Chapter 40 p2
Adding fuel to the fire.
“I don’t like them, thank you.” Wei Maomao gritted her teeth. As expected, things given by annoying people were also annoying, she felt her entire being reject them before even tasting them!
Cheng Rongrong didn’t retract her outstretched hand, seemingly about to persuade her further.
Wei Maomao couldn’t stand it anymore. She clutched her stomach and shouted, “I need to pee!” Then she shoved the popcorn bucket into Cheng Tingyan’s hands and ran off, dragging her along.
Hmph, she wouldn’t stay and be forced to eat beans, or play along with her act of the bad sister rejecting the good little sister.
Cheng Rongrong: “…”
Everyone who used the excuse of needing to use the bathroom agreed, it was a tried and true method.
Since she was already there, Wei Maomao decided to actually use the toilet, then went to the sink, stepped on the stool, and splashed water on her face to cool down.
She really couldn’t stand it. She had always thought it was the Cheng family’s parenting that made Cheng Rongrong so bad. But seeing her wield implicit threats so skillfully, Wei Maomao felt nauseous, she began to suspect that some people were inherently bad, regardless of their age.
Cold water splashed on her face, flowed down her arms, she even cupped some and poured it on her legs. Only then did Wei Maomao’s burning anger subside slightly.
As Wei Maomao walked out of the bathroom, still dripping water, before she could go to the sunny spot to dry herself, she saw Cheng Tingyan standing not far from the bathroom door.
“Yan Yan.” Wei Maomao shook her hands and feet, walking towards her.
Cheng Tingyan didn’t say anything, she just stretched out her fist.
Wei Maomao: ???
Cheng Tingyan opened her palm, revealing a candied kumquat wrapped in transparent cellophane.
“This…” Wei Maomao was stunned.
“I went back to exchange for it just now, I thought you might want to eat it.” Cheng Tingyan pointed to the convenience store in the distance, smiled softly, and murmured, “Compressed biscuits are much more filling than regular biscuits, half a piece can fill you up, while you might need a whole box of regular biscuits. The taste is okay, but it gets a bit greasy if you eat them often. I didn’t answer your question earlier, don’t be mad.”
Wei Maomao: “I’m not…” She wasn’t angry about that, she wasn’t angry at her!
“Do you want to eat it?” Cheng Tingyan interrupted.
At that moment, Wei Maomao sensed Cheng Tingyan’s fear, she seemed to be avoiding further discussion about the compressed biscuits.
That’s just like you, Cheng Rongrong! Always doing good deeds!
Wei Maomao looked at Cheng Tingyan’s hand. “Did you only exchange for one?”
“Two, I ate one.” Cheng Tingyan smiled.
Wei Maomao easily saw the hint of guilt in her smile.
There she was, the person who bullied a three-year-old who couldn’t count past a hundred Baby Coins! Even if she couldn’t count, wouldn’t she know how many she had bought…
“Yan Yan, come here.” Wei Maomao didn’t take the candied kumquat, but instead beckoned with her finger.
Confused, Cheng Tingyan moved closer to the little chubby bunny, who was smiling strangely.
“Open your mouth.” Wei Maomao continued.
Cheng Tingyan, true to her name, obediently opened her mouth, even though she didn’t understand. Then she saw the little chubby bunny suddenly stand on tiptoe, her chubby face quickly approaching.
“Mint flavor.” Wei Maomao put her hands on her hips. “Not candied kumquat flavor! You didn’t eat one!”
“You, you, you…” Cheng Tingyan blushed from the sudden sneak attack, covering her mouth and stammering, “How could you do that!” She had leaned in so close that she almost thought she was going to bite the little chubby bunny…
“How could I tell you only bought one without smelling it?” Wei Maomao said righteously.
Well, the person without a valid argument always loses steam.
“It was too expensive, forty Baby Coins for one…” Cheng Tingyan squeezed the candied kumquat in her hand, the cellophane wrapper crinkling.
“So expensive!” Wei Maomao exclaimed.
Think about it, lollipops were only twenty Baby Coins. Putting aside personal preferences, a candied kumquat was gone after a few chews, while two lollipops could be enjoyed for a long time.
Wei Maomao originally wanted to buy another one, one for each of them, but poverty stopped her.
However, eating alone was impossible, impossible in this lifetime.
“Then, shall we split this one?” Wei Maomao suggested weakly.
Cheng Tingyan, who had failed in her deception, immediately agreed. “Then wait for me.”
Before Wei Maomao could suggest asking Yang Yuanming for a knife, Cheng Tingyan shoved the popcorn bucket into her arms and ran into the bathroom.
After the sound of running water, Cheng Tingyan came out, wiping the candied kumquat with a handkerchief.
“Do you want to bite it, or should I?” Cheng Tingyan held out her hand, a clean, cellophane-wrapped candied kumquat resting on her handkerchief.
“You.” Wei Maomao quickly made her choice, her face reddening uncontrollably. Although it was still wrapped, it felt a bit awkward, this was something close friends would do, right? In her previous life… were they that close?
Cheng Tingyan, on the other hand, confidently bit the candied kumquat in half through the cellophane, then went back into the bathroom to wash the wrapper.
After this complicated and hygienic process, they finally each had half a candied kumquat in their mouths.
Wei Maomao carefully nibbled off a small piece and chewed. It was sweet, with the unique aroma of kumquat…
Very delicious.
Ever since Cheng Tingyan told her about the candied kumquat in her previous life, Wei Maomao would also buy some when she was feeling down. Although she didn’t feel like she was a fruit like Cheng Tingyan described, eating something sweet and fragrant like this was indeed very stress-relieving.
In this life…
Cheng Tingyan had tasted candied kumquat earlier, would she… still find it delicious? When she was unhappy in the future, would she still have this sweet and fragrant treat to comfort her?
After swallowing the small piece of candied kumquat, Wei Maomao licked the remaining portion in her cheek, glancing at Cheng Tingyan with a worried expression.
Cheng Tingyan was eating very earnestly.
“Yan Yan… Is it delicious?” Wei Maomao couldn’t help but ask. Because her mouth was still full, she only managed to utter these few words, pausing to swallow.
“Delicious.” Cheng Tingyan nodded. “Very fragrant. Do you think it’s delicious?”
“Delicious…” Wei Maomao mumbled. “But is it just fragrant?”
“It’s also sweet?” Cheng Tingyan looked at the little chubby bunny.
“It’s fragrant and sweet.” Wei Maomao smiled, but felt a strange sense of loss in her heart.
So, because of her premature intervention, the candied kumquat wasn’t as special to Cheng Tingyan anymore…
Seeing the little chubby bunny, who had been smiling with puffed cheeks, suddenly lower her gaze, Cheng Tingyan didn’t know why, but she didn’t like it when the little chubby bunny looked unhappy.
“It’s very fragrant, Maomao ate candied kumquat, you smell so good.” Cheng Tingyan leaned closer to the little chubby bunny, sniffing her, then said teasingly, “Like a sweet little fruit.”
Wei Maomao froze.
So, even though it was earlier in this life, she still felt like she was a sweet little fruit after eating it?
Coming back to this life, Wei Maomao wanted to change many things, that was true, but now she realized that she also wanted certain things to remain the same. It was somewhat contradictory, change always led to more change. But at least this time, it hadn’t changed, it was good.
“Yan Yan also smells good, like a sweet little fruit!” Wei Maomao suppressed the tears welling up in her eyes and smiled.
“No, no.” Cheng Tingyan shook her head.
Wei Maomao: ???
“We each ate half.” Cheng Tingyan smiled, reaching out to poke Wei Maomao’s still puffed cheeks. “I’m half a sweet little fruit, and you’re the other half.”
Wei Maomao: “…”
Something seemed wrong, but it also seemed quite reasonable.
On the screen, the little chubby bunny, looking silly, slowly grinned.
The viewers in the live broadcast room were speechless.
“I never thought I would one day watch two little babies split a fruit and smile like an auntie, hehe…”
“Babies are truly the cutest!”
“Hahaha, our Yan Yan is such a cutie, she actually bit the candied kumquat through the wrapper, so hygienic, she even washed the wrapper. From the perspective of manufacturing process, the candied kumquat is probably less clean than the wrapper now.”
“Hahaha, Maomao really! Yan Yan even ate your dad’s scallion oil noodles this morning, shouldn’t you be smelling scallions? You can still smell the mint from her toothpaste, you’re truly in love!”
“What kind of sweet talk is that ‘half a fruit’ line, I’m thirty and I still can’t say sweet things like that!”
“It’s truly sweet, I can even smell the sweetness without eating it, smack, smack.”
“Sigh, first I was moved by the compressed biscuits, now I’m touched by the candied kumquat. I didn’t even eat anything, but my mood is like a rollercoaster.”
“What kind of life has our Yan Yan lived, why does she know so much about expired snacks, compressed biscuits, dried vegetables, and stuff… Now Dongdong is joining the club too.”
“Dongdong is a bit better, the program team doesn’t sell compressed biscuits, they substituted them with energy bars, I’m speechless.”
“So, after the show, will Yan Yan and Dongdong go stock up on expired compressed biscuits together? I really… Are Cheng Feiying and Wen Xiang even doing their jobs, I want to donate to raise these kids!”
…
The babies in the village were unaware of the chuckles and sighs in the live broadcast room.
Wen Dongyu, who was being pitied by many, was happily holding two energy bars as he came out of the convenience store, bumping into Cheng Tingyan and Wei Maomao who were returning.
“Yan Yan! Compressed biscuits!” Wen Dongyu handed one to her. “Thank you for telling me about this good stuff, I’m giving you one, Rongrong said you like to eat them.”
“… “ Wei Maomao pointed at the words “energy bar” on the package. “Compressed bis… just three words?”
Wen Dongyu handed one to Cheng Tingyan. “Sister Yang Yang said energy bars are the same as compressed biscuits. Yan Yan, next time take me to buy more cheap ones, okay?”
With that, Wen Dongyu put the remaining energy bar in his pocket, turned to the piglet at the door, and clapped his hands. “Xixi, come here for a hug!”
As Wen Dongyu was hugging the pig, the others also came out one after another.
Wang Zhizhi handed them beef jerky. “I shared it with the others, these last two are for you.”
“Alright, have all the babies bought their favorite things?” Yang Yuanming’s gaze swept over Wen Dongyu, who was inseparable from the pig, her lips twitching slightly. “Sister Yang Yang has something to say. Our dads, they completed their tasks early this morning, got the ingredients, and made breakfast for the babies. Now, they’re at the mill, pushing heavy stone mills to grind beans, and later they’ll process the soy milk into tofu for the babies to eat. Just now, Rongrong suggested that we buy something here to show our appreciation for our dads. What do you think, should we do that?”
“Yes!” Cheng Rongrong raised her hand in support. She agreed readily, but no one knew the annoyance brewing in her heart. She had clearly asked Yang Yuanming to keep it a secret, why did she still mention her name! This suggestion, in the eyes of the audience, was considerate towards her father, but to these children, it might seem unnecessary. Cheng Rongrong wanted the audience’s favor, but she didn’t want to offend these little ones! Now she was being put on the spot! Cheng Rongrong only dared to look at Yang Yuanming, not daring to turn and see if the other children were looking at her.
After a brief silence, Wen Jiangyue shyly nodded.
“Right, we’ve launched a special drink to show appreciation for dads. For only ten Baby Coins, you can get a bottle of refreshing iced drink.” Yang Yuanming beckoned to the staff nearby, and a basket of chilled drinks was brought over.
Wei Maomao stood on tiptoe to take a look. Alright, six bottles, meticulously planned.
“If the babies don’t have enough Baby Coins right now, you can buy them on loan. You just need to earn Baby Coins from doing tasks later today, and you can pay it back.” Yang Yuanming smiled kindly.
Wei Maomao: “…”
She and Cheng Tingyan weren’t short of money, but Shen Zilin and Wang Zhizhi were probably almost broke, and there was also Wen Dongyu, who had suddenly decided to stock up on food…
The program team was quite something, first emphasizing the greatness of parents, then highlighting the filial piety of certain children, then guiding other children to spend money, even opening up a loan business… Seriously, wouldn’t the program team consider switching to the financial industry?
Just as these manipulative tactics were reaching their peak, the drinks were already presented, and with a frontrunner in place, what could the others do?
Those who could pay paid, those who couldn’t took out loans, regardless of what they thought, most children followed the crowd.
For some reason, Wei Maomao felt a small sense of relief as the task was smoothly completed.
However, her relief was premature.
“Now that we have drinks, shouldn’t we also buy some food for our dads? Look at all the food we have in our store.” Yang Yuanming moved on to the next step. “If our babies also bring some food for their dads, we can unlock a new task for the babies!”
Yang Yuanming seamlessly transitioned to the next stage. But the babies, who were already approaching poverty, even burdened with debt, were a bit hesitant to follow.
But if they didn’t keep up, they wouldn’t have a new task, and how would they repay their debts…
Wei Maomao frowned, her gaze quickly scanning the others.
Shen Zilin, who was already broke, Wen Dongyu, who was clearly having a conflict with Wen Xiang, and Wang Qingchuan, who hadn’t said a single word to Wang Zhizhi when he came for the pig incident earlier.
They had already bought drinks, did the program team think that since it was a renewable currency earned through tasks, it didn’t matter if they continued to squeeze them dry as long as it moved the show along?
Even adults wouldn’t be happy to spend money on their children when they were angry, let alone a few-year-old children…
Among the items in the convenience store, apart from a few cheaper pig products, everything else, especially food, seemed to cost no less than fifteen Baby Coins.
Children’s hearts were sensitive and naive. They didn’t have much to begin with, some were poor, some had distant relationships with their fathers, some had conflicts.
Did Cheng Rongrong, who made the suggestion, or the program team, who jumped on the bandwagon, not have the awareness to consider others’ situations? Bringing up this kind of thing at this moment, how positive would the response be?
Mutual giving, logically speaking, was fine. But… in their current situation, would they actually follow the suggestion? Now that it was explicitly proposed, how would they be portrayed if they didn’t participate, if this was edited into the main episode?
Wei Maomao looked at the silent group and felt it was time to step in.
Continuing to force them… they could force themselves to buy things, but if it was filmed, it might…
Wei Maomao looked at the popcorn bucket in her arms, she could eat a little less.
“Selling popcorn, one Baby Coin per kernel.” Wei Maomao looked at the others seriously. “Buy one for Dad, love him for a whole year.”
Everyone: “…”
“Maomao, you’re selling them so expensive!” Cheng Rongrong was the first to jump out and accuse her. “Who would buy a single popcorn kernel for their dad!”
“I will.” Shen Zilin quickly understood her intention and stepped forward, smiling at Wei Maomao. “Can I owe you one Baby Coin?”
Wei Maomao nodded and turned to Yang Yuanming. “Sister Yang Yang, can I have a few small cups?”
“Maomao, we’re talking about our dads working hard, buying something for them to make them happy… this one popcorn kernel…” Yang Yuanming was speechless.
“Sister Yang Yang, my dad said he’s happy even if I give him a single leaf. Aren’t other dads the same?” Wei Maomao tilted her head and asked.
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