But then it would be too late, he was afraid Maomao would fall asleep and he wouldn’t be able to wake her up, and then he would face another day of “My daddy says…”
“Oh…” Wei Maomao drew out the sound, then, under Wei Chengli’s expectant gaze, tilted her head and asked, “What cartoons?”
Wei Chengli: ???
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