Even someone as famously easygoing in the industry as Zhang Ruonan couldn't help but scowl when she saw Yuan Huihui deliberately dragging her feet.
The remaining five people in the lotus pond glanced at the mud-covered lotus roots still piled by the shore, then at the sky overhead, and finally climbed out carefully.
Due to the thick silt, it was easy to get into the pond but much harder to get out. Feng Wan and Xu Lijun had to help each other up the embankment.
Of course, Feng Wan could've climbed out effortlessly on her own, but with outsiders present, she couldn't reveal her special capabilities.
As soon as she got up, Feng Wan saw Yuan Huihui acting all pitiful in a soft, aggrieved tone.
"I really tried my best to clean the lotus roots, it's just that…"
Tears shimmered in her eyes but never quite fell. She also "unintentionally" displayed her pale, water-soaked hands for everyone to see.
The way she deliberately left her sentence unfinished, sounding as if she was choking back words—honestly, it was unbearable to watch. Compared to the others who had been digging in the mud, her hands were in much better shape.
Still, there's always someone who can't see clearly. A red-haired guy immediately stepped forward to comfort her softly: "Yuan Huihui, you've done enough. We'll help you wash the rest."
What? This guy is making decisions on everyone's behalf? If he wants to show off, fine—but dragging others down with him? Didn't he notice how the others all tensed up at his words?
Just as Yuan Huihui's eyes lit up, clearly ready to ride the momentum, Feng Wan cut in at just the right moment.
"That's Zhou Zhengkang's personal decision. I'm not getting involved. I've been working nonstop and my back, waist, and legs are killing me—I need a break."
With that, she plopped straight onto the ground and started massaging her calves.
She wasn't even lying—after bending over in the lotus field for so long, she really was sore all over.
Xu Lijun chimed in to support her, "Yeah, we're all women here. Feng Wan and I did just as much labor as you men. If I hadn't pushed through sheer willpower, I'd have collapsed already."
As she finished, she leaned weakly against a willow tree, pretending to be too delicate to stand.
Xu Lijun still cared about her public image, unlike Feng Wan, who didn't hesitate to slump onto the ground.
Seeing the two girls clearly refusing to help under the guise of exhaustion, Yuan Huihui knew there was no point hoping for assistance from them.
So, she turned hopeful eyes toward the other two men. But Zhang Ruonan had been in showbiz for over twenty years—he could see right through all this manipulation.
Still, he was utterly worn out today and wasn't about to play the fool. He politely declined, "It's getting late. Chef Zhang and I need to head back and start cooking dinner—otherwise we won't finish in time."
Given that response, Yuan Huihui couldn't push further without completely losing face.
In the end, Zhou Zhengkang stayed behind to help her clean the lotus roots, while Feng Wan and the others packed the washed lotus roots in bags and brought them back.
Back at the farmhouse, the four of them took turns showering and changed into clean clothes. Their original clothes had been soaked in muddy water and were stained beyond recognition, leaving them sticky and sweaty all over.
After showering, Feng Wan and Xu Lijun sat in their room drying their hair.
"You were so cool back there," Xu Lijun said with a grin. "I can't stand that fake white lotus either."
"She just wanted us to do all the work while she took it easy. The world doesn't work that way."
Feng Wan didn't know Xu Lijun well enough to fully trust her, so she kept her reply neutral, using an impersonal, businesslike tone.
They dared talk like this only because they had removed their mics and the bedroom had no cameras.
Once their hair was half-dry, they went back out to work—because the real challenge had only just begun.
Outside, the two men were already busy working. Seeing the girls come out, no one said much—they were all dead tired.
Following Zhang Yuan's instructions, he took on the cooking, Feng Wan chopped vegetables, Xu Lijun washed them, and Zhang Ruonan tended the fire.
Yes, the farmhouse still used a traditional rural wood stove—perfect for capturing the rustic charm of countryside life.
Viewers watching the livestream thought this team of four looked the most harmonious with their well-organized division of labor.
Zhang Yuan checked the available ingredients. Thankfully, the kitchen already had a chunk of cured pork and some basic seasonings. Otherwise, with just the vegetables and lotus roots they had gathered, they'd have been stuck with an all-veggie dinner.
The director's team observed this warm and cooperative scene. Though peaceful, it lacked drama and controversy.
Shifting focus to another group, they were quite satisfied. Though these two weren't exactly likable, with the right push, they could draw in plenty of curious viewers.
As for how these two would be perceived by the audience? The director didn't care. Infamy was still fame. They might even end up thanking him.
Meanwhile, Zhou Zhengkang was hard at work scrubbing lotus roots. From the start, he had been drawn to Yuan Huihui's "damsel in distress" act. Seeing a beauty in trouble, he'd naturally rushed in to help.
What he didn't expect was that the other four would be so tactless, making him lose face in front of his goddess. This thought only made him scrub harder.
Yuan Huihui, for her part, wasn't feeling great either. She hadn't expected her usual sob story routine to only reel in one dumb sucker.
But considering the current situation, she had no choice but to work hard—otherwise, the carefully crafted persona she had built might just collapse.
By the time they returned, Feng Wan and the others had nearly finished dinner. After washing up and changing, the pair tried to join in to show they were helping, but there was nothing left to do and their efforts only got in the way.
Finally, Zhang Yuan couldn't take it anymore and said, "One of you set the table and utensils, the other does the dishes afterward. You two figure it out."
Zhou Zhengkang couldn't bear to let his goddess suffer. He immediately rolled up his sleeves and started setting the table, telling Yuan Huihui to just cheer him on from the sidelines.
However, he didn't explain clearly, leading Yuan Huihui to mistakenly think she would have to wash dishes later. She secretly fumed: Zhou Zhengkang is such a hypocrite! How dare he leave the most tiring task to me!
Once everything was ready, the village chief arrived with a few elderly villagers.
For dinner, Chef Zhang prepared six dishes. Considering the limited ingredients, he did a good job. Thanks to Feng Wan's excellent knife skills and Zhang's culinary prowess, both the villagers and guests were reasonably satisfied.
After the guests left, the production team handed over the promised budget. Zhang Ruonan eagerly opened the envelope—
And saw that the six of them only got 500 yuan. That was way too little.
To wrap up the day, the camera focused on Yuan Huihui scrubbing dishes alone in the corner. Zhou Zhengkang, thinking his goddess was feeling sorry for him, assumed she had taken over the task for his sake.
This time, he didn't go over to help—after all, in his family, women were expected to do all the washing and cleaning. Neither he nor his father had ever stepped foot in a kitchen.