Category: Back to Three Years Old: Crushing Scumbags on a Parenting Reality Show

Chapter 121

After keeping everyone in suspense for a while, the host finally revealed the destination for the next stop – Shudian Film and Television City!

As soon as the name was announced, both the dads present and the viewers in the live broadcast room immediately understood.

Shudian Film and Television City, a massive complex with several ancient and modern towns, thousands of filming locations, and a supporting entertainment and commercial district nearby.

No wonder the host said that the next stop could fulfill several babies’ wishes at once.

If they went to Shudian, they might not even need to build any sets. This program team was truly economical!

The announcement of the new location was like a drop of water in boiling oil, both the dads present and the viewers in the live broadcast room were filled with new anticipation. And most of the babies, listening to the host’s introduction of Shudian, were also excited.

Yes, most of them, except…

“Maomao? What’s wrong?” Cheng Tingyan, her right hand, holding the little chubby paw, suddenly squeezed tightly, she asked in a low voice, startled.

“Nothing. Did I hurt your hand?” Wei Maomao asked, realizing her momentary lapse of control, she quickly let go of Cheng Tingyan’s hand. After receiving a shake of her head, her gaze returned to the host on the stage.

Cheng Tingyan looked down at her right hand.

How could it not hurt? It was squeezed so tightly just now.

Why? Was it…

Cheng Tingyan followed Wei Maomao’s gaze and looked at the host.

“Maomao, you don’t want to go to that Shudian Film and Television City?” Cheng Tingyan asked softly.

“No…” Wei Maomao said, shaking her head, lying, but her gaze was fixed on the host.

In her previous life, the third season of “Where’s Baby Going” also went to Shudian Film and Television City, but not for the third stop, it was the last stop.

The Shudian Film and Television City stop was the content of the last three episodes of the third season in her previous life. In the last three episodes, Cheng Tingyan was still walking and participating in activities normally for the first two episodes, but at the beginning of the last episode, she suddenly appeared in a wheelchair. The program team’s explanation was that Cheng Tingyan had accidentally fallen and injured herself, she had already seen a doctor, it was a sprain, and her injury had been treated. The program team suggested that Cheng Tingyan return home and rest, but she insisted on finishing the filming. Since it was already the last day, and the doctor said it was fine as long as she didn’t walk, the program team agreed to let her complete the rest of the filming in a wheelchair.

However, when Cheng Tingyan was sixteen, a year after debuting from a girl group survival show, she was diagnosed with a small bone fragment in her ankle, an injury from ten years ago, from this show.

The bone fragment could be removed. The hospital could be sued. But the pain during windy and rainy days in the past ten years, the pain during training in the past year, and the damage to the surrounding bones and tissues caused by the bone fragment… How could those be accounted for?

This life, maybe because of Shi Dingshan, or maybe because of the butterfly effect, this show had changed a lot. From filming four locations and editing them for broadcast, it had become four consecutive live broadcasts. The first location was the same as in her previous life, but the tasks were already very different. The second location didn’t even change, and the task content and format had undergone a complete transformation. Wei Maomao had thought that maybe the later locations would also be different…

She didn’t expect… Shudian Film and Television City, it was still coming.

A location that had already been planned and arranged, it was impossible to change.

But… other things…

“Yan Yan.” Wei Maomao, snapping out of her memories of the previous life, gently tugged at Cheng Tingyan’s arm. “That film and television city, it sounds so big. Will I get lost?”

So that was what she was worried about…

Cheng Tingyan, who had been racking her brains trying to figure out why the little chubby bunny had squeezed her hand so tightly, was suddenly enlightened.

As expected, when watching those scary scams on stage earlier, the little chubby bunny who had been comforting her was actually scared herself! She was truly terrible! She didn’t even notice!

“No, don’t worry. We’ll stay together, you won’t get lost.” Cheng Tingyan said, holding the little chubby paw. “I’ll hold your hand like this the whole time.”

“Will we sleep together at night too?” Wei Maomao asked, pushing her luck, unable to determine the exact time of the incident.

“We’ll sleep together.” Cheng Tingyan said, suppressing the joy in her voice.

“What if we have to do tasks separately?” Wei Maomao asked, looking up, her voice weak.

Her chubby little face was full of grievance.

Cheng Tingyan held the little chubby paw tighter. “Then we’ll do your task first, then mine.”

“Do mine first, then yours.” Wei Maomao corrected her.

Cheng Tingyan smiled and shook her head. “Do yours first, it doesn’t matter if I don’t have time for mine. Anyway, I’m staying at your place, my dad can’t scold me.”

Wei Maomao: “… “

It made sense, but compared to Yan Yan, who needed a good image, whether her tasks were completed or not didn’t matter, right? But there was no need to argue about it now.

As long as they could stay together.

The editing team in her previous life was truly good at “editing,” the timeline in the broadcasted episodes might not even be the actual timeline. It was difficult to determine from the show where and when Cheng Tingyan fell.

Honestly, Wei Maomao always felt that Cheng Tingyan’s injury in the previous life wasn’t from falling on her own.

With Jin Youliang’s tendency to create drama out of nothing, if Cheng Tingyan had truly fallen on her own, how could they not broadcast that scene?

Of course, it was also possible that it happened when they weren’t filming. After all, pre-recorded shows weren’t like live broadcasts, the cameramen might not always be following them.

But Wei Maomao always felt that the cause and effect presented in the previous life was a bit off, it didn’t fit Jin Youliang’s style of creating drama even when there was none. Her guess was that there was a high chance that Cheng Tingyan’s injury was related to the program team, or even the other guests. But Cheng Tingyan was just a pawn in the previous life, someone to be used and discarded, Jin Youliang wouldn’t offend anyone for her.

Sadly, during the years they contacted each other online, hiding behind their usernames, the guilty Wei Maomao didn’t dare to mention Cheng Tingyan’s name in the chat, she knew nothing about the truth behind that incident.

But no matter the reason… It would never happen again in this life!

Wei Maomao, filled with determination, even walked with a confident stride on their way back from the small square.

But before they even reached halfway, her chubby paw was gently pulled by Cheng Tingyan.

And so, the number of people returning home was reduced by one.

A minute later, Wei Chengli, walking alone on his way back, looked up at the sky melancholically.

The dark sky, without stars or moon, was just like him, without his baby, monotonous and lonely.

And under the same sky, the two little ones, walking side by side, passed through the alleys and headed towards the outskirts of the village…

“Here, we dug for Baby Coins and surprise boxes.”

Right, Cheng Rongrong seemed to have cheated in this field. And there were also those terrifying [Daddy Kiss Cards]…

“The Baby Convenience Store, so many things inside, so expensive.”

Mmm… Not only were the prices usually high, but even now, as they were about to leave, during the final rehearsal this afternoon, they even encouraged them to spend more, saying that the items in the Baby Convenience Store at the next location would be different, urging them to buy anything they wanted from this store now. It was Shen Zilin who was rational, saying they should spend wisely, they should save some money for unexpected expenses, who knew what the environment would be like at the next stop. To discourage everyone from shopping, he even gave each baby two of his fruit candies, in the end, except for Wen Dongyu, who insisted on buying a chocolate bar for his weak, insecure, and comfort-seeking dad, everyone else held onto their money.

“We touched eggs at this house.”

“We picked vegetables at this house.”

“The place where the dads ground soybeans for soy milk, and we drank soy milk.”

…

Halfway back home, Cheng Tingyan suddenly said she wanted to walk around outside for a bit before going back.

Wei Maomao, of course, was willing to accompany her, but as they walked and talked, something felt wrong.

Even when passing by houses with closed gates, they would stop at the door, reminiscing about the tasks they had done there…

It felt like they hadn’t even left yet, but they were already revisiting old places?

“Yan Yan, are you looking for the places we’ve been to these past few days?” Wei Maomao asked, confused, looking at the closed gate in front of them.

Cheng Tingyan seemed to be leading her around aimlessly, through alleys, out of the village. But all the places they went to were places where they had done tasks together, experienced something together. It didn’t seem random, it was very planned.

Not only did Wei Maomao notice it, the viewers in the live broadcast room also noticed it. Although many of the gates were closed, the scenes on the road were too familiar, and Cheng Tingyan’s explanations were also… a bit melancholic. At such a young age, her words sounded like those of a seventy or eighty-year-old, a kind of resignation, as if there was no future, only memories of the past. Hehehe… It must be their imagination… This was just the six-year-old little Yan Yan!

“Mmm.” Cheng Tingyan nodded.

“Why?” Wei Maomao asked, looking at the empty alley, what was there to see about these closed gates…

“These are the places we went to together.” The night concealed the blush on Cheng Tingyan’s face, but the embarrassment in her heart still made her hesitate before saying softly, “Maomao, you’re only three years old, maybe if you look at them again, you can… remember a little bit more?”

Wei Maomao, never expecting this reason, was stunned, after a moment, her expression softened, she said gently, “I remember everything. I did so many tasks with Yan Yan, I won’t forget. And this show, it’ll be broadcasted on TV, I’ll ask Dad to record it for us, we can watch it together every year.”

“Right, it’ll be broadcasted…” Cheng Tingyan said, stunned, but thinking about it, she felt she was right to do this.

After all…

The custody issue…

If they succeeded, they would have a chance to watch the show together.

And if they failed… then this might be her only chance to solidify her memories.

Don’t forget me so quickly, three-year-old little chubby bunny…

Because the six-year-old me, will always remember you from these days.

Chapter 120

All things must come to an end.

From the faint light of dawn to the gradual dimming of the sky.

The initial bustle of the crowd quieted down after the show began, only to become lively again as it ended.

The summer breeze stirred, villagers helped children find their parents, supported the elderly, chatted and laughed as they dispersed in small groups, their palm-leaf fans swaying.

With the joint effort of the program team and the village committee, soon, only the dads, babies, and the program team staff remained on the small square.

There were always contrasts in life, the quietness after the excitement brought a chill, mixed with a hint of untimely loneliness.

Wei Maomao leaned against the edge of the stage, watching the lively atmosphere gradually fade away, disappearing into the alleys, she unconsciously tightened her grip on Cheng Tingyan’s hand.

“Okay, our Anti-Fraud Gala has come to a successful conclusion! Thank you to our babies and dads for your active participation and hard work!” The host said, standing on the stage, then started clapping.

First the staff, then the dads, the applause gradually grew louder.

After the applause subsided, the host continued with a smile, “Today is our last day here. Tomorrow, we’ll embark on a new journey. So, now, I’m going to announce the destination of our next stop! Drumroll~~~ We’re going to…”

“Where is it…” As his voice slowed down, the host opened the envelope in his hand, but quickly closed it again. “Ah, right, before announcing the next location, there’s one more thing I need to mention. Before the show started filming, we collected the wishes of our little babies about where they wanted to go, and soon, some of our little babies’ dreams will come true! At the next stop, we can fulfill several babies’ wishes at once, after all, it’s a very amazing place, do you want to guess where it is?”

Wei Maomao: ???

What going somewhere?

What wishes?

Wei Maomao turned to look at Wei Chengli.

Wei Chengli, who had been secretly glancing at the little chubby dumpling, touched his nose, feeling guilty. He bent down and whispered into her ear, “Uh… That was during the last two days before the show. When the program team called to ask, you were sleeping. You must remember, right? You were always sleeping during those days, and you couldn’t be woken up, and they seemed to be in a hurry. So I answered for you… Uh, and then I forgot to tell you…”

“Just like how you forgot to tell me it was a live broadcast?” Wei Maomao truly wanted to go back and cook a pot of mush for Wei Chengli overnight, the kind without removing the fishy smell, to nourish his brain!

Wei Chengli, embarrassed by the little chubby dumpling’s words, chuckled awkwardly, but still tried to salvage his pride. “But I think the place I chose for you is quite good. Didn’t the program team ask you where you wanted to go? I said you wanted to go to a place where you can make a wish, and the wish will definitely come true. Like a very, very big wishing tree, or a very beautiful wishing fountain… The program team will fulfill every baby’s wish of where to go, although there might be some compromises, but I emphasized that the specific image wasn’t important, the content was. When you get to that place, you can make a new wish, and go wherever you want, right? Dad just postponed your wish~~~”

Wei Maomao stared at Wei Chengli in shock.

What?

Would the program team actually accept such a bizarre idea?

Didn’t they call in a hurry to finalize the location for the next stop? And now there was a postponed wish, they even had to add an extra location, why would they agree? They even agreed to a wish that increased their workload, did he have a mole in the program team?

Oh… maybe he did.

Shi Dingshan was truly Wei Chengli’s good friend.

Wei Maomao, speechless from shock, became the focus of the live broadcast under Shi Hongxiao’s camera.

How should she put it, truly a good deed.

The viewers in the live broadcast room were also shocked by Wei Chengli’s answer.

“Logically, it makes sense, but why would the program team agree…”

“Because it’ll look good on camera? Honestly, just thinking about ‘wishing tree’ or ‘wishing fountain,’ I can already imagine a beautiful, dreamlike scene.”

“Hahaha, although… But! Isn’t this like digging up a magic lamp from the ground, and the lamp says you can make three wishes. Then after making two wishes, for your third wish, you say, ‘Please let me make three more wishes’? Playing like this, the wishes will be endless! It’s like a nesting doll!”

“I’m dying of laughter! ‘Where’s Baby Going’ has been running for three seasons, and this season, they’re actually taking the title literally… In the previous two seasons, they just asked for a general preference before the show started, right? Like countryside or city, mountains or water? I feel like those two seasons must have had some kind of script, the program team probably decided where to go, then had the babies say something vaguely similar, just to make it seem like they were following the title.”

“There are seven babies? If they all have different wishes, and the locations are far apart, wouldn’t they have to go to seven places? Live broadcasts are already more difficult than pre-recorded ones in terms of clearing the area, it’s unlikely they’ll go to so many places, right? Isn’t it usually four locations?”

“What did the host just say? He said the next stop can fulfill several babies’ wishes at once, then the next stop must be quite amazing. Either it’s a place with convenient transportation, or there are various terrains, facilities, a complex…”

“Not necessarily, if it doesn’t work out, they can just build sets. That day when the babies were playing at Grandma Zhao’s house, the bouncy castle could be a fairy tale castle, adding a small inflatable pool next to the sandpit could be the seaside, those slides, seesaws, they could be combined into an amusement park, and placing them next to a hill could be the mountains~~~”

“Hahaha, is the person above trying to kill me with laughter! So economical and time-saving… The program team should hire you immediately! Why don’t you just say that board games are equivalent to an arcade, and those stacks of books are a library, hahaha!”

“Guys, stop talking. I’m truly afraid that in the next second, the host will point at that skinny tree next to CEO Mao and say, ‘Go make a wish, that’s your wishing tree’!”

…

If that were truly the case, Wei Maomao wouldn’t feel aggrieved at all.

Wei Chengli’s answer of “going somewhere,” it sounded a bit unreliable at first, she couldn’t understand why the program team would agree to such a delayed and then re-arranged wish.

But since he said it, and they actually agreed…

Thinking about it, it was… actually quite good!

If the wish could be postponed, then it could be diverted.

“Where does the baby want to go?”

“I want to go to Mom’s house, I want to live with Mom.”

Quite reasonable, right?

Saying a few words from the heart while making a wish, also quite reasonable, right?

It wasn’t complaining, it wasn’t whining, it was just expressing her feelings.

Those words were for the tree, for the fountain, for the kind-hearted god.

As for the staff members and the viewers outside who happened to hear it, it was just a coincidence.

If she could choose, Wei Maomao hoped her wish would be fulfilled at the fourth location, that way, she could give Cheng Feiying one last blow without worrying about him withdrawing from the show.

As Wei Maomao thought about it, her expression softened, she even looked at Wei Chengli with a hint of approval.

Wait, hold on…

Wei Maomao suddenly turned to look at Cheng Tingyan, who was standing next to her.

Although it was unlikely, but when the program team contacted Yan Yan before, could she have already made such a wish?

“Yan Yan, did you tell the program team where you wanted to go?” Wei Maomao asked, pulling Cheng Tingyan’s arm.

“Zoo.” Cheng Tingyan answered softly.

“Where?” Wei Maomao thought she had misheard.

“Zoo. A zoo is… a place where many animals are kept in cages, and people can watch them from outside.” Cheng Tingyan explained softly, thinking the little chubby bunny didn’t know what a zoo was.

“I know what a zoo is. But Yan Yan, you don’t like zoos!” Wei Maomao said, her brow furrowed, her confused words slipping out.

“Mmm?” Cheng Tingyan was stunned.

Wei Maomao bit her tongue, realizing her slip-up, she quickly tried to cover it up. “Yan Yan, you like to be clean, and the animals in the zoo don’t shower often, you wouldn’t like it.”

“Mmm…” Cheng Tingyan nodded, glancing at the little chubby bunny.

The little chubby bunny who showered every day was the cutest!

Wei Maomao didn’t know what Cheng Tingyan was thinking, in fact, all her thoughts were now occupied by anger.

“You don’t like it, and you still said you wanted to go? Did your dad tell you to say that?” Wei Maomao asked directly.

As long as it didn’t involve the core issues of medical expenses, loans, and custody, Wei Maomao felt there was nothing she couldn’t say directly in front of the camera.

Wei Chengli next to her was startled.

By the little chubby dumpling’s directness, and by the possibility that the Cheng family would actually do such a pointless thing.

Cheng Tingyan, holding the chubby paw in her hand tightly, pursed her lips and shook her head. “Auntie Bai said I have to go to the zoo. My dad… agreed with Auntie Bai.”

“Yan Yan, I don’t understand. I’ve been with you for a few days, I know you don’t like zoos.” Wei Maomao said, her free hand counting on her fingers, she asked in confusion, “That Auntie Bai, she’s been with you for years, doesn’t she know? Ugh~~~ Stepmothers are truly scary! Where there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather!”

Cheng Tingyan was stunned, she was that direct? She couldn’t help but glance at Wei Chengli, worried that he would mind the little chubby bunny talking about other adults like that.

Wei Chengli, next to her, was even more shocked than Cheng Tingyan. Meeting her gaze, he instinctively defended himself. “I didn’t say that…”

“Mmm, it’s from a TV drama.” Wei Maomao said calmly, she wasn’t trying to throw her dad under the bus.

No matter where she heard it from, she couldn’t be this direct…

What was wrong with this little rascal! How could she say such a confusing thing with such obvious anger and indignation!

Was it okay to say that? They were live broadcasting, baby! Directly saying “where there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather”! From cilantro to this, she was attacking on all fronts…

And that “ugh~~~” sound of disgust, she said it so perfectly… How many times had she secretly said it behind their backs, ahhh…

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!

Chapter 118p2

A few old men gathered together, grumbling.

Without Wang Guihua, they were back to their old selves.

But without Wang Guihua, there were still Zhang Guihua, Li Guihua…

Wang Guihua had made it so clear, if they still couldn’t understand, and kept blabbering, they were either stupid or malicious.

“Just because it won’t happen to them, it won’t happen to others? Just because they don’t need to watch, others don’t need to watch either?”

“Right, who doesn’t have women and children at home, even old men should watch!”

“They should also watch, what if someone likes old kidneys, aren’t they afraid?”

“They never leave the village, the worst they’ve encountered are probably child abductors when they were young. Let them go out and see the world, there are many things happening out there!”

“Uncle Zhou, you’ve been selling vegetables for so many years, you must have received counterfeit money before, right? My wife said the show will also teach everyone how to identify counterfeit money, I don’t handle cash at work, I think this money-related segment is unreasonable, can they cancel it? And health supplements, Uncle Zhou, you’ve bought so many health supplements, I don’t buy any, can they cancel that segment too?”

“Uncle Bai even went to Grandma Zhao’s house a few days ago to ask her how to avoid phone scams. What, his savings are savings, but our wives and children aren’t wives and children?”

“Only wanting to watch what they want to watch, then they should just act it out themselves. This kind of arrogance from old age, to put it bluntly, it’s called ignorance.”

“Right, the program team is trying to educate everyone, and they’re trying to ruin it, I think the village committee is already on their way.”

…

The surrounding villagers didn’t directly pull their ears or confront them like Wang Guihua did, but they did express their dissatisfaction to their close friends. And of course, they didn’t lower their voices.

It was mainly because those few old men, they were always gossiping, they were ignorant, and they loved criticizing others, always finding something to complain about. After so many years, the villagers were tired of indulging them.

Like today, just because they hadn’t seen it, it shouldn’t exist, just because they didn’t like it, it shouldn’t be performed.

Annoying.

This was what they called, a show on stage, and a show off stage.

To avoid revealing too much tonight, the segments involving the dads and babies were the first to finish rehearsing.

It was actually quite quick, they had already familiarized themselves with the scripts the day before, tonight was mainly about blocking. They would have another run-through tomorrow afternoon.

After a few segments, as the dads and babies were leaving, a few old men had already disappeared from the crowd, the atmosphere returning to its relaxed and harmonious state.

The babies and dads had been rehearsing separately, Wei Chengli didn’t have much time with the little chubby dumpling.

Although he had Yan Yan, the kind-hearted one, as his trump card, Wei Chengli still wanted to ensure maximum security for his last half-day of baby life.

Walking back home, Wei Chengli suddenly remembered something.

“Baby, I saw a skit backstage earlier. It’s about teaching children to identify scams.” Wei Chengli said, squeezing the little chubby paw in his hand. “That scam looked a bit familiar, guess what, the staff said it was adapted from something I said. So when did I ever say something like, ‘There are many scammers now, they pretend to be in trouble and ask children for help, then they sell the children. People who are truly in trouble wouldn’t ask powerless children for help, they would ask powerful adults for help’?”

Cheng Tingyan, who was walking attentively with her head lowered, froze upon hearing the familiar sentence. If it weren’t for the little chubby paw holding her hand, she would have forgotten to keep walking.

Wei Maomao: “… “

The silent little chubby dumpling confirmed Wei Chengli’s guess.

He knew it, although when he asked, the staff just smiled and backed away, but this kind of thing, only this little rascal would say it.

“I’m asking you a question?” Wei Chengli squeezed the little chubby paw again.

“You said it in your dream.” Wei Maomao said, retracting her paw and leaning towards Cheng Tingyan.

Wei Chengli, his hand suddenly empty, hummed. “You were the one who said it! They used your words, my words, to create a segment based on ‘Tutu Adventures.’ So, technically, I contributed to your favorite cartoon, right? Am I not amazing~~~ Don’t I deserve a wonderful last half-day of childhood? I want milk-stewed eggs with toast and crab stick omelet for breakfast tomorrow morning~~~”

Wei Maomao stopped walking, staring at Wei Chengli, who was asking for credit, in shock.

“Mmm… Just milk-stewed eggs and toast is fine too.” Wei Chengli said, observing the shocked little chubby dumpling, he compromised a little.

“Dad, is there only that one scam? Isn’t there another one, about bad people recording babies crying and then playing it somewhere hidden, so when people go to check, they’re kidnapped and sold?” Wei Maomao asked, wiping her face.

“Mmm? This one also sounds familiar, it was also mentioned in the cartoon, right? Should I ask them to add it in?” Wei Chengli rubbed his hands. “Then can I still have the crab stick omelet?”

“… “ Wei Maomao chuckled.

It seemed no one had told Wei Chengli under what circumstances she had said those things.

If Wei Chengli knew that she said those things on the first day, when Cheng Rongrong was crying in the room, looking for Cheng Tingyan, and she was pretending to be oblivious in front of the other babies, he probably wouldn’t be laughing.

“Okay, so just milk-stewed eggs and toast then?” Wei Chengli asked weakly, looking at the little chubby dumpling, who was smiling strangely. “Mmm… Just milk-stewed eggs is fine too.”

“Dad.” Wei Maomao said, patting Wei Chengli’s hand. “Whatever you want to eat, I, the baby, will make it for you. I’ll even put the moon in your milk.”

Wei Chengli: “… “ There was no need to be that good, he was a bit scared.

Wei Maomao never thought that the words she casually said that day, just to divert everyone’s attention, to avoid making them think that Yan Yan should be at home taking care of Cheng Rongrong, would be useful again today.

And today… Cheng Rongrong, whose actions had been exposed and stopped by her and Wang Zhizhi several times, wasn’t as innocent as she seemed on the first day.

That day, was she truly crying because Cheng Tingyan wasn’t there… Was their sisterly bond as good as she had portrayed it to be…

Now, everyone should be able to see it, right? They would also be reminded again because of this scam skit, right?

Good.

Milk, stewed with six eggs!

Wei Chengli didn’t sleep well that night.

He dreamed about the little chubby dumpling, the little chubby dumpling cooking for him… She put the moon in his milk, the sun on his toast, the stars in his crab stick omelet, then force-fed him, making him eat, eat, eat…

He ate for the entire night, he was so full that he was about to explode, he finally woke up from the dream.

Summer days dawned early, although Wei Chengli didn’t sleep well, he truly didn’t want to eat.

Yes, he didn’t want to eat mush this morning, but he also didn’t want milk-stewed eggs, toast, or crab stick omelet.

Learning from yesterday morning’s mush incident, Wei Chengli decided to go to the stove early and guard it, just in case.

Wei Chengli woke up early, he didn’t want to wake up the two children next door, so he opened the door quietly. But as soon as he opened the door, the door of the other bedroom also opened quietly.

One big and one small, they looked at each other in surprise.

When Wei Maomao woke up, the bed sheet next to her was still warm, she touched it and guessed that Cheng Tingyan had just gotten up not long ago.

It was still so early… What was she doing up…

Couldn’t she be sneaking off to the Cheng family’s house to play the parent again?

Wei Maomao was a bit worried, she couldn’t lie down anymore, she got out of bed, rushed outside, and opened the door.

“I’m telling you, you have to brush your teeth like this, further away, yes, lift your elbow, then you won’t get toothpaste on your clothes.”

Wei Chengli’s voice was clear from the courtyard, but Wei Maomao couldn’t understand what he was talking about.

What brushing teeth? What toothpaste? Who needed him to teach…

Wei Maomao walked out of the room and looked towards the stove.

By the sink, Cheng Tingyan, her back to her, was standing on a stool, facing the sink, Wei Chengli was standing next to her.

These two…

Wei Maomao had a bad feeling, she walked over quietly.

“Look, spit with a bit more force, further away, then the toothpaste won’t get on your clothes~~” Wei Chengli said enthusiastically, helping Cheng Tingyan, hoping to gain her strongest protection today.

Wei Maomao, reaching the sink, looked up and met Cheng Tingyan’s gaze, who was bending over, spitting out water. They stared at each other in silence.

“Baby, you’re awake? Perfect timing, I was just teaching Yan Yan how to brush her teeth so she won’t get toothpaste on her clothes. Yan Yan is so smart, she learned it immediately, she won’t have to wake up early to wash the toothpaste stains off her clothes anymore!” Wei Chengli said, asking for credit, then touched the little chubby dumpling’s mouth, confused. “What’s this?”

Wei Maomao: “… “

Cheng Tingyan: “… “