Chapter 361: The Program Team's Perks?
"Xiao Chen, dinner should be simple. You haven't digested your lunch yet."
Leslie Cheung leaned against the door, watching Xiao Chen busy at the stove.
"Brother, eat some vegetables tonight, it'll help you lose some weight."
Xiao Chen chops vegetables extremely fast, and the rhythm of the cutting board is comparable to that of a drum set.
Before long, several plates of exquisite local specialties were served.
Stir-fried yam, cold wild vegetable salad, and a pot of fragrant mixed grain porridge.
These ingredients were obtained by him and Reba in the afternoon when they traded extra corn with the villagers.
"Wow, this yam is so soft and chewy!"
Wang Zuxian picked up a chopstick and put it in his mouth, his eyes immediately lighting up.
"And these wild vegetables have no bitterness at all; they're even better than those in a five-star hotel."
Although Brigitte Lin usually eats a light diet, she was still won over by the hearty and lively dishes on the table.
"Xiao Chen, if you don't become a movie star in the future, you could probably open a restaurant and it could go public."
"Any girl who marries you will be blessed with good fortune, as you are beautiful and can cook well."
Faced with the goddess's praise, Xiao Chen just chuckled and didn't reply, but served Zhang Guorong a bowl of porridge.
"Sis, don't flatter me to death. If my mom hears this, she'll scold me for being useless."
Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui exchanged a glance.
Ye Huimei didn't think Xiao Chen was useless; she just wondered why he didn't bring home a daughter-in-law sooner.
After the meal, everyone crowded onto the bamboo mats under the shade of the pavilion, looking at the Big Dipper in the sky and chatting idly.
They talked about the sensations caused by filming those movies back then.
The magnetic field between these big names left Dilraba, who was standing next to her, completely stunned.
As night deepened, the dew in the mountains grew heavier.
"Let's all go, we still have to collect that 'perk' tomorrow morning."
Mei Yanfang waved her hand, yawned, and got up to walk into the house.
Xiao Chen finally turned off the lights, and the courtyard returned to tranquility.
The next morning, the mountain mist had not yet dissipated.
Xiao Chen had already gotten up and practiced a set of long fist techniques in the yard.
After finishing my set of punches, I checked my watch and it was 7:50.
He rubbed his head and walked to the doors of the bedrooms on the second floor.
"Knock knock knock".
"Brother, Sister Mei, the sun's already high in the sky."
From inside came Leslie Cheung's muffled, nasal voice, clearly indicating he hadn't had enough sleep.
Xiao Chen then turned and knocked on the door of the room next door.
"Sister Lin, Sister Zuxian, the king crab is waving at you from the village entrance."
After a while of fussing, everyone finally appeared in the living room with slightly messy hair and sleepy eyes.
Dilraba rubbed her eyes and followed behind Xiao Chen like a lost soul.
"Brother Xiao Chen, I hadn't even dreamed about peeling crabs when you woke me up."
"What are you peeling in your dreams? I'll show you the real thing later."
Xiao Chen casually grabbed a handful of nuts and stuffed them into her hand, then led this group of "half of the entertainment industry" toward the village entrance.
The morning mist enveloped Wengcao Village like a light veil, and the stone-paved road was damp.
Xiao Chen walked at the front, his steps steady.
His wispy hair fluttered slightly in the wind, and his face shone brightly in the morning light.
By this time, many early-rising villagers were already standing by the roadside, chatting about farm work. When they saw Xiao Chen walking over, their voices stopped abruptly.
Several peasant women holding children stared in disbelief, even forgetting to move.
"Is that Teacher Xiao? He's even more handsome than the people in the paintings."
"That's right, he even helped my family exchange corn yesterday. He's a kind-hearted kid, and he doesn't act like a big star at all."
Hearing the discussion, Xiao Chen turned his head and showed the villagers a row of neat white teeth.
"Good morning, ma'am. The corn from yesterday was sweet. I'll come back to you for some more when I win some bonus."
His cheerful tone made the old lady beam with joy.
Behind her, Dilraba was looking down at the handful of nuts in her hand, her cheeks bulging out like a little squirrel hiding food.
"Brother, do you think the perks might include giving us gold bars?"
She tilted her head back, her big eyes filled with innocent anticipation.
Xiao Chen didn't turn his head, but smiled and tapped her forehead.
"No gold bars, but a golden crab is a possibility."
Anita Mui wore a light jacket, and although she wasn't fully awake, her diva aura was still faintly visible.
"Ah Chen, do you think the production team will pull that ring toss trick again?"
"The last ring was so small that even a pumpkin couldn't fit inside it."
She recalled her experience from the previous episode and couldn't help but complain.
Leslie Cheung followed beside him, his hands in his pockets, looking relaxed.
"If it's a ring toss game, Ah Chen will definitely be fine."
"Then they'll make the production team a hula hoop again."
Lin Qingxia and Wang Zuxian nodded in agreement with the brother's words.
Although they didn't know what a hula hoop was, in their eyes, this younger brother was almost omnipotent.
After turning a corner, the view suddenly opened up.
At the village's grain-drying ground, the production crew had already put up banners and was playing cheerful music from the loudspeakers.
A dozen or so strong villagers were gathered together, all eager to get started.
When they saw Xiao Chen and his group, their eyes revealed a simple, unpretentious desire to challenge them.
"Actor Xiao is here!"
"You'd better give us a break today; we're not strong for nothing!"
Xiao Chen strode forward and offered cigarettes to the leading men one by one—although he didn't smoke, he always carried some in his pocket.
"Please have mercy, gentlemen. My small frame is no match for you all."
He bent over, his tone humble to the core, praising the burly men until they were beaming with pride.
At the end of the threshing ground, about fifty meters away, a pile of supplies was neatly stacked.
The most eye-catching items were those baskets of enormous king crabs, which were blowing bubbles.
There were also exquisite small appliances, boxes of tissues, and fresh local specialties nearby.
Dilraba almost drooled.
"There really are crabs! And they're alive!"
She tugged at Xiao Chen's sleeve, jumping up and down excitedly.
The director picked up the megaphone and cleared his throat.
"Distinguished guests, fellow villagers, let's get down to business today."
"To thank everyone for their support of the show, see those prizes over there?"
"The rules are simple: a race."
"When the starting gun fires, whoever rushes to grab the item first gets it!"
"Guests and villagers compete on the same stage, and each person only has one chance to win an item."
As soon as he finished speaking, the scene erupted in uproar.
Mei Yanfang glanced at the stiletto sandals on her feet and rolled her eyes.
"Old Wang, are you taking advantage of us because we're not dressed athleticly enough?"
Brigitte Lin, on the other hand, remained calm.
"It's all about participation; even getting a pack of toilet paper is good."
Dilraba has already tied her hair up in a ponytail and is in a starting position.
"I'll do anything for crabs!"
Xiao Chen stood beside her, slowly stretching his legs.
His movements were precise and graceful, and his muscle lines were faintly visible under his short sleeves.
The villagers also took their places.
Several young men who work in the fields year-round stood in a row, their muscles taut, looking like a pack of cheetahs.
"Ah Chen, are you confident?"
Leslie Cheung asked in a low voice.
Xiao Chen tilted his head and gave a slightly mischievous smile.
"Brother, I want to eat the biggest crab."