Chapter 5
“It’s also a coincidence that you asked. We had already finalized the families a while ago, and there was no budget to add anyone else. It just so happened that last week we secured a new sponsor, and the budget increased significantly, so adding you is no problem.”
“It’s already a great help that you can let us participate. For this last-minute addition, I’m sure it’ll cause you trouble with the station… We can forgo the appearance fee. Sigh… I don’t know why this child is suddenly so stubborn. You have no idea how persistent she can be. I’m constantly being pestered by her all day long.”
The sound of conversation, the clinking of bowls and chopsticks, pulled Wei Maomao out of her sleep bit by bit.
Until the keywords were triggered…
Money?
Forgo?
Wei Maomao, who had been struggling to pay off debts in her previous life, suddenly opened her eyes.
Round table, steamer baskets, the aroma of various dim sum and tea…
Wei Maomao was in a trance for a moment, almost thinking that she had been reborn to another point in time.
Of course not.
“How can we invite people to film a show and not pay them? Don’t worry about the station. After the previous families were confirmed, a leader from the station suddenly wanted to arrange for an athlete family to join the show, it seems to be his relative or something. But the budget was tight at that time, so we arranged for them to be on the next season. This time it’s just right, the sponsor is giving us a lot, enough for both of your families, someone will take care of things with the station.” Shi Dingshan stuffed a shrimp dumpling into his mouth, thought for a moment, and then said, “It’s good that you agreed to participate. Don’t take it personally, but I think art films are good, but they tend to be a bit niche. You’re still young, it’s good to come out and film variety shows, get to know more people in the industry, having more friends won’t hurt.”
A few years ago, Wei Chengli and Shi Dingshan met at an art exhibition. One was a young and up-and-coming art film director, the other was a well-known commercial film director. The two, who were a generation apart, unexpectedly hit it off and became friends. Although they usually treated each other as equals, Wei Chengli knew very well that whether it was the previous invitations or the current help in joining the show, it was all Shi Dingshan wanting to give him more opportunities. He humbly accepted the guidance and poured Shi Dingshan more tea as a token of his gratitude.
Shi Dingshan picked up his cup, just as he was about to say something, he suddenly noticed that the little dumpling, who was originally sleeping soundly in the baby chair next to Wei Chengli, had sat up at some point and was looking at them with a serious expression, as if she was listening carefully to their conversation.
“Oh, the little darling is awake? You’re so serious, can you understand what we’re saying?” Shi Dingshan put down his cup, raised his eyebrows at the child, and said with a smile, “We’re saying that we’re going to find professional uncles and aunts to record Maomao’s childhood. Are you happy?”
Extremely happy!
Wei Maomao gave Shi Dingshan a sincere smile, then focused her gaze on his neck.
Suddenly, a face intruded from the side, blocking her view of the target.
“Baby, you slept in today, we couldn’t wake you up. But Daddy still kept his promise and brought you here to have morning tea with Uncle Shi, isn’t Daddy great?” Wei Chengli said with a smug smile.
“Great.” Wei Maomao nodded.
A three-year-old’s body was indeed weak. She had only stayed up a little late, and she had slept so soundly…
No matter how unreliable he was before, Wei Chengli had indeed helped her a lot by bringing her here while she was asleep.
Thinking of this, Wei Maomao gave a thumbs up and sincerely added, “Really great!”
Wei Chengli, who hadn’t been praised by his daughter for a long time, lit up and couldn’t help but start rambling, “Of course, I even brushed your teeth and washed your face, I was so gentle, you didn’t even feel…”
Wei Maomao reached out and pushed away Wei Chengli’s smug face, looked at Shi Dingshan, who was already coughing from laughing, and waved, “Uncle, come~”
Who could refuse a cute little dumpling? Shi Dingshan couldn’t.
And as expected, as soon as Shi Dingshan walked up to the little dumpling, the necklace around his neck was grabbed again.
“Ha, I knew you liked this. But Uncle needs this, you can’t play with it. But I bought you a new one.” Shi Dingshan bent over and struggled to take out a small box from his pocket.
But before he could open the box and show the little dumpling his new gift, he felt his neck loosen, and at the same time, a faint smell of medicine wafted to his nose.
Shi Dingshan subconsciously looked down, and sure enough, only the lid of the little gourd was left on the necklace.
Amazing, she couldn’t open it yesterday, and today it only took her a few seconds. As expected, the potential of children was limitless. He really should have taken out the gift first…
“Maomao is so… great…” Shi Dingshan said with a helpless smile, but his words of praise gradually faded away when he saw what the little dumpling was holding in her chubby paws.
This medicine…
“Uncle, candy, can I eat it?” Wei Maomao raised her hand holding the medicine and asked as if she had a craving.
“This is not candy, you can’t eat it.” Shi Dingshan quickly took the gourd and the spilled pills from the little dumpling’s hand.
There were a few deformed pills in the small handful. Shi Dingshan leaned closer to take a look. Under the bright light of the private room, he could actually see some scattered white spots on the deformed parts.
The medicine looked and smelled the same, but how could it be so easily crushed…
Shi Dingshan frowned and pinched a few other intact pills, crushing them effortlessly.
Damp?
From the outside, there were only one or two inconspicuous white spots, but after being completely crushed, there were quite a few white spots inside the pills.
Rubbing the fine white spots on the pills, the surprise and anger on Shi Dingshan’s face were suppressed and changing.
“Maomao can’t eat it. Can Uncle eat it?” Wei Maomao peeked at Shi Dingshan’s expression and decided to emphasize it again.
Shi Dingshan clenched his hand tightly, pulled out a wet wipe with the other hand, and carefully wiped the palm of Wei Maomao’s hand that had touched the pills. Then he looked at Wei Chengli with a serious expression, “Something came up, I have to go.”
Things changed too quickly, Wei Chengli didn’t even have time to react, he just nodded instinctively.
Shi Dingshan threw away the wet wipe, strode to the door of the private room, paused, then turned back, and spread his hand holding the medicine to Wei Chengli, “I’m not angry at Maomao for leaving suddenly. The medicine in this necklace is nitroglycerin, I change it every half a month with the latest date. It can’t deteriorate, but now it’s not right. It’s a good thing Maomao opened it, don’t tell her.”
“What’s wrong?” Wei Chengli asked subconsciously, “Is it a problem with the airtightness?”
Shi Dingshan shook his head.
This gourd pendant was custom-made by him, it was airtight, and it had an insulation layer. He never wore it while showering, and he would turn the interface from time to time. The possibility of an airtightness problem was very small. Now the only problem left was the pill itself, or…
As a director, he could really think a lot, and his perspective could be very biased. Shi Dingshan felt his heart beating a little fast, he didn’t dare to think further for the time being, he just emptied his mind, took a breath and said, “It’s okay, I just wanted to tell you, I’m afraid you’ll misunderstand that I’m angry at Maomao. Right, wipe her hands again. Oh, the box on the table is a gift. And don’t worry about the variety show, I’ll have Xiao Zeng bring the contract over as soon as possible.”
Shi Dingshan pointed to the box on the table, gave a brief explanation, and left quickly.
Deteriorated medicine…
Wei Chengli’s scalp tingled a little, and he hurriedly carried the little dumpling to the bathroom in the private room to wash her hands.
But when he was drying her hands, he felt something was wrong.
“Maomao, is this from when you took Uncle Shi’s pendant… uh, Uncle Shi’s gourd?” Wei Chengli gently touched the slightly red index finger and thumb of the little dumpling’s right hand.
Why did it feel a little swollen…
It was just that the medicine had deteriorated, it couldn’t be poisonous, right…
Wei Chengli frowned and checked the little dumpling’s two chubby paws over and over again. Fortunately, her palm, which had the most contact with the medicine, was fine, only those two fingers were not right. Then it might be because she had used too much force when turning the pendant…
It wasn’t good to casually touch someone else’s necklace pendant, such a personal item… It wasn’t appropriate to casually open someone else’s medicine either… Wei Chengli felt that he should educate the little dumpling. However, it seemed that she had done a good deed by accident again this time.
Just as Wei Chengli was wondering if he should teach Wei Maomao about the rules, the little dumpling impatiently pulled back her chubby paws that had been checked for a long time and ran to the outer private room.
When Wei Chengli chased after her, she was struggling to climb onto the baby chair.
“Don’t touch other people’s things without permission next time, look, your fingers are all red.” Wei Chengli finally gave the little dumpling a light reprimand, then carried her onto the chair with a mixture of anger and amusement. Seeing that she was ignoring him and had already started grabbing the snacks on the table nonchalantly, he couldn’t help but say, “Your mother will be heartbroken when she sees your little red hands, you explain it to her yourself.”
Explain?
Explain what?
Explain why she didn’t sleep in the middle of the night, practicing opening things from big to small, from toothpaste tubes to necklaces?
Success always came to those who were prepared…
Wei Chengli opened the box that Shi Dingshan had left on the table. Inside was a palm-sized jade gourd, the kind that couldn’t be opened.
What a beautiful misunderstanding.
Wei Maomao rubbed her sleepy eyes, grabbed a big shrimp dumpling and stuffed it into her mouth. After finishing it, she licked her slightly red fingers.
She was just giving it a try. After all, no matter how unreasonable she was, she couldn’t call him out for breakfast every day.
But judging from the current situation, Shi Dingshan’s luck was good, and her hard work had paid off.
She knew very little about the truth, and she had done what she could.
The butterfly had flapped its wings and created the first gust of wind.
The rest was up to Shi Dingshan himself.
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