Chapter 133: Slapped in the Face
For the button-sewing task at Miss Liu’s, each team could take up to twenty garments per day, two garments for one coin. Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin had spent the afternoon exploring the mountain and the village, searching for tasks. By the time they reached Miss Liu’s, it was already evening. Mi Hongdou estimated that sewing three or four buttons per garment meant at least ten minutes for two garments, so she initially only took ten, planning to return for the remaining ten after dinner.
Unexpectedly, Ji Junxin, using her remaining roasted soybeans, easily bribed Miss Liu, and most of the garments they received were missing only one button, rarely two. And Ji Junxin, despite Mi Hongdou’s protests, insisted on helping, her bandaged fingers surprisingly deft with the needle and thread. The ten garments, which Mi Hongdou had estimated would take about an hour, were finished in just over ten minutes.
So, they asked Miss Liu for the remaining ten.
The second batch was also carefully chosen. When they left, Mi Hongdou’s pouch was ten coins heavier.
She touched the now slightly heavier pouch and looked at Ji Junxin’s, which was flat after the soybean bribe. It seemed that Ji Junxin’s earlier idea of trading food for ingredients wasn’t so far-fetched after all.
Leaving Miss Liu’s courtyard, they ran into Lu Changhuai and Yu Naihao. Since Yu Naihao’s act of kindness the night before, allowing Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin to be on the same team a day earlier, there was a strange camaraderie between the two on-screen CPs. They exchanged greetings and learned that Lu Changhuai and Yu Naihao had also explored the village and were now completing the tasks one by one. Although they weren’t good at sewing, they decided to do the task anyway.
Just as Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin were about to offer some advice about the correlation between food and tasks, Yu Naihao suddenly tugged at Lu Changhuai’s arm. “Let’s go!”
Lu Changhuai, following his gaze, looked down the path behind Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin, and said quickly, “We’ll talk later…”
Before he could finish, he was pulled into Miss Liu’s courtyard by Yu Naihao, whose voice boomed, “Quickly, bring us the clothes, quickly, quickly, quickly!”
“Why… so urgent?” Ji Junxin looked at the courtyard gate, confused.
Mi Hongdou, however, having chatted with Yu Naihao earlier during the chicken-feeding task, reacted more quickly. She had also glanced back when Lu Changhuai spoke and saw Jiang Duo walking towards them with a dark expression. So, Yu Naihao was trying to finish the task before she arrived.
Her favorability towards Yu Naihao just increased by 200 points! Mi Hongdou suppressed her smile and quietly explained Yu Naihao’s “whoever earns, keeps” rule to Ji Junxin.
She finished just as Jiang Duo reached them.
Ever since learning about Ji Junxin and Jiang Duo’s past from Qiao Rubai, Mi Hongdou had a strong dislike for Jiang Duo, even finding it annoying when she was simply standing near Ji Junxin.
When Qiao Rubai had told her about the reality show, Mi Hongdou had questioned why they had to invite Jiang Duo, if they couldn’t replace her in “Imperial Secrets.” And Qiao Rubai had said that this unscripted reality show would reveal their true characters, avoiding Jiang Duo was one thing, but the best way was to let Ji Junxin see her true colors.
Mi Hongdou understood Qiao Rubai’s reasoning, but she didn’t agree. Now, facing Jiang Duo, she felt conflicted.
With the cameras rolling, she had to maintain her composure, no matter how annoyed she was.
Jiang Duo, her face dark, stopped at the gate and greeted them. They responded, but unlike their earlier friendly exchange with Lu Changhuai and Yu Naihao, the atmosphere was now awkward and tense.
Just as Mi Hongdou was wondering why Jiang Duo, who was clearly there for the task, wasn’t going inside, Yu Naihao’s voice boomed from the courtyard, complaining about a garment with only one button left out of five.
Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin exchanged glances, and then Ji Junxin couldn’t help but chuckle, her tongue peeking out slightly.
Don’t let Jiang Duo see that cute expression!
Mi Hongdou grabbed Ji Junxin’s hand. “Let’s go, time for dinner.”
Ji Junxin, oblivious to Mi Hongdou’s sudden shift in mood, hearing “dinner,” nodded obediently and was about to leave.
“You’re so lucky,” Jiang Duo said, her voice tinged with self-pity. “Yu Naihao insists on doing the tasks separately… the tasks are assigned to the team, what’s the point of competing with your own teammate?…” Her pitiful demeanor and seemingly self-deprecating words were a clear attempt to gain sympathy.
Can’t you see we’re leaving for dinner! And starting your self-pity with “you’re so lucky”! Are we supposed to ignore you? Just ignore you?!
With the cameras rolling, even Mi Hongdou, despite her dislike for Jiang Duo, couldn’t just ignore her.
She stopped, and so did Ji Junxin.
But before Mi Hongdou could think of a way to brush her off, Ji Junxin spoke.
“You shouldn’t have forced Yu Naihao,” she said to Jiang Duo seriously. “They’re very unhappy.”
Jiang Duo, who had been trying to gain sympathy and subtly badmouth Yu Naihao, was stunned.
Where’s the gentle, easygoing foodie who’s so easily swayed?
“But… but Zhang Zijing and I, we can’t do most of the tasks. They’re a strong team, we just wanted to… balance things out, to help the show. Otherwise, the disparity between teams would be too great, it wouldn’t be a fair competition, right?…” Jiang Duo’s initial hesitation turned into a smooth justification, practically claiming that their forced team change was for the sake of the show.
Ji Junxin’s frown deepened, and she couldn’t help but interrupt Jiang Duo’s self-serving explanation. “Here, as long as you work hard, you can earn coins, it’s already fair. You can’t use your incompetence as an excuse to force others.”
Jiang Duo felt like she had been slapped in the face. She hadn’t expected Ji Junxin to be so unsympathetic, and now they were even confronting each other.
Such a forceful retort… Ji Junxin pursed her lips and glanced at Mi Hongdou.
“The rules allowed for forced teaming, so you did. The rules also didn’t forbid separate earnings, so Yu Naihao separated his earnings from yours. Since everyone is following the rules, why are you complaining about him?” Mi Hongdou said, gently squeezing Ji Junxin’s hand.
“I…” Jiang Duo wanted to explain that she wasn’t complaining, just expressing her feelings.
But Ji Junxin didn’t give her a chance.
Brothers fight side by side, fathers and sons fight together, and when it comes to slapping someone in the face, it’s a CP’s job.
“If you had successfully forced me onto your team, I would have also kept my earnings separate. If you did well, I wouldn’t take your credit, and if you didn’t, I wouldn’t help you. Because although I think this reality show is interesting, a unique experience, I don’t want to share it with you.” Ji Junxin finished quickly, didn’t even look at the stunned Jiang Duo, and tugged at Mi Hongdou’s sleeve. “Let’s go, I’m hungry…”
Mi Hongdou, also stunned, didn’t know what to say! It had been such an intense confrontation, and now… her heart melted.
The viewers were also stunned by this sudden shift in tone. So much sugar!
Weren’t you supposed to be criticizing the forced team change? Defending Yu Naihao? Showing solidarity between CPs? Even your confrontation is filled with sugar, is a candy company sponsoring you, Ji Junxin?!
We’ll buy your candy, just tell us the brand!
Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin walked away, and there was no further sound from Jiang Duo. Mi Hongdou’s feelings were complicated. Qiao Rubai had been right.
During the filming of “Imperial Secrets,” after the Nan Tian incident, Ji Junxin had been cold towards Jiang Duo on set, but it was just indifference. This open hostility was new. It seemed that Jiang Duo’s actions during the team reshuffle had truly offended her.
She wanted to share this experience with me… Mi Hongdou thought, touching Ji Junxin’s bandaged fingers, this pitiful yet sweet girl.
She had just wanted to casually brush against Ji Junxin’s hand, but Ji Junxin held it tightly.
We’re being filmed! Holding hands! They’ll definitely overthink this!
Mi Hongdou, conflicted, looked at Ji Junxin, who, holding her hand tightly, asked innocently, “What are we having for dinner?”
Holding my hand so tightly, yet acting so clueless, are you having a split personality?!
“Minced meat and tofu?” Mi Hongdou said, recalling the prices on the Supplies Board. “Or scrambled eggs with firm tofu?”
“Hmm… let me think…” Ji Junxin was torn, she wanted both, but they had to be frugal.
With sufficient skill, a simple dish of minced meat and tofu could be a feast. After finishing her second bowl of rice, Ji Junxin, her stomach full, no longer regretted missing out on the scrambled eggs with tofu.
Well… for now.
There weren’t many tasks in the village, and even fewer suitable for them. Besides the ones they had already done, only the physically demanding water-carrying task and the risky Gomoku task were worth considering.
As for the wood-chopping and corn kernel tasks, those were just self-torture, the effort not worth the reward. Mi Hongdou had wanted to do the laundry task, but Ji Junxin, remembering her sore fingers, firmly opposed it. Between coins and Ji Junxin’s well-being, Mi Hongdou, touching her pouch, which still had a few coins, chose the latter.
After a short rest, they went to do the water-carrying task. Five buckets from the well 200 meters away for five coins. So, even though Mi Hongdou tried to stop her, Ji Junxin insisted on helping.
Fortunately, the task only specified the amount of water, not the number of trips. They just carried less water each time, making multiple trips. Their legs were sore, but their hands were fine.
They earned five coins and thought it was a good task, they could do it again tomorrow.
The CP fans online, however, were heartbroken. They had been counting. Each of them had walked almost 1,600 meters to complete the task. And Jiang Lingling… she had made just two trips, less than 800 meters, carrying all five buckets. And on the second trip, she had just casually carried one bucket in one hand, without even using the carrying pole.
Their worldview was shattered by the Rich Lady’s strength.
Such strength, if they said she worked in construction, they would believe it!
After deducting the cost of the tofu and pork belly for dinner, they still had twelve coins left.
With money, came confidence. Ji Junxin, a self-proclaimed Gomoku expert, suggested playing a few games.
She easily won the first two games.
Just as Mi Hongdou thought she would continue, Ji Junxin pocketed her winnings and returned to Mi Hongdou’s side.
Mi Hongdou was confused.
Ji Junxin, pulling her aside, whispered, “I sensed it during the first game, that boy is a Gomoku expert. But he seemed to be letting me win, perhaps to make me overconfident. He would probably crush me in the third game. Let’s quit while we’re ahead. My… friend gave me some advice about gambling.”
“You know about this?” Mi Hongdou was surprised.
“Of course, I filmed a gambling movie before,” Ji Junxin said proudly. “I learned a lot about it. Many gamblers lure you in with small wins, making you addicted, then you start losing more than you win, and you’re trapped, wanting to win back your losses, unable to leave. Even a small win gives you false hope, followed by a bigger loss. So, gambling is dangerous.”
My foodie has suddenly become a gambling expert… Mi Hongdou was impressed.
“By the way, Miss Ji, can you repeat that for the camera?” a staff member, having just received instructions, asked.
So, Ji Junxin repeated her explanation, then added, “This kind of tactic isn’t just used in real-life gambling, but also on those illegal online gambling sites. Remember, the house always wins.” She paused and looked at Mi Hongdou.
“Except for the shills,” Mi Hongdou added seriously.
The viewers were amused. Even your public service announcements are filled with flirting! Such a harmonious and righteous couple, we have to give you 101 points! The extra point is for being so awesome!
The young man who had just played Gomoku with Ji Junxin, watching the live stream, was heartbroken. As Ji Junxin’s fan, he had just wanted to let his idol win and eat better, why this dramatic interpretation!
What are you even reading! Come back! Let’s talk!
Can’t you feel a fan’s love!
He tearfully typed, “A true CP, their minds so in sync, I have to give them props!”
Seeing the flood of “Props +1,” “Props +2,” “Props +3,” he smiled, wiping away his tears.
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